In the pavilion, Mrs. Kasahara held a teacup and turned her gaze away from Fujiwara Reya.
She wore a miko outfit adorned with gold-edged magnolias, exuding an aura of nobility and authority. Her unsmiling demeanor toward Fujiwara Reya seemed as if she had never visited Hidden God Town or secretly met him before.
Mrs. Hoshimi and the Tsuchimikado Family Head were discussing the meeting’s content.
Hoshimi Rinko was making tea, while Kasahara Asuka had disappeared somewhere to hide and play. Listening to Koubun Monk’s talk about the Killing Stone, one corner of Fujiwara Reya’s gaze caught sight of the Kamakura sea, where the water shimmered with gentle waves under the afternoon sun.
"A yokai like Tamamo-no-Mae, with a full-force strike, could destroy a small city in an instant. As cultivators, we must be fully prepared to deal with this; there’s no room for optimism, especially when such power is in the hands of a yokai with personal desires..."
"Master, have some tea."
Hoshimi Rinko, with her slender hands, offered a cup of green tea.
"Oh, sure." Koubun Monk displayed a benevolent, plump smile, giving off a genuinely friendly vibe. Sipping the tea made by this young lady, he momentarily forgot about Fujiwara Reya, squinting his eyes with joy as he said, "Rinko, are you interested in taking further studies at this monk’s Asakusa Temple? Your talent is too high to be confined to Shintoism... Besides, Buddhism has a connection with you..."
"I’ll leave it to my mother to decide."
Hoshimi Rinko smiled elegantly and bent down to serve another cup of tea.
This cup of tea was served to Fujiwara Reya, with the shadow of maple leaves cast by the setting sun delicately reflecting off the sleeves of her miko attire, allowing one to feel her pure and genuine beauty.
Fujiwara Reya finished the tea and then gave the old monk a look.
You want my wife to become a nun at your place?
Do you believe I’ll go and swap the Shakyamuni statue in your main hall with my Mountain God statue tonight?
Mrs. Hoshimi glanced over and immediately scolded, "What a shameless old monk."
Koubun Monk laughed heartily.
All these chairmen had been colleagues for many years, exchanging a few jibes without affecting their friendships.
"Has there been any outcome from the family discussions?" Fujiwara Reya asked Mrs. Hoshimi.
"Every family has to allocate half of their personnel to Tochigi County." Mrs. Hoshimi sipped her tea, her gaze directed at him as she smiled and said, "As the acting chairman, why don’t you set an example?"
"No, no, no!" Fujiwara Reya hurriedly shook his head.
Hoshimi Rinko noticed his empty teacup and bent down to refill it, the tea swirling in the cup. For original chapters go to ⓝovelFire.net
"Are you not feeling nervous, Mr. Fujiwara?" The Tsuchimikado Family Head lightly patted his folded leg.
"He’s just that kind of person—hardly fazed by anything, staying calm and collected." Mrs. Kasahara answered on behalf of her son-in-law.
"It’s not that exaggerated; I just feel very safe. After all, if the sky does fall, there are all you chairmen to bear it for me." Fujiwara Reya, with the posture of a junior, modestly said, "Especially you, esteemed Family Head, everyone knows you are the number one in the Kanto region; I’m indeed looking forward to witnessing your style in this event."
"Just call me uncle." The Tsuchimikado Family Head smiled and said.
Fujiwara Reya slightly bowed, "Hello, Uncle."
"Speaking of which, I’m very satisfied with you." The Tsuchimikado Family Head, mindful of the ties between the Fujiwara Family and the Tsuchimikado family, looked at him with a half-smile and said, "My youngest daughter is 13 this year; she is quite decent in appearance and talent. How about an engagement with you?"
Hoshimi Rinko’s hand paused, and a bit of tea spilled out.
"I prefer girls who are older." Fujiwara Reya received the tea served by his senior, her eyes seemingly conveying something, so he continued, "Like a senior like her; I’ve liked her for quite some time."
Three of the chairmen laughed out loud.
The one who didn’t laugh was Chairman Hoshimi.
Hoshimi Rinko lowered her gaze, pretending to be meek and innocent, her cheeks slightly red.
The Tsuchimikado Family Head continued talking with Fujiwara Reya about the current human-yokai standoff.
Among the yokai, there are three major clans.
The Heavenly Dog Clan, because of the disappearance of the Great Tengu, is embroiled in internal conflicts among the remaining seven Great Tengus; the Ghost Clan, due to the death of Ibaraki Douji, sees Yoshitsune becoming dispirited, losing his former vigor; the Fox Clan has had to swallow their anger for a thousand years since Tamamo-no-Mae was sealed.
The originally balanced sides saw a shift as human forces gained an absolute advantage due to the leaderless state of the major yokai clans.
If Tamamo-no-Mae were to be released, the situation would become turbulent again.
The Demon Clan is not without strength; it’s just that they lack a leader.
As one of the three great yokai, Tamamo-no-Mae has the status and power to become a leader. Moreover, Tamamo-no-Mae has a lingering desire to become a leader; having been sealed for a thousand years, she needs to rally all yokai to take revenge.
Fujiwara Reya sat listening silently.
It could be foreseen that if Tamamo-no-Mae were indeed released, the current peaceful state would undoubtedly be shattered.
Time passed quickly, and the twilight fog had already settled in, making the colors of the maple forest even richer. The western sky was dyed a deep crimson by the setting sun, and the color of the sea became more subdued.
"Whether we can stop Tamamo-no-Mae from being released mainly depends on whether you can find where the Yellow Pine Jade is." The Tsuchimikado Family Head mused, taking a sip of tea, "According to our speculation, the Fox Clan’s mass purchase of Yellow Pine Jade is to set up a strong barrier around the Killing Stone to block our attack, to buy time for breaking the seal."
"Can’t the Family Head proactively reinforce the seal?" Fujiwara Reya asked in confusion.