anwhile, far away on the Pacific coast, within the Pri Minister's Official Residence in Tokyo.
Pri Minister Shimao, sitting like a clay statue in his seat, was slowly nodding off. After all, he was rely a figurehead who had no desire to actually work, so his subordinates never took him seriously anyway.
However, today's incident was simply too massive—so significant that they couldn't even discuss it in private, forcing everyone to rush here in a panic.
The ministers had not only arrived but had also brought along quite a few people. Various scholars, experts, temple abbots, and Shinto chief priests had all gathered!
After all, this matter was connected to Transcendent Power, specifically involving the ghosts and monsters everyone was deeply familiar with. These were the very creatures that spanned the entirety of Japan's Heian period, appearing ti and ti again in their legends.
Going by Arica's experience with Transcendent Beings, local Yokai would surely have to be countered by the local Divine Pantheon. Therefore, Buddhism and Shinto were the obvious directions they chose to rely on.
Now, everyone was seated in the spacious conference room, their eyes fixed on the screen before them.
The image on the screen displayed the monster that had just committed a massive massacre in Kyoto. With the body of a bird and the head of a human, its appearance was utterly bizarre and ferocious!
A mber of Parliant stepped forward, taking on the task of briefing the room. "Just last night, right around midnight, a terrifying Yokai broke into the residences of Kyoto City officials, causing a horrific bloodbath!"
"This monster has already resulted in the deaths of six high-level officials. And as soon as dawn broke, it vanished completely!"
"Its targets are exclusively those officials who are re figureheads living off their positions, especially those whose negligence has led to civilian deaths. It chooses to either burn them alive or devour them."
"We just received word from Kyoto City that officials across the entire region are fleeing en masse, surging toward Osaka and Tokyo!"
The mber of Parliant looked toward the scholars, experts, Shinto chief priests, and temple abbots, continuing, "Based on recent global events, it is not hard to deduce that this is a manifestation of Transcendent Power within our borders. It likely falls into the category of ghosts and monsters, and we need your help to verify this!"
Hearing his words, many people finally raised their heads, carefully staring at the information displayed.
They had originally thought this was just a simple, routine religious conference. Only now did they realize that this was clearly an ergency summit marking the ergence of the Supernatural!
Had Transcendent Power truly appeared in their country? And was it an existence tied directly to their native legends?
The crowd instantly grew excited, their focus sharpening imdiately. This could very well be an absolutely wonderful, once-in-a-lifeti opportunity!
They, who had previously been marginalized figures in the nation, might actually beco mbers of an elite expert panel, just like those professors advising the White House in Arica!
anwhile, the eyes of the Shinto and Buddhist leaders—who already held positions associated with the supernatural—flickered with profound ambition. They thought of how Christianity and Buddhism were currently sweeping across the Eurasian continent, and imagined the incredible heights they themselves could reach.
The Catholic Church had already beco a massive force dictating the very winds of Europe. Even if they couldn't dominate all of Asia, surely they could take control of this country, right?
Even that alone would form an incredibly lucrative chain of profit...
Neither side possessed a single drop of Transcendent Power yet, but they were already silently confronting each other. The friction between Buddhism and Shinto was not sothing built in a single day!
Right at that mont, a folklorist nad Kimura suddenly narrowed his eyes and declared loudly, "This is an Onmoraki! One of the Hundred Demons from legend, a Yokai from the Hundred Demon Night Parade! It originally stems from Chinese ghost lore!"
At his words, several people around him abruptly looked up, their eyes flashing with a searing, dazzling radiance. "Professor Kimura, are you saying... this monster is a creature that genuinely exists in our legends? It wasn't artificially created? And it didn't wander in from sowhere else?"
Professor Kimura nodded vehently. "Yes! Records of the Onmoraki first originated from the 'Qingzun Lu' by Hong Mai of the Southern Song Dynasty. It is a ghost ford from the resentful corpse qi of the newly dead in the Central Plains. It was later recorded in the 'Taihei Hyakumonogatari' and is universally recognized as one of the Hundred Demons!"
"This is wonderful... absolutely wonderful!" Although these high-level officials were still surprised, they were predominantly overjoyed. After all, compared to the minor crisis brought about by a single ghost, they were much more focused on the imnse, positive benefits this event could bring them.
Because their suspicions of a native Transcendent Power had finally beco reality!
At that mont, they looked with burning intensity at the various leaders of Shinto and Buddhism, asking with boundless curiosity, "The Catholic Church had a bishop who received a boon to fight off a demon. So, as the leaders of Buddhism and Shinto, you all must have received a Revelation as well, right?"
The chief priest of Shinto looked rather embarrassed. Received a Revelation? They hadn't received a damn thing!
He had only learned about this entire situation upon arriving here. What kind of insights could he possibly have? When it ca to making money and fooling the populace, he was an expert. But now that real Transcendent Power was involved, they expected him to step up to the plate?
To that, he could only say: You had better find soone more qualified, because I absolutely cannot do it!
However, right beside him, the abbot of a renowned temple spoke up with supre calmness. "Pri Minister, honorable gentlen. Although the Lord Buddha has not bestowed any direct guidance, please do not worry. Once our temple's master returns from Calcutta, after debating scriptures and seeking the dharma, we will certainly have a solution!" This single statent instantly drew everyone's attention.
That was right. It wasn't as if Buddhism completely lacked backing. On the contrary, these Buddhist monks already had two Transcendent powerhouses supporting them!
One was Zanluo in Calcutta, and the other was Master Min Aung in Myanmar. Weren't these two figures their ultimate safety net?
Once those words were spoken, everyone's thoughts grew even heavier. So were even secretly wondering: if they went to curry favor with the Buddhists right now, would it still be in ti?
"Actually, our own Transcendent Being has also appeared!" a high-ranking official from the Ministry of Culture suddenly announced. "A reporter from the Asahi Shimbun captured footage of a Transcendent. However, he wasn't fighting a Yokai, but rather two humans!"
With that, he cast the footage onto the screen, allowing everyone to witness the young Onmyoji in action!
"An Onmyoji..." Everyone stared in sheer amazent. After all, this was the very first ti they were seeing a Transcendent from their own nation. The way he strolled as if taking a leisurely walk in a courtyard, the steady composure as he pulled out a paper doll, and the dominant, overwhelming presence of his final judgnt—it all burned deeply into their minds, thrilling countless onlookers!
And the fact that this young man had addressed his ancestor as Seii made everyone instantly realize that this Onmyoji was likely an Inheritor of the Abe family!
"I knew it! Onmyoji are the true orthodox Transcendents of our nation! Isn't this exactly how Lord Abe no Seii protected Heian-kyō back in the day?"
A legislator stood up and declared loudly, "I propose that we restore the national Onmyōryō, and proactively invite this Onmyoji to join! Perhaps, with his involvent, Tokyo can stand tall in an era where a hundred demons run rampant, just as Heian-kyō once did!"
"There are only two categories of Onmyoji: State Onmyoji and Private Onmyoji. We can ignore the private ones for now. As for the State Onmyoji, historically there were only two families: the Abe family and the Kamo family!" soone chid in, accurately reciting the historical records.
Another person added in absolute excitent, "Lord Seii is the legendary Great Onmyoji who safeguarded the city! Among his descendants were powerful Onmyoji like Abe no Yasuchika and Abe Ariyo. Has his legacy returned to protect us once again?"
"The Abe family changed its na to the Tsuchimikado family back in the Muromachi period. They are the ones currently managing the Seii Shrine. I suggest we contact Seii Shrine directly! The current head of the Tsuchimikado family will undoubtedly know the identity of this young Onmyoji!"
"He should be called Abe Seiji, right?" Many people nodded in approval. Sure enough, their Transcendents had their own heritage of power. Wasn't this infinitely better than the useless Shinto priests?
Many cast sidelong glances at the Shinto chief priest, making him squirm with discomfort.
Soon after, acting on Pri Minister Shimao's instructions, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology—which oversaw religious affairs—made a direct phone call to the chief priest of Seii Shrine in Kyoto.
"Mr. Tsuchimikado, this is the Cabinet! It turns out that your family is the deepest hidden Transcendent family of all!"
"Right now, supernatural monsters are running rampant. The Pri Minister hopes that you can act in the best interests of the nation, helping us establish the Onmyōryō to clean up these terrifying creatures!"
"What do you say, Mr. Tsuchimikado? We can appoint you as the Chief of the Onmyōryō, with a status and compensation matching those of the Heian period! If you are willing, you can bring your people straight to Tokyo!"
"Additionally, the Pri Minister is extrely interested in the young Mr. Seiji from your family. He hopes you will bring him along as well!"
Outside Kyoto City, having just escaped the Yokai crisis, Tsuchimikado Jin'ichi answered the phone with a completely bewildered expression. The person on the other end was even showering him with complints, "For a Transcendent family, you've kept yourselves hidden incredibly well! Is this the legacy and final will of Lord Seii?"
"Ah? ?" Tsuchimikado Jin'ichi lowered his cell phone in a daze, looking at the family mbers gathered around him. "Can anyone here tell when our family ever possessed Transcendent Power? How co I, the head of the family, don't know a thing about it?"
"And also, do we have a young man nad Seiji in our family? Why has he caught the Pri Minister's eye?"
The entire family exchanged blank looks. The relief of escaping Kyoto that had just been on their faces now completely dissolved into sheer confusion.
'I have no idea! If our family really had Transcendent Power, would we be in this pathetic state?!'
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