The matter of Nue?
Hearing this, both Nurarihyon and Rihan Nura's expressions shifted.
Compared to his composed father, Rihan Nura bared his teeth in a savage grin:
"If it involves stabbing Nue up the arse, I, Rihan Nura, would be delighted to oblige."
Born in the Edo period and raised among yokai, Rihan Nura was no gentleman—in fact, he surpassed even his father Nurarihyon in roguishness.
Hagoromo Gitsune frowned at the crude remark, displeasure evident:
"As uncouth as ever, you Nura Clan lot."
This sweeping insult made Nurarihyon's eye twitch, while Rihan Nura fired back:
"And yet here we are, with you noble fox spirits trampled underfoot by common riffraff."
"Trampled? How bold for mere Nura Clan upstarts."
Hagoromo Gitsune sneered, her gaze dripping with disdain:
"Playing king in humanity's shadows must bring you such joy."
"Better to rule shadows than end up like your son—dead. Oh, wait, I forgot. Not just dead, but his ashes were scattered multiple times. Really, if you can't afford an urn, just say so. Shall I gift you a few?"
Rihan Nura proved adept at needling Hagoromo Gitsune, riling her to fury within sentences.
"You—!!"
Unaccustomed to such vulgar barbs striking at her weakest points, Hagoromo Gitsune pointed a trembling finger, speechless with rage. The Kyoto aristocrat found herself thoroughly outmatched by this Edo street brawler.
"'You' what?" Rihan Nura mocked before twisting to yell behind him: "Rikuo! Get up already, time for school!"
Turning back, he added breezily:
"Apologies. My son's been sleeping in lately."
"Oh, by the way, has your son started primary school yet?"
"How are his grades?"
"What's his deviation score? Can he get into the University of Tokyo?"
"Almost forgot, your son was nobility back then, directly recommended to the Onmyou Agency. Ah, those days are gone now. If he can't get into the University of Tokyo, he'll just be common riffraff. The great nobility of Kyoto - could this generation really end up as commoners?"
Hagoromo Gitsune's face darkened as she glared coldly at Nura Rihan, then suddenly flashed a dazzling smile.
That smile made Nura Rihan's heart skip a beat.
Before he could react to Hagoromo Gitsune's intentions, she turned and wrapped her arm around Luo Shu's, saying:
"I accept your conditions. Tonight, I'll use this body to bear you several healthy children."
Nura Rihan's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull as he leapt to his feet:
"How dare you—"
"You fucking bastard! How dare you use my wife's body to bear another man's children! I'll kill you!!"
Hagoromo Gitsune merely responded with a cold laugh.
Meanwhile, Luo Shu, who'd been dragged into this conflict, felt no romantic thrill from the beauty's proximity. Instead, he turned to Nurarihyon beside him and asked:
"Ever seen anything like this before?"
Nurarihyon immediately shook his head, his expression odd:
"This old man has truly never witnessed such a scene."
After a moment's thought, Nurarihyon asked Luo Shu:
"What conditions did Hagoromo Gitsune discuss with you earlier?"
From Nurarihyon's expression, Luo Shu immediately knew the old yokai wasn't thinking anything decent:
"The conditions definitely didn't include bearing my children."
Then he added:
"Though if she really needed my help, I wouldn't mind either."
"...You're brutally honest." Nurarihyon's mouth twitched.
Hagoromo Gitsune's current appearance was essentially that of his former daughter-in-law with a different hairstyle.
Truth be told, she was an exceptionally beautiful woman. If he were unmarried, even he might have tried flirting with her - it was understandable that a young man like Luo Shu might be tempted.
The problem was that Hagoromo Gitsune was currently inhabiting his daughter-in-law's body.
'If Hagoromo Gitsune and Luo Shu actually... shudder...'
Nurarihyon himself winced in sympathy for his son.
This was literally the most unbearable pain for any man!
Nurarihyon completely understood his son's feelings, but now wasn't the time for sympathy.
Glancing at Nura Rihan and Hagoromo Gitsune glaring murderously at each other, he sighed and turned back to Luo Shu:
"It seems we're the only ones who can discuss this matter properly."
"That was always the case." Luo Shu nodded. Compared to Nura Rihan, Nurarihyon harboured little hatred towards Hagoromo Gitsune.
After all, four hundred years ago, Nurarihyon had seized the title of Lord of Yokai and Spirits from Hagoromo Gitsune - he was the victor. Though she'd tricked him later, among yokai, life-and-death battles didn't breed lasting grudges...
Truthfully, if not for Hagoromo Gitsune currently resembling Yamabuki Otome, even Nura Rihan wouldn't care much about her. Over centuries of opposition, he'd always been the victor.
But when it came to his deceased former wife, Nura Rihan couldn't control his emotions.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
"Pardon the interruption."
Accompanied by these words, Kejorō and Tsurara entered carrying tea.
Seeing this, Nura Rihan, who had stood up, calmed down and silently returned to his seat.
Hagoromo Gitsune couldn't be bothered to engage with him either. Besides, it was pointless—his mouth was too foul for her to handle.
As Tsurara and Kejorō poured tea, Nurarihyon asked calmly:
"How do you plan to deal with Nue?"
Luo Shu smiled in response and countered:
"Old man, how would you deal with a dead man?"
"Bring him back to life first?" Nurarihyon keenly grasped Luo Shu's implication, then seemed to realise something and glanced at Hagoromo Gitsune.
Noticing his gaze, Hagoromo Gitsune returned it with a cold look.
Observing this, Nurarihyon said coolly:
"How do you plan to ensure this fox isn't playing us?"
"What if she's lying and just using our strength to resurrect her son?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu turned to look at Hagoromo Gitsune, withdrew his arm from her grip by 3.5 centimetres, and smiled:
"If that happens, the SDS will hunt Hagoromo Gitsune down with full force."
Hagoromo Gitsune's expression changed at these words. Full-force pursuit? Did that mean the SDS would even dispatch a Demigod?
At this thought, her eyes filled with wariness.
If a Demigod personally came after her, she truly had no confidence in preserving her life.
"Empty words hold no weight."
Nurarihyon eyed Hagoromo Gitsune, already somewhat reassured but still wanting insurance:
"The SDS must have some compulsory contract-type Abyss Artefacts, right?"
Luo Shu gave Nurarihyon a meaningful look:
"We do, but who do you propose signs it?"
"Everyone." Nurarihyon grinned. "All those present."
Luo Shu glanced at Hagoromo Gitsune again. Seeing no objection, he smiled and said:
"Then it's settled."