Chapter 27: Yokai, Second Time

On the first Saturday of May, the sky was a vast, cloudless blue, and the air was fresh and clear.

Minamoto Kiyomoto finished his cultivation, took a stroll through the vibrant vegetable garden, and climbed over the wall into the neighboring girl’s yard.

Coming down from the wall, his feet landed on fine sand that seemed to have been sifted. In the distance, Fire Fan, who was feeding the carp, looked at him with slight surprise.

“Good morning,” Minamoto Kiyomoto greeted. “Is Izayoi here?”

Fire Fan composed herself and replied softly, “Your Excellency Minamoto, the master is resting in the house.”

“Thank you,” Minamoto Kiyomoto walked towards the middle of the three houses.

Halfway there, he seemed to remember something, stopped, and turned to her, “Miss Fire Fan, your master allowed me to climb the wall.”

“Yes, I know,” Fire Fan said, trying to suppress a laugh.

“Really, I’m not lying to you.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Then why are you still laughing?”

Fire Fan raised the sleeve of her Tang-style robe, covering half of her face, her eyes overflowing with amusement.

“You just wait. I’m going to tell on you and have Izayoi punish you by making you fertilize my vegetable garden,” Minamoto Kiyomoto walked into the house indignantly.

On the horizontal beam at the edge of the entrance hall floor, three pairs of slippers were neatly placed.

Minamoto Kiyomoto changed his shoes and walked into the spacious living room.

It was more like a large Japanese-style room where a daimyo would receive his vassals than a living room.

The folding screens were magnificent, with white cranes and green pines painted on them. On the walls hung paintings of court ladies.

A beautiful woman in a loose red yukata, with her eyes closed, her left hand half-clenched into a fist supporting her head, and her right hand resting on her waist, was lying on a huanghuali wood couch, facing him.

Her long black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, her neck was slender and fair, her fingers were like spring onions, and her calves had beautiful curves.

This scene could mesmerize anyone, and Minamoto Kiyomoto was no exception.

The beautiful woman opened her eyes and looked at Minamoto Kiyomoto with sleepy eyes.

“What is it, Young Master Kiyoshi?” Himemiya Izayoi’s lazy voice was like a ripe peach in August, sounding rich and melodious.

“I missed you, big sister,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said with a smile.

“Lying as soon as you arrive. How can I believe you?” Himemiya Izayoi closed her eyes again, her voice fading as if she were about to fall asleep again.

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at the smooth strands of hair on her waist and couldn’t help but reach out his hand.

Himemiya Izayoi suddenly opened her eyes and saw him wrapping her hair around his finger.

For some reason, his serious and focused look melted into a warm current that flowed through her hair and into her heart, making her heart beat faster and at the same time feel an inexplicable warmth.

“Is it fun?” she asked.

“It’s fun.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked up and saw Himemiya Izayoi’s radiant smile. Her eyes seemed to have a soul-stealing magic that made one’s heart flutter.

The two of them looked at each other for a while.

The strands of hair on Minamoto Kiyomoto’s finger suddenly moved, wrapping around him like a rope and pulling him in front of the lying Himemiya Izayoi.

“Is it fun?” Himemiya Izayoi asked again with a smile.

“What curse is this?”

Minamoto Kiyomoto curiously looked at the hair that was binding him. His face suddenly felt itchy. He looked up and saw Himemiya Izayoi’s fair right hand, like a snake, gently caressing his cheek.

Their faces were very close.

Himemiya Izayoi’s gaze was hazy as she stared at him, as if water were about to drip from her eyes. Her enchanting little face slowly moved closer, as if she were about to kiss him.

Their slightly parted lips moved closer to each other. Minamoto Kiyomoto felt the warm breath from her mouth blow into his own, carrying the scent of cherry blossoms.

He couldn’t help but swallow, and a fire ignited in his heart.

Himemiya Izayoi’s hazy eyes glanced down, and she burst out laughing.

“You miss me that much?” her tone was leisurely, with a hint of amusement.

“Big sister Izayoi’s skin is like snow, her red clothes flutter, and her figure is graceful. How can you blame me? I’m not that kind of person.”

Himemiya Izayoi supported her head with one hand and lifted Minamoto Kiyomoto’s chin with the other, “I see you, your eyes are flickering, you look sneaky, you’re bold and lustful, a complete villain.”

The “y”-shaped collar of the red yukata was slightly open, revealing a little of her snow-white, full breasts. The contrast between the white and red was extremely alluring.

Minamoto Kiyomoto’s heart thumped wildly.

Himemiya Izayoi noticed his gaze and said in a coquettish voice, “You little pervert,” and甩 him away with her black hair.

“Tell me, what do you want with this miko?” she closed her collar with her hand.

Before Minamoto Kiyomoto could speak, the court ladies in the painting hanging on the wall suddenly came to life.

Two beautiful women in ancient costumes walked out. They were tall and slender, wearing Tang-style robes, with willow-like waists, and had an elegant beauty, as if they had walked out of a painting—indeed, they had walked out of a painting.

The two of them bowed to the lying Himemiya Izayoi and began to boil water for tea.

When they knelt, their buttocks were full and their curves were very alluring.

“Shall I have them accompany you tonight?” Himemiya Izayoi said with a smile to the staring Minamoto Kiyomoto.

“Just curious,” Minamoto Kiyomoto retracted his gaze. “I came to hear you tell a story, big sister. By the way, you can tell me what this painting is.”

“The one in the green Tang-style robe is called Chunlan, and the one in the white Tang-style robe is Donglan. Don’t get them mixed up at night.”

“…I’m devoted to Miss Kamibayashi.”

“Then what was that just now?” Himemiya Izayoi glanced at Minamoto Kiyomoto’s pants and asked with a smile.

“No matter who it is, when they see the curve from your jaw to your chest, they will become Pavlov’s dog.”

“Pavlov?”

“He did an experiment where he rang a bell every time he fed a dog. After a long time, the dog would salivate when it heard the bell.”

“Then I’ll think of one too. A bell? Clapping? Or a sentence? Which one do you like?” Himemiya Izayoi asked Minamoto Kiyomoto himself.

“I’m not a dog.”

“If you ‘woof’ twice, this miko will satisfy you,” Himemiya Izayoi pinched her collar with her fingers.

“I don’t believe you. You’re definitely lying to me.”

“Hahaha, you’re worried I’m lying to you, not hesitating whether to act like a dog or not. That’s hilarious,” Himemiya Izayoi laughed so hard that her branches trembled.

She laughed for a while, then wiped her tears with her fingers and looked up, seeing Minamoto Kiyomoto looking at her with a smile on his face.

His handsome cheeks and charming, pure black eyes were unblinking, making one flustered.

“Alright, alright,” she waved her hand and sat up leisurely. Her waist was so slender that one wanted to wrap their arms around it tightly.

Chunlan and Donglan, holding tea trays, knelt beside the two of them.

“You’re enjoying yourself too much,” Minamoto Kiyomoto sighed. “Coming out to catch a criminal, you’re living it like a vacation. No, like a daimyo going to his fief.”

“When you become the Divine Lord of Honshu, I will report to the Lord of Kyoto. It’s not difficult to become a daimyo,” Himemiya Izayoi took a small sip of tea.

“First the Divine Lord of Honshu, then a daimyo. Big sister Izayoi, are you the illegitimate daughter of the Lord of Kyoto?”

“I’m his biological daughter,” Himemiya Izayoi showed a playful smile that was hard to tell if it was true or false.

“Whether you’re an illegitimate daughter or a biological daughter, I’m not interested in these things,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said. “I just want to hear anecdotes from the cultivation world, or some legends about divine weapons.”

“You don’t want to hear the biggest secret in the world, but you want to hear these useless stories. Useless.”

“Even if I wanted to hear it, you wouldn’t tell me, right?”

“Of course, I can’t tell you,” after saying this childishly, Himemiya Izayoi teased with a smile, “unless you agree to go back to Kyoto with me.”

“Why do you always want me to go back to Kyoto with you?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked curiously.

“Your talent. Besides that, what else is there for me to care about? Do you think I’m after your handsome looks? Or the mountain of debt you owe?”

“Actually, I’m quite willing to go back to Kyoto with you, but I promised Miss Kamibayashi that I would always be with her until she dies in battle.”

“I’ve seen you die a hundred times, and she’s still not dead,” Himemiya Izayoi said in annoyance. “Chunlan.”

“Master,” Chunlan placed her hands on the ground and kowtowed.

“Change my clothes.”

“Yes.”

“Why go to so much trouble?” Minamoto Kiyomoto said strangely. “Do we still care if we’re in our pajamas?”

“Go, go, who’s ‘we’ with you? Go find your Miss Kamibayashi,” Himemiya Izayoi said with a laugh and a curse, then explained, “Didn’t you want to hear a story? You can accompany me to find Yagyu Mitsuko. As we look, I’ll tell you.”

“Good idea,” Minamoto Kiyomoto nodded and drank a sip of tea.

Himemiya Izayoi glanced at him and said to Donglan, “Donglan, throw this shameless fellow out.”

“It’s just changing clothes. Do you think I want to see? I want to drink tea, really,” Minamoto Kiyomoto stood up and went out by himself.

In the courtyard, a woman in a Tang-style robe stood among the flowers, bathed in the May sunlight.

“Your Excellency Minamoto,” Fire Fan bowed.

“Just call me Minamoto,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said. “Izayoi has already agreed. Remember to water my vegetable garden in the future. Be gentle when you water. The seeds have just sprouted. If you don’t understand anything, remember to ask me.”

Fire Fan smiled gently.

“You don’t believe me?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked.

“Shut up,” the tone was stern.

“…I’m sorry.”

Fire Fan lowered her head shyly, “It was the master who asked me to inform Your Excellency Minamoto just now.”

“Terrifying, too terrifying,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said to himself, thinking that if he were to be seduced by Himemiya Izayoi in the future and the two of them got together, the maids around him would all be her spies.

As the wind blew, he also thought that if he had a shikigami in the future, and it happened to be a female, what would he do when the other party was taking a bath?
Wait.

Did other cultivators with female shikigami live a debauched and absurd life?
No, absolutely not.

Minamoto Kiyomoto made up his mind. The day he became the strongest would be the day he would rectify the chaos and eliminate the bad customs.

Such a great decision, everyone would surely support him.

Himemiya Izayoi changed into casual clothes, a delicately tailored white shirt for women, and a pair of slim-fit jeans that outlined the slender curves of her legs.

The two of them walked side by side on the sando down the mountain, breathing in the pouring sunlight. The sound of birds chirping came from the forest.

“Is there a specific direction to look for someone?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked.

“No,” Himemiya Izayoi’s tone was as leisurely as this May.

“What about a photo?”

“How could I possibly have a photo of anyone other than myself?”

“You don’t know anything. Then we have a lot to look for.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Himemiya Izayoi didn’t care at all. “Looking at the sunlight, smelling the green grass, eating all kinds of things, and listening to the sound of the rain on a rainy day, it’s very interesting.”

“No time limit?”

“No.”

“Eating and drinking on public funds?”

“That’s right,” Himemiya Izayoi turned her head and said to Minamoto Kiyomoto with a smile. “What do you want to eat today? My treat.”

“The most expensive.”

“Useless. Real rich people don’t eat the most expensive things, only what they want to eat.”

“I want to eat the most expensive,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said.

“You should say: rich people eat what they want to eat, and I’m not a rich person.”

“You’re too likable.”

“I think so too,” Himemiya Izayoi nodded with a pleasant expression.

Minamoto Kiyomoto sighed and suggested, “How about we look along the path I usually walk today? Anyway, we’re just trying our luck.”

Before Himemiya Izayoi could speak, a ripple appeared in the red torii gate in front of them, and Kamibayashi Miko returned from outside.

“Where did you go alone?” Minamoto Kiyomoto immediately asked.

Kamibayashi Miko looked at him, then at Himemiya Izayoi beside him.

Himemiya Izayoi hooked her arm around Minamoto Kiyomoto’s, “We’re going on a date.”

“No,” Kamibayashi Miko said.

“Hmm?” Minamoto Kiyomoto raised an eyebrow, feeling that he had a chance.

“Hmm?” Himemiya Izayoi raised an eyebrow, feeling that something was wrong.

“A yokai has appeared.”

◇

“NHK Report: Mount Hakone is gradually expanding.”

“Meteorological Agency Warning: Mount Hakone, located in Kanagawa Prefecture, has been experiencing frequent volcanic earthquakes since the 5th. On the 5th alone, 45 earthquakes were observed.”

“The Kanagawa Prefectural Government has decided that in view of the frequent volcanic activity since the 5th, the volcanic eruption warning level will be raised to 2, and traffic control will be implemented around Hakone. Nearby residents should take precautions against large flying rocks from a volcanic eruption.”

“The 5th? It’s already May 7th today,” Minamoto Kiyomoto put down the newspaper.

“A yokai is the materialization of a huge amount of divine breath. It takes a long time to gather so much divine breath, and then anomalies will gradually occur. For example, Konohanasakuya-hime, after a long period of accumulation, the cherry blossoms will bloom, and she will only appear on the day of full bloom,” Himemiya Izayoi explained.

“I see,” he nodded.

“According to the intelligence from the Onmyo Bureau,” Kamibayashi Miko said, “this yokai in Hakone will appear at the end of May at the latest, and on the 15th at the earliest. We have to set off today to meet up with the other cultivators in Hakone.”

“This time is different from last time. We have to face the yokai’s main body,” Himemiya Izayoi looked at the two of them. “We could die.”

Kamibayashi Miko said nothing. She had already made up her mind, and had even found Minamoto Kiyomoto, an ordinary person, to be her teammate, planning to die together.

“I sometimes think,” Minamoto Kiyomoto’s tone was calm, “for us, is one or two years a lifetime?”

“Scared?” Himemiya Izayoi asked with a smile.

“Scared,” Minamoto Kiyomoto nodded. “Even if I’m scared, I have to go. For Miss Kamibayashi, for Mansaku, and his wife and daughter, and even more for myself.”

Facing difficulties did not necessarily lead to success, but it would definitely accumulate experience and make one grow more or less.

“How are we going?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked.

“We don’t need to drive an RV to subjugate a yokai,” Kamibayashi Miko said. “In order to get the newcomers to Hakone safely and quickly, the Odakyu Romancecar has been requisitioned by the government. We’ll change our clothes and go directly to Shinjuku to take the train in stealth.”

The three of them temporarily disbanded. Minamoto Kiyomoto returned to his mountain cabin.

A white kimono, a black haori, and Polaris tucked into his waist.

Because he was not yet used to wearing a kimono, he was the last to arrive at the torii gate. Kamibayashi Miko and Himemiya Izayoi were already waiting there.

He looked at the two of them from the mountain, his hand on the hilt of his sword, and slowly walked forward.

In the vast, cloudless blue sky, the black shadow of a crow flashed past, suddenly breaking the clear sky.

(End of Chapter)