Chapter 90

White hair, white robes, golden eyes, wearing a gorgeous kimono—wasn't the person walking into the cave with a smile the shrine maiden who had just been obliterated by Master Leipu yesterday, the head of the Three Noble Children of True Buddhism, Ise Amaterasu?

How could someone whose head was smashed to pieces by a single punch from Master Leipu just yesterday, and whose corpse was taken away by the Onmyoryo for examination, be appearing here, alive and kicking?!

"Don't be so surprised."

The white-haired shrine maiden smiled slightly, unconcerned. "The sun is immortal. Even if it sets today, it will rise again tomorrow morning."

"That Master Leipu might have a bit of brute strength. But how could he possibly kill me with just his fists?"

Although she said that, the few family heads who had seen her many times, especially the Ara-washi family who specialized in martial arts, vaguely felt that the aura around this white-haired woman was a bit different from before.

"Things have reached this point, and everyone is in a hurry, so I won't waste words—I have come today to offer you all one final chance at victory."

Victory?

The imperial court has already come to suppress us, and there are those two absurdly powerful deities, Jingo Rin and Master Leipu. We are struggling just to survive, so how can we talk about victory?

"Actually, the method is very simple."

Ise's smile remained unchanged as she slowly pulled a gourd from the sleeve of her kimono. "First, as long as your entire clans become immortal, then even if you cannot guarantee victory in the battle against the Official Exorcists, you certainly won't be defeated, right?"

"As long as you can inflict enough casualties on the Official Exorcists to make them realize it's not worth the cost, the central government will eventually have to give up on force."

Huh? Is immortality something you can just have for the asking?

The six family heads here had all done shady business with True Buddhism and had received large sums of money from Ise. But the looks they gave the white-haired shrine maiden now were clearly filled with disbelief.

The white-haired shrine maiden had no choice but to continue, as if patiently explaining to ignorant children: "This gourd contains Waka-mizu—now that I say that, you should all be able to understand, right?"

Several family heads had their pupils dilate in shock. Because Waka-mizu was indeed very famous in the Japanese occult world.

Thanks to Hidetaka Miyazaki, many people think of *Sekiro* when they hear the term Waka-mizu. But in fact, this is not a term invented by Hidetaka Miyazaki, but a concept that truly exists in Japanese legends, recorded in ancient books like the *Man'yōshū* and *Shoku Nihongi*.

Explaining it in detail is a bit troublesome, so in a nutshell—Waka-mizu is a divine object bestowed by the deity Tsukuyomi, one of the Three Noble Children. Drinking it or bathing in it can turn white hair black, cure chronic illnesses, and cause wounds to undergo Restoration.

Because the meaning of [Tsukuyomi] is [counting time]. Waka-mizu is actually a divine object that can turn back time and make things washed by it [become young].

It's not just about regaining youth; if used in battle, you can imagine how powerful it would be!

"I will provide you all with large quantities of Waka-mizu. If you don't believe me, you can certainly test it out first."

"I will also continue to provide you with ample funds. Not only that, I can arrange for the elderly, women, and children in your clans who are not suited for battle to leave Japan. Even if you don't win, you can ensure your family lineage is not severed."

The terms she offered were simply too good.

So good that it was obviously suspicious.

Therefore, the head of the Jūyaku Clan spoke first, his voice low and full of vigilance: "What is the price, Ms. Ise?"

The white-haired shrine maiden smiled slightly, a hint of mockery on her lips.

"Your six clans must cooperate with my plan to defeat Master Leipu and Jingo Rin."

"Do not think this is impossible. They are not truly invincible; they have merely obtained some insignificant fragments of the True Buddha."

"And the True Buddha, the White God, is with us."

"As long as you cooperate with my arrangements, we will be able to use the power of the True Buddha to thoroughly defeat them."

089: Victory is certain!

March 9th. A light rain began to drift in the sky.

The elite Official Exorcists encountered difficulties for the first time during their investigation.

While searching the ancestral home of the Jūyaku Clan located in the spirit mountains, the Official Exorcists were met with strong resistance for the first time.

"Immortality?"

Gojo Masamichi, stepping out from the back seat of a limousine, glanced at the raindrops bouncing off the asphalt road and opened his favorite fan with a *snap*.

He was the captain leading the Onmyoryo Exorcists this time, holding the official rank of [Onmyoji].

It might sound a bit strange at first, but the title of [Onmyoji] is not something just anyone can claim. Just like the [Eunuch] title in the Ming Dynasty couldn't be used by just any palace servant; only those with a rank of 5b or higher could be called "Eunuchs."

From Onmyo Student to Onmyo Technician, from Onmyo Technician to Onmyo Junior Official, from Onmyo Junior Official to Onmyo Senior Official, and finally reaching the rank of Junior 7th Grade, only then were you qualified to call yourself an [Onmyoji]. Most of the guys in manga who throw two shikigami and dare to call themselves [Onmyoji] are neither civil servants nor officially registered; they are just unlicensed amateurs.

Junior 7th Grade might sound a bit low. But considering how young he was, a Junior 7th Grade official was actually not small at all. In the neighboring region, even a county magistrate was only Proper 7th Grade.

Moreover, the extent of one's power stems from how close you are to the center of power, not from the literal rank prescribed.

"How could there be any immortality in a place like this? No matter what kind of evil spirits or heretics they are, they can be killed with the correct methods."

After saying this, Gojo Masamichi walked off the car. The body of the spotless black limousine was like a mirror, reflecting his figure as he strode forward.

At twenty-four years old, his face was quite handsome, his skin fair, and his features regular. His slender eyebrows and narrow eyes gave people a feeling of calm intelligence, and his mouth was slightly upturned, carrying a faint, confident smile. His white hunting robe and blue hakama were both embroidered with Abe no Seimei's pentagram seal, and his entire attire was neat without a single wrinkle.

That kind of composure and solemnity was clearly not an atmosphere that an ordinary Onmyoji could possess. As he stepped out of the car, it was as if even the rain in the sky dared not fall onto his shoulders.

The accompanying Exorcist assistant, in order to keep his superior's shoulders and lustrous black hair from getting a single drop of rain on them, hurriedly held up an umbrella from behind, maintaining it at a perfect angle.

Gojo Masamichi, he was the young genius of the Onmyoryo headquarters.

Born into the main Gojo family and raised in Kyoto, at twelve he defeated a high-level heretical shikigami in actual combat using the [Descent of the Fire Wisdom King] technique. At sixteen, he was included in the national registry as an Onmyo Student; at seventeen, he participated in the case of sealing the [Deep Mountain Demon Fetus] in the old Nagano territory; at twenty-one, he was promoted to Onmyo Senior Official and was granted actual command authority before he had even formally graduated from university.

Last time, during the suppression of the Shikoku regional sorcery group rebellion. Although it might have been possible to force a surrender through negotiation, he only flipped through a page of the field notes, then immediately ordered everything to be burned, leading a dozen or so Exorcists to forcibly clear the entire building in one strike.

"A genius who knows how to work hard, not just possessing bloodline."

The current Onmyo Head (the highest official of the Onmyoryo) once evaluated him like this: "The technique of turning spiritual power into a flame dragon to devour hundreds of demons is quite excellent. As long as he is tempered and breaks through the barrier, he will surely reach the peak."

Calm, precise, and unshakeable—like that paper fan in the rain, it both conceals his edge and can kill at any moment.

Someone hearing this might not be able to help but ask— "Is he really surnamed Gojo? Is it that Gojo clan member who got cut in half?"

In fact, in reality, there really is a branch family with the surname [Gojo] among the descendants of Sugawara no Michizane, and they do indeed have a role in the field of jujutsu. Gege Akutami is sometimes really good at obsessing over strange details.

After all, not every jujutsu sorcerer with the surname Gojo gets cut in half.

"And then?"

Gojo Masamichi narrowed his eyes and looked at the looming old mansion in the spirit mountains ahead. The mansion was hazy in the rain and mist like a ghost.

"How many people died?"

There was no fear in his eyes, only a trace of contempt and weariness.

The assistant immediately reported: "It is not a very shocking number. Specifically, five direct staff, three Onmyo Students, and one external investigator."

"That's enough."

His voice was not loud, but it made the five accompanying Onmyo Student assistants all look solemn.

The ancestral home of the Jūyaku Clan was located at the end of a deep valley in the mountains, surrounded by old pines, cypresses, and wild medicinal herbs. Amidst the misty rain, one could only see rows of houses winding along the mountain terrain, their roofs covered in moss.

If one were not in the know, one would never connect this secluded mansion in the mountains with the refining of medicinal gu-poison or live-body experimentation.

The closer they got, the more the Official Exorcists felt a chilling, ominous atmosphere.

"The main mansion is ahead."

An Onmyo Student approached to clear the path and reported at the same time.

However, just as his boot sole touched the bluestone ground, everyone suddenly heard a strange *click* sound under their feet.

In an instant, swarms of worms wriggling like mud gushed out from the broken bluestone slabs, their crimson skin flashing as if a mechanism had been triggered, and they exploded in mid-air—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The explosions came in a series, with bits of flesh and viscous liquid flying everywhere, immediately causing the Exorcist scouting in front to be poisoned and collapse on the spot! The protective charm on his body was corroded until it emitted black smoke!

"Giant earthworms. You all fall back."

Gojo Masamichi said in a deep voice, waving the fan in his hand, gently whipping up a fierce wind, and with one blow of the air blade, he split several crimson worms.

These things were as thick as an adult man's arm and shaped like long ropes. Even with their sticky bodies cut in half, they were still wriggling, and even wanted to launch further attacks. How terrifying!

"The Jūyaku Clan buried these demon worms in the front courtyard, and they even altered the earth veins. This was set up in advance, specifically to be triggered when we came to investigate."

He looked at the pile of grotesque flesh, his fan swaying gently, his eyes as calm as a mirror.

This kind of earthworm-shaped demon can often be encountered in places like sewers. Although their strength is at most that of a minor demon, what is truly terrifying is their number and reproductive ability. Although they are oviparous, they can reproduce sexually or asexually through fission parasitism. Moreover, regardless of whether the other party is of the same or a different species, they can use various methods to overcome reproductive isolation, and even if there is only one, it can multiply in the blink of an eye. Although ordinary Onmyo Students can kill them instantly, they can't handle the sheer numbers, and they also launch sneak attacks.

Once entangled, they not only spit out a mysterious paralytic liquid that only dissolves clothes, but also take the opportunity to burrow into every hole on the body, and then offer a whole set of breathtaking combo attacks, from tentacles piercing nerves to ah-face-egg, etc.

"Should we change the route?"

The assistant asked anxiously.

"Changing the route will be the same."

Gojo Masamichi's tone was flat.

He looked up at the eaves of the main mansion not far away, where an eyeball-sized, grotesque round worm was trembling gently. Obviously, the Jūyaku Clan had already noticed the incident here.

"It's not convenient to drag this out any longer. Prepare the [Acala Fire Realm Curse]."

He spoke softly, his voice not loud, but these words were like a heavy hammer falling in the rain.

Hearing the three words [Fire Realm Curse], the four Onmyo Students behind him immediately pulled out curse charms from their bosoms, stood in the four cardinal directions, and formed a pentagram array surrounding Gojo.

They were practical Exorcists within the national establishment; even if they were the lowest-level civil servants in the Onmyoryo, their movements were uniform and without a hint of hesitation.

"Homage to all Tathagatas, homage to the words of all Buddhas."

Gojo Masamichi stood in the center of the array, slowly raised the folding fan in his hand, and with a flick of his fingertips, a string of folded curse charms scattered into the air, automatically unfolding like a lotus flower, and immediately rose up with a wisp of spiritual flame like the scorching sun.

"May the Wrathful One destroy all obstacles with supreme rage."

The chanting echoed in the mountains, rolling up layers of spiritual power ripples, and a circle of golden-red fire patterns outlined by the curse formula extended from under Gojo Masamichi's feet, instantly connecting the four positions of the array, forming a blazing fire.

The four Onmyo Students each opened their mouths and spat out a mouthful of true qi, injecting it into the spiritual charms in their hands, and chanted in unison: "Devour! Devour! Burn away all difficulties!"

The spiritual charms immediately rose from their hands, flew into the air and spun, connecting with each other to form a blazing fire barrier.

Gojo Masamichi narrowed his eyes, formed a seal with his right hand, and suddenly struck out with his palm—

"Hum! Dza! Ha! Hrih (May this curse be fulfilled)!"

A scorching white arc of light immediately exploded!

A hand, a giant arm formed of crimson lotus flames, suddenly rushed out from the array, and vaguely, one could see the angry eyes of Acala, transforming into a flame storm that burned everything, causing the evil worms and gu-poison lurking under the bluestone slabs in the front courtyard to all explode simultaneously in the firelight, their body fluids vaporizing, and their corpses turning to slag!

"Screech—"

Screams that did not belong to humans, but were very similar to human screams, came from underground, sounding like crying and laughing, heart-rending. A large number of demon worms leaped out from underground, attempting to escape the fire realm. However, as soon as they showed their heads, they were devoured by the fire lotus and turned into charred remains.

From the front courtyard of the main mansion to the main gate, in just over ten seconds, the ground was already a patch of black charcoal and scorch marks, as if it were a pure land swept by the wrath of the Wisdom King.

Even after the flames were extinguished, the air still remained scorching, with the stench of the burnt carcasses of the gu-worms.

"Continue forward."

Gojo Masamichi's tone was as usual; he put away the folding fan that was still dissipating heat and gently adjusted the sleeves of his hunting robe.

Ahead, the door to the Jūyaku Clan's main mansion also slowly opened after being scorched by the flames.

—Click-clack, click-clack.

Suddenly, a distorted, strange sound came from inside the main mansion door. As the edges of the flames flickered slightly, a figure slowly moved out from behind the smoke.

That was an extremely terrifying body; it still retained the silhouette of a human, but it appeared gaunt and elongated.

Its limbs were bent unnaturally, and its skin had lost the color that humans should have. Instead, it presented a texture of grayish-green mixed insect shell.

His back was visibly hunched, as if it were the shape of some kind of insect pupa about to break out of its cocoon, and under the muscle and skin, countless tiny worms seemed to be slowly wriggling.

But his eyes were unexpectedly clear.

"Jūyaku Sōgen…"

An Onmyo Student exclaimed in a low voice, his face changing drastically.

The head of the Jūyaku Clan grinned.

"Welcome, honored guests."

The voice carried an echo like the chirping of insects, reverberating in the flames and the curtain of rain.

From the eaves, courtyards, corner towers, and behind the walls all around, heavy footsteps came one after another.

One by one, members of the Jūyaku Clan stepped out of the shadows, revealing their figures.