Although it was late at night, the Shogunate samurai guarding outside the Tenshukaku had not decreased in number.
After all, the Statue of the Omnipresent God symbolized the Vision Hunt Decree issued by the Raiden Shogun, so it was natural to prevent anyone from maliciously damaging it; even if they didn't dare to destroy it, some might try to steal the Visions embedded within it.
Fortunately, most of these Shogunate samurai were ordinary humans, so it was quite easy for Yun Xu, in the form of a fox, to approach the Statue of the Omnipresent God from the shadows.
The Statue of the Omnipresent God depicted a robed woman with wings on her back, seated, with Visions embedded in her wings.
Yun Xu roughly estimated that there were nearly a hundred Visions on it.
However, with the height of a small fox, Yun Xu couldn't reach the statue's wings, so he had to jump onto the statue and climb onto its shoulder.
"With so many, surely no one would notice if I secretly dug one out…"
Yun Xu cautiously glanced at the Shogunate samurai who weren't paying attention to him, then extended his paw and scratched at a Vision at the very bottom of a wing, attempting to pry it off.
However, the Vision was embedded very tightly, and Yun Xu scratched at it with his paw for a while without being able to move it.
Having no other choice, Yun Xu decided to take a risk and took out his measuring heaven ruler, intending to see if he could use the corner of the ruler to pry the Vision off.
But Yun Xu was a bit worried that the commotion would be too loud and he'd be discovered… "Huh?"
Suddenly, Yun Xu felt his scruff being lifted, and he was hoisted into mid-air.
"You little Youko, daring to steal a Vision, how audacious."
Flying in the air, the woman with raven feathers on her back held Yun Xu and spoke indifferently.
From Yun Xu's intelligent expression, she could confirm that Yun Xu was a Youko who had already gained sentience.
After all, he was even using tools.
"…"
Yun Xu weakly tilted his head, only then clearly seeing the person who had grabbed him.
It was a tall woman with purple, shoulder-length hair, wearing a tengu mask askew on her head, with raven-like wings on her back, currently flying in the air using her wings.
"Kujou Sara!"
Her appearance, coupled with her not-so-quiet questioning of Yun Xu just now, made all the Shogunate samurai on guard below notice the situation.
These samurai were mostly under the jurisdiction of the Tenryou Commission, and this woman, referred to as Kujou Sara, came from the Kujou Clan, the main family of the Tenryou Commission.
"It's nothing, just a stray fox, no need to worry."
Kujou Sara looked down and responded to them, then landed nearby, still holding Yun Xu.
Looking at Yun Xu, who blinked as if feigning innocence, Kujou Sara raised her hand and flicked his forehead.
"Ouch…!"
Yun Xu couldn't help but raise his paws to cover his forehead, and his tail also curled up to protect his belly.
"Not speaking, huh? But where did a little Youko like you get the guts to steal a Vision confiscated by the Vision Hunt Decree… If I'm not mistaken, it has something to do with the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine, doesn't it?"
Walking aside while holding Yun Xu by the scruff of his neck, Kujou Sara, seeing that Yun Xu wouldn't speak, simply made this guess.
Although the head shrine maiden of the Grand Narukami Shrine had never explicitly said so, Kujou Sara could sense that she was opposed to the Vision Hunt Decree.
Now, combining this with Yun Xu's identity as a Youko, she arrived at this conjecture.
"…"
Yun Xu, still covering his head, immediately shook his head; he didn't want to cause trouble for Yae Miko.
"Hmph, what if you deny it?"
"Never mind, I'll hand you over to the Shogun for judgment…"
Seeing that Yun Xu wouldn't speak, Kujou Sara simply held him and walked towards the Tenshukaku.
Her status was special; she had been designated by the Raiden Shogun as the enforcer of the Vision Hunt Decree and had the authority to freely enter and exit the Tenshukaku to report to the Raiden Shogun.
The Tenshukaku was heavily guarded, and Yun Xu hesitated, his claws appearing then obediently retracting.
The guards inside the Tenshukaku were the Okuzume, personal guards directly under the Raiden Shogun; they were somewhat puzzled as to why Kujou Sara had suddenly returned after just reporting her work and why she was holding a white fox.
However, Kujou Sara's status was special, so they didn't say anything and allowed her to pass after notifying the Raiden Shogun inside the Tenshukaku.
Kujou Sara thus carried Yun Xu into the main hall of the Tenshukaku.
In the hall, a woman with a purple braid behind her sat cross-legged in mid-air.
She wore gentian flowers and a folding fan-shaped ornament on one side of her head, dressed in a predominantly light purple, single-sleeved kimono, with her eyes closed in a meditative standby state.
"Is there an important matter for your sudden return?"
Hearing Kujou Sara's voice, she responded with a soft sound and slowly opened her eyes, within which countless flashes of lightning seemed to flicker.
"Shogun, just now in front of the Statue of the Omnipresent God, I caught a small Youko attempting to pry off a Vision from it, but we do not have the authority to dispose of Inazuma's foxes; I can only hand it over to you for judgment."
Kujou Sara dropped Yun Xu onto the floor in front of her and explained to the Raiden Shogun.
It was hard to say about Inazuma's yokai in general, but at least foxes were protected by a certain Guuji, and no one was allowed to hunt them.
Yun Xu, who had been dropped, landed lightly on the floor, then without a word, ran towards the Raiden Shogun.
According to Sister Miko, the Raiden Shogun liked fox-like characters, so he just needed to act a little cute… "!!!"
Before Yun Xu could hide by the Raiden Shogun's side, her gaze fell upon him, and an invisible pressure instantly made Yun Xu's fur stand on end, stopping him in his tracks.
"It has Yae Miko's scent on it; let her…"
The Raiden Shogun wanted to say something, but her words stopped halfway.
She was not allowed to do anything to her, including punishment… It could be said that if her inner self didn't appear, no one in all of Inazuma could control her.
As the Raiden Shogun's words paused, Yun Xu finally felt the pressure disappear.
But he no longer dared to approach the Raiden Shogun, so he just lay on the ground, looking at her weakly.
Didn't Sister Miko say she liked foxes?!
"…"
"Sara, you may withdraw; I will handle it."
At this moment, the Raiden Shogun recovered and instructed Kujou Sara.
"Yes."
Although she didn't get a result, Kujou Sara had no hesitation regarding the Raiden Shogun's command and immediately turned and left the Tenshukaku.
Looking at the white fox lying on the ground before her, the "Raiden Shogun" hesitated for a moment, then extended both hands.
Yun Xu was thus picked up, held by his armpits.
"The nobility I can sense from its bloodline, could you be of the Hakushin Bloodline?"
The "Raiden Shogun" looked at Yun Xu, who instinctively raised his tail to protect his abdomen, and couldn't help but ask.
"But there shouldn't be any surviving descendants of Hakushin, and Miko's bloodline is quite special…"
"Could it be that you are Miko's offspring?"
Before Yun Xu could speak, the "Raiden Shogun" habitually held the white fox in her arms and gently stroked his head, her eyes flickering slightly as she muttered to herself, sounding incredulous even to herself by the end.
She had only been in the Plane of Euthymia for less than five hundred years; how could she have a child so grown up as soon as she came out…?!
And no one even told her!