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

At the very least, as the source of infection, they certainly wouldn't have gone unnoticed and unsuspected by Takiyasha-hime.

And the third, which is the last point.

Himiko wanted a day when everyone was happy; she didn't want a day of suffering.

Therefore, if sadness were to truly arise, Himiko would never wait until the early hours of the morning to reset the time.

She'll definitely reset it beforehand!

Therefore, the situation that day was definitely not as they had just witnessed.

Well... even if they put forward these three points, they are not entirely convincing. However, they would rather believe the possibility they are talking about than the first one.

"But what conclusions can we draw from this perspective?"

Ye Zi looked puzzled.

The girl's current reincarnation is probably different from her past reincarnations, at least it doesn't match the 'facts' of the past.

But so what?

Even if they know that all of this contradicts the girl's past 'facts', what does that prove?

"Indeed... However, the so-called conclusion can only be drawn after seeing the whole picture. What we should be thinking about now is why that girl deviated from the established 'track'."

Everything in this City of the Sun operates according to the facts of the 'past', and apart from Princess Takiyasha and those she rescued, there is no one else that is separate from this past.

So, why did that girl undergo such a change?

"We just sensed a power emanating from that girl. Could it be that power influenced her?"

"...Could it be Takiyasha-hime?"

Qingnufang frowned, and said this as if he were guessing.

Only Takiyasha-hime was able to save the girl, and there was indeed a strange power around her, so it's not surprising that it was Takiyasha-hime's doing.

However, given her strength, she shouldn't have any difficulty on her own, so why didn't she just save the girl?

Or is it that the injury hasn't healed, so he doesn't dare to act rashly?

"No, I don't think so. We've witnessed Takiyasha-hime's power, but that power is completely different from Takiyasha-hime's power."

"It must be some other force."

The girls chatted amongst themselves, each expressing their own thoughts.

However, in the end, no one was able to give a definite answer.

After their discussion yielded no results, their gazes turned to Shimizu Asahi, who had remained silent.

"What are your thoughts, Chaoyang?"

Everyone fell silent, only staring at the clear water and the rising sun.

Although the girls present were all intelligent and could see things that Shimizu Asahi couldn't, sometimes Shimizu Asahi was the one who could make the most decisions.

And every decision he made was admirable.

However, this time, Shimizu Asahi did not give his answer immediately.

He looked at Ibuki beside him.

"At this time, I shouldn't be asked what you think, I should be asked."

The boy smiled.

"You should already have the answer, Ibuki."

"Oh... has the master noticed?"

The Ghost King smiled with surprise, his purple eyes carrying a faint smile.

"I thought it would take you a while before you noticed, sir."

"There's nothing to discover or not discover. Ali and the others are all making their own deductions. Only you and I are sitting here without saying a word."

“I don’t say anything because I’m unsure, but you’re different. When you watch them talk and don’t say anything yourself, that’s when you’ve discovered the problem.”

"As expected of you, Master... You seem to have observed me quite well... Hehehe, yes, I do have some ideas."

"Although I'm still a little unsure, it shouldn't be wrong."

The Ghost King took a sip of the wine in her bowl and said with a charming smile, "That girl is already showing signs of breaking free from the cycle of reincarnation."

The air in the room seemed to freeze at that moment. A casual remark left the other five people stunned.

That girl is almost out of the cycle of reincarnation!?

What exactly is this...?

"Hehehe, don't be in a hurry."

"What I said is true. As for why I know about this, my lord can think about it from the point of 'why Mingliu observes the daytime'."

Instead of giving a direct answer, Ibuki offered a small hint, much like solving a puzzle in a game.

Why does Mingliu observe the daytime?

His hand unconsciously supported his chin as Qingshui Chaoyang pondered this question.

However, it was only at the moment he started thinking that he belatedly realized what was happening.

Yes... Mingliu... why do we need to observe during the day?

When they first met Mingliu, he told them that his mission was to observe the Sun City during the day.

However, at that time, they were so overwhelmed by Himiko's immense power and the powerful visuals of time reversal that they overlooked one problem.

So, what is there to observe in the City of the Sun? Chapter 764, Section 761: Himiko...has become weaker?

Today, the City of the Sun is nothing more than a city trapped in the cycle of each day, where everything flows according to the predetermined past.

Neither Shimizu Asahi nor Ibuki could break the cycle of each day. The only ones who could bring about unexpected events and changes were Himiko and Takiyasha-hime.

The watchtower is Takiyasha-hime's territory, so it's highly unlikely that Meiroku would be able to observe him.

So, is Himiko the object of this observation?

Himiko stays in the fifth floor of the Sun Wheel Pavilion all day and doesn't come out. Even if Meiroku keeps an eye on the Sun Wheel Pavilion, he probably won't be able to observe anything.

Therefore, this observation is meaningless.

But... is that really the case?

If observation is meaningless, then why did Takiyasha-hime let Meiroku observe these things, and why did Meiroku work so hard here for over a hundred years?

No one can remain calm in the face of a monotonous life, and no one can continue to do it without complaint or regret.

Princess Takiyasha was able to persevere because she was inherently resilient and had a goal.

What about Mingliu?

Although it might not be very kind of Meiroku to say this, Shimizu Asahi still doesn't think Meiroku has the same resilience as Takiyasha-hime.

Even if it exists, what is the reason he has persisted for hundreds of years?

"..."

"..."

Qingshui Chaoyang fell silent.

Not only him, but the other girls... Lingzi, Yezi, Qingnvfang, and Ali, all fell into deep thought.

However, this moment of contemplation was quickly broken.

"I see......"

As if he had found the answer, Shimizu Asahi opened his eyes wide and smiled with deep joy.

Actually, the answer is easy to find. Just connect it with what Ibuki just said, and you can easily find the answer.

Ah... he understood... what Ming Liu was observing.

That guy... Ming Liu, was actually observing...

"Who has the possibility of escaping the cycle of reincarnation!"

Shimizu Asahi doesn't know Meiroku well, and he can't figure out the answer from Meiroku's replies and conversations, but since Ibuki has given him the riddle, it means that it's something he can solve.

Therefore, he can only think based on everything he observes.

The last bit of confidence he gained came from the information provided by Ibuki.

—'That girl is already showing signs of breaking free from the cycle of reincarnation.'

If we deny the possibility that Himiko and Takiyasha-hime interfered with the people, and if we believe that the people could break free from Himiko's power on their own, then this observation is meaningful.

Because Takiyasha-hime didn't know when any commoners might possess this ability, she had Meiroku observe it.

That is why Ming Liu has been observing the people from the watchtower for hundreds of years!

"Hehehe... As expected of the master, he reacted so quickly."

“That’s right, Ming Liu… he’s observing the people in the City of the Sun, looking for signs of anyone breaking free from the cycle of reincarnation.”

"The reason why we trigger the ghost just by getting close to that child is probably because the child has gone off track, which in itself has attracted the ghost's attention."

"Our approach was merely a trigger, an act that brought out that ghost."

Ibuki smiled softly, her purple eyes as clear and charming as ever.

And her words did indeed unravel the mystery that Shimizu Asahi and the others were concerned about.

However, the solution to one puzzle often leads to the emergence of another.

"Can that child... really break free from his restraints on his own?"

Such a sound echoed softly in the room.

Although it was very light, it reached everyone's ears.

These words caused everyone present, except for Ibuki, to fall into deep thought.

Indeed, Shimizu Asahi's prediction was correct, and Ibuki also gave an affirmative answer.