I, Wang Ha, the Three Red Unparalleled Assassin

The soft moonlight shone through the gaps in the clouds and fell upon her, illuminating her already narrowed pale purple eyes. Miss Cat was dutifully carrying out her night watch duty once again.

Cats are naturally nocturnal, after all, they need to help their owners catch those nasty mice that steal their food.

Therefore, Himari can unleash even greater power at night than during the day, with both her demonic energy and blood boiling more intensely.

"From the very first wave of the invasion until now, half a month has passed, and it seems that several hundred people have died under this blade."

Himari rested her left hand on the hilt of the long sword, stroking it as she murmured to herself. Having long been accustomed to killing, she didn't think much about it.

Anyone who dares to plot against Kaguya of Houraisan, regardless of their status or moral character, will be executed if they take any excessively outrageous actions!

Of course, most of the ninjas and samurai who used to fly and scale walls at night have been killed recently, but more and more lecherous yokai have come to Heian-kyo with their eyes on Kaguya.

Under Fujiwara no Fuhito's arrangement, the people living near Kaguya's residence on Mount Hourai have temporarily moved to other places to avoid the innocent from being affected by the battles that occur every night.

Fortunately, the humans and monsters that attacked knew that this was Heian-kyo, and the inner courtyard of the residence of a high-ranking official, so they dared not make things too big and cause an uncontrollable situation.

Therefore, the situation has temporarily reached a stalemate.

During the day, admirers from all walks of life come to visit and propose marriage; at night, powerful figures and monsters seeking only a night of pleasure arrive in droves.

Himari sniffed, following the direction of the wind, and caught the scent of the enemy. There was demonic power, magical power, and some other miscellaneous scents, a large, hazy group.

"They're here. This chaotic aura... could it be that these humans and demons have joined forces?"

The white cat ears twitched slightly as she listened intently to the increasingly approaching subtle sounds around her. The girl lowered her body slightly and crouched down, gripping the long sword at her waist with her right hand.

Although this sword is not a particularly valuable or high-quality one, once sharpened and combined with the powerful strength and physique of a melee-type great demon, its power should not be underestimated.

While in the bamboo forest, Himari often sparred with the old man of the mountain during their morning practice. She felt that it was already quite remarkable that she could fight the old man of the mountain, who stood still and used only a knife as a weapon, to a standstill.

Eight dark figures silently emerged from all directions, like midnight ghosts, without alerting anyone in the Fujiwara family. Even the samurai and onmyoji serving the family failed to notice their arrival.

"Three high-ranking demons and five humans? Tonight, some formidable opponents have indeed arrived."

Himari muttered to herself, her eyes glowing with an eerie red light. In order to finish the battle quickly, she adopted a slightly more serious attitude.

Ever since the old man of the mountain killed the bloodthirsty and mad will in her demon bloodline, Himari can now freely control this berserk state. When fully unleashed, her strength can increase several times over, and she is not afraid to face top-level demons head-on.

A gentle, cool evening breeze blew by, and the cat demon girl's figure disappeared on the rooftop, blending into the night. The little bit of stealth she had stolen from the old man of the mountain came in handy at this moment.

Under the eaves of a house in the Fujiwara residence, a person dressed as a typical ninja is hiding, carefully observing the surrounding movements.

Then, just as he was about to continue forward without noticing anything amiss, he happened to see a pair of eyes glowing with an eerie red light.

Before the ninja could react, a flash of light and Himari cleanly severed his head.

"The first one."

Himari held the ninja's corpse in her hand, preventing it from falling to the ground and making a sound, and then disappeared from the spot again in a flash.

Three minutes later, the corpses of four humans and two monsters were piled up and thrown into an abandoned courtyard, while Himari quickly ran towards the location of the last two enemies.

An Onmyoji accompanied by a yokai shikigami, judging from his attire, doesn't seem to be from Heian-kyo; he must be from an Onmyoji family from another region.

"The game of cat and mouse should end."

Himari, carrying a blood-dripping samurai sword, appeared boldly before the Onmyoji. Under the oppressive aura of the great demon, the Onmyoji turned pale with fright.

If he had known beforehand that the supposedly powerful bodyguard was actually a monster, he would never have dared to run into him.

However, the evil thoughts in his heart cost this Onmyoji his life, making him the first Onmyoji to die in this riot.

After his body is taken away by the authorities tomorrow morning, the news will likely spread, causing those petty scoundrels who lack the strength to give up.

Wiping the blood from the blade with a white cloth she carried with her, Himari gazed at the deep night sky and muttered to herself:

"What if even a powerful demon gets involved in the end? If that happens, the world might descend into chaos."

However, Himari wasn't too worried about the potential crisis. At worst, she could just take Kaguya Houraisan and escape back to the bamboo forest to hide. There was absolutely no place in the world safer than home.

"This is terrible. We just cleared out one wave, and the next wave of fearless creatures is already here. Whether they are human or demon, they are nothing more than mortal beings who cannot control their inner desires."

Himari sighed softly and left the place where she had killed the Onmyoji without a sound, leaving behind only a faint whisper.

"Although I don't understand it completely yet, Suzuki Satoru's fighting style is indeed quite interesting."

The next morning, when Kaguya Houraisan stretched and opened her door, Himari was leaning against the doorway, holding a Japanese sword.

Kaguya Houraisan felt a pang of sympathy seeing Himari's exhausted expression, realizing that continuing to do nothing like this was no longer a solution.

How many people came last night?

"Thirteen humans and twenty-five demons. Clearly, more and more demons are becoming interested in the rumors. I must say, A-Zhu, your charm is just too strong, it's practically a curse."

After thinking carefully for a moment, Himari answered Kaguya Houraisan's question, her gaze falling on the pretty girl in front of her.

"There was one of them who was about to break through to become a great demon, and it took me some effort to take him down. If this trend continues, there might be even stronger ones coming later."

"No way, this is the capital of humans. Even if the monsters hold a dominant position, there are still strong people among humans. It shouldn't be this outrageous."

Kaguya Houraisan didn't quite agree with Himari's conjecture, but she felt a vague unease, as if something truly momentous was about to happen.

Just then, a shout that echoed throughout the Fujiwara residence came from there, the voice filled with anxiety.

"Master, something terrible has happened! Madam, Madam has suddenly fainted!!"

Chapter 111 Empty Nest Old Man

After Himari and Kaguya left, the Bamboo House returned to its quiet and secluded state of the past few decades, not much better than the desolate Lunar Capital.

The old man of the mountain, who had long been accustomed to living alone, led his life in a very regular manner. The change from noise to tranquility did not shake his firm heart.

In the Valley of the Darkness, he could stand on the mountaintop and gaze into the distance for an unknown amount of time. Although he knew the goddess of the underworld who lived next door to him, they did not have much interaction.

It sped in from the darkness and disappeared silently from the shadows, unnoticed, undiscovered, and unrecorded by anyone.

This is the being known as the Old Man of the Mountain.

Wearing a straw hat and a raincoat, and holding a fishing rod, the old man, dressed as a fishing enthusiast, sat cross-legged on the riverbank, ice fishing.

The thin fishing line sank into the river through the ice hole. There was no bait on the hook, and the entire hook was straight, like a silver needle used in acupuncture.

The old man of the mountain loved to fish, and his method of fishing has always been the same: those whose time has come will take the bait.

Anyway, the fish that take the bait will either be eaten by a more advanced predator or die for some other reason.

If that's the case, then being made into grilled fish is just another way of dying, it doesn't count as going against fate.

The fishing rod in his hand remained motionless. The old man in the mountain looked up at the somewhat hazy sky, a faint ripple in his deep blue eyes, and silently calculated the days ahead.

"It's been a month and a half? It seems like it'll be time for them to come back soon."

"With the year drawing to a close, if you are truly indulging in the hustle and bustle of the city and only care about your own pleasure, and intend to leave this old man here alone, then this hard-won bond of friendship should be severed."

Despite his muttering to himself, the hint of anticipation he held was impossible to hide.

As the one who carries out the punishment on behalf of Heaven, the old man of the mountain naturally has a heart as hard as iron.

But he was not an emotionless puppet; he was a person who knew the warmth and coldness of the world and understood love, hate, and passion.

However, he considered certain meaningless things to be beneath his notice, and his usual demeanor was one of sternness and unsmilingness.

If Kaguya Houraisan hadn't inadvertently witnessed the Old Man of the Mountain displaying a different expression, she would have almost suspected that her father might be expressionless.

Although he only spent three months living with Himari and Kaguya Houraisan, the two women undoubtedly left an impression on him, even if it wasn't a deep one.

The old man of the mountain has been wondering about this lately. In the past, he would not have cared about such trivial matters. He made his own decisions, and no one could change them.

When exactly did I start to change?

That's right, it was when Sakura summoned him as a Servant.

That unexpected "Grandpa" pierced a crack in the Mountain Elder's impenetrable defensive shell, and through this hard-won gap, it allowed them to explore something deeper.

The old man of the mountain's cold heart was infused with long-lost warmth, which, while not enough to soften it, was enough to preserve a trace of its former temperature.

Later, after he went to the Little Garden, he was given a spirit, and due to the death attribute and his own duty, he temporarily suppressed unnecessary emotions.

However, after this period of spiritual integration and self-cultivation, the old man of the mountain clearly felt a change in his state of mind.

It is not that it has decreased as a result, but rather that it has become more vibrant, unlike before when it remained eternally calm, like a stagnant pool.

"It's only natural for a father to worry about his daughter, right? Besides, my actions don't contradict my duties; they're just reasonable actions based on my current position."

The old man of the mountain stopped pondering meaningless philosophical questions when he realized that something outside had entered the bamboo grove.

Outside the bamboo forest, people from all directions gathered and surged towards it.

Most of them had traveled a long way from Heian-kyo, braving wind, rain, and blizzards. They were all noblemen who had been fortunate enough to see Kaguya of Houraisan once and were now obsessed with her.

These people were much smarter than those fools who were still gathering at the gates of the Fujiwara residence, hoping that their goddess would take pity on them and grant them a meeting.

In this era where free love is absent and marriages are arranged by parents and matchmakers, winning over one's future father-in-law is tantamount to winning over his daughter.

Therefore, seeing that the Fujiwara residence was closed and there was no hope of entering, and that the bandits who had sneaked in at night to plunder and kidnap people were all dismembered.

This group then turned their attention to the old man living in the bamboo forest hundreds of miles away, feeling that this old man living in the mountains might be easier to deal with than the aloof and arrogant Kaguya of Mount Hourai.

Selling one's children was quite common in those days. A chest of gold, enough to ensure a commoner's livelihood, would likely be enough to persuade the other party to offer up their daughter.

This is only because there are too many competitors and Kaguya Houraisan is too famous; otherwise, how could an ordinary woman be worth this price?

Many people have heard the legend of the "Old Man of the Mountain," but how many clever people can accurately identify the story?

Even someone as clever as Fujiwara no Fuhito only stumbled upon the correct answer by sheer luck.

Furthermore, to prevent powerful clans from secretly associating with such reclusive masters, only Emperor Monmu and Fujiwara no Fuhito knew the true extent of the old man's strength.

As for the matter of Fujiwara no Fuhito being ordered to investigate, it was eventually dropped under some pretext. At most, the civil and military officials knew that there was such a seemingly skilled person, but they didn't know how powerful he really was.

Otherwise, how could anyone have dared to embarrass Kaguya Houraisan in the imperial court some time ago?

Just as the marriage proposal teams from various noble and wealthy families arrived at the entrance of the bamboo forest, the monsters, who had received the news a few days later, caught up with them thanks to their superhuman physical abilities.

These are all monstrous beings who glimpsed Kaguya of Mount Hourai during the day, and when they tried to do evil at night, they were fortunate enough to escape from Himari's long sword.

However, under the watchful eyes of a large group of samurai and onmyoji, the yokai restrained themselves from doing anything outrageous.

After all, everyone knew in their hearts that they hadn't come here to fight, but to win the heart of their beloved through their own means.

Among the group of monsters, there was a short man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face, missing two ears, and who looked remarkably like a rat. Around him were about a dozen other men who were just as ugly.

His name is One-Ear, and he is a rat demon who is about to break through to become a great demon.

He once led his army of rats to plunder countless villages and towns, taking away all the food, and even killing humans to store as provisions.