Two Worlds, Starting with Kaguya of Penglai Mountain

In short, Kurokawa Kazuya, who had been stabbed in the back, couldn't sleep all night.

It's hard to say whether he couldn't sleep because he was with Kaguya Houraisan or because he was stabbed.

"Given my current condition, even if I were to die from exhaustion, I should be able to recover quickly afterward."

He mentally complained to himself while turning to look at Saigyouji Yuyuko beside him, adjusting his expression.

"Are there any precautions to take once we go inside?"

He started talking about serious matters to pull himself out of his bizarre memories.

Dadada~dadadada~

Footsteps echoed in the empty surroundings.

Saigyouji Yuyuko and Kurokawa Kazuya were entering the Yin-Yang Pavilion, a place in Heian-kyo that was generally not open to ordinary people.

The snow-white marble floor, repeatedly wiped clean, reflects the silhouettes of people walking on it.

The surrounding pillars and objects are arranged in a way that subtly aligns with the principles of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams.

Anyone with even a basic understanding of the supernatural world can easily see that the Yin-Yang Pavilion itself is one of the strategic weapons of Heian-kyo.

Saigyouji Yuyuko: "This is my first time participating in something like this, but Mr. Kurokawa, who is considered a strong person by everyone, should not need to follow any rules. After all, the strong have their own privileges."

Kazuya Kurokawa: "Then I'm really lucky."

He spoke with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Pretending to be a tiger to eat a pig is a really scary thing, because you're afraid you'll be exposed if you're not careful.

Rather than running around outside, Kurokawa Kazuya preferred to stay in his small town, where he had already built up fortifications, and peacefully farm.

However, for the sake of external resources and future exchanges with Heian-kyo, he had to attend this open and frank negotiation.

Indeed, developing one's own strength is the key to everything, no matter what.

Ding~~ Ding~~~

The clear sound of bells echoed around.

In the era before clocks, people relied on the chimes that rang at different times of the day to accurately judge time.

The bell that rang at that moment announced the time to gather everyone together.

"go in."

He smiled at Saigyouji Yuyuko beside him.

"Ok."

The young lady nodded, while looking at Kurokawa Kazuya beside her with a hint of curiosity.

Compared to Kurokawa Kazuya's seriousness about their meeting, Yuyuko was actually more relaxed. The dying girl herself didn't have much desire for anything external.

At this moment, she became more curious about what Kurokawa and Mi had done last night.

Could it be because of his conversation with Hanami that he couldn't sleep all night?

A little gossip arose in the girl's heart, and it kept brewing wonderful emotions in her mind. She really wanted to pat Kurokawa Kazuya's head to comfort him.

Unfortunately, the situation no longer allows Yuyuko to continue asking questions.

The two entered the council hall located in the very center of the Yin-Yang Pavilion, accompanied by the sound of bells.

As soon as you step inside, you are greeted by a variety of people with different clothes and temperaments.

Monks in long robes, priests in gorgeous clothes, slovenly Taoist priests, Onmyoji wearing white hats, shrine maidens floating in the air with expressionless faces, and children as delicate as porcelain dolls.

And if all of this is considered normal...

A burly man with animal ears, a horned demon, a disheveled female ghost, a tengu with small wings, or even a statue that is simply a statue itself.

With eight million gods and eight million monsters, the paths ahead are countless.

In the process of transforming oneself in these directions, one naturally becomes more and more characteristic of each direction.

However, judging from the seating arrangement of everyone present, those who maintained a human appearance generally held a higher status than those who gradually became grotesque.

There was a clear division between the two groups, and this place didn't seem so peaceful.

After scanning their surroundings, Kurokawa and Miyako focused their gaze on the shrine maiden who was positioned in the very center.

“You can call me Hakurei. I am a shrine maiden who serves Heian-kyo itself.”

A clear, melodious female voice came from the head seat.

Dressed in a red and white shrine maiden outfit, her face showed no emotion whatsoever.

The first impression Kurokawa Kazuya had of the other person was that they were cold.

Cold and devoid of emotion.

"Please don't mind, the path of the Hakurei Shrine Maiden is one of severing desires and passions; she herself has no desires or emotions."

The monk sitting to the right of the Hakurei Shrine Maiden gestured to Kurokawa Kazuya.

Kurokawa Kazuya simply smiled at what the other person said and said nothing.

Now, he has at least learned a great deal of extraordinary knowledge, and with the help of people from Heian-kyo, he has personally set up rituals and formations.

He wasn't a novice in cultivation, so he could naturally understand the subtext in what the group of people opposite him were saying.

The Hakurei Shrine Maiden, who worships the city of Heian-kyo itself, can naturally mobilize the power of the entire city.

There might be some secret technique involved.

For example, the Hakurei Shrine Maiden can draw upon the power of all the extraordinary beings in Heian-kyo.

After all, aren't the superhumans living in the city also a force of Heian-kyo?

In a world where any demon can manipulate concepts, a shrine maiden who has devoured the entire concept of Heian-kyo must possess an incredibly powerful and exaggerated strength.

No wonder the other party's path of cultivation is to sever desires and passions.

If it weren't for this direction, I'm afraid not a single one of the representatives from various cultivation factions present here would be able to sleep soundly.

Of course, if they hadn't taken this path, the shrine maiden named Hakurei probably wouldn't have been able to monopolize the concept of Heian-kyo.

"So, may we begin?"

Kurokawa Kazuya looked at the people present and spoke.

"Of course. The purpose of this gathering is to allocate corresponding power and territory to Mr. Kurokawa, who will soon be stationed around Heian-kyo, so that he can communicate and confront us on a daily basis."

"According to the unified rules of Heian-kyo, after the allocation is completed, everyone competes for faith with the population of their own territory. Armed conflict must not break out, so as not to destroy resources."

A monk was pushed forward to speak on behalf of everyone.

After reading out the relevant rules, he turned to look at Kurokawa Kazuya.

"However, before we discuss that, we need to ascertain Mr. Kurokawa's position in Heian-kyo. Did you join us as the heir to the Saigyouji family, or do you intend to start afresh as an outsider?"

After seeing each other's faces, Kurokawa Kazuya finally recognized each other.

Isn't this the monk Shunhui?

It seems that she was chosen as the spokesperson in this negotiation because of a previous conversation with me.

At this moment, Kurokawa and Miya stared at each other, and Kurokawa could even faintly see a hint of resentment in each other's eyes.

Upon seeing the other's gaze, Kurokawa Kazuya smiled, then turned and nodded to Yuyuko, who had arrived beside him.

After all, this is a negotiation setting, and you can't let the other party's gaze make you seem like a soft-hearted person.

Kazuya Kurokawa: "I am representing the Saigyouji family at this meeting."

He gave the answer he had prepared long ago.

…………

Chapter Sixty-Six: The Shrine Maiden

In any era, the simplest way to integrate into a group is through marriage.

When Kurokawa Kazuya announced that he represented the Saigyouji family, most of the people present seemed to breathe a slight sigh of relief.

The various resources within Heian-kyo have long been divided and controlled by various powerful factions.

If Kurokawa and Miyako want more, it could easily lead to chaos and disorder.

After all, even for leaders, it's not easy to get their subordinates to give up what they've gained.

Not to mention that the operation of Heian-kyo city is actually completely decoupled from these cultivators and operates autonomously.

The management and allocation of all resources are controlled by beings like Fujiwara no Fuhito, who have no talent for cultivation.

This is not only because the struggle for power and profit in the secular world will cause extraordinary individuals to fall into the vortex of the emotions of the masses, resulting in a continuous decline in their own qualities.

More importantly, because they themselves don't have time to do such things.

There are so many things to learn and explore in cultivation, we don't have time for these things.

They are responsible for protecting the city, and the city's administrators are responsible for providing them with the necessary resources; as for the details, there's no point in worrying about them.

By making others do your work, you're cutting off their chance to cultivate themselves.

So they need to earn it, whether it's a luxurious lifestyle or the power to be above everyone else, what's wrong with letting people enjoy it?

If you don't let people enjoy themselves, who will work for you in the future?

Anyway, these people will just be dust in a few decades, so there's no need to care too much about them.

To be honest, if Kurokawa Kazuya hadn't posed such a significant threat, none of us here would be in this dilemma.

However, it now seems that the other party is also very law-abiding.

Kurokawa Kazuya joined as a member of the Saigyouji family, which essentially meant that he only wanted the Saigyouji family's property as his territory in Heian-kyo.

"I'm so glad you made that choice."

With most people in the room breathing a sigh of relief, they seemed to be glad that things had been resolved more easily than expected.

Monk Shunhui smiled at Kurokawa and Miya on behalf of everyone, showing obvious goodwill.

Kazuya Kurokawa: "I myself tend to use people from the Saigyouji family."

He responded with a smile.

He understood that quality, not quantity, was the key to military success.

Compared to what others give, it's definitely more convenient to use those familiar with the Saigyouji family, like Yuyuko.

This group was worried that the person who gave it to Kurokawa Kazuya was problematic, and Kurokawa Kazuya himself was also worried.

He wasn't worried about the individual abilities of the people who came; he was worried that they were a makeshift team of newcomers who weren't entirely under his control and would cause a huge mess.

He actually has quite a few secrets that he is not comfortable revealing to others, and these secrets would not normally be pried into.

But reality is illogical; who knows what kind of things a group of people with ulterior motives will do when they are fighting each other?

Rather than instability, Kurokawa Kazuya preferred slower development, allowing him to gradually build his own wealth.

Hakurei Shrine Maiden: "We will have someone deliver the Saigyouji family's properties to you later."

The cold-blooded witch delivered her verdict on everything.

Hei Huan and Mi: "Okay."

He nodded.

Seeing his expression, the others around him realized that he probably didn't understand what was happening.

Monk Shunhui: "The Hakurei Shrine Maiden is the shrine maiden of Heian-kyo. What she says is the established fact in this city, and unless both parties to the agreement agree to break it, anyone who violates this agreement, even anyone present here, will be punished by her."

The monk explained the role of the Hakurei Shrine Maiden.

Kurokawa Kazuya belatedly realized what the other person was saying.

He wondered why these people would think of bringing the city's secret weapon to his doorstep.

It is not only the other party, but also serves as a notary.

Monk Shunhui: "If you choose to join Heian-kyo, you will also become part of the source of the Hakurei Shrine Maiden's power. However, please do not worry, this summoned power is limited to the power you obtain within Heian-kyo through this city. You can understand this simply by contacting the Hakurei Shrine Maiden with her illusory image."

Kazuya Kurokawa: "..."