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

Everyone in the manor knew about it.

Even if no one spreads the word, anyone who isn't an idiot can guess the reason for the midterm.

After venting his anger all night, Otahara sent someone to Rihime's Pavilion early this morning. He said he would definitely get Rihime; if he couldn't get her heart, he would get her body!

This time, he's going to buy Ali!

However, that furious roar made the maids realize that their mistress had failed again...

In the luxurious room, Otahara sat cross-legged in the main seat.

He gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and his expression, which was still passable, was filled with anger.

"boom!"

His fist slammed down, the uncontrollable trembling a testament to his fury.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Who dares to steal my people!"

As the maids had guessed, Otahara failed.

He was too late; Ah Li had already redeemed herself and left before he could act. The numerous treasures he had left at the Li Ren Pavilion, intended to be taken from Ah Li at any time, were also returned to him entirely.

The reason why Otahara left all his gold and silver jewelry in Riren Pavilion was so that he could take Ari away at any time.

For him, whether or not Ali chooses to give her heart to him, she is destined to be his!

This is a fact that no one can change.

However, in that very night, what he believed to be the truth suddenly changed.

An unknown Onmyoji redeemed A-Li from the Li Ren Pavilion for a price that the Li Ren Pavilion could not refuse, and his caged bird had already left the Li Ren Pavilion with her contract.

His jaw clenched as Otahara clenched his fist once more.

"Who is it?!"

"My lord, the owner of Liren Pavilion said that the Onmyoji is about thirty years old, with a resolute face, and he only left Liren Pavilion this morning. So, I think they might not have left Xingyuan yet. If you give the order now, there might still be a chance..."

The guard kneeling before Otahara offered his advice with trembling lips.

Last night, he witnessed Otahara beat a geisha to the point of crippling her; the insane and cruel methods he used sent chills down his spine.

Now that he has failed in his mission, if Otahara blames him for it, then he is finished.

Therefore, he wanted to make amends and he was determined to find Shiranui, no matter what method he used!

The subordinate's suggestion made Otahara's eyes widen, and his impotent rage was slightly suppressed.

That's right. According to the owner of Liren Pavilion, the Onmyoji should still be in Xingyuan City. Finding him is the same as finding A-Li.

As long as Ali is found, she will still belong to him!

His contorted expression instantly relaxed, and Otahara revealed a hearty smile.

"Haha, that's it! Great idea! Send the word down to the city gate guards to thoroughly check them and make sure they don't leave the city!"

"So what if he's an Onmyoji? As long as he's still in Xingyuan City, he'll never escape my grasp!"

"Ah Li, you're mine!"

The guard secretly breathed a sigh of relief at the loud laughter, knowing that his life was temporarily spared.

However, we cannot relax yet. If we fail to catch Ali, he will still have to pay the price!

Not wanting to waste a single second, the guard immediately replied, "Yes, sir!"

After he finished speaking, he prepared to get up and leave.

However, Otahara waved and called out to him.

"While sealing the city gates, find a few more reliable people to be at your beck and call. I want to make sure that no place in Xingyuan City, except mine, can take her in!"

......

Meanwhile, in an inn in Apricot Plains, the Genji Onmyoji Minamoto no Saneyoshi sat quietly on a wooden chair, while two Genji spies he had sent out knelt respectfully before him.

They were reporting all the intelligence they had obtained.

"My lord, there is still no other news about Shiranui. All information related to Shiranui in Anbara Castle points to that songstress."

"A spy said earnestly."

"Is there any other news besides that songstress?" Minamoto no Saneyoshi frowned slightly. The Minamoto clan's spies would not disappoint. Two days was enough time for them to gather a lot of information. Since he said so, then the only thing related to Shiranui was that songstress.

"Nowhere to start... As expected, the legendary great monster won't be found so easily."

He pondered for a moment, then said, "You continue to investigate Shiranui. No matter how well you conceal it, it will eventually be discovered."

"Yes!" the scout replied.

After issuing the new orders, Minamoto no Saneyoshi turned his attention to another spy.

What actions will Qingshui Chaoyang take?

"Reporting to Your Excellency, Shimizu Asahi has not made any special moves in the past two days. He happened to see Shiranui's performance at Riren-kaku the night before last, and spent the whole day yesterday at the City Lord's Mansion."

The scout answered calmly and composedly, but then paused for a moment before saying with some doubt, "However, sir, last night, for some reason, he went to see the owner of Liren Pavilion, and the two of them stayed in a room for a while."

“I was afraid of being discovered by him, so I didn’t dare to get too close. Therefore, I don’t know what he said to the owner of Liren Pavilion.”

"The owner of Liren Pavilion?"

Minamoto no Saneyoshi narrowed his eyes. What was he doing at Rijin-gaku?

"My lord, could it be that he's trying to get close to that courtesan from the Liren Pavilion?" The scout who was gathering information about Shiranui speculated. "The only connection Shiranui has with Xingyuan City is that courtesan, so it's perfectly normal for him to go to the Liren Pavilion to inquire about her."

"...Indeed, that's a reasonable guess."

The reasonable explanation made Genji nod thoughtfully.

"If that's the case, then we don't need to worry about it. Letting him waste some time at the Liren Pavilion is perfectly fine."

"You may leave now. If anything happens, notify me immediately."

"Yes!"

......

At this moment, on the high platform of Liren Pavilion, the owner of Liren Pavilion sits quietly on the ground.

She exhaled a puff of smoke and murmured softly, "Ah Li, this is all I can do to help you..."

P.S.: I was supposed to update three chapters today, but I wasn't satisfied with the two I wrote, so I deleted them all... There will be one more update later.

Chapter 112, Section 114: The Demeanor of the Empress?

Otahara's orders were passed down, and under his will, Anbara Castle began to operate at a rapid pace.

The three city gates and a dock were quickly placed under surveillance, and anyone entering or leaving Xingyuan was subject to strict inspection, whether it was luggage or goods.

This sudden inspection caused dissatisfaction among the people entering and leaving Xingyuan. They questioned and expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision, but the guards forcibly suppressed their questions and dissatisfaction on the grounds of "ensuring the safety of the sea harvest festival".

The Sea Harvest Festival is fast approaching, and ensuring its safe conduct is the top priority for Xingyuan City. No matter what, they cannot refute this reason.

In addition to the city gates and docks, the number of guards inside the city also increased. They patrolled everywhere and wandered around, carefully observing every man over thirty-four years old.

Otahara's actions were undoubtedly significant. Under normal circumstances, the people would have been suspicious, but now, all his actions were based on the 'Sea Harvest Festival,' and the people did not notice anything amiss.

They even thought that the Otawara Harvest Festival would be even more lively.

As a result, the atmosphere in the city actually improved rather than decreased.

However, his actions did not affect the three members of the Shimizu family.

They were not interested in Otahara's actions, and when asked about it, they would use "investigating Shiranui" as an excuse to avoid the topic.

As for Ali, she is very safe under the protection of Liren Pavilion. Even when she goes out to look for Qingshui Chaoyang, she will listen to the old woman and wear a mask.

In fact, even without this search, she would have to wear a mask whenever she went out.

She is the most beautiful courtesan in Xingyuan City. Most of the people in the city, both men and women, have seen her. If she appears in front of the public without any makeup, Otahara will forcibly take her into the city lord's mansion within half an hour.

And so, with Otahara's actions underway, time passed little by little, and in the blink of an eye, three days had gone by.

On the morning of the fourth day, Shimizu Asahi got out of bed early. After a quick wash, he changed into the black yukata that Aonobo and Shimizu Mio had prepared for him.

The reason I changed into a yukata is because today is the long-awaited sea harvest festival for Shimizu Mio.

In fact, Shimizu Asahi had heard the words "Sea Harvest Festival" a few days ago, but at that time he was concerned about Ali, so he did not ask the boatman for more information. It was not until last night that he understood what the Sea Harvest Festival was.

After learning more, he showed a rare hint of interest.

This is a celebration to worship Susanoo-no-Mikoto.

Susanoo-no-Mikoto is a very special deity. He is not only the god of the sea who rules over the endless ocean, but also the god of war who defeats evil and summons storms.

Among the many stories and legends about Him, the most famous is "Susanoo angrily slays the Yamata no Orochi".

It was this legend that established His status as the god of war.

People even prefer to call him 'God of War' rather than 'God of the Sea'.

In addition, He has an even more prestigious identity—the Third Noble Son!

Yes, He was the biological son of Izanagi, the father of all gods.

The Amaterasu-no-Mikoto who now governs Takamagahara and the Tsukiyo-no-Mikoto who governs the bright moon in the sky are His older sister and older brother.

Wherever it is, a ceremony to worship such a deity is bound to be a very lively affair.

It's not surprising that he would become somewhat interested.

After changing into his yukata, he walked out of the room and stood quietly in the hallway.

He was waiting for Shimizu Mio and Aonobo.

Wearing a yukata is not mandatory to attend a festival, but it allows one to quickly immerse themselves in the celebration.

To be honest, I'm a little looking forward to it; I'm sure my sister and Aonobo's yukatas will look really good.

He had seen Shimizu Mio in a yukata before, but good-looking people never get boring, no matter how long you look at them.

That is indeed the case.

Looking at the two girls in front of him, Shimizu Asahi widened his eyes slightly, a hint of amazement flashing in his dark pupils.