The underground shrine had just quieted down after the earlier commotion.
In the shrine's inner hall, beyond the raised platform.
Abe no Yoshihira, clad in a black kimono, asked upon hearing approaching footsteps:
"Has it been decided?"
"Not yet, Second Head."
Abe no Orochi, with her silver hair and golden eyes, entered the main shrine hall and knelt on a cushion:
"The clan members are very enthusiastic about reviving our ancestor, so I've sent them ahead to Nijo Castle to assess the situation and prepare defences."
Upon learning that Abe no Seimei's revival was for his Ascension Ritual to Demigod status, the Gokadoin leaders, whatever their private thoughts, all outwardly adopted the stance of being willing to sacrifice themselves for the grand plan.
This somewhat reassured Abe no Orochi.
She understood perfectly well that her father Abe no Yoshihira had concealed this matter, even from her, likely to ensure Abe no Seimei's Ascension Ritual proceeded more smoothly.
But now that the ritual had been exposed, fearing further leaks that might attract more enemies, Abe no Orochi ordered all clan heads to guard Nijo Castle and keep a watchful eye on one another.
"I see."
Abe no Yoshihira's response was indifferent, as if he couldn't be bothered about the matter.
At this point, Abe no Orochi looked up and stole a glance at Abe no Yoshihira, but could only see his tall back.
Seeing this, she took a slight breath before saying:
"Lady Hagoromo Gitsune has sent word, expressing her wish to assign some of Nijo Castle's defence duties to members of the Hagoromo Group."
"Let her." Abe no Yoshihira's response remained indifferent, as if this were a trivial matter.
Witnessing this, Abe no Orochi finally couldn't hold back and said through gritted teeth:
"Father, do you truly intend to let Ariyuki leave?"
The shift from addressing him as 'Second Head' to 'Father' signified that Abe no Orochi was no longer speaking as the Third Head of Gokadoin House, but as a confused daughter questioning her father.
Hearing this address, Abe no Yoshihira's attitude seemed to soften slightly:
"Did you send Shikigami to track Ariyuki?"
Abe no Orochi didn't deny it, merely saying:
"The ones he left in Kyoto were all clones. Our people report that a day ago, Ariyuki had them arrange a plane ticket to Hong Kong for this morning."
Hearing this, Abe no Yoshihira raised an eyebrow: "So he had his true body leave the country before coming here? That shows some brains at least."
Abe no Orochi frowned, her expression slightly displeased: "But this is betrayal. Treason against the clan."
"According to clan rules, he should be stripped of his headship, forced to return the Taizan Fukun Ritual secrets, and denied burial in Seimei Shrine after death."
"Even if Ariyuki is my nephew, he shouldn't break the family's rules!"
Hearing these punishments, Abe no Yoshihira shook his head slightly before saying:
"Orochi, haven't you realised yet?"
Abe no Orochi froze, looking uncertainly at Abe no Yoshihira.
At this moment, Abe no Yoshihira said calmly:
"Let me ask you this - when my father, your grandfather Abe no Seimei, ascends to Demigod status, is it truly foolproof?"
Abe no Orochi's expression changed slightly, but she said nothing.
Yet saying nothing revealed her stance clearly enough.
Just as all the heads of the Gokadoin House had earlier acted as if they were willing to sacrifice their lives for Abe no Seimei's ascension, Abe no Orochi couldn't be certain how many of them were truly sincere.
Given the Gokadoin House's family tradition of each generation killing one another to compete for the longevity quota in each Taizan Fukun Ritual, expecting these scum to show unwavering loyalty to an ancestor they'd never met was less likely than counting on the ritual's deterrent effect on them.
The black-clad Gokadoin and the white-clad Abe weren't just distinguished by their strength—there was also a difference in their control over the Taizan Fukun Ritual.
The three white-clad Abe—Yoshihira, Orochi, and Ariyuki—each held partial control over the ritual.
Unless Abe no Seimei, the ritual's caster, intervened personally, none of the three could be stripped of their authority.
Thus, the three bearing the Abe name could revoke the Taizan Fukun Ritual's effects on the other Gokadoin heads, instantly killing those who should have been immortal.
This was the true source of the Gokadoin House's internal oppression.
And where there was oppression, resistance inevitably followed. As for whether anyone in the Gokadoin clan had colluded with outsiders to plot against Abe no Seimei, Abe no Orochi privately believed it was inevitable.
Earlier, she had suspected Abe no Ariyuki was one such traitor.
But it seemed her father, Abe no Yoshihira, thought differently?
Abe no Orochi's prolonged silence drew a soft sigh from Abe no Yoshihira:
"Have you considered where the Gokadoin clan would go if we fail?"
Abe no Orochi fell silent again before finally speaking:
"So, just as that rebellious son of Ariyuki founded the Tsuchimikado Clan, you're letting Ariyuki establish another branch to ensure the Gokadoin lineage continues?"
Abe no Yoshihira didn't refute this; he merely tilted his head slightly to gaze at the deity statue of the Onmyoji enshrined in the main hall.
It was the statue of Abe no Seimei.
"Ariyuki is far wiser than you."
Hearing this, Abe no Orochi bowed her head in shame.
Abe no Yoshihira didn't console her—after all, she was now a thousand-year-old woman; there was no need.
"Go and prepare. The First Head... It's time for his return."
"Yes, Father!"
...
Kyoto, near Nijo Castle, in a luxury hotel.
Luo Shu leaned against the sofa's backrest, watching Kurumi Tokisaki's amused smile.
"So, within the Gokadoin clan, only Abe no Yoshihira knows Seimei's resurrection is actually a ritual for his ascension to Demigod?"
"From what we've seen, that appears to be the case."
Kurumi walked to the window, drawing back the curtains to gaze out at Kyoto's nighttime landscape through the floor-to-ceiling glass.
"Though it took some time, we've confirmed Abe no Seimei's resurrection is indeed his Ascension Ritual."
"So, what's your next move, Shu-kun?"
"Shall I step in and crush the Gokadoin House before dawn breaks?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu looked up at Kurumi's playful grin.
After a moment, he shook his head slightly.
"No need. After all, disrupting Abe no Seimei's ritual would be no different from disrupting my own ascension."
"Or rather, using his ritual as cover for mine is precisely why we came to Kyoto."
"In a way, Abe no Seimei has already become the decoy."
"Including myself, those eager for promotion are all watching the outcome of his ritual."
"Without understanding how many spectators are behind this grand performance, having you destroy the ritual would only turn us in the shadows into the new targets in the open."
"Oh~ So Shu-kun plans to achieve his own promotion by disrupting Abe no Seimei's ritual?" Kurumi Tokisaki's lips curled slightly as she smiled playfully. "You truly are a villain!"
Luo Shu rolled his eyes and retorted irritably:
"If I'm a villain, then what does that make you?"
"Me?" Kurumi tilted her head slightly before grinning. "Perhaps a witch who's also a villain or something?"
Seeing Kurumi slander even herself, Luo Shu was left speechless.
He shook his head, then stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the star-like city lights as he fell into contemplation.
Using ordinary people as ritual materials for his own promotion—perhaps he really was a villain after all!