Pitter-patter.
The rain grew heavier.
The dense raindrops struck the shrine's eaves, creating a continuous, crisp sound.
Hagoromo Gitsune turned her head, gazing through the sliding door at the torrential rain falling in the courtyard. After a long silence, she finally asked:
"What evidence do you have to prove this information is true?"
"That's an additional charge."
Luo Shu smiled, seemingly unbothered by Hagoromo Gitsune's suspicion. He merely reminded her with a grin:
"You could ask a diviner to verify the truthfulness of my words."
"There are many in Japan who can do this—for example, the head of the Onmyou Agency, or the current head of the Jinguji family. The Crimson Witch of Tokyo is also a diviner capable of directly discerning the answer."
"Of course, besides these people, you could also seek diviners outside Japan for confirmation."
"However, I have the most convenient method here."
"A way you can verify yourself."
Hearing this, Hagoromo Gitsune frowned at Luo Shu and asked:
"The most convenient method? What is it?"
Luo Shu picked up his teacup, blew lightly on it, narrowed his eyes, and said meaningfully:
"Your soul."
"...Are you saying my soul has been tampered with by Seimei, that child?"
Hagoromo Gitsune's pupils contracted slightly before she replied displeasedly:
"That child would never harm his mother."
"I'd believe it if you said Hao Asakura did this, but Nue... Heh."
Though Luo Shu didn't say anything further, his scornful tone made his thoughts clear.
Seeing this attitude, a flash of anger crossed Hagoromo Gitsune's heart. She was the type who didn't care about herself but couldn't tolerate her child being wronged. Thus, hearing Luo Shu belittle her child naturally upset her:
"What exactly did that child do to my soul?"
Hagoromo Gitsune was desperate to prove her child's innocence.
At this moment, Luo Shu merely sipped his tea lightly before speaking with profound meaning in his eyes:
"Since when did you get the illusion that Nue absolutely needed you to give birth to him?"
Hagoromo Gitsune's pale face froze.
She stared wordlessly at Luo Shu's face, her pupils contracting to their limits, even the fox tails behind her extending uncontrollably, their fur standing on end.
After a long silence, Hagoromo Gitsune finally located the technique within her soul that had been constantly influencing her.
For a reincarnated yokai like her, skilled in manipulating the darkness of the human heart, this operation held no difficulty. She had simply never considered that something left behind by Abe no Seimei could harm her.
But once exposed, that subtle mental interference technique was like a sewage ditch exposed to sunlight—it didn't take long for the filth beneath to be revealed.
The technique served only one purpose.
To influence Hagoromo Gitsune's thoughts, continuously making her believe that Nue needed her to rebirth him.
This discovery ultimately shattered Hagoromo Gitsune's defences.
Luo Shu calmly observed the suddenly haggard and fragile beauty before him, silently set down his teacup, and said:
"It seems you've discovered it."
Hagoromo Gitsune remained silent, merely lowering her head to glance at the tea before her before sighing faintly. She quickly regained her composure:
"You want Nue to be born, don't you?"
"Correct." Luo Shu nodded without hesitation. "The best way to solve problems caused by a dead man is to make him alive first."
Hearing this, Hagoromo Gitsune scoffed: "So you came to collaborate with me—with Nue's mother—to kill him?"
"No, saying 'kill' is a bit excessive." Luo Shu shook his head, then added: "I just want to see how he crawls out of hell before sending him back there."
These words left Hagoromo Gitsune speechless, staring at Luo Shu as if he were mad.
So your plan is to drag her unfilial child out of hell just to beat him up?
"What benefit does such a pointless thing hold for you?"
"There is, but I won't explain it to you." Luo Shu admitted with a nod. "Given current circumstances, disrupting Abe no Seimei's plans is the most convenient option."
Hagoromo Gitsune couldn't help but sneer at this:
"Then why not deal with Hao Asakura? Isn't he also Abe no Seimei?"
"But Hao is too strong!" Luo Shu said with complete seriousness.
Hagoromo Gitsune's indignant expression froze mid-sneer.
So you're openly bullying the weaker target?
At this realisation, she couldn't help but sulk, knowing full well she had no means to retaliate against Luo Shu.
Taking a deep breath, she asked the question that concerned her most:
"Between Hao and Seimei, which one is truly my child?"
Facing her query, Luo Shu merely raised an eyebrow:
"That question's price can't be paid."
"Another thing I can't afford?" Hagoromo Gitsune said disdainfully.
"No, not that you can't afford it—the SDS can't."
Luo Shu shook his head before explaining:
"The SDS diviners cannot produce any results from divination on this matter."
Hagoromo Gitsune was stunned into silence.
Seeing Hagoromo Gitsune's expression, Luo Shu wasn't surprised. In fact, after learning of Hao's existence, he had used the Mysticism Encyclopaedia to divine this matter, yet even the Encyclopaedia couldn't provide an answer.
The reason still came back to that previous statement.
Hao was simply too powerful!
Many secrets concerning him were concealed. Based on Luo Shu's speculation, this was likely done by Hao himself.
After all, Hao Asakura was also a formidable expert skilled in the art of divination.
After a moment of stunned silence, Hagoromo Gitsune tentatively asked:
"The reason divination fails... is it because that child Hao is obscuring the information?"
The SDS possessed exceptionally powerful diviners—this was clearly stated in the intelligence Hagoromo Gitsune had purchased from the information brokers.
Thus, she wasn't surprised that Luo Shu knew so many secrets.
That skilled diviners could conversely suppress divination attempts was also information Hagoromo Gitsune had long been aware of.
Now, Hao Asakura, concealing his relationship with her and preventing diviners from obtaining results, had aroused her deep suspicion.
"He knows of my existence?" Hagoromo Gitsune murmured to herself. "But why hasn't he come to see me?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu replied uncertainly, "Perhaps... It's because he cares too much, and that's why he's afraid?"
Luo Shu actually knew of Hao's mother, Asanoha.
If it were Asanoha, then Hao Asakura might be avoiding his mother out of guilt for having done many things she wouldn't approve of.
But that was the scenario from the original Shaman King storyline. After the world changed, Luo Shu wasn't entirely certain.
Moreover, since Hao Asakura had blocked information about his relationship with Hagoromo Gitsune, Luo Shu couldn't be sure of their current situation either.
But judging by Hao's original personality, his avoidance of Hagoromo Gitsune might stem from similar reasons as with Asanoha.
Could Hao Asakura, with hands stained by blood, fear embracing his mother with those same hands?
'Of course, I suspect Hao might be more afraid of his mother giving him a good slap. After all, Asanoha had quite a temper—the kind of strict mother who wouldn't hesitate to use physical discipline when educating her child.'
But this private musing was merely Luo Shu's personal opinion. Perhaps Hao had other reasons for avoiding Hagoromo Gitsune.
"Haa~" Hagoromo Gitsune took a deep breath, steadying her emotions.
Luo Shu's words had struck a chord with her.
After all, in the past, she had died under a hail of arrows at the hands of Abe no Seimei's enemies.
Given that history, it was entirely plausible that the child might feel too guilty to face her.
As for Nue, Hagoromo Gitsune's feelings were complicated.
She had previously believed that child to be her Seimei, but after a thousand years apart, with every meeting conducted through distant communication, suspicions had inevitably grown.
Moreover, Nue's placement of Minagoroshi Jizō to tamper with her soul only confirmed these doubts.
At this point, she strongly suspected that Hao might be her true child, while Nue was merely an imposter occupying the nest.
After all, when one child schemed against her at every turn while the other actively concealed their connection out of guilt, the choice was obvious. Hagoromo Gitsune wasn't heartless—she knew where her sympathies lay.
If Nue had truly just stolen Seimei's identity and was an ambitious schemer using her to achieve his own goals...
Hagoromo Gitsune's expression darkened instantly.
"How do you plan to revive Nue?" Hagoromo Gitsune asked with icy demeanour.
Hearing the change in her tone, Luo Shu curled his lips slightly into a smile and said:
"It seems we've reached a consensus!"