“I care about immortality and self-transcendence, while Yoshitsune cares about worldly wealth and power… there’s absolutely no conflict between us, so cooperation is feasible, even if it means giving up some benefits…”
At night, within the garden, Wu Ming, wearing wooden clogs, stepped onto the cobblestone path, gazing at the blooming flowers, and sighed deeply: “But… he may not care, yet there are those who do!”
Suddenly turning around, he said, “Don’t you agree?”
Whoosh!
A breeze blew through, and the originally clear and bright moonlight abruptly turned blue-green!
A vast divine domain descended, instantly separating the garden from the outside world, transforming it into a separate realm.
“Divine power at the fourth level is yellow, and the fifth level is blue-green. Have I finally drawn your attention, Susano-o no Mikoto?”
Brilliant radiance enveloped Wu Ming as a phantom eight-headed serpent, woven from Dragon Qi, coiled across his garments. Divine power pulsed in undulating waves, emanating overwhelming might.
Splash!
Water from the small pond erupted, forming under the moonlight a warrior clad in a straw raincoat, wearing armor, and wielding a great sword, with two points of blue-green light glowing from beneath his mask.
“Water and oceans, destruction and devastation…”
Wu Ming, with his profound understanding of the Way of the Gods, immediately recognized Susano-o’s domain.
“Die!”
The water-formed warrior roared, raising his katana and fiercely slashing downward.
Boom!
This slash carried the intent of destruction and devastation, and behind the warrior, a vision of surging ocean waves appeared, drawing upon mysterious power.
Most crucially, the entire divine domain pressed down upon Wu Ming, subtly enhancing the warrior’s strength.
“Tsk! Why do these Japanese deities all act the same? They won’t listen to reason until they witness your strength!”
Wu Ming rolled his eyes inwardly, as the earth beneath his feet erupted, suddenly unleashing a tremendous force.
“Five Thunder Rites!”
A bolt of earth lightning shot forth, striking the warrior directly. Earth overcomes water, and thunder even more so!
Splash!
In an instant, the entire warrior shattered, dispersing into countless droplets falling to the ground.
“I am the National Teacher, and within Izumo, I nearly possess the might of a terrestrial immortal. How about it, Susano-o no Mikoto? Is further testing necessary?”
Wu Ming said calmly.
As his words faded, another warrior clad in black armor formed from the moonlight and pond.
Wu Ming sensed the surging divine power coalescing—it was pure power of destruction and oceans, forming the warrior’s body, solid and real, with its concentrated strength being dozens of times greater than the previous one!
“Thief who has stolen the fortune of my bloodline… Do you know your sins?”
The black-armored Susano-o no Mikoto spoke in a melodic, ancient tongue.
Ordinary humans might not sense changes in fortune or the transfer of Dragon Qi, but certainly not so for deities, especially a great god like Susano-o no Mikoto!
“I’ve done what I’ve done. If you’re angry, then fight me!”
Wu Ming laughed loudly, his Dragon Qi manifesting as thunder cracked across the sky. “Even if I’m no match for you, I can still inflict irreversible damage. Then, how will you face Amaterasu Omikami and Tsukuyomi no Mikoto?”
If he hadn’t been appointed National Teacher, and if this weren’t still within Izumo, Wu Ming would never have stood a chance against Susano-o no Mikoto! But now, he had the confidence to speak thus.
With equal power comes equal right to speak; everything else is nonsense!
This arrogant attitude immediately shook even Susano-o no Mikoto, and two points of blue-green flame flared beneath his dark mask: “I am the ancestral source of the Susano-o clan and can command Yoshitsune to revoke your title!”
“Haha…”
Wu Ming laughed heartily, “Susano-o… truly don’t you know Yoshitsune’s current situation? Although he is head of the Yoshitsune clan and guardian of Izumo, it was I who elevated him. His position is still new and not yet firmly established… Once he attempts to depose someone, do you think it will be me or him that gets deposed?”
If it truly came to blows, Wu Ming naturally had no fear—he could simply order Yoshitsune’s assassination and install another or even take the position himself!
This was precisely Susano-o’s concern; otherwise, he would have ordered Yoshitsune to turn against Wu Ming already instead of coming to confront him in the dead of night.
“What do you intend then?”
Clearly, Susano-o’s voice carried anger now.
The blue-green flames even manifested externally, burning fiercely.
It is said that even Buddhas possess wrathful flames that can give rise to world-destroying wrath kings. At the blue-green level, a kami was similarly approaching such a transformation.
“There’s no need for that. My relationship with Yoshitsune is merely one of mutual benefit! If it weren’t for me… he probably would have died at the hands of a tengu or something else long ago…”
This was pure sophistry on Wu Ming’s part. With Yoshitsune’s fortune, he would never die an accidental death before fulfilling his great destiny. Perhaps that tengu was even an opportunity arranged by Susano-o for him, which Wu Ming had ruined.
“Of course…”
Seeing Susano-o seemed on the verge of erupting, Wu Ming quickly backed off: “Now I already have 300,000 koku in Izumo. If I can take another 300,000 koku in Aki Province, the surrounding smaller states will surely submit, quickly making Yoshitsune a daimyo with a million koku—a force that can influence the entire nation! Isn’t that already beyond what you originally planned for Yoshitsune?”
Hearing this, Susano-o could not help but fall silent. Yoshitsune’s current development wasn’t just good—it had already gained the advantage and legitimacy in the struggle for supremacy!
Even he had to admit Wu Ming’s astonishing talent in strategy and military affairs!
“Don’t you want to take revenge on Amaterasu Omikami?”
At this, Wu Ming immediately added the final blow.
This sentence was extremely ruthless, pouring oil on the fire! Throughout the Japanese pantheon, who didn’t know about the rift between Amaterasu Omikami and Susano-o no Mikoto?
Indeed, even their bloodlines—the Minamoto and Taira clans—had been enemies, despite their alliance in governance, which had sown deep seeds of conflict.
Now the Minamoto clan had staged a coup, slaughtering the Taira clan and seizing sole power, illustrating the point!
“…The Mori clan in Aki Province, which you intend to attack, is an important piece placed by Tsukuyomi no Mikoto…”
After a long silence, Susano-o finally spoke.
“This matter I shall handle entirely on my own. I only ask that Your Reverence conceal it for me!”
Wu Ming said solemnly. Previously, he had directly slain the divine guardian Kamikusa Yozakura without even asking, solely to demonstrate his determination!
“Very well!”
The black-armored warrior replied and then dissolved into points of light.
Boom!
In an instant, the sky was still the same sky, the land still the same land, the pond remained, and peach blossoms bloomed.
The sensation of the divine domain vanished, letting Wu Ming know that Susano-o had truly departed.
“This deity feels… somewhat inferior to Heishan Jun…”
Wu Ming was slightly surprised: “Could it be due to the lack of original world power? Perhaps in this Japanese world, only Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto could rival those two deities from the divine and ghostly world?”
“National Teacher’s Hall?”
Stepping out of the garden, several warriors bowed respectfully, completely unaware of anything unusual.
No one knew that Wu Ming had silently entered into a pact with a deity of this world.
With power, even deities would bow!
Returning to his room, Wu Ming sat cross-legged, recalling his encounter with Susano-o no Mikoto tonight and the deal they had struck, pondering deeply.
Susano-o no Mikoto is a blue-green level deity, ranked fifth tier in the Way of the Kami. Had we truly clashed tonight, I would undoubtedly have perished! Of course, with a desperate counterattack, even he would have sustained irreversible injuries! A deity of that caliber possesses prescience regarding their own safety, so naturally wouldn’t take such a gamble… Moreover, his agreement came far too readily—most likely intending to let me entrap myself…”
Tsukuyomi no Mikoto and Susano-o no Mikoto were both fifth-tier kami, secretly supporting the Mori clan’s unification of Aki Province.
More crucially, his protected divine guardian, Kamikusa Yozakura, had already fallen to Wu Ming, leaving not even a trace.
Such a great enemy would inevitably seek vengeance. This campaign into Aki Province would indeed be perilous—first reason!
Even with the status of National Teacher, acting as a shield, there would still be indirect karmic consequences and calamities. This might not be evident within Izumo alone, but once Yoshitsune became a daimyo with a million koku, these effects would surely manifest!
Wu Ming even suspected that once Yoshitsune’s wings were fully spread, and he fully activated the Yata Mirror, even without Susano-o’s prompting, he would discover Wu Ming’s detrimental draining of his fortune.
Currently, Yoshitsune might have noticed but dared not speak out, yet after conquering Aki Province and forcing the surrounding states to submit, his prestige would rival Wu Ming’s today, allowing him to begin turning against his benefactor.
Susano-o was simply waiting for the moment when Wu Ming’s unjust actions would bring about his own downfall—second reason!
“It’s precisely because of these two reasons that Susano-o let me go this time, allowing me to serve as his vanguard?”
Wu Ming calculated, feeling that this campaign into Aki Province was indeed perilous, yet unavoidable!
After all, Ye Bai was very likely hiding within the Mori clan of Aki Province!
Furthermore, only by truly unifying Japan, or at least elevating Yoshitsune’s clan to a million koku daimyo status, would the fortune gained be sufficient for Wu Ming to stand alongside the Three Noble Kami without being at a disadvantage!
Once that was achieved, he would have a true foundation in this world. Even if Ye Bai fled to the ends of the earth, Wu Ming could pursue him through heaven and hell, dragging him out and killing him, with even the Three Noble Kami unable to protect him!
“This is the momentum nearing completion…”
Wu Ming sighed, ascending to the highest tower of the castle, facing southward.
Aki Province lay south of Izumo, and now he could faintly perceive its fortune.
“With Kamikusa Yozakura’s demise, Aki Province has lost its guardian deity, and the Mori clan’s fortune has greatly diminished—perfect timing for an attack! However…”
Using his Heavenly Eye, a power of true sages capable of piercing the hidden realms, Wu Ming gazed for a moment before a cold smile appeared on his face: “The aura of Yuyan remains hidden, yet another fortune is rising… Tsukuyomi, do you think I don’t know?”
Inwardly, he was clear: if the battle for Aki Province was won, then he would truly have unstoppable momentum, unmatched by any!
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