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

As the boy's voice rang out, Kamo no Tadayuki, who had been bowing his head, raised it. He looked at Shimizu Asahi at the gate and paused for a moment, "Asahi?"

The puzzled voice seemed to be asking, 'Why are you here?'

Perhaps noticing that his tone was a bit off, Kamo Tadashi regained his composure a second later. He pointed to the cushion opposite him and said calmly, "Sit."

"Thank you, teacher."

Shimizu Asahi obediently sat down, and Kamo Tadashi put down his brush and said, "I've heard about this trip from Ito. You did very well. You not only found the Yasakani no Magatama, but also gained the friendship of Suzuka Mountain. Our chances of winning the battle against the evil god will be much greater."

"Thank you for your hard work, Chaoyang."

"I didn't really do anything. Suzuka Mountain loves peace and never makes enemies. As long as you have good intentions, anyone can become a friend of Suzuka Mountain."

"Don't be too modest. You deserve a lot of credit for establishing a relationship with Suzuka Mountain this time. It's okay to be a little proud."

"Alright, let's put that aside for now. You're in such a hurry to see me, there must be something you need."

Setting the paper and pen aside, He Maozhong poured a cup of tea for Qing Shui Chaoyang and then got straight to the point.

In fact, when returning to port, Shimizu Asahi asked Kamo Ito to convey his greetings to his teacher and tell him that he would personally tell him about the events of the voyage the next day. It was because of this message that Kamo Tadashi was surprised that Shimizu Asahi came today.

But this also proves that Shimizu Asahi had something urgent to discuss with him.

"Actually, I want to report to the teacher about the evil god as soon as possible."

Once the topic was addressed, Shimizu Asahi's expression became serious. He took a deep breath and then recounted his battle with the evil god three hundred years ago and his speculations discussed with Ōtakemaru.

"You've traveled back... three hundred years!?"

For the first time, Kamo no Tadayuki, who was always calm and composed, showed a clear expression. He looked at his student in surprise and was at a loss for words.

"I never imagined... this trip would be so long for you."

After taking some time to gather his thoughts, Tadashi Kamo returned to his original state. He exhaled softly and said calmly, "Although it's a bit late now, as your teacher, I should congratulate you on your marriage and prepare a gift for you."

"However, the situation is serious now, and there is no extra time to prepare these things."

"I will send my blessings after this matter has been resolved."

"Alright, you've already shared the information you've gathered, so I'll tell you what information I've gathered as well."

"Actually, your return time is very convenient. I just received some information and need someone to verify it."

He paused slightly at this point, then stood up and took a book from the bookshelf behind him.

He opened the book, took out a letter, and handed it to Shimizu Asahi.

"This is information that Munemitsu investigated in Izumo Province."

"The resurrection of the evil god had the greatest impact on Izumo Province. As soon as you left, he immediately launched an investigation into the matter of the evil god."

"Then, he learned from the records of Izumo Taisha about the legend of the great serpent that suddenly appeared and was suddenly sealed three hundred years ago, and with that, he began to investigate in depth."

"This legend is the story closest to this era among the many records of the shrine, and therefore has great reference value."

"He learned from the stories and legends that the evil god was sealed away three hundred years ago and could not escape, but he did not know why the evil god suddenly appeared in that era."

"...If the legend is true, then it means that someone has broken the seal of the evil god and gained power by worshipping the evil god."

"Actually, we had considered this speculation before, but we couldn't be sure, since making a deal with an evil god is too far-fetched."

"But with this confirmation, we had to treat it as a fact, so we began to investigate who broke the seal of the evil god."

"I will be in charge of the area around Heian-kyo, and Munemitsu will be in charge of Izumo Province."

"After two months of searching, Zong Guang found the place where the evil god was once sealed, but the evil god's corpse was no longer in Fei Yichuan."

"—Someone moved the corpse of the evil god!"

"Our speculation was correct!"

"After that, we searched for every possible trace of them, from Izumo to Heian-kyo, we investigated every possibility."

"Until recently, Zongguang wrote me another letter."

He said that the Genji clan had arrived at the Fei River more than a hundred years ago.

At this point, Kamo no Tadayuki stopped speaking. Some things didn't need to be said outright; he trusted his students would understand.

Upon hearing about the Genji clan, the black-haired boy's gaze shifted slightly. He frowned, instinctively wanting to deny it, but then he seemed to realize something and decisively swallowed his words.

"The Genji clan... huh?"

"So, you suspect that the Minamoto clan is colluding with evil gods, and that all of this is the Minamoto clan's doing?"

"Looking back on what the Genji clan did this year, and the decisions made by Kyohara Toki, they are indeed highly suspicious."

Kamo no Tadashi recounted his speculations, and at the same time, looking at his disciple before him, calmly said, "You didn't deny it immediately, which means you've already begun to suspect the Minamoto clan, haven't you?" Chapter 421, Section 418: So I'm going to see my father-in-law?

The master looked at his disciple. Two years of contact had given him a deep understanding of Shimizu Asahi. Although it was not as detailed as Shimizu Mio's book, the silence just now was enough for him to get the answer.

The black-haired boy, whose identity had been exposed by the teacher, did not hide anything. He remained silent for a moment, and then nodded gently.

"The teacher is right, I do have doubts about the Genji clan."

"When I first came into contact with the evil god, I remembered its aura very clearly. Later, during the Kyohara incident, I felt the power of the evil god in many members of the Minamoto clan. However, at that time I did not suspect the Minamoto clan too much."

"To make a deal with an evil god is no different from asking a tiger for its skin. Even if the Genji were foolish, they would understand this principle. Therefore, I only consider it as a matter of some members of the Genji clan acting on their own."

"But then, the evil god resurrected, his corpse disappeared, and then there was the incident from a hundred years ago..."

At this point, Shimizu Asahi paused slightly. He knew very well what he was saying and what his next words represented.

However, after taking a deep breath, he gave his final answer.

"If there are no other clues, then the Genji clan is the mastermind behind the liberation and worship of the evil god, and the acquisition of power from the evil god's power!"

The truth has come to light. Shimizu Asahi never expected that he would find the culprit who liberated the evil god and caused all these events so quickly.

In fact, when he returned to port, he was considering whether or not to tell his teacher his guess. After all, they were the three great families of Heian-kyo, the strongest clan capable of rivaling the combined forces of the Fujiwara and Kamo families.

However, to his surprise, his senior and teacher had already set their sights on the Genji clan, and they had even found all the clues he wanted!

The combined intelligence from both sides pointed to the ultimate objective of this incident!

"I was still doubtful, but now that you've said that, the Genji clan has probably indeed become our enemy."

"Then, next, we'll be targeting the Minamoto clan."

Now that they know who is controlling everything, they must take remedial action and defeat the Genji and seal the evil god before it is fully resurrected!

only......

“Teacher, the Genji clan is deeply rooted, backed by the imperial family, and now protected by an evil god. It is almost impossible for us to take action against them.”

“Even if all the clues we find point to the Minamoto clan, these clues are not very strong. They have countless ways to escape from them.”

"Without decisive conditions, our actions will only be to alert the enemy."

Shimizu Asahi looked slightly troubled. Having come into contact with the three major families, he understood what they meant in Heian-kyo. And what did the Minamoto clan, as a member of the imperial family and related to the royal family by blood, mean?

Unless there is a truly decisive factor, in order to maintain the prestige of the imperial family, the imperial family will definitely stand behind the Minamoto clan. To be an enemy of them is to be an enemy of most of the imperial family!

“I know that, which is why I said you came back at just the right time.”

Kamo no Tadashi looked deeply at Shimizu Asahi, as if he already had a solution.

Under this gaze, Shimizu Asahi was somewhat puzzled. What did this incident have to do with his return...?

"Wait...could it be!?"

A gasp escaped the boy's lips, a look of astonishment crossing his face, and the gentleman, seeing this expression, nodded affirmatively.

"You guessed right, it's that one, right?"

"I hope you can go to the Genji clan and find the most crucial clue."

"..."

As Kamo no Tadashi spoke, Shimizu Asahi opened his mouth, surprised that his teacher actually wanted him to investigate the Minamoto clan.

A year ago in this era, Shimizu Asahi did indeed infiltrate the Minamoto clan branch in Kyoto Port, but the difficulty of infiltrating the Minamoto clan headquarters in Heian-kyo was completely different from the difficulty of infiltrating the Kyoto Port branch.

That's the Minamoto clan, the strongest Onmyoji clan in Heian-kyo. The array formations and Onmyo techniques they contain are bizarre and terrifying, numbering in the countless. Unless one acts openly and honestly, or possesses Onmyo power that surpasses theirs, it's simply impossible to sneak in!

As the head of the Kamo family, one of the three major families of Yin and Yang, Kamo Tadashi should have been more aware of the difficulty of infiltrating than Shimizu Asahi.

The only person in Heian-kyo who could possibly have infiltrated it was his teacher, Kamo no Tadayuki!

Qingshui Chaoyang rubbed his cheeks, trying to calm the turmoil in his heart.

Then, he said somewhat helplessly, "Teacher, this is indeed the most straightforward method, but to infiltrate... no one else but you can do it."

"Oh my god, I've only alerted them."

“You underestimate yourself. Having grown for six years three hundred years, you are now capable of infiltrating. I can sense your current strength. Moreover, you are more suited for this mission than I am.”

"Am I...more suitable?"

The black-haired boy tilted his head in confusion.

"You are the only one who has faced the evil god head-on, and the only one who has survived the evil god's pursuit. Therefore, you have the potential to reach the evil god."

"There are two possibilities for infiltrating the Minamoto clan: one is that the Minamoto clan's formation will discover the infiltrator and alert them, and the other is that the evil god will see through the plan and the infiltrator will die on the spot."

"Besides you and me, Masataka, Shirogane, and Tamamo-no-Mae could all infiltrate the Genji clan undetected. However, to obtain the truly crucial clues, we must go to the Genji clan's secret chamber—the place where they worship the evil god."

"But once you step into the altar, it's the same as stepping into the realm of an evil god. Even we don't have the confidence to escape unscathed when facing an evil god."

"The best outcome would be to escape from the Genji clan with the evidence, giving the Genji clan time to react and prepare."

"This might be able to restrain the evil god, but it can never restrain the Minamoto clan."

"This incident is important not only because of the evil god, but also because of the Genji clan."

"Only by curbing the ambitions of the Minamoto clan can Heian-kyo enjoy a brief period of peace."

Kamo no Tadashi's quiet and steady words echoed in the boy's ears. He had thought that his teacher's target was only the evil god Yamata, but he never expected that his teacher would also target the Minamoto clan!

"Actually, before you returned, I had thought about taking action against Genji, but at that time, I was troubled by the fact that no one could satisfy both possibilities at the same time, so I had to give up."

"But things are different now. After hearing your information, I feel that there is an answer to this theoretically optimal solution."

"Chaoyang, this is something only you can accomplish."

As if seeing right through Shimizu Asahi's thoughts, Kamo Tadashi explained calmly. Although his face didn't show much emotion, Shimizu Asahi could still hear pride and expectation in his teacher's words. (Chapter 422, Chapter 419: Asahi, you've been strengthened, go deliver...)