I have an unlimited number of shikigami

—He has a touch of unrestrained, willful, and self-willed nature, but he always seems to appear instantly when needed.

Having clarified this point, Kasahara Fukaeri began to think about another question.

Fujiwara Izaya's handsome appearance and healthy, strong physique are certainly sources of his appeal, but that alone is not enough. Now, he is also displaying his charismatic personality, wielding the power of light—how incredible!

"What are you daydreaming about?" Fujiwara Rinya winked at her with amusement, his clear eyes sparkling with mischief.

"..." Kasahara Fukari opened her mouth, looking somewhat embarrassed.

Given her personality, it would be very difficult for her to say something like, "I was moved by you just now, so I'm going to confess." However, she still saw her own reflection in his eyes, a reflection in which she could taste a kind of pleasure, a strange feeling of being stripped naked in his eyes, feeling both ashamed and relieved.

Kasahara Fukaeri finds it hard to understand how she feels right now.

In short, even though he knew she was up to something, he still filtered out the filth and accepted her willingly. Therefore, she inexplicably believed that the feeling of being loved and trusted she experienced now was something she would never forget.

of course.

Unfortunately, she didn't know that Fujiwara Izaya, this scumbag, although seemingly harmless, was secretly plotting how to retaliate against her deception in a way that would humiliate and shame her. Otherwise, she might have gone berserk and murdered her brother-in-law on the spot.

The drifting clouds, like quicksand, flowed gently across the sky. It was a day in August, and there were no worshippers or monks in the temple. The shadows of the trees filling the courtyard and the small white cross-shaped flowers on the clover swayed together in the wind.

The two, one lying down and the other sitting, gazed meaninglessly at the distant sea.

“Excellent!” Fujiwara Izaya said with a meaningless smile.

“Hmm.” Kasahara Fukari didn’t smile.

This was time just for the two of them, a brief and seemingly meaningless moment that left a vivid impression. Feeling the sunlight and the gentle breeze, it felt like enjoying a day off from school, as pleasant as a freshly washed shirt against your skin. This brief period of doing nothing, emptying your mind, was incredibly fresh and precious, an experience almost unimaginable.

At 1 p.m., Abbot Qingye, who was in charge of repairing the ancient temple, came to the side hall after being questioned.

As he stepped into the doorway, he subconsciously turned back and gazed at the vast sea at the foot of the mountain.

Now he is a monk, but he used to be an agent in Section Nine. In his youth, a disagreement with his superior led to a conflict, and he ultimately decided to resign from Section Nine and become an exorcist detective. After more than a decade of wandering, at the prime of his forties, he devoted himself to restoring this ancient temple and diligently practicing Buddhism. As the days passed, looking back, he was struck by how quickly time had flown by.

He had made many choices in his past life, and he wasn't entirely without regrets. However, he was quite satisfied with his current situation, probably because he had already taken root in the restoration of the ancient temple.

He has now grown accustomed to life in the temple and has no desire for change. There's nothing wrong with letting time flow by peacefully.

However, I will no longer be able to maintain this kind of lifestyle.

Abbot Qingye looked down at the sea, then her gaze fell on the cloth shoes at her feet, and she sighed.

He didn't regret selling the yellow pine jade and using the money to organize a grand summer festival in Nanyindou Town that would be a source of pride for the townspeople for years to come... He felt guilty for frightening the townspeople and saddened by the deaths of two monks. But regarding the summer festival, he felt only regret.

"Ugh……"

Abbot Qingye sighed self-deprecatingly.

Expecting a big shot from Tokyo to understand his inner thoughts, or even resonate with them, was probably wishful thinking. He had given up all hope for his future, like the waves below. Whether they crashed against the rocks and shattered to pieces, or landed smoothly on the beach, it was all up to them.

"Master Qingye, please come in."

The voice echoed directly in Abbot Qingye's ear.

It was a woman's voice, clear and resolute, like a cool spring flowing through the listener's heart.

Abbot Qingye unconsciously looked up at a corner of the side hall courtyard.

Beneath the tall, lush Bodhi tree, the young man just got up from his lying position, brushing the grass clippings off his clothes as he straightened his sitting posture. Beside him, a woman with a cold and beautiful face knelt with a reserved demeanor, as if she were a proper maid accompanying her young master on an outing.

Amitabha Buddha~

Abbot Qingye chanted a Buddhist prayer softly and stepped into the courtyard.

"Splash—"

The once tranquil courtyard was suddenly filled with the fluttering of cicada wings. The sheer number of cicadas startled Abbot Qingye. He was also taken aback by the sound of their wings fluttering, which resembled a flock of startled sparrows taking flight.

Abbot Qingye looked up at the old Bodhi tree, where cicadas were still taking flight.

That was a young boy, which is why Zen didn't fly away... Abbot Kiyoha's gaze followed the footsteps toward Fujiwara Izaya. The closer he got, the more incredible his aura became—a mountain-like composure, a generous and approachable attitude, and handsome features, all of which gave him an exceptionally charming and friendly aura.

When Abbot Qingye reached the boy, he stood still without saying a word.

After a moment of silence, Fujiwara Izaya scratched his nose, as if troubled, and asked, "Master Kiyoha, you don't want to meet me?"

At this moment, Abbot Qingye bowed and clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect.

"We await your arrival!" He spoke with perfect posture and a steady, clear voice, "This humble monk, Aoba, welcomes Chairman Fujiwara to our temple. This way, please."

As he spoke, he turned to the side and led the way.

"Thank you for the invitation, Master." Fujiwara Izaya stood up and followed the abbot with Kasahara Fukaeri.

Compared to when we first met, his expression had changed slightly. Although he was still frank and kind, there was now a confident smile on his face, like the youthful fearlessness of a spirited young man facing a problem.

Chapter 131. Teasing the aloof policewoman, then entering the widow's door.

Abbot Qingye opened the sliding door to the Japanese-style room, gesturing for the two to follow her inside.

Fujiwara Rinya removed his shoes in the spacious and quiet entryway, walked across the gleaming floor, and entered the room. The thick, handcrafted tatami mats had a weft-woven surface made of rushes. The lintel and windows were elegant yet old-fashioned, but the ink paintings hanging on the walls lacked refinement. Oh, and there was a potted black lily on the table, the same kind as the bouquet the two ladies had brought back to the dojo.

"Please have a seat, both of you. I'll go prepare some tea." With that, Abbot Qingye walked into the small room.

Upon entering the Japanese-style room, Kasahara Fukaeri glanced around cautiously, eliminating any unsettling elements. After taking off her shoes, Fujiwara Izaya noticed she was wearing a pair of pale yellow boat socks embroidered with white kittens—very cute. For a cool, aloof policewoman, such socks seemed far too childish. But because of her beautiful face, even the cute socks suited her perfectly; her graceful, slender figure exuded extraordinary charm.

After the two sat down at the tea table, Kasahara Fukaeri noticed him staring at her socks. Embarrassed, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she hurriedly explained, "Asuka's..."

"Hmm?" Fujiwara Izaya suddenly became interested.

“I didn’t bring any clothes with me when I came…” Kasahara Fukari’s voice trailed off, “This outfit doesn’t suit long stockings, so I borrowed Asuka’s stockings to wear…”

"Didn't bring any casual clothes?" Fujiwara Izaya's gaze lingered on her shirt and long skirt.

Kasahara Fukari felt incredibly stupid for explaining this, but she had no choice but to continue: "The clothes and skirt belong to my mother..."

“My sister’s socks, my mother’s clothes and skirts…” Fujiwara Izaya’s eyes suddenly lit up, “and add my sister’s body, wouldn’t that be three times the pleasure?”

"?"

Meeting his strange gaze, Kasahara Fukaeri couldn't help but feel a chill.

This guy is absolutely a freak!

Judging from his current gaze, Kasahara Fukari was 100% certain that he would definitely urge Asuka to wear her uniform or combat suit or something and play a gentlemanly game with him, like "the younger sister playing the older sister."

After a while, Abbot Qingye came out with tea.

A white porcelain teapot, a black teacup—very ordinary teaware.

"I'll go get some snacks," Abbot Qingye said, bowing slightly before leaving.

Fujiwara Izaya was a little thirsty, so he picked up his teacup to have some tea.

"Wait a moment." Kasahara Fukari stopped him, picked up her teacup and took a sip herself. After carefully examining it, she nodded to him: "It's a little bitter, but there's nothing wrong with it."

"Is it bitter?" Fujiwara Izaya brought the teacup to his lips.

"It's very bitter." Kasahara Fukaeri had an expression that said she would be in big trouble if she didn't believe her.

After taking a sip of tea, Fujiwara Izaya pretended to have a bitter expression.

“I already said it was tough.” Kasahara Fukari’s face lit up with indescribable joy, but when Fujiwara Izaya stared at her with amusement, she looked away and glanced at the flowers on the table as if searching for a topic.

What kind of flower is this?

"It's Black Lily."

"Black Lily?"

“Hmm. Last night, the two chairpersons took a bouquet back with them, and a few of us even studied it,” Fujiwara Izaya said, moving the small vase over. “It has a very unique scent. Take a sniff.”

"The color is a bit like black camellia." Kasahara Fukaeri lowered her head and sniffed the fragrance of the flower.

There was a strange, fishy smell, neither pleasant nor unpleasant, but something was definitely wrong. Looking closer at the flower, it resembled a deep purple but wasn't quite purple; under the sunlight, it took on a strange reddish-purple hue.

Out of professional instinct, she pushed the flowers aside: "Something feels off."

Fujiwara Izaya stared intently at the black lilies in the vase.

There are two plants in total, each with two flowers on its stem, for a total of four flowers.

Kasahara Fukaeri, as if she had nothing better to do, poured tea into the vase.

The flowers weren't particularly vibrant in color, and the sunlight falling on the lush green of the stems and leaves gave them a somewhat eerie appearance.

"The meaning of black lilies is loneliness and curses," Fujiwara Izaya recalled reading in a book. "They usually grow on high mountains at an altitude of 2500 meters, growing and blooming alone. In Japan, they only grow in the central and northern regions, so they shouldn't appear in Nan-inzu.

Kasahara Fukaeri pondered for a moment, then replied, "She might be from Tochigi Prefecture."

In response to her concise statement, Fujiwara Izaya added: "In other words, the widow's influence over the restoration of the ancient temple was so profound that Abbot Kiyoha took the flowers she brought and gave them away as gifts."

“Probably,” said Fukahara Eri.

"How did you and Kuriko find out about this widow?" Fujiwara Izaya asked.

Kasahara Fukaeri did not answer, but simply pulled her legs together even tighter than before.

This action revealed her wavering heart.

"Alright, I won't ask about what happened between you and Kuriko anymore," Fujiwara Izaya said, as if admitting defeat.

"Mmm," Kasahara Fukari responded, her small hand, which had just been clenched into a fist, slowly loosening.

"But I'm warning you, Kuriko isn't a good person. Be careful you don't get caught up in her schemes." Fujiwara Izaya looked at her hands and said provocatively, "Although you're smart, you're not good at expressing yourself or refusing others. You can easily be manipulated by her with any excuse."

“I know what I’m doing,” Kasahara Fukaeri replied calmly.

"You're nothing..." Fujiwara Izaya cursed inwardly.

With Eri's brains, her aunt will probably sell her out... Oh well, I'm too lazy to care. I'll clean up the mess myself later. As the head of the family, it's my responsibility to maintain family harmony. Let them make a scene first.

"I've kept you waiting."

Abbot Qingye returned to the servant's room, carrying a food tray in her hands.

The plate contained some ordinary biscuits and dried fruit, as well as some roasted dried fish.

Kasahara Fukari silently picked out a few items and put them in her mouth. After confirming that everything was fine, she gestured to Fujiwara Rin that she could eat as well. When she first came in, Fujiwara Rin thought she was making a fuss, but after seeing the black lily, he was surprised by her caution.

Abbot Qingye sat opposite the two without saying a word.

After eating some dried fish, Fujiwara Izaya finally looked up at the black lily beside him: "This flower is very pretty, what kind of flower is it again?"

“This is a black lily.” Abbot Qingye’s voice was somewhat reserved.