Milady was safely returned to her family once Gongsim and her mother released Meioshi's group from the palace. They followed closely behind Meioshi's ship as they sailed to the mainland and seemed interested in the good doctor. They knew her grandfather quite well as the Jissoji prince and naval officer of the Jissoji name, but they knew fairly little about his role as a holy warrior. The ladies had assumed that Kirameku Ha was the holy warrior among Arimasa's group, but they were politely corrected by the general's granddaughter and learned quite a bit from her. Kirameku Ha was quite proud of Meioshi's knowledge of the Jigoku responsibilities and Jissoji royal history. She even let him formally explain when Arimasa relinquished his title as prince to accept his proper title as hell traveler. Meioshi felt a witness to such change was better at sharing the experience than a descendant who wasn't born yet. Though Gongsim and her mother were sad that Arimasa had passed on, they were relieved to know that Meioshi was in the middle of grieving properly and crafting a proper memorial for her infamous grandfathers. She would be restoring her family's estate step by step as she mourned. She managed to finish the stairs leading up to the shrine during the Henka no Koshin Festival so far. She had much more to go.
While all of this was going on, Milady paid close attention to Meioshi's stories. Her ladyship was becoming nervous around the big-hipped girl. It was a nervousness that she didn't understand in hindsight. Why would this person be needed to find her missing Meido Stone? What would she uncover once she did find it? Could she find it? Without warning, memories of Toga filled her mind.
"Yun, come with me," Toga called.
"I've no reason to help you further," Milady hissed, looking out of the window of the Sky Citadel.
"... Will you help our son instead?" Toga asked.
"You leave my child out of this!" Milady snapped, growling viciously. "You made your decision to exclude yourself from us! Do not drag him down your path!"
"... I need your help to do just that," Toga said remorsefully. His eyes were swelling up and his expression so grim. It looked like he had been mourning for days. His skin looked discolored and paler than usual. He continued with a small voice, "He wants so badly to be the leader of our clan, but hatred is not the way. He does not have to love every creature of the Earth, but he cannot rule with only cruelty and favoritism at his side... the way we've done. Yun, you were not cruel. Your father hurt you and that was wrong. Any man would be honored to have you at his side as his weapon and his temptation. That was what you told me when we were out by the meadows. Loving you is an honor. Having you as a friend is the greatest honor the heavens could've given me. I was wrong to forget that. I was wrong for believing that I was not favored or loved. My father loved my brother very much, but that did not mean he did not love me. I worked my hardest to be my brother and my former king that I had forgotten what it meant to be a family man first. Fuqin always made that his golden rule in our home. You may be a soldier by profession, but you must never let combat define the qualities and values that molded you into a man. I dishonored that rule. I was wrong for that. Yun, I never stopped loving you. I never stopped loving our son. I miss hearing him laugh. I miss when he would sneak into the kitchen for cookies before it was dinner time. I miss seeing him climb trees and play with birds. I miss watching him sleep with Junibun. I miss him pouncing on Fuqin to wake him up. I want that person to rule the House of Inu. Help me get him back. If he tries to rule these lands with our sins backing him, he'll die."
"What are you talking about?" Milady asked, fear evident in her body language. Toga was not joking. He started shaking.
"When you gave birth to our pup, a creature had struck us. Something I had never seen before. A monster that put fear into my soul and made me the most helpless I had ever felt. We weren't struck by lightning that day. We were struck by it. Before it left us with the baby, it said it would claim our child's life. I had been searching for creatures like it to stop it for years. I thought I was rid of it when I had taken the Panther tribe's sacred artefact. I even hunted down storm dragons. Anything resembling that monster I tried to stop! It's still here! It's still after him!" Toga confessed, frustrated and scared.
"Wh-what do you mean? How do you know it's still after him?" Milady demanded, walking up to Toga with genuine concern. "I saw no such creature. Just a bright light."
"That creature was calling you to its nesting grounds. Back then, I thought it was just a strong storm like you did, but I saw its teeth in the clouds. The thunder that night was it roaring. It came back just before Sesshomaru came up to me to claim my swords! They were practically one! When he breathed, the winds were silent. When his voice became firm, a roll of thunder matched his tone. Either this creature intends to possess him for a proper, physical form or to devour him. I don't know why it wants him. It just does! I don't care about his teenage rebellion! I don't want that thing to hurt you! Yun, help me stop this monster from killing our son!"
"... I have every right to let you curl up like a child and whimper in your sorrow for abandoning us both. This creature can't kill us but you can? How selfish can you be?" Milady argued.
"... Yun. Please," Toga pleaded desperately.
"... Bow to me," Milady demanded. "I will aid you in protecting my son, but only if you bow to me. Relinquish your title as lord and release me as your wife. Go to your precious human if you damn well want to but take nothing else from us."
"Yun, you are not cruel," Toga said with some outrage. Some. The rest was suspicion and heartbreak. "But, I can't bow to you... because... I still love you. You weren't just my wife. You were my friend. You are my friend. Losing you completely... will kill me. I do not fear death nearly as much as I fear loss. My older brother, my older sister, and my mother have already left me. My heart is still wounded from their departure. If I lost fuqin, I wouldn't have made it this far in life. You wouldn't have been in my arms in the nights, and my son would never have known me. Help me create something that will punish me for making you feel like I abandoned you, that will give you the power to rule the House of Inu as king, and that will protect our little one."
A gentle hand touched her shoulder before she realized the ships had all docked. Hikozaemon II looked at Milady with visible concern before she turned to him. Without exchanging a word, the elder removed a handkerchief from his person and wiped her tears away. She whispered "Fuqin" but did not move. The rest of the crew had left upon the elder's instructions while he comforted his daughter-in-law. She could not let Meioshi find her Meido Stone. It was not just a gift left behind by her ex-lover. It was the only item that she had that could punish him for his leaving for that human woman. Their "little one" was powerful enough to destroy any adversary. She supposed she could say she was cruel in a sense. She cared very little for this threat against Sesshomaru. Like his father, he was mighty. If Hikozaemon II was enlisting him to reinstate the Okuri-inu, Sesshomaru would learn much from his tiangou bloodline and learn that Hikozaemon II was not just a rebel in his youth or when he was exiled to Nihon. That's what she and Toga discovered when they went to Zhongguo the Central Empire...
While the ships resupplied for the trip to the main road, everyone went on a tour to explore the country of Goryeo. Gongsim apologized fervently for the trouble she caused and showed Kirameku Ha and the others the changes done to Goryeo. Meioshi was quite surprised by the water goddess taking a human form to travel with her daughter. Having a chaperone like that had to be both exciting and intimidating, but she enjoyed the sights and sounds. One of the soldiers guarding Gongsim and the mother goddess stayed close to the good doctor out of curiosity and personal interest while Meioshi was periodically checking to see how safe this place would be for the emperor and Ohta. Ohta wouldn't be in Goryeo for very long. Meioshi mainly wanted him to see if he liked the emperor's school and would like to attend it with him in the future. Upon her return, she wanted a full report of what he liked and disliked. The emperor would be in Goryeo for some time. He wouldn't be returned to Heiwa until Yamashi was officially finished with business. That would likely be until the start of winter, depending on how everything goes. Since Yuko went with him this year, Meioshi would be short a nurse at the clinic. Such a mess! Yuko stole Homugi away to go shopping with her. The merchants started selling small things around the dock's marketplace when they resupplied. Depending on what they had as surplus items.
Sesshomaru decided to [dine at a local spot] with Yamashi and [Nihipali]. If he was going to be away from Nihon for a while, he may as well eat something of interest. He refused to admit that he was beyond stressed out at his mother possibly having a conversation with the good doctor. There was no telling what went on after Milady rescued Jaken and the others. Though he solved the riddle of the water dragons, he couldn't activate his "inner self". No one could. The dragon was persistent that two people had an inner guardian, but nothing triggered them to come out. Thus, they had to wait for Milady to come back. She did. Everyone was just fine. Jaken hasn't left his side since, and he refused to go back on Meioshi's ship. There was no training to be done on it. However, he could always train on Goryeo lands. A new place for training had great potential.
"What is the name of this restaurant you are bringing us to, Prince Yamashi?" Jaken asked in Sesshomaru's place more or less.
"It's something the ambassadors all built together. My second year as a merchant was exciting! We sold out on surplus goods and started selling bits of our regular merch to the locals here. When business finally slowed down, we built this new dock marketplace and inn well into the winter. It was pitiful at first, but each year was met with significant improvement. Hell, we actually have proper bedrooms now! The humans call it Agmaui Sijang and stay away from us for the most part. They don't usually float around here unless they need work or wine. In exchange we give them a singular treasure worth its weight in money. Lasts for the remainder of the year usually. It happened once last year," Yamashi answered.
"Last year was quite unusual, though," Nihipali continued. "A rather alarming group of humans came to us for work. Financially, Goryeo is rather well off. Not everyone is wealthy, obviously, but it was odd to see such pitiable working-class citizens among the humans come to us. Even odder still, those humans have been here since. They keep the docks and our inns clean while we're here and simply monitor them when we're gone. Oh! Pardon, you all call them ryokans."
"They are your servants then?" Sesshomaru asked, catching the scent of said humans walking towards the border of demon territory.
"Not really. We don't take them with us," Nihipali answered. "They're more like temporary employees, honestly. They're here when we're here. We don't mistreat them and pay for their time working as one should. They're rather honest people. Though I do believe Lady Meioshi's presence also helps. She exorcises evil spirits from the lands when requested and is not afraid to guard our territory when necessary. Both parties are safe."
"It's not much different from Heiwa. She still keeps the peace," Yamashi added, smirking at fond memories of his mentor when he first started out as a merchant. "This place is like a second home to me. It just looks a bit different because more business is here. The Silk Road is an overwhelming and bustling place. It's huge! You might actually shrink with just how much goes on there. Ooo! Chef's cookin' up something scrumptious!"
"My, my, it does smell good!" Nihipali complimented, sniffing the air.
As Sesshomaru and Jaken watched Yamashi run up to a residential complex, they took notice to a sign posted underneath magically floating lanterns bobbing up and down simultaneously with the moving flames. The sign was titled the Gyeongguk Daejeon, or rules and regulations for the jumak complex. The complex was actually where the merchants would be staying as they resupplied the ships, checked inventory, formed collaborations, and much more. So, jumak was the Goryeon way of saying ryokan. Looking at the complex, Sesshomaru found it did resemble the youkai district of Heiwa. Only the designs were different because this was still a different country. Passed the floating signs was a steppingstone pathway leading to distinctive trees towering over receptionist booths. A rather shy human boy was there watering the potted plants with his kundika, or watering bottle, and a smile on his face. He seemed to enjoy the work and reminded Sesshomaru of Kohaku. Like the young demon slayer, this boy had a long ponytail and sweet face. With his task completed, he opened the sliding doors of the dining rooms for each home. A woman dressed in commoner's clothes gathered water for wash basins and dried flower petals for decoration. She had to be in charge of the bathing rooms like Mizu Hoseki. The stone pathway led to tile flooring where the booth was and beyond that door is where Sesshomaru saw the many homes belonging to the merchants. It was indeed a spectacle. Trees were seemingly left to grow where they naturally were and instead were surrounded by ground covering plants for more formal landscaping, and a small pond led up to the restaurant. It didn't seem to have a name like the market did, but it did have a large sign at the top of the building. Must have been a welcome sign.
Sesshomaru walked on the stone path separating the different buildings artistically and around the pond/fountain. The smell of food did catch his attention. When he walked up the stairs and into the hut, he was quite surprised by the inside. There were benches around a table where documents were being held, so that had to be where the merchants held meetings. The ceiling was a bit tighter and walls seemingly thicker in that area. To his left, where he spotted Prince Yamashi grabbing something, was a corridor. It led to an indoor garden that opened up to the dining area. Yamashi and Nihipali were already seated at the table, looking at a small menu for what was available. They had window seats where the dock, beach, and grassy plains were in view. It was quite lovely.
"Oi, there's mandu!" Yamashi cheered, eyes widening excitedly. "I'll eat that!"
"I'll go with... Tteokbokki and fried vegetables," Nihipali said, putting a hand to his chin.
"That sounds good, too. Should I add it?" Yamashi questioned to himself. "Yuko likes Gimbap. Meh, what the hell. I'll get all three!"
"Boar demons have such insatiable appetites," Nihipali said, clapping his hands. "I'll order the makgeolli. Lord Sesshomaru may like it. Come, come, my lord! Order something yummy!"
Sesshomaru said nothing in response, but he did look at the menu. It was in another language he was not familiar with, so Yamashi and Nihipali had to be somewhat fluent in it. When the two realized that Sesshomaru and Jaken were just staring at the menu blankly, Yamashi said, "Shit, that's right! You don't know Goryeon. Makgoelli is a milky rice wine that farmers typically drink. It's pretty good. It's not like sake, but it's a close cousin. Tea and water are also options. Mandu are dumplings. You can request any meat you like. One of the humans working here is a hunter and butcher. Why he'd rather do business with us and not his kind is currently unknown, but that's neither here nor there. You were playing that game with Nihipali back home. You might can learn a thing or two from him. He's not afraid to hunt meats that demons like. I dunno if he's ever hunted humans."
"I'd rather not know, honestly," Nihipali said with some disgust. His tail formed crossbones.
"Hmph! Tteokbokki are spicy rice cakes, and my Yuko normally goes with gimbap. That's just sushi with different ingredients," Yamashi explained pretty briefly and to the point. "You can order something else if you want."
"[Choose whatever is best]. Simply do not disappoint me," Sesshomaru replied, closing his eyes.
Yamashi merely smirked and walked over to the chef's window to relay the orders. They didn't have to wait long. Sesshomaru found he didn't Yamashi as much as before. He genuinely enjoyed his work with the merchants and was no threat to the working humans... He also seemed to like ogling his wife. After eating, he trailed behind her as she was shopping with Homugi and running over to Meioshi every now and then. Sanraku was chewing on something while Reijiro kept his arms folded or laughed at his friend and brother. Yuko bent over to pick something up for what must have been three seconds before Yamashi closed the distance between them and pinched her butt.
"Yipe!" Yuko exclaimed, jumping up quickly to see the offender. "Yamashi!"
"What?" Yamashi purred, pulling Yuko towards him.
"I am not some... inappropriate worker for you!" Yuko exclaimed, blushing brightly.
"What inappropriate thing were you thinking of just now, wife?" Yamashi asked, eyes widening with amusement. "I merely teased you."
"I - ! You - ! I - !" Yuko stammered, interrupted by Yamashi's kiss.
"There's food and wine for you at the restaurant. Don't forget to eat," Yamashi instructed, releasing Yuko from his grasp and carrying her shopping items nonchalantly.
"... My..." Yuko started, blush not letting up. "Lantern is..."
Yamashi smirked without saying anything and waited for her to finish. It was a small code they had.
"T-torn," Yuko said, avoiding Yamashi's gaze.
"Oh? For how long? Why didn't you fix it?" Yamashi asked, pupils dilating.
"Before we left home," Yuko replied, tugging on her kimono sleeve. Cute, little habit she had. "We were distracted on the ship."
SCOOP!
"Yamashi, wait, my stuff's not paid for!" Yuko tried, blushing at her husband's eagerness. He threw her over his shoulder effortlessly and quickly. All she could do was lift herself up a little bit.
PLUNK!
"How'd you even know how much that was? You might've overpaid!" Yuko tried, seeing a purse of money flop onto a merchant's table. The merchant boredly counted up the money and put change back into the purse before tossing it at Yamashi.
CATCH!
"W-wa-wait! Was that a purse full of change?" Yuko questioned.
"What kind of lantern requires that much attention? Is it just expensive to fix?" Jaken questioned.
Depends on the person fixing it... Sesshomaru thought, walking in another direction that wasn't near Yamashi or Yuko. The look in Yamashi's eyes when Yuko said those words was enough to tell the truth. There was no lantern involved in whatever was going on.
Speaking of annoying people with weird lanterns, where'd the doctor go? Ah, back to her family ship to unload a small luggage bag that was thrown over her shoulder. A soldier had given her a bottle. She opened it to inspect it, sniffed it, popped her little head up, and smiled brightly. Knocking her head back, she took a big gulp of what had to be wine.
Goddammit, woman... Sesshomaru thought, closing his eyes with annoyance. Yep, this trip was going to be mayhem.
"Whoo! That's good shit!" Meioshi cheered, wiping her mouth and raising the bottle to the sky so the sun could hit it. It sparkled in her eyes. She gasped then touched her eyes. Biancheng's spell cleared up again. What was he doing to her? Was it Tadamasa again? "Huh. Good wine heals bad eyes, doesn't it?"
"I saw how you fought the princess. Battle me at Sand Falls Temple," the soldier said, holding a hand up to show his excitement for a rival fight.
To show that it was potentially more than a fight, he kissed Meioshi's cheek to further seduce her, winked confidently, and then walked away to rejoin his troops. Meioshi produced an interesting face, placed a hand on her chest, and looked at the bottle again to make sure it wasn't mixed with an aphrodisiac. She'll have to evaluate it again later. After blinking a few times, she shook her head at the idea and laughed. Looks like Yuko got her wish, after all. She had a date with someone - a handsome someone at that - and had the added benefit of honing her martial arts skills with a fellow holy guard. Sesshomaru, however, was not happy with what he just saw and flash-stepped in front of her with narrowed eyes.
"Did you forget again?" Sesshomaru started. He took out his sword and pointed it at Meioshi's throat. "The only one allowed to do proper battle with you and kill you is me."
"... If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous of me having another rival," Meioshi joked, smiling with evident amusement.
"I'm not jealous," Sesshomaru said with a growl.
"No? Then perhaps that's concern I hear," Meioshi said softly.
"My concerns lie with your perversions. You drink, smoke, and watch people engage in explicit behavior. What kind of priestess are you?" Sesshomaru questioned.
"The fun kind, of course!" Meioshi cheered, boastfully laughing after her answer. "I only drink the tastiest and best alcohols, you know! I'll quit smoking soon. I don't want too many children taking up that bad habit. I make money off my nude portraitures. You wouldn't want to do battle with a penniless merchant, would you?"
"You're a merchant? I thought you were a doctor," Sesshomaru said with clear confusion.
"I am a merchant's daughter! Someone has told you this information, I'm sure. This stuff is in my blood! I simply prefer medicine as my calling. It fulfills me," Meioshi replied, turning around to pick up her luggage bag. "Now, if it's all the same to you, I'm going to enjoy a wonderful steam, take a relaxing bath, and have a proper dinner before I do battle with this gent. Miss me while I'm gone, inu prince."
SLICE! THRUST!
"I'll do no such thing," Sesshomaru growled, eyes burning red.
Meioshi managed to dodge his attacks and scoffed with a playful smirk but didn't say anything more. Instead, she drunk more of the wine, kicked up a plume of dust, and disappeared... For two seconds, Sesshomaru caught her running away and waving her hand behind her.
"See you after my hot date, Lord Sesshomaru!"