Chapter 52 - 49: Seimei Misawa

Chapter 52: Chapter 49: Seimei Misawa

The Evil Crow cursed inwardly:

’Is that all he’s got? And they call him Seimei’s top Illusionist?’

’The power of the Nine-tailed Fox is immense. How can Seimei’s personally taught disciple be this weak?’

’Oh, right. That must mean Seimei is fucking weak, too.’

The Evil Crow took a deep breath:

"SCREECH!"

The soul-shaking screech echoed throughout the entire residential complex!

The Investigators all clapped their hands over their ears, doubling over in pain.

Yamada Yu was hit so hard by the screech that he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

He quickly looked toward the source of the sound.

Through the smoke, Yamada Yu couldn’t make out the Evil Crow’s form, but he could sense it was a bird that possessed Extraordinary Power.

Yamada Yu’s pupils shrank!

’Could this be a legendary Shikigami?’

’Even Lord Seimei doesn’t have a Shikigami, yet one actually exists here in the Xia Kingdom!’

Yamada Yu realized that clenched in the Shikigami’s beak was the Lucky Star Pendant!

’So that’s it. The Xia Kingdom has its own Yin Yang Masters?’

’That Yin Yang Master from the Xia Kingdom must be after the Lucky Star Pendant and is just having their Shikigami eliminate me as a bonus.’

Yamada Yu would never believe the Evil Crow was there to save him.

From that screech just now, Yamada Yu felt like he had already seen his ancestors.

"You want to kill me? It won’t be that easy! When Lord Seimei gets here, you’re all dead!"

Taking advantage of the Investigators’ stunned condition, Yamada Yu smashed through a window and made a desperate escape.

More than ten minutes passed before the Investigators groggily regained their senses.

Liu Wei clutched his head and tried to give chase, but his legs gave out, and he fell to the ground again.

A few Investigators helped him up.

Liu Wei stared at the broken window, gritted his teeth, and said resentfully:

"He got away."

This Illusionist was much stronger than we thought.

Especially that final technique—it knocked all of us out.

An Investigator took out a compact, work-issued phone and handed it to Liu Wei.

"Sister Yan identified the man from the recent footage.

The man from East Sakura isn’t Seimei. His name is Yamada Yu."

Liu Wei took the phone.

Yamada Yu, forty-two years old, came to the Xia Kingdom five years ago.

Liu Wei narrowed his eyes and said:

"I can’t believe even one of Seimei’s grunts is this strong.

We have to report this to our superiors and get a Taboo Item to the South Sea as soon as possible."

Liu Wei handed the phone back to his teammate and said:

"Have the Public Security Bureau conduct a city-wide search for Yamada Yu."

The Investigator replied:

"Yes, sir."

Liu Wei turned his head, looking at Li Mingyue through the thick fog, and said in praise:

"Mingyue, good job.

Otherwise, we would’ve had no leads on Seimei whatsoever.

How did you find this guy?"

Li Mingyue didn’t answer. She knelt in a daze beside Jiang Yong’s body.

The thick fog had mostly dissipated, and Liu Wei could clearly see the deep self-blame and guilt in Li Mingyue’s eyes.

Liu Wei paused, then a relieved smile touched his lips.

’The Anomaly Administration Bureau exists for the sole purpose of protecting the peace of the Xia Kingdom.’

’Investigators might not have advanced degrees or elite combat skills, but they must have a sense of responsibility toward their fellow citizens.’

’This girl... you can count on her.’

’She’s capable, responsible, and courageous—really excellent.’

It wasn’t just him; everyone there knew they could trust her with their back.

...

「Dawn broke. South Sea, East District.」

Yamada Yu clutched his arm, limping into a small alley.

He hid behind a dumpster, cautiously scanning the area.

The coast was clear.

Yamada Yu let out a sigh of relief and gasped for breath.

"If only I had Lord Seimei’s power! How could these mortals have forced me into such a state!"

"Damn it! After all these years of Cultivation, why don’t I have even a fraction of Lord Seimei’s power?"

When Yamada Yu was young, he, along with many other children his age, entered the Seimei Family.

Out of hundreds of children, only three were deemed worthy by Lord Seimei and began to learn Yin Yang Art.

All told, he had been in Cultivation for thirty-five years.

After thirty-five years of arduous Cultivation, the Illusion Art he’d mastered couldn’t even compare to the tip of Lord Seimei’s little finger.

In reality, breaking his illusions was quite simple.

One simply had to not look and not listen, and the Illusion Art became useless.

’Still, at least I accomplished something today.

Once I give this intel to Lord Seimei, he’s sure to teach me more profound Yin Yang Art!’

Yamada Yu picked up a phone and dialed a number.

The phone wasn’t his. He had just stolen it from a passerby.

’The Anomaly Administration Bureau must have locked onto my personal information by now. Using my own phone would be a death sentence.’

The call connected.

Yamada Yu’s tone immediately became deferential:

"My Lord, multiple Divine Artifacts have been discovered in the Xia Kingdom!"

What he called "Divine Artifacts" were what others knew as Taboo Items.

For years, Yamada Yu had been relentlessly scouring the Xia Kingdom’s antique markets, all in search of Divine Artifacts.

A soft, androgynous male voice replied from the other end:

"What happened?"

Yamada Yu said excitedly:

"I discovered a Divine Artifact necklace today, but unfortunately the Anomaly Administration Bureau interfered. I wasn’t able to get my hands on it."

The androgynous voice said:

"So, the Divine Artifact fell into the hands of the Anomaly Administration Bureau?

The Anomaly Administration Bureau already possesses several Divine Artifacts. If they obtain another one...

The Seimei Family’s plans for the Xia Kingdom might face considerable resistance."

The Seimei Family already had a history of over a thousand years.

Their intelligence, gathered over many years, indicated that the Xia Kingdom held the most Divine Artifacts.

The Seimei Family planned to enter the Xia Kingdom through commercial channels to secretly search for Taboo Items.

’Afraid of offending the Xia Kingdom?’

’With enough Taboo Items, the Seimei Family would ascend and become a Divine Race!’

’Forget the Xia Kingdom; even the entire world would have to tremble at the feet of the Seimei Family!’

Hearing Lord Seimei’s voice turn icy, Yamada Yu hurriedly explained:

"No, it was taken away by another Shikigami in the end!

I suspect there’s a Yin Yang Master in the Xia Kingdom who is also after the Divine Artifact!"

The androgynous male voice’s tone softened slightly:

"Oh? The Xia Kingdom has a Yin Yang Master?

Ohoho... Interesting.

A Shikigami? I still don’t even have one of my own.

By that count, the Xia Kingdom’s Yin Yang Master has at least two Divine Artifacts.

That might just be worth the risk of a trip to the Xia Kingdom."

The call disconnected.

Yamada Yu heard the dial tone in his ear.

A vicious grin spread across his lips.

’So, the Xia Kingdom’s Yin Yang Master wanted me dead, did they?

Just wait until Lord Seimei arrives. You’ll soon learn what true Yin Yang Art is!’

Yamada Yu never once worried whether Lord Seimei could defeat the Yin Yang Master of the Xia Kingdom.

He sighed:

"It’s just a shame I’ll have to suffer for a few days, hiding and laying low."

Suddenly, a harsh, grating voice spoke up:

"I can find you a good place to stay for a few days."

Startled, Yamada Yu whipped his head around.

"Who’s there!"

Yamada Yu saw the thing that spoke, and his eyes slowly widened.

It was a crow!

And in its beak, it held the Lucky Star Necklace.

It stood perched atop a wall, its head cocked to one side.

Yamada Yu reacted in a flash. His hands flew into a series of seals, and the nearby dumpster transformed into a White Tiger that roared and charged the Crow.

The Crow didn’t even move.

There was a mocking look in its eyes.

It let the White Tiger charge.

Like a phantom, the White Tiger passed right through the Crow’s body.

"Your Illusion Art can’t even compare to a single hair on the Nine-tailed Fox. It’s pathetic.

You’re only a mortal, after all. Even after cultivating the Nine-tailed Fox’s Magic, you’re still pathetically weak."

After finishing its tirade, the Crow shot a beam of black light from its eyes.

Yamada Yu lost consciousness.