Chapter Three Hundred and Twenty One Day at the Shrine
The rising sun gradually rose, and the fog in the forest quickly dissipated, fading away a little hazy.
Halfway through the mountain, the shrine became brighter.
No second visitor came to the door for the time being, and Kyoko was very leisurely. After waiting for a while, she picked up the mahogany amulet placed beside her and lowered her head to study.
“…”
The feeling of the spiritual sense being cut off was still suffocating. She quickly put the amulet back to its original place, and then she heard a faint sound of cars.
After a short while, the white business car from Fuyun Shrine appeared at the end of the Winshan Highway and stopped.
Not only the ones who got off the car, Noma Nan and Hasegawa, but also Soya who went down the mountain more than ten minutes ago. Hanai Matori and Kobayashi were not very lucky today, so they rushed to the foot of the mountain before Noma Nan came.
She looked at Zong Gu who was walking over, and even though she had guessed the result, she still asked, "Is it solved?"
"Well, just like Kyoko expected, it was a parasite." He nodded, then took out five bills from his pocket and stuffed them into her hand.
Kyoko looked down and saw that the banknotes were full of Fukuzawa Yukiki, which was 50,000 yen.
"This is……"
"Mr. Zuo Chuan's gratitude," said Zong Gu, "The business elite is just happy. After I wiped out the parasite, I directly took out the money to thank him. He originally wanted to come up by himself, but unfortunately he didn't have the strength to climb again.
The ladder can only entrust me to pay the money to the gods.”
Kyoko smiled, accepted the unexpected income, and greeted the two witches who came over.
Noma Nan didn't say anything, suddenly approached her and sniffed it, "It's all the smell of Soya."
“…”
"I just said you stayed at Kyoko's house last night, and you still don't admit it." She said with a positive face.
Zong Gu was also sure that she actually smelled nothing, just wanted to cheat the truth from their reactions.
Kyoko blushed a little, which was enough to explain everything, so he did not continue to hide it: "Because Miss Noma will talk nonsense everywhere."
"Who should I tell you, there are only four of us in the shrine now."
"There are three more gods."
“…”
Noma Nan put his hands together and bowed to the three halls, "No intention to offend..."
"How much did that man give you just now? I saw him paying for it." As soon as she put down her hand, she asked about what happened just now.
Soya opened his hand and said, "Fifty thousand yen."
"Wow, I'm so rich... I have a share of it. If I hadn't parked the car on the side of the road and blocked the way, the parasite would have run away long ago, so how could you have slapped your head in a flash?"
Soya ignored it and asked Kyoko to collect the money and ignore it.
Noma Nan didn't really want money, so he glanced at the tablet in his hand again, "I didn't notice it just now. This is a very important ritual prop. The entire Fuyun Shrine is only two, and there is one in Kyoko.
Dad, don’t just use it to deal with spirits.”
"It's mainly because there are no other male priests in our shrine."
“Um…”
After a few words, Noma Nan and Hasegawa turned around and entered the company office. Soya stayed with Kyoko for a while outside. It was not until Hanai and Kobayashi also came to the shrine that they went to the small wooden house behind and started their own job alone.
Kyoko thought he would come here early, so yesterday he sent all the information from the last few days to the table in the archive room.
The number seems to be higher than usual, which means that the spirit activities in the Kinki area have become frequent, but it cannot be used as a basis for judging that the Soul Sacrifice Association has begun. After all, there is no rule in spiritual activities...
Buzz —
Just as he was thinking, his phone suddenly vibrated.
Hongzi: I'm going to board the plane.
Soya then remembered that today was the day when Yoshikawa and his family went to Hokkaido to travel. It was only 8 o'clock now, and they were already preparing to take off at Yoondan Airport in Osaka.
Soya: It's really early.
Hongzi: It's okay.
Hongzi: Dad drank a little too much last night and almost couldn't get up in the morning.
Soya: Have a good dream.
Hongzi: It’s not time to take off yet!
Soya: Have you boarded?
She sent him a photo indicating that she was still in the terminal.
Zong Gu enlarged the photo, dragged it and looked at it a few times, and suddenly remembered something.
Soya: Where is the Alps?
When the whole family goes out for a trip, they can't ignore their dogs - of course, it's impossible to take them on a plane.
She sent a reply after a while.
Hongzi: Didn’t Zong Gu go home last night?
“…”
He realized something.
Soya: Sent to the old house?
Hongzi: Didn't really go home?
Soya: Busy.
Hongzi: I don’t want to tell you anymore.
Putting the phone aside, Zong Gu continued to look through the spiritual activity information in front of him.
Two minutes later.
Buzz —
Hongzi: I'll ask Qian to take care of me for a few days.
This is a good choice, Soya thought, for her, and for Akane Kirino, who will be alone in two days.
At least there is a dog to accompany you, so it won't be too boring...
Soya: Then I'll feel relieved.
Hongzi: False.
Soya: How long does it take to fly from Osaka to Hokkaido?
Hongzi: It's less than two hours.
Soya: Did you land in Sapporo?
Hongzi: Yes.
After sending this message, she was silent for a long time and it took a while before sending a new photo.
She was already in the cabin and sat by the window.
Hongzi: It's boarded.
Soya: Good night.
Hongzi: I will say it when it’s about to take off!
Soya: Put down your phone early and prepare for bed early.
Hongzi: It’s only two hours, it doesn’t matter if you don’t sleep.
Hongzi: When flying over Lake Biwa, Soya remembers to look up.
Zong Gu smiled.
Soya: Will you pass by here?
Hongzi: I don't know, I guess.
After chatting for a while, Hongzi regretfully said that the plane was about to take off, and the flight attendant had come over to remind passengers to turn off their phones or turn on the flight mode, so they could not continue chatting.
Hongzi: When you hear the sound of the plane, remember to look up.
Zong Gu raised his head, and there was only a dark floor slab above his head.
Soya: I will.
Putting the phone aside, Zong Gu picked up the information he put down several times and looked through it.
When I looked up again, half of the unprocessed information on the table had been reduced.
"Has an hour passed..."
He got up and stretched, walked out of the wooden house, looked up at the sky.
The blue sky is as blue as the eaves and the leaves on the back mountain dotted a corner of the sky. Even if the plane Hongzi was on passed by, it would have flew away long ago.
"Student Fang Aki?" Kyoko walked in from outside.
"Kyoko." Soya lowered his head, "take a little rest."
"Thanks for your hard work."
She held several documents in her hand, "This is the information that has just been faxed."
Zong Gu took it and glanced quickly, "The same place? Does this mean that the Soul Sacrifice Society has begun?"
Kyoko shook her head slowly, unable to be sure or deny it.
"Some are like signs of the beginning of the Soul Sacrifice Society, but now it's more than ten days away from the Ullambana Festival, which is a bit early compared to previous years."
Zong Gu shrugged, "No matter it, even if the Soul Sacrifice Society begins, what we have to deal with is a specific spirit."
"Um."
"These information looks more like notifications, so there should be no reply, right?"
"Need not."
"That's good." Soya grabbed the information under her armpit and grabbed her hand. "Is it time for Kyoko to rest now?"
She smiled, "So I'm here to find you."
The two of them kept warm at the Inari God Temple for a while, and then went outside together. Sonoya took out the information they had processed before, so that it would save too much accumulation in the future and it would be difficult to reply at once.
When he arrived at the office and passed by the middle of Kawamuro, Noma Nan stopped him.
"Zonggu."
Soya stopped at the door, Hasegawa was on duty, and she was the only one in the room, "Why is Miss Noma lazy again?"
"Are you looking for trouble?" Noma Nan looked up, "Now I have something to look for you."
"Tell me."
"I heard from Kyoko that you are going to Kanto in a while?"
Soya looked at Kyoko and looked at her again, "It's only these two days."
"So anxious...where exactly?"
"Kanagawa and Ibaraki." He paused, "If nothing unexpected happens, he will go back to the children's welfare home where I have lived for seven or eight years."
"Hey, that means you still have to go to the Northeast?"
"Um."
"It seems you're quite busy." Noma Nan hesitated a little, "If this is the case, I'm not easy to speak..."
"Then don't speak."
"Okay, if you have this attitude, I will have no psychological pressure to speak." Noma Nan smiled and signaled him to go in, "When Soya goes to Kanto, run for me."
Zong Gu decided to listen to her explanation and decide not to enter, "What are you doing?"
"When Sogu passed by Chiba..."
"I won't pass by Chiba."
"Then let's go by." Noma Nan glared at him, "Give me something to my friend. Don't worry, I'll pay the travel fee."
Soya thought for a while, "The travel fee from Kinki to Tohoku?"
She looked expressionless: "The travel fee from Kanagawa to Chiba."
“Um…”
"Okay, okay, I'll give half of it."
Looking at Kyoko and smiling, Soya walked into Kawai and sat down: "What are you going to give?"
"You don't have to worry about this." Noma Nan didn't want to say much, "You go back with me tonight, I'll give you the things and then send you home."
“Not today.”
"Why...oh, okay." She glanced at Kyoko behind him and didn't ask much, "Then I'll give it to you tomorrow morning."
Sonoya thought for a while, "It's not a contraband."
Noma Nan's eyes turned, "Don't worry, it's very safe."
"Can't you mail it?" Zong Gu asked again.
"That kind is more expensive, I'm not very relieved if I mail it."
He was even more worried and didn't want to take on inexplicable responsibilities for nothing. "Is it worth more than one million yen?"
Noma Nan hesitated for a moment, "Is it a million...it may not be stopped."
Zong Gu immediately shook his head: "It's too expensive. I can't afford to lose it. I'd better refuse."
"No." Noma Nan didn't give him the chance to refuse. In order to make him agree, he revealed a little more information, "It's just a diamond necklace, it's not that easy to lose with your luggage. Two years ago I
When that friend came here to travel, he accidentally landed at my house. Since Sonoya was going to Chiba, he happened to send it back to her."
A diamond necklace worth more than one million yen was thrown away at any time, and I didn’t want to go back for two years... Eighty percent of it was a gift from my ex-girlfriend.
Soya dared not think and say, but he did not refuse again, "Okay."
"I knew Soya would agree, you are such a reliable child. Tomorrow morning, I will give you the necklace, travel expenses and her address." Noma Nan said, not forgetting to add, "This
Don’t let Sayaka know about something, otherwise I will bully you in the workplace.”
The possibility that "friend" is an ex-girlfriend has increased to 10%.
"OK."
After explaining this, Noma Nan was in a happy mood and said that she came to treat her at noon and could bring up whatever she wanted to eat now.
"Sent here?"
"Of course. Who wants to go on such a hot day?"
"Anything is fine, or let Kyoko decide for me at that time."
After dealing with Noma Nan, Soya got up and left Kawai, and went to the next room to fax the information back to their respective sources.
Kyoko was helping around, "I hope it won't take too long."
Zong Gu made her feel at ease, "Although she is not familiar with the place, if she just runs, it should be solved in half a day."
She nodded, opened the cover of the fax machine, took out the transmitted information, and put another piece of information in it.
After a while of rest, Zong Gu returned to the archives alone and continued to process the remaining information.
When he came out again, it was already noon.
During this period, at around 10 o'clock, Hongko, who landed in Hokkaido, sent him a message, and the first sentence asked him if he had seen her plane.
Soya responded honestly, saying that he had never heard the roar of the plane passing by.
Hongzi: What a pity.
Soya: Maybe I haven't passed here.
Hongzi: Just do whatever you want.
Hongzi: We are leaving the airport now, first go to the hotel to meet with our sister, and then stay in Sapporo all day today.
She told him about the travel arrangements, and suddenly asked him what he was doing. Soya only said that she was in the shrine, and she immediately chose to turn a blind eye, as if she had forgotten this question, and continued to talk about Furanoka whom she was going to the day after tomorrow.
ocean.
After arriving at the hotel, Hongzi sent a lot less messages. Zong Gu's last reply was to let her enjoy the trip with peace of mind.
"Has it already been this?"
Zong Gu came outside, and Huajing was walking towards this side, "Zong Gu, I'm going to call you. Lunch has been delivered, come and have a meal together."
"Here you." He quickly walked over, squinted his eyes and looked at the scorching sun above his head, "Did you send it directly?"
"yes."
"It's so hard to deliver it to the hillside."
“Here I came on a motorcycle.”
When I arrived at the office, Kyoko was waiting for them at the door. I went in and sat down, and lunch was already on the table.
"Do you have to eat?"
"It's okay."
"Um."
After lunch, all the information accumulated over the past few days has been processed, and Zong Gu is staying at the social office.
When Hasegawa went out again, Noma Nan suddenly said he wanted to take a photo of him.
"What are you doing?"
"Show me that friend so that I won't recognize you at that time."
"All right."
Zong Gu sat still and asked her to take a frontal photo.
Kacha.
"let me see."
"What do you think, she can recognize you."
Soya no longer said anything. The afternoon time passed quickly, and several witches took turns to take turns to come in and rest. Noma Nan also went out to stand for a while.
In the evening, Kyoko, Hanai and Kobayashi, who replaced Tamako, put on their crowns and came to the atrium of the shrine to perform a monthly begging ceremony.
Kyoko held the Kagura bell in her hand, Hanai and Kobayashi stood in front of the Heavenly Palace, the Godly Palace and the Moon Palace respectively, waiting for the moment of sunset.
Soya stood aside and looked at Noma Nan, who was also expressionless next to him.
At some point, the sun sets in the west and the forest is dark.
Kyoko's roamed the bell and her figure was floating, and the witches on both sides also danced. The three of them were walking, sometimes spinning, sometimes bowing down, and gradually gathered together from the three main halls.
At the same time, after lying on the ground, Kyoko, who turned into Amaterasu, got up alone, held up Kagura bell and danced.
Then came Kobayashi, and finally came Huai.
Sanguizi begs the mother god to return to the underworld, but at this time, Yin Xie, who was unknown where he was, split the gods, and half of the gods appeared quietly in the forest, witnessing the ceremony below.
“…”
The mist was flowing, Zong Gu looked over there, and vaguely felt that the face condensed by the mist seemed to look at him.
"Fangming--"
"teacher……"
Noma Nan next to him looked over, "What?"
Zong Gu came to his senses and sweat flowed from his forehead.
"No, nothing..."
He looked into the forest again, and the mist flowed without forming, as if everything just happened to him was just his illusion.
Soon, the begging for home ended, and the three witches on the ground lie for too long and stood up with each other.
"What's wrong?"
Kyoko walked towards Soya, who was a little stunned, and pulled down her hair hanging from her ears.
"It's okay." He shook his head and looked at the crown on her head. "Thank you for your hard work. You can take it off, it looks quite heavy."
She smiled, "Yeah."
Unlocking the red hair crown lace, the witches took off their crown the day before yesterday, put them back to the office with Kagura bell and gold and silver fans. The ceremony of begging for home ended, and it was almost time to close the club.
"This seems to be the first time Soya has been staying in the shrine all day?" Noma Nan said, "from opening a club to closing a club."
Soya looked at Kyoko who was checking and closing the hall gate and nodded, "Perhaps."
"It feels good, right? You don't have to do anything around you. You don't even need to go down the mountain when you eat." This is more like her own experience.
"Um."
"Just marry into the house."
"...Why is Miss Noma like Kyoko's mother?"
"I watched her grow up."
Zong Gu smiled, not saying anything.
After a while, Kyoko also checked the doors and windows and was ready to leave.
When she got on the bus and went down the mountain, Noma Nan took them to the place she had eaten yesterday. It was not too far away. It was located on the shore of Lake Biwa, and she also treated her to the evening.
After dinner, Noma Nan planned to send the two of them back.
Kyoko declined, saying that she wanted to walk by the lake, and of course Soya would not go back alone.
"Okay, then you guys are safe."
Hanai and Kobayashi were waiting in the car. She got into the driver's seat and did not forget to remind Soya to come to the shrine tomorrow.
After seeing off a few colleagues, Kyoko took Soya's hand and said, "Let's go."
"good."
The lake water slams on the shore and makes a rustling sound.
After walking along the lakeside walking path for more than half an hour, the two of them felt comfortable physically and mentally. The only uncomfortable thing was that there were too many insects flying by the water at night.
When they returned to Guan Yuan's house, the two went to take a shower one after another, and then watched the sequel to yesterday's movie together.
Late at night and when I was about to rest, Kyoko suddenly suggested: "Will you go to see the sunrise tomorrow morning?"
"Okay." Soya agreed directly, and then asked, "Go to the mountain in the shrine?"
Kyoko nodded.
He thought for a while, "Why not stay in the office tonight."