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

Shimizu Asahi bowed to Susanoo, expressing his feelings.

"Hahaha... Okay, then we'll head back too."

"Yamata, let's go back to Izumo Taisha for a drink!"

And so, amidst laughter, Susanoo left with his best friend.

In that hearty laugh, Qingshui Chaoyang sensed a genuine joy.

......

After settling the matter of the evil god, Shimizu Asahi rested at home for another day. On the morning of the third day, he went to the Yin-Yang Bureau to see if Kamo Tadashi needed any help.

However, as it turns out, Kamo no Tadayuki is Kamo no Tadayuki after all. Even after such a brutal war, he quickly handled the aftermath.

The people of Heian-kyo were unaware of the war and the changes within the city. Other Onmyo families had also participated in the events, so the situation was relatively simple to handle. It was quite remarkable that Kamo no Tadayuki resolved the matter so quickly.

The only thing that made things difficult for him was the Minamoto clan.

After the massacre of a hundred members by Shimizu Asahi, the Genji clan is now almost completely depleted of its members.

There were no powerful figures, no clan leaders, no elders, and apart from some female relatives, children, and low-ranking guards, there was no one else.

It can be said that the Minamoto clan's strength has reached an unprecedented level of weakness, and any Yin-Yang family could potentially destroy the current Minamoto clan.

After their defeat, the Genji lost the power to resist. They knew that a dark future awaited them, and that it would be difficult for the Genji to return to its former glory for at least a century.

Logically speaking, one could simply ignore such matters concerning Genji Kamo no Tadashi and report them to the Emperor, who would then handle the situation.

However, he was also somewhat worried.

Yuan Jingji is an old fox who has been powerful for over a hundred years. Even if he has staked everything on the evil god, he will never leave himself without a backup plan.

Kamo no Tadayuki is now worried that the Genji clan may still have some tricks up their sleeves. If they are not eliminated completely, the Genji clan may make a comeback.

Regarding this incident, Kamo no Tadayuki asked Shimizu Asahi for his opinion, and Shimizu Asahi decisively stated that there was no need to concern himself with the Genji.

Regardless of what the future holds, at least the Genji clan's sins have been atoned for, and the remaining female servants, guards, and children are innocent and should not be harmed further.

Some of his decisions, made out of a woman's compassion, did not receive immediate opposition. After careful consideration, Kamo no Tadayuki pursed his lips and asked, "Asahi, your decision is creating enemies for yourself. Once the Minamoto clan recovers, the person they will seek revenge on is you. Are you really sure you don't want to deliver a fatal blow to the Minamoto clan?"

"No need, I will end this feud in my generation. Don't worry, teacher."

Kamo no Tadayuki's confident words finally convinced him to agree to his idea, and thus the Minamoto clan survived. Chapter 498, Section 501: It's Time to Set Off to Find Reiko

Time flies by, and half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

During these two weeks, Heian-kyo enjoyed a period of great peace. Kamo no Tadayuki handled the aftermath of the great battle perfectly, and the great yokai recovered from their injuries and left one by one.

However, after waking up, Saiou of Ise Grand Shrine did not leave immediately. Instead, he went to the home of Shimizu Asahi and paid his respects to Shimizu Mio with a sincere expression.

Saiou of Ise Grand Shrine not only represents the head of all shrine maidens in the world, but also the person who most reveres Amaterasu Omikami. Now that Omikami is right in front of her, how could she possibly leave without saying a word?

There's also Shimizu Asahi, the child adopted by Omikami, an existence recognized by the divine artifacts. Such a person should also join the Ise Grand Shrine and be worshipped by them.

Well... to be honest, Shimizu Asahi rejected the idea when the old man proposed it.

The word "offering" is not something that can be said so simply.

Those who deserve to be worshipped are either gods or people who have made great contributions to the family and have already passed away.

Since Qingshui Chaoyang is not a deity, making offerings to him is tantamount to saying that he is dead.

Well... Saiou herself didn't have such thoughts. She worshipped Shimizu Asahi as a god, but unfortunately, Shimizu Asahi didn't think that way, so her suggestion was undoubtedly rejected.

The old man wanted to try again, but in the end he couldn't resist the gentle breeze and sunshine, so he had to give up.

However, before leaving, she also said that she would tell the many shrine maidens of Ise Grand Shrine about this matter and give them the portrait so that they would not fail to recognize him when they encountered him on missions in the future, thus avoiding disgrace to Ise Grand Shrine.

Shimizu Asahi also tried to stop this, but unfortunately, she failed. The old woman refused to back down and said that this was her last act of defiance, so... helplessly, Shimizu Asahi had no choice but to agree.

Well... Ise Grand Shrine is quite a distance from here, so what happens over there shouldn't affect us here.

Besides the master, Shimizu Asahi also met Kidomaru once.

He is now living with Lord Enmusubi. Although their lives are not entirely peaceful, they are filled with warmth and there are no major problems.

Oh, right, there's one more thing: Ōtakemaru and the others have already gone back.

Seven or eight days ago, Ōtakemaru and the other sea monsters had already woken up. They stayed in Heian-kyo for a few days, and once their injuries had almost healed, they decided to set off to return. Shimizu Asahi wanted to persuade them to stay, at least until they were fully recovered, but Ōtakemaru said it wasn't necessary.

This is the human world. Even if humans and monsters cooperate for the first time, it is with a trustworthy monster, and they are united in hatred because they have a common enemy.

Now that the enemy has left, the Onmyoji are looking at them with a strange gaze. Staying here is not a good thing for either the Onmyoji or the Yokai.

Rather than getting into conflict with others, it's better to just leave now.

Shimizu Asahi remained silent for a long time, and his words of urging her to stay were ultimately withdrawn.

Ōtakemaru is right. The relationship between humans and yokai has not improved because of this cooperation. Most yin-yang masters still don't care much about yokai and even still regard them as enemies.

That's why all the great monsters left.

"Since you've decided to go back, I won't say anything more."

"Take care on your journey. I entrust the future of Suzuka Mountain to you."

"Yes, I will protect Mount Suzuka well, don't worry."

Ōtakemaru solemnly promised Shimizu Asahi that he would do his best to protect Mount Suzuka. However, after saying that, he seemed to remember something and suddenly asked him an extremely important question before leaving.

"Speaking of which, when are you planning to go see Suzuka Gozen?"

Suzuka Gozen, the second-generation master of Suzuka Mountain, took over the mountain after Shimizu Asahi left. Among the current Suzuka Mountain sirens, the Seven-Person Cape, the Scorpion Woman, and the Sea Melody are all her descendants. Finding her is not only Ootakemaru's insistence, but also the insistence of these sirens.

Previously, when Shimizu Asahi was about to fight the evil god, Ōtakemaru didn't mention it, but now that the evil god incident is over, he really should think about this issue.

"Reiko...?"

Upon informing Suzuka Gozen, Shimizu Asahi remained silent for a moment before looking up and saying, "Soon, after a while, I will set off to find Reiko."

"I will definitely find her this year, or next year."

"Is that so... Alright, I trust you. So, I'll leave Suzuka Gozen to you."

“Once we find her, let’s come back to Suzuka Mountain together. In any case, Suzuka Mountain three hundred years from now should be overlooked by you and her.”

After leaving those words, Ōtakemaru set off. Shimizu Asahi stood in Kyoto Port watching them leave. Only after the ship disappeared into the horizon did he slowly withdraw his gaze and turn to go home.

After returning home, he found the Goddess of Fate who hadn't been home for half a month and told her about his next move.

Upon hearing his next plan, the God of Fate immediately showed a delighted expression.

"Are you going to see Reiko?"

"Great!"

"I've been waiting for you to say that for so long."

The deity, who had been waiting for the feast for three hundred years, asked without any regard for appearances, "When are you planning to go find Lingzi? What are your plans? What do you need to prepare?"

The series of questions made the boy smile. He raised his hand to let the God of Fate calm down a bit, and then said, "God of Fate, please calm down and don't get too excited."

After calming down the Goddess of Fate, Shimizu Asahi sorted out her thoughts and said softly, "Actually, the reason I came to see the Goddess of Fate this time was that I hoped she could give me a destination."

"destination?"

The god of fate tilted his head, puzzled.

"Hmm... The red thread that the God of Fate gave me connected me with Reiko, but now that I've reappeared, I can't sense Reiko, which means that Reiko must have gone to some place that isolates the power of the red thread."

"I don't know where in this world these things can be done, so... I would like to ask Lord Enmusubi to tell me."

"I see, indeed... we can only set off once the destination is determined."

After receiving some sweets from Shimizu Asahi, Enmusubi crossed his arms and began to ponder.

However, there was a hint of confusion and deep thought on her face.

"Even if you put it that way, it's difficult for me to give that answer."

"After all, this is the first time I've encountered something like the power of the red thread being blocked. I have absolutely no idea what kind of forces in the world could sever the red thread." (Chapter 499, Section 502)

"Even the God of Fate doesn't know?"

Shimizu Asahi paused for a moment, his gaze unconsciously dimming.

If even the God of Fate doesn't know, then he'll have to search the entire land for Suzuka Gozen. Without any guides, he'll be wandering aimlessly. Even with good luck, it might take him eight to ten years to find her. If he's unlucky, it could be a lifetime...

No, no... Since the God of Fate said we'll meet again soon, there must be some other news.

"I'm sorry, Chaoyang... I can't help you with this."

"But you can ask your sister. Mio has lived for so many years, she knows all the strange places in the world."

"If it's her, she can definitely give you a satisfactory answer."

Enmusubi first rubbed his head and apologized somewhat embarrassedly, but quickly opened his eyes wide, indicating that Mio could give him a satisfactory answer.

Shimizu Asahi was slightly taken aback, and then a sense of understanding appeared in his eyes.

Yes, as the lord of Takamagahara, my sister must know many things that he doesn't.

So he got up and went to find Shimizu Mio again.

When Shimizu Mio, who was drinking tea in the courtyard, learned why her younger brother had come to see her, her hand holding the teacup trembled slightly.

Has this day finally arrived...? The day my brother goes to find his wife!

I felt a little upset, but I still had to put on a smile.

Shimizu Mio forced a smile and, just as they had guessed, gave Shimizu Asahi several places.

"The Ghost Realm, the Asura Path, Takamagahara, the Sea of ​​Immortality, the Underworld... are these five places where Reiko might be right now?"

"Yes, the ghostly energy of the Ghost Realm and the baleful energy of the Asura Path can isolate the aura of the living. Takamagahara and the Underworld are respectively a place where gods exist and a place where the dead live. They are also covered by special powers, so the power of the red rope will not be able to detect them."

"But my sister's top recommendation is still the Sea of ​​Immortality."

Nodding slightly, Shimizu Mio said, "The Sea of ​​Immortality is the homeland of the mermaid race. Reiko is a child of the mermaid race, so she must have come from the Sea of ​​Immortality as well. It is isolated from the world and has special powers."

"Therefore, if we want to find that child Lingzi, the best target is the Sea of ​​Immortality."

"I see... Thank you, sister. I'll pack my things now and then set off!"