At the Sakura Country airport, outside the arrival gate.
After several hours of flight, Zhang Wei arrived in Sakura Country.
"Brother Wei, Miko is over there."
Yu Xiaoqi looked around, scanning the waiting crowd at the arrival gate ahead, and spotted his girlfriend, Fuwa Miko. He happily waved towards her.
Following that.
Yu Xiaoqi pulled Zhang Wei to join Fuwa Miko.
"Mr. Zhang Wei, it's a pleasure to see you again. You left in such a hurry last time, and I didn't get a chance to thank you properly. This time, you must stay for a few more days so that Miko and Xiaoqi can thank you properly."
Fuwa Miko, dressed in a kimono, immediately bowed and expressed her gratitude.
Zhang Wei smiled and waved his hand:
"You're too kind. Xiaoqi is my friend, and it's only right that I help. By the way, who is this?"
As he spoke.
Zhang Wei looked towards Fuwa Miko's side, where a small child stood, about eleven or twelve years old. The child shyly held onto Fuwa Miko's kimono, peeking out from behind her to observe Zhang Wei and Yu Xiaoqi.
Fuwa Miko heard his question and quickly brought the child forward:
"This is my cousin, Fuwa Masato. He's been identified as having the potential to be an Onmyoji. Xiaoqi mentioned that you, Mr. Zhang Wei, are quite famous in Great Xia, so I brought him to broaden his horizons and see what a powerful ghost exorcist looks like."
"I see. I thought your brother had been possessed by a ghost, and you brought him here hoping I could help exorcise it."
As soon as she spoke.
Zhang Wei's gaze also fell upon Fuwa Masato, or rather, a pendant he wore around his neck. Although it was well-hidden, and no aura leaked out, Zhang Wei could still sense it. There was a yokai within the pendant, and its strength was considerable, at the level of a top-tier red-clothed vengeful spirit.
Fuwa Miko was taken aback for a moment, then seemed to realize something and quickly explained:
"No, no, that's a guardian shikigami given to my brother by my family. He's still young and has high potential, making him an easy target for other yokai. Yokai in Sakura Country love to eat Onmyoji with potential, as it can enhance their own strength."
A system prompt also sounded in Zhang Wei's mind.
[Ding! The guardian shikigami was startled... Was that my illusion? How can this young man from Great Xia give me the feeling of a top-tier Ghost King? Has Great Xia developed so terrifyingly that they're already at the Ghost King level at such a young age?]
[Host has obtained System Points +80]
[Special Reward Triggered!]
[Obtained Permanent Ability - Do As You Please]
[Do As You Please: Using this ability, you can freely modify the bodies of any ghosts or monsters whose power is lower than the user's that you see before you. Please explore the specifics yourself, host.]
Zhang Wei felt like laughing. I haven't even started harvesting, and it's already given me a golden fleece? And a special reward, a permanent ability at that.
"This is the first time I've received a permanent ability as a reward."
Zhang Wei felt a touch of surprise. Previous special rewards were usually one-time skill cards or abilities, but this time, he finally got a permanent ability.
"Modifying bodies, this ability is quite good and has great potential for development."
He thought to himself.
Outwardly, Zhang Wei smiled and replied to Fuwa Miko:
"Not at all, I'm not particularly famous in Great Xia, just a mid-level ghost exorcist. Miss Miko, please don't praise me too much."
[Ding! The guardian shikigami... Hiss! With your strength, you're only mid-level? Is that true?]
[Host has obtained System Points +90]
At the same time.
Whether it was sensing his guardian spirit's emotions or because Fuwa Miko had boasted about Zhang Wei before, Fuwa Masato curiously observed Zhang Wei. Finally, he mustered the courage to speak:
"Hello, my name is Fuwa Masato, an Onmyoji. I heard the elders say that ghost exorcists in Great Xia are very powerful, and their professions are different from those in Sakura Country. Great Xia has many, many ghost exorcism professions, is that true?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Wei smiled and nodded:
"Whether Great Xia ghost exorcists are powerful or not, I don't know, but I think they are very powerful. There are indeed many ghost exorcism professions, such as Taoists, Maoshan sorcerers, corpse stitchers, paper effigy makers, knife peddlers, and so on."
Following that.
With Zhang Wei's words, Fuwa Masato, being just a child, became instantly interested. Driven by curiosity about the unknown, he was no longer shy. On the way back, he actively engaged Zhang Wei in conversation, asking all sorts of "why" questions.
In response.
While answering, Zhang Wei did not forget his main purpose and asked Fuwa Miko beside him:
"Miss Miko, I heard that there have been many supernatural incidents in Sakura Country recently, so many that the Onmyo-kyo can't cope and has even invited foreign ghost exorcists to assist."
"It's true. Our Onmyo-kyo's chief recently passed away. His position in Sakura Country was similar to your Great Xia's True Dragon Guard. With his death and the absence of his stabilizing presence, yokai from all regions have become restless and are actively trying to break the seals on Ghost Kings and Great Yokai."
Fuwa Miko sighed as she spoke:
"Many Onmyoji like to seal Great Yokai, thinking they can slowly tame them into shikigami after sealing them. However, many Onmyoji died while fighting other yokai before they could tame them. As a result, there are many sealed yokai in Sakura Country. Now that the chief has died, those yokai are looking for the seals to strengthen their forces, and so on."
"Recently, my family elders have all been mobilized, and even I am frequently dispatched to exorcise ghosts. Today, I managed to get leave to pick you up."
Speaking of which.
Fuwa Miko glanced at Fuwa Masato and said:
"Given this situation, Masato might have to start exorcising ghosts early too, as we're short on manpower. Mr. Zhang Wei, you mentioned the Onmyo-kyo inviting foreign ghost exorcists, so that must be true; the Onmyo-kyo is indeed short on personnel."
At this moment.
Fuwa Masato raised his small fist and said:
"Sister Miko, I want to go with you to exorcise ghosts too. I'm not afraid, and I can help."
Yu Xiaoqi, hearing this, exchanged a smile with Fuwa Miko and chuckled. He reached out and patted the child's head:
"You, kid, wanting to help with ghost exorcism? I think you'd be more suited to feeding the ghosts. Do you think you're like your Brother Wei? I reckon only Brother Wei could help at your age."
Yu Xiaoqi had heard from Fuwa Miko that some powerful ghost exorcists were strong from a young age. Someone as powerful as Zhang Wei was likely strong even as a child, possibly reaching the red-clothed vengeful spirit level at eleven or twelve, otherwise, how could he be at the top-tier Ghost King level now.
On the other side.
Zhang Wei was unaware that Fuwa Miko had told Yu Xiaoqi about these matters in the context of a normal ghost exorcist.
He spoke truthfully:
"Come on, at Masato's age, any random ghost could have killed me. Don't flatter me."
Yu Xiaoqi thought Zhang Wei was being modest:
"Brother Wei, please don't be so humble, I understand. But speaking of which, Brother Wei, are you planning to visit the night market tonight? Although we're staying at Miko's house now, and her house has a barrier, so we don't have to worry about yokai, you need to be careful if you go to the night market. Many yokai have been appearing in Tokyo recently."
Fuwa Masato also chimed in:
"Yes, Brother Zhang Wei, you need to be careful. My mother said that yokai have been appearing around here recently, and even the legendary Kuchisake-onna and Sadako have appeared. My mother doesn't let me go out at night anymore."
Many yokai appearing? That's great, bring them on.
Zhang Wei thought to himself, while outwardly nodding:
"Okay, Xiaoqi, don't worry. You go ahead and meet Miko's elders and chat with them. I'm a ghost exorcist, I know how to be careful."
As he spoke.
Zhang Wei began to think about putting his luggage away and then going out to look for ghosts.
...