The Great Tengu went into the next room, where a wooden fish was lying on the floor, fast asleep.
"Hey! Get up!"
The yaksha shouted at the wooden fish.
The wooden fish opened one round eye in fright, transforming into the form of a young monk, sitting upright on the ground, its voice trembling as it said:
"Hello... hello..."
Izumi discovered that ever since she acquired the two shikigami, Ōtengu and Yasha, her method of collecting shikigami had become simple and crude.
"come over."
Quan waved his hand, and the young monk ran to Quan's side in a daze, his eyes filled with tears, and asked, "What do you want to ask me, sir?"
"I'm asking you, are you the one causing our sleeplessness?" Yaksha slammed his fork on the floor, and the little monk shuddered.
"Hmm...it seems so..."
"snort!"
Yaksha picked him up, walked to the front of the mansion, and opened the door. Just then, several evil spirits were walking around on the street.
"Go and keep them company!"
With that, he threw the young monk out.
"Wait! My lords, my master is still there..."
"Hmph, let's talk about it after dawn!"
Using her spiritual vision to see what was happening outside, Izumi asked worriedly, "You left him outside alone. Won't he be devoured by evil spirits?"
"He's a ghost too, it's alright, it's alright~"
Yaksha and Ōtengu went to sleep peacefully, and the lights in the room went out again. This time, they didn't wake up again until morning.
-
In the early morning, a light drizzle fell on the eaves. The Great Tengu and the Yaksha sat leisurely in the courtyard, drinking tea, looking completely at ease.
Quan sat on the soft couch, feeling as if she had forgotten something. She got up and went into the next room to clean, where she saw a stone Buddha statue sitting quietly on the floor. She thought of the young monk.
As she carried the Buddha statue to the door, the Great Tengu saw her struggling and came to help her carry the statue to the door.
As she reached the door to open it, she suddenly heard two people talking outside. Izumi put a finger to her lips and shushed them.
"That's the story of 'Futakuchi-onna'. Would you like to hear the next one?"
"I miss my master so much, sob sob..."
Where is your master?
"In this mansion."
Why are you there?
“I forgot him there yesterday, so I didn’t dare leave all night.”
"Alright, little monk, I'd like to hear your story."
"Okay, but..."
The young monk's voice carried a hint of worry.
"Don't worry, your master is here, right behind this door." A gentle voice sounded mysteriously.
Quan pushed open the door, and there sat two people who had come to take shelter from the rain: a one-eyed monk and a blue lantern sitting on a lamp.
"You are... an Onmyoji?"
Aoandon asked with a smile.
"Ever since you told that last story, the Hundred Tales, to the mirror, have you been unable to leave this lamp?" Izumi said regretfully.
“Oh dear, I have chosen the darkness that people flee from, sir.”
The blue lantern ignites with a blue flame.
"You are Aoandon? How did you end up here?" The snow woman floated out.
Aoandon stared at her for a while, then smiled and said, "Onmyoji, you possess these shikigami, you must have your own stories, right? I'd love to know."
“My story is still ongoing, it’s still a story in progress, why don’t you tell me yours?”
Quan smiled calmly.
"You already know my story, so it seems only the little monk's story remains. Oh?...Is that so? It seems there are three more stories to tell today."
Aoandon laughed.
Three?
"These are the stories of Jiao Tu, Yuki Onna, and Yasha."
"Really... Is Juzu awake?"
"As far as I know, she has always wanted to meet you, but unfortunately, the two 'gatekeepers' at your door have been blocking her way."
She wants to see me?
Quan turned around and saw a seashell lying quietly in a corner of the mansion.
As I approached the seashell, it opened a crack, and a charming, alluring girl's voice rang out.
Are you an Onmyoji?
"Yes." Quan nodded.
This time, the seashell opened completely, revealing a monster with a human head and a fish tail sitting inside, holding a small fan and smiling at her.
"This is not..."
A look of helplessness flashed across the Great Tengu's eyes.
"Can you let me stay here?"
Quan paused for a moment, then said, "Okay, but can you tell me why you're staying?"
She was the first yokai to volunteer to stay, and she might become her shikigami.
“I like human things, I like rouge that’s like water, shimmering rice powder, and lip rouge that’s written in strips. Living in the deep sea, I would never have the chance to see these things. Now that I’m here, I want to stay.”
"You live in the deep sea? How did you get into the river?" Izumi was completely stunned, her eyes full of questions.
She doesn't remember that Jiao Tu came from the deep sea.
Upon hearing this, Jiao Tu's smile turned slightly sad. "A great man brought me here, and I'm so lucky to have met him. But after he brought me here, he left. Lord Quan, could you show me the outside world?"
"Well……"
"I will not ask for new toys, nor will I hide in my shell when guests come. I will contribute my strength when you need it!"
Jiao Tu looked pleading.
"good."
Quan agreed.
"thank you."
"It's alright, Ootengu." Izumi summoned Ootengu. "Go out and buy some rouge and face powder now."
The Great Tengu looked dejected, and Izumi added, "You can go with the Snow Woman."
"But sir, are you safe here alone with the Yaksha?" the Great Tengu asked with some concern.
Yaksha snorted coldly, "So what if I wanted to kill her? We've already signed a contract. If I resist her, the consequences will be even more severe!"
Quan smiled and said, "I am, after all, an Onmyoji. You can go ahead."
With lingering unease, the Great Tengu and the Snow Woman took the money and went out. As they walked down the street, the Snow Woman, like a curious child, lingered at every stall.
"How about buying this?"
This was the question she asked most often, and the answer was always just one word: "Okay."
They swept through the streets, from one end to the other. Along the way, they encountered several troublesome monsters, but the Great Tengu eliminated them.
Finally, carrying a basket of spoils, she headed back. On the way, she encountered several cute, palm-sized foxes hiding in bamboo tubes. The Snow Woman curiously went to take a look, but was then punished by another Onmyoji who happened to be passing by.
If it weren't for Ōtengu's all-out rescue and protection during the battle, Yuki-onna might have disappeared from the world before that Onmyoji saw their shikigami mark.
On her way home, the Snow Woman dared not cause any more trouble and obediently followed the Great Tengu home quietly.
Upon returning to the mansion, Izumi was shocked to see the Great Tengu with bald wings. This was no ordinary Onmyoji!
"Izumi, are there really such powerful Onmyoji in this world?" Yuki-onna asked.
“Of course, there are many in Kyoto. But there probably aren’t any in a remote town like this,” Izumi said seriously.
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