Onmyoji, a nobleman in Heian-kyo

Kyosuke Kosaka stopped walking and maintained a safe distance.

"what happened?"

"...Miss wishes to see you."

"Then I'll go see her."

Kyosuke Kosaka then walked straight ahead.

Seeing this, Kirisu Mafuyu cautiously followed behind.

Arrived at the destination.

Fujiwara Kaori, who was sitting quietly on the straw mat, saw Kousaka Kyosuke and her eyes lit up. She waved her little hand without any regard for etiquette.

"Lord Kyosuke, I'm here."

"……coming."

Kyosuke Kosaka responded with a smile, but felt uneasy inside.

After a fairly close conversation, he could sense that this woman, around twenty-five years old, was very mature in her thinking.

Is this current submissive demeanor a disguise?

It doesn't feel like it's all of them.

In the end, Kyosuke Kousaka didn't dwell on it too much.

Even though women are said to be born actresses, the fact that they are willing to perform already shows that they have the right attitude.

"Kyosuke-sama." As soon as Kousaka Kyosuke sat down, Fujiwara Kaori skillfully embraced him, her moist lips close to his ear, her unique feminine fragrance wafting with each breath.

Kousaka Kyosuke tried his best to keep smiling: "Xiangzi."

"I miss you, Kyosuke-sama."

"Me too."

"Oh, really?" Fujiwara Kaori smiled charmingly, her beautiful face as radiant as peach blossoms in March, and she began to chatter away.

Upon witnessing this scene, Kirisu Mafuyu's head buzzed, and she almost fainted.

Xiang, Xiangzi, how could you do such a terrible thing?

After that, for an unknown amount of time, Kirisu Mafuyu remained in a daze from beginning to end.

After Kousaka Kyosuke left, Fujiwara Kaori woke her up with amusement.

"No...no, no, unclean! Shameless!"

Kirisu Mafuyu called out, her face flushed.

Fujiwara Kaori rolled her eyes:

"You should know that if I don't stay with Lord Kyosuke, you'll have to come with me to marry some old man. I'm not kidding."

Noblewomen had no source of income, and their relatives could not support them indefinitely.

Ultimately, maintaining the household expenses still depends on the husband.

As for working, forget about it.

Women of noble lineage are not qualified to work, and no one dares to hire them, because it would be a slap in the face to the elite class.

"Anyway, you'd better get used to it, otherwise we'll all have to beg on the streets in the future."

"……I see."

Kirisu Mafuyu reluctantly agreed.

Fujiwara Kaori observed her expression out of the corner of her eye and nodded secretly; the first line of defense had crumbled.

21. Met Fujiwara no Michinaga / Encountered Ayanokoji again / Spent the night

Day 46 of crossing

The attendant sent by Fujiwara no Michinaga earlier delivered the invitation.

As night fell, Kyosuke Kosaka went to the Daoist priest's residence to keep his appointment.

The magnificent mansion was brightly lit and bustling with people. The buildings were arranged in a staggered and orderly manner, and were built to be tall and imposing.

In the hall, the clear, water-like floor reflected the candlelight.

Kyosuke Kousaka, who had kept his appointment, met the Taoist priest.

The Taoist priest was in his early forties, with a thin face. He wore a plain ceremonial robe with a light ink-colored undershirt, and his crown tassel was rolled up.

Kyosuke Kosaka also met an acquaintance—Yukinari Fujiwara.

Fujiwara Yukinari wore a soft white silk shirt, covered with a light purple outer robe with a blue lining, and a dark purple formal suit, loosely tied with a belt, looking casual, unrestrained, and dashing.

Upon seeing Kyosuke Kosaka, Yukinari Fujiwara revealed a lazy smile and slightly raised his chin.

The Taoist priest was even more casual. Seeing Kosaka Kyosuke approaching, he raised his hand to stop him from bowing and readily said:

"Come, sit down and have a drink."

The tone of voice was as if they were meeting an acquaintance.

Kyosuke Kosaka did not object and readily accepted the important man's kindness.

Although he was only a Grand Councilor, his power as a third-rank official was enough to make it difficult for him to move an inch in Kyoto.

Therefore, Kyosuke Kosaka will not offend anyone unless absolutely necessary.

"As for sake, Kyosuke's sake is definitely the best," Fujiwara Yukinari said with a smile.

The Taoist priest looked at Kousaka Kyosuke with delight: "Did you bring any sake?"

They seemed completely unconcerned about the food brought by strangers.

Kyosuke Kosaka readily replied, "Of course I brought it."

As he spoke, he conjured wine out of thin air, and then a maid took it and poured it into a cup one by one.

The three of them quietly savored their wine.

"a."

"Master Daoist." Upon hearing the Daoist address him, Kousaka Kyosuke responded politely.

A smile appeared on the Taoist priest's face: "You've hidden it very well."

"You flatter me, Daoist Master."

"No, I'm praising you."

"Then Kyosuke will listen attentively." Kousaka Kyosuke said with a solemn and respectful expression.

If you want to live well, you have to say nice things.

Even if we really want to eliminate the enemy, we have to consider whether the timing is right.

It's obvious that the Taoist priest is currently on our side, so saying some nice things is perfectly acceptable.

"Good." The Taoist priest was increasingly satisfied.

The more he looked at Kyosuke Kosaka, the brilliant and talented Onmyoji, the more he liked him.

At this time, there were three major Onmyoji (yin-yang masters) forces in Kyoto: the Minamoto clan, the Kamo clan, and the Fujiwara clan.

The Fujiwara clan was the weakest of the three.

Despite his immense power in the imperial court, the Taoist priest, determined to control the entire capital, was not content with that.

Through repeated observations, he discovered that Kyosuke Kosaka was indeed a promising talent, and naturally intended to nurture him.

Like his two older brothers?

At present, everyone is focused on the imperial court, neglecting the development of the Onmyoji force, which is really short-sighted!

"Are you willing to accept this mission to exorcise the demon of Mount Oe?"

"If the Taoist priest commands, none will disobey!" Kousaka Kyosuke frowned inwardly, but put on a solemn expression and stood up to bow.

"well!"

The Taoist priest's voice was clear and bright, with a glint of brilliance in his eyes.

The honor of defeating Mount Oe must not be solely attributed to Genji.

He didn't demand that Kousaka Kyosuke kill the Oni King of Mount Oe, but he should at least have some achievements.

"What do you want?" the Taoist priest asked again.

Having gotten used to the Taoist priest's way of speaking, Kousaka Kyosuke just smiled and said, "Let's wait until the extermination of Mount Oe is over before we talk about it."

The Taoist priest nodded gently and did not try to persuade him further.