As for Asase Hibiki, she was merely a girl from a rural fishing village. Her knowledge was far from extensive.
Her experience was lacking, and that needed to be supplemented.
And the best opportunity for that… was the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.
Mitsuyo had put much thought into this she truly believed that her teacher's disciple must be exceptional.
Whether in cultivation or combat, the disciple did not need to be unmatched beneath the heavens,
but at the very least should be someone rarely seen in the world.
Otherwise, she would one day bring shame to their master.
Because of this, without her mother's approval, Mitsuyo had never stepped foot outside Mt. Yougou.
Only after she met the qualifications to inherit the title of young clan leader would she begin worldly training.
Asase Hibiki took a deep breath. She knew she would face this day eventually.
Once she learned how noble Luo Li truly was, an overwhelming sense of motivation surged within her.
She could not absolutely could not disgrace her teacher.
Not only did she practice archery to the point of forgetting sleep and meals,
she even mastered many foundational arts and began following Mitsuyo to study deeper and more complex talismanic spells.
After a long while, Hibiki realized that, just as Mitsuyo had said, the yokai paid no attention to the lowest seats of the parade.
She finally relaxed a little.
Of course, nervousness remained but alongside it came a faint thrill of touching a world beyond the mundane.
Once she overcame her initial discomfort, Hibiki started listening attentively to the yokai's conversations.
Compared to boastful humans, yokai were surprisingly simple and modest.
They seldom bragged and recounted their experiences with very little embellishment.
One story after another gradually drew the young miko in.
She realized how vibrant the world beyond Narukami Island truly was
how vast the Seven Nations were.
Ancient secret realms, legendary treasures sought after for generations
all of it dazzled her imagination.
Among the storytellers, one young man caught Hibiki's attention.
"My story comes from Liyue. I had the good fortune to travel there a few years ago…"
He wore a fox-fur cloak, far less rowdy than most yokai, and his bestial traits were neatly restrained.
"He must be a yokai of some status," Hibiki thought.
He spoke at length about Liyue's culture, customs, and geography
clear, confident, never once losing his thread.
Hibiki listened without realizing how enthralled she had become.
Until suddenly, a crisp, youthful voice cut through the air:
"You're wrong!"
All the yokai instinctively turned toward the main corridor leading into the banquet hall the storyteller included.
The one speaking was a tiny fox perched atop someone's shoulder.
Nobody dared underestimate it.
Because on its forehead was the unmistakable crest of the Hakushin lineage
a symbol no one who had ever seen it could fail to recognize.
And the person it perched on… was even more noble.
When the gathered yokai finally recognized the devilishly alluring young man,
they all stood at once and bowed.
Luo Li waved casually.
"I'm only here to join the fun. No need for formalities."
Though he said that, the yokai still respectfully guided him up to the highest seat.
The fox-clad storyteller also offered a formal salute.
Regardless of rank, one could never show anything less than utmost respect toward someone like Luo Li.
Seated at the head, Luo Li swept his gaze around
and caught sight of two familiar silhouettes at the far end.
He paused for a moment.
Mitsuyo gave him a discreet wave but did not rise.
Realizing the two were intentionally hiding their identities, Luo Li did not call out to them.
"Today, I'm only here to oversee the banquet. Carry on as usual."
It wasn't his first time doing this, and Luo Li's tone was extremely casual.
The yokai understood him well; the hall soon returned to its lively noise,
no one afraid of offending His Highness.
After saluting, the fox-cloaked man glanced toward the tiny fox "Yae".
"About the errors in my story… may I ask for guidance from a fellow clansman?"
Fellow clansman?
The little fox flicked its ears.
It had no intention of responding its pride was considerable
but upon hearing that, it looked directly at him.
"Who are you? I've never seen you before."
Its suspicion was justified.
The Hakushin bloodline was so rare that another appearing out of nowhere was startling.
"I am Yulezhai."
"So you're Yulezhai!"
The little creature's eyes brightened.
The words of its esteemed mistress echoed in its mind
If it could out-debate Yulezhai,
its name would spread throughout yokai society, and it would ascend to the very peak of its yokai life!
That thought alone made it instantly spirited.
"Today is the day the name 'Yae' will be known to all!"
Secretly thrilled, the tiny fox prepared its lines.
Having spent much time around the Raiden Shogun and Lady Saiguu,
its knowledge was not insignificant despite never having visited Liyue.
And by nature it was sharp and clever
aside from failing to argue against Luo Li and a few others,
it could verbally tear apart almost anyone.
Yulezhai waited patiently for the little fox to counter.
He had heard the rumors that Lady Saiguu had found an heir of the Hakushin bloodline,
and naturally knew of this child adopted by the Shogun herself.
And from the looks of it is young as it was
its pride and knowledge were indeed far above that of ordinary yokai.
But after this debate… he would no longer think that way.
Since the fox had no real understanding of Liyue,
it began nitpicking at every ambiguous detail in Yulezhai's story.
Many of those so-called "errors" were things Luo Li had personally told it
traditions and customs founded to honor him in ancient times.
The little fox remembered them all perfectly,
and this was the perfect moment to wield that knowledge.
Exploiting strengths and avoiding weaknesses
the little fox excelled at this.
It attacked every loophole in Yulezhai's narrative,
leaving him flustered and scrambling.
After all, when one had a literal living relic of that ancient era (Luo Li) at one's side,
how could Yulezhai possibly compete?
Worse yet, Yae deliberately corrected only the vague historical parts
forcing Yulezhai to rebut, then using Luo Li's stories as the decisive checkmate.
She even hounded him over details neither of them could possibly know.
If one word could describe her, Luo Li felt "professional nitpicker" fit perfectly.
"What a sharp-tongued little girl." By the end, Yulezhai could only shake his head with a bitter smile.
He had expected a meaningful debate,
prepared to learn something new
and instead… this?!
Once she realized he was completely defeated and utterly speechless,
the tiny fox proudly lifted her head in triumph.
Then she turned toward Luo Li with eyes that clearly said:
"Praise me!"
Luo Li sighed inwardly, but still gave her reluctant approval.
"You did well."
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