Female Swordsman Training Dojo

The sweat on Kameda Midorishige's forehead was now impossible to hide, and his smile had turned pale. But he still struggled to explain, "Section Chief Hira, you're so funny. How could I possibly be related to the Tongxin Society? They're the Emperor's designated rebels."

Harunobu shrugged: "Maybe, we'll find out soon enough."

Yakumo Kurenai, who had been watching the show with a smile, walked over, pulling out a round, furry thing the size of a human head from the sleeve of her hunting robe as she went—well, that was a human head.

Yakumo Kurenai's head.

A faint green light shone from the lifeless eyes of the dead fox head, illuminating Kameda Midori's face. Already feeling guilty and afraid, Kameda Midori instinctively stepped back and sideways, avoiding the green light. Although he reacted quickly, he clearly lacked the ability to ignore the facts.

He could only weakly protest, "Section Chief Hira! You can't use vigilante justice on me! I'm the mayor of Osaka! My wife is from the Fujiwara family—"

Before Kameda Midori could finish speaking, Fujiwara Kaguya, feeling deeply ashamed, shot him, piercing his leg bone.

Harunobu smoothly drew the new sword given to him by the shrine maiden from his waist and, amidst the fearful and bewildered gaze of Kameda Midori, chopped off his head: "Blue, it's yours now."

Shiranui Ran sighed and shook her head: "Harunobu, Section Chief, I don't mean to criticize your approach, but the materials used in the Soul Searching Technique are very expensive."

"Isn't there a lot of money here?"

As Qingxin casually spoke, he completed the Blood Vibration, splashing blood all over the elites standing beside him, but they didn't dare to utter a sound.

Shiranui Ran sighed helplessly, then pressed down on Yakumo Kurenai, who was trying to jump back into Harunobu's arms: "Come and help me!"

"Let me go! You old woman who's been unwanted for two hundred years, all you do is disturb my intimacy with my husband—ouch, ouch, ouch!"

Yakumo Kurenai's half-serious, half-joking remark did not attract any attention.

Chapter 392

The laughter was something Qingxin and the others were used to, but the others dared not utter a sound.

Midori Kameda was right, Harunobu Taira was a monster—unfortunately, he was absolutely right.

The author says:

Author's Note: Update progress +5. The reason Qingxin is so arrogant in killing the mayor is because he's now an imperial envoy. This guy is involved in direct bribery and is suspected of colluding with designated terrorists, so killing him is no big deal. Finally, I cleared Black Myth. The first encounter with the Great Sage has four stages. I finally got him down to the last bit of health, but then his final throw kicked me out of the lane. Luckily, I didn't have to fight the first two stages in the second run, and then I passed. My assessment is that it's not as difficult as Yang Jian.

Chapter 364: Foreigners?

Shiranui Ran pushed Yakumo Kurenai aside to begin her soul-searching technique, while Harunobu went to the long table and grabbed some food. Fujiwara Kaguya, meanwhile, gripped her pistol, scanning the remaining elites with her eyes, as if she couldn't wait any longer.

No one cared about their gaze, no one cared about their questions, and naturally no one would answer why Taira no Harunobu dared to kill a mayor so easily—the mayor of Osaka City, the central city of Osaka Prefecture.

The reason is quite simple: it's really nothing to Qingxin. Putting everything else aside, even if he were truly tyrannical and indiscriminately killing innocents, his current status and power allow him to easily ask, "What, you're not convinced?"

Of course, Harunobu was a good person, so he wasn't indiscriminately killing innocent people. After all, why wouldn't a government official who could afford such a welcoming banquet be killed, just to collect money during the New Year? The mayor of Osaka's salary isn't low, but it certainly can't support such extravagant spending.

If it were just a little extravagance, Harunobu wouldn't have insisted on killing Kameda Midori; he wasn't exactly an anti-corruption expert. However, the naked women Kameda Midori brought to please Harunobu went too far. The [blank] above their heads were filled with negative emotions, and Harunobu's mood soured the moment he saw them.

And this guy is also suspected of being connected to the Tongxin Society... then all I can say is that he really deserved to die.

After taking a couple of bites, Harunobu felt a bit bored, so he put the plate back. The sound of the porcelain plate hitting the wooden table made everyone shudder, and they looked at Harunobu with fear.

Harunobu wiped his mouth with a napkin and said with satisfaction, "It seems we have reached a consensus. So, does anyone here know how Mayor Kameda knew my whereabouts?"

The dozen or so people looked at each other, their expressions a mixture of confusion and fear. Although they were close allies and even confidants of Kameda Midorishige, they genuinely didn't know, nor had they considered inquiring, how Kameda Midorishige had known Taira no Nobuyuki's whereabouts. In their minds, it was a perfectly normal and easy thing—wasn't it common for the movements of high-ranking officials to be known?

But now, they felt sweat beading on their foreheads, after all, the guy who failed to answer Hiraharu's question had been killed on the spot; his headless corpse was lying right in front of them, bleeding profusely.

"Okay, let's go back to the previous question. Have you heard of the Tongxin Society? Do you have any leads on them?"

This really stirred up public sentiment.

The familiar questions, the familiar tone, and the unfamiliar smell of corpses and blood spurred these elites to eagerly try and curry favor with Qingxin. However, the clues they provided were utterly useless.

They started making unfounded accusations, echoing others' opinions, and even began to cite myths and recite the government's previous arrest warrants and brief introductions regarding the Tongxin Society.

It seems there really aren't any members of the Tongxin Society among these people... Hmm, could we have really killed the wrong person?

Although Kameda Midorishige's corruption and coercion into prostitution were enough to warrant his death, Harunobu still didn't want to make a wrong judgment. After all, he was already dead; he should rationally shoulder all responsibilities instead of coming out to cause trouble and make everyone unhappy.

Whether it was because some deity overheard Pingda's thoughts or something else, Shiranui Ran quickly returned to his side: "We found out, and they are indeed peripheral members of the Tongxin Society—that's what they say, but in reality, they just accept bribes and act as a protective umbrella for the Tongxin Society to facilitate their activities."

Harunobu patted Fujiwara Kaguya's head: "Alright, put the gun away."

Fujiwara Kaguya twirled her gun, engaging the safety on her M1911, holstering it, and stylishly flicking the wide-brimmed cowboy hat off the barrel. Then, Harunobu pinched her cheek and pulled her into his arms.

So cute.

As Harunobu and his group walked to the side, the remaining elites breathed a sigh of relief—then, Harunobu turned back around.

Before they could catch their breath, two of the elites collapsed, both unconscious from lack of air.

Harunobu stared speechlessly at the two men, suspecting they were trying to scam him. But it didn't matter; as long as someone was still alive, that was enough.

Qingxin pointed with one finger to the naked women around him, who looked bewildered yet slightly surprised: "I forgot to mention earlier, no matter how you got these people, you're all to be settled in properly afterward—don't try to play any tricks on me, and think about whether your necks are tough enough to withstand my knife."

A person's name is like a tree's shadow. The first place winner of the Tianlan Examination, as advertised, along with the corpse of Kameda Midorishige and his past embellishments, serve as evidence that none of the remaining elites dared to disobey Harunobu.

Qingxin nodded in satisfaction: "Alright, remember to be a good person from now on, that way you might still have a chance to go to a prison."

Saying something that was more of a threat than a consolation, Harunobu walked toward Yakumo Kurenai, who was waving at him. The red fox had already revealed its fluffy ears and tail, which were very similar to the fox head she was holding.

It's a strange feeling, even though I know this is a gadget that allows the newly reborn Yakumo Kurenai to access the memories of the former Yakumo Kurenai at any time. Because the former Yakumo Kurenai's soul has been scattered and her brain has been severely damaged, she has lost a lot of her memories, and what remains are fragmented, so it's impossible to ask her directly with the same complete memories.

But no matter the reason, seeing a girl holding the head of her future self is still too strange.

That feels pretty good.

Noticing Harunobu's gaze shift, Yakumo Kurenai angrily tossed the fox head into her sleeve, then pounced on Harunobu with a standing long jump, only to be easily subdued.

"What did he say? Was there any news about the Tongxin Society?"

Despite the commotion, Yakumo Kurenai wouldn't let it interfere with business: "One thing is certain, he got his information about us from the Tongxin Society; and the Tongxin Society seems to value his status, and even specifically asked him to be in charge of receiving a group of distinguished guests."

Qingxin's eyes lit up: "Distinguished guest? Who?"

Yakumo Hong pouted, "It's a pity we arrived too early. He hasn't even met those distinguished guests yet. The information the Tongxin Association gave him was only vague. The only certainty was that those distinguished guests were all foreigners, Westerners."

"Even monsters have a foreign worship mentality?" Harunobu was speechless. "That alone is useless. There are plenty of foreigners in Osaka."

Because Osaka Prefecture is also an important port and industrial city, with many Western merchants and even Russians coming and going, it is almost impossible to find specific individuals by relying solely on foreigners.

Even with the system's assistance, Qingxin couldn't possibly ask every foreigner he saw if they had heard of the Tongxin Society. Besides, even if he did ask, it would be difficult to judge their reactions.

Harunobu had a bit of a headache.

Chapter 365: The Only Chance in This Life

While Harunobu and his ilk were wreaking havoc in Osaka... I mean, working hard, Tokyo wasn't peaceful either. To be precise, Tokyo hasn't been peaceful since last year, ever since someone went on a killing spree last year.

The Yakuza were made famous by the Bracers.

Chapter 393

People were insecure, and businessmen were terrified by the rise of new talents. The political arena was in turmoil, with the cabinet dissolving and the prime minister dying suddenly, prompting a flurry of competition among party members for office. Then, after the Ueno bombing, a large number of veteran and middle-ranking officials were killed, leaving many once powerful clans and aristocratic families without their pillars and anchors; those who had served under them, and those still above them, naturally took immediate action.

After all, whether it's superiors bullying subordinates or subordinates overthrowing superiors, these are traditional skills of this country, and they can't afford not to perform them.

Of course, politicians wouldn't be foolish enough to cause trouble for Taira no Nobu, even if he suddenly became the head of the Anti-Demon Division and a high-ranking official with real power. But in this incident, many more people besides ordinary politicians were affected.

For example, the Yin-Yang Bureau that has lost its Yin-Yang head.

Tsuchimikado Komei, the current patriarch of the Tsuchimikado family—meaning clan head and head of the family—dreamed of becoming a great Onmyoji like his ancestor Abe no Seimei. Unfortunately, his talent in magic was limited. Not to mention becoming Tsuchimikado Seimei, he hadn't even been able to compete for the position of Onmyoji head in his forty-plus years of life.

He was very dissatisfied with this. The old man from the Fujiwara clan was only good because he had lived twenty years longer than him. Otherwise, with the little bit of Yin-Yang arts that his family had pieced together with Fujiwara Michinaga and Ashiya Dōman, how could he be compared to him?

Regardless of what outsiders say, this is how the Tsuchimikado family views the change of ownership of the Yin-Yang Head.

So when Fujiwara no Mitsuyori was pleasantly swept away by the sudden explosion, Tsuchimikado Kitsune immediately perked up, wanting to compete for the Yin-Yang Head position again. However, he was clearly not the only one who saw this opportunity for advancement.

The Fujiwara clan wasn't completely wiped out—even if they were, successors could be found from the Kujo, Onomichi, and other regent families—so naturally, they weren't willing to relinquish their position as head of the Onmyōdō lineage. Meanwhile, the Ashiya clan, claiming to be the successors of Ashiya Dōman; the Kamo clan, the true founder of Onmyōdō and the teacher of Abe no Seimei; and various other Onmyōji families were all eyeing the position covetously.

Everyone wants to eat this big, fatty piece of meat.

Moreover, there was a subtle indication that the Fujiwara and Ashiya clans were considering forming an alliance, given their long-standing ties. The Tsuchimikado and Kamo clans should have followed suit, but unfortunately, Tsuchimikado Kitsume's relationship with the current elders of the Kamo clan was not good.

Two against one, or even three against one, Tsuchimikado Kitsuneaki, though confident in his status as Japan's greatest Onmyoji, was still deeply worried. As a man in his forties, he had to consider whether this was his only chance in his life.

Today, he stayed alone in the quiet room, deep in thought. He even kept only one of the shikigami he had subdued as a guard. It was a three-tailed fox, pure white as snow, with blood-red eyes. At this moment, it was the size of an ordinary fox, lying beside Tsuchimikado Kitsume.

"Kuzuha, oh Kuzuha, tell me, what's the best way?"

Tsuchimikado Komei suddenly spoke, calling out the name of his shikigami, but his gaze remained fixed on himself. It was as if he were asking for the opinion of the three-tailed fox Kuzunoha, or perhaps he was talking to himself.

A strange glint flashed in the three-tailed fox's eyes. It straightened its neck, shook its fur, and then stretched out its leg to brush the back of its neck. After a bit of playfulness, and confirming that Tsuchimikado Kitsune's gaze hadn't changed, it opened its fox mouth into a thin slit.

Tsk tsk tsk, his master really hasn't changed at all since childhood. Ambitious but incompetent, with unrealistic ambitions, especially fond of portraying himself as pure and innocent, yet unable to let go of those underhanded methods... Tsk tsk tsk, I wonder if the female fox from a thousand years ago who shares his name would eat this guy alive if she saw her descendants like this.

According to legend, Abe no Seimei was the son of the white fox Kuzunoha, possessing extraordinary magical powers from birth. However, Tsuchimikado Komei was a pure human, so he enjoyed capturing fox spirits to use as shikigami, especially white foxes. The only one he named Kuzunoha, however, was a male fox, a fact that many found strange, but no one dared to ask.

Kuzuha grinned and said lazily in a low voice, "Then try to win over more allies. Kamo Hiratsuka only stole one of your foxes, it's not like he's your mother; apologize to him and make amends..."

Well, it seems not.

Kuzuha pursed her lips and changed her approach: "Why not try to win over the Ashiya clan? They've always disliked the Fujiwara clan for claiming their ancestral secrets as their own; as long as you're willing to spend money, you're not afraid of not being able to win them over—or even give them some magic?"

Tsuchimikado Kitsune remained silent.

Kuzuha shook his head helplessly: "Then why don't we just go find the Fujiwara clan? They're probably having a headache right now. Not only is Fujiwara Mitsuzawa dead, but they also lost fifty-five core members recently. Of the four clans, they're the weakest right now. How about we learn from their family's strengths and form a marriage alliance with them?"

Tsuchimikado Komei frowned slightly, and Kuzuha knew he was interested.

So Ge Ye continued, “Among the young ladies, Miss Dong is already married and too old to be suitable. Miss Qiu is currently in contact with the third son of the Yamamoto family, and changing her mind rashly would offend both families, so she is also unsuitable. That leaves only Miss Xia and Miss Chun.”

The three-tailed fox, who understood the meaning from Tsuchimikado Komei's micro-expression, helplessly flicked its tail and continued, "Miss Xia has outstanding talent and has the potential to reproduce the method of the Lord of Mount Tai. She is not suitable for marriage outside the family."

At this point, Kuzuha paused, then tried to continue, "But Haruno is a useless piece of trash, utterly devoid of talent. Sending her might only anger the Fujiwara clan..."

"Then let her try a few more," Tsuchimikado Komei said in a low voice. "We're not the only ones in a hurry right now; the others are just as anxious."

Kuzuha twitched her ears and said calmly, "But she is still an advisor in Shiranui."

"Just a bunch of ninjas. Once I become the Yin-Yang Master, how dare they act so arrogantly?" Tsuchimikado Komei murmured to himself, as if trying to convince himself.

Kuzue added, "But she doesn't go home now; instead, she stays at the dojo of the unparalleled Taira no Shinichi."

Tsuchimikado Kitsune raised his voice slightly: "So what if it's Taira no Nobu? Does he think he can stop my daughter from coming home? Besides, he's not here right now!"

Kuzue was speechless. It was as if he needed someone to stop his daughter from coming back; but he didn't dare to continue, after all, he wasn't really Tsuchimikado Kitsune's mother.

So, only Tsuchimikado Kitsune's mutterings remained in the quiet room: "As a daughter of the Tsuchimikado family, having enjoyed so many resources and upbringing from them, are you not even willing to share the burdens of the Tsuchimikado family?!"

The three-tailed fox closed its eyes, concealing the mockery within.

The author says:

Author's note: Please vote! Please vote!

Chapter 366: A loving father and a filial daughter

"My father's orders?"

At the entrance of the Aozora-kan, Tsuchimikado Haru looked at the Onmyoji in surprise. The tall, thin man in a sky-blue hunting robe raised his chin with composure and said coldly, "Yes, it is the elder's order. Come back with me now."

As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed Tsuchimikado Haru's wrist, clearly growing impatient. After all, to send a Yin-Yang expert like him to deliver a message to a useless rock—the elder really spoiled his daughter too much. Honestly, he'd be better off using that time to observe Miss Xia's meditation and see if he could learn anything from her.

Hmm? Why are your hands a little cold?

The arrogant Onmyoji finally lowered his head and noticed his arm, severed cleanly at the wrist. The excruciating pain finally overwhelmed him; fueled by equally intense rage, he used his intact left hand to form a hand seal, summoning his shikigami: "Kill—bring her here!"

A wild boar engulfed in flames burst forth from nothingness, its momentum as fierce as a locomotive. The raging inferno scorched the ground black. Tsuchimikado Haru, staring at the fiery boar, took a step back.

Chapter 394

They retreated back into the Aozora Pavilion.

The Onmyoji, having witnessed this, raised his head again as if he had won: "You worthless piece of stone, how dare you attack me? You're courting death! Today I'll show you what true power is—"

His remaining words vanished along with the fire pig's head, leaving only a head full of cold sweat.

Haru Tsuchimikado tapped the frozen fire pig carcass in mid-air with her new knife, which was stained with bright red blood, and turned to call into the room: "Nana-nee, you're in for a treat today! The tenderloin of the fire pig is perfect for grilling!"

Hanazawa Nana, who wasn't on duty today, lazily walked out carrying her sword, yawning widely: "Ugh... what's going on? A monster has come knocking?"

Tsuchimikado Haru smirked and said with feigned seriousness, "No, they should be accomplices of the Tongxin Society. In broad daylight, they instigated monsters to commit crimes... What were the rules set by the teacher, no, the section chief again?"

"Kill—no mercy."

The moment Hanazawa Nana uttered the word "kill," she had already appeared before the Onmyoji, accompanied by thunder.

Since it was just a errand-running task, and it was done by someone from the Tsuchimikado family, the Onmyoji didn't even cast any defensive spells on himself, and the quality of his magical hunting robe was really mediocre—at least, it couldn't withstand the demon sword from the shrine maiden in Hanazawa Nana's hand.