Chapter 689: Red Mist Anomaly 2.0 (Sorry...)

Byakuren Lingmeng Lingmeng had to admit that seeing that erotic manga had indeed made her wary of Su Lin, but that wariness was quickly melted by Su Lin's golden, heavy "sincerity."

Not to mention Kaguya, who now stood beside her, smiling with her sleeve half-covering her face, gazing naturally at the two who had just parted from their embrace.

"I knew the Crow Tengu's newspaper wasn't trustworthy," Byakuren Lingmeng Lingmeng sighed in relief.

The reliability of that thing is on par with Zi's age.

"The venue is confirmed; we should head back to Eternity Pavilion to prepare, then come back to the shrine in a couple days to set up the rest—we might use spells to modify some things."

Su Lin came over and greeted Bōrei Byakuren Lingmeng Lingmeng.

There won't be too many people, but not too few either—at least all the group members will bring their families, plus those we've grown close to over time.

We'll need to expand the space a bit.

"That's fine—I just want you to restore it to how it was after you're done," Byakuren Lingmeng Lingmeng waved her hand.

"Alright," Su Lin nodded, then turned to Kaguya: "Your 'mom' has been staring at me since earlier—any idea why?"

He meant Yuyin Yonglin, who stood beside Zhao Shuangdian, the Wisdom Heavenly Dao, apparently engaged in conversation.

——briefly called the Meeting of the Two Great Wise Gods.

"If possible, I think it's necessary to maintain good doctor-patient relations," Su Lin said, pretending not to notice.

"Probably just a common trope from light novels."

Kaguya shifted her gaze; Yuyin Yonglin immediately withdrew her own: "If Yonglin's acting this way, I'm starting to doubt myself."

Then she tilted her head toward Su Lin, her front-cut princess hairstyle slanting with the motion: "But I still don't understand."

"Don't understand what?" Su Lin asked, puzzled.

"Why did it turn out like this? Though I wasn't the first one here, I've given you special attention during our two-person time, and added so many benefits over a long period—"

Kaguya frowned, lightly biting her fingernail as she pondered:

"Later, at the same time and place, I did everything Irena did with you, didn't I?"

"Like playing roleplay together, sleeping in the same bed, spending time creating new life…"

"Yet why did you get hooked by her?"

【Mr. Point +1 +3 +100 +567】

Su Lin also really wanted to ask why it turned out like this.

His first visit to the otaku holy land of Gensokyo, and he'd gained Mr. Points without lifting a finger—two joys overlapping, bringing even greater joy.

So why couldn't he feel happy at all?

"Aren't there turkey posters in your room all the time?"

Kaguya spread her hands, helplessly shaking her head: "If I'd known, I should've used turkey as bait to lure you over earlier."

Fujiwara Mei Hong: "?"

【Mr. Point +7 +9 +101】

After triple-checking that no paparazzi were around, Su Lin forced a stiff smile and maintained his composure: "Could you please not phrase things in ways that invite misunderstanding?"

"Aren't they all facts?" Kaguya turned her head to the left: "Ask Xingbao."

"I haven't forgotten you three going to the Numerical Tree without me," Xing replied, expressionless.

【Mr. Point +8000】

What the hell?!

It absolutely couldn't be the group members.

Forget that the group members were already used to these two's nonsense—the number and logic of Mr. Points don't add up!

Sensing something was off, Su Lin scanned the surroundings, but saw nothing except the eavesdropping Yagumo Zui and the blank-eyed Bōrei Byakuren Lingmeng Lingmeng and others.

Where did so many people come from in Gensokyo?

Whose fate could be changed by hearing this?

This doesn't make sense.

"Can't hear clearly—let the King lean in closer? Commoner, are you commanding the King?!"

"Grind a fertile Star God's blessing planet? Commoner is still a commoner—I'll grant you resources for ten planets, take the tip and scram!"

"Why am I here? The wedding of Weigong Shilang and Dada Liya is about to begin—I'm attending, understand?"

"Live-streaming is for you to behold the King's grandeur stepping into a new world—is the secret lore between the Supreme Ones more important than me? Commoner, what kind of joke is that, hahahaha hahahaha!"

A demonic, joyful laugh rang out.

Su Lin didn't need to turn around—he knew who was laughing. He walked behind Gilgamesh, watching the man's hands holding the Universal Communication Token and its built-in 【Resurrected Simulated Universe Gala】 group chat.

【Currently Online: Yanfeng Qili, Heroic King, Aha, Merlin, Sunset-Stained Ancient Carvings, Time-Space God, Amon, Zhao Lei, Qin Shi Huang, Loki.】

【Merlin: "Heroic King, you're no longer young—please mind your surroundings. Even the Knight King controls his appetite at such banquets."】

【Sunset-Stained Ancient Carvings: "Are you sure there's anything edible at a British banquet?"】

【Yanfeng Qili: "To be honest, he won't listen to your advice."】

"Very perceptive, Qili. Correct, Merlin—I won't take your advice!"

【Amon retracted a message】

【Zhao Lei retracted a message】

【Aha: "Don't worry, Lord Bishop, Aha proves you did absolutely nothing at the time! Aha's mouth is sealed—this will never be spread!"】

【Zhao Lei: "Indeed."】

"Lord Bishop?"

Gilgamesh instinctively turned his head.

"Your account's gone."

The sun dipped lower, painting the sky with crimson twilight.

Su Lin stepped on the remains of a Wanjie Tongshi Fu, pointing at Gilgamesh, who had been defeated by repeated bombardments from card runes, and said to Dada Liya:

"Send this guy back to the Heroic Spirit Hall."

"Why?!"

The Heroic King, pinned down by Berserker's Shi Fu sword, summoned by Dada Liya, protested.

"Leaking and spreading the Empire's top secret—'Emiya Shirou's wedding date'—if you have complaints, I'll reboot your entire universe."

"Oh no—!!!"

Saying the same words as when he arrived, Gilgamesh was teleported away.

"Once you recover, monitor that group chat closely—I get the feeling these guys will accidentally cause a major scandal." Su Lin said to Meng Qi.

Meng Qi wiped sweat silently.

He remembered he'd once found an excuse to blow up and ban that group—how had these people started a new one?

"Shan Di, whatever you do, don't evolve into that guy just now." As Su Lin passed by Song Shuhang, he tapped the Hearing Song Shu's head.

"Senior Su Lin, Shan Di just gained sentience—she has nothing to do with Gilgamesh."

"Golden Pikachu was a Pokémon modeled after a squirrel—Song Shuhang, you should be careful too."

"."

More useless knowledge acquired.

"Stop standing around—everyone, pack up."

The group stayed at the Hōrai Shrine for only half a day, yet during this brief respite, many things in Gensokyo had changed.

For instance, the winter's white began vanishing from the mountain's base, replaced once again by a fresh layer of white.

It was the white of spring—the color of cherry blossoms.

Also, hidden risks in Gensokyo had decreased, along with Mingfei's and Weigong Shilang's life milestones, and

"Su Lin, hurry up!" Mingfei called from the staircase: "The shrine doesn't allow overnight guests—I asked yesterday."

"Why are you staying so far away from me?"

Su Lin ignored Mingfei and the others, instead watching Hōrai Reimu, who had suddenly changed her attitude—she kept a considerable distance from him.

"Nothing. Please take your leave."

The shrine maiden maintained her businesslike smile, yet her exorcism rod assumed a defensive posture.

Su Lin: "You may have misunderstood me."

"." Reimu narrowed her eyes, peering through the slits toward the location where Kaguya resided:

"Next time we meet—

Apologize to Shamingwan Wen."

Su Lin considered himself indifferent to reputation, but he felt it necessary to clarify, to avoid negative consequences in future encounters.

There was naturally a way.

He greatly admired Hanzo's line from Overwatch: "Simple psychology."

Thump.

A stack of bills landed in Su Lin's hand.

"Tomorrow's offering money."

"Just put it in the donation box—the gods will bless you."

Thump.

Another stack.

Su Lin said nothing, continuing to pull out money until he reached one hundred thousand yuan, at which point Hōrai Reimu slowly opened her eyes.

"Reimu~~~" Against the setting sun, a black-and-white figure riding a broom flew over.

Void Hole!

A secret technique of the Hōrai shrine maiden—space folding enabling zero-time teleportation.

The hundred thousand yuan vanished from Su Lin's hand; simultaneously, Reimu knelt on the corridor and slowly slid open the paper door, revealing Marisa, bound tightly with hemp rope, inside the shrine room.

She looked bewildered, while Reimu bowed slightly to Su Lin with respect: "The black-and-white witch—please enjoy at your leisure."

Su Lin's prized psychology had failed for the second time today—he had underestimated the complexity and diversity of human beings.

"You should be grateful Huang Tao isn't here."

He turned calmly and walked toward the group with subtle expressions.

"Wait!" Reimu called out: "Offering money is non-refundable!"

"Consider it payment for your integrity."

"Not your chastity?"

Reimu watched Su Lin's back vanish behind the stone stair steps, then stood up: "How much is integrity worth?"

The shrine, which had been wildly noisy at noon, now lay utterly silent—as if after a grand banquet—something Reimu had long grown accustomed to.

She rose and untied Marisa, who brushed off her hat and placed it on her head.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing—just worried your mushrooms might turn into love potions, so I took precautionary measures."

Reimu said calmly.

"I brought edible mushrooms, okay?!"

Marisa immediately protested at the slander.

"Enough, it's fine—have the leftover banquet food for dinner, don't dwell on these details." Reimu hummed a tune as she placed fruit on the offerings.

Since these offerings began, the shrine's business had grown steadily better.

"Amen, amen!" She clapped her hands together in prayer: "By the way, where did you run off to during the day?"

The only regular visitor to the Winter Shrine was Magilou.

Today, both Tsukasa and Suika came, though in the end they were both carried home—but such a lively banquet without Magilou's involvement was still uncommon.

"You held a banquet? I thought I saw cherry blossoms blooming early and assumed another anomaly had occurred." Magilou was surprised: "I went to Patchouli's to borrow a magic book."

"So you stole another magic book again," Reimu said, unfazed.

"Can a witch's actions be called stealing? When my time comes to an end, I'll return them to Patchouli and the others."

"But Remilia wasn't feeling well, so I stayed behind to help Sanae search the Human Village for medicine."

"Huh? That vampire?!" Reimu sounded as if she'd heard something unbelievable.

Magilou nodded: "Yeah, I was shocked too."

Gensokyo isn't peaceful every day, and not every problem can be solved quickly—so anything can happen, and that's not strange.

But even so, this is still a bit...

"Can vampires get sick?"

"She's fine during the day, but at night she falls into deep sleep. It's been two days already."

"?"

Magilou spoke slowly, recounting how she'd encountered Remilia appearing in Patchouli's library during daylight hours—something utterly bizarre.

"Also, she's started finding the taste of blood repulsive and has developed anorexia."

"That's just like a human."

"But she's a vampire."

Indeed.

It seems Remilia is truly ill.

Vampires grow weak if they stop drinking blood—even special ones like Remilia need to consume small amounts regularly.

For a short time, it might not matter, but prolonged deprivation becomes a serious problem.

"Flandre hasn't eaten anything these past two days either," Magilou said with a Solemn expression.

"That's terrible."

Reimu stared for a long moment, then asked: "Then why are you going to the Human Village for medicine?"

"It's because..."

Magilou's expression grew strange as she began describing how the Red Magic House had secretly been purchasing blood supplies in the Human Village.

Sanae, desperate after Remilia's sudden loss of appetite, and Patchouli, unable to find the cause, tried giving Remilia the one type of blood she'd favored these past two days—and discovered she actually ate it.

One unit of Type A blood, with a clean, light flavor.

One unit of Type B blood, warming when consumed.

Since the tastiest was saved for last, the Type A blood was quickly finished, but a little Type B remained.

"And after the sky suddenly darkened at noon, the situation worsened," Magilou said.

"I don't know if it's connected to the anomaly, but Flandre has been talking to thin air like a madwoman."

"With no other choice, I had to accompany Sanae to the Human Village's blood storage to find that type of blood—but the worker selling it flatly denied any theft."

Of course he wouldn't admit it. Though relations between yokai and humans aren't as hostile as before, this is a matter of principle—and extremely serious.

If discovered, he'd be severely punished.

"So what did you do?"

"We can only check who recently donated blood—but the blood bags have no names."

Magilou pulled out a piece of paper: "I plan to ask Teacher Keine and Fujimiya Mokou for help."

"I see..."

Only then did Reimu realize she'd just delayed Magilou—those two had just left—but as her gaze flickered, the sky outside the window slowly turned crimson with thick mist, obscuring the approaching night and the setting sun.

The red mist glowed faintly, and a faint sweet-tangy odor filled the air...

An anomaly?!

(End of Chapter)