Chapter 118: Before the Typhoon Arrives

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Just before they were about to part, Minamoto Kiyomoto brought up the matter of the Eight Gods of Thunder.

“I’m just missing ‘Black Thunder’ and ‘Earth Thunder’ now. Is there any way to get them?” he asked.

Itomi Sayaka had no knowledge of this, and had never even seen any of the group leaders use them.

“If only one person knows, it would have to be Sara Sanae of Group One,” she said with a teasing expression. “If you sacrifice your body a little, maybe she’ll give them to you.”

“There’s no need for that,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said with a laugh. “After this incident, if a few of the Shinto sect’s group leaders don’t die, the wrath of the Lord of Kyoto will definitely not cease. At that time, I’ll have plenty of ways to deal with her.”

In the ‘Laurel Crown’, there were countless methods of torture.

Minamoto Kiyomoto was probably a good person, but he was by no means soft on his enemies. He could even be more vicious than the wicked.

However, most of the time, he couldn’t be bothered to argue with people—this had little to do with whether he had a good temper or not.

“Are you going to wipe out the Shinto sect? Will I be okay? I’m under Lord Tsukushi-no-Kimi, after all,” Itomi Sayaka joked.

Minamoto Kiyomoto put his hands behind his back, striking a pose. “That depends on whether you’re willing to sacrifice your body a little.”

Itomi Sayaka burst out laughing.

“I said we sisters would follow you, but you weren’t willing. Now you’re putting on an act, pretending to be a fake lecher. Don’t you think it’s funny?”

Minamoto Kiyomoto chuckled along, then, in a voice as gentle as the wind, said:

“When I’ve finished everything, you can go back to Chiba, back to your parents. Whether you inherit the hospital or just wander around all day, you can make up for the time you’ve lost these past few years.”

Itomi Sayaka fell silent.

From the time she left Chiba and entered university, she had trained day and night. With the help of the previous generation’s Group Nine leader, she had become a Kasen in just a few years.

Perhaps many people, including Hanyu Chika, thought she was quite content and had no complaints about this life.

She thought only she knew how much she wanted to stay in Chiba.

During the day, she would follow her father at the hospital, treating patients. At night, she would return home and chat with her mother. On ordinary days, she would endlessly tease her younger sister.

For this, she would unhesitatingly give up the Kasen-level divine power that everyone envied.

But without this divine power, her parents and sister could die at the hands of a yokai at any time.

She would rather sacrifice herself to let the three of them live happily ever after—this was her wish.

However, she was also her parents’ daughter, only in her twenties, with many things she wanted to do at this age.

She didn’t want to spend her days sitting cross-legged, bit by bit, absorbing the cold divine energy into her body and warming it with her own body heat.

Now, her most secret thoughts had been seen through by Minamoto Kiyomoto. Listening to his soft whispers, she felt as if she were drinking a hot cup of coffee on a cold winter day.

It didn’t matter if the coffee was good or bad, hand-ground or instant. Just holding the cup, the feeling of the warm steam on her face, was already very comforting.

“A guy who can’t even afford 300 yen is going to solve everything? You should take care of yourself first,” Itomi Sayaka scoffed.

But this time, her scoffing voice was much softer, like a gentle reminder.

“Solving your problems is much easier than getting me out of poverty,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said with a laugh.

It wasn’t about the loan.

The money between him and Kamibayashi Miko represented something between them that couldn’t be expressed in words.

If the day ever came when the loan was truly paid off, then everything would really be over.

◇

Leaving Nanzen-ji, Minamoto Kiyomoto slowly returned to the hotel and, as usual, went straight into Kamibayashi Miko’s room.

“Miss Kamibayashi…”

“I already know.” It seemed she had been watching the live broadcast.

Minamoto Kiyomoto walked over, sat down opposite her, and picked up a pastry placed on a maple leaf.

“Any thoughts?” he asked, taking a bite of the pastry. A sweetness instantly filled his mouth.

“These are minor matters. Just do as you said,” Kamibayashi Miko was only responsible for exorcising yokai and had little interest in other things.

“Then I’ll have to trouble you to temporarily play the role of the wind god, Shinatsuhiko-no-Mikoto, after Itomi Yuki arrives in Kyoto. I’m going to the palace now to inform Izayoi about this and have her remind the ‘Lord of Kyoto’,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said.

Kamibayashi Miko nodded.

Though he said he was going to the palace, Minamoto Kiyomoto poured himself another cup of tea.

Only after finishing the pastry and drinking the tea did he leave the hotel and head for the Imperial Palace.

Led by a court lady, he bypassed the majestic Shishin-den hall. The Seiryo-den hall was still cool and empty.

“Minamoto Kiyomoto pays his respects to Your Majesty,” Minamoto Kiyomoto bowed towards the curtains.

“What business does the Lord of Tsukushi have in the palace?” The calm and majestic voice of the “Lord of Kyoto” came from behind the curtains.

“It has been a long time since I’ve seen Your Majesty, so I came to pay my respects.” To the court lady’s astonishment, Minamoto Kiyomoto stood up straight and quietly walked towards the curtains.

“I am in good health. The Lord of Tsukushi is very thoughtful.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto lifted one layer of curtains after another, as if passing through a tunnel to a dream.

The court lady lowered her head. Although she didn’t know the extent of Her Majesty’s cultivation, it was impossible for her not to know whether the person below was kneeling or standing.

This meant that the “Lord of Kyoto” was allowing this man to approach her?!

The court lady’s heart pounded wildly, a mix of excitement and fear, as if her chest was about to explode.

Behind the curtains was Himegami Izayoi, dressed in a bright yellow court dress, her hair piled high in an elaborate bun, looking gorgeous and beautifully attired.

Her features were stunning, her temperament noble, her grace unmatched.

The originally majestic Himegami Izayoi, upon seeing Minamoto Kiyomoto, smiled and said, “Who allowed you to enter?” and immediately became delicate and precious.

“I came to see you. If I don’t see you, how can it be called seeing you?” A smile involuntarily appeared on Minamoto Kiyomoto’s face as he drew closer and closer.

“Insolent!” Himegami Izayoi chided playfully, a smile in her eyes. “Still not kneeling?”

“Kneel, I’ll kneel right now,” Minamoto Kiyomoto knelt on the tatami mat.

He got on all fours and, like a fox approaching a little rabbit, crawled towards Himegami Izayoi with ill intentions.

“What are you trying to do?” Himegami Izayoi’s face was stern, but her eyes held a seductive smile.

“Nothing. What can I do?” As he spoke, Minamoto Kiyomoto pounced.

“Ah!” The seated Himegami Izayoi leaned back slightly, blocking him from pressing down on her.

“Didn’t you say you weren’t going to do anything? Stop licking randomly, are you a puppy?” she scolded with a laugh as she fended him off.

“Your Majesty, don’t move,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said, moving her hands away and kissing her repeatedly. “I am a professional doctor, I’m examining your body.”

“Who examines with their mouth? It tickles~”

That delicate cry, like a feather, floated into Minamoto Kiyomoto’s heart, tickling him.

He impulsively and forcefully pulled Himegami Izayoi into his arms, his lips pressing against hers.

Himegami Izayoi obediently accepted, and the two kissed passionately.

Without realizing it, she was lying down, her magnificent court dress spread out on the tatami mat like the most noble of butterflies.

After a long while, they finally stopped. Himegami Izayoi pressed her hand against Minamoto Kiyomoto’s shoulder and said, her voice slightly breathless:

“I still have things to do. Later.”

She looked amorous and gentle, yet possessed an indescribable sense of authority.

“I have something to discuss with you too,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said, inhaling her fragrance and gazing at her slender, fair neck, feeling utterly captivated.

“Then sit up properly and talk.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll sit up.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto pulled her up, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, savoring the slenderness of her waist, and buried his face in her neck.

“Don’t move,” Himegami Izayoi flinched as if ticklish.

“Your Majesty, you smell so good,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said, closing his eyes in intoxication.

“Not as good as your Miss Kamibayashi.”

“You’ve smelled her too?” Minamoto Kiyomoto opened his eyes and asked with amusement.

“I haven’t,” Himegami Izayoi said with a laugh, picking up her brush to continue reviewing documents. “But if she didn’t smell good, why would you spend every day with her at the hotel instead of coming to see me?”

“It’s not like I had a reason,” Minamoto Kiyomoto rested his chin on her shoulder.

“You need a reason to see me?”

“If I say I’m paying my respects, who pays their respects every day? And once I enter the Seiryo-den, I’m here for half a day. Who would believe I’m just paying my respects?”

“Spending half a day in the Seiryo-den? What do you do for so long? There’s nothing here.”

“I don’t know what I’m doing either,” Minamoto Kiyomoto’s lips traced the beautiful, soft curve of her neck.

“Mmm~” Himegami Izayoi let out a seductive, alluring hum.

Unfortunately, the bright yellow court dress she wore, while cinched at her graceful waist, was ornate and loose everywhere else. Minamoto Kiyomoto couldn’t touch her body at all, only smell her long, snow-white neck.

“Wait a moment,” Himegami Izayoi pushed away his approaching lips.

“Hmm?” Minamoto Kiyomoto hummed, his lips touching her fair hand.

“Good little brother, wait until big sister is done with her work, then I’ll play with you, okay?”

“No, I have business too.”

“Yours is all improper business. Mine is proper business,” Himegami Izayoi whispered with a smile, giving him a squeeze down there.

“Mine is proper business too,” Minamoto Kiyomoto murmured as if in a dream, and began to talk about the Shinto sect.

After listening, Himegami Izayoi’s lips curled into a cold smile, and her hand stopped moving.

“These insects,” she said in a chilling voice.

“Their target should be Kyushu,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said, also ‘flying into a rage’. “Don’t stop, big sister.”

Himegami Izayoi’s movements became even more vigorous.

A ‘town-level’ yokai was a small matter. Compared to the deaths of some commoners, someone of Himegami Izayoi’s status cared more about her own authority.

Once the Shinto sect provoked the “Lord of Kyoto” and didn’t pay a heavy enough price, it wouldn’t just be a ‘town-level’ yokai anymore.

Everyone would think that the “Lord of Kyoto”—the government—was powerless against the Shinto sect.

At that point, how many people would give up fighting yokai and flee to the Shinto sect?
A ‘town-level’ yokai required five or six Kasen to deal with, but Kyoto had five resident Kasen, two of the Twelve Shrine Maidens, and countless other practitioners.

What’s more, the Divine Medium and Minamoto Kiyomoto happened to be there.

Needless to say, even without the Divine Medium’s spell, it was uncertain whether the Shinto lords could win against her.

And Minamoto Kiyomoto, having fused with yokai remains, coupled with his mysterious and unpredictable spells, was far stronger than an ordinary Kasen.

The Shinto sect never expected a ‘town-level’ yokai to accomplish much.

These people just wanted to show the government that the Shinto sect had the ability to control yokai and the determination to attack humans.

If their demands were not met, they would really destroy other cities.

“Let me go,” Minamoto Kiyomoto whispered in her ear. “I’ll take care of it for you.”

“Okay,” Himegami Izayoi’s face flushed even more, and she panted slightly. “I’ll let you go.”

The two of them were already twisted together like a rope, racing towards the finish line.

◇

The day of the school trip finally arrived.

Sitting on the train to Kyoto, Itomi Yuki’s heart raced at the thought of seeing her sister, and her imagination ran wild.

One moment she thought of scolding her, the next she wanted to cry in her sister’s arms, and a moment later, she decided to give her the cold shoulder as before.

The train car was very noisy.

A group of female students were playing cards, then suddenly started laughing and wrestling with each other for some reason, one falling into another’s arms.
In a corner, a few boys were excitedly playing games, shouting and yelling.

Subconsciously, both groups were trying to attract the attention of the other boys and girls.

And Itomi Yuki, sitting by the window, did nothing, yet she had already attracted everyone’s attention.

Her calm expression, her clear eyes gazing into the distance, her slender body, combined with the scenery flying by outside the window, created a pleasing sight.

Thinking too much, Itomi Yuki suddenly felt a little thirsty. She took out her green tea, gently twisted open the cap, and took a sip while looking out the window.

Before she could put the bottle down, her phone rang.

Without screwing the cap back on, she opened her phone.

It was a message from Minamoto Kiyomoto, asking where she was.

“Almost there,” she replied.

The moment the message was sent, it became ‘read’.

“Are you going straight to the hotel, or are you going to tour around with your bags first?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked.

“Touring first,” she replied immediately. “The first day is a group activity. We’ll go to some popular spots, like Kiyomizu-dera.”

“Let me know when you get to the hotel tonight.”

“Mhm.”

Putting down her phone, Itomi Yuki picked up the cap, preparing to screw it back on.

Just then, a man and a woman, saying “sorry” and “excuse me,” walked from the previous car into the car full of students.

The man had a long face, and the woman looked gentle, but her eyes held a hint of competitiveness.

Itomi Yuki’s bright eyes blinked twice, like the fluttering of a butterfly’s wings.

Without showing any change in expression, she brought the bottle to her delicate lips again, taking small sips, and discreetly observed the two.

If she remembered and saw correctly, the two people in front of her should be her sister’s subordinates, meaning they were members of the Shinto sect, anti-human elements.

Horse Face and Rabbit also discreetly observed her. The two sides didn’t say a word, their eyes never meeting.

As soon as the two reached the next car, they immediately sent a message in their LINE group.

“She’s here.”

“Good work.”

“We absolutely cannot let Yuki continue to be deceived by that scumbag!!!”

The reason Group Nine had gathered again and appeared on the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto was that they had seen Itomi Yuki and Minamoto Kiyomoto hugging at the school gate.

This time, they weren’t here to rescue anyone, just to secretly remind their group leader’s sister that Minamoto Kiyomoto was not a good person, and to do some sightseeing on the side.

After Horse Face and Rabbit left, Itomi Yuki quickly tightened the bottle cap and took out her phone again.

‘I just saw…’

Her fingers paused. She remembered that she was still being monitored by the government, and there could be no mention of her sister in her chat history.

But she felt uneasy not informing Minamoto Kiyomoto about this beforehand, feeling that something bad would happen.

What she worried about most was Minamoto Kiyomoto being forced into a situation where he had to act against these people. That would put both him and her sister in a difficult position.

“Itomi-san, want to play with us?” a girl holding cards came over and asked her.

“No, thank you.”

‘What should I do?’ Itomi Yuki looked out the window, a new worry on her mind.

The Shinkansen, oblivious to the young girl’s heart, sped on, getting closer and closer to the ancient capital of a thousand years.