The two met each other's gaze.
Instantly.
Nakao's eyes fell upon Yu Jin, standing beside Cao Yanbing, and he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise:
"You have Shikigami too? What kind of Great Xia Ghost Exorcist profession is this? A corpse handler? Doesn't seem like it, you should have summoned a spirit."
As he spoke.
Nakao smiled:
"I didn't expect an unexpected gain. Your Shikigami is very powerful, it can be of use to me."
Cao Yanbing also smiled upon hearing this:
"You have a big mouth. It seems Zhang Wei shouldn't have summoned me, but rather Xiang Kunlun, to see whose mouth is bigger."
Huh?
Summoned?
What does that mean? Isn't this person a Great Xia Ghost Exorcist? Also... a Shikigami?
Nakao didn't have time to ponder before Cao Yanbing made his move.
The next moment.
Seeing Cao Yanbing give the order, Yu Jin behind him immediately charged towards Nakao.
In response.
Nakao also unleashed his Onmyōdō Shikigami arts, driving the massive Shikigami ghost beside him to attack the opponent. His Shikigami was very large, one of the yokai from the Hyakki Yagyō in Sakura Country, named 'Dainyūdō'. It was his longest-serving Shikigami, possessing great power. Legend had it that when the Dainyūdō was at its most terrifying, it could even move mountains.
This was one of his most satisfactory Shikigami, aside from his newly acquired Ghost King-level Shikigami.
However...
Unexpectedly.
Boom!!!
A deafening explosion erupted.
Yu Jin and the Dainyūdō collided, and then the Dainyūdō was sent flying, crashing into the pond and splashing water everywhere.
Simultaneously.
There was also splashing of scarlet blood.
It was an arm of the Dainyūdō, severed by Yu Jin's blade, falling at Yu Jin's feet. The Dainyūdō cried out in pain, its ghostly energy surging wildly, ravaging the bamboo forest, pond, and courtyard, causing the bamboo to make a clinking sound.
One-hit kill?!
One of his proud Shikigami, in front of this Great Xia Ghost Exorcist's Shikigami, was like a vase, shattering at the slightest touch.
Seeing this.
Nakao's eyes widened, and he stared at Cao Yanbing in astonishment:
"What kind of Shikigami is that? Is this the Shikigami of a Great Xia Ghost Exorcist?"
He wasn't flustered. Although the opponent's Shikigami was more powerful than he had anticipated, it was still within his control. He then burned another Shikigami paper and chanted in Japanese:
"Come forth, Tengu!"
As the sound arose.
A piercing, dog-like howl echoed. The burning Shikigami paper, its ashes flying everywhere, transformed into a swarm of crows, numbering over a hundred. They soared and gathered into a dense mass, so thick that it would give anyone with trypophobia a fright.
Then, in the next second, the crow swarm scattered with a bang, revealing a humanoid figure within. It wore wooden clogs, held a fork, wore a red Tengu mask, and had crow-like wings on its back. As it spread its wings, a terrifying aura emanated.
"This is bad, Nakao is getting serious. That's a Karasu Tengu! Xiao Qi, quickly tell Mr. Cao Yanbing to be careful, that Karasu Tengu is very powerful."
The one who spoke was Feng Hemeizi.
She was located outside the courtyard, on another building. To avoid disturbing Cao Yanbing, Yu Xiaoqi and the others had come here to observe from a distance. This was suggested by Yu Weihong. He hadn't watched Zhen Hun Jie before, unlike Yu Xiaoqi, who was confident in Cao Yanbing's strength.
So Yu Weihong suggested that Xiao Qi and the others watch from here. Firstly, it was convenient for observing the situation, and secondly, Feng Hemeizi was from Sakura Country and familiar with Onmyōji, so she could provide timely information, especially since Cao Yanbing had mentioned he hadn't dealt with an Onmyōji before.
"In our Sakura Country, there are many yokai. Among them, three great yokai are the most terrifying: Tamamo-no-Mae, the Nine-Tailed Fox from Great Xia, Shuten Doji, and the Great Tengu. They are known as the Three Great Yokai."
Feng Hemeizi did not dare to delay and hurriedly explained that Yu Xiaoqi should inform Cao Yanbing:
"Nakao's Karasu Tengu has the bloodline of one of the Three Great Yokai, the 'Great Tengu'. It is a direct descendant and is very powerful. It is definitely a strong bloodline yokai among all yokai. Nakao's fame is entirely due to this Karasu Tengu."
"Xiao Qi, quickly tell Mr. Cao Yanbing to be careful of the Karasu Tengu. The Karasu Tengu is very... sss... Hisashiburi da, shū! (Japanese for 'Long time no see, shū!' - said jokingly)!!"
She was stunned, as if she had seen something incredible, covering her wide-open mouth with her hands.
...
On the other side.
In the Japanese courtyard.
After summoning the Karasu Tengu Shikigami, Nakao's face was filled with a confident smile. Although the Dainyūdō was almost instantly killed, he didn't care. Instead, he calmly began to explain:
"Great Xia Ghost Exorcist, I must admit, your Shikigami is very powerful. But don't think you can be so confident just because you killed one of my Shikigami."
"The Dainyūdō is not my trump card. It's just a Shikigami I commonly use."
"This is the one."
He pointed to the Karasu Tengu beside him and slowly spoke in Chinese:
"Karasu Tengu, a descendant of one of Sakura Country's Three Great Yokai, the 'Great Tengu'. It has accompanied me for thirty years, and it is because of it that I earned the title of Great Onmyōji."
As if to verify Nakao's words.
The moment he spoke.
The Karasu Tengu let out a cry. It flapped its wings behind it, accompanied by a flurry of crow feathers. Dark, demonic energy surged, and in an instant, the demonic energy and feathers intertwined around it, forming numerous Karasu Tengu!
They were powerful.
The aura they emitted was the same as the previous Karasu Tengu, as if they were复制分身 (copied clones) of the Karasu Tengu, each possessing its strength. There were many of them, reaching over ten.
Even without Feng Hemeizi's explanation, seeing this scene, Yu Xiaoqi and the others understood the Karasu Tengu's power. The opponent could actually split into multiple forms, and it didn't seem like simple clones. The main body would hide among the clones, and the clones wouldn't die unless the main body was killed.
At this moment.
Facing the Karasu Tengu, which had split into more than ten, Cao Yanbing was unfazed. He blinked and looked at Nakao:
"Oh? You can speak Chinese? Oh wow, you're trying to show off to me, huh? Alright then, Yu Jin, since he's putting on such a show, I'll show off a bit too."
Before he finished speaking.
Cao Yanbing pointed to Yu Jin beside him:
"Yu Jin, one of my Guardian Spirits. A famous general from the Wei Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period over a thousand years ago, known by later generations as one of the 'Five Elite Generals of Cao Wei'."
His voice was not loud.
But Nakao, who was closely watching Cao Yanbing, heard it clearly. For a moment, he was stunned.
"Huh? Nani??"
Nakao subconsciously glanced at Yu Jin and couldn't help but say to Cao Yanbing:
"Are you kidding me? Your Shikigami is a general from over a thousand years ago? And Cao Cao's?"
Others might not understand Shikigami, but how could Nakao, as an Onmyōji, not understand? Shikigami were not just demons and monsters; they could also be ghosts formed by humans after death. Some Onmyōji would use deceased individuals as Shikigami, and even ancient Onmyōji would use generals as Shikigami.
It was said that in the Abe family today, there were Onmyōji who had refined some ancient generals of Sakura Country into Shikigami.
However.
No matter how you looked at it, it was impossible to refine someone from over a thousand years ago into a Shikigami. Not to mention that it was a famous general from the Three Kingdoms, which made it very difficult to refine, but the key was that he was from over a thousand years ago. How was he preserved until now to be refined into a Shikigami?
Besides.
If their own generals were dug up and refined, wouldn't Cao Cao know? What a joke! That was the cunning Cao Cao.
Thinking of this.
Nakao felt that the Great Xia Ghost Exorcist before him was humiliating him, treating him like an idiot. He couldn't help but say again:
"Great Xia Ghost Exorcist, there's a limit to how much you can brag to scare people. You refined Cao Cao's generals into Shikigami? What a joke. Not to mention anything else, just the fact that they were Cao Cao's generals, and you could secretly preserve Cao Cao's generals' souls until now to refine them into Shikigami, do you think you are Cao Cao?"
"And, refining a general from over a thousand years ago into a Shikigami, how powerful would that have to be? Don't you think refining Shikigami requires... Ore wa... (Please translate 'Ore wa' into Japanese appropriately)?!"
Just then...
As Nakao became increasingly angry, although he didn't curse verbally, his tone was no different from cursing. Yu Jin, beside Cao Yanbing, was immediately displeased.
"How dare you insult my lord! This general is indeed Yu Jin of the Wei Kingdom, genuine and true!"
Yu Jin rebuked angrily.
He made his move. The long-handled saber in his hand suddenly swung, slashing out a strike.
Chii!!
The blade's light, like a giant crescent moon, cut through the silent night, sweeping towards the Karasu Tengu before him.
The Karasu Tengu was indeed of the Great Tengu bloodline. The moment it raised its long-handled saber, it reacted, even pouncing towards Yu Jin first, initiating the attack.
However, in the next second.
The blade's light swept across.
The attacking Karasu Tengu, along with the remaining Karasu Tengu standing behind them, more than ten Karasu Tengu were struck by the blade's light, all of them cut in half at the waist. Their screams abruptly ceased.
The Karasu Tengu were all annihilated!!
This scene.
Both Nakao and Feng Hemeizi were stunned. They couldn't help but cry out. Although they were far apart, and their exclamations were different, their faces were strikingly similar, filled with disbelief and astonishment.
Annihilated?
Are you kidding me? The Karasu Tengu were killed just like that?
At this moment.
A voice came over.
It was Cao Yanbing. He looked at Nakao, carrying the weapon of the Ten Halls of Yama in his hand, and grinned:
"You know, Cao Cao really did allow it, believe it or not."
Nakao was stunned by this remark and looked at Cao Yanbing with shock, instinctively asking:
"Who exactly are you?"
As soon as he spoke.
Cao Yanbing raised his smile and slowly replied:
"My name is Cao Yanbing, a descendant of the Cao family."
...