juvenile onmyoji

Riko sits under the eaves of the main hall of the shrine and looks out.

It began to rain.The rain silk is soft and slender.Without the wind, the rain will not blow in.It's just that after sitting for a long time, the humidity around him makes the sleeves a little damp and heavy.

The trees in the courtyard were water-stained and shiny like varnish.Looking around, the whole world seemed to be shrouded in a thin layer of mist.

Shouldn't someone be here at this time?Thinking of this, Lizi pulled out a silver thread grass casually.This grass can be seen everywhere in the shrine.In autumn, the god will dry them and ask craftsmen to weave mats.She has another couple at home.It is very cool to take it out and sit in summer.

While carelessly circling the silvergrass with her fingers, Lizi wondered when she could go home.In this weather, eating Japanese hot pot is the best.Cook some vegetables and fish in dashi, and finish with a handful of udon noodles.

"Hey, a guest is coming." Lizi heard the witch behind her say.She looked up and saw two women walking towards this side.One of the women was wearing a bamboo hat, holding an umbrella in her hand to firmly cover the other.She herself followed with small steps.

It was misty and rainy, and their faces could not be seen clearly.

Riko stood up following the other shrine maidens.Even though I was curious about the rainy day, there were still people coming.But with a professional smile on his face, he almost said welcome.

When she got closer, Lizi could see clearly that the person wearing the hat was the female official who had been following Yuziji all the time.She blinked lightly, so this is Yuziji who is carefully covered by an umbrella by the female officer?

The two entered under the eaves, and the female officer carefully put away the umbrella.After removing the cover of the umbrella, another woman showed her face, and it turned out to be Yu Ziji.

"You're welcome." Yuziji said before Lizi saluted her.

This is the meaning of not wanting others to know her identity.Lizi nodded without forcing it, since she didn't want to salute anyway.

"Do you want to paint horses or worship gods?"

"I neither draw ema nor worship gods." Yuziji hesitated, "I, I had a dream yesterday."

Coincidentally, I also had a dream yesterday.Lizi thought to herself, in the dream there is a brother who loves her very much.

Yuziji bit her lip lightly, as if she didn't know whether to say it or not.

Seeing that they knew each other, the other witches seemed to be about to whisper, so they walked away sensibly to make room.

Lizi waited silently, although she was a little surprised at how idle a princess is, and came to talk about a dream to someone she didn't know well on a rainy day.

"Is it a bit abrupt for me to tell you that?" Yuziji smiled apologetically, "But I don't have any other friends. You saved me, and you are the witch next to the god. I have always had a natural closeness to you feel."

Lizi still kept smiling, but the smile was much more sincere than before.Although she still feels strange to Yu Ziji, who can be unhappy when she hears nice words.Maybe this princess really can't find anyone to talk to, and it doesn't matter if she is idle to listen to.

"What kind of dream is it?" She asked with a smile.

"It's a very strange dream," Yuziji finally said after being encouraged. "In the dream, I was going out of the city in a bullock cart. The coachman hurried back to the city. The coachman also agreed, but the more we walked, the more desolate the surrounding scenery became."

"Later, the ox cart finally stopped. It stopped outside a small shrine. I got out of the cart, but the driver was gone." Yu Ziji covered her heart with her hands, her face extremely pale.

For a moment, Lizi didn't know whether to comfort her. Could it be that this was a real story and not a dream?

It took a while for Yuziji to look better, and she said a little embarrassedly, "That dream was a bit too scary. It seemed real. I still feel palpitations when I think about it now."

Pear nodded, "And then?"

"Then I went to see the shrine," Yuziji frowned. "It's a very old shrine. It can be seen that it has been abandoned for a long time. It is covered with moss. I am a bit clean, I don't know anonymous I don’t know that feeling? That is, when I see something dirty, I can’t bear it, and I will ask the people around me to rush in and clean it up.”

"Understood." Cleanliness.

Speaking of which, Seimei-sama has a little bit too, but it's not that serious.Moreover, Master Seimei never asked others to keep the same level of cleanliness as himself.

He often said that living habits are the most unique thing for everyone.He can't ask everyone to be like him, that's too selfish.He can only live out his own small world in the big world.

In fact, it means seeking common ground while reserving differences.

"Ah, you understand, that's great." Yuziji smiled a little, "Even my mother said I was looking for thorns in eggs. Anyway, in my dream I took out a handkerchief and wiped the shrine clean. When I was about to turn around and wait in the cart after wiping, the shrine suddenly spoke."

"Say what?" Pear asked.

"Say, wake me up, make a wish before leaving."

When Yu Ziji said this, her eyes straightened, and her voice became a little gloomy.For a while, Lizi felt a little cold on the back of her neck.

"I was very scared at the time. I ran to the ox cart and found that the coachman I hadn't seen before appeared again. I didn't think so much in my dream, and I didn't even think it was strange. I just jumped on the cart and urged the coachman to leave quickly." Yu Ziji lowered her eyelids, her eyelashes fluttering constantly, "The shrine is still talking. He said that he is very spiritual."

"And then?" Lizi couldn't help asking.

"Then, I woke up." Yuziji whispered.

Lizi exhaled softly, "It's nothing, it's just a dream."

Yuziji quickly glanced at the female officer, and whispered, "No. Just after I had this dream. This morning, the driver who had been driving for me was found dead in Kamogawa. That driver was driving me in the dream. Driving."

Lizi was slightly startled, and it happened that the wind came at this time.The wind brought the rain in, making her shiver uncontrollably.

"Miss..." the female officer said, "I told you all. The coachman went to drink after his shift yesterday. He ended up drinking too much and wandered off into Kamogawa. How can you die in a dream?"

"You are always like this, you don't believe me." Yuziji pouted unhappily, "Don't you think it's a coincidence? I just dreamed that he suddenly disappeared, and then appeared again. He was found the next day died."

"It's just a coincidence." The female officer said, "Don't think about it too much, even Madam is not happy to hear such words."

"Hmph, when I find that shrine..." Yuziji muttered softly.

Lizi frowned slightly, not knowing whether it was the other party's weird dream, or it was cloudy and rainy, she always had an uncomfortable feeling in her heart. "You'd better forget this dream, and don't look for it. It sounds like it's a scary shrine even in a dream. If you really found it, wouldn't you be more scared?"

There was another thought in her mind.Now that the coachman is dead, is Yu Ziji, who was sitting in the coachman pulling the cart in the dream, still alive?

Thinking of this, she looked at Yu Ziji carefully, and saw that her cheeks were flushed because she was angry with the female officer.Immediately relieved.

"But everyone doesn't believe me," Yuziji said, "I want to find that shrine and let them see it."

"I believe in you." Lizi said quickly.

Yu Ziji's lips moved, but she didn't speak.

The three of them stood silently under the eaves.

Because of the wind, the rain came in, and it was already very cold just standing there.The female officer persuaded, "Let's go back first, you are just right, you can't get sick anymore. It won't look good if you get sick again."

As expected of the female official who followed the princess, she grabbed Yu Ziji's lifeline with one word.Yu Ziji was worried that being ill would ruin her own good looks, so she nodded in agreement.

The two maintained their previous postures and left with their umbrellas in hand.

After Lizi got home, she told Seimei about this incident.

Qingming propped his chin with one hand, and said slowly, "Dreams are like dusk, and sometimes the three worlds of gods, demons and humans will meet. So, not all dreams are hallucinations."

"So, Yuziji's dream is real?" Lizi felt a little terrified.

"I don't know, I just said that there is such a situation. The dream is the same as the reality." Qingming said.

"Yuziji also said that she was going to find that shrine. I advised her not to go, just forget that dream." Lizi said.

"Well, you handled it correctly," Qingming nodded, "It depends on whether she will listen to you."

"Sigh... It feels like this third lady doesn't seem like someone who is willing to listen to other people's opinions. If she is willing to listen, she won't come back to me. She clearly wants to hear voices that support her."

Li Zi lay on the low table, looking at the garden.It was still raining at this time, and the Kawazu cherry blossoms in the yard were shaking their branches happily, covered with small cherry blossom buds.

"In a few days, the cherry blossoms will be in bloom." She said softly.

"Well," Seimei nodded, "It's time for cherry blossom viewing again, so let's go to the Takase River."

"It's time to eat sakura mochi, cotton taiyaki, bracken mochi, and hanami dango again." Ibaraki sighed.

"When the cherry blossoms are in bloom, there will be a limited amount of cherry wine for sale." Jiu Tunya said.

pear:"……"

Why do people think of different things in the same season?

……

After three or four days, Lizi thought everything was fine.Unexpectedly, at noon that day, she was having lunch with the witches in the backyard, and Yu Ziji came again.

"I dreamed of that shrine again." Yuziji looked a little haggard, "Would he regret it if he asked me not to make a wish? There is no other shrine in this world that is more willing to fulfill human wishes than him."

Lizi frowned slightly, "Could it be that you always think about this matter. You must know that you think about it every day and dream about it at night. Try to do something else."

Yuziji sighed, went into the main hall to worship, came out and threw a piece of gold into the merit box and left.

I don't know if it was because I listened to Yu Ziji's words during the day, or for some other reason.That night, Lizi dreamed of the shrine.

As Yuziji said, the shrine is very old, covered with moss, and only reaches Lizi's waist.

The triangular wooden roof, the corners on both sides are turned up.Below is a whole wooden lattice door, which is dark inside.In this dense forest that makes it impossible to see the road, it looks very strange and mysterious.

Lizi has always been wary of this shrine.After a cursory glance, she turned her face and walked forward without looking sideways, without any thought of stopping to check.

"Make a wish, no matter what I wish, I can make it come true." The shrine greeted enthusiastically, "For wealth, talent, and marriage. For beauty, popularity, and..."

"roll."

Shrine: "..."

When she woke up the next day, Lizi told Qingming about the dream, and Qingming laughed for a long time.

"So, is this a dream or reality?" Lizi asked.

"I don't know," Qingming said with a smile, "Sometimes dreams are omens, and sometimes they reflect your heart. Maybe you have wanted to scold that shrine for a long time. That's why you had such a dream."

"Is that so?" Li Zi also laughed, "Maybe so, I think it's disgusting that the shrine always appears in dreams like this, no matter whether it's real or not."

Two days later, Yuziji came again, and this time she didn't mention the dream.Instead, he called Lizi to a corner and said in a low voice, "I found that shrine."

"Where did you find it? There really is a shrine?" Li Zi's slender eyelashes trembled slightly.

"I searched for several days," Yuziji said, "and finally found it in a dense forest far away from Ping'an-kyo." There was a fearful emotion in her eyes, "It's really exactly the same as the one I saw in my dream. Even It's the same everywhere I wipe with a handkerchief."

Li Zi pursed her lips, "Since you found this shrine, it proves that your dream is real. I think it's time to stop here. Leave the rest to Yinyang Liao. Let them see what this shrine is."

"Don't tell Yinyangliao." Yuziji lowered her face.

She originally had a round face, always smiling, and seemed very friendly.It's a bit uncomfortable to release such a sudden momentum.But it also reminded Lizi that the other party is a princess who doesn't like to hear dissenting voices.

Now that she knew the character of the other party and was unable to fight, Li Zi simply stopped talking.

Yuziji also seemed to see something from Lizi's silent face.She cast her eyes on the tree next to her somewhat unnaturally, "Anyway, this is a little secret between us. Don't tell others, I just don't go."

Lizi nodded, "This is the best, unknown shrines often hide huge dangers."

Yuziji took her hand, "The cherry blossoms are about to bloom. But I can't go to the riverside to enjoy the cherry blossoms like ordinary people. Father knows that I should be blamed. However, there is also a beautiful cherry tree in the palace. Etc. When the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, I invite you to go in and see them."

Lizi didn't want to go at all.The rules in the palace are strict, and she actually doesn't want to get close to Yu Ziji.I always feel that it is safer to stay away from the palace.

"Okay? I've never invited anyone. This is the first time." Yu Ziji said seriously.

Faced with such an offensive, Riko thought that the left and right were just going in to watch the cherry blossoms with her.Besides, isn't the big fox still there?Then he nodded and agreed.

Yuziji happily shook her hand again, "That's it. I'll send someone to pick you up when the time comes."

After returning home, Lizi told Qingming about this, and Qingming's eyes were a little surprised after hearing this.

"Found the shrine in the dream, and the traces of wiping the handkerchief are still there? It seems that the dream of the third woman is not pure. It may be what we call the handover of dreams and reality."

"I asked her to tell Yinyangliao, and she strongly refuted it," Lizi said.

"Well, since she doesn't want to say it, there's no need to say it." Qingming said, "Even if the shrine is weird, after Yinyangliao is solved, His Majesty will not be grateful to you. The female three will also hate you. Because they don't understand the danger of the shrine , I can only think of your breach of trust."

"What if there is an evil god living in the shrine?" Lizi was still a little worried, "We won't tell Yinyangliao about it, what if something happens to the female sangong when she goes to the shrine again?"

"Then let me ask you." Qingming looked at her seriously, "Is Yuzi Ji important to you?"

"No." Pear shook her head.

"It's like what I said just now. After telling Yinyangliao about the shrine, both His Majesty and the female Sangong have objections to you, and even use their power to deal with you. Can you accept it?"

"I can't accept it. I don't want her to have an accident, just because I think everyone's life is very important. But because I cleared the danger for her in advance, she will hate me for it, and I will feel that it is not worth it." Lizi slowly explain.

"You can't stop some people from looking for death," Qingming said flatly, "The third woman has a deep obsession in her heart. Even if you help her stop the shrine, there will still be a shrine tomorrow, and there will be a shrine the day after tomorrow. The evil gods need people's power of faith to maintain their strength, and they will specifically look for people with such deep obsessions."

"You mean, Yuziji must die?" Lizi's voice trembled a little, and at the same time, there was a strange feeling in her heart.In her impression, Seimei has always been a very warm person.For the sake of Ping An Jing, he is desperate.But the person who said indifferently just now and don't stop him if he wants to die, made her a little strange for a while.

Qingming propped his side face with one hand, his eyes were like a deep pool, dark, cold and lazy.His appearance reminded her of someone for no reason.That boy who looks exactly like Seimei and always wears black clothes.

Could it be that Seimei has recently improved his Yin Yang skills, and the bad Seimei has also improved, and then gradually occupied Qingming's body?

Thinking of this, she twitched her eyelashes quickly, "Master Qingming."

"Ah."

"Have you felt unwell recently?"

"No." Qingming frowned slightly, he looked at her suspiciously, and suddenly raised the corners of his lips, "Do you think I'm occupied by that guy?"

"Hey, as expected of Master Seimei, I can guess without saying anything."

"Because when you looked at me just now, there was an unbelievable look in your eyes. I thought of it after a little association." Qingming thought it was a little funny, "Do you think my idea of ​​letting Yuziji die is very indifferent?"

"It's not indifference," Riko thought for a while, "it's just a bit unlike you. I always thought you were someone who existed to protect Heianjing."

"I'm not." Seimei said with a smile, "I exist to protect you."

Lizi's face suddenly became hot, and her heart was beating wildly.

Seimei continued, "Thinking about it carefully, I have been guarding Heianjing all this time. The reason why I have been guarding Heianjing is to wait for a little girl named Ewhako to come and enjoy the night cherry blossoms happily?"

It's this unscrupulous tone again.The heat on Lizi's face quickly subsided.

"Anyway, that's it." Qingming rubbed her hair gently with Qingming's eyes, "My indifference is conditional. When I feel that I will threaten the most important person to me, I will do so without hesitation."

Lizi turned her head to the other side, hiding the surging emotions in her eyes.

After a while she said, "Me too, if someone threatens Master Seimei, I will treat that person indifferently without hesitation."

"What if that person is your brother?" Qingming suddenly asked, "What if he wants to kill me?"

"Treat me indifferently." Lizi said without hesitation.

Qingming couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth, "You have to remember what you said."

"Maybe what Xiaoli said was treating you indifferently." Suzaku couldn't help but said from the side.

Seimei turned his face away and smiled at Suzaku.The next second Suzaku was gone.

"Huh?" Riko's eyes widened in surprise, "Did you lock up Suzaku? Shikigami hate the small black house..."

"Suzaku actually doesn't hate the small black room," Seimei said, "She sometimes asks me to throw her in."

"why?"

"Because Suzaku can turn into a burning divine bird. She entered the small black room to drive away the darkness and bring light to those shikigami who have been unable to see the light for a long time. Even if it is only for a short while, everyone will be comforted."

"So that's how it is." Lizi was greatly surprised.Usually she only thinks that Suzaku is not talkative, but in fact Suzaku has always been a very warm person.

……

During this time, Yuziji did not come to look for Lizi.It seemed she had left the shrine behind.Li Zi also has no psychological burden, and no longer thinks about this matter.

In the middle and late March, the weather is getting clearer and warmer.Under the warm sunshine, cherry blossoms bloom quietly.

The light cast from the treetops makes the petals sparkle.A tree of pink cherry blossoms, like a huge pink torch.When the breeze blows, cherry pink petals float down, like countless butterflies flying in the air.

Riko came to the shrine early in the morning, and was just about to go to the shrine to get work, when she saw the female official who often accompanied Tamagohime approaching.Her heart skipped a beat immediately, could it be that something happened to Yu Ziji?

The female officer bowed slightly to her, "Master Shimizu, my daughter-in-law invites you to enter the palace today to enjoy the cherry blossoms."

"Today?" Lizi was a little surprised, but relieved at the same time.It turned out to be watching cherry blossoms.That's fine.This Yuziji is quite anxious.The cherry blossoms have just bloomed and I am eager to enjoy the cherry blossoms.This time is not the best time to appreciate it.

"Well, now." The female officer said, "Please tell the Almighty Lord that you can enter the palace with me."

"Now?" Lizi's eyes widened slightly, "Okay, then I'll go talk to the Almighty now."

The Almighty was not surprised when he heard this, "You saved her last time, it's normal. Go ahead, I'll give you a day off today."

After Lizi thanked the god, she followed the female official into the palace in an ox cart.

The female officer did not take her to the courtyard where Yuziji lived, but to a large flat lawn.

There is a small pond made of stones, and next to it is a huge weeping cherry tree.It hangs down like a pink waterfall with heavy flowers on it.The breeze blows the branches and floats gently, which is simply beautiful.

Under the tree stood a woman with her back to the pear, wearing a pink kimono, looking up at the cherry tree, almost becoming one with the cherry tree.

Lizi walked over, and the other party turned her head when she heard footsteps. She was a beautiful girl with willow-leaf eyebrows, thin but beautifully shaped single eyelids, a small cherry mouth, and an oval face.

"Even if you see this kind of scenery once every spring, you won't get tired of it." The girl said with a smile.

"Indeed." Li Zi nodded, she looked around, wondering why Yu Ziji hadn't come yet.

"I'm very happy to see you come to enjoy the cherry blossoms." The girl said again.

pear:"……"

Somewhat surprised, she turned her head and looked at the girl again.Look carefully, this person's facial features are quite similar to Yu Ziji.She thought it was Yu Ziji's sister.

"Female San Gong?" She called out tentatively.

The girl smiled shyly and nodded.