"Chen Xiao!" He rushed to Chen Xiao's side, seeing Chen Xiao standing there absentmindedly. He thought Chen Xiao was injured. Old Takeuchi patted Chen Xiao hard. Chen Xiao finally came to his senses, shook his head, and after recognizing the person in front of him, took a deep breath: "Yes. Mr. Takeuchi. I'm fine."
"What just happened?" Takeuchi Fumiyama asked warily, looking around with his sword drawn.
Chen Xiao had calmed down and temporarily suppressed the matter of Phoenix. He glanced at the people and corpses on the ground and briefly recounted what had just happened.
"A man in white and a man in black? You killed the man in black, but the one in white got away?"
"Yes, that's about it." Chen Xiao nodded.
Old Takeuchi's expression grew even more serious. He pressed Chen Xiao for more details, such as how Chen Xiao had clearly struck the white-clad man with a single blow when he left, yet the man's body had turned into a piece of paper...
"This is an Onmyoji's Illusion Technique!" Old Takeuchi's voice was heavy, his eye muscles twitched slightly, and his tone became somewhat dry. "If I'm not mistaken, the one in black whom you killed was Masashi Ijin, and the one in white with silver hair should be the famous Abe Ichimei! Both of them are renowned Onmyoji in Japan, especially Abe Ichimei, who is a member of the illustrious Abe family, a prominent school of Onmyoji!"
Chen Xiao had heard the term "Onmyoji" before, but he didn't have a clear understanding of what it actually meant. He looked at Takeuchi Fumio with a puzzled expression. Takeuchi Fumio didn't explain further, but angrily slammed his sword into the ground, shouting furiously, "These two scoundrels! Are they even Japanese?! As Japanese, how dare they attack the Imperial Family! This is an unforgivable betrayal!!"
It's no wonder that Takeuchi was so angry and annoyed. You see, the Japanese Imperial Family holds a position of unimaginable importance in the hearts of the Japanese people, a position that seems unbelievable to outsiders. In the minds of many Japanese, the Emperor is no longer a "person," but a god-like figure. Furthermore, the Japanese Imperial Family has always considered itself a descendant of "gods." From childhood, all the knowledge and education Japanese people receive about the Imperial Family promotes the idea that the Imperial Family is a descendant of gods, leading them to truly regard the Imperial Family as a sacred and inviolable divine race.
In Japan, there may be people who commit murder and arson, people who break the law and commit crimes, and even... but very few people dare to oppose the Imperial Family! Even if someone secretly thinks that way, they wouldn't dare to openly express it!
Openly opposing the Imperial Family is simply unthinkable in Japan!
Chen Xiao's mind was still somewhat disturbed by the red-robed man whose voice sounded like a phoenix, so he didn't have the mind to think about Lao Zhu's dialect and remained silent.
Soon, the fire at Akikichi Palace at the foot of the mountain attracted numerous fire trucks. Although the location was somewhat remote, it was, after all, the ancient city of Kyoto, the seat of the Imperial Family. The fact that a palace where a member of the Imperial Family resided was burned down in such a place quickly drew the attention of countless fire truck convoys.
From the mountaintop, Chen Xiao saw that over a dozen fire trucks had gathered around the Akikichi Palace below, and numerous car lights were flashing on the distant road, indicating that countless vehicles were rapidly approaching. Below, the area was bustling with activity as firefighters battled the blaze. Police car lights were flashing, and a large crowd could be seen searching the mountainside.
Old Takeuchi stared down the mountain for a while, then saw dozens of figures rushing up from the forest. When he realized that they weren't police officers, but rather dressed in a simple, old-fashioned Japanese samurai uniform, Old Takeuchi breathed a sigh of relief: "They are secret guards sent by the Imperial Household Agency."
Old Takeuchi went down to greet them. Several guards were startled to see him, and immediately bowed respectfully. Chen Xiao watched from afar as Old Takeuchi whispered something to them. Their expressions became even more respectful and vigilant, and they quickly split into two groups. One group turned and ran down the mountain, presumably to gather more men. The remaining seven or eight dared not continue up the mountain, but quickly formed a defensive perimeter about several dozen meters below the summit, establishing a perimeter.
Seeing this, Chen Xiao thought for a moment, remembering Zhang Xiaotao who was still by the roadside, and said, "Mr. Takeuchi, I don't think there's anything else I can help with here. I have a friend waiting for me..."
After saying that, he took a step to leave, but Takeuchi Fumio grabbed his shoulder, his expression serious: "Chen Xiaojun, please don't leave yet!"
Seeing Chen Xiao's expression change, Takeuchi Fumio quickly said, "Please don't misunderstand! You've helped me so much, please give me a chance to express my gratitude! If it weren't for you today, His Highness would probably have been kidnapped!"
“That’s not necessarily true.” Chen Xiao shook his head: “As I said earlier, another person wearing a red robe and a bronze mask came out at the end, and it seems that he is not with these two Yin-Yang Masters.”
"No matter what, if it weren't for you, His Highness would have been kidnapped by that red-robed fellow even if those two scoundrels of Onmyoji hadn't taken him away. You've done me a great favor. Please stay and give me a chance to express my gratitude!" Old Takeuchi paused sharply, even bowing solemnly.
The palace guards, standing at a distance, were shocked to see Master Takeuchi bowing to a young man. Who was that boy? Even the Imperial Family's master of swordsmanship treated him with such respect? Even members of the Imperial Family would only bow before a master! Within the entire Imperial Family, only His Majesty the Emperor and Empress deserved such respect from a master! Even the current Crown Prince, being Takeuchi Fumizan's disciple, didn't need to bow to him.
Seeing Takeuchi Bunzan so respectful to a young man who looked so young, how could the Imperial Household Agency's secret guards not be shocked?!
Chen Xiao frowned. He really had no desire to get involved with these Japanese people anymore. He had only come to help because he saw Akiko in danger. Since he had seen it, he felt bad if he just stood by and did nothing, especially since it was mainly for Tang Ying's sake. Now that everything was alright, he naturally wanted to leave.
Just as Chen Xiaojun was preparing his words of refusal, Takeuchi Fumio approached and lowered his voice, saying, "That Yashita Ijin died at your hands. You killed an Onmyoji, which is no small matter! Chen Xiaojun, I have some important things to say to you, so please stay! I dare not forcibly stop you from leaving. I only ask that you stay for one night! Just one night! If you insist on leaving tomorrow, I will immediately send someone to escort you away!"
"...Alright." Chen Xiao finally nodded reluctantly, seeing the serious expression on Takeuchi's face.
Zhang Xiaotao hid behind a large tree by the roadside. Ever since Chen Xiao left, she had been constantly hearing sounds of fire and explosions, as well as the collapse of buildings, coming from the Qiujigong area in the distance. She was filled with fear and worry, and several times she couldn't help but want to rush back to find Chen Xiao. However, she remembered Chen Xiao's instructions before he left, and she knew that even if she, a simple girl, ran back, she would probably only become a burden to Chen Xiao. In the end, she didn't move her feet and could only sit under the tree and wait patiently.
It's unclear how much time passed, but the sounds from the direction of Akikichi Palace gradually subsided. The flames were still powerful, but they seemed to have been brought under control.
On the road in the distance, the lights of a convoy could be clearly seen rushing towards them in the night, along with the sirens of fire trucks.
The big tree was far from the road, so Zhang Xiaotao hid behind it, not daring to show her face, but she became more and more anxious.
Suddenly, she heard a "whoosh" sound behind her!
It was nighttime, and in the desolate wilderness, the commotion immediately startled Zhang Xiaotao. She turned around, only to see that the grass and trees on the open field remained unchanged, without any movement.
She felt a little relieved and turned around, but as soon as she turned around, her expression changed and she couldn't help but cry out "Ah!"
Before she could finish her gasp, a hand gently covered her mouth.
"Don't scream, I won't hurt you."
A hand covered Zhang Xiaotao's mouth, and Zhang Xiaotao immediately felt her body stiffen, unable to muster any strength, as if she had been frozen in place. She felt that she could not even muster the slightest thought of struggle, as if she were in a nightmare!
Before her was a bronze mask with a blue face, fangs, and ferocious features.
A figure stood before them, dressed in a bright red robe that stood out starkly against the night sky, while the bronze mask was as ghostly as could be!
A girl, Zhang Xiaotao, suddenly encountering such a person in the wilderness at night, and not fainting from fright—that's quite a testament to her strong nerves.
Zhang Xiaotao was standing very close to the bronze-masked man, and she could clearly feel the gaze from the two small holes in the mask scrutinizing her, a gaze filled with a strange undertone...
"Yes, you are very beautiful."
After watching for a full half minute, the bronze-masked man suddenly said something like this.
The other person's voice was strong and clear, like a metallic sound, which made Zhang Xiaotao even more frightened.
This guy complimented me on my looks? What does that mean?
Oh no! Have I run into a pervert trying to rape me?!
Thinking of this, Zhang Xiaotao was so frightened that her body went limp. Her face was pale, and her eyes were filled with terror.
"I didn't mean to hurt you, I just wanted to see you." The bronze mask moved even closer, staring at Zhang Xiaotao's face. "I'm just curious about what kind of girl he's fallen for."
As he spoke, his tone became somewhat strange and even cold: "Now it seems, you are very beautiful... but, nothing special."
"You...who...who are you?" Zhang Xiaotao's voice trembled.
"I?"