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

What's the situation?

"Shimizu, let's go take a look too!"

Although Reiko was also very surprised, the death of the human king could not shake her too much. So, after a moment of astonishment, she took his hand and walked towards the palace.

"Okay! Let's go take a look!"

Shimizu Asahi also came to his senses and followed Reiko's steps into the distance.

Soon, the two arrived at the palace gates, but they did not see the palace itself.

Because the people who came to see the tragic scene had all gathered together, blocking the surrounding area so tightly that it was impossible to squeeze in.

Seeing so many people, the black-haired boy paused slightly, then noticed the restaurant not far away.

"Let's go up!"

With quick steps, the two ascended to the top floor of the restaurant. Standing on the terrace, they gazed into the distance, and then the dilapidated scene came into view.

"Is this... the ruined palace? How tragic..."

What they saw reflected in their eyes was a ruin so devastated it defied description.

Skyscrapers collapsed, the earth turned black, and wisps of smoke, representing destruction, continued to rise. Even with the naked eye, it was clear that all life here had been destroyed, and the aura of this palace had completely vanished!

"I never expected... that bastard could move so fast!"

Gritting his teeth, Shimizu Asahi revealed deep anger. Although he did not know the Sasaki clan, they were still the royal family of Izumo. His actions would plunge the entire Izumo Kingdom into endless turmoil!

"Shimizu, do you know who attacked the Izumo Imperial Family?" Reiko asked, a hint of doubt in her eyes.

Shimizu Asahi nodded slightly, his expression somewhat grim, and said, "Hmm... if I'm not mistaken, it's the guy who tried to steal the Ama-no-Murakumo Sword last night."

"It's him!?"

A hint of surprise flashed across Lingzi's face as she said, somewhat puzzled, "That guy couldn't get the divine artifact, so he's taking it out on the royal family?"

"No... He probably wanted the divine artifact and the lives of the royal family a long time ago, but I don't know why he made his move at this time... However, why did he attack the royal family before he even got the divine artifact?"

"With the fall of the royal family, the soldiers' attention will inevitably be focused on the Izumo Grand Shrine. As long as there are no fools in the Izumo Grand Shrine, they will all understand that these two things were done by the same person."

Qingshui Chaoyang's gaze was filled with deep confusion.

Upon hearing this, Lingzi thought for a moment and said somewhat uncertainly, "Then... is it possible that he seized the divine artifact yesterday?"

"You've already succeeded in seizing it?"

Shimizu Asahi was stunned. It was indeed possible that he had taken the divine artifact, which allowed him to slaughter the Izumo royal family without restraint. But... did that guy really take the divine artifact?

The Izumo Shrine is guarded by countless shrine maidens, among whom the divine child chosen by Susanoo possesses the formidable strength to rival the Demon King. Is it really possible to seize the divine artifact amidst such heavy protection?

Thoughts raced through his mind. Although the possibility was slim, it was indeed a possibility. So, after some deliberation, Shimizu Asahi made a decision.

"Let's go! Let's go check out the shrine!"

No matter how much they speculate here, they won't get any results. So why not just go to the shrine and take a look?

Whether the artifact has been stolen or not can be seen at a glance!

After leaving the restaurant, the two headed towards Izumo Taisha Shrine as quickly as possible. About half an hour later, they arrived at the foot of the shrine.

However, as soon as they reached the foot of the mountain, they sensed something was wrong... Chapter 298, Section 301: Taking the Blame

The atmosphere was somber, oppressive, and heavy; the boundless rage that permeated the air was like an abyss, so deep that it was impossible to breathe.

The atmosphere at Izumo Taisha Shrine was excessively heavy at the moment...

"The change in aura is unusually large. Izumo Taisha is completely enraged. It seems that it will be difficult to sneak into Izumo Taisha again."

Shimizu Asahi murmured something under his breath, then looked at the mountain path beside him.

"Reiko, let's go up through the dense forest on the mountain path."

In order to avoid being discovered, Shimizu Asahi decided to sneak up through the dense forest next to the stone steps.

Because the dense forest slopes are quite steep, and this is Izumo Taisha Shrine, no one would come here. Therefore, the shrine maidens would most likely not set up any forbidden spells here.

In fact, his guess was correct. With this little trick, they quickly crossed the wall and stepped into Izumo Taisha again.

"So many soldiers... It seems that Izumo Taisha has indeed entered a state of alert."

Looking at the soldiers patrolling around, Shimizu Asahi narrowed his eyes. Fortunately, he had prepared in advance and cast an invisibility spell on himself and Reiko. Otherwise, with such a 360-degree defense, they really wouldn't have been able to sneak in.

"Be careful, Reiko."

After gently exhaling a breath of stale air and reminding Reiko to be more careful, they continued on their way.

This time, they acted very carefully. In order not to be noticed by anyone, they did not make a sound. Although this was slower, they were not discovered by anyone until they arrived at the Izumo Palace.

Shimizu Asahi, who had been hoping for a smooth process, breathed a sigh of relief. Then, they quietly approached the gate. This time, their purpose was to check whether the artifact had been stolen, so they didn't need to go inside; they could just take a look from the outside.

So, he gently touched the wooden door with his palm, and with just a little force, the door quietly opened. However, Qing Shui Chaoyang, who opened the door, did not notice that a faint, indistinct talisman suddenly appeared on the wooden door...

"This is......"

Although Shimizu Asahi didn't notice, Reiko, who was standing opposite him and had some attention on him, did.

She stared at the displayed talisman, momentarily stunned, a hint of doubt rising in her mind. But the next moment, she saw the talisman growing brighter and brighter, as if it were spiritual energy expanding to the point of exploding.

In an instant, Reiko realized something. So, she grabbed Shimizu Asahi's hand and tried to use her demonic power to suppress the spiritual energy. But before her demonic power could spread, a series of terrifying explosions filled their ears!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

"What's going on!?"

The sudden explosion momentarily stunned Shimizu Asahi, who instinctively shielded Reiko and retreated.

Fortunately, the explosions appeared to be small and not very powerful, so after taking a few steps back, the fire did not spread to them.

only......

"We've been spotted! Run!"

Reiko, who instantly understood what was going on, grabbed Shimizu Asahi and prepared to leave, but at that moment, an old and angry voice came from afar.

"You thief, now that you're here, you're not leaving!"

Accompanied by an ancient roar, countless talismans flew in from all directions. They moved rapidly in mid-air and in the blink of an eye, they formed a spirit array that enveloped them.

Seeing this, Shimizu Asahi finally understood what was going on.

"I didn't expect them to have even placed talismans on the wooden door..."

He smiled with a hint of helplessness. He had been so careful for so long, but he never expected to be defeated by this wooden door.

However, one has to admit that she truly lives up to her reputation as a shrine maiden of Izumo Taisha, as she managed to create a talisman three hundred years ago that even he couldn't detect.

Judging from the strength of Izumo Taisha three hundred years ago, even without his help, Izumo Province should have been safe and sound when Hebiemon and Hebikotsuba broke the seal last time.

"Shimizu, now is not the time to admire. Let's first check the condition of the artifact."

Reiko wasn't worried about the situation; after all, such a simple formation couldn't possibly trap her. Hearing this, Shimizu Asahi nodded and then turned to look at the main hall.

Although the smoke and dust had not yet dissipated, it was not difficult for him to see through it, so he could clearly see the current situation in the main hall.

The offering table and offerings were still there, and the statues of the gods were unharmed. Everything was the same as last night. However, the only difference was that the sacred artifacts enshrined in the main hall were gone!

Not only the Kusanagi Sword, but also the Yasakani no Magatama, two divine weapons, have disappeared.

"Damn it! It really was taken away!"

Although he had expected it, he still couldn't help but grit his teeth when the fact happened.

Unexpectedly, both divine artifacts were taken away!

Although there was still a possibility that the sacred artifact was hidden by Izumo Taisha, Shimizu Asahi felt the probability was too small. Because he had already looked at the shrine maidens who had surrounded them.

Their eyes were filled with anger and anxiety, as if they had lost something more important than their own lives.

This is a genuine expression of emotion, one that cannot be faked. If the artifact were still around, they would never have such feelings.

"You scoundrel! You dare to come back!"

At this moment, the divine child, holding a cane and filled with boundless rage, came before the priestesses. She looked at Shimizu Asahita with wide, angry eyes and trembling body, as if she were suppressing something.

"Hand it over! Return the stolen artifact to this old woman!!!"

"..."

Ignoring the goddess's roar, Reiko looked at Shimizu Asahi and asked in a low voice, "Shimizu, what do we do now? Should we just leave, or explain things to her?"

"...Let's find out what's going on first. I find this matter a bit strange."

Shimizu Asahi thought for a moment, then shook his head.

He could clearly sense something was amiss in the atmosphere. The way the priestesses looked at him was as if they knew him, even though he had left just in time last night and hadn't revealed his true face at all.

Also, the divine child's words just now... implied that he had stolen the divine artifact.

Why? Just because they were about to go to the main hall?

The strange turn of events raised many questions in the boy's mind, so he decided to find out what had happened last night.

After calming her thoughts, Shimizu Asahi said, "Divine Child, this is a misunderstanding. I think we can calm down and talk it over..." (Chapter 299, Section 302: Bounty on My Head? Is There a Jade Reward?)

"Shut up, you scoundrel!"

"You dare to come back after stealing the divine artifact? Do you really think Izumo Taisha is easy to bully?!"

The cane slammed heavily on the ground, and an incomparably powerful spiritual energy erupted from the Divine Child's body. At this moment, the Divine Child was no longer able to think seriously about anything. The only thing she could remember now was this person, this thief in front of her who injured them and stole the divine artifact. It was he who left an indelible insult on the god they worshipped!

She had planned to send people to search for his whereabouts, but she did not expect that he would be so arrogant as to step into Izumo Taisha again.

If it weren't for her cleverness in setting up talismans all over Izumo Taisha, including the doors, this thief would have gotten away again!

The more she recalled it, the angrier she became. The anger that was gradually burning away made her abandon the conversation and directly order: "Seize him! Take back the divine artifact!"

"I, this old woman, will personally judge his sins before the Lord!!!"

"Yes, Lord Divine Child!"

At the command of the divine child, the surrounding shrine maidens immediately began to shake the Kagura bells in their hands. The melodious bells stirred the surrounding spiritual energy, which surged into the spiritual array that trapped Shimizu Asahi and Shimizu. In the blink of an eye, the two sensed a suppression of their aura.

"Shimizu, it seems they have no intention of talking to us."