Hogwarts Summoning Guide

Bai Lin watched the departing figure of the Demon Blade Princess and angrily stabbed his longsword into the ground. However, he knew very well that even if he chased after her, he was already exhausted from fighting and might not be a match for her.

Having slain the formidable Yasha-hime and learned new skills, Bai Lin had at least made a profit. He collected his shikigami and armor, then stepped forward to support the swaying Bai Zangzhu.

At this moment, the houses on both sides of the road suddenly collapsed. Bai Lin looked over and saw that Yao Dao Ji's sword-drawing technique had unleashed a sword aura of at least ten zhang, cutting the houses on both sides of the road in half.

Everyone gasped in shock.

Hakuzosu returned to human form, panting heavily, which made him feel slightly better. Looking at Ari's corpse, Seimei's eyes filled with sorrow. This retainer, who had followed him for more than ten years, had always been loyal and devoted, never marrying or having children, as if his life's destiny was to protect Seimei and die for him... But soon Seimei thought of something more serious, and his eyes turned to worry.

Just as they relaxed a little, several whooshing sounds suddenly appeared, and several figures approached from afar, quickly arriving in front of them. Bai Lin took a closer look and realized that they were members of the Demon Slayer Corps. He couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself, "Damn it, did you guys get lost in the snowy mountains? You weren't here when we were fighting the Yuki-onna, you weren't here when we were fighting the Demon Blade, and now you're showing up."

"Brother Song! We meet again!" Bai Lin pretended not to know that the Demon Slayer Corps was there and stepped forward to greet Song Quan.

The Demon Slayer Corps members were somewhat surprised, not expecting that the other party knew their captain.

Song Quan stepped forward, not drawing his sword, but clearly showing his fear of them. He said coldly, "We can talk about catching up later. Get out of my way, I'm going to kill this monster!"

Bai Lin was taken aback, and only after following Song Quan's finger did he realize that Song Quan was pointing to Qingming.

He quickly changed his mind, but still stepped in front of Seimei, saying, "Seimei is a high-ranking official of the Bureau of Onmyō. Right and wrong should be decided by His Majesty and the head of the Bureau of Onmyō. I'm afraid the Demon Slayer Corps cannot afford to offend him!"

He gripped the hilt of his sword, facing Song Quan from a distance. Song Quan appeared furious, but ultimately did not make a move. Bai Lin's eyes flashed, already understanding Song Quan's concerns. Firstly, the Demon Slayer Corps would risk retaliation from Fujiwara no Michinaga if they acted rashly, thus losing their space to operate in Kyoto and even being labeled a rebel organization. Secondly, Song Quan must have seen his combat strength from afar and was not certain of victory.

Song Quan glared fiercely at Bai Lin, then at Qingming, and snorted heavily through his nose before disappearing into the night with his men. They came and went quickly.

"We can't delay any longer, let's go back to Kyoto..." Seimei covered his mouth with his fan and coughed lightly twice.

Bai Lin nodded. The remaining followers were too badly injured, so Qingming suggested that he and Bai Lin leave first, while the others rested on the spot and sought help from other daimyo in the surrounding area at dawn. At this point, it was no longer a matter of saving face for the royal family.

Bai Lin helped Qingming find two relatively intact horses and set off towards Kyoto overnight. Riding Yukikaze would likely cause panic among the common people.

After traveling all night, the horses were exhausted and could only rest by the roadside at dawn, eating and drinking the food they had brought with them.

Bai Lin opened a can of beef for Qingming. Qingming took a bite and looked surprised, but his gaze towards Bai Lin was very strange.

"Holy crap, you don't think this is human flesh, do you? Author Bai Linshuo is waiting for you with 'The Hogwarts Summoning Guide.' This is beef from Tang Dynasty, okay!" Bai Lin quickly explained.

Seimei frowned and said, "Oxen are so precious, how could the Tang Kingdom slaughter them for meat?"

"Stop worrying about it. There are beef cattle that are raised specifically for food... Do you want some or not? If not, forget it." Bai Lin pretended to take it back.

"Please excuse my poor taste..." Seimei subtly hugged the canned food to his chest and began to eat it heartily. He had suffered severe internal injuries and his spiritual energy was depleted, so he desperately needed this high-protein meat to replenish his strength.

The two men led their horses and walked for another ten miles or so, when they saw dozens of riders coming from the road ahead.

"The sound of horses' hooves is chaotic; they seem to be a defeated army..." Bai Lin murmured.

"It's the Genji!" Seimei exclaimed in surprise.

Bai Lin looked closely and saw that it was indeed the city garrison general's men, but they looked as if they had just suffered a defeat, escorting several carriages hurriedly from the direction of the capital.

The two men went to meet them. The Genji soldiers were obviously startled, looking like frightened birds. Fortunately, the leader was an old acquaintance, Watanabe no Tsuna, who recognized Bai Lin and the other man from afar.

Watanabe no Tsuna looked at Seimei with great hostility, but out of respect for Hakurin, he led the two of them to Minamoto no Yorimitsu in the rear guard. Only then did the two realize that Watanabe no Tsuna was just the vanguard, and that a large number of Minamoto family members, with their families and a total of over a thousand people, were still behind them.

Upon inquiry, it was learned that due to his poor performance in the Battle of Mount Ōe and his "excuses" regarding the loss of the imperial relic, the inner palace was furious. Emperor Tō issued an edict stripping Minamoto of his position as shogun and banishing him from Kyoto. Minamoto no Yorimitsu refused to accept this and went to the palace to argue, but was blocked by the Imperial Guards. Yorimitsu was wounded and had to retreat. Subsequently, the garrison was besieged by the Imperial Guards, and was forced to relinquish military power and withdraw from Kyoto.

Bai Lin rubbed his nose, able to imagine the frustration Minamoto no Yorimitsu felt in Kyoto. The Battle of Mount Ōe had nearly wiped out the Minamoto clan's elite forces, and turning against the Emperor at this point would obviously be extremely disadvantageous for the clan. Although the Imperial Guard was nominally under the Emperor's direct command, it was actually now in the hands of the Fujiwara clan, a powerful family related to the Empress Dowager. In other words, Fujiwara no Michinaga was the one trying to drive the Minamoto clan out, which explained why Watanabe no Tsuna was so hostile towards Seimei from the Fujiwara line.

"Lord Michinaga would never so easily harm his most trusted advisors; there must be some misunderstanding!" Seimei was utterly shocked upon hearing this. He knew Fujiwara no Michinaga was extremely shrewd and cunning, but he had always sought to maintain a balance of power within the court and expand the imperial family's prestige to intimidate all sides. Seimei had been taught from a young age to learn from the centralized power structure of the East, and to dedicate his life to reclaiming military power from the vassal daimyo to uphold the dignity of the imperial family. The Minamoto clan, equally loyal to the imperial family, should clearly be a powerful tool for him to punish the vassal daimyo. How could the Fujiwara clan destroy their own bulwark?

"Hmph! Fujiwara no Michinaga didn't show his face, but his precious daughter gave the order to me in person, so how could it be false?" Minamoto no Yorimitsu sneered.

"Empress?" Seimei and Bai Lin were both taken aback. Fujiwara no Michinaga had five daughters, all of whom were sent to the palace to marry several generations of emperors. Three of his daughters became empresses of three emperors, which helped solidify the power of his previous Grand Minister of State. Now, the empress is his youngest daughter, Fujiwara no Ieko.

It was already against the law for the Empress to issue an edict on behalf of the Emperor, but given that Fujiwara no Takeko had a dual identity, it was not too surprising that she issued the order when neither the Emperor nor Fujiwara no Michinaga appeared.

Bai Lin murmured the name "Fujiwara Takeko," feeling a sense of déjà vu about the woman's way of doing things...

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