Under One Person: The Puppet Immortal in the Tang Sect

He bowed slightly.

"I didn't have a very enjoyable conversation at the last banquet, so I've come today to ask for your advice."

Cui Ming invited him to sit down, and Yong En served him tea.

Tai Chang looked around the room and smiled.

"Is Yamashita-kun settling in well? This hotel is the best in Osaka. My father used to entertain distinguished guests here often."

Cui Ming nodded.

"The conditions here are much better than sleeping in the open, thank you for your concern, Tsuchimikado-kun."

Tai Chang picked up his teacup, took a sip, and suddenly said.

"Yamashita-kun, regarding the Cursed Binding Society, do you really have nothing to say?"

Cui Ming looked at him, wary in his heart, but his face remained calm.

"What exactly does Tsuchimikado-kun want to know?"

Tai Chang put down his teacup and said earnestly.

"How did you, Yamashita-kun, discover those who died and came back to life from the Curse-Binding Society?"

Let's be frank, our Tsuchimikado family has been researching this for decades, but we still haven't figured out the underlying principles.

The Higanbana Onmyodo, which we Onmyoji jointly established, has been fighting against the Curse-Binding Society for hundreds of years.

Their resurrection was extremely strange, and the way it worked seemed to be based on the shikigami techniques developed by Abe no Seimei.

But once the body they were inhabiting dies, their souls are immediately taken away, leaving behind an empty shell.

This makes it difficult for us to continue our research on them.

Cui Ming paused for a moment, then spoke slowly.

“Tsuchimikado-kun, I don’t know much more about the Cursed Association than you do.”

They are hunting me down because I ruined some of their plans.

As for why I noticed it, it was because the members of the Cursed Guild who were chasing me used the same trick multiple times, and only admitted it when they saw that I had seen through it.

"But this is truly unbelievable, so I've never admitted it outright."

Tai Chang stared at him for a long time, then sighed.

"Yamashita-kun is indeed cautious. However, I can understand."

Those who manage to escape the clutches of the Curse-Binding Society are not easily trusting.

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked outside.

“I’ve been interested in these things since I was a child.”

My father said that this was the duty of an Onmyoji—to explore all the mysteries of the world. But we could never unravel the secrets of the Cursed Bound Society.

Their members can be resurrected after death, retaining most of their strength, and even becoming stronger after death. This goes beyond the scope of Yin-Yang magic.

He turned around and looked at Cui Ming.

"Yamashita-kun, if you remember anything or discover anything in the future, please be sure to tell me."

Cui Ming nodded.

"must."

Tai Chang smiled, took his leave, and departed.

Cui Ming saw him to the door, and when he returned, Yong En whispered.

"This Tsuchimikado Yasunaga is quite an honest man."

Cui Ming nodded.

"Unfortunately, he is a member of the Tsuchimikado family."

Over the next few days, Tai Chang became the most frequent visitor.

He would appear at the hotel every one or two days.

Sometimes I bring some snacks, sometimes some tea, and sometimes I bring nothing at all, just to chat.

He talked about all sorts of things, from Yin-Yang magic to the Curse Binding Society, from family affairs to personal hobbies—he talked about everything.

Cui Ming gradually realized that this young man was actually very naive.

He had an almost obsessive interest in the mysterious, but no concept of power struggles.

He liked Cui Ming because Cui Ming was willing to listen to him and discuss those strange phenomena with him.

To others, he was an oddball, but with Cui Ming, he found a kindred spirit.

Of course, Cui Ming knew that this feeling of "soulmate" was thanks to the subtle influence of the power of Dan Shi.

Each time Tai Chang visits, Cui Ming would subtly release a trace of Dan Shi power.

The power was so faint that even an Onmyoji like Taicho couldn't detect it.

But it will slowly influence his mind, making him develop feelings of goodwill and trust towards Cui Ming.

The effect is very obvious.

A week later, Tae-jang was already complaining to Choi Myung about the stubborn old men in his family.

"All they do all day is fight for power and profit."

Tai Chang said indignantly.

"The Tsuchimikado family has been passed down for hundreds of years, relying on Yin-Yang techniques, not those scheming and infighting!"

My father is the same way; he insists I attend those boring parties and meet those boring people. Where do I find the time for that?

Cui Ming smiled and poured him tea.

“Tsuchimikado-kun is still young, he has plenty of time in the future. The more you accumulate now, the better it will be for your future.”

Tai waved his hand.

"Don't try to persuade me anymore, Yamashita-kun. I've figured it out now; you're the one who truly understands me."

Those guys, they're all just thinking about how to use me, only you are willing to listen to what I have to say.

Cui Ming chuckled inwardly, but on the surface, he showed a look of gratitude.

"You flatter me, Tsuchimikado-kun. It is my honor to have a friend like you."

Tai Chang looked at him and suddenly said seriously.

"Yamashita-kun, have you ever thought about staying in Osaka long-term? With your abilities, you're sure to achieve great things here."

Cui Ming shook his head.

"I'm afraid it's not possible for now. I have many important things to do. However, I will definitely come more often in the future."

Tai Chang was somewhat disappointed, but he quickly cheered up again.

"That's fine. Anyway, Osaka isn't far from Tokyo, so come find me when you get here."

Cui Ming nodded.

After seeing Tae-jang off, Yong-eun came in from next door with a strange expression on his face.

"My lord, this Tsuchimikado Yasunaga probably already considers you a close friend."

Cui Ming chuckled softly.

"Almost there. But it'll be soon."

It wasn't just Tsuchimikado Yasunaga.

The heirs of those small chambers of commerce, the young talents who came to him because of his reputation, and even some middle-aged businessmen, all spoke highly of Cui Ming after meeting him a few times.

Some say he is humble and polite, some say he is knowledgeable, and some say he is sincere.

In short, everyone who has met him will be left with a very good impression.

In just two weeks, Cui Ming had gathered more than twenty people around him.

Some of these people were heirs to small merchant guilds, some were collateral members of extraordinary families, and some were ordinary merchants.

They all had one thing in common: they trusted Cui Ming implicitly and were willing to do things for him.

Cui Ming didn't ask them to do anything, but occasionally asked them to help him find out some information or buy some materials.

These people always readily agree and do it perfectly.

Yongen watched this unfold, secretly marveling at it.

This ability is more terrifying than any force.

But Cui Ming himself felt that things should not continue like this.

Cui Ming is now attracting too much attention in Osaka.

It can only be said that the power of Dan Shi is still too far ahead of the current version. The Japanese soldiers are already curious about Cui Ming, and with the support of the power of Dan Shi, they can directly break through the enemy's defenses.

Even so, the Japanese soldiers' goodwill towards them increased far too quickly.

In just two weeks, there were more than 20 people, and the number is still increasing.

If this trend continues, he will have at least a hundred people around him in a month.

Hundreds of devoted followers.

This is something that any power should be wary of.

The Curse-Binding Society may not have noticed him yet, but what about the other forces in Osaka?

If this continues, those old foxes will probably start to get suspicious.

The words that Yagyu Muneyoshi said at the banquet that day were not just casual remarks.

Cui Ming needs to keep a low profile.

But the brainwashing couldn't stop, since his time in Osaka Castle was limited.

It's still necessary to lay down as many backup plans as possible. Right now, these Japanese soldiers only have a good impression of him, and he needs to use the power of Dan Shi to further influence them.