Chapter 506

After leaving Shikieiki's Court, Xia Zhi did not follow convention and board the San Tu River ferry to return to the Living World.

Even though that is the established, customary way of passage——

Having a God of Death who possesses the ability to manipulate distance serve as the Ferryman of the San Tu River, shuttling back and forth between This Shore and Higan……

He thought that kind of design was pretty cool, too.

Perhaps he could arrange it that way on his own Dojo's side as well.

Let the Underworld River……

No, let the Wang Chuan flow amidst the vast Star River, formless and invisible.

——Only in the Soul World can the deceased see that river;

——And only by relying on the Ferryman can they cross the river to reach Higan, entering the Next Life.

Of course, it would still need to be supplemented by strict Shou Hu Lü Fa.

This is to prevent a classic reenactment of "a monk with a hairy face and thunderous mouth came from the Outside."

Although a classic is indeed a classic, it is undeniably also cringe.

Not to mention his current Positioning——

Rank determines stance.

………………

………………

With a single step, the Qi Refining practitioner's figure already stood before the Hakurei Shen She.

However, this is the Outside World's Hakurei Shen She.

Strictly speaking, it is the very same building as the shrine inside Gensokyo; because it sits on the Border of the Great Barrier, it can be seen both inside and outside the Barrier.

Or rather, it exists simultaneously inside and outside the Barrier.

However, even the same shrine's main body, when viewed from different Realms, appears worlds apart.

Just as all things have many facets; different perspectives yield different sights.

The Hakurei Shen She inside Gensokyo is a famous cherry blossom viewing spot and the main banquet venue; banquets are held very Frequently.

Compared to the sparse human worshippers, Youkai instead linger here more often.

At least the residents of the Human Village are not too willing to take the risk of passing through beast paths said to be haunted by monsters to worship; most of the human worshippers who appear at the Hakurei Shrine are people who accidentally wandered in from the Outside World.

Moreover, although the shrine inside Gensokyo looks old, its state of repair is still relatively good, and it is kept clean and tidy on a daily basis.

Although Reimu always complains about insufficient offering money, she still maintains the shrine in a clean and vibrant manner, keeping it in orderly condition.

But outside the Barrier——

This shrine sits deep in the mountains, and only a faded, dilapidated shell remains.

The low eaves have damaged tiles, the wooden steps are rotten like dry bones, the stone bricks are covered in moss, the entire building looks as if it has been forgotten by time for a hundred years.

Even the characters on the placard have been annihilated beyond recognition; only the torii standing before the gate, though its vermilion paint has long since peeled away, can still prove this place was once a Divine Realm.

Anyone who sees it at a glance will know this is an ancient shrine that, due to its geography, had no worshippers and was eventually abandoned.

But this is also something that cannot be helped——

This is a double exile by geography and era.

The secluded path is treacherous and hard to traverse, the soil hard and barren.

There is neither agricultural benefit, nor scenery to admire.

Even in the current era, this place still has zero tourism value; human footprints are rare year-round.

Let alone that even more distant past——

When treacherous mountain ridges were still regarded as the boundary between humans and Youkai.

"……"

"……"

Xia Zhi stood before the dilapidated torii of the Hakurei Shen She; the mountain wind, carrying the scent of rotting wood, brushed past his sleeves.

Right now, it was exactly midday, the time of day when the Sun is most fierce.

However, this shrine eroded by time appeared even more lonely under the noon sunlight——

Just as a wind passed through the hollow main hall, it stirred up a gust of moldy sighs.

"As you see, the Outside World's shrine has been abandoned for a long time……"

A voice carrying a hint of bewitching charm within its purity rang out, suddenly slicing through the mountain silence.

Making one, upon hearing it, subconsciously sketch a vague outline in their mind, feeling that it must be a great beauty.

Changed into a pure white Western dress, wearing a wide-brimmed hat on her head, golden long hair blown by the mountain mist, bringing wisps of a bizarre fragrance.

The seventeen-year-old Youkai girl held a parasol, standing not far away with a smile brimming in her eyes.

In the mountains, sunlight filtered through layers of overlapping branches, casting dappled projections on the mountain path.

Setting off the golden-haired Great Youkai, for a moment she was beautiful as a painting.

"And, this shrine…… was not originally built for the Dragon God Lord."

Yukari Yakumo gently twirled her parasol, walking over slowly.

Her head of golden long hair, under the mottled sunlight, seemed to be shining brilliantly.

"Belief in the Dragon God Lord actually only began at the time Gensokyo was established……"

"That was the day the Hakurei Great Border was deployed——Heaven and Earth abruptly darkened, lightning snakes tore the sky, torrential rain poured as if to drown the world. When the Dragon manifested, all things shed their colors……"

"And after the Dragon God Lord departed, the flood receded in an instant, clouds broke and sky cleared, the world regained its brilliance; the Gensokyo of that time was like a mirror personally wiped clean by a god."

"It was also from that time point that people began to believe in the Dragon God Lord; the center of the Human Village therefore enshrines a stone statue of the Dragon God, receiving worship daily."

While narrating so leisurely, she came to stand beside the young man, secretly observing his profile and expression.

The seventeen-year-old girl appeared unmoved on the surface, still wearing a smile-filled expression.

She gently held up her parasol, gazing at those rotting beams and pillars inside the shrine's inner hall, her voice like a clear breeze that had passed through a hundred years of time:

"Back then, the Hakurei Shen She in Gensokyo was the only shrine, so it naturally became the sole place of enshrinement..."

"I still remember the Hakurei Miko of that time; she actually refused, but in the end, unwilling to disappoint the villagers, she still agreed."

Speaking here, Yukari Yakumo paused for a moment, then continued with a hint of regret:

"What a pity; actually she was the correct one, because that manifestation when the Great Barrier was unfolded was already the Dragon God Lord's last manifestation before the world..."

"After that, she never appeared again, would not respond to prayers, would not give revelations, as if she had never existed at all..."

"Over time, the Dragon's belief was lost; even if people went to worship at the Hakurei Shen She, they no longer knew what deity had once been enshrined inside the shrine..."

—Belief is selfless.

—Belief is utilitarian.

When for thousands of years there is not any response, nor any display of divine virtue or divine might, these generations of people naturally find it hard to persist.

When legend becomes true legend, worshippers cannot even remember clearly who they are kneeling to.

After all, the people in Gensokyo truly live in a world where gods and youkai genuinely exist; the maintenance of belief is far more demanding than in the Outside World.

Under such circumstances, if a certain belief has only legends from thousands of years ago, and has never been able to prove itself...

Then this belief has no competitiveness to speak of.

"So now the Dragon God in Gensokyo only serves the function of a weather forecast..."

The youth listened patiently first, then commented with a sentence.

The Dragon God stone statue enshrining the Dragon, once receiving worship daily, now no longer has that kind of incense offering.

More numerous are those letting people judge the day's weather through the color changes of the dragon eyes on the stone statue.

"That is correct..." Yukari Yakumo nodded, "So, you might not be able to find intelligence about the Dragon God Lord from the current belief."

She looked at that dilapidated shrine ahead, then added a sentence—

"The Hakurei Shen She in Gensokyo won't do; the Hakurei Shen She outside won't do either."

"..."

"..."

"How do you know I want to obtain the Dragon God's intelligence here?"

Xia Zhi laughed, countering with this question.

"Isn't this obvious? Merry told me you're like someone playing a game who likes to open the bestiary, seeing a cute girl and wanting to scoop her into your own bowl—"

The seventeen-year-old girl blinked: "Mm, don't look at me like that; this really is what she said; she said she was forcibly grabbed by you like this."

"Those are all slander; she is slandering me." The youth was calm and composed, "You know, someone like me, an orthodox leader, inevitably attracts rumors fabricated by dark forces..."

The people working under your command...

Count as dark forces too?

A trace of amusement flashed through Yukari Yakumo's beautiful eyes, but she wisely did not express an opinion, instead continuing on her own along the previous thread:

"Be it the Moon Capital or Higan, you should have just returned from Shikieiki's Court..."

"Let me think; judging by your appearance, I estimate you've already threatened... cough cough, already persuaded Ying Ji..."

"Since even the Yanluo who has nothing to do with you eight pole-lengths away has been made this interested by you, then the Dragon God Lord is definitely also listed as a target by you..."

She gently swayed the parasol in her hand, pondered a moment, then continued: "Mm, like Tsukuyomi, she is now one of your Aspects, right?"

"Do you know what Aspect means?"

"Not too clear; Merry checked that Database of hers, said a bit; seems to be about knowledge and sayings concerning gods?"

The Youkai Sage wasn't too certain: "But it seems to be a strange system; probably something like an avatar? But it can also be independent?"

"Mm, honestly, I always feel this concept is closer to the 'Vessel' explanation."

"You saying that isn't wrong either." The Qi Refining practitioner expressed neither agreement nor disagreement.

Aspect is avatar, is a god's alternate identity, is different identities and divinity perspectives.

But this kind of alternate identity, this kind of identity, can exist independently, and can also be stripped away by others.

In that Weave and Gods' Multiverse, many similar examples have appeared—

There are Divine Spirits whose belief broke, and the split-off Aspects became independent gods; there are also Divine Spirits devoured by other more powerful True Gods, becoming an Aspect of the other party...

In short, it is a very interesting and very useful method.

"Alright, now tell your purpose, Miss Yukari—"

Xia Zhi blinked, sizing up the Great Youkai before him: "Let me guess; you should be here to recommend yourself, right?"

Hearing this, Yukari Yakumo instantly relaxed, decisively nodding: "Correct!"

This works too; letting the other party speak up voluntarily, and she doesn't have to rack her brain there considering how to open her mouth more appropriately.

—Should it be more tactful, or more composed?

—Cannot appear terrified, but also shouldn't be too impolite?

The measure in this is very troublesome.

The main thing is the existence before her is too abnormal, making her unable to easily cope using her past life experience.

"Good, I need exactly a talent like you!"

It could be seen the youth was very satisfied with this answer; he forcefully patted the seventeen-year-old girl's shoulder—

"Then, how long will you need to settle that Dragon God and bring her over?"

"..."

"..."

"Eh?"

The seventeen-year-old girl suddenly froze.

Wait, she came to recommend herself, but she only wanted to reference Miss Merry's work and treatment.

That's not what I meant...

(Chapter End)