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

He seemed to be conveying a message.

But the next moment, a small hand suddenly appeared behind him.

A clean, fair, and delicate hand, as if carved from white jade, gently pressed against his palm.

The spiritual power vanished instantly...

------

Inside the main hall on the first floor of the Sun Wheel Pavilion, Shimizu Asahi was still quietly playing the biwa. He didn't know when the news would arrive, or whether the other party could keep it from Himiko... But all he could do now was trust him.

How could something like this possibly stump you, Daoman!

The emotions and trust within my heart were like a key that unlocked information; a faint wisp of spiritual energy emanated from the void...

His eyes, which had been closed, snapped open instantly, and a smile appeared on the boy's face.

'They're here!'

He moved his fingers, and spiritual energy transformed into ropes.

He instantly seized the drifting spiritual energy!

"Alright everyone, we've achieved our goal. Let's go! It's time to head back!"

"Put your spiritual power into the pipa," Qingshui Chaoyang immediately stood up and shouted.

Without the slightest hesitation, having obtained the information, he immediately prepared to leave.

Although Ashiya Dōman used his own methods to get the message that should have been intercepted by Himiko out, it doesn't guarantee that Himiko really knew nothing.

Therefore, he must leave here as soon as possible.

Only by leaving this place can I ensure my own safety and the safety of the many girls around me.

Although the girls didn't understand why Shimizu Asahi suddenly shouted that, they just listened to him since he said so.

Soon, the group left the Sunwheel Pavilion and returned to the watchtower.

After closing the door, Shimizu Asahi took out the pipa and placed it on the table before anyone could speak.

"Alright everyone, we've got the intelligence... This is our last hope. Whether we can find a way to defeat Himiko depends on the intelligence we've obtained this time."

He took a deep breath and then placed his hand on the wooden pipa.

Everyone calmed down and waited for the music to begin.

And the next moment, the sound of the pipa came as promised.

Shimizu Asahi closed his eyes, slowly probing the information transmitted by the spiritual energy.

Perhaps because Himiko was watching, or perhaps because Ashiya Dōman's power was so limited, in any case, very few messages were transmitted, and the information conveyed was extremely concise.

Before long, it was completely absorbed by the clear water and rising sun.

However... Shimizu Asahi, who had received all the messages, froze for a moment.

He opened his eyes in pain, and his expression turned to one of utter astonishment.

However, there was a slightly subtle glint in their astonished expressions.

Rather than receiving unimaginably terrifying news that no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't defeat Himiko, it was more like, 'How could this happen?'

The girls exchanged surprised glances.

"That... Asahi, what exactly is the message from Ashiya Doman?"

Reiko remained silent for a moment. Finally, she broke the silence in the room.

"You...you want to know?"

"Heh, heh... Let me explain it simply."

Shimizu Asahi responded, and although he managed to calm his expression, his words were anything but calm.

Even Ibuki couldn't help but feel a little excited.

What news could possibly cause even the usually composed master to waver like this?

"Ashiya Dōman is still alive... He did not die in the cycle of reincarnation, and he is indeed in Himiko's room now."

"There was no danger, and Himiko even stayed by his side the whole time..."

"But...he..."

As Shimizu Asahi finished speaking, his expression wavered slightly again.

"Rather than Ashiya Dōman, it's more accurate to say that he has now become Mantou..."

"Huh?"

The moment the man's name, 'Wan Deng,' appeared, the atmosphere in the room froze.

Wan Deng... refers to which Wan Deng?

Mantou, who married Himiko and became another lord of the Sun Wheel Castle...?

"Wait, Asahi, why did Ashiya Dōman turn into Mantou? What exactly is going on between him and Himiko?"

Lingzi shouted this, barely able to contain her voice.

The gazes of others also turned to them, and in each pair of different eyes, the same meaning was conveyed.

—What exactly happened?!

"Actually, I'm still a little confused myself."

"Because the information I obtained was so limited, I could only barely piece together what happened from the bits and pieces of information he provided."

"Before we arrived at Ichizaki Island, Doman did indeed set foot in this castle and was also affected by the cycle of reincarnation."

“However, unlike the other people who stumbled upon this place by chance, Daoman… was mistaken for Wandeng.”

"Because the power within him was somewhat similar to that of Wan Deng, the power of Wan Deng flowing through the City of the Sun sensed his presence and then entered his body."

"Therefore, Himiko discovered him."

She mistook him for Wan Deng and then dragged him to her room...

"..."

"..."

A moment of silence fell. The utterly unbelievable answer left the girls speechless. (Chapter 779, Section 782: Another Guy Coming for the Divine Artifact)

Time seemed to have passed, perhaps a minute, perhaps ten. The girls stood there blankly, staring silently at the rising sun.

Even though the fact had been echoing in their minds, and their reason had allowed them to understand what had happened, they were still somewhat unable to react... no, it should be said that their emotions made them somewhat...unable to accept it.

Ashiya Dōman... was mistaken for Mandō by Himiko and taken into her room?

No wonder Shimizu Asahi was so shocked.

It's really... I don't know what to say.

"...Ah. In that case, our plans will have to be changed again."

Ibuki was the first to react. She sighed helplessly and said, "If you're treated as Mandō, then that's Himiko's most important thing. It won't be that easy to take something away from her."

The calm words gradually brought everyone back to their senses.

“Indeed, just as Ibuki said. The importance of Manto to Himiko is self-evident. If we try to take Manto from Himiko, the consequences will probably be more serious than provocation.”

"Chaoyang, what do you say?"

Reiko turned her gaze to Shimizu Asahi, who had also completely calmed down by this moment.

He stroked his chin, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"Hmm...that's true, that is indeed a problem."

"It's unlikely that we can rescue Doman, but that doesn't mean we can't make him a fighting force."

"When we are fighting Himiko, Dōman will also be able to take the opportunity to make a move."

"If he retains the appearance of Mantō, he will surely be able to sway Himiko and create an opportunity for us."

"And... there's another important point."

"That is, Daoman's purpose in coming here."

"Purpose?"

Some intriguing words caught the girls' attention, and at that moment, they naturally remembered something very important.

That's Ashiya Doman. Why did he come here?

"Ah...the purpose."

The young man smiled faintly, not keeping the other person in suspense, but directly stating the other party's purpose.

"Dōman, he's also here for the divine artifact!"

"!?"

Calm words, like a falling stone, instantly disturbed the tranquil surface of the lake.

"He's here for the divine artifact too!?"

Ali and the others couldn't help but exchange a glance.

"How did he know there were divine artifacts here... and how did he know the City of the Sun was located here?"

"No, these are not the point. The point is... it seems that news of the artifact is not completely isolated from the world."

"Hehehe... It seems we need to act quickly."

"If there's one, there will be two, and if there's two, there will be three. We and that little guy are definitely not the last people to come here. Maybe there are even people from the future here now."

The girls' expressions all turned serious. They thought no one knew anything about the artifact, but unexpectedly, they encountered a guy who came for the artifact in the blink of an eye.

It's fortunate that the guy isn't their enemy; otherwise, after defeating Himiko, they would have to figure out how to handle the situation.

"Well, while it's quite surprising that Doman came for the divine artifact, it's not something to worry about too much."

"The real attention-grabbing part is yet to come."