Chapter 39: Taizan Fukun!

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Beneath a clear blue sky, the sun shone brightly, casting its warm rays upon the earth.

At the entrance of a traditional Japanese wooden mansion, a sign bearing the Migiwa family name, inscribed with bold, sweeping strokes, served as a reminder to all who approached.

Below the sign, a black, square stone rested on the ground. Its surface was rough, weathered by the passage of time, exuding a heavy sense of history. 

Inscribed upon it, in ancient Han Dynasty characters, were the words "Stone Guardian." The stone emitted a faint glow, almost unnoticeable beneath the brilliance of the sun.

A wisp of black energy drifted towards the stone, merging with it. Thump! A sound like a heartbeat reverberated as the stone shuddered, then returned to stillness.

Haru walked along the road with five beautiful girls, his gaze fixed on the radiant sun as he complained, "Kaoru, you're so careless! You only noticed the car was out of gas when it was almost too late."

"Oh my, if we had gas, someone might have been incinerated," Sayanomiya Kaoru retorted, taking advantage of their numbers to taunt Haru and vent her recent frustrations.

However, Haru chose to ignore her jab. He turned to Mariya Yuri. "Yuri, you should be able to sense the Heretic God Yama now, right? What is he searching for in Okukozome?"

Mariya Yuri's eyes became vacant, her pupils dilated. It was a sign she was using her clairvoyance. "I think you mean the Heretic God Yama, Haru. If he's searching for something, it's easy to understand. It must be a divine artifact related to Mount Tai."

"How is Yama related to Mount Tai?" Haru asked, puzzled.

"That Yama is quite famous in Japan. Taizan Fukun, the God most revered by Japanese Onmyouji, is his predecessor. he's called the Eastern Emperor, I believe," 

Sayanomiya Kaoru said with certainty, recalling the information about Gods she had memorized during her Miko training.

"Yes. Initially, he was the representative of nature worship, the deified God of Mountains. During the Old Era, Confucian scholars and alchemists gained prominent positions through the emperor, from being a mountain god, he expanded his role to become the King of the Underworld, presiding over the afterlife and controlling life and death. He became Taizan Fukun," 

Yuri explained, using her clairvoyance to uncover Yama's origins. 

"And during the early Han Dynasty, there wasn't a true concept of the Underworld. The Underworld often represented the divine realm. Taizan, the King of the Underworld, became the Emperor of Heaven, ruling over the heavens. Therefore, the mountain god evolved into a triune god-king, presiding over the sky, the earth and the Underworld," 

Yuri continued, her gaze becoming even more distant, as if she were seeing the sacrificial rituals of the Han Dynasty through the river of time.

"If I remember correctly, it was during the Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, right? Buddhism began to spread widely in Asia, and mythology was altered by Buddhism. 

from being the supreme god-king, saw his authority gradually shrink. Eventually, his divinity was split by Buddhism into two Gods: Yama and Taizan, with their powers divided among the various gods of the Underworld," Sayanomiya Kaoru added, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

"So, you're saying that Yama came to our house to find something that would restore his status as Taizan Fukun?" Kazuha Migiwa exclaimed, surprised.

"I've never heard of anyone in the family going to China, let alone having anything related. Father loves calligraphy and paintings, not stones," Akira Amatsume said, puzzled. She had just been officially recognized by the family elders and registered in the family genealogy, reverting to her original name, Amatsume Akira. 

However, she had always acted as the shrine maiden who conducted the family rituals, essentially the eldest daughter of the Migiwa family. It was only because of Kazuha's mother that she hadn't been officially acknowledged.

"Then it's certain. The item related, that was received recently must be the divine artifact Yama is looking for," Sora said calmly.

All five girls turned to look at Sora.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked, tilting her head in confusion as she looked at the five pairs of eyes staring at her. 

"We're just wondering, Sora, you're so smart, how did you get tricked by that jerk Haru?" Akira asked curiously. 

"He forced me," Sora mumbled, turning away with a strange expression, her voice trembling slightly.

Haru received four consecutive death glares. 

"Ahem, ahem, even if you know all this, it's useless to me. I still have to rely on my instincts to fight him," Haru said, coughing awkwardly and trying to change the subject. He shrugged nonchalantly and put his hands behind his head. 

Thump! Sora stomped on Haru's foot, her face dark. "Study the information seriously. I can allow you to indulge your lust, but I won't allow you to make me a widow."

"Yes, ma'am!" Haru quickly lowered his head and put on a submissive expression.

"It's actually not useless. We can deduce Taizan Fukun's approximate divine powers," Mariya Yuri said, her vacant eyes gazing towards the Migiwa residence.

"Yes, we can speculate about his divine powers based on his origins. He likely has resurrection, restoration, judgment, sky, underworld, and primal mountain god powers – at least six different types," Sayanomiya Kaoru said, combining Yuri's clairvoyance results with mythological records and unofficial histories.

"So, when he was Yama, he only used underworld, judgment, and resurrection powers. Once he recovers, he'll gain sky, mountain god, and restoration powers. 

That's really helpful," Haru said, recalling his battle with the Heretic God Yama. Based on Yuri and Sayanomiya Kaoru's deductions, his powers did indeed fall within that range.

So that's how it is. Haru grinned, revealing a bloodthirsty smile. I know your trump card now, Yama. You're doomed. 

Whack! A black rabbit plushie hit Haru on the head. "You're smiling too creepily, you pervert!" 

The Migiwa residence was shrouded in a thick black mist, death energy clinging to the entire building. The main gate was wide open.

and inside, servants lay scattered on the ground, their faces pale and lifeless, emanating a strong sense of death. A single figure stood on the eaves above the entrance. 

It was the defeated Heretic God Yama.

This was the scene that greeted Haru and the others when they arrived.

"No way..." Kazuha Migiwa and Akira Amatsume stared in horror at the two figures lying in the courtyard.

"Father!!! Mother!!!" 

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