Hogwarts Summoning Guide

The battle was over, with one demon retreating and the other fleeing. Seimei took out a beautifully crafted fan from somewhere and slowly walked out of the woods, politely greeting Minamoto no Hiromasa.

"This gentleman looks unfamiliar!" After putting away his jade flute, Minamoto no Hiromasa's gaze lingered on Shirai Lin.

"This is Master Bai, a sorcerer under the Emperor of Tang. He has come from the east. I presume to appoint him as the Grand Master of Yin and Yang," Seimei said with a smile. Bai Lin was extremely powerful. A demon of the level of Momiji wouldn't last more than two rounds against him. How could Seimei not admire and cherish such talent, especially since he had greatly enhanced the prestige of the Genji clan?

Minamoto no Hiromasa suddenly realized why he had never heard of such a person in the Onmyōryō. However, he quickly realized that since Hakurin had only recently joined the Onmyōryō, if such a powerful mage could help the Minamoto clan, it would surely further enhance the clan's strength.

Minamoto no Hiromasa put aside his arrogance as a young nobleman, stepped forward politely to bow, and apologized for his disrespect, displaying an attitude of humility and respect for scholars.

"Bai Da Yun possesses great magical power, and it is truly a blessing for our dynasty that he can serve the Imperial Uncle," said Minamoto no Hiromasa. His words were full of wit and sarcasm. Firstly, he bypassed the Yin-Yang Bureau and said that Bai Lin was serving the Imperial Family. Secondly, he showed the close relationship between Emperor T and himself. The implication was that following him would lead to a brighter future, since the Yin-Yang Bureau was too low-ranking and Bai Lin had almost no room for advancement unless Seimei gave him his position.

Bai Lin rolled his eyes inwardly. "I'm not serving you, Emperor T. It's just that this is a fragment of history. Otherwise, I could destroy the entire Japan ahead of time."

Watanabe Tsuna, his withered demonic hand bound with hemp rope, looked at his treasured sword stained with black blood with a distressed expression. He and Minamoto no Hiromasa had both been released from the "spirit possession" state and felt much weaker.

"General Watanabe, do not worry. This sword can slay evil spirits; it is already a divine weapon. It should be renamed Onikiri!" Seimei praised Watanabe no Tsuna. Upon hearing this, Watanabe no Tsuna's worries vanished, and he thought to himself that handing over the Demon Hand to Minamoto no Yorimitsu tomorrow would surely be a great achievement.

After exchanging pleasantries, they should have parted ways, but Minamoto no Hiromasa turned to Seimei with a grin and said, "By imperial decree, the Grand Shogun is preparing to send troops to Mount Oe soon. I dare to request troops from the Bureau of Onmyōdō on behalf of the Grand Shogun. I wonder if Seimei would be so kind as to grant me this request?"

Seimei frowned and said, "When the General sends troops, the Bureau of Onmyō should naturally offer prayers and blessings. How can you talk about borrowing troops? The General's army is strong and well-equipped; how could he possibly look down on the old and weak members of the Bureau of Onmyō?"

Minamoto no Hiromasa, however, pointed at Shiraishin and said, "Just one person is enough. Surely Seimei wouldn't disregard the bigger picture?"

Seimei glanced at Bai Lin, his gaze sharpening further. Of course, he wouldn't openly refuse Minamoto no Hiromasa's request. On the one hand, he and Minamoto no Hiromasa had some connections, and he could use this to ease the relationship between the Onmyōryō and the Minamoto clan. On the other hand, Minamoto no Hiromasa was pressuring him with an imperial edict; how could he dare to disobey?

On the way back to the shrine, Seimei was clearly unhappy, but he didn't show it in his words.

"Is the General going to punish the Wine-Spitting Boy?" Bai Lin asked as he walked.

"What is Shuten-dōji? Mount Ōe is a place where demons and monsters gather. The Demon King Yaksha has been wreaking havoc in the area with thousands of soldiers for five years!" Seimei said with slight surprise.

Bai Lin thought to himself, "As expected, the monsters I killed or sealed have also disappeared from the fragments of history." He clearly remembered that in the Heian period, the Sake-Spitting Boy occupied the area within a hundred miles of Mount Oe, built fortresses and palaces on the mountain, and all the daimyo of the surrounding counties and prefectures were terrified and dared not resist him.

This event was so significant that it nearly shook Emperor T's rule, yet it still took Minamoto no Yorimitsu several years to gather the necessary troops for the campaign. Japan at this time was similar to the late Eastern Han Dynasty: the central army was weak, local warlords held sway, and the daimyo completely ignored the shogun's orders. Minamoto no Yorimitsu intended to use this battle to establish his authority, so that any daimyo who dared to disobey would have to consider their own strength.

Seimei was quite satisfied with Bai Lin's combat strength and thought he had gained a great help. However, he was poached by Minamoto no Hiromasa as soon as he left. But the matter of sending troops was of great importance and concerned the face of the entire capital. In the end, he had a flash of inspiration and decided to take several capable mages with him and Bai Lin to fight together.

If Bai Lin went alone, he might be poached by the General's Mansion. But if the Yin-Yang Bureau became its own, it might be able to steal credit from the General's Mansion. Having figured this out, Qingming was in a much better mood.

Back at the shrine, Seimei instructed his servants to arrange food and lodging for Bai Lin, then said, "Bai Da Yun, please rest well for the next two days. There's no need to rush the case. The General should depart in three days. When it comes to slaying demons and serving our Emperor, we will have to rely heavily on Bai Da Yun!"

Bai Lin rolled his eyes inwardly. Who would want to serve your damned Emperor? But he pretended to be loyal and said, "I am a subject of a fallen kingdom, wandering in a foreign land. I am deeply grateful to Your Excellency for not abandoning me and entrusting me with such an important task. My gratitude is as boundless as the Yangtze River and as unstoppable as the Yellow River overflowing its banks! This time, I will definitely strive to win the greatest merit for Your Excellency!"

Bai Lin's answer struck a chord with Qingming. Of course, Qingming could tell that the flattery was too cheesy. However, it depends on who is doing the flattery. A truly capable person can deliver flattery that is especially pleasing to the ear.

After this display of loyalty, Bai Lin naturally gained Qingming's favor, and it's believed that it won't be long before Bai Lin will be able to freely access the Onmyo Bureau's confidential information.

Nothing happened that night. Bai Lin woke up around 7 a.m., but Qingming had already gone to the palace for the morning court session. According to the etiquette of the East, the Japanese had to enter the palace at 4 or 5 a.m. and attend court on time at 7 a.m., which was even more 007 than 996.

Bai Lin yawned as he bathed, changed clothes, and ate breakfast with the help of a rather charming young maid. Only then did he mount his tall horse and leisurely walk onto the street.

He hadn't slept well either. After returning to his room last night, he couldn't wait to summon the food spirit Zhuanyu, wanting to see what was so special about this shikigami with the blood of the Four Saints. However, after working for several hours, Zhuanyu refused to obey the summons, and the encyclopedia system didn't give him any hints. In the end, he could only explain that it was because some kind of triggering condition hadn't been met yet.

After wandering the streets for half a day, Bai Lin had a general idea of ​​the layout of Kyoto. It was truly a place filled with eerie atmosphere; a casual stroll led him to discover over a dozen places where monsters might be hiding. The aura of monsters was everywhere – in trees, rivers, wells, and dilapidated houses. No wonder there were legends of a hundred demons roaming at night.

Bai Lin had no interest in those level three or four minor demons. Just as he was getting bored and preparing to head home, a commotion broke out on the street ahead. Some of the poor people scattered and fled, while others curiously gathered around to watch the excitement.

Bai Lin grabbed a poor man who was hurrying away. The man was startled, but upon seeing the Yin-Yang Bureau plaque at Bai Lin's waist, he became respectful and quickly said, "Reporting to you, sir, the Demon Slayer Corps has broken into Lishui Garden. They seem to be saying that Miss Yanyanluo is a demon in disguise!"