“Jade?”
Why jade?
If the jade character was a message hinting at the murderer, then it likely represented the murderer’s name. At least, if this word was taken to the Bureau of Justice, it could also prove that the murderer was not herself, right? But at this time, Lily didn’t care too much about that issue anymore. She looked at the terrifying sword marks, which didn’t look to be caused by any ordinary expert.
Madam Yoruko’s heavenly oracle was directed at the three archdemons. She intended to convey the heavenly oracle to Ayaka and was attacked by demons on the way. Who would least want this heavenly oracle to be made public?
Thinking of it this way, it was obvious that the oracle mentioned the three archdemons as the cause of the disorder in the world.
“Out of the three archdemons, the only name associated with jade… Tamamo-no-Mae??!1” Lily trembled.
The head of the three archdemons, Tamamo-no-Mae, was said to have the power to shake the heavens, but Lily didn’t know where she was or what she looked like. Could it be that Tamamo-no-Mae or her subordinates murdered Madam Yoruko in order to cover up the message from the heavenly way?
Hoshi Murasaki saw that Lily fell into deep thought and said, “Since Lady Ayaka has entrusted you with this important task, I will go back and wait for further instructions. As for this physical evidence, I will take it and give it to her to see.”
“Hm…then I’ll thank Miss Hoshi Murasaki in advance.”
Hoshi Murasaki left and Lily resumed her exploration. She went to Madam Yoruko’s study where there was even a book of poems that she had written halfway through. Lily took a look and admired the beautiful words which revealed a sense of elegance and sorrow. Madam Yoruko was an exceptional woman in Heian-kyō who was talented in both literary and martial fields, but such a woman was burtally murdered like this…
Lily was sad and upset, but she recalled the handwriting of the bloody jade character and compared it with the poems written by Madam Yoruko. According to Lily’s impression, there didn’t seem to be any difference and it should indeed be Yoruko’s handwriting.
However, this word’s demons were despicable and cunning, and it wasn’t impossible for there to be experts capable of imitating Yoruko’s handwriting and deliberately writing the wrong message.
Lily collected the book of poems and thought about carefully comparing it with the jade character later.
“Yuuta, do you know about Tamamo-no-Mae?” Lily asked.
“Eh?” The raccoon was startled, “Does sister samurai suspect that that Tamamo-no-Mae murdered Madam Yoruko?”
Lily nodded, “Although I’m not certain, at present, the motivation for doing so makes her the biggest suspect.”
“Tamamo-no-Mae is the world’s strongest archdemon. For such an existence, a little raccoon like myself doesn’t know much… However, I can go and find some information for sister samurai.” The raccoon seemed to be hesitating. Lily felt that he perhaps knew something but was unwilling to say it.
“Well, please do that, Yuuta.” But Lily still chose to trust him regardless.
After Lily and Yuuta left Madam Yoruko’s manor, they parted near the night market. Yuuta followed Lily’s instructions and went to the night market to search for information. Sometimes, the information in the black markets was better than what the Bureau of Justice could obtain by normal means.
Lily, on the other hand, ran through the night and went to another place.
Kiyoszawa.
Yuuta was just a very weak raccoon, after all. The level of information he could obtain was mostly rumors and underworld news while Kimiko of Kiyoszawa, in Lily’s opinion, was a transcendent existence in Heian-kyō.
Perhaps, she would be able to get more useful information about the three archdemons by asking Kimiko.
Lily remembered that Kimiko easily helped her to solve the theft case of the Bureau of Divination’s treasury. Lily still fully trusted in her ability and even felt that there was nothing she couldn’t do.
Lily walked along the dark road and came to the elegant and beautiful scenery of Kiyoszawa. The lake reflected the lights in the night and the smell of trees and water in the cool air cleared Lily’s mind.
“Miss Kagami,” The transformed cat, Nariaki, waited on the winding path, “Lady Kimiko is waiting for you, please.”
“Eh?” Lily was startled. Did Lady Ayaka know that she was coming?
Lily arrived inside Kiyoszawa and Kimiko was waiting for her in the teahouse which had a view of the water. Kimiko was dressed in a graceful, flowery kimono and her big fluffy tail was swaying behind her.
“Lily, I knew you would come to me sooner or later. Come here, drink some juice first.” Kimiko looked exceptionally beautiful today and seemed to be wearing lipstick, smiling coquettishly at Lily.
Lily sat down. She didn’t have the heart to drink any juice and said, “Lady Kimiko, Lily came here today to inquire about a very important matter. Lady Kimiko, do you know what happened in Heian-kyō yesterday?”
“Hehe, Lily, to be honest, if you didn’t come, I would’ve rushed to the heavenly prison to rescue you! So, I heard that they locked you up with the male prisoners. You didn’t get nailed, did you…?”
“Lady Kimiko!” Lily was surprised and ashamed, “Lily is okay. Since Lady Kimiko even knows that I was detained in the heavenly prison, you must know everything?”
“Madam Fayumi no Yoruko was a celebrity in the capital and got murdered, how could I not know? I heard from my informants that you had landed in the heavenly prison and only then did I know that you were actually involved in this matter. With your affectionate nature, you wouldn’t sit back and let Fayumi no Yoruko be killed for nothing. I knew that you would come back to me sooner or later.” Kimiko said solemnly.
“Lady Kimiko, Lily has something to ask about. Do you know what happened to Tamamo-no-Mae, the head of the three archdemons of the Heian Dynasty?”
Kimiko looked at Lily with a strange brilliance in her eyes, “Tamamo-no-Mae, it is said that she is a nine-tailed demon fox who usually transforms into a bewitching woman2.”
“Nine-tailed demon fox? Transforms into a bewitching woman?” Lily couldn’t help but look at the fox ears on Kimiko’s head and the big tail behind her…
Her heart palpitated, Could it be that…
Lily’s gaze met Kimiko’s. She wanted to ask, but felt that she shouldn’t. The surroundings fell into silence.
Lady Kimiko was someone who could set up a night market in Heian-kyō under the eyes of the emperor, where humans and demons coexisted and the court laws had no control. She even lived in the mountain behind the palace; it could be said that her means were heavenly.
She was also a beautiful fox demon with unfathomable strength…
“What’s wrong, Lily? Why are you looking at me like this?”
“That… I… Lady Kimiko, could it be…”
“Lily, you don’t think that I am Tamamo-no-Mae, right?” Kimiko asked.
“Eh?” Lily’s delicate body trembled.
“Hehehe, hehehehe, hehehehe!” Kimiko suddenly twisted her waist and covered her face while laughing.
“Lady Kimiko…” Lily felt that the possibility of this being true was very high, but seeing Kimiko’s amused look, she was confused again.
A bewitching light radiated from Kimiko’s eyes. When Lily’s eyes met that light, her body began to feel powerless… Even at this moment, she wanted to get up and run away, but it was too late.
Kimiko suddenly leaned over and grabbed at Lily’s chest as fast as lightning with one hand. Lily was already suppressed by her powerful charm the moment their eyes met and her body was so powerless that she couldn’t even dodge or block it.
Whoosh—
Kimiko’s hand reached into Lily’s clothes and grasped her towering plump breast.
“Eh?”
For a moment, Lily thought that this unfathomable demoness was really about to pierce her heart, but in reality, she only grabbed her chest with a little force. However, this was still a big enough blow for her.
“Ah— what are you doing?” Lily frowned slightly and her face turned red, but she still showed a serious and unyielding look, “Lady Kimiko, what are you doing?”
Kimiko didn’t say anything. While Lily couldn’t move, she began to fondle, causing Lily to tightly bite her lip and let out an uncontrollable, coquettish gasp. After a while, she pulled her hand back in satisfaction.
“It’s really fragrant…” Kimiko sniffed her hand and looked at Lily playfully, “Among the three archdemons, it is said that Shuten Doji specializes in slaughtering virgin women to brew wine. What a terrible pervert. I’m not wasteful and prefer to take good care of you… You are so lively and fragrant.”
Kimiko leaned over and wanted to rip off Lily’s clothes with both hands.
“Stop! Lady Kimiko, Lily is here on official matters. Please don’t do this.” Lily was weak, but still had a serious face, wriggling her body to resist.
“Little Lily, archdemons can be fierce and cruel, but I am so gentle to you. Do you think that I am more terrifying than Shuten Doji?”
Seeing Lily so embarrassed, Kimiko couldn’t help but smile. She withdrew her hands and released Lily from her charm, “Lily, your strength is still lacking and even my charm can subdue you. You are so weak, yet you dare to inquire about news of the three archdemons. No matter how many lives you have, it won’t be enough. If you slip up, you will lose something more important than life.”
Kimiko tapped her slender finger on Lily’s small face, “For example…chastity.”
“Lady Kimiko…” Lily lowered her head and her hair scattered. Although Kimiko had already released the charm technique, she was still in a state of powerlessness.
“Lily, I know what you are thinking. Lady Yoruko was murdered, and with her strength, the only one who can kill her is an existence of superior strength. You came to me at this time to seek information about the murderer, right?” Kimiko said and stretched her hand into Lily’s clothes again, rubbing and squeezing.
“Aha… mmm.” Lily’s eyebrows wrinkled slightly. Although her small hand was able to move, she couldn’t exert any force when squeezed like this. She could only reluctantly hold Kimiko’s hand to stop her, but her gasps became more and more difficult to suppress.
“But I didn’t expect you to suspect me. Ah, I’m very upset,” Kimiko said with a pretense of sternness, “That’s why I have to punish you.”
“However, Lily, I want you to tell me honestly. Why do you suspect the three archdemons? You seem to be especially suspicious of Tamamo-no-Mae?”
“This…” Although Lily was under Kimiko’s control, she still reluctantly said with an expression of resistance, “Lady Kimiko, Lily will definitely say what can be said, but there are some things that concern Lily’s promise to Lady Ayaka which I cannot say…”
“Oh? You can’t tell me because of your promise to her? Could it be that in your heart, that little girl, Ayaka, is more important than me?” Kimiko got closer to Lily and deliberately cast a flirtatious look at her. She took out her hand from Lily’s chest and put her fingers in Lily’s mouth, prying open her most red lips3…
