Chapter 164: A Hot and Cold Night

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A large school of porpoises followed the demon-hunting ship in a mighty procession. Compared to the huge hull of the ship, their two-meter-long bodies were as small as tadpoles.

A few seabirds flew above the giant ship, occasionally landing on the mast. The sun was bright, and there were no clouds for thousands of miles.

This place was far from the mainland, and there were no small islands nearby. It was unknown where these birds came from.

Minamoto Kiyomoto had read in a book that some petrels could leave the land for thousands of nautical miles, and some seabirds could even sleep on the sea.

“Which book?” Itomi Yuki asked.

“I forgot,” he said. “I’ve read too many books.”

The two of them were fishing, or rather, training.

Itomi Yuki turned her divine artifact into a fishing rod and her divine power into a fishing line. While traveling at high speed, she used her divine power to catch fish in the sea.

The blue sea spread out before them, blending with the azure sky, forming a blue curtain.

Standing on the deck at the bow or stern, one would sometimes think they were suspended in mid-air. The world was empty, with nothing but blue.

At this moment, on this bright blue, the demon-hunting ship was like a sharp pair of scissors, cutting through the silk.

“Let’s call it a day,” Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at the sky. It was almost dusk.

Itomi Yuki breathed a sigh of relief, put away her divine artifact, and tiredly rubbed her slender arms.

“Tired?” Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at her and laughed. “Your moves are skillful and your hands are responsive. Your profound meaning is sharp and your heart is clear. You’re still far from it.”

They happened to be walking over. Kamibayashi Miko heard this sentence and her lips curled into a smile.

“You have the nerve to say that about others,” she scolded, but her tone was very gentle, remembering the matter of the Hokkaido snow mountain.

Itomi Sayaka walked to her sister’s side, sized up the fish bucket, and asked, “How many did you catch? Two. You’ve improved a lot.”

“Before we get off the ship, I will complete this training,” Itomi Yuki set a goal for herself.

She was a top student, the first in her grade. As a result, when she came here, she was laughed at all day.

She looked at the crowd and asked, “How long did you guys practice?”

“I was born with it,” the Hokkaido Miko said.

“…What about you?” Itomi Yuki looked at Minamoto Kiyomoto.

“Me? I learned the thunder spell on the first day. This level of training is not needed at all.”

“At that time, I was in a hurry to participate in the subjugation. I didn’t have time to train you,” Kamibayashi Miko said faintly.

“Is that so?” Minamoto Kiyomoto said in surprise.

“I was lying to you.”

“Lying to me?”

“Can’t I?” Kamibayashi Miko asked.

“…It’s not that you can’t—you can,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said reluctantly.

Kamibayashi Miko looked at his side profile, which was dyed red by the setting sun. She remembered when they first met, she hadn’t been honest about her real purpose for finding him, and he had held a grudge. At that time, she couldn’t love anyone, so she deliberately wanted to make him fall in love with her.

“Master Kiyo, I… I want some too!” Himegami Izayoi said coquettishly with dissatisfaction.

“Are you a child? You want to drink a mouthful of medicine when you see an adult drinking it?”

“Can’t I?!”

“I’ll brew a bowl for you even if I don’t drink medicine.”

“Go to hell,” Himegami Izayoi scolded with a laugh.

Itomi Yuki looked at the three of them, and her slightly smiling face returned to its usual indifference.

“Don’t be discouraged!” Itomi Sayaka’s hand suddenly patted her shoulder, her eyes filled with a meaningful and teasing smile.

After a deliberate pause of two seconds, the older sister continued, “Your talent is already very strong.”

“Stronger than you?” Itomi Yuki irritably pushed her hand away.

“We’re sisters. We’re the same.”

“Train hard and become a Kasen as soon as possible,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said with a smile. “When Izayoi becomes the lord of the world, I’ll give Chiba Prefecture to you two sisters.”

“You have to keep your word!” Itomi Sayaka was as excited as a rabbit that had seen its cage open. She even pointed her finger at him.

“I’m the one who becomes the lord of the world. Why are you the one in charge of rewards and punishments?” Himegami Izayoi’s charming face was both puzzled and irritated.

“Don’t make promises casually, especially such arrogant promises. Do what you have to do now,” Kamibayashi Miko scolded.

Minamoto Kiyomoto was forced by Itomi Sayaka, stared at by Himegami Izayoi, and looked at by Kamibayashi Miko.

“Those who are united by profit will surely be divided by profit. Let’s just talk about feelings,” he said to Itomi Sayaka.

“Who’s talking about feelings with you! No, I don’t believe you. Swear, swear on your mother!”

Itomi Sayaka was not at ease and forced Minamoto Kiyomoto to say—I swear on my mother, I will keep my word and give Chiba to the Itomi sisters in the future.

Hanyu Chika looked at Itomi Sayaka and couldn’t help but sigh. Her friend suddenly couldn’t think straight. With feelings, she had everything.

“Don’t forget about beauty for the sake of profit,” she muttered.

Yagyu Michiko’s eyes, as weak as a rabbit’s, looked at her with confusion.

“Kiyomoto, I don’t want anything. I just want you,” the Hokkaido Miko pulled Minamoto Kiyomoto’s sleeve.

“No matter what you want, I can’t give it to you,” Minamoto Kiyomoto grabbed her slender wrist, wanting to pull her away, but she had already let go.

“What are you pulling me for?” she asked back with confusion.

The Hokkaido Miko’s eyes were innocent and pure. She had just pulled Minamoto Kiyomoto’s sleeve to join in the fun, and had forgotten about it in the blink of an eye.

“It’s nothing,” Minamoto Kiyomoto let go.

He looked at Himegami Izayoi and Kamibayashi Miko helplessly—one of you come and deal with her.

Kamibayashi Miko smiled, and her clear eyes did not speak.

Come to my room tonight—Himegami Izayoi gave him a charming glance.

It was very effective.

Minamoto Kiyomoto no longer had a headache about the Hokkaido Miko. He began to look forward to the night.

Just as the saying goes, “The stars are beautiful because there is a flower we cannot see”—Minamoto Kiyomoto remembered that this sentence came from “The Little Prince.” This night was also very beautiful. It had nothing to do with the night itself. It was Himegami Izayoi who had given it its magic.

A spacious room, a comfortable bed, everything was elegant and luxurious.

Himegami Izayoi, who was usually noble and dignified, was now lying on the bed, wearing only a red yukata. The collar was loose, and her slender legs stretched out from under the skirt.

“What did you call me for?” Minamoto Kiyomoto’s voice came from the bedroom door.

He leaned against the door, holding a bottle of wine, his posture leisurely, but his eyes were burning hot, like a red-hot iron.

Being looked at by him with such eyes, Himegami Izayoi felt a heat in her heart.

“It’s nothing. Go back,” her voice was sweet and carried a hint of teasing.

“You have nothing to do, but I have something to do with you,” Minamoto Kiyomoto stood up straight with a smile and walked towards the large bed with the hanging curtains.

“What is it?” Himegami Izayoi asked with a smile.

As Minamoto Kiyomoto got closer, their hearts beat faster.

“I found a good bottle of wine. I came to let you have a taste,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said with a smile.

Himegami Izayoi gave him a charming glance.

“Feed me,” she tilted her head back gracefully and opened her lips.

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at her fair neck, the white and full chest under the red yukata, and his breathing stopped.

He gently pinched Himegami Izayoi’s cheek, picked up the wine cup, and poured the clear wine into her mouth.

The bedroom was quiet, with only the sound of accumulating water.

The rosy lips, the clean white teeth, the soft mouth. Looking at them, Minamoto Kiyomoto also became thirsty.

“Is it good?” he asked.

Himegami Izayoi held the wine in her mouth, suddenly reached out, grabbed Minamoto Kiyomoto, and pulled him onto the bed.

She pressed down on him and returned the wine to him.

“Is it good?” Her lips were wet, and her eyes were filled with spring water. She asked with a grin.

“It was so sudden. I swallowed too fast. I didn’t taste it.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto smacked his lips, then turned over and pressed down again, thirstily searching for every drop of water, not letting go of any place.

In the curtains, there was only the sound of water stains.

“It’s very good, but there’s still too little. I still haven’t tasted it,” he said with a smile.

“Then go get the wine bottle. What are you tasting me for—”

A stunningly beautiful face, with an expression of pleasure, charm, and desire;
She leaned back, naturally puffing out her snow-white and cotton-soft chest, stretching her slender and full figure.

Himegami Izayoi’s figure was graceful. Every part of her body was beautiful, and her overall beauty tended towards noble beauty.

Because of this, looking at her dazed expression gave Minamoto Kiyomoto an unparalleled sense of satisfaction, accomplishment, superiority, and pleasure.

At midnight, when all was quiet, Himegami Izayoi naturally leaned against Minamoto Kiyomoto’s arms.

“Is it good?” Minamoto Kiyomoto whispered in her ear with a smile.

“I don’t know if it’s good or not, but it’s very comfortable,” Himegami Izayoi’s voice was lazy and enchanting, her face flushed, and she was full of satisfaction.

The two of them did not speak anymore.

Minamoto Kiyomoto stared at Himegami Izayoi in his arms and combed her wet and hot hair with his hand.

Himegami Izayoi took his hand, pressed her palm softly against his, and intertwined their fingers.

She looked at their clasped hands, and Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at her.

Their faces were very close. Occasionally, when they turned their heads slightly, their noses would touch.

It was so quiet that they could hear each other’s heartbeats. They melted in deep affection.

“Beauty really corrodes the mind,” after an unknown amount of time, Minamoto Kiyomoto said softly.

“What?” Himegami Izayoi’s voice, without the arrogance, cuteness, ridicule, and slowness of the day, became very gentle.

“I said I would only do this once after killing a yokai. As a result, I didn’t do anything, and it ended up like this.”

“You don’t want to?”

“I want to, I want to do it again. What about you?”

Himegami Izayoi did not speak. She answered Minamoto Kiyomoto with her actions.

She turned around, wrapped her arms around Minamoto Kiyomoto’s neck, and kissed him.

Her arms tightened, and the kiss was long and powerful, making one’s blood boil.

Himegami Izayoi’s eyes became hazy, and a heat rose from the bottom of her heart.

Their breathing became rapid at the same time.

“Dang! Dang!” The sound of a bell that could penetrate the sacred wood suddenly rang in the cabin.

Their movements stopped. Himegami Izayoi was riding on Minamoto Kiyomoto.

“What should we do?” she twisted her waist reluctantly.

“What else can we do,” Minamoto Kiyomoto sighed with his mouth, and suddenly straightened his waist.

Himegami Izayoi let out a whimper that was almost a wail.

The two of them hurriedly put on their clothes, left the bedroom, walked out of the living room, and came to the corridor of the ship’s tower.

The passengers in the special-class cabin had all come out, and the deck was full of people.

“What’s going on?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked in a deep voice.

“My lord,” Amatsumara came over. “There’s an iceberg!”

“An iceberg?” Minamoto Kiyomoto’s eyes did not blink as he looked at him.

Himegami Izayoi, who was beside him, decided to go back and issue an edict to break Amatsumara’s legs.

Not to mention an iceberg, even an iron mountain, the demon-hunting ship would not have any scratches if it hit it at full speed.

“It’s not an ordinary iceberg,” Amatsumara’s tone was a little panicked.

Before he could finish speaking, Minamoto Kiyomoto’s eyes flashed with a red light, and he scanned the thick night.

It was an iceberg, but in the iceberg, a ship was frozen. It was in front of the demon-hunting ship, to the left.

Through the thick ice, everything inside was alive, as if it had just been frozen. But the hull of the ship was simple and ancient, obviously not a modern ship.

Several teams of practitioners flew over, surveyed from a distance, and used spells to illuminate the entire iceberg.

In the light, everyone saw clearly.

This ship was huge, almost the same as the demon-hunting ship that filled Tokyo Bay. But the jade towers and jade buildings, the architecture was graceful and beautiful, and the buildings were so high they could pluck the stars.

On the open-air stage in front of the jade tower, hundreds of geishas and dancers were either dancing, playing the qin, or holding the pipa. There were also petals falling.

Everything was frozen in that instant, as if the sound of silk and bamboo could still be heard.

In the jade tower where one could enjoy the stage, one could vaguely see blurry figures. It was also full of people, drinking and feasting.

Such a vivid scene, but in the night, it revealed a strange atmosphere. The atmosphere of death was even more intense, and an ominous premonition shrouded this sea area.

“My lord,” Amatsumara looked at Minamoto Kiyomoto.

Minamoto Kiyomoto had already suppressed his desire, annoyance, and surprise.

At this time, he was calm and majestic, with an extraordinary bearing. He ordered, “Stop the ship. Summon the Shinto Lords, Kasen, shrine maidens, and the people of the various families to the great hall.”

“Yes!”

Amatsumara took the order and went to do his work.

Minamoto Kiyomoto was pondering when he suddenly found that Kamibayashi Miko, Itomi Sayaka, and the others’ gazes were all on him.

“Don’t worry,” he comforted. “I’ve lived to the future.”

Himegami Izayoi pulled his sleeve.

Her face was flushed, and she said in a hurried and shy low voice, “You fool, look at your clothes.”

Clothes?

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked down. The inside was fine, but the haori he was wearing on the outside, from pure black, had at some point turned into a black embroidered with white cranes.

These were Himegami Izayoi’s clothes.

She could drag them on the ground when she wore them, but they were a little short on Minamoto Kiyomoto.

“It’s so cold, cough. It was already cold at night, and with a block of ice, it’s even colder. Let’s hurry to the great hall.”

In the great hall where the banquet was held, the Kasen-level experts and the heads of the various families had all arrived.

Everyone’s expression was solemn, and they whispered to each other.

The ship frozen in the iceberg was not a pleasure boat for people to have fun.

First was the huge size of the ship;
Second, the boatmen on the deck were at least at the level of ten-time practitioners. Not to mention the guards. The dozens of people they could see were all above twenty-five times.

With such subordinates, it was not difficult to imagine the strength of the master in the jade tower.

Since these people would be frozen without knowing it, the demon-hunting ship that had come to this sea area would naturally encounter the same danger.

Seeing Minamoto Kiyomoto come in, the crowd quieted down.

“Amatsumara, tell me the details,” Minamoto Kiyomoto walked straight to the head seat.

“It’s a ship from the Song Dynasty. There’s no yokai pattern embroidered on the flag. It’s not a demon-hunting ship, but a sea exploration ship.”

The azure sea hid too many treasures and dangers under its boundless waves.

A sea exploration ship had no specific purpose. It was just to find these treasures in this sea, or to be found by danger.

The Song Dynasty ship before them was obviously the latter.

“What should we do now?” the head of the Ashiya clan asked.

“No matter what we do, we can’t just turn around and go back. If we do nothing and go back to the shore in disgrace, it’s better to die at sea,” the Taira clan leader said.

Minamoto Kiyomoto glanced at him. Although he was forced to help by the “Lord of Kyoto’s” edict, the other party also had the pride of a nobleman.

“Since we’re not going back, there are only two paths,” the Kyushu Shinto Lord said. “One is to check the situation and find out the reason to prevent encountering the same danger; the other is to go around and continue sailing.”

“Your Excellency, Amatsumara, can the ice be chiseled open?” Minamoto Nagatoku asked.

Amatsumara whispered a few words to the parrot on his shoulder. After a while, a human voice came from the parrot’s mouth.

“It can be chiseled open, my lord. Do you need to continue digging in?”

Amatsumara looked at Minamoto Kiyomoto, and everyone was also waiting for his order.

“Not for now,” Minamoto Kiyomoto pondered. “Let’s wait until dawn. Give the order, don’t sleep tonight. The whole ship is on alert.”

“Yes!”

“By the way, have someone bring the ice over. Forget it. In all unknown situations, it’s better not to bring these things onto the ship. I’ll go over myself.”

“Let’s wait until dawn for this too,” Kamibayashi Miko, who rarely spoke in front of people, suddenly said.

“Alright,” Minamoto Kiyomoto nodded. He said to Amatsumara, “Have everyone come back. If anything goes wrong, protecting themselves is the priority.”

“Yes!”