Chapter 49: The Secret Can No Longer Be Hidden

"Xia Mei..."

Omura Kenji was stunned, wanting to cry but having no tears.

What's going on? Just now everything was fine, why does Xia Mei think I lied to her again? Did I do something?

He was utterly confused, not understanding why his granddaughter Xia Mei suddenly screamed, yet he still tried his best to explain, not wanting Xia Mei to fall into a demonic obsession.

"Grandpa! You really did lie to me. Saying monsters don't exist, that priests and shrine maidens are all charlatans, these were all lies to me! You just think exorcising monsters is too dangerous and don't want me involved."

Omura Xia Mei cut off Omura Kenji's words, her clear beautiful eyes shimmering with crystal brightness, radiating the light of little stars.

Her Bai Xi flawless face had a flush of excitement.

Ah??

Omura Kenji was completely stunned, completely unable to understand how his granddaughter Xia Mei, having just come out of the deep Shenshan forest, had suddenly suffered a demonic obsession.

Could it be playing with the phone, feeling the phone was boring, unable to hold back the impulse to study shrine texts and research demons and monsters, so she vented and exploded?

Just as Omura Kenji was thinking quickly, and thinking about how to explain.

Omura Xia Mei stepped forward quickly, her face excited, pointing at the phone screen.

"Grandpa, look at what this is, this is the evidence, monsters are causing major trouble, you can't hide it anymore even if you want to."

"Hah??" Omura Kenji wore an expression of a black man with a question mark, staring fixedly at the phone.

The next moment.

"Impossible!!"

Omura Kenji's old eyes were filled with surprise, his expression shaken.

The phone screen showed a video and news; the video was playing scenes from Yunhu Lake, and the news content was about monsters appearing...

In a flash, Omura Kenji snatched the phone and quickly scrolled through the phone news.

Time passed.

His old face went from shock to surprise, then to horror, and finally to terror.

At the same time, he kept muttering in shock.

"Impossible, how is this possible, what on earth is going on, oh my god! This is impossible!!"

His changing words and actions, Omura Xia Mei didn't pay attention to; at this moment she was only focused on excitement, like a yellow oriole, chirping happily non-stop, her voice pleasant and melodious.

"Hehe~, Grandpa, look, how will you lie to me now? Monsters have become known to everyone, you can't lie to me anymore.

I just said it, monsters, the great my lord, these must all be real, you just thought monsters were too strong and were afraid I'd get hurt.

Oh my, truly deserving of death, I actually almost believed the nonsense Grandpa you said about monsters and shrines being fake, but the great my lord probably won't mind, after all Grandpa did it because he cares for me, but my cultivation is indeed not enough, I actually got swayed, my will is not firm enough.

Speaking of which, I was just wondering why I couldn't find monsters in the mountains, turns out the monsters all went to the Supernatural world."

Just then.

"Xia Mei, listen to me, these definitely aren't real, let me tell you..."

Seeing Omura Xia Mei further advancing her changes regarding the Divine Way, Omura Kenji was terrified and hurriedly explained.

Ding-ling-ling.

The phone ringtone sounded, cutting off his opening.

Omura Kenji wanted to curse, it was very annoying that someone called him at this time, but he looked at the caller information.

It was the governor of Aichi Prefecture calling.

This was a high-ranking Japanese official, also his good friend, he had to answer.

"Is this Sho-ma? I..."

I am handling important matters right now, I'll call you back when I'm done, just as the first word of this sentence was spoken, Governor Ito on the other end of the line spoke first.

"Finally got through to your phone, Kenji, where are you, guy? Why is there no signal on your phone, are you in the Supernatural world?

I'm looking for you today, not because of official business, but as an old friend to ask you, let's not beat around the bush, let's lay our cards on the table and speak directly, Kenji, I want to ask you, you should know about the Arakawa District incident, right?

I'm asking you, do you know something?"

"????"

Omura Kenji's eyes widened, what the hell is this, what is Sho-ma talking about?

Before he could open his mouth, Governor Ito's words didn't stop, continuing to speak.

"Kenji, I'm not a fool, since monsters are real, then shrines, temples and such definitely can't be hidden anymore, there must be supernatural powers existing too, right?

Tell me honestly, do you cultivate attained Dao magical power? Do other shrines and temples also, like you, hide supernatural monks and priests capable of destroying monsters?

And... although I think it's possible, based on my understanding of your character, you probably haven't participated, but regarding this opening of the monster channel, did other shrines do it? Can you reveal a bit of information?"

"..." Omura Kenji froze, standing dumbfounded in place.

After Governor Ito's barrage of words, even in his confusion he understood what was being said, involuntarily, he shouted in his heart "Damn it!"

He understood, Governor Ito was talking about the phone news Xia Mei had just shown him; originally he didn't believe it, wanting to explain to Xia Mei that it was fake, maybe fabricated something.

But.

Now Governor Ito called about this matter too, he had to believe it, the news wasn't faked, after all Governor Ito was a high-ranking Japanese official, impossible for him to joke about such things with him.

Silence.

Omura Kenji was speechless, not knowing what to say, his mind dazed, his head swelling.

What happened to this world?

I just stayed in the deep Shenshan forest for five days, isolated from the world for five days only, how did the world change? Could it be like in the comics, I traveled to another world, and moreover traveled with my granddaughter, is this place now another world?

"Moshi-moshi? Kenji, are you listening? Why aren't you speaking? You should be there, right? If you have time in a few days, come to Tokyo, Tokyo is preparing to hold a gathering of shrine priests and temple abbots, the Prime Minister will also be there, he has something to ask you, you understand."

Governor Ito's words came from the phone, Omura Kenji turned a deaf ear, as if he hadn't heard, he was looking at Xia Mei, his old face looking like he was crying.

Now is not the time to return the call.

Because he thought of a very fatal key question, he didn't know if shrines and temples truly had supernatural powers, but he knew he and his granddaughter were not supernatural, yet Xia Mei didn't know that.

Given her obsession with divine demons, she will surely go to exorcise them.

Recalling the terrifying destructive power of the demons in the video, if Tsuchinokami Xia Mei went to exorcise them, she would be instantly obliterated, reduced to ashes and bones.

Tsuchinokami Kenji was about to cry, frantic as ants on a hot pan, frantically thinking how to explain to his granddaughter.

Just as he was thinking.

"Grandpa, I'm transferring schools! I'm going to attend high school in Arakawa Ward!"

Tsuchinokami Xia Mei declared sharply, her beautiful eyes sparkling with tiny stars, her gaze resolute.

"…"

Tsuchinokami Kenji's mouth twitched, barely holding back tears.

……

Japan, Arakawa Ward High School.

As soon as class ended, the students gathered again to talk; Kamikawa Mitsu did not join them, sitting quietly at his window seat, propping his chin on one hand, gazing out the window.

His deep eyes, black as the starry sky.

No one noticed, and no one could possibly have noticed, that the direction Kamikawa Mitsu was gazing out the window was precisely Shinjuku Ward, the direction of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Headquarters.

"They should have finished their meeting by now."

Nine times out of ten, the government has already convened a nationwide high-level meeting to conduct secret discussions not open to the public; it's just unknown how they'd react if they learned the meeting's content had been made into a video and uploaded online—probably quite amusing.

……