Chapter 52: The Conversation in the Abbot’s Quarters

“I don’t want to stay, do I?” Itomi Sayaka looked at Minamoto Kiyomoto, her voice as cold and sharp as shattered ice.

“Why are you so angry?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked with confusion.

Just as Itomi Sayaka was about to speak, a burst of laughter came from behind. Four girls walked over from the flower wall tunnel, laughing.

“Why am I angry? Don’t you know in your heart?” she changed her words.

“They’re just my sisters. You’re my girlfriend,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said with a smile.

“Wow!” Among the four girls, the one in the white T-shirt couldn’t help but shout, then immediately covered her mouth.

The girl in the red clothes hit the girl in the white clothes on the back.

The four girls giggled and walked around Minamoto Kiyomoto and the others.

“A shuraba, it’s a shuraba! Did you hear that?!”

“Handsome guys are really no good. One hundred percent scumbags, no exceptions.”

“Don’t you think those girls are all very beautiful?”

“We’re not you. We don’t like girls.”

“Beautiful girls, whether they’re boys or girls, everyone should like them!”

“No, no, no! Only you!”

Minamoto Kiyomoto and Itomi Sayaka didn’t say a word, waiting for the voices of the four to disappear.

“There are a lot of people here. It’s not a place to argue. Shall we go to the abbot’s quarters and sit down?” Minamoto Kiyomoto invited.

Itomi Sayaka thought for a moment and didn’t speak.

Hanyu Chika stood behind her on the left, her body tense, ready to fight.

“How did you know we were here?” Itomi Sayaka asked.

“We knew as soon as Miss Yanagi left Chiba,” Minamoto Kiyomoto didn’t intend to expose Yuka. “Sayaka, you’re too careless. After we get married, I must be the one to manage the money.”

Itomi Sayaka gave him a deep look and turned to walk back to the abbot’s quarters.

The five of them paid and entered a Zen courtyard.

The room was decorated with elegantly shaped flower arrangements. A female attendant in a kimono brought over lacquer bowls with exquisite fan-shaped maki-e, with tea and pastries.

Through the round window, one could see the water basin for washing hands.

The freshly picked hydrangeas were soaked in the water basin, a full basin, and the eyes were filled with the coolness of summer.

“What did you have for dinner last night?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked casually.

“Stewed sea urchin,” Itomi Sayaka replied.

“Stewed sea urchin? Sounds good. We had sliced raw shrimp and grilled sea bream head. I heard they were caught near Kamakura.”

The female attendant placed the plates, bowed to the five of them again at the wooden door, then closed the wooden door and retreated.

“What do you want to do? Are you here to kill me? Or for Michiko?” Itomi Sayaka immediately asked.

Kamibayashi Miko sipped her tea and looked at the scenery outside the round window.

Himemiya Izayoi found an armrest, rested her elbow on it, and lay down as if she were about to sleep, her feet resting on Minamoto Kiyomoto’s lap.

She fanned herself lightly, like the most beautiful painting of a court lady, except for the sunglasses on her head.

“Are you going to continue like this?” Minamoto Kiyomoto took Himemiya Izayoi’s leg, which was wearing a white cloth sock, and asked Itomi Sayaka.

“Rub it for me. I’m tired from walking this morning,” Himemiya Izayoi put her leg back up.

Minamoto Kiyomoto condensed a small hammer with his divine power and gently tapped it.

“Mmm~, comfortable~” her voice was charming.

Itomi Sayaka looked back and forth between the two of them and said with a sneer, “What else can I do?”

The officials did not give the anti-human cultivators any chance to repent—whether it was the “Ogosho,” the “Lord of Kyoto,” or the “Taiko,” it was all the same.

“In this Japan, besides the officials and Shintoism, there is a third force,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said.

“I’ve never heard of it,” Itomi Sayaka replied coldly.

“Of course you haven’t heard of it. I founded it a month ago.”

“…You?”

“Me.”

Itomi Sayaka sized up Minamoto Kiyomoto and confirmed that he was not joking.

“And the members?”

“Her, her, and me,” Minamoto Kiyomoto pointed to Kamibayashi Miko, Himemiya Izayoi, and himself in turn.

“The Divine Miko would also join an organization?” Itomi Sayaka didn’t believe it at all and said mockingly.

“That depends on what the organization does,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said, leisurely tapping his leg. “For example, you. Are you the kind of person from Shintoism? But as long as you can protect your family, you also became a member of Shintoism.”

“So, your force is to protect the world?”

“How should I put it—” Minamoto Kiyomoto tapped his leg with his right hand and held a green teacup with his left. “The Divine Miko’s purpose is that, but Izayoi and I are not protecting the world for the sake of protecting the world.”

Itomi Sayaka quietly waited for him to continue.

Hanyu Chika was always ready to make a move.

“I plan to protect the world to temper myself and see if I can completely change people and the world. And I probably can only do it this way.”

“You can only do it this way? The reason?” Itomi Sayaka took out a cigarette case, took one out, and lit it with a lighter.

She gradually calmed down.

As long as the other party had a request for her, then Itomi Yuki would be fine.

“If I don’t set this as my goal and only think about becoming a Kosen or something, I will become arrogant and conceited because things are going too smoothly. If you aim for the top, you get the middle. If you aim for the middle, you get the bottom. A person’s ambition must be great. Before I met Miss Kamibayashi, my dream was to marry ten wives, and each of them had to be more than thirty years younger than me.”

Itomi Sayaka was noncommittal.

Hanyu Chika looked at Minamoto Kiyomoto sideways, whether it was looking down on the high and mighty Kosen, or marrying ten wives.

Minamoto Kiyomoto took a sip of tea and continued:

“The reason Izayoi protects the world… this is a personal matter, so I won’t announce it.”

“The Divine Miko and the miko of Ise Shrine are very powerful, and you also have great potential. Even so, do you think you can do such a thing?”

“Of course not,” Minamoto Kiyomoto showed a smile. “That’s why we came to find you.”

“Even if I join, I can’t do it.”

“Sayaka, you’re a student at Juntendo University. You also understand the principle that ‘without accumulating small streams, one cannot form a river or sea. A swift horse cannot leap ten steps in one go; a slow horse can travel for ten days, and its success lies in its perseverance’,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said with full confidence.

Silence enveloped the Zen room.

Outside the round window, two birds flew up from the forest, as if they were sucked in and disappeared into the cloudless sky.

Itomi Sayaka was attracted by the sound and silently looked in the direction where the birds had disappeared, thinking about what Minamoto Kiyomoto had said.

When the birds were gone, she withdrew her gaze and looked at Minamoto Kiyomoto, “Okay.”

Hanyu Chika glanced at her, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she held it back.

“But I have two conditions,” Itomi Sayaka extinguished the cigarette she had only taken one puff of.

“Please speak,” Minamoto Kiyomoto nodded.

From beginning to end, he was very calm, as if he had already eaten her, which made Itomi Sayaka feel very uncomfortable.

But the reason she was uncomfortable was precisely because, in fact, he had indeed eaten her.

“First, the ninth group is the ninth group, and I am me. My joining does not mean they are joining.”

“Of course,” Minamoto Kiyomoto nodded again. “Our organization respects individual wishes.”

“In that case, why are you still forcing me to join?” Itomi Sayaka said mockingly.

“Our organization respects the individual wishes of its members,” Minamoto Kiyomoto perfected the organization’s rules on the spot.

Itomi Sayaka snorted coldly and said, “Second, that cultivator who killed my subordinate, I want his life.”

“…Sayaka,” Hanyu Chika looked at her side profile with emotion.

Kamibayashi Miko stopped drinking her tea, and Himemiya Izayoi also stopped fanning herself.

“What? No?” Itomi Sayaka raised her eyebrows slightly. This action suited her very well, both cool and beautiful.

“Hmm—” Minamoto Kiyomoto supported his right elbow with his left hand and rested his chin on his right hand. “I’m the one who killed him.”

“Boom!”

A fierce wind howled. The leaves of the entire Myoryu-in Temple fluttered, and the hydrangea petals flew, circling in the air like a nebula.

The first to use divine power was Hanyu Chika, but before she could make a move, she was suppressed by Kamibayashi Miko’s aura.

Then came Itomi Sayaka. She did not make a move, but only protected Hanyu Chika.

Finally, it was Himemiya Izayoi.

Under the aura of the two miko, even with Itomi Sayaka, Hanyu Chika was still in a raging storm, her body trembling.

The Divine Miko, the miko of Ise Shrine, and the leader of the ninth group of Shintoism, the auras of the three of them were released, and the air in the Zen room was almost frozen.

The overturned tea water floated in the air as if it had lost its gravity.

Minamoto Kiyomoto picked up the bowl, caught the water one by one, and placed it back in front of Hanyu Chika.

“Stop, Sayaka,” he said.

Itomi Sayaka’s sharp eyes swept back and forth between the three of them, but in the end, she slowly retracted her aura.

Kamibayashi Miko and Himemiya Izayoi also retracted their auras, their breaths peaceful, as if nothing had happened.

“The matter of joining the organization is off,” Itomi Sayaka supported Hanyu Chika.

Hanyu Chika felt the pores all over her body suddenly open, and she greedily sucked in the air.

“Your meaning,” Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at her, “is to choose death?”

This time, there was no release of aura, but the atmosphere was even more solemn. Hanyu Chika subconsciously lightened her breathing. Outside the window, the petals and leaves danced together.

“Are you planning to give up your sister for someone else?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked slowly. “Have you thought about how your sister will feel when she hears the news of your death? What will happen to her when she encounters a yokai in the future?”

“Is this how you protect the world?” Itomi Sayaka mocked angrily.

“Not even as good as our ninth group!” Hanyu Chika followed up with a curse.

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at Itomi Sayaka with cold eyes, showing a rare stern expression, and said:

“Fighting and killing every day, killing this and that, is it for the sake of killing, or for the goal in your heart—if you don’t consider the problem from this level, then you’re just so-so.”

“You also want to end this precarious life, and you don’t want to live like this, right? Otherwise, why do you smoke? And only three puffs? Isn’t it because of the pressure?”

“I know you feel guilty about your subordinate being killed, but when a person is between heaven and earth, every move is a curse. If you can’t make a choice, you will only be dragged into the abyss by the curse.”

“Now is the time to make a choice.”

“Is it for the persistence in your heart, to die here in vain, a worthless death, or to join us and let you, your friend, your sister, and your parents all live.”

Itomi Sayaka lowered her head, her palms beginning to sweat.

Minamoto Kiyomoto’s words were like a spider’s web, entangling her from all directions, making her unable to move.

After a long time, she slowly looked at Hanyu Chika, her expression full of guilt and pain.

Hanyu Chika, who had been gloomy since her brother’s death, now showed a smile.

“Sayaka,” she said with a smile, “you’ve done so much for us. Don’t forget the purpose of your risky cultivation. Protect your sister.”

Itomi Sayaka closed her eyes in pain and hugged her good friend tightly.

“I’m sorry, Chika, I’m sorry—”

“It’s okay, Sayaka. If it were me, I would also choose to live for my brother.”

Hanyu Chika gently patted her friend’s back. For the first time, she felt how slender her body was.

She had always looked at her from behind, always feeling that she could bear everything.

It was she who had brought her so much trouble, so much pain.

“It seems you’ve made your choice,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said.

Itomi Sayaka raised her face, turned to look at Minamoto Kiyomoto, and a lonely smile appeared on her face.

“What about this young lady?” Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at Hanyu Chika. “Do you want to join us? Of course, your strength is not enough, so you can only be an external member.”

Everyone looked at him, thinking that he was either crazy or teasing Hanyu Chika.

“Do you think it’s possible?” Hanyu Chika asked back coldly.

“Possible, why not,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said with a smile. “I’m with Miss Kamibayashi and Izayoi every day. You can’t kill me, but as long as you’re willing to join, I can give you a chance.”

“A chance?”

“At four in the afternoon, at the Great Buddha of Kamakura—”

Itomi Sayaka and Hanyu Chika’s faces changed. They didn’t expect him to know even this.

If Itomi Sayaka had not agreed just now, then the entire ninth group would have died in Kamakura today.

Itomi Sayaka, who had originally felt a little guilty, although she knew she was sorry to Hanyu Chika, still felt a wave of fear and relief in her heart.

With the lives of the other members of the ninth group as a bargaining chip, the balance in her heart completely tilted towards joining Minamoto Kiyomoto.

Minamoto Kiyomoto ignored the expressions of the two and continued to tap his leg as he said:

“…I didn’t expect to run into you here, so I’ll have to put on a show and pretend to fight. If this young lady agrees to join, I can give you a one-on-one chance with me.”

“I agree!” Hanyu Chika agreed without thinking.

“Chika!” Itomi Sayaka was worried about her friend.

It wasn’t that she was afraid that she was no match for Minamoto Kiyomoto, but that she didn’t believe that Kamibayashi Miko and the other two would really watch Minamoto Kiyomoto be killed.

“Are you sure you want to have a one-on-one with her?” she asked Minamoto Kiyomoto with a look full of suspicion.

She had come to understand Minamoto Kiyomoto’s despicableness and did not trust him at all.

The wind outside gradually stopped. A petal of a hydrangea flew in from the round window.

Minamoto Kiyomoto reached out and pinched it, saying with a smile:
“The way of curses, for every gain, there must be a loss. Since I want to obtain this young lady, I have naturally prepared to lose my life.”

Having received the guarantee, Hanyu Chika’s eyes were full of killing intent. She was just waiting for four in the afternoon to avenge her brother.

But Itomi Sayaka was even more worried.

Listening to Minamoto Kiyomoto’s words, he had obviously mastered the mysteries of curses. His strength was probably… even so, with only three months of cultivation, to want to defeat Chika, who had cultivated for the same amount of time as her, was simply a fool’s dream.

But wasn’t it also a fool’s dream that her identity was seen through and she was threatened as a Kosen?

“The main business is done. Everyone, relax. Don’t keep a straight face. The purpose of our organization is not to make everyone sad,” Minamoto Kiyomoto poured tea for the two of them with one hand.

Itomi Sayaka picked up her tea, glanced at the three of them, and drank the bowl of tea.

Hanyu Chika didn’t drink, her eyes staring at Minamoto Kiyomoto.

Minamoto Kiyomoto also ignored her and said to Itomi Sayaka:
“Thinking about it carefully, Miss Kamibayashi is the person I like, Izayoi is my best friend, and you are my girlfriend. Our conversation shouldn’t have been so serious in the first place.”

“…I really hate you.”

“It’s okay. There are already enough people who like me,” Minamoto Kiyomoto laughed. “You join us and are responsible for being an undercover agent in Shintoism. We will also help you gain greater power.”

“It’s mainly my sister!” Itomi Sayaka put down her teacup.

“Have you forgotten? I’ve already guaranteed that your sister is my sister.”

Itomi Sayaka suddenly remembered that at her mother’s birthday party, after Minamoto Kiyomoto saw Yanagi Michiko, he had said this.

She stared at Minamoto Kiyomoto for a while, then asked, “What’s our organization called?”

“Rokuro likes… cough, cough!”

A sharp pain came from the back of his head. Himemiya Izayoi kicked him in the back.

“Let’s call it Takamagahara,” Minamoto Kiyomoto stopped coughing. “From today on, the four of us will work together to completely change people and the world, and become the gods of Japan.”

“…You’re twenty, right? Why are you still so chuunibyou?” Itomi Sayaka asked with a sarcastic tone.

“…Please don’t say it out loud,” Minamoto Kiyomoto was not angry at all, as if they were friends teasing each other.

Itomi Sayaka felt that this person was very scary.

(End of Chapter)