Chapter 685: The Ban on Gensokyoization Plan

Meng Qi: “After a god dies, the authority that serves as the world’s rules and foundation does not perish.

These authorities drift across the world’s corners, and in different eras, by chance or fate, choose suitable hosts to merge with or harbor the lingering consciousness of the deceased god.

If Taigong Wang’s words are true, then some youkai and humans in Gensokyo likely possess such authorities.”

Su Lin: “No wonder, Great Yuanshi Tianzun.”

Xiao Yan: “No wonder, the Daode Tianzun who has connections everywhere.”

Ye Fan: “No wonder, the Lingbao Tianzun with intelligence networks everywhere.”

Shi Hao: “Meng Daofriend, your depth is immense—your disciples and followers are scattered across all realms. Truly astonishing.”

Su Lin: “@Shi Hao, why did you change your ID?”

Shi Hao: “The wager time’s up. Come fight me later.”

Su Lin: “Why should I risk ruining my 100% win rate against the Huang Tiandi just to fight you again?”

Meng Qi: “.”

If these people were sincerely praising him, he still received zero positive emotional feedback from their public admiration.

Are they trying to flatter him to death?

Song Shu: “Meng Qi elder, we’ve already learned some things.”

Meng Qi: “When?”

Seeing this message, Song Shu looked up and scanned the surroundings; everyone in the group was still on encrypted voice call, providing an optimal learning environment for Huiyin’s history lecture.

Song Shu: “Right now.”

Kaguya, playing a game console, replied between turns: “Besides, I’m a local, and Eirin is among the oldest living beings here.”

“You never mentioned this before?” Meng Qi asked.

Mount Hōrai Kaguya: “It wasn’t important.”

Coming from Kaguya, a Hōrai resident who rarely cared about anything and focused only on her own interests, this remark felt perfectly normal.

Meng Qi: “Kaguya, ask me this: Are the Three Pure Ones in this world among the already-dead gods?”

“Long before the Pollution appeared, some gods vanished from this world. Some speculate these gods created the Pollution—among them were the Three Pure Ones. Wait, no—you are the Three Pure Ones. Welcome home, treacherous outsider,” Kaguya replied.

“.” Meng Qi: “@Su Lin, hurry up, move fast.”

Su Lin: “?”

Kleine: “Translate: Tianzun wants you to reveal your identity as the Dragon King’s Return.”

Su Lin: “Laughable. You think I have local residency everywhere like you?”

Huiyin’s explanation of “Pollution” and Meng Qi’s mention of “authority” together explain why the humans and youkai of Gensokyo possess extraordinary conceptual abilities in certain areas.

It’s like after the Honghuang era ended, a group of beings directly inherited the authorities of dead primordial gods.

Most acquired only one or two, so their overall strength wasn’t remarkable—they weren’t hexagonal warriors—but some reached peak mastery in one field, like that crow youkai who’s excellent at running away.

“You’ve all seen Gensokyo’s setting in other worlds before, right?” Kaguya asked.

“The Moonfolk fled to the moon to escape the Pollution on the surface, because their near-immortal lives were given the concept of ‘lifespan.’ In the Moon Capital, far from the Pollution, they can’t achieve true immortality, but they live extremely long lives.”

“In short, ‘lifespan’ is the Pollution. Humans on the surface have short lives, so living among them subjects you to their Pollution.”

“Because I consumed the Elixir of Hōrai, I now produce the same Pollution as surface humans. Though the amount is small, it was enough to get me exiled.”

She recounted her past scheme, proud of her own cleverness.

For Kaguya, who was born with the Eternal Magic that halts all history, rejects all Pollution and change, the surface world—so dreaded by the Moonfolk—was far more fascinating.

“As for immortals, their situation is much better,” Huiyin said, gesturing toward Tsukiyomi Haseshō.

“Immortals can create their own immortal realms and are inherently close to humans, giving them the best resistance to Pollution.”

“My case is special,” Tsukiyomi Haseshō said, glancing at the still-sleeping Suika as she was suddenly mentioned.

“I became an immortal through demon cultivation.”

Tsukahana didn’t elaborate, but others knew: the original Tsukiyomi child cultivated to become an immortal to draw closer to humans.

This talent alone could carry a whole female lead novel.

Iwamori looked curiously at the bandaged right arm: “Want to join my sect as a student?”

Tsukiyomi Haseshō blinked: “Huh?”

She didn’t understand why he suddenly brought up taking disciples, but from earlier impressions, this man was an immortal—especially powerful.

“I am the Emperor Immortal. More precisely, above the Emperor Immortal.”

“What’s that?”

“One’s inner self contains multiverses, omnipresent across past and present, capable of destroying or creating countless great worlds with a single thought.”

As Iwamori spoke, he noticed she remained bewildered. He raised a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat lightly.

“Sorry. I’m used to spotting wild talent. I came to Gensokyo mainly to accompany Su Daofriend for recovery. If you’re interested, feel free to contact Kaguya anytime.”

Just understand the general situation.

To some beings, “lifespan” as Pollution seems a necessary product of the world’s evolution.

You can’t just punch it with Flame Fist, can you?

For youkai and gods who can’t survive outside, Gensokyo is a sanctuary for long-lived beings; for the hardy, it’s a retreat for retirement.

“Isn’t it just a place to collect my share of the money?” Su Lin asked.

Half an hour later, everyone finished today’s terakoya class together.

There wasn’t much actual information about Pollution—mainly, after Huiyin got into her rhythm, she added a history of “Gensokyo’s Last Five Hundred Years,” claiming it was to “help everyone better integrate into Gensokyo.”

It felt just like returning to the best-sleeping high school classroom.

“You’re looking for the Gap Thief? You’ll need to find Orange first—it’s troublesome,” Reimu scratched her head. “I have no idea what that weirdo Zetsu is thinking. Maybe she’s hibernating today.”

“She’s definitely not hibernating today,” Su Lin said, stepping past Reimu to look at the offering box at her shrine’s entrance.

Sensing Su Lin’s gaze, Reimu’s eyes widened. In an instant, she teleported beside the offering box and lifted it, shaking it.

Empty.

Her pale arm showed faint muscle tension—she was barely holding back, afraid her strength would shatter the wooden offering box.

“Wait here.”

The black-faced Reimu picked up the bloodstained Yin-Yang Jade. “I’ll go find it.”

Under Taigong Wang’s guidance, Meng Qi led the ox out from a hidden corner of the Heavenly Realm, arriving in the realm of Feixiangtian, thick with heavenly beings.

“I have one question,” Meng Qi glanced at the old man behind him, clearly uneasy, and asked:

“Taigong, do you know why the Fengshen List and the Dashen Whip ended up in the Xianglin Hall within Gensokyo?”

Even with his perception sealed, Meng Qi noticed Taigong Wang’s expression darkened considerably.

Meng Qi remained silent, waiting for an answer.

“When I first arrived here...” Taigong Wang paused, then lowered his hat.

“I was broke, with no local currency, so I temporarily pawned them to get some emergency funds.”

Between the peach trees, the green ox and Meng Qi suddenly stopped. Especially the ox—its mouth hung wide open, eyes screaming: “Are you insane?”

“The owner of Xianglin Hall never sells such artifacts to others! I left them there only as a custodian!”

Taigong Wang waved his hands frantically. “It’s just that over time, after being affected by Pollution, my memory’s gone bad! I’ve long since saved enough to redeem them—by selling fish and transporting pine!”

You use Pollution like this?

Meng Qi froze. Had he not listened to Bai Ze Huiyin’s explanation about immortals in the group chat, he might have believed it!

I thought there was some hidden secret! Turns out you pawned them for cash?!

Even the smug Taigong Wang from the Type-Moon immortal realm was more careful than you—did you pawn these two items and your integrity together?!

Taigong Wang realized his excuse was weak and chuckled nervously: “Forgive me, Tianzun. I thought these items were useless now—after all, the Fengshen process ended.”

“The Fengshen process ended?” Meng Qi snapped back to awareness—he sensed something.

If the mythic age had ended and the gods had perished, there should still be other immortals and deities in the Heavenly Realm.

Along this journey, most beings encountered were permanent residents of this realm. Architecture followed ancient Eastern aesthetics, but resembled residential areas—singing, dancing, fishing, music, chess games were their constant activities.

“That’s correct,” Taigong Wang nodded.

“Originally, the Heavenly Emperor planned to use the Fengshen List to collect unclaimed authorities drifting beyond the world, then bestow them upon spirits, youkai, and humans with superior virtue and soul compatibility, granting them divine offices.”

“But things changed too fast—it became useless.”

“I’ve carried them with me ever since as a keepsake...”

Meng Qi nodded slightly, but didn’t bother listening to Taigong Wang’s further explanations.

The Fengshen List. The Dashen Whip. Both were famed across other worlds.

He felt a strange illusion—as if he saw a scene from countless eons past: a grand plan, poised to unfold with heaven and earth as its board, had quietly ended before it even began.

“Truly, the world is ever-changing.”

“Truly, the world is ever-changing.”

Su Lin expected to see Reimu tearing apart the Gap Thief—only this?

After negotiating something with Zetsu, Reimu returned with a face that changed faster than flipping a page, pointing to a forcibly torn rift in space:

“You’re too many people. If you need to use the space, send one representative,” Reimu said.

“Kaguya’s out—Zetsu says she doesn’t want to see you. Did you upset her?”

“I already apologized,” Kaguya shrugged. “She’s probably scheming again. It was the same during the Moon War—I’m used to it.”

“Then you go,” Reimu told Su Lin.

Su Lin retrieved the betting chips he’d placed on Reimu’s win from Kleine, and nodded:

“It’s only right—I’m the elder. I should handle negotiations like this.”

As the sole Father-class rank in the Holy Grail War, Tianrang Jiehuo, Su Lin’s former contractee and mentor, believed it his duty to negotiate on behalf of the two younger members in the group.

Perhaps this is paternal love.

Lu Mingfei wore the expression of someone who’d swallowed a fly but couldn’t complain; Wei Gong Shilang had no rebuttal either, since that guy was indeed their universe’s broad-spectrum “Father.”

“You can call me Uncle Zhou.” Kleine snapped his fingers, dismissing the stone table’s projection.

“This is the youth-restoring potion I asked Eirin to make.” Kaguya shoved a vial into Su Lin’s hand and waved her hand: “Give it to that old hag and turn her into your favorite manga.”

Inside was actually a spare “Five-Second Recovery Pill,” named so because it only restored Su Lin for less than five seconds.

As Su Lin passed by, the squirrel that had been perched on Song Shu’s shoulder suddenly leapt onto Su Lin’s shoulder and curled up.

“It’s fine—our future Chief Scientist of the Hilbert Empire, Ms. Sandy, wants to take a look back.” Su Lin poked the squirrel twice on the head:

“After eating so many good things, its spirit should be awakened already.”

“Repeat after me: Victory forever!”

The squirrel immediately stood at attention, raising its paw at a forty-five-degree angle.

“Good. Very spirited.”

“Senior Su Lin, don’t corrupt Sandy!”

Song Shu looked utterly despairing.

Unfortunately, Su Lin hadn’t heard a word—he’d already vanished the moment he stepped into the gap.

The House of Lost Souls exists on Youkai Mountain, which, strictly speaking, is not the Yagumo Residence but merely Cheng’s dwelling.

It cannot be found by ordinary means; located on the boundary between Gensokyo and the outside world, it houses an extremely ancient house.

Inside were many artifacts from the outside world: mysterious machines, unreadable books and magazines, and an old television.

“Guest, please come in,” said Yagumo Aoi, her expression indescribable.

At that moment, Su Lin behind her was staring fixedly at the nine fluffy fox tails, completely unaware that Yagumo Aoi had already led him to a door.

“Can I touch it?”

“No, guest.”

“I am actually Di Xin.”

“Lady Daji is a white fox, guest.”

“Then can you please revert to your original form?”

“Please show proper respect, guest.”

Helpless, Su Lin tore his gaze away from the fluffy tail.

“Can you give me some shed tail hairs later?”

“What do you intend to do with them?”

“To make a fox-tail pen.”

With no choice, Yagumo Aoi nodded, opened the frosted-glass wooden door, hoping he’d hurry inside.

As soon as he stepped in, a familiar sweet scent washed over him.

A pink-haired ghost girl was wolfing down a constantly expanding nebula cake, along with several steaks and sea-king barbecue.

No wonder the ingredients ran out—poor Wei Gong Shilang.

He hadn’t collapsed from exhaustion, had he?

“No.”

A languid, alluring voice spoke.

Su Lin tilted his head, glancing toward the spot behind the pile of plates—the source of the voice.

“No way.”

A golden-haired woman held a manga with a blurred cover, depicting a golden-haired girl entwined in embrace with Su Lin; she lowered her voice, revealing her hidden violet eyes:

“No to lewd things—and no to the Gensokyo Amusement Park Plan.”