A Pawn’s Passage

Under the cover of night, Ise Province resembled a procession of 100 ghosts in full swing.

With no moonlight, the darkness was oppressive. Nothing could be seen beyond a few meters. The void felt thick, like a heavy curtain that light could not penetrate. As the night wind swept across the open plains, it howled like ghostly laughter.

Looking closely, one could see numerous figures moving through the dark—some quickly, some slowly. There were faint, indistinct murmurs, or perhaps low chuckles that were unclear.

During the day, sunlight suppressed these ghostly entities, forcing them into hiding. But at night, with yin energy flourishing, they surged forth like startled insects after the first thunder of spring.

There were two types of spirits. One was the bodiless ghost, also called a yin soul, which feared blood qi and yang energy. As long as a person had strong blood qi and vitality, these spirits could not get close. Such yin souls used illusions to wear down the mind and erode courage. Once the heart faltered, the body's yang energy would weaken, allowing possession. Their methods were much like a Diviner's.

The other type of spirits were corporeal creatures like zombies, who not only had no fear of one's yang energy but even craved blood and flesh. Their methods were simple and brutal, much like Martial Arts Practitioners.

Normally, these two types of spirits would not appear together. But Ise Province was far from normal. Yin souls and zombies roamed side by side, yin energy and resentment merged into one.

Ordinary people dared not step outside at night. Every household kept its doors tightly shut. Outside of a few major towns, smaller villages were already nearly deserted.

Walking across the open plain, Qi Xuansu's intense blood qi was like a bright lamp in the dark, visible from afar and inevitably attracting numerous malicious spirits.

But both yin souls and zombies had their own frustrations. The yin souls were fast and elusive, but Qi Xuansu's body was that of a Heavenly-Being Martial Arts Practitioner. Even while purposefully suppressing his blood qi, it was so intense that they dared not approach. Zombies, on the other hand, were not afraid. But they moved slowly, like the elderly on the verge of collapse, so Qi Xuansu easily outpaced them. Before long, they were left bewildered, unsure of what they were chasing.

Qi Xuansu had come to Ise Province in the guise of an Onmyoji, but he was not here to exorcise spirits. So his approach to these spirits was simple—avoid them whenever possible, and if unavoidable, dispatch them quickly with no fuss.

Of course, the many ghosts and spirits of Ise Province had to be dealt with, but this was not Qi Xuansu's duty alone. Once the Daoist troops arrived, all demons and ghouls would be wiped out.

This open field had once been a battlefield between the Chancellor's Office and the Sonno-joi faction. After both sides retreated, it became a mass grave, and now, a paradise for ghosts and spirits.

Many deserters were also hiding here, too afraid to return home or enter towns. They could only take refuge in the desolate wilds, surviving by robbing passing travelers, like the ashigaru Qi Xuansu encountered. But they would not live long in such an environment. Sooner or later, they would either turn into monsters themselves or be devoured by ghosts or zombies.

After passing through the wasteland, signs of human habitation began to reappear. However, it was the middle of the night, and every household kept its doors locked and lights out, fearing they might attract ghouls or demons.

This suited Qi Xuansu just fine, as he could travel more freely without needing to overly disguise himself as a weak Onmyoji of the Harima School. However, flying was still out of the question, since it would draw too much attention, and he would risk being discovered by the Ise-jingu. After all, this was still the core stronghold of their influence. So, Qi Xuansu chose caution over speed.

Qi Xuansu reached a village that had been abandoned due to the war. He planned to pass through quickly, then cross the small mountain behind it to take a shortcut from Watarai District to Taki District.

Just then, Qi Xuansu heard a sound coming from within the village. It sounded like a human voice.

After a brief hesitation, he ultimately decided to follow the sound.

If he were just a wandering commoner, he could have ignored it, as it was always best to mind one's own business, especially when one was weak. But he was now a high-ranking Daoist. As long as it did not interfere with his mission, he ought to help where he could. Upholding righteousness should not just be spoken. It had to be practiced. When capable, one should benefit the world.

Then, Qi Xuansu saw a young miko dressed in white and red, battling three demons all by herself.

Unlike Princess Tamako, who wielded a tachi, this miko held a kagura suzu, which was a ritual tool used in the Tenmon Sect's ceremonies, resembling a three-tier bell attached to a short handle.

Each time she shook the kagura suzu, it repelled the demons and purified the surrounding yin energy and resentment.

The Tenmon Sect's miko were considered the Daoist Order's enemies, but exterminating demons was a shared goal. Both sides wanted to purge Ise Province of its demons because, regardless of which nation or sect one belonged to, these demons posed a threat to all.

In the face of natural calamity, should humans set aside their conflicts and fight the disaster together?

That, clearly, was a moral question.

With Qi Xuansu's experience and depth of thought, he could offer an answer, but not a perfect one.

Just then, a demon called the Hone-Onna darted behind the miko. Her fully skeletal hand gripped a bone spike, thrusting it toward the miko's back.

In the end, Qi Xuansu chose to intervene, drawing the Kuji-kiri.

The greatest difference between the Tsuchimikado School and the Harima School was not in their clothing or appearance, but in the magical symbols they used. The Daoist Order's symbol was the yin-yang symbol, while the Cult of Fates used an eye-shaped pattern formed from a black moon and white sun. The Tsuchimikado School's symbol was a simple five-pointed star. The Harima School drew the Kuji-kiri by crossing five horizontal lines with four vertical ones, each line representing a specific syllable within the Kuji-in.

Since Qi Xuansu was impersonating a Harima Onmyoji, he had to learn its signature symbol. Fortunately, it was not difficult for him to imitate. His spells were essentially Daoist techniques disguised as Onmyodo. Unless one were a Heavenly Being, it would be hard to tell the difference.

The Hone-Onna, who had attempted a sneak attack, was frozen in place just as she was about to succeed.

The young miko sensed something was wrong, turned her head, and was startled. On reflex, she struck the Hone-Onna with her kagura suzu, knocking the creature's skull clean off.

At the same time, she noticed Qi Xuansu in the distance and quickly realized he had saved her life at a critical moment. She immediately bowed to thank him.

But she forgot about the other two demons behind her, who took the chance to lunge forward.

Qi Xuansu sighed and decided to finish what he started. He drew another Kuji-kiri and summoned a burst of flame, turning the zombie into a giant torch. Sensing danger, the nearby cat demon turned and fled, disappearing in an instant.

The Daoist Order once commented that the people of Fenglin were full of minor courtesies but lacked greater righteousness. This was a rather fair observation, as Fenglin locals strove for perfection when it came to etiquette.

The miko gave Qi Xuansu a solemn bow to express her gratitude for saving her life.

Before she could speak, Qi Xuansu initiated the conversation. "I'm an Onmyoji from the Harima School. You're a miko, right? Why are you wandering around alone at night? Don't you know how dangerous that is?"

As expected, the miko did not question Qi Xuansu's identity at all. Her focus shifted entirely to explaining herself. "I'm not a miko from a jingu[1]. I serve at a jinja[2] instead. I came out at night because my friend went missing, and I'm looking for her."

Qi Xuansu asked, "Is your friend also a miko?"

The miko shook her head. "No, she's the daughter of a merchant."

Then she looked cautiously at Qi Xuansu and asked, "Master Onmyoji, would you help me search for her? I'll repay you."

Qi Xuansu thought to himself,Aren't people from Fenglin supposed to hate troubling others? This little miko seems quite forward.

He bluntly refused, "Sorry, I need to head to Taki District. Where is your shrine? I can escort you back."

The miko looked troubled, then her eyes lit up as she asked, "Master Onmyoji, do you have a travel pass?"

Qi Xuansu was momentarily stunned, but being a seasoned wanderer, he did not ask, "What pass?"

Instead, he replied, "I've never heard about a travel pass requirement to go to Taki District."

The miko explained, "Originally, it wasn't required. But after a group of Tsuchimikado Onmyoji plotted something suspicious, the Jingu issued an order that a travel pass is now necessary to enter the Taki District. Without it, you won't be allowed into any towns and may even be declared wanted. You won't be able to move at all."

Qi Xuansu cursed the fools of the Tsuchimikado clan inwardly for being good-for-nothings who only caused trouble.

However, his expression did not change as he said, "I just saved your life. Don't you think you should repay me? For example, by getting me a travel pass?"

The young miko answered earnestly, "Of course, I'll repay you, Master Onmyoji. But I don't have a travel pass with me. I need to return to the shrine first to get one, and I'll only go back once I find my friend."

Qi Xuansu let out a dry laugh, thinking to himself,This miko sure is clever...

This way, he had no choice but to help her. "Alright then, I'll help you find your friend."

"Thank you, Master Onmyoji." The miko bowed once more.

"The key is—where do we even look?" Qi Xuansu asked. "Beyond the village, there's a battlefield full of corpses. Now, it's swarming with ghosts. If your friend went there, I doubt you'll even find her bones."

The miko said with firm conviction, "She wouldn't go there. She was kidnapped by bandits. According to the guji's divination, they're hiding not far from this village."

Qi Xuansu said, "That makes things easier. But fighting bandits is different from dealing with ghosts. Spells might not work. I once met a miko who was a master swordswoman. Can you use a blade?"

The miko lowered her head in embarrassment. "No."

Qi Xuansu asked again, "How about a bow?"

Her head drooped even lower. "Also no."

Qi Xuansu had no choice but to draw a standard multi-shot handgun from his waist. "Luckily, times have changed, and I've got this."

1. A Grand Shrine, typically associated with the imperial family. ☜

2. A regular shrine. ☜