Chapter 602: Yata Mirror

Drip, drip, drip.

A viscous, slightly warm liquid dripped onto Nana-ko's forehead, rousing her from unconsciousness. She did not rush to open her eyes, instead continuing to feign unconsciousness while listening intently to the sounds around her.

The smell of rust instantly filled her nasal cavity.

"Blood... so much blood..."

Having traveled with Li Miao for several months, Nana-ko could be considered someone who had seen the world; she recognized the source of the metallic scent immediately and understood what the liquid dripping onto her forehead was.

It was blood that still carried body heat.

Aside from the dripping sound of the blood and the sound of her own breathing, there was the crackling of burning wood and the acrid, burnt smell of fat being roasted.

Firelight danced across her eyelids.

"A deserted fire scene filled with corpses... is it?"

Nana-ko forcibly suppressed the fear in her heart, remaining perfectly still.

But her disguise was too green and clumsy; her quickened heartbeat and breathing were difficult to suppress. To someone who had practiced ear-techniques, they were clearly audible.

Thus, someone spoke.

"Your Highness, there is no need to pretend."

"We bear no ill will."

Nana-ko felt suspicious.

We?

She opened her eyelids a sliver, looking around.

The surroundings were indeed as she had imagined: a fire scene filled with corpses. The wooden structures nearby were burning fiercely. The place where she lay had already been scorched, filled with pitch-black ash, and a considerable portion showed clear human silhouettes.

The place where she was located was a space created by the overlapping of collapsed buildings, and she was lying on the ground in one of the corners.

Drip.

Another drop of warm liquid landed on her forehead.

Nana-ko was stunned for a moment, then looked toward the direction from which the blood was dripping.

She first saw a hand suspended above her forehead; the blood was dripping from the index finger of this hand.

Following the finger upward, she could see a scarred arm, a collarbone with broken bones, a katana that had pierced through the skull and pinned it to the ruins, and finally, she took in the entire corpse.

The corpse seemed to be just an ordinary corpse.

Except for the clothing he wore.

It was a soap-colored robe, with a white silk undergarment stained red by blood, white *omote-bakama* and *shitabakama* on the lower body, and a black *tate-ei* crown on the head pierced by the katana.

"Em... Emperor?"

Nana-ko slowly widened her eyes.

Although the robes of the Eastern Emperor were not as complex and magnificent as those of the Central Plains Emperor—one could even say they were somewhat plain—how could Nana-ko, who grew up in Kyoto, not recognize these clothes?

But... why would it be the Emperor?

Wasn't she abducted by the Shinto priests? Why did she appear in a fire scene full of corpses? Where was this? Who were the charred corpses around her... and why was the Emperor pinned to death in front of her?

Before she could clear her thoughts, she suddenly heard the voice that had told her to open her eyes let out a cold, disdainful snort.

"Your Highness, he is not the Emperor."

"He is not worthy."

Nana-ko looked toward the sound and saw a middle-aged priest leaning against a collapsed house beam. His attire was the same as the priests who had abducted her—plain white priest robes—and at his waist was a crimson sword without a guard.

The only difference was that this middle-aged swordsman was not wearing a mask; he had hung the plain white mask casually at his waist and was wrapping a bleeding wound at his waist with a cloth strip.

"Ugh!"

He yanked the cloth strip hard, let out a muffled groan, and finally finished wrapping the wound. Only then did he turn his head to look at Nana-ko, who was slowly standing up.

"Your Highness."

Nana-ko was silent for a while.

"You are not from the Shinto sect?"

"I am not."

"Did you kill the Emperor?"

"I did."

"... Why do you call me Your Highness?"

The middle-aged swordsman did not answer immediately; instead, he seemed pleasantly surprised by Nana-ko's composure and could not help but laugh. ===== CHAPTER 603 =====