Chapter 596: Yata Mirror

Drip, drip, drip.

A viscous, slightly warm liquid dripped onto Nanako’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, Nanako 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, still carrying body heat.

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

Firelight danced upon her eyelids.

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

Nanako forcibly suppressed the fear in her heart, remaining perfectly still.

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

Thus, someone spoke.

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

"We bear no ill will."

Doubt arose in Nanako’s heart.

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, covered in pitch-black ash, with a significant portion showing clear human silhouettes.

She was in a space created by the overlapping of collapsed structures, and she was lying in a corner on the ground.

Drip.

Another drop of warm liquid landed on her forehead.

Nanako 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, and a katana that had pierced through the skull, pinning it to the ruins. 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 set of soap-colored robes, with a white silk undergarment stained red by blood, and white *hyōbakama* and *shitabakama* on the lower body. On the head pierced by the katana was a black *tate-ei* crown.

"Em... Emperor?"

Nanako 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 Nanako, who grew up in Kyoto, not recognize this attire?

But... why would it be the Emperor?

Had she not been abducted by the Shinto priests? Why was she 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 before her?

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

"Your Highness, he is not the Emperor."

"He is not worthy."

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

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

"Ugh!"

He gave the cloth a sharp tug, let out a muffled grunt, and finally finished bandaging the wound. Only then did he turn to look at Nanako, who was slowly rising.

"Your Highness."

Nanako was silent for a while.

"You are not from the Shinto sect?"

"No."

"Did you kill the Emperor?"

"Yes."

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

The middle-aged swordsman did not answer immediately; instead, he seemed pleasantly surprised by Nanako’s composure and could not help but laugh.