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

"Wait, what did you say?"

Ōtakemaru paused for a moment, then his eyes widened in astonishment as he stared at Shimizu Asahi. "You just said that the monster wasn't the real culprit behind the Suzuka Mountain incident!?"

"How could this be...?"

“I know what I’m saying may sound unbelievable, but it’s the truth, Lord Ōtakemaru.”

Shimizu Asahi paused briefly, seemingly giving Ōtakemaru time to react. After two or three seconds, Ōtakemaru exhaled softly, narrowed his eyes, concealing his astonishment, and asked seriously, "Shimizu, what have you learned?"

"The formation, we speculate, is the problem with the formation on Mount Suzuka."

Without hesitation, the boy told Ōtakemaru his guess. After he finished speaking, he paused, glanced around at his surroundings, and then continued, "Before, I was just guessing, and I wasn't very sure whether it was true or not. But now, I'm 90% sure!"

As the boy continued to speak, Ōtakemaru's expression grew increasingly serious, until finally, his expression even showed a hint of barely suppressed ferocity.

The arm holding the divine weapon trembled slightly, and his pale yellow eyes flashed with anger and ferocity. Ōtakemaru's words were filled with suppressed rage.

"Shimizu Asahi! Do you know what these words mean?! Are you implying that there's a traitor in Suzuka Mountain?!"

The words "There is a traitor in Suzuka" must never be uttered.

The sirens living here are all family to each other. They rely on and help each other. For the past three hundred years, no matter what they have encountered, they have walked hand in hand. Even if there are quarrels and grievances, they will never betray each other or this island!

Ōtakemaru trusted them from the bottom of his heart!

Therefore, he would never allow anyone to doubt them!

no way!

Even if that person is 'clear water and rising sun'!

"I don't suspect there's a traitor on the island, Lord Ōtakemaru, please calm down. I'm just worried that the formation might have undergone some other sudden changes."

Ōtakemaru's reaction was within Shimizu Asahi's expectations, so Shimizu Asahi wasn't too nervous. He calmly comforted them, saying, "Formations are ever-changing, but they are also straightforward. Even the slightest change can cause a major upheaval in the formation."

"Therefore, this is not a doubt."

"Furthermore, Lord Ōtakemaru has also noticed that the monster just now was formed primarily from your demonic power."

On the way there, Shimizu Asahi noticed something slightly off. Although the aura of the venomous snake was completely different from that of Ōtakemaru, upon closer inspection, one could be astonished to discover that there was a trace of Ōtakemaru in the aura of the venomous snake!

Without a doubt, this is the power of Ōtakemaru... It is the formation that absorbed Ōtakemaru's demonic power and created this monster based on his immense demonic power!

His angry expression suddenly froze, and Ōtakemaru's fierce gaze involuntarily softened; clearly, he had also noticed this.

"..."

But... with his jaw clenched tightly, Ōtakemaru kept thinking about Shimizu Asahi's words. He wanted to say that with this little evidence, it was impossible to prove that it was the formation's fault, but... this was an act of suspecting his own family!

"Lord Ōtakemaru, please don't worry. We will handle this matter."

Just as Ōtakemaru was struggling with whether or not to agree with their statement, Ōtakemaru suddenly laughed.

He casually eased the heavy atmosphere and said, "Our mission is to find out the root cause of the Suzuka Mountain incident. Therefore, what we do is our business. Lord Ōtakemaru has nothing to do with our actions... In the end, we are not from Suzuka Mountain either, so Lord Ōtakemaru can just wait patiently with the attitude of watching us make a fool of ourselves."

"Then we'll take our leave now."

After saying that, Shimizu Asahi left with the three women before Ootakemaru could speak.

"wait,"

Ōtakemaru subconsciously reached out to stop him, but the words wouldn't come out. In the end, he could only exhale a deep breath.

"You've already told me about this, so how could I possibly ignore it?"

"I will personally investigate this matter thoroughly and let you know that there will never be a traitor in Suzuka Mountain!"

A resolute look appeared in Ōtakemaru's eyes!

Meanwhile, Shimizu Asahi and his three companions stopped in a dense forest.

Under the control of Ōtakemaru, Mount Suzuka was not greatly affected, and many places still retained their original appearance.

"That should be about right... Alright, everyone, let's continue our operation."

After looking around and making sure no one would disturb him, the boy prepared to get back to his mission. However, Qing Nufang frowned slightly and said, "Wait, Chaoyang, why didn't you tell Ootakemaru about the evil god just now?"

During his conversation with Ōtakemaru, Shimizu Asahi revealed all his guesses, but he didn't mention the evil god.

This is a very important point.

Because if he were to reveal it, Ōtakemaru would surely believe that there was a traitor in Suzuka Mountain, making their actions easier and faster.

"As I just said, our task is simply to find out the cause of the anomaly and resolve it. Causing trouble for the client is not part of our mission assignment."

The young man chuckled softly, setting down his task, and said, "Besides, our suspicions could very well shatter the peace of Suzuka Mountain... I originally didn't even want to tell Ōtakemaru, but..."

Shimizu Asahi looked somewhat helpless again, and said with a wry smile, "I don't know why, but I just blurted it out." (Chapter 249, The Evil God's Target, the Eight-Foot Magatama)

After realizing that this matter was related to an evil god, Shimizu Asahi had the idea of ​​concealing it. Although the peace of Suzuka Mountain had lasted for three hundred years, he knew very well that such peace could not withstand even the slightest suspicion.

Once the other sea monsters find out about this, a crack will appear in the peace of Suzuka Mountain. If this matter is not handled properly, the sea kingdom that Ōtakemaru and Suzuka Gozen have painstakingly maintained may very well fall apart!

Even if it doesn't fall apart, Suzukayama will need a long time to heal this wound.

Perhaps this is overthinking, but in any case, it's always good to be prepared.

Therefore, Shimizu Asahi wanted to handle this matter with just the four of them.

However, for some reason, the moment he saw Ōtakemaru, he felt an urge to believe that he deserved to know the truth, and so, under that impulse, he told Ōtakemaru about it.

Fortunately, he restrained himself and concealed the matter of the evil god.

As long as this matter remains unknown, Ōtakemaru will never doubt his family.

"...Since you've put it that way, we respect your opinion. However, you still like to do things you don't have to do." Qing Nufang gently raised the corners of her mouth. Although she felt that Qing Shui Chaoyang was being a bit nosy, she still supported his decision as always.

"Although I also think that you should take it easy, this is the kind of master I know."

"Yes, this is what sunrise looks like."

Looking at the boy before them, both Ibuki and Ari showed a hint of tenderness.

"I'm just doing what I think I can do." The boy shook his head slightly, then smiled and replied, "Besides, I think you should think more about how to find the Suzuka Mountain traitor. I'll find the formation; I'll leave this investigation to you."

The three girls exchanged glances instinctively, and then agreed.

"Okay, leave this to us."

After responding to Shimizu Asahi, Aonobo looked at the two girls beside her.

"Actually, regarding this issue, we feel that we can only investigate carefully... The fact that the evil god was able to extend its reach here must mean that it was aided by the power of others. Considering the timeline, that traitor must have arrived on the island between three hundred and fifty years ago."

"But if we take into account gaining trust and hiding oneself, and when Orochi learned of the location of Mount Suzuka, I think the exact time should be between 100 and 60 years ago, which is the forty years between then and now."

This was Qing Nufang's answer after careful consideration. It was reasonable, well-organized, and convincing. However, upon closer examination, Ali felt that there was something wrong with her words.

So, the black-haired girl asked with some doubt, "Qingnvfang, how can you be so sure that Orochi knew the location of Suzuka Mountain a hundred years ago?"

"This is actually easy to think about. Although people went out to sea to search for Mount Suzuka every year for the past three hundred years, none of them actually reached Mount Suzuka. Even those who did reach Mount Suzuka were ultimately killed by their own greed."

"Therefore, many people regard the existence of Mount Suzuka as a legend. And what made this legend a fact was the Lord of Arakawa who returned from the sea a hundred years ago."

"His return proved the existence of Mount Suzuka and the truth of the legend. It was because of him that more and more people set out to find Mount Suzuka. The Yamata no Orochi must have set its sights on Mount Suzuka at this time."

“It is indeed very possible... However, why would Orochi go to such lengths to come here?” A-Li blinked gently, still harboring a trace of doubt in her heart.

This time, it was Ibuki who answered her.

The petite and charming ghost king chuckled and said, "Hehehe... This question is actually much simpler."

"Didn't we just see that? Something that even he desires."

"We...have already seen it?"

Ali was stunned for a moment, but then she suddenly realized what was going on.

"You mean, the Yasakani no Magatama?"

"Hehe... Apart from the Yasakani no Magatama, there shouldn't be anything else in Suzuka Mountain that can move his heart."

“Indeed... if it is the Yasakani no Magatama, then it is indeed worth the Yamata no Orochi’s painstaking efforts.”

The girl's expression showed a hint of contemplation, and then she suggested somewhat uncertainly, "Then, could we focus our attention on those yokai that are relatively close to Ōtakemaru?"

“Since he came with a purpose, he will inevitably approach Ōtakemaru instinctively. Even if he tries to restrain himself, he will still reveal a flaw. After all, no one can perfectly hide themselves.”

"Once we find the monsters that meet the criteria, we should be able to determine who the traitor is."

Although there are many yokai in Suzuka Mountain, there are not many that meet these conditions. With careful investigation and elimination, it is not too difficult to find this traitor.

"Another screening criterion added, hehehe... It seems the mission to find the traitor will be over soon."

Ibuki sipped the fine wine, her eyes filled with only amusement and anticipation.

"That's not necessarily true. We need to be careful. Orochi's sudden action may have alerted him. If we're not careful, we might expose our purpose."

Seeing the petite Ghost King's casual demeanor, Qing Nufang gave him a serious reminder.

“If that’s the case, then only the three of us can investigate.” Ali looked at the blue-haired girl. If they were to be careful, the safest course of action would be for only the three of them to know.

However, this might slow down their investigation considerably.

"Well, it's okay if it's a little slow, we need to ensure the success of the mission."

"Hehe... I don't care at all. After all, the longer this game goes on, the more excited I get."

"Then it's decided. We'll go back and take action."

The three girls, one after another, finalized their plan and action to capture the traitor in just a few minutes.

Just as they finalized their plan, Shimizu Asahi's voice came from the side.

"Everyone, I've found the location of the formation."

The girls' gazes immediately shifted, and they asked with some surprise, "So fast?"

"I analyzed the situation of the island and planned out a few most likely locations from my own perspective... Maybe I was just lucky, but I found them in no time."

Qingshui Chaoyang stood up with a smile and said, "Alright, let's go take a look at the formation!" Chapter 247, Section 250: Dozens of Blue Tickets in a Wave of the Hand

"Is this the location of the Suzuka Mountain formation?"

At the top of a hundred-meter-high mountain, Qing Nufang casually looked around. She glanced at the lush trees and asked with some puzzlement, "It looks quite ordinary. Is there anything special about this place?"