Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
After reaching the destination, it felt like a long journey along mountain roads and field ridges. Since vehicles could not pass, Bai Yujing had no choice but to take down the folding bicycle from the trunk. Looking at the distant mountain, Bai Yujing could almost confirm that this was the place, as it resembled the background in the second painting.
Riding the bicycle, with the wind blowing and warm sunlight shining down, the fields on both sides and the scattered wooden houses and villages in the distance made one feel as if they were part of a beautiful painting.
At the end of the path, Bai Yujing discovered an abandoned highway leading up the mountain. Riding along the highway, the sounds of insects and birdsong filled the forest, and he could also hear a stream flowing nearby.
The highway ended at a dilapidated Stone Mountain Gate. Continuing upward meant only climbing stone stairs. The stone gate was covered in moss, making it appear as if it had just rained, with some dampness on the ground. Bai Yujing also noticed numerous footprints.
Someone had been here before, and many people at that. As Bai Yujing continued upward, a flash of red in a corner caught his attention. Although somewhat faded, there was still a pool of it accumulated in a crevice.
"Is this blood?" Bai Yujing squatted on the stairs to take a closer look and immediately confirmed it.
Had there been a conflict? Who was involved—was it an external clash or an internal dispute? As Bai Yujing moved upward, he felt increasingly tense. Lowering his body, he took out his gun from his backpack, checked it carefully, and slowly climbed higher.
The mountain wasn't too high; the previous abandoned highway led directly to halfway up. After climbing for so long along the stairs, he was almost at the peak. The towering Black Pine trees stood tall and lush, their trunks resembling ancient dragons filled with strength, reaching toward the clouds. The layers of needle leaves cascaded down like an umbrella; standing beneath them, even the roots extending out were as thick as a thigh.
"This tree must be at least a thousand years old. What do you think the organization wants us to do here? Are they looking for treasures?" said one man leaning against the temple entrance.
Another man squatting on the ground replied, "Don't think too much. Just do what the boss tells us to do. Even if there are treasures, it's not something we can touch."
"And those guys from this morning were ruthless; they opened fire as soon as they saw someone. That kid Inoue got hit right away and died. If it weren't for our boss being capable, we would have been in big trouble!"
"So even though we don't have much chance guarding the gate, it's still safer here. I estimate that several will be taken down inside."
"Brother is still the smartest!"
The voices of two young Japanese men in suits came from ahead, smoking in front of a dilapidated and collapsed temple. There were several tents set up at the entrance, along with some tools and luggage piled nearby. Bai Yujing counted the tents—there were five in total, which meant there should be at least a dozen people!
It seemed they had rushed here overnight to start their operation; these people were quite anxious. After looking around and confirming that only these two were at the entrance, Bai Yujing quickly circled around through the nearby woods. However, he discovered three corpses hidden in the forest, which startled him greatly.
Feeling flustered, he passed through the trees and used the tents for cover. He approached one of the men and struck him on the forehead with a rock. The other man was startled and immediately tried to shout while reaching for his weapon. Bai Yujing punched him in the nose, causing his gun to fall to the ground. Tears streamed down his face as Bai Yujing hooked one arm around his neck and locked him in place, waiting until he passed out before releasing him.
Among the tools and bags nearby, there happened to be some ropes. Bai Yujing quickly tied both men up and dragged them into the trees at the back, binding them to a tree with the three corpses in front of them to instill fear of murder. He then stuffed their mouths with their socks; it must be said that these socks had quite a strong odor.
While tying up these two men, Bai Yujing noticed they had tattoos of the Yoshiwara Society on their arms, which was different from what he had imagined; they were not part of Tong Wei's group after all—Yoshiwara Society had also come here.
Bai Yujing checked that the tents and items belonged to Tong Wei's group. Considering the corpses in the woods, it was easy to deduce that Tong Wei's group must have arrived last night. The members of Yoshiwara Society likely came this morning and ran into Tong Wei's remaining personnel, resulting in a shootout where three people died.
So was he part of the third wave arriving late? It seemed they hadn't left yet, indicating that everything was still inside.
This temple had likely been unmanaged for two or three hundred years; its beams had collapsed onto the ground, doors and windows rotted away, and there were holes all over the roof. Inside was a statue of Avalokiteshvara; upon closer inspection, it looked like Guanyin Bodhisattva at first glance. However, upon further observation, it didn't quite resemble her—mainly due to its attire. It appeared similar to a white-clad Guanyin but looked more like an ordinary nun instead, with a delicate and gentle appearance that lacked the mysterious and compassionate aura typical of an Avalokiteshvara statue.
Moreover, temples in Neon generally do not have objects of worship; there are neither statues nor memorial tablets. The most typical marker for each shrine is a Torii gate—a simple wooden archway.
Thus, while Neon temples lack a Main Hall, this particular temple oddly housed a statue like those found in domestic temples, making it seem somewhat out of place. While it might appear normal to locals, it seemed very strange in Neon.
Behind the temple, Bai Yujing picked up a plaque that might have fallen earlier and was placed there by villagers. It bore four characters—Takahashi Shrine.
A shrine dedicated to the Unknown Deity, no wonder it has fallen into disrepair without any incense offerings. However, Bai Yujing recalled the name he saw earlier at Kongyin Temple—Takahashi Murasaki. Looking at the imitation Guanyin statue enshrined in the Temple, wasn't this the Eight Hundred Nun?
That was not originally a statue of a deity; it might have been erected to commemorate the Eight Hundred Nun who once protected this place. Bai Yujing realized that the entire temple was not large. After wandering around, he did not see a single person. Where had all those who entered gone?
With two guards left outside, these people surely had not left and must still be here. Searching around, he discovered a grove in the backyard. Upon closer inspection, there were many footprints on the ground. Following the footprints led him downhill, eventually stopping in a Mountain Valley. Passing through the forest, he suddenly found himself facing the sea.
The path in the Mountain Valley was lined with rows of Torii gates, consisting of thick wooden pillars and crossbeams above them, with stone slabs laid on the ground, one after another, as if guiding people to an unknown place.
In Shinto, Torii gates serve as the dividing line between the divine realm and the human realm. Crossing through a Torii means entering the divine realm. The person who established this row of Torii—was that their intention? Could it be that further ahead lies the land of deities?
Comment 0 Comment Count