Tokyo, in the mountains on the outskirts of Tokyo,
Heavy snow like goose feathers hits the roof of the shrine, and the snowflakes on the eaves are fluttering like fallen leaves in the strong wind. The century-old cherry trees in the garden are covered with sad snow, and you can faintly see the withered yellow that has not yet fallen.
Rows of men wearing black leather trench coats, with short knives in white sheaths at their waists,
Passing under the burnt torii gate, they walked in uniform steps, walked along the snow-dusted stone steps, stopped under the vermilion stone wall in front of the main shrine, bowed deeply three times, and then dispersed into two groups.
The next people who stepped into the shrine were seven people holding paper umbrellas. They were all wearing formal kimonos. The men wore black patterned haori.
The women wore black sleeves, white socks and wooden clogs. They looked forward, each foot landing steadily in the snow, leaving a moderately deep wooden clog mark, and their steps were extremely steady.
As they passed through the charred torii gate, the men who had led the way bowed deeply and said nothing. The scene was as solemn as a funeral.
The seven people holding paper umbrellas also bowed deeply in front of the vermilion stone wall. Snowflakes fell on their shoulders, and the cold wind blew their long hair.
After these seven people entered the temple,
A large number of men in black trench coats poured into the shrine behind them. These men were shoulder to shoulder. Although crowded, they were in order. No one rushed to get in or delayed. Everyone bowed deeply in front of the stone wall, and then put their hands in their hands.
The umbrellas were placed in front of the main hall, and finally they were densely packed like crows gathering on a dry road.
At this moment, the sight was zoomed in. In front and behind the shrine, nearly a hundred dark cars were densely packed on the surrounding roads, and more densely packed figures stood in the shadows with loaded guns or carrying long knives. No one dared to approach this vermilion building.
, even half a step.
In the mountains before dawn, at dawn when heavy snow was about to close the mountains, they seemed to be seriously preparing for a war.
This is a very classical shrine, but after careful renovation, there is no sense of dilapidation. It seems that under the snowy landscape, the meaning of new life is particularly strong. It seems that inadvertently, these people in black,
Wandered into the Heian Era by mistake.
The only thing that stands out is the burnt torii gate. The dilapidated traces seem to tell a history that is unbearable to look back on but cannot be forgotten.
There is also a vermilion stone wall on the side that still maintains its original appearance. The Sheqi family didn’t even hire anyone to clean it. Large areas of dried blood stains on the stone wall seeped into the cracks in the stone.
In the main hall behind the torii gate, the floor of the main hall is covered with tatami mats, but there is no shrine or Buddha statue.
The inner wall is surrounded by Ukiyo-e paintings, which are carefully painted with vivid brushstrokes. The painting shows a war between demons and ghosts, with thin clouds and flying flames. The eyes of the ghosts reflect the candlelight, and they are carefully painted with phosphorus pigments.
Hundreds of men and women in black knelt and sat in their respective positions. They all knew their status in this huge organization. No one knelt in the wrong position. No one spoke.
Deeper in the main hall is a relatively simple Japanese style room.
The Japanese-style room is very homely, and seems to be the room where a certain priest once lived. At the end of the room is a large piece of silk that can cover the entire wall. On the silk satin is the sixteen-petal chrysanthemum family emblem of the Tachibana family of the eight families of Sheqi. This is a contemporary Sheqi
The symbol of the eight heads of family.
There are eight small tables in front of the curtain, and different long knives are enshrined on the tables.
Eight different family patterns are depicted in gold on the handle of the knife.
They are the sixteen-petal chrysanthemum of the Tachibana family, the gentian of the Minamoto family, the bamboo and sparrow of the Uesugi family, the red ghost of the Inuyama family, the spider of the Fuma family, the horse head of the Ryoma family, the phoenix of the Sakurai family and the yaksha of the Miyamoto family.
.
Different from the juniors in the main hall outside, the Japanese room here is a room specially attended by the heads of the eight surnamed families. In this meeting, all eight heads of the family will attend!
At this moment, all the family heads, like the subordinates in the main hall outside, are all silent. This is the family's shrine, and the souls of ancestors are wandering in the shrine. Any shouting is disrespectful to the ancestors.
Time passed little by little, but the head of the house seat in the room was always empty. This was a very unusual thing. Masamune Nagatachibana, who was always very punctual, was actually late for so long now.
Of course, not only Tachibana Masamune's position is vacant, but also the position of Eri Uesugi of the Uesugi family.
The heads of the family were looking at each other at this moment. They didn't speak, but they could see the look in each other's eyes, which was a look of surprise.
Because the head of the Uesugi family is not likely to be late or absent, especially in meetings of such important family events. The other party will be the first to appear at the meeting every time, but now...
For a time, many family heads cast their eyes on Yuan Zhisheng, who was sitting in the position of the head of the Yuan family in the room.
Yuan Zhisheng was dressed in a black kimono, sitting on the spot with his eyes closed and concentrating. He had been in this position since he entered the room, with his eyes closed.
But when more and more eyes were focused on Yuan Zhisheng, Yuan Zhisheng, who was sitting in his seat with his eyes closed, suddenly stood up.
A pair of deep pupils lit up on her feminine face, and there seemed to be dark clouds gathering in her pupils. There was thunder brewing.
"I'm going to find the parents."
However, Yuan Zhisheng's voice didn't have any emotion at all, and only had a hint of gloominess that matched his temperament.
He is indeed a little gloomy now. From the time he returned to the family last night to now, he has been resting in his room, slowly adjusting his physical condition and adjusting his emotions at the same time.
But the emptiness of Eriyi's room and Fu Nian's last back appeared in his mind all the time. They were like evil spirits on the edge of the abyss, grabbing his trousers and desperately trying to drag him into the cage of the abyss.
But since he has promised his father, he should believe him.
Finally, when he thought he could control it and dressed up to attend this grand family meeting, he still couldn't restrain his irritability when they mentioned Eri.
Why did Genji Heavy Industries, which is as big as an iron barrel, just let the other party take Eri away from it!!
Although they didn't mention it in person, the looks they cast on the head of the Uesugi family reminded him all the time that Eriki had been away from home for almost five hours.
Yuan Zhisheng walked toward the corridor outside the Japanese room.
Naturally, he didn't go to the master, Masamune Nagatachibana, and he didn't need to go to the master, Masamune Nagatachibana. There must be a reason why the elder didn't come. Dad is a careful man and will not lose his temper at such a critical moment.
Of chain.
If he doesn't show up at the meeting now, there must be a reason why he can't be there. He believes in his father, just like a child believes in his father.
Yuan Zhisheng stood on the corridor balcony next to the side hall, smoking a cigarette, his kimono rustling in the cold wind. He looked at the slowly falling snowflakes in the distance. They were as comfortable as butterflies when they were flying, and when they were quiet
But as clean and lazy as white paper.
Make him envious and jealous.
The smoke is unstable in the burning, and the ashes are leisurely enjoying themselves in the cold wind...
.
Tachibana Masamune is really being held back by things now.
He was sitting in a mountain hut deep in the hall. Dark shadows shrouded his upper body. The shadows cast by the firelight on the wall fluctuated like tides. He was hiding in the shadows wearing a black feather fabric.
There was a brazier still burning in the center of the room, but it had been a long time, and there were only reddish charcoal left in the brazier.
At this moment, Tachibana Masamune stretched his hands over the brazier, and the distorted temperature tried to warm the old palms and the thin piece of paper above.
On the edge of his index finger, there was a document. The back of the document was flushed with firelight, and the front was bearing the old man's silent anger.
There are only two simple words on the paper,
died.
But these two words linger like endless darkness and fear in the abyss.
Died again.
From last night to now, he has died again!!
The old man stared at the chess game in front of him. It was a black and white Go game.
But the chessboard at this moment is so intricate and complicated that the situation is so hazy that one cannot see the direction and purpose of the player.
The old man stared silently at the mess in front of him, and slowly threw the paper in his hand into the brazier in front of him. The burning paper scraps and the scorching waves of fire swallowed up the cold air that had penetrated.
The burning black shadow of paper scraps and ashes is gradually enlarged on the chessboard. It is like a dragon overlooking the mountains. The dark abyss opens its huge mouth, making the already hazy chess game even more confusing.
finally.
boom!
The old man suddenly waved his sleeves, the air rose and fell in gusts of wind, and the black chess that was originally intertwined with the white chess and was entangled in disputes rose out of thin air.
Wow.
Countless black chess pieces fell on the ground, and in the back of the old man standing up, they rolled down in all directions like abandoned pieces.