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

Perhaps because he had helped the four people, the little guy's face was full of happiness.

"Hehehe... I understand. Alright, it's getting late, let's go back soon."

Patting the little one's head, Ibuki-dōji waved goodbye. After seeing her sink to the bottom of the water, the four of them left the shore with peace of mind.

However, since it was already dark and they had reached the other side of the Arakawa River, Shimizu Asahi did not choose to go back, but instead found an inn to stay in in the village below the shrine.

After having a quick bite to eat, the three girls settled their luggage and went to the room of Shimizu Asahi.

They need to discuss what to do next.

"What are your thoughts on the next steps?"

Without much preamble, Shimizu Asahi directly asked them what they thought.

"I don't have many ideas... The Lord of Arakawa has practically made it clear to us that 'I can't reveal any information about the Sea Kingdom.' No matter how we try to get information out of him, he probably won't say anything more."

Qingnufang thought about it seriously for a while, trying to come up with a good idea, but in the end, she shook her head helplessly.

They originally thought that the Lord of Arakawa and the Lord of the Sea Kingdom were rivals, so even though the Lord of Arakawa had a bad temper, they were still very likely to get information from him.

Unexpectedly, the water succubus who dominated the freshwater of the land became friends with the sea monster who dominated the deep blue sea, which changed the difficulty from a high probability to almost zero.

Every demon king possesses a pride unique to them; they would never betray their friends, and even if death lay ahead, they would never reveal a single secret.

Therefore, they would never be told anything about the Sea Kingdom.

Even if it was to save Heian-kyo.

Of course, the reason it is completely zero is because there are still unforeseen circumstances.

For example, they worked very hard to help the Lord of Arakawa solve problems that even he found difficult to handle, and then tried to move him with their sincerity and earnestness.

In other words, it's the standard, formulaic plot where the protagonist encounters trouble.

Although the methods are a bit old, they are effective and will not be outdated even in this era.

But... that trick doesn't work here.

Putting aside whether these three 'great demons' plus an Onmyoji have the ability to help Arakawa no Nushi, even if they could, what trouble would Arakawa no Nushi have that would be so difficult for him?

The people live in peace and contentment, and the water demons rise and fall in harmony, leaving them no room to appear.

These days, you can't even use tricks anymore.

Ugh......

Life is tough, even Qingshui sighs.

However, Shimizu Asahi quickly composed herself and replied with a smile, "Alright, we'll consider that. Praying for disaster to strike for one's own convenience... that's an idea we absolutely cannot have."

For him, peace is the best thing, and he will never allow peace to be destroyed, no matter the reason.

"I know, but I didn't really think that way."

Knowing his personality well, Qingnufang glanced at him briefly, and then responded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"But in that case, the Lord of Arakawa will truly be unable to get any information. If we want to get information, we can only start from other aspects."

"really......"

The boys and girls, now back to the main topic, all wore thoughtful expressions.

They frowned slightly, trying to figure out how to break the deadlock.

However, while Shimizu Asahi, Aonobo, and Ari were deep in thought, Ibuki was happily drinking fine wine on the side.

She smiled quietly, like an observer, without making a sound or thinking, simply watching them silently.

However, whether it was because Ibuki's exception was too obvious or her gaze was too eye-catching, Shimizu Asahi suddenly noticed her leisurely demeanor.

He blinked in surprise, but soon a hint of joy flashed across the black-haired boy's face.

"Ibuki, have you come up with a great idea?"

"Hehe, I think it's feasible, but I don't know if it's a good idea."

The petite girl smiled confidently and with a touch of pride. Although her words were uncertain, her tone was very certain.

These confident words also drew the attention of the two girls who were deep in thought, and all three eyes focused on Ibuki.

"Master, didn't we start from Arakawa? If that's the case, why don't we focus our attention on Arakawa?"

Without keeping her in suspense, Ibuki took a small sip of her sake, then chuckled and said, "It's not a sea kingdom on the sea, but a sea kingdom beyond the Arakawa River."

"Not a maritime kingdom in the sea?"

Ibuki's reminder was somewhat thought-provoking, and Shimizu Asahi didn't react at first. However, after repeating it a couple of times, he suddenly realized what it meant.

"That's right, not the sea kingdom on the sea, but the sea kingdom outside the Arakawa River! I was being a bit stubborn!"

His dark eyes lit up with joy, and Qing Shui Chao Yang laughed happily.

What he had been thinking about was 'where in the sea the sea country is located', but Ibuki reminded him of 'where in Arakawa the sea country is located'.

Although they may seem the same, they are actually not the same.

Ibuki's idea has an additional reference point: Arakawa. As long as they know which direction Arakawa's Lord, Toru, returned from, they can know the approximate location of the Sea Kingdom. And knowing the approximate location, they can find the Sea Kingdom!

"Ibuki, you've been a huge help! Thank you!"

The excited boy took the ghost king's small hand; in his eyes, only her image was reflected.

The girl in front of him grinned and smiled sweetly, offering no resistance as he held her hand.

Hehehe, I've won over this wave of goodwill. Chapter 204, Section 201: Master, may I stay tonight?

Unlike the extensive land routes, the sea offers only one way. No matter where your destination is, as long as you choose a direction, you can't go wrong.

There may be some islands blocking the way, but this will only delay the arrival time at the destination and will not have any other adverse effects.

Therefore, as long as they find the location where the Lord of Arakawa returned, they will be able to find the Sea Kingdom!

This is a brilliant idea!

"Hehehe, what reward does the master have?"

"If it's not something substantial, I'll be unhappy."

A charming smile appeared on her lovely face, and her amethyst-like eyes sparkled with anticipation. Ibuki-douji wasn't the type to give up so easily; she wanted both favorability and rewards.

"A reward? Sure, as long as it's within my power, you can have whatever you want."

Releasing the girl's hand, Shimizu Asahi patted his chest and declared magnanimously.

“Oh, you said it yourself, sir.”

A flicker of interest flashed in her beautiful eyes, and Ibuki-dōji's smile widened.

She loves this kind of reward that she decides for herself the most.

On the other side, seeing Ibuki-doji's smile, both Aono-fusa and Ari felt a bad premonition.

Those snake-like eyes held a sinister glint.

"Hmm... why didn't I think of that first..."

In her heart, Ali, like a little girl, muttered something unhappily. While she and Qingnvfang were seriously thinking about what to do, Yibuki had already come up with a good idea and seized an opportunity. This gap made her a little depressed.

Among the four girls in her family, she already had the least advantage, and now they keep widening the gap between them. How can she possibly turn things around like this?

No, I have to find a way to improve our favorability rating from other places!

Ali secretly cheered herself up.

While she was encouraging her, Qingnvfang had already recovered from her slight discomfort.

It's just a chance, no need to worry too much about it.

Of the four, she was the least showy, and also the most developed, so much so that she could potentially steal from Shimizu Mio's house at any time. Therefore, she was incredibly reliable.

She didn't subconsciously care about just one chance.

Therefore, she asked what they were going to do next.

"This method is indeed good, but how can we find out the location of the Lord of Arakawa when he returned to Arakawa? What we can think of, the Lord of Arakawa can also think of, so it's not realistic to ask him directly."

"Why don't we just ask any villager? As the deity of this island, the Lord of Arakawa must have been noticed by many villagers when he returned. This problem is easy to solve."

Ali snapped out of her inner reverie and replied in a rather adorable way.

"Ah Li, this is impossible."

However, Shimizu Asahi shook his head and rejected her suggestion.

"The Lord of Arakawa returned a hundred years ago. Even though his return was witnessed by all the people, we couldn't get any news about it. After all, those people would have died one after another due to the limits of human endurance."

"That...indeed, I didn't notice that."

Ali lowered her eyes again, and she did not mention the method of finding the answer from the story version that had been passed down from a hundred years ago, which she had just thought of.

Because versions of events are mixed with people's subjective imaginations, the original facts have been obscured by countless ideas over the past century. If they want to get the real facts, they have to find a way to erase these countless imaginations.

But how do you apply this stuff? Is it possible to go back a hundred years and personally witness the return of the Lord of Arakawa?

Therefore, this method is also impractical.

But the next second, Ali blinked and said, "If the villagers can't do it, what about the water demons? Demons live longer than humans, a hundred years is nothing to us, and they will definitely have someone who remembers."

"This method... is only theoretically feasible."

Qingnvfang pondered for a moment, then said, "The master of the Arakawa River is the Lord of the Arakawa River. Even while living in seclusion, he can suppress the entire Arakawa River, which shows how strong his control over it is. Therefore, the Arakawa River spirits probably wouldn't dare to say what he doesn't want others to say."

This rebuttal is well-reasoned, supported by evidence, and convincing.

Indeed, not a single water spirit in the Arakawa dared to defy the Arakawa...

"Oh dear, that's not necessarily true."

However, after Aonobu's analysis, Ibuki spoke up with a smile.

"Have you all forgotten about that little guy?"

"That little guy?"

All three blinked in confusion, and then... a cute blue figure quietly appeared.