How did I, an Onmyoji, become the Lord of Yokai?

Junior brother... he's not dead?

This...this shouldn't be happening. The bodies of Hebiemon and the madwoman are right there. How could my junior brother still be alive?

Moreover, he was now completely lifeless, and even though they were less than a meter apart, he couldn't detect a trace of his presence.

Although the thought was somewhat unpleasant, with a lifeless body right in front of you, no one would believe he was still alive...

Wait, could it be that this incident was too much of a shock to Qingnvfang, causing her to be unable to accept it for a while, and thus she deceived herself into believing that Shimizu Asahi was still alive?

The thought inadvertently surfaced in Kyogoku Munemitsu's mind, and almost instantly, he confirmed the possibility.

After all, the corpse was right in front of them, and the fact that Shimizu Asahi was dead was undeniable. The only reason Qingnvfang could deny it was because of this.

I sighed inwardly, feeling guilty again. I imagine my teacher and junior's family would have the same reaction if they found out.

A look of guilt crept onto his face as Kyogoku Munemitsu said sorrowfully, "Qingnvfang, accept reality. Junior brother is dead. I know you are heartbroken, but you can't deceive yourself like this. I believe Junior brother wouldn't want to see you like this either."

"..."

Seeing that her explanations were ineffective and even misunderstood as excessive stimulation and self-deception, Qing Nufang immediately stopped explaining.

She pointed directly to Shimizu Asahi's chest and said, "If Your Majesty does not believe me, then listen to Asahi's heartbeat for yourself."

"Heartbeat?"

Looking at the blue-haired girl who seemed calm and showed no sign of sadness, Kyogoku Munemitsu couldn't help but wonder, could his junior brother really still be alive?

His eyes lit up slightly, and he quickly lay down and pressed his ear against Qing Shui Chaoyang's chest.

"Thump, thump, thump..."

The moment his ear touched the ear, a faint and delicate sound entered his eardrum. Although it was so subtle that he couldn't even feel the beating, yes, it was a heartbeat, a real heartbeat!

So, even if... my junior brother is still alive!? He's really still alive!?

An undisguised joy welled up from the depths of the middle-aged man's eyes. He excitedly stood up abruptly and shouted, "Master! Master! Junior Brother isn't dead! Junior Brother really isn't dead! He's still alive!"

"Amitabha, it is truly the Buddha's blessing."

Aobozu no longer needed to verify whether Shimizu Asahi was dead; Kyogoku Munemitsu's expression had already given him the answer. Thus, the master, who had been depressed and had a heavy face, also showed a look of relief.

"Your Majesty, please be quiet for a moment. Chaoyang needs to rest now."

Just as the two of them breathed a sigh of relief and burst into laughter, Qing Nufang's slightly helpless and aloof voice reached their ears.

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry, I got too excited."

Realizing this, Kyogoku Munemitsu immediately lowered his voice, and then asked with some concern, "But Qingnvfang, how is Junior Brother doing now? Is he alright?"

"There is no danger to your life."

With a soft sigh, Qingnufang could only offer this reply.

In the final battle against Jaegeremon, Shimizu Asahi suffered fatal damage to his body, losing his left arm, ruptured internal organs, and broken ribs... These injuries were even more severe than those he sustained in his fight with Kidomaru.

The only saving grace is that his life was not in danger.

For most people, such injuries mean death, and there is no other way but to wait quietly for death.

Perhaps because Shimizu Asahi has half-demon blood in his body, he survived even after suffering such a severe injury.

I just don't know how many days he'll have to stay in bed this time.

"Is there no danger to his life...?"

These words, which erased the worst possibility, slightly dampened Kyogoku Munemitsu's joy.

"I'm sorry, my junior brother had to shoulder this whole burden alone this time."

"No need to apologize. This is his mission. Since he accepted it, he has to take responsibility for it."

"...That's exactly what my junior brother would say." The middle-aged man chuckled helplessly.

"Let's leave that aside for now. Miss Qingnu, since the master is not in mortal danger, why not send him back?"

Aobozu walked up, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

"Although his life isn't in danger, he's still seriously injured, so I'd like him to rest for a while. Also, could you give Chaoyang some basic treatment first?"

"I see. Do you wish for this humble monk and the king to first help stabilize your injuries?"

"Yes, this is what the monk and the king should do."

Aobozu and Kyogoku Munemitsu exchanged a glance, and then the two came to Shimizu Asahi. They simultaneously activated the last of their power, and Buddhist light and spiritual energy began to soothe his injuries.

About ten minutes later, the two of them withdrew their power at the same time.

"That's about enough. Sir's injuries have improved somewhat. However, Miss Qingnufang, neither the monk nor the king are doctors, so we cannot treat Sir's injuries. Let's take him back as soon as possible."

"Don't worry, Master, I've taken care of it. I've sent out paper cranes to notify the nearby Onmyoji, and they'll be here soon."

"I see. As expected of the king, he has considered everything so thoroughly."

With a slight brightening in his eyes, Aobozu exclaimed in admiration.

Soon after, the shrine's Onmyoji, who had received the paper crane from Kyogoku Munemitsu, arrived. Following the lord's instructions, they carefully used the paper crane to lift Shimizu Asahi and safely transported him back to the Izumo Palace.

Upon returning to the palace, Kyogoku Munemitsu immediately summoned the best physicians to treat Shimizu Asahi's injuries, even placing his own treatment on the waiting list.

As Aonobu had previously stated, Shimizu Asahi was not in any life-threatening danger, and with the simple treatment from Kyogoku Munemitsu and Aonobuzu, he could finally rest and recuperate.

However, the severed arm needs to be reattached as soon as possible; otherwise, it will cause some trouble.

After confirming that Shimizu Asahi was alright, Kyogoku Munemitsu and Aobozu also began to receive treatment. They said they would not disturb Shimizu Asahi's rest, and after saying goodbye, they left with their people, leaving only Aobozu to take care of him in the room.

"I'm injured myself, yet I still have to take care of you... You're such a worry."

Looking at the peacefully sleeping boy, the beautiful girl smiled faintly. Chapter 188, Section 191: Almost there, I'm about to successfully steal his home!

After confirming that Shimizu Asahi was safe and sound, Kyogoku Munemitsu returned to his study.

Although he was also seriously injured and should rest as soon as possible, the Snake Tomb matter was not completely over yet, and he could not sleep until he finished the last bit of work.

As mentioned before, Izumo is the country that suppresses the most snake demons. They have far more snake tombs than other countries. Even if you add up all the snake tombs in all other countries, they may not have as many as Izumo.

For this reason, Izumo Province attaches more importance to the Serpent Mound than any other country.

Even though this was just a matter of the snake demon breaking the seal, he still had to be extremely careful.

Moreover, this incident has even implicated the Serpent God's divine power!

No matter what the event is, as long as it is related to that serpent god, it is the most important event in Izumo!

"The snake god has reappeared, and snake demons are being worshipped. I feel uneasy. What exactly is the purpose of this snake god?"

"Is it simply to provoke the God Lord, or is it to destroy Izumo? If it's to destroy Izumo, how will the God Lord respond?"

"Sigh... Izumo, perhaps it's going to be turbulent soon..."

Kyogoku Munemitsu stood by the study window, his dark, weary eyes filled with worry...

......

Time flowed quietly, and before we knew it, three whole days had passed.

Over the past three days, Kyogoku Munemitsu dealt with the matters concerning Hebiemon and the other Hebizuka, and conveyed the news of the reappearance of the Hebi God to the Izumo Shrine Master, hoping to receive some instructions from him. Unfortunately, the Shrine Master said nothing, only telling him to calm down and not to worry.

The higher one's position, the more complex the things one has to consider. As the ruler of Izumo, Kyogoku Munemitsu must be responsible for the people of Izumo. Although the God Lord told him not to worry about it, the responsibilities he bore made it impossible for him to ignore them.

Therefore, he decided to prepare in advance, so that Izumo would always have its own power to protect itself.

While he was busy with matters concerning the snake god, Shimizu Asahi also woke up.

He opened his eyes the evening of the day after the battle ended.

Upon learning that he had woken up, Kyogoku Munemitsu and Aobozu each took the time to visit him. Seeing that he could eat and drink well and was full of energy, the two expressed their heartfelt joy.

Of course, after waking up, Qingshui Chaoyang needs to rest and recover his arm.

The injuries were so severe that the doctors dared not treat him while he was unconscious, so they could only wait until he woke up and responded on his own.

Shimizu Asahi herself was fine and immediately offered to treat the patient upon learning of the incident. However, Aonobo was worried and insisted on delaying the treatment for a day.

Yes, it's today...

"How are you feeling? Is there anything bothering you? Do you need me to get you something to eat?"

Looking at Shimizu Asahi, who had just received treatment, Aonobu asked with great concern.

"I feel okay... although my hand still hurts a little." Touching his left arm, the young black-haired boy looked up and smiled, "Actually, you don't need to be so nervous, Qing Nufang. If anything were to happen to me, it would be shortly after my battle with the snake demon."

"It's not that I'm too nervous, it's that you don't take care of your body... Besides, if you hadn't entrusted your body to me, I wouldn't care about these things."

The blue-haired girl glanced at him indifferently, feeling a little helpless inside.

I care about your health even more than you do, what's wrong with that?

"Hehe, sorry to have troubled you. Thank you, Qingnvfang."

The boy, who thought there was some truth to it, scratched his head and chuckled foolishly, then thanked her very earnestly.

"...Never mind, I'm used to it now." With a resigned sigh, Qing Nufang stood up. "I'll go prepare something for you to eat."

What do you want to eat today?

"Hmm... It's up to you. I'll do anything as long as it's your decision."

"Really? Then wait a moment, I'll be right back."

Hearing the boy's words, Qingnufang calmly left those words and then walked out of the room as if nothing had happened.

However, the moment she stepped out of the room, a sweet, girlish smile appeared on the girl's pretty face.

Looking at the gently closing wooden door, Shimizu Asahi, who was sitting on the bed, smiled and then prepared to lie down and rest.

To avoid causing them trouble, I need to take better care of my health in the future...

However, not long after he lay down, a soft knocking sounded on the door.

"Junior brother, are you there? I have something I want to talk to you about."

The senior brother's voice rang out immediately afterward.

"Senior brother?" Somewhat surprised, Shimizu Asahi got out of bed and called out, "The door isn't locked, come in, senior brother."

"Did I disturb your rest, junior brother?"