"The true Seimei, unknown to the world?"
Hagoromo Gitsune found this description deeply unsettling. After all, she knew Abe no Seimei best, yet the intelligence dealers' reports implied the Seimei she knew wasn't the real one.
As Hagoromo Gitsune's mind wavered, Kyokotsu cautiously said:
"According to the information dealer, Hao Asakura might actually be the real Lord Seimei. The Lord Seimei known to the world is merely a fabricated image that appeared after his death for some unknown reason."
"What does this mean?" Hagoromo Gitsune's mind was in turmoil, her thoughts tangled. "What exactly is the deal with this Hao Asakura?"
"Based on the intel, he was a Great Onmyoji from a thousand years ago."
Hearing Kyokotsu say this, Hagoromo Gitsune instinctively nodded and said:
"Seimei was indeed born a thousand years ago, during the Heian period—to be precise, on the morning of February 21st, 921 AD, just as the sky cleared."
Kyokotsu glanced at Hagoromo Gitsune before continuing:
"He created the Chō-Senjiryakketsu, systematically summarised the principles of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, and established the Class of Onmyoji."
"That's not right. The Onmyoji, or rather, the Way of Yin-Yang, wasn't founded by that child Seimei. However, he did indeed compile it. As for the Senji Ryakketsu... that was indeed written by Seimei. What's with this Hao Asakura adding a 'Chō' to his own work?"
The word 'Chō' displeased Hagoromo Gitsune. Chō-Senjiryakketsu—deliberately adding 'Chō'—who was he implying?
Hearing this, Kyokotsu cautiously said, "The Senji Ryakketsu was also written by Hao Asakura, but according to the intel, it seems to have been composed when he was thirty, primarily a summary of divination methods. The Chō-Senjiryakketsu was written later in life, at eighty-three, mainly discussing cultivation methods of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, along with various original Yin-Yang Arts."
"That child wrote this in his later years?" Hagoromo Gitsune was taken aback, her expression puzzled.
She had died during Abe no Seimei's prime, around the age of forty. But Abe no Seimei lived to eighty-four, and based on her understanding of him, composing works in his later years was entirely plausible.
After all, in Hagoromo Gitsune's memory, that child had always been compiling his theories. The Senji Ryakketsu was merely one of his works on divination—and the only one that survived to the present day.
So, Hao Asakura composing the Chō-Senjiryakketsu in his later years wasn't entirely unexpected to Hagoromo Gitsune.
Meanwhile, noticing that Hagoromo Gitsune seemed to be conflating Abe no Seimei with Hao Asakura, Kyokotsu carefully added:
"It's rather strange. The information dealer claimed that Hao Asakura was once called Hao-dōji, born with the innate ability to command spirits and read minds. He lost his mother in childhood, trained under a Kamo priest in his youth, and had mastered all Yin-Yang Arts by his thirties..."
Hearing this, Hagoromo Gitsune murmured:
"How similar..."
"That child did indeed play with a bound spirit as a toy on the day he was born, and he was very good at pleasing me. As for losing his mother young—that was because of my yokai identity, which wasn't accepted. To get him a renowned teacher, I had to fake my death and leave."
"Hao-dōji was even the nickname I gave him. That child seemed to like the name, but as he grew older, he became somewhat disdainful of it."
Hagoromo Gitsune seemed to be recalling fragments of memory, though not vividly:
"What happened after that?"
Seeing this, Kyokotsu appeared to relax slightly before continuing:
"According to the records, in his middle age, Hao Asakura created the Taizan Fukun Ritual, a technique powerful enough to alter life and death. To complete this technique, he secretly controlled Emperor Murakami of that era, using the imperial family's power to assist in perfecting the Taizan Fukun Ritual."
"That sounds like something he would do..." Hagoromo Gitsune understood perfectly why Hao Asakura would commit such an act of regicide in that era.
After all, she herself had been betrayed by members of the imperial family during his middle age.
Whether from the perspective of revenge or the utilitarian goal of perfecting his technique, she believed it was inevitable that Hao Asakura would take this path.
She even vaguely remembered the Taizan Fukun Ritual - a technique derived from studying her own reincarnation abilities.
If she'd been uncertain before, now she strongly suspected Hao Asakura was truly her child.
His thoughts, writings, experiences, even the techniques he developed - all felt painfully familiar to her. So familiar that...
"The Taizan Fukun Ritual was soon completed, granting Hao Asakura the power to manipulate life and death freely. But unsatisfied, he sought even more."
"He secretly controlled both the emperor and the crown prince, using their authority to collect knowledge nationwide. He even dispatched agents to the western empire to obtain texts from the Hundred Schools of Thought."
"After decades of effort, at age 83, Hao Asakura created the Chō-Senjiryakketsu. The following year, he decided to die."
"Decided to die?" Hagoromo Gitsune froze. "Why would he seek death? Did he want to find me in hell?"
Kyokotsu hesitated, then finally said:
"The information dealers had no details to offer, nor even a price for such information. They likely didn't know either."
"But according to their records, five hundred years after Hao Asakura's death at 84, he reincarnated as a member of a small tribe in America. There, he seized the Spirit of Fire - one of the Five Grand Elemental Spirits worshipped by that tribe for generations - and wielded that terrifying fire spirit in an attempt to create a world exclusively for Shamans."
"Couldn't find me in hell, so he returned to the human world?"
"And he reincarnated? Doesn't that mean my child became someone else's child? Why must he always be so reckless?"
"What happened to him afterwards?"
Listening to Hagoromo Gitsune's complaints, Kyokotsu shrank back slightly before delivering the final report:
"Reportedly, Hao Asakura was ultimately stopped by his descendant Asakura Yohken, failing to conquer the world before returning to hell once more."
"That unfilial... no, that ungrandson! Since when do grandsons rebel against their grandfather?"
Hagoromo Gitsune grew rather agitated, as if envisioning her unfilial grandson beating up his frail old grandfather.
Even if he were her own grandson, he shouldn't hit his grandfather! That was her own flesh and blood!!
Kyokotsu gave Hagoromo Gitsune an awkward look.
Why was she so angry?
Had she already determined which one was truly her child?
"What happened to that unfilial grandson in the end?"
"He died of old age."
"Serves him right!"
"And the child?"
"He reincarnated again - fourteen years ago, reborn into Asakura Yohken's descendant line."
"Another mother?"
Now, Hagoromo Gitsune was full of complaints.
Her child would have three mothers now. When they finally met, who exactly was he supposed to be filial to?
"Where is he now?" Hagoromo Gitsune pressed.
"His whereabouts are uncertain," Kyokotsu cautiously explained. "The information dealer has no precise details, saying the target is too dangerous to track reliably."
"However, it's said that Hao Asakura seems to be gathering subordinates for some purpose, as if searching for something."
After speaking, Kyokotsu tentatively asked:
"Sister, what exactly is the relationship between this Hao Asakura and Lord Seimei?"
Hagoromo Gitsune opened her mouth, then also looked puzzled:
"Truthfully... I don't know either."
Logically, her son should still be struggling in hell, awaiting her rebirth.
Yet this same son had used Minagoroshi Jizō to alter her memories, forcing Great Tengu into exile.
That child... she remembered him not being so cold-hearted.
In contrast, Hao Asakura had died and revived multiple times, persistently searching for something.
After brief consideration, Hagoromo Gitsune realised he must be seeking her - his birth mother.
This comparison made her suspicious.
One was a bad son who planted spies around her and persecuted loyal subordinates. The other was a good son who repeatedly died and revived while searching for her. Now, even Hagoromo Gitsune couldn't determine which was truly her child.
Emotionally, she still believed her son needed her to give birth to him. But rationally, that genius son of hers had created so many techniques, practically redefining what an Onmyoji was. Would such a prodigy really be unable to control life and death?
Someone like Hao Asakura, freely manipulating life and death while searching for her across hell and the human world - wouldn't that be the standard behaviour?
So... which one was truly her son?
Why couldn't even Hagoromo Gitsune find her own child now?
Seeing her hesitation, Kyokotsu cautiously asked: "Then... Sister, what should we do now? How should we handle Minagoroshi Jizō?"
"...Maintain the status quo for now. I need to observe further."
Hagoromo Gitsune paused, then continued:
"Nue's birth plan will proceed, but there's no need to rush. Press your information dealer harder - see if we can locate Hao Asakura."
"I... no, I wish to meet that child first."
Kyokotsu agreed this was the only way forward. If Minagoroshi Jizō truly were Lord Seimei's man, dealing with the apparent traitor would be problematic. Though unfair to Great Tengu, maintaining distance was currently the only option.
The priority was confirming who was truly sister's child. Only with that answer could they proceed.
Following Hagoromo Gitsune's orders, Kyokotsu withdrew again, taking funds to search Akihabara for traces of Hao Asakura.
...
North America, upon the Great Lakes.
On a small yacht, a red-haired young man in a cloak lay sunbathing when his eyes suddenly opened.
A puzzled voice followed:
"The constellations have shifted?"
"Oh? Someone's searching for me... Who dares seek me out?"
Hearing the noise, the black child lying on the deck chair sunbathing nearby immediately asked curiously:
"Lord Hao, did something happen?"
The wine-red-haired youth merely sprawled lazily on the deck chair, smiling:
"Don't be nervous, little Opacho. Just someone overestimating their abilities."
"Another one to be eliminated?"
Opacho suddenly understood, then felt somewhat curious about whoever dared to spy on Lord Hao.
'Who could be so bold?'
Thinking this, Opacho activated her future-predicting ability to take a peek.
Finally, she saw a beautiful woman calling Hao Asakura's name with loving affection.
Instantly, Opacho jolted awake, saying incredulously:
"Lord Hao, the one spying on you just now... seemed to be your mother?"
"Lord Hao?"
Receiving no response from Hao Asakura, Opacho turned her head to see Hao staring at the sky with a complicated expression.
After a long pause, Hao Asakura resumed his leisurely posture:
"Let's stay in America a while longer, Opacho."
"Okay!"
Opacho didn't dare say more - wherever Lord Hao went, she would follow.
Though possessing mind-reading abilities, she couldn't read Hao's mind. Yet she keenly sensed that Lord Hao's earlier expression held a trace of fear.
That expression was familiar to Opacho - it was the same look she'd worn when receiving slaps from her mother before being abandoned.
'Lord Hao's mother must be a truly terrifying person.'
Recalling the woman she'd just seen and her childhood beatings, Opacho shrank her neck.
'A woman even Lord Hao fears... best keep my distance.'
'Just in case, I'll tell the organisation to stay away from Japan for now.'
'Yes, that's settled...'