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

Now that Qingshui and Chaoyang are married, they only have two choices in front of them.

One option is to give up. After the initial pain subsides, give up and wish Qingshui Chaoyang well, and from then on, never again harbor any feelings of love for him.

Secondly, they don't give up; even after marriage, they still try to steal the bride. At this time, human society was still a feudal society, and the practice of having multiple wives and concubines was commonplace. If humans, whose ethical standards far surpassed those of demons, still acted this way, then demons would certainly be even more so.

In fact, Qingnufang's words just now already explained their choice.

Neither Ibuki nor Ari intends to give up.

Ibuki, who had been pulled back by Aonobo, finally came to her senses. The lord of Mount Oe gritted his teeth, and for the first time, his relaxed and cheerful face revealed an unprecedented sense of unwillingness and regret.

She gripped her hand tightly and said, word by word, "My master belongs to me, and I will never back down on that. No matter if she is the master of Suzuka Mountain or the ruler of the sea, if she tries to take my master away from me, I will show no mercy!"

"Me too... Even if Chaoyang gets married, that can't be a reason for me to give up! I was once the most beautiful courtesan in Liren Pavilion, and I will not admit defeat!"

Liren Pavilion is a place of filth and debauchery, a place that exists to please men. Every woman here knows how to please and win over men. As a former courtesan, A-Li was forced to learn these skills even though she didn't like them.

Words, gestures, gazes, expressions... everything can become her weapon.

She'd stake her reputation as the most beautiful courtesan in Liren Pavilion on this; she would never lose again!

"Is that so... If you can say something like that, then it means you've calmed down, so I don't need to say anything more."

"Should I call him back?"

Qingnu Fang loosened her grip on the teacup, and some of the regret in her heart dissipated.

Now that the outcome is decided, too much regret and resentment will only make you fall further behind.

Although Shimizu Asahi didn't elaborate, they gleaned a crucial clue from the fragmented information.

—Suzuka Gozen, a mermaid with an extremely possessive nature.

To possess Shimizu Asahi, she even refused her own sister. If she returns to Suzuka Mountain, or is found by Shimizu Asahi, they will undoubtedly have another very troublesome enemy.

Their existing enemies are already very difficult to deal with, and if they add Suzuka Gozen, who has already reached the finish line, then taking the fruit will be even more difficult.

Therefore, what they need to do now is to capture Suzuka Gozen before Shimizu Asahi finds her!

If we want to fight back, we must seize every opportunity starting now!

The three girls, who had made up their minds, each had a thought in mind.

However, Qingnvfang's suggestion was not adopted. Although they were to take the initiative, the fact that they were still upset could not be changed. They all needed some time to calm down.

......

While they were calming down, Shimizu Asahi, who had left the room, returned to her own room.

He closed the wooden door and let out a sigh of relief.

Ibuki's expression and actions just now really frightened him; it was the first time he had ever seen Ibuki like this.

If he didn't know, he would have thought she was that Ibuki-dōji.

"However... aren't Ibuki and Ari's reactions a bit over the top? It's just going back three hundred years..."

Now that she had relaxed, Shimizu Asahi couldn't help but pay attention to the two women's reactions. No matter what, the reason of returning to three hundred years ago couldn't justify such a dramatic emotional shift. If she wasn't mistaken, they must have another reason...

But...did he do anything else three hundred years ago that made them unhappy?

The only thing unrelated to power and only related to him personally was his marriage.

But it was he who got married, even though the bride wasn't one of them...

"..."

"Eh?"

Uncontrollably, a slightly narcissistic and quite bold guess arose in the black-haired boy's mind.

"Could it be... that they like...?"

"No, no, no, how could such a thing be possible? Ari might be possible, but Ibuki is impossible no matter what."

"How could Ibuki, who is uninterested in most things and cares about nothing but alcohol, have such feelings?"

The moment the speculation arose, he dismissed it. Although such a notion hadn't yet emerged in this era, the idea that 'she likes me' was still a very narcissistic and confident one.

As a normal man, Shimizu Asahi would naturally have such thoughts. However, he is already married with two wives, and if he has another child, his life will be more than half complete. Therefore, it is not appropriate for him to think about these things anymore.

Besides, the other person wouldn't even have such feelings.

As for Ali...

If Ibuki had other reasons, then Ari's reason might be this. Although the plot and story are old-fashioned, the hero saving the beauty and repaying with one's body is a trope that is always applicable. Shimizu Asahi has enough reason to consider the possibility of this situation.

To be honest, he's feeling a bit conflicted right now; he hopes it's true, but he also hopes it's not.

He left Suzuka Mountain three hundred years ago, making Yoko and Reiko wait for so long. He really has no confidence or reason to accept anyone else.

"I have a bit of a headache..."

The black-haired boy sighed softly.

However, just as he was thinking about Ah Li and the others, a knock on the door suddenly rang out.

"Boom boom boom!"

The sudden knocking on the door caught Shimizu Asahi's attention. He looked towards the door, and then Ōtakemaru's voice came in.

"Shimizu, that's me."

"Ōtakemaru? The door's unlocked, come in."

The wooden door that had just been closed was easily pushed open, and Ōtakemaru walked in.

Shimizu Asahi smiled as her younger brother entered and asked, "Weren't you supposed to be dealing with things at Suzuka Mountain? Why are you back?"

"I was originally planning to go and take care of some things, but on the way there, I suddenly remembered something very important."

"Your true purpose in coming here... the evil god of Izumo, Yamata no Orochi!" Chapter 405, Section 402: Discussion of the Evil God

"The evil god... Yamata no Orochi?"

Shimizu Asahi paused for a moment, his expression somewhat blank, as if he hadn't quite grasped the situation. But soon, his long-buried memories were gently unlocked, and after five years, he began to recall them once more.

His purpose in coming here was to borrow the Yasakani no Magatama to deal with Yamata no Orochi!

"this......"

The black-haired boy rubbed his temples. "I actually forgot something so important... This is getting a bit complicated."

The earlier struggle had vanished, replaced by a sense of helplessness that seeped into my heart.

The first thing Shimizu Asahi did upon his return was to find his wives, to bring back the two wives who had left three hundred years ago while searching for him. But he forgot that three hundred years later, something even more important awaited him.

More important than finding his wife right now is protecting Heian-kyo!

"Should we deal with the evil god first before going to find them?"

"But... if it's an evil god who has already been resurrected, can I survive?"

Such doubts suddenly lingered in his mind. Having fought against the evil god and witnessed its corpse, he knew better than anyone else in Heian-kyo how terrifying the evil god was!

That behemoth could shake the earth with a single turn, and stir up storms with a single roar. Even if it combined the power of the Yata no Kagami and the Yasakani no Magatama, could it really protect Heian-kyo?

Unconsciously, a sense of irritation arose in Qingshui Chaoyang's heart.

Why did Orochi choose this moment to revive?!

hateful!

"..."

After letting out a low curse, Shimizu Asahi tried to calm himself down. In any case, the things he had to do were right in front of him. Returning to Heian-kyo to fight the evil god was almost an unquestionable option. His heart and his sense of responsibility made it impossible for him to give up this choice.

Since that's the case, let's think about how to defend Heian-kyo.

However, while thinking, Shimizu Asahi suddenly remembered that Ōtakemaru was still here. Since he came to talk to him about the evil god, he must have some thoughts.

So he asked, "What are your thoughts on this matter, Ōtakemaru?"

"Even if you ask that, I have nothing to say. After all, I've never seen that thing, and my knowledge of it is limited to that giant serpent."

"However, our conversation reminded me of that guy, wasn't he sealed away by you and Suzuka Gozen three hundred years ago?"

Three hundred years ago, Shimizu Asahi and Reiko went to Izumo Province in an attempt to find a way to return to their original time. During that search, they were targeted by an evil god and forced to engage in a hunter-prey game with him. In the end, they naturally won, and the defeated evil god was sealed in his burial place, unable to escape.

Therefore, the evil god should still be sealed at this moment. Why did it suddenly break the seal and resurrect?

"...This is indeed a point of suspicion."

Shimizu Asahi quickly recalled that the barrier he and Reiko Kurako had set up three hundred years ago was enough to trap the evil god for hundreds of years. Without external force breaking it, it was impossible for Him to make a comeback and be resurrected at this time.

"Wait, there's no external force... no external force... could it be!?"

"Someone is helping the evil god!?"

His black pupils suddenly contracted. If he wanted to explain the illogical fact of three hundred years ago versus three hundred years later, then this was the only way to think about it.

Some people have found the burial place of the evil god. They not only used evil magic to break His seal, but also submitted to Him and contributed to His restoration!

"I can't believe someone actually found the seal of the evil god... I should have set up more barriers back then! Damn it!"

"Even if you set up a barrier, it won't be of any use. If the other side can break one of your seals, they can break two of your barriers. The evil god is destined to be released by them."

"But... to submit to an evil god, the other party is either an idiot or a madman!"

Ōtakemaru held a mixed view of respect and mockery towards those who rescued the evil god, but as he said, those who were willing to submit to the evil god were either fools or madmen!

"...However, even if we knew this, what use would it be? We don't know where the evil god is, nor do we know where those people are hiding."

"Moreover, even if we find their location, we will not be able to fight against the evil god who is about to be resurrected... Ise Grand Shrine will not allow us to use the Yata Mirror."

The black-haired boy's initial excitement vanished, and he shook his head, somewhat disappointed.

This news could not be the key to solving the incident; its only function was to inform him that someone had sided with the evil god, and that he needed to be careful about this when fighting against the evil god.

Just as he was feeling slightly disappointed, Ōtakemaru stroked his chin and tentatively asked, "If they won't let you use the Yata no Kagami, what about the Yasakani no Magatama?"

"You were the former owner of the Yasakani no Magatama, and you are qualified to use it. With the Yasakani no Magatama, can you deal with the evil god who has not yet been resurrected?"

"...Although I'd like to say maybe, without the Yata Mirror, even with the Yasakani no Magatama, I still can't contend with the evil god."

Shimizu Asahi shook his head. The evil god he was facing now was not the same one from three hundred years ago. He would be helpless with just the Yasakani no Magatama.