I have an infinite number of shikigami-Chapter 51 - 45. Gouzi sent a message from Yingyan Mountain

It was two in the morning when I returned to Asakusa Shrine.

In the ruins, cherry blossoms had fallen.

Silently, the petals danced and drifted down.

I turned on the light of the worship hall; under the dim white light, everything appeared faded, and the dim corridor leading to the backyard exuded a faint musty smell of books.

To draw the cards, there must be a sense of ritual... Fujiwara Reya lit a stick of incense for his own deity, clapped his hands, and after a serious bow, he walked into the bathroom to wash his face and bathe.

After the bath, he meticulously trimmed his nails, cleaned his ears, and finally scrutinized his face in the mirror.

Nothing much had changed from a year ago; his overall demeanor was still refined and scholarly, perfect like a model high school student. But when he lifted his fringe, he exuded an imposing aura, like a rebellious young master from a prestigious family.

Having done everything thoroughly, his stomach began to growl with hunger.

Fujiwara Reya emerged from the bathroom and slipped into the kitchen to prepare something to eat.

The fridge was well stocked with ingredients, including meats, milk, fruits, vegetables, ham, and cheese. While it might not be enough to whip up a sumptuous meal, there was still enough to make a sandwich, slice vegetables for a salad, or fry up a couple of home-style dishes.

Typically, Fujiwara Reya would cook his meals at home, though occasionally, he would treat himself by ordering takeout or dining out.

He was something of a hedonist.

Even if saving money to repair the shrine was necessary, he wouldn’t deprive himself of a lavish meal as a reward.

After busying himself in the kitchen for a moment, he cut some ham and heated it, then fried two eggs and toasted two slices of bread. Finally, he took two cans of beer from the fridge and sat on the eaves of the worship hall.

Cool breezes rustled through the courtyard.

The cherry blossom petals gently danced, drifting down into the eaves.

He did not turn on the lights, only lit an oil lamp.

In the soft evening breeze, the flame, no larger than a pinky, flickered gently as if breathing.

Aside from this small light, the surroundings were engulfed in darkness; the bustling energy of Tokyo seemed absorbed by the thick clouds blanketing the city, enveloping everything in silence.

Fujiwara Reya sipped his beer, focused intently on the lamp, observing the flickering trail of the flame.

Living alone for long inevitably led to numerous habits, be they peculiar or mundane.

Staring at a single object for prolonged periods, ironing clothes repeatedly, dining in noisy restaurants, listening to old-fashioned music, reading outdated books—unknowingly becoming out of step with the times...

This kind of lifestyle, indeed, as Asuka put it, resembled that of a solitary elder.

Yet, it was peculiarly pleasant, much like a squirrel resting on pinecones in a tree trunk, awaiting the arrival of spring—or so Fujiwara Reya thought.

Moreover...

He still had the Snow Woman baby accompanying him.

"Snow Princess, come out and drink!"

The ice wind blew, and the Snow Woman emerged from the snow.

Having rested in the system space for a while, her demonic power had partially recovered, her body once again coated in frost.

Crystal clear eyes, serene, fixed on her master without a stir.

The night breeze brushed through, rustling the master’s bangs with the leaves of the cherry tree in the courtyard, joyfully swaying, petals fluttering down, with a playful one gently landing on his cheek.

The master seemed oblivious.

He maintained the same pose, leaning against the pillar, casually bending his left knee across the floor.

The Snow Woman watched him for a while.

Curiously, she extended her hand, picked up a petal, and brought it to her nose for a sniff, detecting a faint fragrance.

♪ I’m 14 years old

♪ I’m pretty

(I’m 14 years old, a bit cute.)

The sudden phone ringtone startled the Snow Woman.

She hid behind Fujiwara Reya, hands resting on his shoulders, little ears twitching as if alert to any forthcoming danger.

"There, there, it’s nothing." Fujiwara Reya reassured her, habitually patting her head.

The Snow Woman buried her face into his back.

Moonlight slipped past the eaves, slanting down, bathing her silver hair.

He fished out the phone from his pocket, the screen displaying an unfamiliar number.

Fujiwara Reya swiped the answer icon, and a woman’s voice came through the earpiece.

"Ten minutes, give me ten minutes." She began abruptly.

A strange voice.

Fujiwara Reya felt confident in his memory for voices; he was certain this late-night caller was a stranger.

"Excuse me, may I ask who you’re trying to reach?" he inquired politely.

"You! Just need ten minutes, that will do," the woman whispered.

Her voice was soft, ethereal, like a lover whispering while hiding from her bedmate in the middle of the night.

"Please go ahead."

"I’ve discovered some information, the bead given to me by the young master..."

"What—"

Fujiwara Reya suddenly raised his voice, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Gouzi, what’s wrong with you?"

"Gouzi?"

"Gouzi, how did you turn into a woman?"

The other end fell silent, as if submerged underwater, silent to the point of extremity.

After about a minute passed, Dark Crow’s voice, sounding like a young resentful woman, came through gloomily.

"Young master, I’m a Heavenly Dog, not just a dog..."

"Oh, that’s not the point," Fujiwara Reya replied calmly, "What’s with your voice?"

"After arriving in Yingyan Mountain’s territory, I disguised myself and infiltrated the local Heavenly Dog clan to gather information. All the inkstone jade processing is handled by Yoshimasa Tengu of Yingyan Mountain. Today, under the pretense of quality issues, I caused a disturbance with the bead. Then... I sedated Yoshimasa Tengu’s wife and posed as her in bed to extract information from him."

In a way, it could be considered a midnight tryst behind the husband’s back... Fujiwara Reya thought, "Gouzi, you’ve worked hard."

"Working for the young master is not hard at all!"

On the other end, Dark Crow’s breathing became slightly hurried.

Being able to work for the young master was a great honor for him.

"The intelligence I’ve gathered so far includes two points. One: the Evil Purifying Pearl given to the young master is the tenth in a sequence, custom-made for a mysterious client, with a total of ten pearls. Two: the ninth in the sequence is with Luo Xinfu."

"If it’s for a mysterious client, how is the second point certain?"

"Yoshimasa Tengu said it himself; in the second year after delivery, there was a problem with the ninth pearl that needed reworking. A Spider Lady who brought it inadvertently revealed Luo Xinfu’s name and mentioned that Luo Xinfu is currently in Tokyo."

"Nicely done!" Fujiwara Reya praised his subordinate, "When you return to Tokyo, I’ll give you a few days off."

"Thank you, young master!"

After a slight pause, when Fujiwara Reya was about to hang up, Dark Crow’s voice came through.

"However, I won’t be returning to Tokyo so soon. I request the young master to allow me to stay here a while longer."

"What are you still doing there?" Fujiwara Reya asked, puzzled.

"I plan to understand the entire operations of Yingyan Mountain from within, including the number of top-ranked big demons and the mobilizable warrior forces."

"..."

"I always felt that the reason young master hasn’t issued decrees to unify the seven Great Tengu is because there’s unfamiliarity with them and fear of their resistance. Now, Dark Crow will be the young master’s eyes, first thoroughly surveying Yingyan Mountain."

"Uh, Gouzi..."

"Yes, young master!"

"Is there a possibility, just a possibility..." Fujiwara Reya hesitated, speaking ambiguously, "that perhaps your young master doesn’t want to unify the Heavenly Dog Clan because he’s a bit laid back?"

The phone line fell silent again for over a minute.

"Young master, Gouzi...no, Dark Crow is a bit hurt," said Dark Crow with a soulless voice, "My time’s almost up. I have to go back to continue impersonating someone’s wife, or I’ll blow my cover..."

"Oh, take care," instructed Fujiwara Reya, "Withdraw if it gets dangerous, especially if Yoshimasa Tengu tries anything. I wouldn’t let you compromise yourself to that extent."

"Thank you for your concern, young master!"

Dark Crow’s voice on the other end regained its vitality, sounding as if it had come back to life.

Fujiwara Reya ended the call and fell into contemplation.

The legendary male assassin, the ruthless nectar princess, Great Demon Luo Xinfu...

In life, she was a renowned beauty who turned into a vengeful spider spirit after being betrayed by her love.

Her hatred for her lover consumed her body and heart, driven by revenge, she began seducing men, consuming their heads.

Of course.

The above was the setting for the first Luo Xinfu.

The current Luo Xinfu retained only the seductive genes and nectar-draining attributes, unrelated to the legends.

Moreover, it must be noted that Luo Xinfu isn’t a name exclusive to any Spider Demon. This title represents the Empress within the Spider Demon clan, the strongest Spider Lady.

An Empress among Spider Ladies... Fujiwara Reya thought, holding his beer can, that he’d indeed been having bad luck with spiders lately, possibly already being secretly targeted by the Empress.

To this suspicion, his heart felt unperturbed; rather, there was a small thrill.

If the Empress could be subdued, it would effectively mean conquering the entire Spider Demon clan, thus bringing a powerful force under his control.

And most importantly.

Each generation of Luo Xinfu was the most beautiful and alluring Spider Lady. If he could capture the Empress and dress her eight furry legs in white stockings... just the thought made him more excited.

But the problem is...

Where is the Empress?

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