I'm a thankful fox in Tokyo

Chapter 107: Clear Light Ichimonji Nagamitsu
"Well, I'll stay until Miko falls asleep before I leave."

Higashino Yu moved the chair next to the desk in Yuko's bedroom and sat down.

Perhaps because of Miko's physical condition, her bed was not a simple bed on the tatami, but a Western-style white iron frame bed with a mosquito net on the top, table lamps on both sides of the bedside tables, and a high and thick spring mattress.

Higashino Yu leaned his hands on the mattress, which felt soft and supportive. It must have been expensive, and it must have been very comfortable to sleep on.

Yuzi nodded, closed her eyes with peace of mind, and pulled the quilt covering her little face down a little.

The table lamps on both sides of the bedside table cast warm yellow light all around, and the fair little face was shrouded in a faint halo.

Higashino Yu lay on the side of the bed and could vaguely see the tiny, almost transparent hairs on Yuko's face.

She was not asleep, but spoke softly in her sleep.

"Tono Ni-san, I met some interesting monsters at school today."

Monster? Dong Yeyu frowned, worried that it was some dangerous monster, so he asked in a low voice: "What kind of monster is it?"

"There are pink fur balls that like to eat cookies. I named them Furballs. There is also an old man who was transformed from a plum tree."

"My classmates from the cooking club asked me to stay and clean up, and gave me the remaining cookies. I used them to treat Maoqiu-kun."

"When I left school, I met the old man who grew up with a plum tree by the flower bed. He wanted me to accompany him to see the plum blossoms, and he said he wanted to see them until tomorrow."

"I was worried that my grandparents and Tono Nissan would be worried if they couldn't find Miko, so I didn't agree to him."

"But it is indeed a beautiful plum blossom forest. I really want to let Dongye Nissan see it too."

Is there a plum tree monster? Dong Yeyu pondered for a moment and smiled, "Okay, let's go and see it together next time."

Since the plum tree monster did not force Miko to stay, he probably had no ill intentions. Of course, such things are hard to say for sure.

I'll go back and ask Xiuji first tonight, and then find time to check at Miko School after school tomorrow.

Thinking of this, Higashino Yu was somewhat surprised to find that since when, the relationship between him and the Iori family seemed to no longer be a simple relationship of benefactor and repayer, but had become closer.

Miko is no longer just the granddaughter of an elder's friend. This poor, kind and dreamy girl has already held enough weight in his heart.

When did the relationship start to get closer?
Was it the old man's enthusiasm when he was busy running around when they first met, or the somewhat reserved first meeting with Yuko.

Or maybe that plate of fried tofu?
Dong Ye Yu sighed in his heart, sometimes the care from others is like a silent drizzle, and when you come to your senses, your heart has already been nourished.

Yu Zi nodded slightly, then thought of something, turned over, turned her back to him, and fell silent.

When Dong Yeyu thought the girl was asleep, a soft and ethereal voice muttered with questioning.

"Tono Nissan, if I had stayed in school, would Miaoji and the others not have died?"

It's true that Miaoji and the others might not die, but if it weren't for the cats in Cat Town to buy time, and those people kidnapped you, things would be troublesome.

At least it won't end as simply as it did today.

Dong Yeyu leaned against the bed and said, "Maybe that's the case. But it's not your fault. Who can foresee the danger they are about to encounter?"

"Since it has already happened, there is no point in blaming yourself except to make you feel bad. Miko, what you should do is to carry the expectations of Meowhime and the others and live happily."

"Besides, after Meow-hime and the others were taken in by Inari-sama, you will probably meet each other often. Miko, you don't want Meow-hime and the others to see you sad and blaming yourself, right?"

After hearing this, Yuko was silent for a moment, then nodded her head slightly, probably agreeing with Higashino Yu's statement.

Dong Ye Yu guessed that she still felt a little uncomfortable, so he changed the subject to prevent her from getting stuck on this issue.

"Do you remember Shujizaemon? You should have met today, right?"

"Yes! Xiu Jizaemon and the white fox saved me and grandpa."

When Xiuji was mentioned, Miko turned around and faced Higashino Yu, with curiosity in her eyes.

"Tono Nissan, Xiu Jizaemon said that he and the white fox are both your shikigami, but I don't know what the white fox is called yet."

The two of them were very close, only about twenty centimeters apart. Dongye Yu could clearly feel the girl's warm breath with a faint scent of milk and green apple hitting his face.

The distance was a bit too close, so Dong Ye Yu straightened up and moved further away.

Iori Miko simply blinked her eyes, an inexplicable look flashing in them.

"White Fox..." Dong Yeyu thought for a moment, "His name is A Yu."

In the Japanese language, the pronunciations of "yu" and "yu" are different, and Miko has not learned much Chinese, so she didn't notice anything.

"Ayu? Do you like eating fish?"

"I actually prefer chicken. Teriyaki pork chop is also good."

"Does he like fried tofu?"

"He likes it very much. He heard that eel rice is delicious and has wanted to eat it for a long time, but I don't have the money to buy it for him--"

As she spoke, Yuzi's tired eyes gradually closed and she fell into a deep sleep.

Dong Ye Yu found that the girl's breathing had gradually calmed down. The warm yellow light shone on her slightly curly brown-red hair, giving it a warm luster.

"Then let's talk about it later. Good night, Miko."

Dong Yeyu smiled and whispered, gently turning off the desk lamp.

The room darkened instantly. Only the faint moonlight filtered through the shoji door, casting a dim twilight blue.

He tiptoed out of Yuko's bedroom and turned around to find that the night sky had cleared up at some point.

Everything in front of me is clearly visible in the cold moonlight. The waxed corridor floor and the dry landscape courtyard in the atrium are covered with silver-gray moonlight, quiet and peaceful.

Walking along the corridor to the lighted tea room, Iori Tadamichi was the only one in the room. On the small square table beside him was a bottle of wine, two wine glasses and a few plates of snacks, including fried tofu, edamame and fried peanuts.

He seemed unaware of Dong Ye Yu's approach. He knelt alone beside the small square table, looking down at the sword in his arms and wiping it carefully with a silk scarf.

Dong Yeyu glanced at him, then stood outside the teahouse and whispered, "Mr. Iori?"

"Hitano-kun is here." Iori Tadamichi looked up and smiled at Hitano Yu, "Come in, is Miko asleep already?"

"Yeah." Dong Ye Yu said, walked in quickly and sat opposite.

Iori Tadamichi nodded, put down the knife, said nothing, poured wine for Dongye Yu and himself, picked up the wine glass and said, "My homemade plum wine is not as good as the famous wine. Please forgive me."

"I don't think that home-brewed fruit wine necessarily has to be delicious. It's more of a commemoration. What's more, the younger generation doesn't understand wine. Good wine and bad wine all taste the same in the mouth."

Dong Yeyu raised his wine glass, clinked it with the old man's, and took a sip.

The strong and spicy smell of the distilled liquor rushed straight to the top of my head, and I squinted my eyes subconsciously - plum wine is made by soaking plums in distilled liquor, so the alcohol content is not low.

The spicy taste quickly fades, followed by a rich, fresh fruity aroma. The taste is sweet and sour, much better than ordinary liquor.

In my previous life, after the college entrance examination, my father dragged me to drink Maotai. It was expensive, but as for the taste, I can only say that it was not as delicious as plum wine.

"how?"

Iori Tadamichi picked up a piece of fried tofu and put it in his mouth, shaking his head slightly, looking like he was enjoying it very much - it was rare that Iori's grandmother didn't stop him from drinking.

"It tastes good." Dong Ye Yu nodded and gave a fair evaluation.

Iori Tadamichi smiled at first, but when he saw that Higashino Yu was about to drink it all in one gulp, he quickly stopped him and said, "This wine is very strong. You are still underage, so just show your appreciation."

Then he handed the sword in his hand to Dongye Yu: "Look at this sword." Dongye Yu took it carefully with both hands and examined it from top to bottom.

This katana is much longer than the wakizashi that he had stolen, and even longer than an ordinary katana.

The scabbard and handle are both a lustrous ivory white, decorated with gold thread patterns and the Iori family crest painted in gold - a circle consisting of two rice ears with a cherry blossom in the middle as an embellishment.

Unfortunately, the knife seemed to have been burned by fire. The ivory white of the scabbard and handle were stained with a little burnt yellow. There were even traces of stitching in the middle of the scabbard, as if it had been cracked.

Clang!
Dong Ye Yu pulled out a part of the knife, and the blade reflected the light and emitted a cold light, and even the whole knife was filled with an indescribable aura.

It seems like it had a 'soul' a long time ago, but it was dispersed and now it's gathered together again, but I don't know how long it will take to give birth to a soul again.

It may not look as good as the Kunimitsu Nyudo Isshin in the hands of Jinguji Hiiragi Kagami, but it is definitely not an ordinary sword.

Dong Yeyu sincerely admired: "It's really beautiful. Maybe it will give birth to spirits again in a few hundred years. It's a good sword."

Iori Tadamichi stared at the knife in Higashino Yu's arms, and a smile appeared on his wrinkled face.

"This is the family sword of the Iori family, Sumime Ichimonji Nagamitsu, it was made by the famous craftsman Nagamitsu. The ancestor of the Iori family helped him kill eighteen monsters and impressed him."

"Although it is usually enshrined in front of the god Inari, it is not a sacred sword, but a sharp weapon that can slay demons and ghosts. Successive Iori family exorcists have carried it with them to exorcise demons, but since the death of Miko's father, it has been enshrined in front of the god."

"After Miko entered junior high school, I was afraid that picking her up would embarrass her, so I always brought it with me and followed her on the way to school or home from school to protect her."

Iori Tadamichi poured himself another glass of wine. "Thanks to this sword, I was able to hold on until Higashino-kun's shikigami came to rescue me. It's just a pity that such a good sword is covered in dust."

As he said that, his piercing eyes stared at Dong Yeyu: "Do you like it?"

Dong Ye Yu was stunned. How should I answer this?

Why does it feel like huge wealth is about to fall from the sky?

No, I can't do that. This is the famous sword heirloomed from the Iori family. It's meant to be passed down. How can I take it?

Must refuse!

Dong Yeyu's mouth was dry, so he sat up straighter and said seriously, "I like it."

After saying this, he was stunned for a moment, glanced at his hand that was tightly holding the scabbard, and wanted to pull it out immediately.

I am really impressed. How can I, a fox, have such greedy hands when I have a clear mind and a noble character? I want everything, right?

The old man raised his glass and drank it, then sighed and said cheerfully, "Then I'll give it to you."

How is this possible?

Jokes aside, Dong Ye Yu still knows what he can ask for and what he can't ask for, and he will refuse immediately.

Iori Tadamichi reached out his hand to stop Higashino Yu from speaking and shook his head at him: "I know what Higashino-kun wants to say, don't be impatient, just listen to me."

"I think Dong Ye-kun has the talent of a demon hunter, but he doesn't have much money. It's not enough to fight demons and monsters with talent alone."

"Don't think I'm being harsh, but there are countless demon hunters who have died at the hands of monsters throughout history. Many demon hunters in the Iori family have also been killed. Miko only has you now. Well, friend, what will happen to her if you die?"

Dong Yeyu listened and fell silent.

After acquiring the magic to slay monsters, he really needed a handy weapon. Considering the situation in the island country, a knife was the most suitable one - he had never seen a monster wearing armor. When the time came, he could just use the sword to chop at it, killing it without making a sound.

Fighting is fun!

As for the island country's ban on knives and guns, I can ask Miss Moon Witch to help me get a knife license.

Thinking of this, Dong Ye Yu was somewhat tempted, but he felt embarrassed to take someone else's heirloom sword, so he couldn't open his mouth.

Iori Tadamichi looked at Higashino Yu, seemed to see the reason for his hesitation, and asked jokingly.

"I just want to ask you, if I and Miko's grandmother are gone in the future, will Higashino-kun take care of Miko and support the Inari Shrine on our behalf?"

Dong Yeyu pondered for a while and answered seriously: "I regard Yuzi as my sister, so these things are naturally my duty."

"That's all right, isn't it? Miko is in poor health and will have to rely on you for support in the future. It's only right that the Iori family pays a small price."

Iori Tadamichi smiled with his eyes narrowed, as if he was savoring the sweetness of the plum wine, and pointed towards the warehouse.

"There are some magic books and cultivation secrets passed down by the Iori family in the warehouse. If you are interested, you can come and take a look."

Without waiting for Dong Yeyu to refuse, he poured him a glass of wine: "Come, drink with me."

Forget it. Anyway, I am a grateful fox. No favor is too much. I will repay it a hundredfold sooner or later.

With this thought in mind, Dong Yeyu knelt down and bowed slightly: "I dare not refuse the gift from the elder, so I will accept it."

After saying that, he carefully put the knife aside and drank with Iori Tadamichi until he fell to the floor with a red face, as if drunk.

Higashino Yu did not disappoint and used his magic power to turn into wine. He drunkenly took out a bed from a cabinet in the tea room and made it. He then dragged Iori Tadamichi to lie flat on the bed and covered him with a quilt.

"Hey, old man, I'm going back." Higashino Yu pushed the drunk Iori Tadashi and said.

Iori Tadamichi was snoring loudly. After being woken up, he turned over and waved his hand: "Go back, be careful on the road."

After receiving the reply, Higashino Yu walked out of the tea room with a knife, turned off the lights, closed the shoji door, and staggered out of the Iori family's yard.

The magic power in his body flowed, the smell of alcohol rose up, and was exhaled with his breath, turning into a white mist floating in the air, and dissipated after a few seconds.

After spitting out the alcohol, his steps gradually became steady.

Walking in the silent and deserted shrine, the wind chimes on the eaves occasionally made crisp tinkling sounds in the evening breeze. The forest was surging, and the shadows of the leaves fell on the ground covered with silver frost and swayed. Dong Yeyu stepped on the silver frost on the ground and strode away.

After leaving the shrine, Higashino Yu was afraid of being caught by the night patrol police for illegal knife possession, so he ran as fast as he could, looking in all directions, and soon returned home.

When I opened the door, I saw Xiuji curled up in his nest watching a late-night comedy show. When he saw Dongye Yu coming back, he jumped out of his nest, flapping his wings.

"The chamberlain, Shikichizaemon, respectfully welcomes the lord back to the city."

"Yeah." Dongye Yu responded, closed the door, changed his shoes at the entrance, entered the room, spread the bedding first, and then gently placed Chengming Ichimonji Nagamitsu on the bedding.

He was not in a hurry to claim the reward for his gratitude, nor did he immerse himself in the sword. Instead, he sat down cross-legged, facing Xiuji with a serious expression.

"Hideyoshi Zaemon, you did a great job today. You reported the news in time and led the way. I am very satisfied. Now, tell me what you want."

Xiuji was stunned for a second, then immediately overjoyed: "It was all thanks to the Lord's efforts in fighting the bandits. I only did my little bit, so I dare not claim any merit. Lord..."

Higashino Yu was anxious to collect his reward for repaying his gratitude and had no patience to act out a historical drama with this idiot.

"Come on, tell me what you want, it's too late."

"Hey, my lord, please let me think about this."

Xiuji folded his wings and paced back and forth on the floor, looking deep in thought.

When he was assigned by Dong Yeyu to return to defend early, he began to look forward to tonight's reward and reward session.

But no matter how long he waited, Higashino Yu did not come back, so he had to collect today's salary - a mixed cereal meal - and eat while watching TV and waiting.

Now I suddenly realized that I had been looking forward to it for such a long time but never thought about asking for any reward.

It is true that even the wisest man can make mistakes, alas!

Xiuji was annoyed and looked up at Dongye Yu from time to time. He became more and more anxious. Then his eyes fell on Dongye Yu's mobile phone, and his eyes lit up. He got it!

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(End of this chapter)