Flying back from the sea, returning to the mountain of Yashima.

Just as he landed, he seemed to sense something, furrowing his brows and turning to look in the direction of the darkness.

"Lord Mo, no need to panic, it's me..."

In the stormy night, a figure approached from that direction, accompanied by Lang Yue's solemn voice, the silhouette became clear. Letting the heavy rain wash over his hair and face, the young and extraordinary warrior was none other than Minamoto no Yoshiie, who had hurried away earlier, chasing the remnants of the Taira clan.

"It's you... You know me?"

Gu Mo raised his eyebrows in surprise. Despite having met briefly before, they hadn't exchanged names. The other party merely offered a few words of thanks, said some pleasantries, then organized their troops and quickly left before the storm arrived.

How did he suddenly return now, and accurately reveal his name?

Is it a situation similar to Master Raiko and Abe no Seimei?

"Of course I know, Lord Mo... My Guardian Spirit is quite special, I'm sure you are familiar with it." Minamoto no Yoshiie nodded earnestly, staring directly at this young man of natural grace. Maybe due to the filter of idol worship, he couldn't help but feel some inner excitement in this moment.

Guardian Spirit is special...

Gu Mo did not notice Minamoto no Yoshiie's subtle changes in expression, but instinctively thought about the other party's Guardian Spirit, it seemed to be true.

Allegedly, it is the Great Tengu of Anma Mountain who took in the young Minamoto no Yoshiie, teaching him martial arts and tactics, eventually creating such a brilliant commander.

And after Minamoto no Yoshiie left the mountain, the highest-ranking Great Demon among the Tengu, possessing divine format and powerful divine power, straightforwardly transformed into a Guardian Spirit, accompanying Minamoto no Yoshiie.

Its abilities are exceedingly strong, capable of traversing time and space. It seems that in the original storyline, the reason Hidechika was summoned back to the Heian Era was because she traveled the world, reached Yashima, and due to holding Chuye Shiwan as well, she was sensed by the Anma Tengu —

This Guardian Spirit summoned the "rare person" from later generations over a battlefield three hundred and seventy years ago.

Gu Mo gathered his thoughts, squinted his eyes, and observed Minamoto no Yoshiie in the rain. Maybe it was because the Guardian Spirit hadn't appeared, he couldn't see the figure of the Anma Tengu, but indeed felt the aura of the Guardian Spirit entwined around him.

Moreover...

It seemed to be not just the aura of one Guardian Spirit.

But the aura of multiple Guardian Spirits surrounded this young commander.

Gu Mo felt confused, based on the information he had, it seemed Minamoto no Yoshiie didn't have so many Guardian Spirits. Yet now, with a rough sense, he could detect four or five Guardian Spirits present. Has the storyline undergone some unknown changes?

Quickly thinking of why he appeared in this era, he frowned: "In the previous Chuye Village, was it you who placed that scroll?"

"Yes, Lord Mo, that scroll was indeed placed there by me..."

Minamoto no Yoshiie nodded, addressing Gu Mo with utmost respect, yet a sense of awkwardness could be felt.

"Why would you do such a thing?"

"Because... it was all your arrangement." Minamoto no Yoshiie said very seriously amidst the pouring rain, under the stormy skies, with surging waves on the sea surface as a backdrop, "This is the foundation of human principles, and an important cornerstone in deciding the history of future generations, all in accordance with your will."

"Huh?"

Gu Mo was taken aback.

Foundation of human principles? Wait, why did it suddenly lead to this topic, isn't this Nioh's world? It's not the world of Fate.

......

The torrential rain poured down, in the pitch-black night one couldn't see their fingers.

Only the sound of the downpour and the occasional flash of lightning illuminating the sky, made this an oppressive, dark world.

The remnants of flames on the sea surface were extinguished, the cluster of buildings on Yashima was reduced to ruins, partially burned by war and partly submerged by the local tsunami caused by the giant Umibozu. How much was left intact?

The group merely found a place on the mountain to temporarily settle down, not being pampered people, they didn't feel much about it.

Delicate doors and windows hung broken...

Carved screens were trampled into pieces on the ground...

Even the curtains were torn and scattered.

Inside was a chaos of overturned cabinets, large patches of solidified blood in the corners, and claw marks on the tatami where someone was dragged away, leaving shocking bloodstains.

Unsure if it was the calamity coming, people's minds shattered, someone trying to pack up and flee, only to be discovered and slaughtered by an angry lord; or if thieves took advantage of the situation, causing this bloodshed, it was a scene of despair.

However, this was common during times of war, no one spoke much about it, even if there was compassion it could only be met with a sigh.

The world had always been this way...

They were not gods; if they happened to encounter such a scene, they might do something. Now, there was no way to turn back time and stop all this.