"Uh..."
Miko's father looked utterly bewildered, unsure how to respond.
Offer incense to himself?
How was this even remotely appropriate?
"Just kidding."
Ye Xing shook his head with a light chuckle.
He then lit the incense, placed it before the memorial portrait, pressed his palms together, bowed slightly, and murmured a prayer:
"May the departed bless me with beautiful girls throwing themselves at me weekly... no, daily. A catgirl would be nice too. Thanks heaps."
Hearing Ye Xing's utterly sincere tone paired with that outrageous prayer content, Miko's father's face twitched with speechless exasperation.
Beautiful girls daily?
Plus a catgirl?
As if he had that kind of power.
Besides, when praying for blessings from the deceased, it's always done silently in one's heart. Who would openly declare it aloud as if afraid others wouldn't hear?
He'd rate this as a born abstract saint.
Miko's father shook his head, pushing aside his complicated emotions. After clearing his throat lightly, he spoke.
"Ye Xing, I can sense that you're... different from ordinary people."
Then, as if remembering something, he hastily added.
"I mean physically, not mentally."
"Passive-aggressive?"
"I absolutely didn't mean it that way, don't overthink it."
After this brief exchange, Miko's father's worries about his daughter had subsided entirely.
He wasn't entirely sure what type his daughter liked.
But he was ninety-nine per cent certain it wouldn't be someone as abstract as Ye Xing.
Just how abstract was Ye Xing?
To the point that during conversations, people often overlooked his striking appearance.
What caught the eye was pure abstraction.
Abstract to the extreme becomes art.
This was what the great painter Van Gogh pursued his entire life.
"Alright, enough small talk."
The playful, lazy smile vanished from Ye Xing's face, replaced by solemnity.
He looked at the spirit of Miko Yotsuya's father and asked slowly,
"Regarding the longsword Miko and I brought back today, did you sense anything unusual about it?"
"Hmm... indeed I did."
Miko's father rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"That sword hasn't even been unsheathed, but before you entered the house, I already felt an extremely unsettling aura. If this weren't my former home, I would have fled immediately."
"I see."
Ye Xing listened while taking out a black notebook to record:
"Hmm... exhibits strong deterrent effects against ordinary spirits."
Then he continued questioning:
"Do you know of any places that evil spirits and spectres dare not enter?"
"Well, there actually are."
Miko's father answered without much hesitation, scratching his head.
"There are several locations, namely..."
After noting down all the mentioned places, Ye Xing couldn't help but frown slightly.
He had expected the shrines in Kyoto City.
After all, in the original storyline, Miko Yotsuya went to a shrine to pray and gained the ability to summon twins to eliminate evil spirits three times.
But why, among the shrine names, did there appear an incongruously cheerful...
McDonald's?
'Are you having me on?'
But upon reflection, Miko's father had no reason to deceive him.
As the saying goes, a man's words are kind when death is near.
Following this logic, Miko's father, already deceased, would be doubly, even triply kind.
Most importantly, judging by his demeanour, he should understand that possessing Mystic Eyes wasn't a blessing for Miko Yotsuya.
But a malicious joke played by fate.
"Right, that's all I wanted to ask you."
Hearing this, Miko's father nodded, then adopted a serious expression and spoke solemnly.
"Ye Xing, although this is our first meeting, I have a request I hope you'll agree to."
"Hmm, go ahead."
"I want you to protect Miko's safety."
Faced with Miko's father's sincere, almost pleading words, Ye Xing shook his head.
"I'm sorry, I can't agree to that."
Miko's father froze. "Wh-why not?"
"Firstly, I can barely protect myself."
Ye Xing shrugged with a faint smile.
"Secondly, are you certain Miko's true wish is simply to live a peaceful life?"
Hearing this question, Miko's father could only remain silent.
He knew his daughter. Though she appeared indifferent on the surface, she was kind-hearted and always willing to help others.
How could he, as her father, tell Miko not to be good and just look after herself?
He truly couldn't bring himself to say it.
"However."
Just as Miko's father was lost in thought, Ye Xing suddenly changed his tone.
"What I can promise is that I'll find a way to give Miko the ability to fight evil spirits, just like me."
Hearing this, Miko's father sighed helplessly and extended his right hand to shake Ye Xing's.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Ye Xing."
"OK, I'll take care of your wife and child, so don't worry."
Miko's father's gradually fading face showed speechless exasperation. Before disappearing completely, he left one final remark.
"You really are something else, kid."
...
After Miko Yotsuya's father had passed on, her mother emerged from the kitchen carrying steaming dishes to the table.
Without even removing her apron, she warmly called to Ye Xing, who was sitting before Miko's father's memorial photo.
"Ye Xing, come join us for dinner."
The more Miko's mother looked at Ye Xing, the more she thought this young man was truly exceptional.
On his first visit, not only had he brought gifts, but he'd also lit incense for Miko's deceased father.
What a considerate and gentle boy.
"Touko-nee, I have matters to attend to, so I won't stay for dinner."
Hearing Ye Xing address her as 'sister' and use such an intimate form of address by calling her directly by name, Miko's mother was practically blooming with joy.
"Eh? How can you leave without eating?"
"Next time for sure. I really have things to do today."
Hearing this, Touko Yotsuya didn't press further, simply smiling as she said:
"Well then, come visit again when you have time."
"Definitely, definitely."
Ye Xing responded with a smile before walking to the living room entrance. Seeing Miko Yotsuya's complicated expression, he waved and said:
"I'll be off then. See you at school tomorrow, niece."
Without giving Miko Yotsuya time to retort, he left directly.