This Blade Must Not Be Drawn / As Expected of Lady Raikou

"Well, it's more of a psychological issue. But if you're not comfortable living there, then it's pointless. Even the shrines that were once managed by the Urabe family have changed a lot. Everything has changed..." the aloof woman said.

"Well, at least we can adapt to Kamakura. There's nothing inconvenient about other worlds, and the food at the inns is the same. But the world has really changed a lot. Even the yokai can do business with humans now, and the side dishes and sake are delicious." The pretty woman wearing a straw hat said with a smile.

"As for me, I don't think it's so bad. If it were back then... no, there's nothing we could have done." Sakata Kintoki shook his head, smiled, and said nothing more.

Shirou's sword (from episode 87)

For Minamoto no Raikō, who was loyal to the imperial family Heian period, and the Four Heavenly Kings, it was difficult to accept this future of decline for the imperial family and Shintoism, even though it was the reality they had no choice but to accept.

No one expected that it would be Minamoto clan Yoritomo, a direct descendant of Raikou's younger brother and a member of the Minamoto no Yoritomo, who seized power from the Emperor and established a true shogunate system. From then on, the Minamoto and Taira clan were considered the pinnacle of the samurai class, and there was a saying that "only a descendant of the Minamoto clan can become the Shogun."

The start of the Shogunate era meant that the Emperor's power was once again stripped away, and successive Emperor had fewer and fewer opportunities to interfere in government affairs, becoming mere puppets.

The only way to maintain the purity of the Emperor bloodline and ensure the preservation of divine authority was through marriage alliances with relatives. While trying to support other forces, they also had to curry favor with the Shogun. At their worst, even the expenses of the Emperor Imperial Palace were controlled by the Shogun.

This is precisely why, even when the warring states period in Japan became fiercely contested for Imperial City, no one attempted to seize the imperial city or think of using the emperor to command the feudal lords, because the feudal lords had never been obedient from the beginning. Ambitious figures like Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi never considered replacing the Emperor, because he was essentially a religious leader. They only needed to control the military to be considered the rulers of Japan.

This is one of the reasons why the Japanese like Cao Cao so much, and why they compare his image to that of Oda Nobunaga.

Because everyone wants to be Cao Cao, and the Emperor have been weak like Emperor Xian for generations, only able to be manipulated by others.

To give an analogy, it's like a Buddhist from ancient India who had just returned from preaching in a neighboring country, only to find that Buddhism had been destroyed due to religious conflict, and all the temples had been burned and looted. Neither Amitabha Buddha Pure Land of Amitabha nor Maitreya Bodhisattva's Pure Land of Maitreya could bring people liberation; the monks were either killed or forced to return to secular life.

For this Buddhist, it was as if the sky had fallen. Hinduism had regained power, and suddenly a new supreme god had taken over. The faith he had held for so long had been shattered from its pedestal. The deity who had fallen to earth stepped before the people and humbly told his followers, 'Actually, I have no divine Divine Power. I cannot alleviate disasters, nor can I relieve your suffering. It's all just natural phenomena. You've all been deceived, heh heh!'

At this point, believers are probably feeling very tired. They are often deceived emotionally in their daily lives, but they never imagined that their faith could be deceived by a deity.

The Raikou Four Heavenly Kings were in this state. Sakata Kintoki was alright, though. He grew up in the mountains and came to Raikou's side, busy with exorcising demons. So he didn't get too involved in the mundane life of the human world.

The older sister, who was practically a monk, had a very carefree personality, so she didn't pay much attention to it.

However, for the loyal samurai girl serving the Minamoto clan and the cold-hearted girl from a family of sorcerers, it was still a blow.

"Ahem, let's get back to the matter of that Demon King," Tsuna said after coughing.

The aloof beauty, Miss Urabe, said, "Yes, although with our current strength, defeating a demon king in hell wouldn't be difficult, a single accident on the battlefield could lead to the annihilation of the entire army. Therefore, the more intelligence we can obtain before the battle, the better. I need to know your side's combat strength in order to better formulate a plan."

"Ah, you want to detect spiritual energy, right? I saw before that the old man's was 250, Shirou's was over four digits. Since my equipment is an old model, I can only measure up to this level," said the Miss Shinigami.

"I have the new spiritual energy detection glasses here. How about we test it again?" The woman in the straw hat reached into her kimono-clad robes, rummaged around for a while, and then pulled out a single pair of glasses with a green screen.

"Yes! I'll do it, I'll do it!" Miss Shinigami eagerly raised her hand and said.

"Okay, here you go." The older sister wearing the straw hat smiled and handed the glasses to Miss Shinigami.

Miss Shinigami took the glasses. As expected of high-tech glasses, they automatically adjusted their size and fit perfectly onto her horse-like face.

Miss Shinigami said coolly, "So, who's going first? Uncle, are you ready?"

"Eh? Me? Okay... then come on!" The man with the afro thought he couldn't lose face in front of such a senior expert, so he raised his arm, clenched his muscles, and said.

Miss Shinigami looked at the Explosion Head Uncle, then opened her mouth and said, "Psychic ability, uncle, you're in a bad state right now. Your psychic ability is continuously decreasing and has already dropped below 100."

"What? The difference is more than 200 times?" The Explosion Head Uncle knelt on the ground, looking incredulous. He looked at Miss Shinigami and asked, "It must be a machine malfunction. Even if I'm not on par with the ancient demon-slaying heroes, there shouldn't be this much of a difference."

"How rude of me! This is the most cutting-edge technology in the underworld. Even if the combat power is too high, it won't explode. It's definitely a household essential. It's great! I want one too. The ones issued by the bureau can only test up to four digits, which is useless in critical moments," said Miss Shinigami.

"That doesn't make sense! I'm a key member of the Psychic Association, after all. Even if I have psychic abilities, how could my power have dropped?" The Explosion Head Uncle questioned in disbelief.

"No, no, if you haven't done anything wrong, you have nothing to fear. It's a matter of spirit. If you don't pull yourself together soon, even a stray ghost on the street could scare you so badly you'd wet yourself," Miss Shinigami said disdainfully, looking at the Explosion Head Uncle.

"That's how it is. Seeing how cute you are, little sister, I thought I'd give you this to me," the woman said generously.

"Huh? Really! Is that possible?" Miss Shinigami exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, monks don't lie," the woman said with a smile.

"Thank you, big sister, you're so generous." Miss Shinigami happily took off her glasses, held them carefully, and put them back on, saying, "Let's take another look at this rare opportunity."

"Shirou seems a little tired, his spiritual power has dropped to 8000, um... that's a lie! This sword has actually broken through to five digits... and it's still going up! It's about to break six digits!!" The Miss Shinigami exclaimed.

Bang!!!

"Whoaaaaaaah!!!" The glasses Miss Shinigami was wearing suddenly exploded.

"What am I going to do? It's broken! It was supposed to be non-explosive! It's so rare for a kind person to give it to me like this! This equipment would cost me three months' salary!" Miss Shinigami said, on the verge of tears.

"Whoa..." At this moment, the atmosphere in the room was tense, and the eyes of the Four Heavenly Kings all turned to the sword that Shirou was holding.

Chapter 880 This sword must not be drawn.

All the women fixed their gazes on the sword lying between Shirou's legs, marveling at it.

"I thought it was good from the start, but I didn't expect it to be this strong. Young man, you have a really good weapon." The older woman wearing a straw hat said with interest in her eyes.

The samurai girl, Tsuna, strode over, looked directly at Shirou, and asked earnestly, "Shirou, are you currently the strongest samurai in the human world? Please, I beg you, have a match with me."

"No, no, I'm hardly a samurai, and this sword is just an unfinished product." Shirou shook his head and said. He was stopped halfway through the Projection, so the sword was only just enough to be used for slashing, far from being as powerful as his Noble Phantasm.

"I saw it before, you created it, didn't you? That scene wasn't from an ordinary knife." The cold woman possessed superhuman eyesight, able to see scenery several kilometers away even in the dark.

"Hey, young man, can I borrow this knife to take a look?" the older woman asked ingratiatingly.

"I'm sorry, but this sword is in a very unstable state right now. It can't leave my side. If the magic cycle is broken, it will break down and explode. So even if I draw it now, I can't." Shirou shook his head and said. Although he stopped halfway, the sword still had enough energy to unleash multiple Grand Magecraft spells. If left unattended, it might explode like a runaway bomb, turning the surrounding area into a crater.

"Indeed... I can feel a huge amount of energy compressed inside. It's amazing you could do that." The cold-blooded woman beside him said, looking at the sword in Shirou's hand.

"Eek~!!! This is such a bad thing, you'd better get rid of it quickly." Upon hearing this, the man with the afro and the horse-headed Miss Shinigami Explosion Head Uncle quickly retreated to the corner.

"I see, so that's the kind of sword-drawing technique." The samurai girl Tsuna, accepted Shirou's explanation quite calmly.

"Well, if that's the case, then there's nothing I can do. You'll have to show me what you're capable of, young man." The older sister brushed Shirou's back and stepped back, saying with a smile.

"Uncle, you're an expert, aren't you? I'm just a layman when it comes to things like hell and the underworld. Please help me on the way and come with me to exorcise those evil spirits," Shirou said, changing the subject as he looked at the Explosion Head Uncle.

"No, no, that's way too extraordinary! How could I possibly survive a battle where every move is like a bomb? In the end, the underworld I mentioned was just a brief introduction to the local customs and culture at the entrance." The Explosion Head Uncle was truly terrified. Although he had initially been full of enthusiasm and wanted to go, after meeting Shirou, Minamoto no Raikō, and the others, his common sense about psychics had been completely shattered.

Furthermore, if Shirou is an amateur, then what is he? Is he even less capable than a kindergarten child? Then all those years of boasting on television and in the Psychic Association about being ranked in the top ten—wasn't that all just wishful thinking?

While it's true that self-awareness is valuable, one shouldn't lose confidence or become self-conscious. At this moment, facing the huge gap in strength, the Explosion Head Uncle only thought about going home to farm.

"Is now the time for you to be down? Don't forget! You still have things you can do!" the Fat Director said, grabbing the man with the afro by the collar.

"Huh? What... what else can I do?" The Explosion Head Uncle was slapped and stood there dumbfounded, snot running down his face.

"Of course! And it has to be you! Didn't you say you were going to the underworld? Then keep your promise! Go all the way to the end! Take responsibility and film it all!" The Fat Director shoved the camera into the afro-haired man's arms and roared.

"Film it? Yeah... this is our only chance to turn things around! We absolutely can't give up!" The Explosion Head Uncle, jolted back to reality by his best friend's roar, picked up the camera and said. But then he realized something was amiss and looked at the Fat Director, asking, "Huh? Wait... I've given you the camera, so what about you? What are you going to do?"

"Me? I'm just an ordinary person who can't see ghosts, of course I'm waiting for you to come back in the hotel," the Fat Director said matter-of-factly.

"Ha! So you're just going to let me go alone?" the Explosion Head Uncle immediately protested.

The Fat Director grabbed the Explosion Head Uncle with the afro and said fiercely, "You'd better understand that this kind of opportunity won't come again. Think about it! Who are you going on an adventure with? Before, you could say that Shirou was just an unknown nobody, but now standing next to him is... Minamoto no Raikō! The legendary Minamoto no Raikō! The most famous demon-slaying samurai of the Heian period!"

The Explosion Head Uncle grabbed the Fat Director by the collar and growled in a low voice, "Even if you tell the audience that I went to hell with Minamoto no Raikō to defeat the Demon King, no one will believe it, okay? If they ask me which one is Minamoto no Raikō, am I supposed to say, 'Yes, that's right, she's the woman with the best figure.' That's as absurd as asking an Englishman if King Arthur was a woman, okay?"

The Fat Director, spitting as he yelled back, "It's better if it's a woman! Compared to a bearded old man, a voluptuous beauty is definitely more popular with the audience, okay? Don't forget, this is Japan! Japan! There's nothing that can't be feminized!"

"Hmm... that seems to make sense?" The Explosion Head Uncle blinked, then glanced furtively at the beautiful women talking to Shirou, nodding as if he understood. He was actually somewhat convinced.

"Listen to me! We have handsome men and beautiful women here! This show has all the makings of a hit! And you've ruined it!" The Fat Director shook off his hand and pointed at the Explosion Head Uncle.

"Hmm... something still doesn't feel right?" Recalling the previous conversation, the Explosion Head Uncle felt like he had been tricked.

Just then, the sound of light footsteps came from outside.

The samurai girl pricked up her ears, immediately stood up, walked to the door, and pushed it open.

The next moment, a woman with long purple hair, a virtuous wife and loving mother, walked over.

"Lord Raikou, you've woken up?" the samurai girl Tsuna said with a sweet smile.

"Ah, Tsuna, thank you for your trouble. I didn't expect to just fall asleep like that," Minamoto no Raikō replied with a smile.

"No, being able to rest immediately during breaks to conserve energy for slaying demons— Lord Raikou is truly a role model for everyone!" the samurai girl quickly added.

Chapter 881 As expected of Lord Raikou

After drinking a small pot of wine indoors, Raikou learned the reason for the matter.

Looking at him with such earnest pleading eyes, Minamoto no Raikō Shirou his head back, sighed, and said, "Well, since it's Shirou's request, I can't refuse. I wanted to come here in the first place, so is this karma? Tsk..."

"My companions of music, poetry, and wine have all abandoned me; I miss you most when the snow, moon, and flowers are in bloom..." Raikou walked to the window, looked at the moon, and suddenly recited a line of poetry.

"..." Shirou shuddered, feeling as if a resentful energy was about to pierce his back. He could only look at Raikou, who was radiating a strong aura of resentment, and explain, "Um..."

Minamoto no Raikō no Yorimitsu glanced at Shirou, then covered his face and turned away, sighing, "Alas... Tears wet my handkerchief, dreams are shattered, in the deep of night, songs echo in the front hall. Her beauty has not faded, yet favor has already ended, leaning against the incense burner, I sit until dawn."

"No, no! That's definitely not what the poem means!" Shirou corrected.

"But Mom, I'm so sad... We only met for the first time, we only exchanged a few words, and now he's going to meet his girlfriend and stuff. I'm not mentally prepared. I should just stay by your side, Mom. Marriage is way too early for Shirou!" Raikou turned away sullenly, secretly wiping away her tears.

The relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law has been a major family issue since ancient times. As a manifestation of women's struggle for power at home, it has always existed and has never been resolved.

"I'll invite you to my house when we get back. I'll help you adjust to modern life gradually," Shirou said helplessly, no longer bothered to clarify anything about their parent-child relationship.

"Really?" Raikou wiped away tears that weren't even there, looked up at Shirou and asked.

"Ugh, so please stop reciting Bai Juyi's poems!" Shirou said, on the verge of exploding.

"Lord Raikou, how dare you!" The aloof and haughty archer Miko, Urabe, blushed and whispered.

Yes, the samurai girls understood. As the upper class, samurai were required to learn military tactics and understand profound military texts. From a young age, they were required to study various books, and they couldn't possibly be unaware of the most popular poetry in the capital.

Bai Juyi's influence on ancient Japanese culture was immense, laying the foundation for later Japanese literature. He was a rising star of popular literature in the mid-Tang Dynasty, a time when Li Bai and Du Fu were no longer at their creative peak. His style was easy to understand, his vocabulary concise yet his emotions profound, which made him beloved by the masses in the Tang Dynasty.

After being introduced to Japan, it became very popular. During the Heian period, even nobles and military men could recite a few of the poems and recite a few lines at drinking parties.

Japan has thirty-six immortal poets of waka poetry, but if we include Chinese poetry, there is an insurmountable mountain above them all: Bai Juyi, the god of poetry, because Bai Juyi's poetry is their mentor. During the Heian period, he was even revered as the greatest poet, surpassing Li Bai and Du Fu.

Because of Bai Juyi's life experiences, he naturally resonated with the nobles of the Heian period, making him a role model for people living in a chaotic world of national decline.

Bai Juyi witnessed the splendor of the Tang Dynasty in his youth, and he used his poems to praise the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty and the unparalleled beauty of Yang Guifei;

The sorrow of watching the empire decline and decay in one's prime, yet being powerless to stop it;

In his middle age, he was demoted to Jianzhou, where he met a courtesan from the capital who was also a fellow sufferer in exile.

In his later years, he gradually studied Buddhist theories and incorporated Zen principles into his poetry. This is why people love Bai Juyi's poems so much, especially the leisurely and sorrowful sentiments within them.

It perfectly aligns with the Japanese people's innate pursuit of the beauty of "mono no aware" (the pathos of things).

At that time, from the Emperor to the ladies-in-waiting in the harem, and even young children learning Chinese poetry, Bai Juyi's poems were the most accessible and easy to understand. Even the elderly could feel the open-mindedness and Zen-like wisdom in Bai's poems. People of all social classes and ages could resonate with his poetry.

"Go for it, bro!" Kintoki raised his fist, but for him, it was actually a good thing. With Shirou there, most of the pressure was shared. He thought to himself, 'I'm a little sorry, but I'm Raikou on you, bro!'

At this moment, a mature woman wearing a straw hat and monk's robe glanced at Shirou with a mischievous smile, walked to the purple-haired woman's ear, and whispered, "Lord Raikou, at this time you should... sizzle sizzle..."

"I understand. Mom will definitely make you change your mind, Shirou, stay away from all those bad women, and stay with Mom forever. Mom will guide you to become the most ideal boy!" Raikou made up her mind, revealing the aura of a demon mother.

"Wait! Stop your Murasaki Shikibu behavior! Just because your name is Minamoto no Raikō doesn't mean you can try to play the Hikaru Genji training game!" Shirou couldn't help but retort!

Murasaki Shikibu was a huge fan of Bai Juyi. In the Tale of Genji of Genji, which is considered the world's first full-length novel, there are hundreds of quotes from Bai's poems.

Sei Shōnagon was equally famous, recorded in the Pillow Book that one day the Empress Chūgū wanted to see snow and asked, "How about the Snow on Mount Xianglu?" Upon hearing this, she immediately understood and knew that she was referring to Bai Juyi's Seven-character regulated verse on Mount Lu, "I will draw back the curtain to see the Snow on Mount Xianglu Burner Peak." So she immediately got up and drew back the curtain.

Therefore, some people have commented that the three great female writers of the Heian period were all obsessed women. Murasaki Shikibu was a delusional woman who fantasized about her love for a handsome man through her writing; Sei Shōnagon was a stalker-type obsessed woman who recorded her fervent love for the Empress Chūgū in her diary; Izumi Shikibu was a practical obsessive woman who put her love into practice by constantly having affairs.

Ironically, these three women were the most famous talented women of the Heian period. They were secluded young ladies, resentful wives in the palace, and noblewomen of the same era were all influenced by them.

"Ah! Enough! Please open the barrier to the underworld! Let's go right now!" Shirou knew he couldn't hesitate any longer and eagerly entered the underworld to bring Mashiro back.

"Wait a minute, Lord Raikou are special spirits, but Shirou, you're human. It's easy for you to enter the underworld, but it's difficult to get out again. You need a special token," the horse-headed Miss Shinigami said, stopping Shirou.

"Shirou, even if you don't go back, you can live with Mom. Mom will take care of you for the rest of your life," Raikou said expectantly from the side.

"Hurry up and think of a way! Where can we borrow the token?" Shirou pretended not to hear and turned to ask the Miss Shinigami.

How many people simply ignore the love their mothers give them?

Chapter 882 Raikou's Maternal Love for Shirou

"Shirou... did you hear what your mother said?" Minamoto no Raikō asked gently with a smile from behind.

At this moment, Mother Raikou was radiating maternal glow, and no matter what she did, she would smile and forgive.

No need to work hard, no need for strenuous work, you can even stay at home, everything is fine, don't worry about anything, Mom will take care of you, perfectly immersed in a warm embrace.

Overindulgence and excessive pampering, coupled with the poison of excessive sugar intake leading to diabetes—there's simply nothing more irresistible.

"Hey, Shirou? Look closely at your mother's face."

"Mommy is talking to you."

Shirou forced himself not to turn his head to look in that direction, thinking to himself, 'I know your good intentions, and it really does look tempting, but I refuse!'

If someone were to accept that kind of care without question, they would definitely become a useless person. After that, any attempt to change things could lead to terrible consequences.