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

Kamo Ito responded with a smile, saying, "This is the first time I've arrived in Arakawa in ten days."

"Hehe, really... Oh right, speaking of which, I've never asked you before... Keito, do you know anything about Arakawa? I mean, in terms of geography."

"Um, I'm sorry, sir, I've only been to Arakawa a few times, and each time I arrived, I could only purchase supplies in the towns near the port, so..."

When this was mentioned, Kamo Keito smiled somewhat embarrassedly.

Although she was one of the best crew members of the Kamo family, she was not an Onmyoji and did not hold a high position in the Kamo family. Every time she came to Arakawa, she accompanied the Kamo family's Onmyoji. Therefore, she could only move around near the port.

"It's alright. Once we get there, we'll just ask the locals to show us the way."

The boy waved his hand dismissively, his smile remaining as gentle as ever.

After all, this question stemmed more from his curiosity; whether he was familiar with He Mao's character design or not didn't really matter.

However... he could understand the expectation and seriousness in the black-haired woman's eyes; she was still very curious about Arakawa.

This mission was an opportunity for her to fulfill her own desires.

......

Time passed quietly, and the morning turned into noon before he knew it. Qingshui Chaoyang still stood on the railing, gazing into the distance. Because He Maoxi had gone to deal with some unexpected and trivial matters, he was all alone.

Yes, the young lady Qingnvfang who had always been by his side was currently with Ari and Ibuki.

Since boarding the ship, the three women have been captivated by the seascape. For the past seven days, they have spent either idly admiring the scenery or teasing the fish, while Mr. Shimizu, who should have been their target, has been left aside.

Hmm, it's a little bit tragic.

Shimizu Asahi himself really hoped that Aonoboshi could stay with him forever, since he had already gotten used to it.

But there was nothing he could do; it was the first time he had ever seen Qing Nufang so concerned about something, so he could only endure it for the time being.

Just when he thought the day would end as peacefully as the previous days, the sailor standing on the lookout suddenly shouted out without warning.

"Sir! Sir! I see it! I see Arakawa! We've arrived at Arakawa!"

A mixture of joy and surprise instantly filled the air. The sailors on the ship were all stunned for a moment, and then they exclaimed in astonishment.

"So fast this time? Only seven days have passed, how did we get to Arakawa already?"

"The seventh day hasn't even completely passed yet... Although this voyage has been smooth sailing, it's gone by way too fast."

"Could I be seeing things? There are still some small islands in this area."

As the sailors marveled, Shimizu Asahi swiftly leaped onto the lookout tower, gazing into the distance from his vantage point—and there before him came a vibrant crimson hue.

"So that's Arakawa Shrine... I can't believe I'm here today!"

Looking at the huge shrine torii gate, the black-haired boy clenched his fist with joy.

In the heart of Arakawa, there stands the largest torii gate in the land. It is the gateway to Arakawa and its symbol; seeing it signifies that a ship has entered the waters of Arakawa.

"Everyone, prepare to enter the port, we've arrived at Arakawa!"

The boy's voice clearly reached everyone's ears, and the crew members who had just been discussing immediately looked up and responded, then quickly threw themselves into their work.

Shimizu Asahi patted the sailor next to him on the shoulder, telling him to rest for a while and put aside his observation for the time being, before jumping off the lookout tower.

After he jumped down, the three girls who were idly admiring the scenery nearby all gathered around him.

"Asahi, have we really arrived at Arakawa?"

"Yes, I can already see the Arakawa Torii gate. Soon, the ships will be able to enter the port." Shimizu Asahi nodded.

"Oh my, that's really... so fast, I haven't even had my fill yet."

Having received an affirmative answer, the petite ghost king showed a disinterested expression. It was rare for her to be so concerned about something; she should at least be allowed to enjoy herself first.

"Hehe, don't worry, the journey to the Sea Kingdom is much longer than the journey to the Wild River. You can stay as long as you want."

He smiled and comforted the girl, then added, "Alright, go and get ready. We'll be staying in Arakawa for a while."

"Ah."

After a brief conversation, the three girls began packing their things.

The ship gradually became busier, with everyone doing their jobs, and Kamo no Ito, having finished dealing with the trivial matters, began to supervise the scene.

About an hour later, they arrived at the Arakawa Torii Gate.

Looking at the enormous torii gate, which was at least fifty meters high, even the crew members who had seen it before couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, and the entire ship resounded with continuous gasps of surprise.

After passing through the torii gate, the boat continued along the river, and soon they had crossed the last stretch of sea and successfully arrived at Arakawa Port.

After arranging the guards for the boat, Shimizu Asahi ordered the giant anchor to be dropped and the planks to be lowered. Then, he led a small group of people to set foot on the desolate land of Arakawa!

"Alright everyone, let's begin our mission!" Chapter 196, Section 199: The Shrine of the Lord of Arakawa

"Mist hangs over the water, and fragrant grasses sway gently."

"The scenery of Arakawa is far more beautiful than I imagined."

On the fine, light pebble path, the black-haired boy looked around, admiring the beautiful scenery before him with surprise and delight.

Before setting off, he had read many books describing Arakawa, and among those books, apart from the Lord of Arakawa and the Arakawa River, the most frequent descriptions were of the breathtaking scenery of Arakawa.

Perhaps because his mind wasn't on the scenery, or perhaps because he had seen many famous places, he didn't pay much attention. However, after arriving in Arakawa, he realized that the scenery here was more beautiful than anything he had ever seen.

The bustling city of Kyohara, the rich cultural heritage of Kyoto, and the ancient charm of Shinmon are all far inferior to the natural beauty of Arakawa.

This is true nature, untouched by human presence, yet it embraces all things and is as vast as the ocean... He had never seen such a pure and harmonious landscape before.

"Hehe...I've come to like this place. It seems that coming ashore isn't all bad."

"Human presence is surrounded by nature, the two seem to be integrated, yet they are also clearly distinct. For the first time, I do not feel any aversion to human towns... The atmosphere here is wonderful."

"Hmm, the gods here must be very gentle."

The three girls beside me chatted happily, their light and melodious voices gradually drifting away in this pure and gentle nature. They were like elves who belonged only to this place, singing the songs of nature.

Sometimes, listening to girls talk is a warm and pleasant experience.

Shimizu Asahi stood by with a gentle smile, like a guardian to the fairies, not disturbing their joy that belonged only to them.

However, the dancing black-haired girl suddenly looked at him, her eyes filled with expectation, and asked, as if pleading, the wish that had just surfaced in her heart: "Asahina, can we go and see this god's shrine?"

"I want to worship this deity."

The moment the words left her lips, the other two girls, who had been observing the surrounding scenery, also looked over.

"Oh my... a good idea. I'm also very curious about this deity. I really look forward to seeing the deity of Arakawa who has a torii gate that is even larger than those of Ise Grand Shrine and Izumo Taisha."

"Yeah, I want to go."

Hearing the girls' words, Shimizu Asahi couldn't help but chuckle, then corrected them, "Wasn't our initial destination the Arakawa Shrine?"

"Eh...we're not going to find Arakawa right now..."

Ali tilted her head reflexively, puzzled, but before she could finish her question, she realized she had been there.

Ibuki and Aonobosa, who were standing beside her, immediately understood what Shimizu Asahi meant.

However, once they realized what had happened, they all showed a look of disbelief.

"I never imagined that the god of Arakawa was the Lord of Arakawa we were looking for... The people of Arakawa are quite interesting, worshipping yokai as gods."

“This isn’t just funny, Ibuki. This is proof that humans and yokai live in peace.”

The boy smiled and explained, "The Arakawa River flows swiftly and fiercely, which is why the water demons born here are irritable and capricious. They often cause floods and fight for no reason, making life miserable for the people on both sides of the Arakawa River."

"A hundred years ago, the people of Arakawa struggled to even make a living."

"However, just as all the people were hesitating about whether to abandon this place and leave Arakawa, the Lord of Arakawa returned."

"Having conquered the sea, he became the strongest monster in this area. In order not to anger him, the water monsters of Arakawa stopped their antics and settled down. Thus, the flood in Arakawa was completely quelled."

"During these hundred years, due to various natural and man-made disasters, the Arakawa River was on the verge of drying up several times. It was the Lord of the Arakawa River who single-handedly brought back the water and restored its vitality."

"If it weren't for the Lord of the Arakawa River, this Arakawa River would have long been deserted."

"The people were grateful for everything the Lord of Arakawa had done, so they built shrines, worshipped him as a god, and prayed to him."

"I see... But if that's the case, why do they say that the Lord of Arakawa has a violent temper?"

The girls nodded in sudden understanding, but Qingnvfang asked the question with some doubt.

"Protecting Arakawa and having a violent temper are not contradictory. No one stipulates that a violent temper is necessarily a bad person. Isn't that right?"

"...That's true."

Qingnufang thought about it for a moment and felt that it made some sense.

So she put aside her doubts and didn't bring up the topic again.

After the boat docked, Shimizu Asahi led a small group of people onto the island.

They split into two groups: one went to search for information about the Lord of the Sea Kingdom, while the other went to the Arakawa Shrine to find the Lord of Arakawa.

Naturally, the task of finding the Lord of Arakawa was to be undertaken by Shimizu Asahi himself.

After passing through peaceful villages and clear rivers, the four finally arrived at the other side of the Arakawa River, at the Arakawa Shrine.

Arakawa Shrine is located at the beginning of the Arakawa River, Mount Kobushino, which is basically on the other side of the island. To get there, you have to cross several mountains.

However, since they had already decided on their destination, they came from the location of the torii gate over the water.

The torii gate and the shrine are both located on the upper part of the island and are not far apart. Even though it was already afternoon when they arrived at the shore, the four of them were able to reach the shrine before 3 PM.

"So this is Arakawa Shrine? It's a bit unexpected..."

After passing through the torii gate, Shimizu Asahi and his companions entered Arakawa Shrine.

The shrine that came into view surprised them slightly.

Because this shrine not only has a main hall, but also a shrine with a gyokugan (golden wall), approach, shrine hall, dance hall, treasure hall, shrine office... all the buildings that a proper shrine should have.

Furthermore, several shrine maidens were quietly cleaning the shrine.

"The people of Arakawa are so dedicated... The Lord of Arakawa must be very happy too. His protection has not been in vain."

"Hehe, alright, let's go inside first."

The boy smiled with satisfaction and happiness, and then took the lead into the main hall.

As long as there is faith among the people, whether human or demon, they can be transformed into gods and hear the calls of believers.