Chapter 136: Bait and Waiting
Inside the villa, minimalist design and white European-style decoration coexisted in quiet harmony.
The place was clean, spacious, and almost too serene for Kyoto's current state. Beyond the windows, the city was still wrapped in darkness and Omnyo energy, crawling with Yokai and death. Yet inside the villa, a familiar Strategic Barrier separated the room from everything outside.
Gin Tsumugi appeared silently in the living room.
"Yaksha Oni..."
A meaningful sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.
"So those rats who've been plotting in the dark are actually his subordinates."
He did not dwell on it for long.
With a thought, Gin called up the role-playing system.
He wanted to confirm how much role-playing progress a Great Yokai could provide as nourishment.
[Abe no Seimei: Founder of Onmyōdō]
[Role-Playing Progress: Maturity Stage: 18%]
[Onmyōdō Framework: Myriad Laws: 70%]
[Character Abilities:]
[Basic Talisman Compendium: Great Mastery]
[Shikigami Contract: Great Mastery]
[Five-Pointed Star Incantation: Great Mastery]
[Word Spirit Technique: Great Mastery]
[Uho: Great Mastery]
[Immovable Binding Technique: Great Mastery]
[Fire Boundary Spell: Great Mastery]
[Myriad Demon-Subduing Mantra: Great Mastery]
[Crucifix Sutra Thunder Technique: Great Mastery]
[Marīcī Heavenly Mantra: Great Mastery]
[Ghost-Averting and Evil-Dispelling Incantation: Great Mastery]
[Acala Demon-Subduing Mantra: Great Mastery]
[Fudō Myōō Fire Boundary Mantra: Great Mastery]
[Trailokya-Vajra Heart Mantra: Great Mastery]
[Acala Residue-Eating Mantra: Minor Accomplishment]
[Acala Compassionate Salvation Mantra: Minor Accomplishment]
[Acala Mantra: Minor Accomplishment]
[Eight-Eyed Bamboo Basket Suppression Mantra: Minor Accomplishment]
[Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra: Advanced]
[Great Victorious Virtue Rite: Advanced]
"If I remember correctly, my previous progress in the Maturity Stage was five percent."
Gin narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Now it's eighteen percent. Only a thirteen percent increase."
No.
Yaksha Oni's strength was roughly equal to Onimaro Oni, whom he had previously hunted and eliminated. It far surpassed Hyakume Oni and Slaughter Ghost.
Judging from the average value of an ordinary Great Yokai, one Great Yokai could now only increase his role-playing progress by around ten percent.
"That really is exaggerated."
Gin rubbed his slightly throbbing forehead.
Before advancing the role-playing system into the Maturity Stage, he had once joked to himself that if he wanted to significantly increase his role-playing progress in the next stage, he might have to hunt Great Yokai.
Who would have thought that guess would come true?
At this stage, even if he did not think deeply and only used his toes to guess, he could tell that daily cultivation would have very little effect.
Even hunting Yokai capable of deploying Ghost Domains would probably require a considerable number before the progress bar moved.
The strongest proof was simple.
When he had saved Kuroyukihime, Kurasaki Fuko, and Kasugano Sora at a critical moment and casually eliminated two Yokai capable of deploying Ghost Domains, his role-playing progress had not increased at all.
"And here I was thinking I could use the Kyoto Incident to fill the progress bar directly."
Gin laughed softly at himself.
"I was being a little too greedy."
Still, he could not exactly call it disappointment.
Gin was well aware of how quickly his strength had improved recently.
Ever since he and Dairenji Suzuka had experienced the Taizan Fukun Festival together, his strength had changed almost daily in the eyes of outsiders.
Naturally, the Senji Ryakketsu had helped him greatly to a certain extent.
And because his rapid growth came from the role-playing system, it did not damage his foundation or basic cultivation.
However, during each advancement of the role-playing system, that dream of a thousand years, that return to the Heian Period, also brought him "his" experiences, "his" emotions, "his" insights, and "his" way of handling matters.
All of those things still influenced Gin subtly, deep within his subconscious.
Because the role-playing system had advanced frequently during this period, Gin had not yet fully digested those influences.
"It seems that even if the Kyoto Incident can fill the role-playing progress, I'll need to suppress it properly."
Gin's eyes grew calm.
"I should digest the influence he has left on me first."
After all, being influenced by "him" was something Gin absolutely did not want.
If necessary, he would rather slow the improvement of his strength than allow those remnants from "him" to remain undigested.
Click.
The sound of the door opening rang through the room.
"Director, you're back."
Kasugano Sora was the first to walk in from outside.
Behind her were Kuroyukihime and Kurasaki Fuko.
Compared to "Minister," Sora felt "Director" sounded more natural.
Gin himself did not care much about such things. The earlier change in how Iwanaga Kotoko addressed him had mostly been to fit the structure of the Myriad Dharma Supernatural Department and his position within it.
"Mr. Gin."
Kurasaki Fuko looked at him.
"The fighting sounds we heard from Kinkaku-ji earlier... what happened?"
"A Yaksha Oni at the Great Yokai level."
Gin answered frankly.
"It has already been eliminated by Shōran and Ro working together."
Hearing those words, Kuroyukihime's expression changed.
For a moment, she could no longer dwell on the complicated thoughts she had toward Gin Tsumugi.
"I didn't expect Hagoromo Gitsune's side to still have hidden Great Yokai."
Kurasaki Fuko also looked at Gin in surprise.
A Great Yokai had been eliminated just like that.
And he had said it so casually.
As expected, he truly was worthy of being called the Great Onmyoji, the myth of Onmyōdō from the past.
Once again, they felt the enormous weight behind the title "Great Onmyoji."
"It wasn't from Hagoromo Gitsune's side," Gin said.
"It belonged to those rats who have been hiding in the shadows and stirring up trouble."
Then he looked toward Sora.
"Speaking of which, this matter has some connection to you."
"Me?"
Sora pointed at her own small nose in disbelief.
She had no idea how this could suddenly involve her.
"Saying it has a connection to you is a bit of a stretch."
Gin explained, "Starting from the Wedding Dress Tree Incident that first involved you, then the following Wedding Dress Tree case, and later the aftermath of the Weird Wood Spirit Incident... those rats hiding in the dark have reached out more than once."
"Director, are you talking about those mysterious and terrifying existences secretly playing against the Great Yokai Tamamo-no-Mae?"
Sora suddenly remembered.
After the Weird Wood Spirit Incident was resolved, according to the archives at the time, the one who had set everything up was Nure-onna.
And the Great Yokai behind Nure-onna had been Gyūki.
Now, based on what the Director said, did that mean what was hidden behind this series of events was not merely one Great Yokai?
"The bait has already been set."
Gin's expression remained calm.
"Now we wait and see how many big fish it can catch."
Previously, the other side had repeatedly treated him as a pawn.
Because his strength at the time had been insufficient, Gin could only temporarily avoid acting rashly.
But now, it was his turn to counterattack.
Since they had dared treat him like a chess piece, they naturally had to pay the corresponding price.
"Bait?"
Kuroyukihime and Kurasaki Fuko exchanged glances.
Both saw confusion in the other's eyes.
"Their purpose from beginning to end has been to weaken Onmyōdō."
Gin did not explain what the bait was.
"Although I did not personally experience the Mount Fuji Incident, I requested archives from the Omnyo Agency afterward and discovered several suspicious points."
"For example, the blood sacrifice field that suddenly appeared on Mount Fuji."
His eyes lowered slightly.
"That may have been their handiwork."
The room became quiet.
"Next, we only need to keep waiting."
Gin's tone was unhurried.
"They should be doing everything in their power now to ensure Nue's birth."
"Wait..."
Kuroyukihime froze for a moment, then hurriedly asked, "You aren't going to stop its birth?"
"Stop it?"
Gin looked at her.
"When did I say I intended to stop its birth?"
His voice was calm, almost indifferent.
"Only if it is successfully born can those fellows hiding in the shadows be drawn out."
Although Gin currently wanted to suppress the advancement of the role-playing system, that did not mean he planned to give up the role-playing progress already within reach.
Moreover, he had a premonition.
Once Nue was truly born, it might bring him unimaginable benefits.
That was also why he had been "slacking off" so openly until now.
Kuroyukihime stared at Gin for a long moment.
Although he did not say it directly, she could feel it.
The man before her, the Great Onmyoji Abe no Seimei from a thousand years ago, was calculating everyone at once.
The Onmyoji.
Hagoromo Gitsune.
The Yokai.
And the third-party Great Yokai hiding behind the curtain.
Now, he was sitting back and waiting for the big fish to fall into his net.
He truly was a terrifying man.
.....
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