Chapter 99: Entering the City

“Has this happened before?”

“Every yokai is unique.”

“What about similar phenomena?”

“Let me think—it happened in the Tsugaru Strait. A huge whale, and the water vapor it spewed, formed a world made of mist.”

“A world of mist?” Minamoto Kiyomoto turned around and pulled the three of them up one by one.

Finally climbing up the mountain, the four of them let out a long sigh of relief and looked in all directions from the top of the mountain.

The world suddenly rushed into their eyes. The majestic snowy mountains, the winding small river, the steep mountain ranges, the vast sea, and the cornfield like a sea, blowing green waves under the action of the wind.

At the end of a road extending from the sea, there was a city located on the sea.

Tall city walls, and inside the walls were countless Western-style houses with red roofs and white walls.

In the center of these houses, there was a small hill with a huge palace complex scattered on it.

Seagulls rose and fell from time to time, fishermen were fishing by the sea, and a large group of cavalry was walking on the marble long corridor connecting the castle and the mainland.

Minamoto Kiyomoto squinted his eyes, and a trace of red light flashed in his originally black pupils.

At the end of his line of sight, the originally blurry scene became clear—in the cavalry team, many female cultivators were being escorted.

He relayed the situation to the other three one by one, and finally said, “The key to unlocking the secret should be in that city.”

“That princess probably knows some news,” Kamibayashi Miko pondered.

“There should still be cultivators hiding somewhere. This place is not big. Should we find them first?” the Hokkaido miko asked the three of them.

“Yes, and observe the situation at the same time. Now that we have no divine power, it’s too dangerous to enter the city rashly,” the cavalry disappeared at the city gate, and Minamoto Kiyomoto withdrew his gaze.

“Young Master Kiyoshi, I want to drink water,” Himemiya Izayoi sat on a rock, took out the fan from her waist, and fanned herself.

Without divine power, having just climbed the mountain, and it being September, her kimono was too “warm.”

“Let’s go find some water. I don’t know if the water quality is clean,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said.

Himemiya Izayoi stretched out her hand and said in a charming and commanding tone, “Pull me up.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto held her small hand, and with a slight pull, Himemiya Izayoi not only stood up, but also fell into his arms.

“…Sister, now is not the time for jokes,” he helped her up.

“Who’s joking? I’m so hot I have no strength. This kimono is killing me,” Himemiya Izayoi pulled her collar to the sides, turning the kimono into an off-the-shoulder dress.

Her delicate collarbones, snow-white shoulders, and alluring curves made people want to get closer and smell, and taste.

Minamoto Kiyomoto swallowed and looked into the distance, “I’m also a little thirsty. Let’s go.”

“You should be lustful, hungry, not thirsty,” the Hokkaido miko corrected.

In Himemiya Izayoi’s laughter and Kamibayashi Miko’s gaze, Minamoto Kiyomoto looked directly at the Hokkaido miko.

The white-haired girl hadn’t realized that she had said something wrong yet and looked back at him with a puzzled expression.

“Your Excellency Rokka, in the real world, it’s fine, but at this time and place, I advise you to be careful with your words. Don’t force me to dig a hole and bury you in it,” Minamoto Kiyomoto was a vengeful person. This was beyond doubt.

The Hokkaido miko looked at the other two.

“He’s the only man. It’s very dangerous. Why don’t we join forces and subdue him first?” she suggested seriously.

Minamoto Kiyomoto: “…”

“Okay, watch me!” Himemiya Izayoi was the first to make a move.

She jumped on Minamoto Kiyomoto’s back and wrapped her arms around his neck, “Young Master Kiyoshi, you’ve been subdued by me. Now I order you to take me to find water.”

“If you want me to carry you, just say so,” Minamoto Kiyomoto didn’t push her down.

Letting her walk in such a gorgeous kimono in the wild would only slow down the overall speed of action. This had been proven from just now when they came out of the cornfield and climbed the mountain.

Minamoto Kiyomoto held her legs and said to Kamibayashi Miko, “Let’s go,” and walked along the mountain ridge towards the northeast.

“You’re in contact with another woman in front of me. Have you given up on yourself?” Kamibayashi Miko followed him and glanced at the two who were stacked together.

“If you’re willing to let me carry you, I’ll throw her down immediately,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said without a care.

“Do you want to come up?” Himemiya Izayoi asked Kamibayashi Miko with a grin.

“No need.”

“Then I won’t be polite. Don’t say I didn’t let you,” Himemiya Izayoi pressed her face against Minamoto Kiyomoto’s back.

“Don’t you really consider my proposal?” the Hokkaido miko walked at the very back. “Master told me since I was a child that men are tigers. They usually look lazy, but at critical moments, they will press us down and bite our necks.”

“Don’t worry. He still knows what he should and shouldn’t do,” Himemiya Izayoi said.

“That’s right,” Minamoto Kiyomoto also said. “Even if I do something, it will be to Miss Kamibayashi. What are you worried about?”

The most dangerous Miss Kamibayashi suddenly asked curiously, “If you roll down the mountain, will you die?”

“I will, I definitely will!”

“That’s good,” Kamibayashi Miko put on a posture of preparing to move her feet.

“So you want to kill me? Didn’t you say that men are tigers!” Minamoto Kiyomoto raised his leg and ran, walking on the overgrown mountain ridge as if it were flat ground.

“Slow down, slow down! Brother, slow down~” Himemiya Izayoi on his back held him tightly, her body pressed against him, and she let out a series of silver-bell-like laughter.

Whether it was the wind blowing in his face, the pleasure of standing on a high place, or the charming touch on his back, it all made Minamoto Kiyomoto continue to run.

Kamibayashi Miko and the Hokkaido miko walked side by side behind.

The two of them were wearing miko outfits. Kamibayashi Miko’s was red and white, embroidered with magnolias. Rokka’s miko outfit was pure white, with snowflakes on it.

“Don’t worry,” Kamibayashi Miko said to her. “The more he is in a strong position, the less likely he is to do anything out of line.”

“Didn’t he sneak into your room last night?” the Hokkaido miko asked.

Kamibayashi Miko turned her head and glanced at her, “How did you know?”

“When he entered your room, I was standing behind him. He didn’t notice.”

“I know him. Don’t worry.”

“If he bites your neck, after we get out, I’ll tell the Ogosho for you.”

“…Thank you,” Kamibayashi Miko quickened her pace, intending to catch up with Minamoto Kiyomoto.

As they were going down the mountain, Minamoto Kiyomoto heard the sound of flowing water.

It was a shallow stream. The water was clear to the bottom, and many wild vegetables grew by the water.

Before the four of them arrived, a fox was drinking water. It probably wasn’t poisonous.

Himemiya Izayoi washed her hands and face first, then cupped a handful and sipped it.

Kamibayashi Miko and the Hokkaido miko were also drinking water.

The sunlight passed through the dense leaves and shone sparsely on them. Their wet faces had a thin layer of light, like holy spirits in the mountains.

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at Kamibayashi Miko and couldn’t take his eyes off her for a moment.

“Whoosh!”, Himemiya Izayoi splashed water on his face.

“Hey, now is not the time to play,” Minamoto Kiyomoto wiped off the water stains.

“It’s not the time to be in a daze either,” Himemiya Izayoi sat on a rock, took off her shoes and cloth socks, and put her fair and tender feet in the stream.

“Don’t just stand there. Go find something to eat,” she ordered.

“Yes, yes, Your Majesty,” Minamoto Kiyomoto stood up and instructed, “You guys be careful. If anything happens, call me. I won’t go too far.”

“Wait, I’ll go with you,” Kamibayashi Miko wiped her hands with a handkerchief.

“Okay.”

The two of them walked into the jungle. The wind blew, and the leaves rustled. A scary whisper came from the depths of the forest.

“Tired?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked.

“It’s okay,” Kamibayashi Miko replied.

“Your clothes are all dirty,” Minamoto Kiyomoto glanced at her miko outfit, drew his thin sword, and cut down the branches and ferns that were blocking the way.

“Just treat it as a picnic,” Kamibayashi Miko smiled slightly.

“So relaxed? Do you know the secret of this world?”

Kamibayashi Miko shook her head slightly and said, “Although I don’t know, I have confidence in you.”

“It’s a happy thing to be trusted by you, but I can only guarantee that I will do my best. I’m not sure about the result. I don’t know where the remains of the yokai fell.”

As soon as his voice fell, Minamoto Kiyomoto cut a branch with his sword and sharpened one end of the branch.

“Found it?” Kamibayashi Miko asked.

Minamoto Kiyomoto smiled at her, “My good friend, Brother Wild Boar.”

Remembering that Minamoto Kiyomoto had been spied on by a wild boar while taking a bath, and had carried the pork on his back in the morning, sitting on the eaves, Kamibayashi Miko also laughed.

Her smile was crystal clear, making one’s heart flutter.

Kamibayashi Miko gathered her smile and glared at Minamoto Kiyomoto, who was staring at her and had forgotten to sharpen the branch.

“Miss Kamibayashi,” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked in his best low voice, “are you satisfied with my choice?”

Kamibayashi Miko knew that he was talking about him turning back into a human in that unknown space and choosing to be with her when he didn’t know the outcome.

She shook her head.

Minamoto Kiyomoto couldn’t figure out what she meant, but she had already said her five sentences. He said unwillingly, “I’ll ask you again in ten minutes.”

After walking for a while, Kamibayashi Miko still hadn’t seen anything, but he threw the branch in his hand.

In the bushes, the wail of a wild boar was heard.

Minamoto Kiyomoto didn’t want to get his only clothes dirty, so he used a vine to drag the wild boar’s body. On the way, he also found a nest of bird eggs. It was very lucky.

When they were almost back at the stream, he asked Kamibayashi Miko, “Are you satisfied?”

“There’s meat, there are eggs, and there are wild vegetables by the stream. Although there’s no seasoning—”

“Who asked you that! Don’t be naughty!”

Kamibayashi Miko couldn’t help but smile. She didn’t answer and took the bird eggs to the stream.

Minamoto Kiyomoto also laughed, but he still chased after her and continued to ask, “Are you satisfied or not?”

“Not satisfied.”

“Nonsense, you’re definitely satisfied, and even moved, and want to be with me.”

“I answered, but you don’t believe me. Why do you still ask me?”

“People only want to hear what they want to hear. Just satisfy me.”

“Go find your little Yoko. She’ll definitely satisfy you,” Kamibayashi Miko said cheerfully.

“Hmph, stingy,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said like a child.

Returning to the stream, the Hokkaido miko looked at Kamibayashi Miko with some surprise. The white-haired girl said, “You’re still alive.”

“My soul is already dead,” Kamibayashi Miko replied.

“You seem to be in a good mood,” Himemiya Izayoi, who was sitting on a rock by the stream, said with a grin.

“…She’s in a good mood. Why are you staring at me?” Minamoto Kiyomoto avoided the “Lord of Kyoto’s” scrutinizing gaze and began to dig a pit to make a fire.

Himemiya Izayoi’s feet kicked the stream water, and the splashes went nowhere but to Minamoto Kiyomoto’s face.

“Strictly speaking, this is foot-washing water,” Minamoto Kiyomoto reminded her.

“I’ve touched your pee. Now you’re disgusted with my foot-washing water?” Himemiya Izayoi’s eyebrows stood on end. Her angry look was also charming, but her words were very vulgar.

“Are you my mother? You’ve touched my pee!”

“It all comes from there. What’s the difference between it and pee?” Himemiya Izayoi glanced at Minamoto Kiyomoto’s lower body with disdain, disgusted with his fuss.

“…”

“The living habits of the people of Kansai are so scary,” the Hokkaido miko said to Kamibayashi Miko, who was washing the bird eggs.

“Yes, it’s really scary,” Kamibayashi Miko nodded.

After lunch, the group sat under a beech tree and changed their minds about looking for people.

“There are too many people. It’s not convenient to move,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said.

“We were found as soon as we landed. Most of the people should have been caught. The few who are left must be hiding well,” Kamibayashi Miko echoed.

“Instead of looking for people all over the mountains, it’s better to go into the city and save people,” this was Himemiya Izayoi’s reason.

“The food was too bad,” the Hokkaido miko told the truth.

It seemed that there was a reason why she was buried in the snow when she was a child. She was too pure, so white that it was dazzling.

“Now the problem is, how do we get in,” Kamibayashi Miko pondered. “The city gate is not an option. Swimming?”

“It’s not that troublesome,” Himemiya Izayoi said.

“You have a way?” the three of them looked at her.

Himemiya Izayoi smiled at Minamoto Kiyomoto, “From now on, we are your captives.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto’s eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands, “As expected of Izayoi, so cunning!”

◇

“You! Take off your mask!”

“Harlen, it’s me, Andrew. Didn’t I explain the mask to you? It’s to avoid being scratched by the corn leaves—”

“I don’t care who it is. Everyone take off your masks, and the ones behind, all show your faces!”

At the city gate, the soldiers holding long spears checked the commoners entering the city one by one. They didn’t even spare the goods, and at the same time, they pierced them with three spears.

After confirming that there was nothing unusual, the guards’ expressions relaxed.

The person named Andrew took the opportunity to ask, “Harlen, what’s going on? Why has it become so strict again recently?”

Harlen and Andrew were friends who had grown up together. Without official business, they chatted for a while.

“The wizard has sensed that another group of defective products has entered the holy land. We must prevent them from mixing into the city.”

“I’ve seen those women. They’re no different from us.”

“What do you know!” After a loud reprimand, Harlen immediately warned in a low voice, “Don’t talk nonsense!”

Andrew quickly nodded, drove the horse-drawn carriage full of fresh corn, and prepared to enter the city.

At this moment, a burst of exclamation came from behind.

Loving to join in the fun, he subconsciously looked back.

The crowd parted, and a princess knight came, escorting three defective women.

Seeing the three defective products, Andrew’s mouth opened wide, and his eyes widened.

When the princess was on parade, he had seen the princess’s appearance from the window of the gorgeous carriage. He thought that she was already the most beautiful person in the world. The three women in front of him were actually as beautiful as the princess.

The ones who came were naturally Minamoto Kiyomoto and the three miko.

Minamoto Kiyomoto had changed into the armor of the person named Cooper.

Although Cooper was a woman, her figure was similar to a man’s. In addition, she had exercised, so her armor fit the slender Minamoto Kiyomoto perfectly.

The four of them walked through the queuing commoners and came to the city gate.

“Lord Knight!” the guards quickly saluted.

“Yes,” Minamoto Kiyomoto replied and continued to walk forward.

“Lord…” Harlen hesitated. “The wizard has issued a new order. Everyone who enters the city must have their appearance checked.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto stopped and said coldly, “Do you think that a defective product from the general time and space can impersonate me?”

Although he didn’t know the specific meaning of the red rose on the armor, he also knew that it was not simple. His status was definitely above that of an ordinary knight.

Harlen swallowed nervously.

“Forget it,” Minamoto Kiyomoto walked in front of him and lifted his mask.

Then, without waiting for him to react, he put the mask back on and entered the city with the three miko.

Seeing that Harlen did not stop them, the other guards naturally would not be so stupid as to ask for another inspection of the noble princess knight.

“So scary, so scary…”

“What’s wrong?” the guards asked the muttering Harlen.

“Lord Knight’s… red eyes are so scary…” saying this, Harlen’s legs went weak, and he actually fell to the ground.

“Hey! Are you okay?”

“Hahaha! Why is this kid so useless?”

“As expected of Lord Knight, to actually scare the usually brave Harlen like this!”

The three miko with unparalleled beauty entered the city.

The residents chatting on the roadside couldn’t hear what the other person was saying; the merchants selling vegetables maintained the posture of handing over vegetables; the children eating bread on the roadside had their favorite bread in their mouths but forgot to bite down.

Kamibayashi Miko was calm and elegant, the Hokkaido miko’s white hair flew, and Himemiya Izayoi was dressed in gorgeous clothes. Her enchanting and innocent eyes curiously sized up everything around her.

Behind the three of them, a pair of eyes under Minamoto Kiyomoto’s mask coldly scanned the four directions.

(End of Chapter)