Deciphering the Locations

Inside a small izakaya in Heian-kyo, Eirin, the Sage of the Lunar Capital, had effortlessly solved the first part of Princess Kaguya's riddle. Now, she proceeded to unravel the remaining puzzles in the same manner.

"Now, let us look at the second part: 'Huangluo, Guyu, the feathers fly in.' Huangluo actually refers to Dahuangluo, one of the twelve Suiyang names, and it ranks sixth among them. Guyu is quite obvious as well; it is a solar term from the Middle Kingdom, and it also ranks sixth. Therefore, we can deduce that the numbers provided by the first half of this riddle are six and six. On the map, these correspond to Omiya Avenue and Nijo Avenue. Once we find the intersection, we look for a location associated with 'feathers flying in'..." Eirin continued her contemplation, and Kaguya immediately located the corresponding name on the map.

"It's the Suzaku Gate! Eirin!"

"Indeed, the Suzaku Gate of the Greater Imperial Palace... Next, let us look at the third line: 'Xuanyi, Alkaid Pond, the prow of the boat; at the end of Kannazuki, pay respects to Buddha.' The term 'Zhongmo'—the end—has no specific source, but its meaning directly describes the corresponding road. It is the last of the horizontal avenues in Heian-kyo, Tokyo-goku Avenue. The word 'Kannazuki' represents the tenth month in this country, so the hidden number is ten, which is marked as Rokujo Avenue on the map. It is quite obvious which place associated with Buddha lies at the intersection of these two roads."

Eirin continued to solve the puzzle, and Kaguya quickly found the corresponding location based on her explanation.

"This would be Kiyomizu-dera. It's actually outside the city limits of Heian-kyo."

"The fourth line: 'Hanasaki, Hatsusora, the shrine of the festival.' Here, 'Hanasaki' refers to the month of blooming cherry blossoms, the third month. The hidden number is three, corresponding to Dozu Avenue. In folklore, 'Hatsusora' refers to the beginning of the year, meaning the start. The hidden number here is one, corresponding to Ichijo Avenue. Around their intersection, a place related to festivals and shrines is not hard to find."

"It's Kitano Tenmangu! The palace said to be built for a vengeful spirit," Kaguya noted with some excitement as she marked the next location. It was a shrine located in the north of Heian-kyo, dedicated to the vengeful spirit of Sugawara no Michizane.

Under Eirin's guidance, four of the original five riddles had been solved. Only the last one remained.

"Then... the final line: 'Double extremes, double arrivals, dwelling before the gods.' Like the third line, 'double extremes' and 'double arrivals' refer to the last of the vertical and horizontal avenues—namely, Tokyo-goku Avenue and Kujo Avenue. The intersection of these two roads is the southeasternmost point of Heian-kyo. 'Dwelling before the gods' clearly refers to a shrine. Which shrine is closest to the southeastern point of Heian-kyo? It is marked very clearly on the map."

Eirin finished with a smile, and Kaguya naturally found the final location.

"It's Fushimi Inari Taisha, the place where the Inari Okami is worshipped!"

With that, all the riddles were solved. The locations where the Jade Bamboo was hidden had all surfaced, waiting for Kaguya and the others to make their choice.

"Shinsenen, Suzaku Gate, Kiyomizu-dera, Kitano-gu, Inari Taisha..." Looking at the locations marked on the map, Kaguya first found her current position. After estimating the distances between these spots and herself, she finally settled on the one closest to them.

"Kiyomizu-dera... then?"

In an elegant room within the Fujiwara Residence in Heian-kyo, Mokou sat in the main seat with a serious expression. A map of Heian-kyo was spread out before her, surrounded by a group of Fujiwara clan retainers. They were currently engaged in a heated discussion, their voices overlapping as one location after another was marked on the map. Watching these spots, Mokou’s gaze was incredibly focused.

On the roof of a high tower in Heian-kyo, the white-haired yokai youth, Slippery Nura, lay leisurely, basking in the sun. Beside him, a tanuki with the appearance of a fair-faced young scholar handed his friend a jar of fine sake, pleading for his help. Finally, stimulated by the aroma of the wine, Slippery Nura flipped upright. After pondering the riddle the tanuki had conveyed, he surveyed the surroundings.

When he looked down from his high vantage point at the straight, intersecting roads that divided Heian-kyo into countless uniform squares, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He immediately began carving a map into the roof tiles with the sword at his side.

Minamoto no Yorimitsu, the head of the Minamoto clan, sat in his bullock cart, stroking his chin in quiet contemplation. As he watched the crossroads pass by one by one outside the carriage window, a smile gradually curved on his lips. He then called out to the servant driving the cart, ordering him to change direction.

Abe no Seimei, after leaving the Asakura Residence, strolled leisurely through the streets of Heian-kyo. There was no trace of anxiety in his expression, as if this marriage test had absolutely nothing to do with him.

During Seimei's walk, a series of inconspicuous trifles kept occurring around him. The road ahead was temporarily blocked by overturned cargo, forcing Seimei to take a detour. A child's ball was accidentally kicked a great distance; after picking it up and returning it with a smile, Seimei happened to take another path. These events invisibly influenced the direction of his progress. An elderly woman suffering from dementia could not find her way home; after inquiring about her address, Seimei kindly led her back. However, this also caused him to deviate from his original route.

In this way, through various accidents, Seimei walked toward a place he originally had no intention of visiting. In the shadows, a certain deity hidden high within the divine realm watched everything. She activated her causality vision, plucking at the red threads of causality with her fingers, weaving one small destiny after another for the mortal she observed.

Elsewhere, Eirin and Kaguya, who had solved the riddles early on, finally arrived at the nearest location: Kiyomizu-dera, situated to the east of Heian-kyo. Amidst the many passing pilgrims and preaching monks, Kaguya curiously surveyed the beautiful temple grounds and whispered to Eirin.

"Hey, Eirin, there are so many buildings in this temple. Where exactly would the Jade Bamboo be hidden?"

"Once we are here, there will naturally be a hint for the next step. Since Asakura Kaguya is the adopted daughter of a Great Onmyoji, the treasures she holds should not be ordinary mortal objects. Princess, you might try sensing the spiritual power around us."

With a composed smile, Eirin spoke to Kaguya. Upon hearing this, Kaguya closed her eyes to sense the spiritual power. Sure enough, she perceived a point within Kiyomizu-dera where the spiritual power was exceptionally abundant.

At the same time, in the sky above Heian-kyo, a streak of crimson flame was rapidly flying toward the east.