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

"As expected, this battle won't end so easily..."

A breath of cold air escaped from between his lips and teeth, and the black-haired boy clenched his fist.

"What should we do? Kill them first, or save them first?"

The girl's voice echoed in my mind.

The people of Xingyuan were hunting A-Li like madmen. Unfamiliar with Xingyuan City, she didn't know how long she could hold out. The more time they wasted, the more dangerous A-Li's situation became. Yuan Shiyi was very strong; even with their combined strength, they couldn't kill him quickly. If they killed Yuan Shiyi first, A-Li would likely be captured by the people and shot on the spot.

Therefore, he should give up fighting with Minamoto no Saneyoshi.

Having gained the power of the Blue Maiden Chamber, Minamoto no Saneyoshi no longer had the right to stop him.

However, if he chooses to rescue people first, Minamoto no Shigeo will definitely come after him. At that time, they will have to do two things at the same time: protect Ari on one hand and fight against Minamoto no Shigeo on the other.

...No, what needs to be protected may not just be Ali.

That cold, ruthless gaze told Shimizu Asahi that Minamoto no Saneyoshi did not care about the lives of the common people. If he pursued them, their battle would affect all the people... Shimizu Asahi could not guarantee the safety of the people.

A dilemma has arisen, one that requires both action and compromise.

Saving A-Li first could very well mean the deaths of countless civilians; killing Minamoto no Saneyoshi first could very well mean A-Li's life.

"...Kill them first!"

Thoughts raced through his mind, and in just two or three seconds, Shimizu Asahi made his decision.

He made this decision not because sacrificing Ali was less costly than sacrificing the majority of the people. He was a greedy man, and he wanted both Ali's safety and the safety of the people.

What supported him in making this decision was his belief.

He believes in Ali!

He firmly believed that Ali could hold on until he arrived. At the same time, he also believed that he couldn't protect everyone.

Perhaps it is strange to entrust one's trust to a 'stranger' with whom one has never spoken a word, but his instincts tell him that she is trustworthy.

"Since you put it that way, let's kill someone first. But be careful."

Qingnvfang didn't say much. She trusted Qingshui Chaoyang's judgment, so she only offered a careful reminder.

"Ah, I know."

As the words fell, an ordinary-sized ice blade silently materialized. The black-haired boy gripped the hilt, swung it twice as habitually, and then looked ahead.

The spiritual energy storm had gradually subsided, and endless cracks were all around. Minamoto no Saneyoshi pulled out the blade from the ground, and his dark eyes returned to the scene.

Their eyes met in mid-air, sparks flying like lightning. No words were needed; the killing intent silently returned.

"You went first before, now it's my turn!"

The chilling words fell softly, and Minamoto no Saneyoshi instantly gripped the blade in his hand. He tensed his body, power and spiritual energy flowing through his entire being, his dark eyes remaining motionless!

Under his gaze, Shimizu Asahi took a step forward.

Then, it disappeared.

'!?'

His pupils widened involuntarily, and astonishment quietly surfaced. Minamoto no Saneyoshi instinctively began to search for the enemy.

But the next moment, a sharp blade carrying a chilling aura surged from behind, and an extreme sense of crisis enveloped his entire body—before his brain could react, he turned around and slashed out with the blade in his hand in an instant!

"Clang!!!"

In an instant, a clanging sound rang out.

The moment the weapons clashed, sparks flew, and with the help of these sparks, the opponent's figure came into view.

As if they could read each other's minds, they steadied themselves.

Then... he brandished the blade!

The suffocating battle begins anew...

......

Meanwhile, on the other side of Xingyuan City, countless people moved back and forth on the brightly lit streets.

"Have you found that witch?"

"No, I've searched everywhere... Could that witch have left this street?"

"Impossible! There are guards on both sides of the street. There's no way she could have escaped. She must still be hiding here! Search quickly! We must kill her!"

They searched and roared, like a pack of mindless wild beasts.

At this moment, in a small alley where the firelight could not reach, Ali withdrew her gaze.

She leaned gently against the dark wall, letting out a soft sigh of relief.

Fifteen minutes have passed since she was discovered. During this time, she has been constantly fleeing from the people, from the civilian areas to the market, and from the market to the neighborhood, traversing most of Xingyuan City.

In fact, when she left the dock, she could have easily hidden in the alley. If she had been careful, almost no one would have been able to find her.

However, she did not do so for the sake of the songstresses in the Liren Pavilion.

The people's goal was not only to kill her, but also to destroy the place where she grew up.

As a former courtesan, Ali knew that there were countless songstresses in the Liren Pavilion at this moment, and if the Liren Pavilion were burned down, all the songstresses inside would die as well.

This matter arose because of her, and the songstresses of Liren Pavilion were implicated because of her. Therefore, she did not want anyone in Liren Pavilion to die.

So she stepped forward.

"I hope they can escape successfully..."

Ali sighed softly.

However, compared to the songstresses in the Liren Pavilion, she herself had more to worry about.

As she continued to flee, fewer and fewer escape routes were available for her, and now, this one street was all she had left to hide in.

The people of Xingyuan have blocked all the way out, and she has nowhere to escape.

If she is discovered here, death will be the only thing waiting for her.

However, she was not afraid. Even when she was driven to the brink of death and could only wait to die, she was not afraid.

It wasn't that she wasn't afraid of death, but that she believed she wouldn't die.

She was convinced that he would come to save her.

Therefore, all she had to do was ensure her safety until he arrived.

P.S.: First update! Go for it!

Chapter 123, Section 126: You Are Already Dead

A terrifying storm swept through most of Xingyuan City.

The storm ravaged the sky and destroyed the earth, tearing countless houses apart and uprooting giant trees. The once prosperous and thriving city of Xingyuan was destroyed in an instant.

However, this terrible storm went unnoticed by others, and the people gathered elsewhere seemed oblivious, continuing their frenzied pursuit of Ali.

It's like an invisible wall separating the two places.

At this moment, in the center of the apocalyptic storm, two figures, one shrouded in black aura and the other in blue aura, crisscrossed each other like lightning.

They ignored the surrounding storm and kept brandishing their blades.

The clear, resonant sound was like an endless downpour, constantly echoing in our ears.

The black light and the icy blue light went back and forth.

The black, cold light had just been unleashed when the icy blue blade drew an arc once more.

Shimizu Asahi and Minamoto Saneyoshi engaged in a fierce battle of offense and defense!

The two sides remained deadlocked, exchanging positions. However, neither side retreated.

What came to mind was advancing and defeating the enemy!

We will not die, we will not retreat!

However, this was a fierce, evenly matched battle, a fight to the death where both sides would perish! Without external intervention, no one knew how long they could fight...!

Suddenly, an unexpected change occurred!

"Clang!!!"

The blades clashed once more.

But this time, it wasn't the crisp sound of a blade ringing out.

The icy blade sliced ​​through the steel blade—Shimizu Asahi broke the deadlock!

A hint of surprise flashed in his dark eyes, but the next moment, Minamoto no Saneyoshi gripped the blade tightly, gritted his teeth, and gathered his spiritual energy, ready to unleash it.

In a deadly battle of this caliber, breaking the stalemate means launching an attack, and an attack means openings. The more intense the attack, the more openings there are, and while you may hurt others, you may also hurt yourself.

If someone breaks the deadlock, it means that the time for a life-or-death farewell has come!

The intense, breathtaking battle did not distract them. In an instant, Minamoto no Saneyoshi adjusted his posture, assumed a fighting stance, and prepared to defend against Shimizu Asahi's attack.

However, the initiative had already been seized by Shimizu Asahi, and even if he defended in time, he could not stop the offensive.

The icy blade fell.

This strike was as fast as lightning, faster than any of Shimizu Asahi's previous strikes. But likewise, this strike was devoid of any technique; it emanated from within, a sheer force, an extreme and pure brute force!

Minamoto no Saneyoshi had time to consider the change in momentum. He instinctively raised his sword to clash with the other's, and the two blades collided once again under the influence of each other's will.

then.....

"boom!!!"

A deafening roar, like a muffled thunderclap, suddenly exploded!

The steel blade emitted a painful sound as it struggled under the strain, and Minamoto no Saneyoshi's expression changed in an instant.

Then, in the next moment...

"boom!!!"

The sound of flesh hitting the ground came instantly!