[Onmyoji] A Dao

It was the season when the gentian flower on the family crest was declining, but Genji ushered in a ridiculous feast called killing.

Minamoto Raimitsu became the youngest and most famous onmyoji in Kyoto after several successful yokai exterminations. The power and prestige of the Minamoto family was beyond the reach of other aristocratic families.

This supreme glory and power brought great satisfaction to Minamoto Raimitsu.

Apart from Minamoto Yorimitsu's own formidable strength, Onikiri's most outstanding military hero is Onikiri—the blood soaked under his sword can dye the maple leaves of the entire Kyoto red.

Sometimes powerful monsters will be directly captured and brought back to the secret room full of knives in the source family. Minamoto Raimitsu made them in the same way, and after seven days Onikiri would have an extra powerful fighting partner.

As the number of monsters who died under his sword increased sharply, the smell on Onikiri's body also changed.

There are also little demons who are enslaved to do some lowly chores in the mansion. Before Onikiri approached, they could smell the strong smell of the blood of their dead counterparts, and they were all so frightened that they crouched on the ground trembling.

In fact, Onikiri has never paid attention to these lowly monsters.

What he does every day is to carry out Minamoto's tasks, kill, or practice knives alone under the tree in the courtyard, and silently wipe and maintain the knives.Waiting for the master's orders and arrangements has become the only expectation every day.

Because "being needed" is also a kind of meaning of existence.

Before the bright red maple leaves fell to the ground under the setting sun, Onikiri swung the knife lightly, and the intact leaves instantly fell apart—splashing like blood on the blade, without a single strand falling off.

Looking at the scene similar to the daytime, he couldn't help but fell into deep thought.

Today's Onikiri followed Minamoto's instructions and went to Arashiyama in the western suburbs. The young master of the Heira family, who had been friends with Minamoto, suddenly suffered from a rare heart disease. The pain was unbearable, and even the royal physician was helpless.All the onmyojis and monks who see people and know disasters and disasters have been dispatched one after another, and they are helpless. Only Minamoto Raikou asked his sister Minato Yukuo who has the "God's Eye" and brought the answer: ghosts that need to be treasured in Genji's mansion. The heart of fear of the spider spirit that Qi had obtained, and the medicine of the heart of grief of the ape monster on Arashiyama.

Everyone was skeptical of this absurd proposal, but the Patriarch of the Ping family expressed his willingness to give it a try.

Although there are many mountain ape monsters in Arashiyama, they are extremely cunning and quick-moving and difficult to capture. Minamoto Raimitsu sent Feng Zhan to Onikiri with a bunch of bananas and an iron cage.

The maple leaves on the mountain are gorgeous and eye-catching. Perhaps the climate in Heian-kyo is wetter than other places, and even the color of the maple leaves is more intense.

Onikiri was bored with this kind of red.

Putting the bananas on the ground randomly, Onikiri hid silently behind the maple forest.

Not long after, a little ape crept down from the tree, checked the surroundings for nothing unusual, and then quickly ran towards the banana. Just as it happily held the banana stem and was about to run away, Onikiki appeared and pinched its neck forcefully .

The little ape monster danced in pain, bared its teeth and opened its mouth to bite, but Guiqie easily dodged it.Resisting the urge to cut it with a knife, he stuffed it into the cage in disgust.

This task can be said to be completed too easily, but when Onikiri lifted the cage and was about to leave, things changed.

The little ape monster in the cage was struggling hard, banging its head on the cage door, and making creaking noises.

After a while, the sound of Xisuo came from the mountains and forests, and the mountain apes and monsters all over the mountains and plains gathered.They roared with fierce eyes and rushed towards the enemy in front of them angrily, while Onikiri impatiently held the iron cage with one hand, and randomly pulled out one of the knives at his waist with the other hand.

When pieces of red maple fell, blood dripped down the tip of the knife.

Glancing blankly at the corpses on the ground, Onikiri flicked the blood off the sword and inserted it back into his waist.

At this time, a female ape staggered up from the pile of corpses, staggered with all her strength, knelt down in front of Onikiri and kowtowed her head.The blood flowed down with the knife wound and formed a pool at Onikiri's feet.

Onikiri couldn't help but take a step back.

It whimpered and wailed in pain, its head hit the ground repeatedly, blood mixed with tears rolling down its eyes, soaking its ferocious face.

After hitting the ground hard for the last time, it never raised its head again.

There was also silence in the iron cage without any sound.Onikiri lowered his head to look in surprise, only to find that the little ape monster's eyes were wide open and his eyes were screwed tightly, his face was full of tears that hadn't dried up.

Onikiri stretched out a finger to test it, and found that it had also died.

It is said that mother and child are heart-to-heart, and Onikiri knows that he cannot understand this grief.

When leaving with the corpses of the two ape monsters, Onikiri looked back at the shining bunch of bananas under the tree - it was still lying there quietly.

Minamoto Raimitsu looked at the "trophy" Onikiri brought back with a satisfied look on his face.

"...Although he is a different kind, his love is still human." Onikiri finally opened his mouth to make an evaluation. When he was telling what happened to him, he was interrupted by Minamoto Raimitsu: "Enough."

"Monsters are fundamentally different from humans. And they are good at many abilities: killing, bewitching, imitating—imitating everything about human beings, even emotions like friendship, family affection, and love."

"When you are moved by this kind of imitation, a little compassion will kill you."

After finishing speaking, Minamoto Raimitsu drew the knife from Onikiri's waist, and cut open the stiff corpses of the two ape monsters with a "puchi" sound: "Tell me, which one is the heart of grief."

A red paper bouquet rolled to Onikiri's feet.

The soft touch brought him back from thinking about the day, but when he bent down to pick it up, there was a gust of wind, and the flower ball rolled to the other side.

He looked at the object suspiciously, and the flower ball obediently stayed where it was, but as soon as he got close, the flower ball would move forward inexplicably, as if guiding something.

At this time, he finally understood: someone wants to go by himself.

When the flower ball stopped in an empty and desolate courtyard, Onikiri felt an uncomfortable sense of oppression.

After looking at the remote location and environment, he finally realized: this is the residence of the owner, Minamoto Raimiko, except for two half-brothers, and his only biological sister.

It is rumored that after the birth, the parents died one after another, and the unknown person has the "God's Eye" that can see the body of any ghost and even foresee the future.

The master doesn't like her, and she will be sacrificed to the gods this winter.

Onikiri was hesitating whether to leave, but a childish voice came from the bedroom: "Why don't you come in and sit down?"

So Onikiri had no choice but to pick up the flower ball and walk towards the inner room.

The Mingshouzi painted with the Sasakudan family crest of the Minamoto family opened automatically, and behind a few tents of cranes sat a little girl with Hime-style hair and a gorgeous black furisode kimono.

"Miss Yuuki." Onikiri took off the props from his waist and laid them horizontally in front of his knees, and knelt down respectfully.

Yuan Yukui smiled and got up to help him up: "Long time no see."

Onikiri frowned because of Minamoto's greeting: he was sure he had never seen the girl in front of him.

Calmly handing over the red bouquet at hand, Onikiri asked, "May I ask Miss Yuuki to come here, do you have anything to explain?"

Yuan Yuoi, who took the bouquet, didn't make a sound, just silently picked up the teapot from the coffee table and poured tea, and handed it to Onikiri.

Only then did Onikiri realize that there was no one in the huge room, not even a maid serving tea.

Taking the teacup carefully, Onikiri thanked him and only took a sip: he didn't like this kind of bitter taste.

Yuan Yukui opened the low cabinet at the side again, and took out a delicate wooden lacquerware from the drawer.

"You should have some snacks when you drink tea." She said with a smile, opened the lid of the box and put it aside.

There are neatly arranged shiny transparent candies inside, like fragments of stars in the sky.

"Thank you." Onikiri pinched one of them into his mouth in a daze, and the inexplicably familiar taste dissipated from the tip of his tongue—very sweet.

Like a stone thrown into the sea of ​​heart and ripples rippled, Onikiri suddenly felt an unprecedented warmth, so that the corners of his mouth involuntarily raised upwards slightly.

"This is your first smile after Genji." Yuan Yukuo's voice called him back.

Onikiri's expression instantly returned to his usual indifference.

"Did you think of something?"

"I don't understand what you're saying, Miss Yukui."

"Don't you have any curiosity or doubts about your past?" Yuan Yukui asked tentatively.

"No. Please don't ask such rude words again, Ms. Yukui." Onikiri emphasized his tone in displeasure.

"Really..." He lowered his head in frustration, and Yuan Yukui said sadly, "It's really a good knife."

"It's just a pity that she has the same cute horns...but she does so many uncutable things..."

"If there is nothing urgent, please allow me to leave first!" Onikiri grabbed the saber that was unloaded in front of his knee.

"Both are hearts of grief."

Minamoto Yuuki's sudden words made Onikiri's hand holding the knife freeze.

"The little Ping family cursed by the tribe will wake up after eating fear and grief. Unfortunately, when he grows up, he will be affected by the heart and bring disaster to the Ping family." Her voice was as calm as the fading outside the house. Twilight: "'Raising Feather Butterfly' will eventually break its wings, and 'Sasadragon Gallbladder' will still be in full bloom. *After the 'Genpei War', only Genji will be left to flourish...for my brother, it is a good thing."

Onikiri raised her head in astonishment, Yuan Yukui's black eyes had turned red, and tears of blood rolled down her eyes, but she was still smiling.

He took out a purple amulet with a silver bell from his sleeve, and handed it to Onikiri, "This is for the Sumida River Fireworks Festival next year. I can't wait any longer. If you have a chance, please help me." The treetops hanging under the fireworks... the higher the better."

After Onikiri hesitated to take it, Minamoto knelt down, leaned over the tatami respectfully and said, "Please."

Onikiri almost fled in despair.

He breathed hard uncontrollably, and Yuan Yukui's words echoed in his ears: "Advance along the track of fate is the future. Death is my fate, and your fate is..."

He shies away, he doesn't want to hear anything about his future.

Later, Guiqie passed by unintentionally, and the door of that sleeping hall was already tied with a thick lock.

"It's just to avoid scaring the honored guests at Minamoto's house with her crazy words." Facing Onikiri's question, Minamoto Raimitsu answered like this.

The young master of the Ping family really recovered from his heart disease.

In order to thank Minamoto Yorimitsu for his good recipe, the Patriarch of the Taira family not only visited the house in person, but also presented a large amount of gold and silver jewelry, luxurious Nishijin weaving and various exquisite porcelain.

"It's so polite." Minamoto Laiguang smiled and declined Patriarch Ping's kindness: "I'm only interested in all kinds of famous knives."

The first snow of winter fell heavily, and in just one night, the snow in the yard was half a foot deep.

When the sky was dawning, the entire Genji family reverberated with solemn ceremonies and music.

Today is the day when Yuan Yukui was sacrificed to the gods.

With the support of a super shrine maiden wearing a white hakama, Genyu Aoi, who was blindfolded and wearing a beautiful crown headdress, walked slowly.

The priests’ hunting clothes are as spotless as the snow outdoors. They hold wat boards and chant chant in their mouths, leading the front of the team accompanied by shamisen and shakuhachi ensemble ritual music.

"In order to protect Genji's foundation, offering sacrifices is the highest honor." Genji's elders whispered.

Everyone in the Genji family, no matter how old, weak or humble they are, has already knelt on the ground.Everyone lowered their heads and were not allowed to look directly at the offerings of the gods.

Onikiri knelt beside Minamoto Raimiko along with Shi E, Kaze Zhan and other companions.

The pair of small wooden clogs that were supported stopped for a while when they came to Minamoto Raimitsu, and then continued to walk forward slowly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Onikiri caught a glimpse of Minamoto Raimitsu's clenched fists—blood was oozing.

After leaving Genji's gate, Yuan Yukuo sat quietly in the low sedan chair and left with the team in the snowstorm.

Onikiri, who had been kneeling for a long time with Minamoto Raikou, silently accompanied him to that empty and desolate courtyard.The side hall, which was originally deserted, seemed even more silent because of the departure of the master and the falling snow.

Minamoto Raimiko's gaze suddenly stared forward like a freeze frame, and Onikiri followed his gaze, and it turned out that there were two snowmen, one big and one small, holding hands, standing under the dead tree at some point.

The big snowman has "light" written on it, and the little snowman has "Kui" written on it.Because of the falling snowflakes, the handwriting was almost wiped out.

Minamoto Raimitsu walked step by step in silence, his footsteps making a "creak" sound on the snow.He knelt down and patted the little snowman's head gently.

Onikiri thought for a while, then hesitantly knelt down in the snow, holding a purple amulet with both hands: "Miss Yukui's."

When Yuan Laiguang, who was silent for a while, picked it up with trembling hands, the silver bell on it jingled.

After disregarding taboos and untiing the omori's brocade belt, Onikiri saw his master's tears for the first and last time.

Drop by drop, it landed on the family crest representing the gentian flower on the surface of the guard.

The handwriting on the note hidden in the royal guard bag is beautiful and neat: "I wish my brother a safe life."

The author has something to say:

'Raising Feather Butterfly' will eventually break its wings, but 'Sasalongdan' is still in full bloom. *

Historically, the family crest of the Ping family is "Raising Feather Butterfly", and the family crest of Genji is exactly the same as in the game, "Sasalongdan" [gentian flower]. The "Genpei War" took place at the end of the Heian period in Japan, and the Heira clan was defeated.