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

Therefore, everyone walked towards the direction from which the unfamiliar aura was coming.

They traversed dense jungles and paths, eventually reaching the island's eastern shore.

"The smell has become stronger; it seems our 'guests' are staying here temporarily."

The black-haired boy blinked. As he passed through the house they lived in, he checked it and found that nothing inside had been disturbed. However, the house still had the aura of a demon.

This first 'guest' of Suzuka Mountain visited their rooms, but instead of choosing to stay in the furnished and food-equipped houses, it opted to stay in an uninhabited cluster of houses.

Although the nature of this 'guest' is unclear, based on this, he should not be an enemy.

Realizing this, Shimizu Asahi lowered his guard slightly.

Reiko and the others, who also noticed this, relaxed as well.

The group exchanged glances before stepping into the cluster of houses.

Using the lingering demonic aura in the air, they quickly arrived at the outside of one of the wooden houses.

Without much hesitation, Shimizu Asahi gently knocked on the tightly closed wooden door.

The soft, melodious knocking sound carried on the wind, and two or three seconds after the knocking stopped, a frail, aged voice slowly came from inside the house.

"Ahem... Gentlemen outside, please come in..."

Shimizu Asahi pushed open the wooden door and stepped into the room.

As soon as he entered the room, he saw the frail old man lying on the bed.

Without any surprise, based on the voice he heard and the aura he sensed, he had already guessed that the person living in this house was an elderly man.

"Gentlemen, I'm so sorry. I've clearly occupied your rooms, but now I don't even have the energy to apologize first. I'm truly sorry..."

The old man on the bed expressed his deep remorse to Shimizu Asahi and his group. They could tell that the old man wanted to get up, but was unable to move due to his frail body.

"Don't worry about it, old man. Just lie down and relax."

The black-haired boy gently shook his head, indicating that it was nothing to worry about. Then, he walked to the bedside, glanced at the rough wooden bowl on the table, and asked curiously, "Did your family members go out?"

"Yes, my granddaughter went fishing to nourish me..."

"Granddaughter..." Shimizu Asahi nodded thoughtfully, but he didn't pay too much attention to it. After learning about the other yokai's identity, he asked, "Old man, can you tell us how you and your granddaughter got here?"

"Actually, my grandfather and I, grandfather and grandson, were wanderers who ended up here..."

With a soft sigh, the old man recounted with a helpless and bitter tone the reasons why his granddaughter had ended up in this place.

It turns out that she and her granddaughter lived in a sea area far, far away from the Suzuka Mountain area. That sea area had no ferocious sea monsters or deadly predators. A few monsters and fish lived there peacefully, just like a paradise on earth.

Although the grandmother and granddaughter depended on each other for survival, they lived a happy and fulfilling life.

But one day, an accident happened.

A ruthless predator has entered this sea area.

It seized the pure land and destroyed its enemies, killing all of them, whether they were fish and shrimp that had not yet become demons or sea monsters that had already become demons.

This sea area is no longer as calm as it used to be.

The grandmother and granddaughter were small coral demons, lacking both powerful combat abilities and the courage to resist. Therefore, after some discussion, she left with her granddaughter.

However, this sea is a world where the strong prey on the weak, and the weak die. Without power, they hide and flee in this sea.

Relying on her past experience, she managed to survive in the sea with her granddaughter, but even so, she could not always avoid danger. And every time they encountered danger, endless escape awaited them.

Perhaps it was luck, or perhaps it was fate, but they managed to escape every crisis they encountered. However, as time went by, after countless hours of hard work, she was nearing the end of her life, and perhaps soon she would leave this world.

She's gone, and perhaps that will end it all, but if she's gone, who will protect her granddaughter?

She didn't know, and she couldn't guess, so she could only force herself to stay healthy and wander with her granddaughter.

They discovered the island by chance a month ago.

Although there were signs of human habitation on the island, they had no choice but to stay there temporarily because they had nowhere else to go.

"I see... But the old man must have considered what would happen after we came back."

Shimizu Asahi did not doubt the old man's words. This sea was extremely dangerous. Even a child like Ōtakemaru would be forced to flee in all directions, let alone a grandfather and grandson who had no fighting ability.

However, he did not believe the old man's subsequent explanation.

After wandering for so long, how could they not have found a place to settle down temporarily? Judging from the old woman's vigilance and caution, they would only stay in these temporarily safe places for a few days at most, and then set off again after they had adjusted.

But this time, they stayed in Suzuka Mountain for a whole month.

If there were no reason, Shimizu Asahi would absolutely not believe it.

“I’ve thought about it, sir… I know that if I stay here and don’t leave, you’ll eventually come back, but… I can’t walk anymore, so I have no choice but to gamble.”

"Sir, could you please take us in, my grandparents and my grandchildren...?"

The old man's expression became slightly agitated, and upon hearing this, Shimizu Asahi and the others understood what he was thinking.

After exploring Mount Suzuka, the old woman decided that they weren't bad people, so she decided to take a gamble.

If she bets right, she and her granddaughter will survive; if she bets wrong, she will die here, while her granddaughter will escape under her arrangement.

This old man was risking his life, gambling that there were no bullets in the gun.

"...Would you risk your life to find a safe haven for your granddaughter...?"

The black-haired boy was stunned for a moment. The old man's actions were not surprising, but such kinship was truly touching.

After a brief silence, Shimizu Asahi smiled gently and said softly, "Don't worry, old lady. Now that you've come to Suzuka Mountain, you're family here. No one can hurt you or your granddaughter."

PS: Forcing Senhime to marry after 500 pulls, NetEase really went too far! The last time they forced someone to marry her like this was Kidomaru, how despicable!

Chapter 386, Section 389: What Suzuka Mountain Is Lacking Now

Shimizu Asahi accepted the old woman and her granddaughter, and they became part of Suzuka Mountain.

She also became the first member of the Suzuka family since the mountain was built.

When he agreed to take them in, the old woman lying in bed burst into tears.

No matter how many dangers and difficulties she and her granddaughter escaped, she was still an old and frail woman. When her body was almost exhausted and her granddaughter had not yet grown up, her only hope was that her granddaughter could live safely.

This move was her last gamble.

If you win, you continue to live; if you lose, you leave.

No one except herself knew how much pressure she was under. Before Shimizu Asahi and the others returned, she couldn't sleep every night. The immense pressure was almost suffocating her.

Previously, she appeared calm and composed in front of Qingshui Chaoyang, but inside, she felt as if she were being gripped by a large hand, with nowhere to put her mind.

She was nearly suffocating.

But she won... This time, she won her gamble, and Shimizu Asahi... took them in!

The immense pressure vanished in an instant, and a surge of joy from the depths of her heart overwhelmed her. The elderly woman, who had been bravely raising her granddaughter since the beginning of her life as a homeless person, burst into tears for the first time.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you..."

The old man could say nothing more than thank you.

The cries, filled with relief and joy, yet also revealing sorrow and heartache, reached everyone's ears, and even Reiko and the others standing inside couldn't help but sigh softly.

Qingshui Chaoyang squatted by the bedside, gently holding the old man's arm and softly comforting him.

About half an hour later, the old woman's crying gradually subsided, and her emotions, which had been so high that she was almost collapsing, finally calmed down.

Wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes, the old woman said with deep gratitude, "Thank you, sir... I really don't know how to thank you enough..."

“Old man, as I have already said, every resident of Suzuka Mountain is our ‘family’, and ‘family’ doesn’t need to be so polite with each other.”

"Moreover, your health is not good, and being too emotional will put a burden on your body."

So, get some rest.

"I know, I know... I won't cause any more trouble for the adults..."

The old woman nodded; she understood what she should and shouldn't do.

Seeing that the old man had calmed down, Shimizu Asahi smiled and nodded, then left the room.

After leaving this place, they followed the old man's words and came to the eastern coast.

The old man's granddaughter fishes here.

Because the little one didn't hide herself or dive into the deep sea, they found her as soon as they arrived.

Perhaps because of her previous experience, this cute little girl with long, beautiful hair turned away the moment she saw Shimizu Asahi and the others, intending to hide herself. In the end, it was Shimizu Asahi who called out to her and gained her trust with a gentle tone and kind attitude.

After some conversation, they learned the little guy's name.

Xiaodie, an ordinary name, yet with a touch of romance.

At the same time, through this brief exchange, Shimizu Asahi gradually came to understand the little guy's personality and character.

A naive and lively girl who, despite experiencing countless dangers and torments, has not been tainted by darkness.

Such a pure girl easily gains the favor of others, but in this vast ocean, a pure child cannot survive.

Without her grandmother's protection, Xiaodie might have really died in this sea one day.

The cruel ocean has no need for children like this.

However, unlike the cruel sea, the still-undeveloped Suzuka Mountain desperately needs her presence.

Looking at the little one who was already able to communicate with him in hushed tones, Shimizu Asahi rubbed her head and told her about his decision.

When she heard the news, Xiaodie was instinctively stunned, but when she came to her senses, she cried.

Like her grandmother, she was so overwhelmed with emotion that she couldn't even speak.

Seeing the child crying, the black-haired boy gently held her in his arms and whispered words of comfort.

It took him quite a while to calm the little guy down. After that, he told the little guy to go back and stay with his grandma, and that he would take care of things like making lunch.

Although the little girl is still young, she knows how to repay her benefactors. It is the greatest kindness that Shimizu Asahi took her and her grandmother in, and she cannot let Shimizu Asahi take care of them anymore.

After declining Shimizu Asahi's suggestion, Xiaodie said that she would catch fish and prepare lunch for them.

Seeing the child's determined expression, Shimizu Asahi hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not refuse.

So they returned to the houses on the east side and found a relatively spacious place to sit down.