juvenile onmyoji

The gentle breath of the boy lingers between the lips and teeth, why is there the sweetness of cherry blossoms?

Thinking of this, Lizi asked.

Qingming slowly let go of her and said, "Just now I saw a sugar stall by the bridge. In order to sell more, the store smashed a lot of sugar into powder for people to taste. I tasted cherry blossom flavored sugar."

"Hey, it sounds delicious, let's go buy some." Lizi said.

She likes eating sweets the most, but she dares not eat too much for fear of bad teeth.But it doesn't matter in the dream.

The young man pressed up again with a smile, Lizi's eyes suddenly widened.Different from the superficial kiss just now, this sudden kiss was very intense.

Feeling the entangled lips and tongue, Lizi tasted the candy smell that had not dissipated between Qingming's lips and teeth.

The boy eagerly kissed her and pushed her down.

Lizi exclaimed, thinking that she was about to fall down on the road.Unexpectedly, behind him is a hillside full of blue and purple hydrangeas.

Yes, this is his dream.Naturally, you can go wherever you want.

A hot hand stretched in along the skirt, gently stroking the smooth skin around her waist.

"Wait, wait, Seimei-sama..."

Lizi panicked instantly, and stretched out her hand to cover her lips, blocking the opponent's eager attack.Seimei stopped, and started attacking her slender fingers instead.The fiery tongue left traces of enthusiasm on it.

This...is this dream wrong?

"Master Seimei, do you know who I am?" She struggled and moved her elbows back to the ground.

Qingming smiled lightly and trapped her, "I know, little pear blossom."

"You know it's me, why do you still do this?" Lizi asked in surprise.In her eyes, Qingming is like a brother, a close friend, a teacher, and a parent.Although she was kissed a lot in the past, she only felt that she was repaying the friendship of the boy who rescued her.

"Because I like you, because I like Xiaolihua."

Under the blue sky, countless flower petals were stirred up by the breeze, and the honey-like luster flowed in Qingming's eyes.His voice seemed to be ripe with honey, sweet from the inside out.

like me?

Pear opened her eyes wide in surprise.

"Have you tasted it?" Qingming continued to ask.

"what?"

"The taste of sakura candy." Qingming said with a smile, "I have tasted it, and you have tasted it after kissing you. It's not bad, and it won't damage your teeth because of eating too much sugar."

"Not bad." Li Zi struggled to sit up, her cheeks were hot, "Don't taste it like this. Tasting like this is not as sweet as eating sugar directly."

"Then it's you next time." Qingming gently rubbed the girl's bright red lips with his fingertips, "You kissed me after eating candy. I don't like sweets, but I like the ones you give me. That level is not enough for me." As far as I am concerned, it is already very sweet. Okay?"

He also asked if you were okay?

Pear feels that the heat on her cheeks is not decreasing, and there is a tendency to heat up.

"That, that's not right."

"It's not wrong," Qingming took out a jade fish from his body, "Look, I also have jade. Is that right?"

Looking at the jade fish that was exactly the same as her own, she opened her eyes wide in surprise, "Isn't this one at Hatsue-sama's place?"

"Did you forget that you broke off the engagement with him?" Qingming asked.

"Didn't you retire? You agreed to retire after one year."

"It's been a year and I'm 17 years old." Seimei said and pointed behind him, and the image of Yuan Laiguang and Yuan Chuyu kneeling in the courtyard appeared in the air.The two offered the jade fish gratefully. "I'm sorry for taking so long, Seimei-sama. We have decided to call off the engagement."

pear:"……"

Well, your dreams are up to you.

Qingming rolled over happily and sat beside her, propping the ground behind her with both hands, looking up at the blue sky.

The clear and transparent blue sky that stretches infinitely is the dream of young Seimei.

"Okay, it's time for us to go." Miwan's voice came from Lizi's ear.Then her body lightened and she floated up.

The scene changed again, and she found herself back in that room again.Qingming slept soundly, the quilt stretched across him without any distortion.Unlike her usual, she always rides on the quilt when she sleeps until midnight.

Miwan pulled her through the wall and returned to the room, "I didn't peek."

pear:"……"

No matter how you hear this answer, it doesn’t sound like you haven’t seen it, right?

"Go back." Miwan pushed her lightly, and she immediately lost her balance and fell towards her sleeping self.

"Ah." She opened her eyes with a soft cry, looked down at her body, and then at her hands.

"I went back perfectly." Miwan put her hands behind her back and swayed her body from side to side cutely.

Lizi stood up and looked in the direction of Seimei's room in a daze, "Did I really enter Master Seimei's dream just now?"

"Is that so?" Miwan nodded, "Are you happy?"

Lizi thought about it seriously, "Very happy." She hesitated and asked again, "Is the self in the dream different from usual?"

"Maybe," Mi Wan said, "For example, if my mother doesn't let me eat more sugar, I would eat enough in my dreams. Normally I wouldn't dare to do that."

"Do you still have a mother?" Could it be a big butterfly?

"Yes," Miwan nodded, "but my mother doesn't want me anymore." The slightly fat little girl lowered her head and said aggrievedly.

"Why don't you?" Lizi was a little surprised, wondering if it was a unique habit of the butterfly spirit? "Miwan is such a cute little girl."

Miwan lowered her head and pointed her two fleshy fingers, "I don't know either. That time my parents took me to hunt in the mountains, and they left by themselves when I turned around. I thought about it, maybe because I After stealing two candies, they got angry..."

"How could you not want you because you were angry?" Lizi's heart was about to be crushed by the little girl's grievance. "If you have nowhere to go, live here."

"Hey, is it okay?" Miwan raised her head happily.

Lizi suddenly remembered that she hadn't obtained Qingming's consent, and quickly added, "Sorry, I have to ask the owner here first tomorrow. But it doesn't matter, my sister also has a house."

Mimaru nodded happily.

The next day, when Lizi got up and went outside, Seimei was reading a book at the low table as usual.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, he raised his eyes and glanced at her, and immediately packed up his stationery as usual, "After dinner, you have to go to Ise Shrine."

Seeing his calm expression, Li Zi understood in her heart that last night was just Master Qingming's dream and should not be taken seriously.

Qingming lowered his eyes, his heart beating like a drum, the memory of last night's dream has not completely dissipated.He clearly remembered what he had done.He remembered the touch of the skin, including the sweet smell of sakura candy.Is it okay to do that in a dream?

Speaking of which, it was a bit of a failure.Yesterday he confessed his love in a dream.But even Xiaoli in the dream didn't respond to him.How can we avoid the confession being ignored?It seems that he didn't do enough.

Afraid of being rejected, the teenager began to think hard about a solution.

Just as he was thinking, two little fleshy feet came into view.He raised his face in surprise, and saw a fleshy little girl standing in front of him.

"Ah, that," Lizi said hurriedly, "She is the pink butterfly you let go yesterday, her name is Miwan."

"Pink butterfly?" Qingming's eyes widened slightly.

"Yes," Lizi nodded, and she pursed her lips lightly, "Master Qingming, can I keep her? She seems to have nowhere to go. I can pay all her expenses."

Miwan looked at Seimei timidly, wrapping her fingers around her skirt.

Qingming took another careful look at Miwan, then shook his head, "No."

Although a little surprised, Lizi nodded, "Then, I'll take her to the house on Santiao Avenue."

"That doesn't work either." Qingming said again.

Miwan's big eyes were full of water, and her mouth was flattened all over, and she was about to cry.

"This child is not a butterfly demon, but the soul of a human being who has just died." Qingming said, "Because of some obsessions, people will not report to the kingdom of the underworld immediately after death. Instead, they become something similar to a monster. "

"This kind of monster is also called floating spirit. If you don't deal with them properly, they will easily be summoned by the onmyoji as a temporary shikigami and manipulated, thus losing their freedom. Moreover, the life of this kind of monster is very short. Take her In other words, I’m afraid I can’t even survive the winter.”

"How could this be?" Lizi turned her head to look at Miwan in surprise.This child turned out to be a floating spirit?

Miwan held back her tears and looked at Qingming puzzled, "My lord, I don't understand what you mean."

Qingming looked at her, "Where are you from? Who are your parents?"

"I'm from the Echigo Kingdom, and my father is the guardian of the Echigo Kingdom. However, I flew here from Mount Zao." Mimaru said.

"Why Mount Zao?" Seimei asked again.

"Because I went hunting in Zao Mountain with my parents. I slept in the wooden house and woke up and I didn't see them. Then I found out that I could turn into a butterfly. Just flew around like this, and then I flew here. "

"Echigo," Riko exclaimed, "Echigo is separated from Heian-kyo by the two countries of Einong and Mino. You actually flew here from there."

"Is this Heianjing?" Miwan's eyes widened in surprise, and the next second she immediately jumped up happily, "Great, this is the place I've always wanted to come to. I'm also amazing, and I flew here by myself. "

The little girl kept praising herself, and Suzaku, who was sweeping the floor in the courtyard, couldn't help but smile because of her cute appearance.

"But, do you know that you are dead?" Seimei asked seriously.

The smile quickly disappeared from Miwan's face, "Death? Me?"

"Ah."

"Impossible." The little girl's face was pale. Although she didn't particularly understand the meaning of death, she also knew that it was definitely not a good thing.

"But there is a question," Lizi said, "after a person dies and his soul leaves his body, won't he see himself lying there and his loved ones grieving?"

"Mt. Zao is originally a mountain full of aura, and anything can happen." Seimei said, "Maybe something happened and Mimaru died, but she thought she was sleeping, and it had been several days since she woke up. Her Parents took her back to bury her, not abandoning her at all."

"Hey, didn't my parents want me?" Miwan only understood this sentence, and immediately laughed happily.

Lizi looked at her, and couldn't tell whether the life and death she didn't understand was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Master Seimei, is there a solution to this kind of thing?"

"No." Qingming shook his head, "Death cannot be brought back to life. Unless it is for a short period of time, the gods in charge of life and death may do it. For example, what happened last time in your illusion. But Miwan has become a floating spirit , there is no other way.”

"Then..." Lizi looked at Mi Wan who was still happy.

"Now we have to send her back to her parents so that they can reunite in their last days." Qingming said softly.

The air suddenly fell silent.Even Teng Snake looked at Miwan with sympathy.He is a shikigami, so he naturally understands what a shikigami is.

A shikigami with endless life like him is generally cherished by the master.It is unlikely that they will do particularly dangerous things.But Floating Spirits are different. If they are temporarily summoned as shikigami, they will usually be used as cannon fodder for testing the way.

Miwan also sensed something was wrong because of the quiet air and everyone's strange eyes.But she didn't quite understand why, so she restrained her joyful expression and sat down beside Lizi obediently.

"Mi Wan," Li Zi patted the little girl's head, "Would you like to go home? I can take you home."

"Yes." Miwan said loudly, "My parents didn't want me, so of course I want to go back."

"Then let's make a decision like this," Seimei said, "I will ask the teacher for leave, and I will also ask for leave for you. In fact, I also really want to go to Zao Mountain to find out the reason why Miwan turned into a butterfly."

Seimei's execution has always been quick, and he quickly got the consent of Tadyuki Kamo and Ise Jingu.After preparing their bags and saying goodbye to Abe Masaki, the two left Heiankyo with honey pills.

Seimei did not choose to take the boat of Kaizatou.Although there are many sea cockroaches, Lizi has already become jealous of this group.He had no choice but to let Teng Snake drive the carriage with the short road sign on it.In order not to frighten the people along the road, Teng Snake revealed her figure and pretended to be an ordinary driver.It's just that the pupils are still weird vertical pupils.

Along the way, Mi Wan lay on the car window with great interest, especially when she saw the butterflies flying past the window.At first, Lizi only thought that she was interested in butterflies because she could become a butterfly.It was later discovered that she could clearly name each butterfly.

"I like butterflies the most." Miwan said enthusiastically.

The country of Echigo belongs to the country of Hokuriku, and it will be Niigata Prefecture in later generations.Because it is rich in Koshihikari rice, the sake here is also very famous.

Echigomori's mansion was very easy to find, and he arrived soon after being pointed out by passers-by.Unsurprisingly, there are white cloth banners and lanterns hanging outside the mansion.

Hearing that it was an onmyoji from Heian-kyo who came to visit, Echigo Mori Sakagami Makuma immediately ordered someone to come in.

Seeing that Mi Wan had returned to her home, she immediately jumped in cheerfully.But ordinary people can't see monsters, so no one gave her a second look.

The sensitive little girl immediately felt that something was wrong, and her cheerful steps slowed down, with a trace of doubt on her face.

Lizi walked up to her and patted her head, "Everyone can't see you now. We won't be able to see you until Master Seimei casts a spell."

"Why can't you cast spells now?"

"Because everyone thinks that Miwan has passed away. If you come out now, you will scare them. You need to explain clearly to them before you can come out." Lizi said patiently.

Miwan has already understood what death is, "Will it scare everyone, then I'll wait."

In the hall, Makoto Sakagami received them.Even though it was the first time they met, Lizi could feel the forced laughter from the other party.She recalled walking all the way just now, and everyone in the house was very silent.It's like a thick depression hangs over here.

Onmyoji are very rare throughout Fusang.In a poor place like Echigo, there are only a few first-time folk onmyojis.So when I heard that the other party was a middle-ranked Onmyoji, I thought there was something big going on.

"I heard you have a daughter?" Qingming asked bluntly.

Makoto Sakagami was slightly taken aback, "That's right."

"So, where is she now?" Qingming asked again.

Mentioning this, Makoto Sakagami had a sore nose and red eye sockets, "My daughter Mimaru died on Mount Zao not long ago."

"Why did you die there?" Lizi asked.

Makoto Sakagami hesitated, "Mimaru has liked butterflies since she was a child. When she saw butterflies when she was just able to walk, she chased them. When she grew up, she often chased butterflies to play. But since she was three years old, her body It's getting worse and worse. This year, she will pass out from time to time. The witch doctor asked us to prepare for her funeral."

"It was her fourth birthday not long ago. I asked her if she had any wishes. She said that she wanted to go to Heianjing..." Makoto Sakagami bit his lips violently when he said this, trying to use the pain to make the surging out The tears were held back, but the tears still flowed uncontrollably.

Miwan walked up to him and stretched out her hand to wipe his tears.But humans cannot feel the floating spirit's body.Even if the little daughter he misses so much is standing in front of him, he can't feel it.

"I said that this wish is a bit difficult now. The distance from Echigo to Heianjing is too long. You are not in good health. We will go when you are ready. My daughter is very sensible. She nodded and changed a wish, saying that she wanted to see dead leaves. Butterflies floated down like fallen leaves. When I heard it, dead leaf butterflies? Mount Zao had the most dead leaf butterflies, and it was not far away, so I agreed to take her to see it.”

"When I arrived at Zao Mountain, the first day she sat happily on a chair and watched butterflies. That night, she, she went. That night, countless butterflies were flying around her, and Miwan seemed to be asleep. We were reluctant to part with her, and after spending three days with her on Mount Zao, we brought her back and buried her in the ancestral grave."

"I'm a good-for-nothing, and I can't even fulfill my wish to take my daughter to Heian-kyo." Tears slid down the tear groove to his chin, and Sakagami Makuma bowed his head in tears.In front of people, he is the guardian of Echigo Kingdom, but at this moment, he is just an ordinary father who lost his daughter.

Miwan kept wiping away his tears with his little hands, "Father, don't cry, I have been to Heianjing. That's where I came from. I won't go anywhere, and I won't chase butterflies anymore. I will stay here obediently." home."

For a moment, Makuma Sakagami paused and raised his face.He had an illusion, as if he heard the voice of Mi Wan just now.But what was reflected in the pupils was still the dead air.Dejectedly, he lowered his head again and covered his face.

Lizi kept wiping her tears with a handkerchief, she really couldn't bear to see this kind of scene.She looked at Seimei, and it was strange that the other party hadn't cast a spell to reveal the honey pill.

"Where's your wife?" Qingming asked again.

Sakagami Makuma wiped away his tears with his sleeve, "In the backyard, I have been sad since I came back. Now I am too sick to get up." Speaking of this, Sakagami Makuma's tears that had stopped before began to flow non-stop.Miwan also started crying when she heard that her mother was sick.One big and one small are wiping tears side by side.

Qingming pondered for a while, "If there is an opportunity for you father and daughter to get together for a short time, but your daughter cannot appear as a human being, are you willing to accept her?"

It makes sense for Seimei to ask.Because after all, shemale have different paths.Even if it was once a blood relationship.However, there are many examples where one party becomes a monster and the other party stays away.

When Makoto Sakagami heard this, he immediately walked up to Seimei and knelt down, "As long as you can bring her back to life, even if it's a butterfly, we will be very happy."

Seimei nodded and made seals with both hands.A gleam of light immediately poured on the little girl Miwan, stripping away the monster's shielding power.

Makoto Sakagami's eyes widened suddenly, and he looked at the tearful little girl in disbelief.He called out cautiously, "Miwan..."

Miwan cried and rushed into his father's arms.She finally understood what was going on and why she became a butterfly.

……

In order to repay Seimei, Sakagami Makuma took them to Mount Zao where Mimaru was buried.And Mi Wan is obediently guarding her mother's side at the moment.Seeing her daughter come back, Miwan's mother recovered from her illness.

"The ancestral grave of our Sakagami family is at the foot of Mount Zao, so we buried Mimaru there. Look, that's it." Makoma Sakagami pointed his finger.

Lizi saw that there was indeed a large cemetery at the foot of the mountain.

"This kind of mountain aura is really abundant." Qingming sighed.

"Is it full?" Lizi asked.

"Well."

"So that's why Miwan turns into a butterfly when she dies?"

"Yes, because Mount Zao is full of aura, and because Mimaru has an extraordinary love for butterflies. The combination of these two points is the reason why she became a floating spirit."

Makuma Sakagami, who was listening to them, couldn't help asking, "Master Seimei, is it true that Mimaru can't survive the winter?"

"Because Floating Spirit itself has a very short lifespan, and because she transformed into a butterfly." Qingming said, "But it's not necessarily true, so I said I want to visit her tomb. Maybe there is a way to prolong her life. Then, please open Miwan's tomb."

Hearing that there might be a solution, Makoto Sakagami immediately asked someone to open the tomb.To the great surprise of those present, there was no little girl in the honey pill at all, only a golden cocoon shell.

"What, what's going on here?" Makoto Sakagami turned pale with shock.

Seimei happily picked up the cocoon, "As expected of Mount Zao, there is such a miracle."

"What miracle?" Lizi asked.

"Because the aura of Zao Mountain is abundant, Miwan left behind a spirit body when it transformed into a floating spirit. This kind of thing is only possessed by monsters. With it, you can turn floating spirits into real ones. monster."

"Become a real monster?" Sakagami Makuma asked puzzled.

"Well, Miwan's fate originally ended at the present. Because of her deep love for butterflies, she formed an indissoluble bond. Butterfly continued her life. She likes butterflies, and butterflies also like her, so I can't bear her to leave like this. She became a floating spirit."

"Combined with the aura of Zao Mountain, a spirit body belonging to a monster was formed. After returning, grind up this cocoon and serve it to her. She will survive in this world as a real butterfly demon, even more than You have a long time to live."

"Really, really?" Makoto Sakagami was incoherent excitedly, "Can live longer than us? This is the greatest wish of a father."

"Wouldn't you care that she became a real monster from now on?" Riko asked.

Makoto Sakagami patted his head and said with a smile, "Although I hate youkai very much, but at this time I am very grateful to youkai. Because there are such things as youkai, I was able to return my daughter to me."

"Although she will live longer than a human being after becoming a monster. But she will experience her parents and brothers leaving her slowly, and even the people of the clan will die one by one. The last person lives alone in this world. This is probably the tragedy of choosing to become a monster. .”

"However, fortunately, we still have some time. Although it is very short for Yaozu, I will spend the rest of my life pampering her. When we leave, she will feel very warm relying on the warmth of memories."

Is that so... Riko lowered her eyes silently, and for the first time had a different understanding of how humans turned into monsters.

On the way back to the city, I passed a ruin in the outskirts.Although it is a ruin, it can still be seen that it is a tall torii gate.The original red paint on the mottled open wooden door has peeled off.Even the shrine has only half of its walls left.

Qingming's eyes moved slightly, and he turned around and asked Makuma Sakagami, "Where is that place?"

Sakagami Makuma took a look, "Oh, there is the abandoned Inari Shrine."

"Inari Shrine?" Riko repeated softly.

"Well, because it was an evil god, the people demolished it. But because it was enshrined to an evil god, no one dared to use even the discarded wood. It has been thrown here."

"I see." Qingming nodded to make Teng Snake stop, "Let's say goodbye here, we are going back from the mountain road over there."

The mountain road over there leads to the official road, and Makoto Sakagami hesitated, "Can you stay in the city for one night before leaving? I haven't repaid your kindness. At least I will treat you well."

"No need," Seimei said, "Experience is the best reward. You can see why Miwan turns into a floating spirit, which is what I have learned. Then, let's meet again. You should hurry back Give the cocoon to the honey pill. This aura will dissipate after too long."

Upon hearing this, Makoto Sakagami stopped insisting immediately.He asked for Qingming's address, then hurried down the mountain and left.

After Sakagami Makoma left, Seimei walked around the torii.Sure enough, the inscription Shimizu Rikako was found on it.

"There are also here?" Lizi said in surprise, "Who would engrave my name on it frequently?"

Qingming thought for a while, "Maybe it's time to find a chance to ask."

"Ask who?" Lizi asked curiously.

Yamata no Orochi, Seimei said heartily, that man is most likely your brother.

……

A month later, Rika and Seimei received Koshihikari rice, sake, and a letter sent by Makuma Sakagami.

"When the weather was cold, Miwan really did what the adults said. Butterflies can't survive late autumn. She turned into a cocoon again. A few days ago, she broke out of the cocoon in the greenhouse and turned into a butterfly. When she landed, she was my lovely little daughter."

"I asked the eminent monk, and said that this kind of situation will happen once a year in the future. It belongs to the habit of the butterfly demon. I think it's pretty good. It's a new life when it breaks out of the cocoon. Finally, I will serve you new rice and sake. I wish Master Shimizu and Seimei The adults will tie the knot as soon as possible. I will drink wedding wine with the whole family."

The last sentence was dictated by Mimaru and written by Makuma Sakagami.

"The few days in Heianjing were very pleasant, and the days when I became a butterfly and flew freely. I really enjoyed the month of becoming a butterfly demon... Seimei-sama, Riko-sama, I will be a good monster .”

Qingming put down the letter paper, with a smile in his eyes, "This result is really good, what do you think?"

Riko said awkwardly, "Everything else is fine, but the matter that Mr. Sakagami misunderstood is not very good."

"Which thing?" Qingming picked up the letter paper again, "Oh, this one, I think it's not a bad misunderstanding."

Lizi frowned slightly, "It's not bad at all."

"Speaking of this, I suddenly thought of one thing." Seimei said.

"what?"

"Before I left, Miwan said that she has the ability to lead people into other people's dreams. Do you know about this?"

"I don't know." Li Zi hurriedly shook her hand.

"Really?" Qingming looked at her, and smiled brightly after a while, "Okay, thank goodness you didn't enter my dream. I dreamed that I supervised you to study hard and let you write thousands of talisman papers."

pear:"……"

Seimei slightly raised the corners of her lips, and sure enough, she went in.

Hey, why am I so happy about this kind of thing?Doesn't this mean that the person who rejected me was Xiaoli herself?

After this incident, will Xiaoli understand when she learns about her brother~