Chapter Sixty-Five: Abe Seimei’s Cunning Scheme

Tokyo, Japan.

A muffled thud shattered the stillness of the night within a house at the northwest corner of the Imperial Palace.

Moonlight spilled across the courtyard outside, glinting off the fine gravel. Aoandon, her wooden clogs tapping lightly, walked out with graceful steps. The commotion from inside was nothing unusual to her; she merely lifted her head slightly and called toward the tightly closed sliding door, “Master Seimei, it’s almost seven o’clock in Shanghai. The press conference about Yamata-no-Orochi is about to begin.”

The door was yanked open with a crash, and Seimei Abe appeared before Aoandon, his hair a wild, tangled mess. His kimono, tattered and scorched from a failed experiment, made him look more like a beggar freshly returned from the streets than the most renowned onmyoji of his age.

“So soon?” Seimei scratched his head. “Kagura, you and the others clean up here. I’m heading out first.”

“You idiot, Seimei! I’m not your subordinate!” came a sharp retort from inside, accompanied by the clatter of glassware.

Seimei ignored it, his figure flickering as he vanished from the courtyard.

The next instant, he appeared in a tatami-matted living room, warm lamplight filling every corner. On the wall directly ahead hung a 36-inch LCD television. He picked up the remote, pressed a button, and the screen lit up, displaying the opening sequence of the Shanghai news broadcast.

The clock on the wall struck eight. In Shanghai, it was exactly seven in the evening.

Aoandon followed and sat down beside him. On TV, after a brief introduction, the broadcast cut swiftly to the live press conference. Rows of reporters sat poised with cameras and recorders at the ready, both domestic and international media present in a lively crowd.

Such a large media turnout was, of course, due to the infamous reputation of Yamata-no-Orochi.

Although foreign countries advocated for the rights of yokai, even they did not allow monsters to commit evil openly. They spoke of freedom and harmony between humans and yokai, painting a beautiful picture for all to see, while keeping the filth and darkness hidden behind closed doors.

But Yamata-no-Orochi was different.

He was recognized by the International Psychic Organization as a terrorist—having slain a three-tailed demon and orchestrated the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, his infamy was unmatched.

Now that a mysterious powerhouse had emerged in Shanghai, one capable of slaying Yamata-no-Orochi, the media would not miss this press conference for anything.

The camera panned to the stage, and Seimei Abe studied the man who had killed Yamata-no-Orochi.

He wore a feathered crown, his features bold and striking, exuding the masculine force of a hero. Standing on stage, he gave off an aura as vast and steady as the sea.

“I wonder how many lives Yamata-no-Orochi had left at the end,” Seimei mused.

He silently assessed Bai Yujing’s strength. The International Psychic Organization divided spirit masters into nine ranks—first being the lowest, ninth the highest. Among ninth-rank spirit masters there was another measure: tailed demons.

It was common knowledge that a one-tailed demon matched the power of an ordinary ninth-rank spirit master. A two-tailed demon could easily defeat a typical ninth-rank. Yamata-no-Orochi’s defeat of a three-tailed demon had been a narrow victory, eked out with every desperate trick in the book.

To kill Yamata-no-Orochi in such a short time, one would have to possess at least the strength of a four-tailed demon.

Seimei’s expression grew grave.

...

On television, the commendation ceremony began. The Six Gates were represented by Bao Long, who presented Bai Yujing with an honorary certificate—a kilogram of pure gold.

Then Bai Yujing gave his “acceptance speech.” He offered no thanks to others, but instead recounted the history of Qingyun Sect: how the first head, the Hermit of Qingyun, had founded the sect on virtue and righteousness, and how the second head, Master Qingyang, upheld justice and protected the people. Not a word was said about their martial achievements, for in truth, there was little to boast of—only their character and ideals were praised to the skies.

...

When Bai Yujing’s “history lesson” ended, it was time for reporters’ questions. The correspondent from the Chosun Daily was already restless. Aside from Americans, no one in the world could be more remarkable than a Korean, or so he believed.

He immediately raised his hand and challenged, “Master Bai, why didn’t you follow the second head to join the expedition to the demon realm?”

“I joined Qingyun Sect on January 1, 2015,” Bai Yujing replied. “At the time, my strength was insufficient, so I was left behind. I reached the ninth rank on March 4, 2020. By around 2023, I had mastered all the spells, scriptures, and martial arts in the Central Spirit Library.”

The entire hall erupted in an uproar.

“Utter nonsense!” The reporter from the Chosun Daily thought, incredulous. To rise from an ordinary man to a ninth-rank spirit master in just over five years? Unheard of! And to master all the spells, scriptures, and martial arts in the Central Spirit Library in about eight years? Pure fantasy! Even the people of the Republic of Korea would not dare brag so shamelessly.

Seimei Abe, watching from afar, was equally skeptical.

No one understood better than Seimei how hard it was for a spirit master to be well-rounded in all disciplines. He had spent centuries mastering every scripture and incantation in Japan, earning him the title of the greatest genius in Japanese history.

To master all the scriptures, spells, and martial arts of Xia in eight years? Seimei simply could not believe such a person existed.

Aoandon laughed softly, “If you’re going to boast, at least come up with something plausible. It’s just ridiculous.”

“Whatever his personality, anyone who could kill Yamata-no-Orochi must be strong,” Seimei said, hands tucked into his sleeves with a sigh. “Xia truly is full of talent. If only they weren’t so bent on going against the world.”

While the world was embracing the yokai, only Xia still harbored such resistance. Seimei understood that the people of Xia had suffered much from the excesses of the yokai in the past. But those were matters of history; why, he wondered, did the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors refuse to move with the times and accept the yokai?

Take Yamata-no-Orochi: his past crimes were indeed heinous, but after Seimei had subdued him, he had committed no major offenses since. At most, he used a few people for experiments, but the number who died was nothing compared to his earlier victims.

To Seimei, sacrificing a few for the peace and security of many was a bargain. Yet Xia refused to see reason, insisting on the extermination of all yokai. Did they not understand that such a path would only breed fiercer resistance?

...

Back at the press conference, the seasoned reporters were at a loss on how to address Bai Yujing’s “extraordinary” achievements, for fear of making themselves look foolish.

The Associated Press reporter, however, stuck to her mission. “Master Bai, what is your view on the innocent women who have been murdered?”

Bai Yujing could not guess her motives, but recalled Tiya’s advice and replied coolly, “That question is irrelevant to this interview. Let us return to Yamata-no-Orochi. He was a formidable demon; I killed him three times before he was truly destroyed.”

“Do you think it is justified for a female yokai to be slain by humans simply for being a yokai, regardless of her actions?” the AP reporter pressed.

Bai Yujing replied, “The mission of Qingyun Sect is to protect all living beings. We will never allow evil to run rampant in Shanghai. I will carry on the will of my predecessors and make Qingyun the foremost sect in the land.”

Watching Bai Yujing’s bold declarations to the assembled media, Seimei murmured, “If he means what he says, Xia is in for a turbulent time.”

He paused and turned. “Aoandon, spread the materials on spiritual seeds and other research from Yamata-no-Orochi’s laboratory onto the Xia black market.”

“Is there any need to give them those materials?”

“Only when Xia is thrown into chaos will we have a chance to act,” Seimei replied gently.

He intended to correct the path chosen by the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and lead Xia toward the bright future of freedom and democracy.