Chapter 353 Believers (I)
Mount Fuji is close to the Pacific coast and about 100 kilometers southwest to Tokyo. With an alt.i.tude of more than 3,700 meters, it is one of the largest active volcanoes in the world. The earthquake in the waters of the Nihon Honshu island several years ago has triggered unusual shaking of the dormant volcano Mount Fuji. At that time, experts speculated that Mount Fuji would be very likely to erupt because of that earthquake. Somehow it calms down peacefully. Luckily, it’s a false alarm for the residents of s.h.i.+zuoka and Yamanas.h.i.+.
On the top of the mountain, there is a shrine built for the G.o.ddess “Konohananosakuyahime”. It is the Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine which dominates more than 1300 Sengen Grand Shrine nationwide.
In 1604, Tokugawa Ieyasu built seiden (the main hall), haiden (the wors.h.i.+p hall), heiden (the offering hall), and maidono (the dance hall), which formed the Nihonese-style ancient buildings covering a huge area on the top of Mount Fuji.
Lin Luoran takes them to go up the hill directly.
The red thing looking like a memorial archway of Huaxia is called “Torii” by the local Nihonese. It is rare that there is a lofty gate in such a small place. This is the main entrance of Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine.
Ordinary tourists definitely cannot come to this place at night but Lin Luoran just leads them to wander and swagger all round. Without hiding her personal ability, the host has already known she is here.
Some people come out with a few paper lanterns, lighting up the newly-paved blacktop road in front of the Grand Shrine.
Saito Asada shows a stiff smile on his solemn face, “I don’t know senior cultivator would arrive so late at night.”
His language of Huaxia sounds sincerer than his smile. Lin Luoran also shows a demure smile, “Mount Fuji has a good nightscape. We walk so far away but don’t realize it. Does visiting here at night disturb you, security officer Asada? ”
The conversation between the two is very similar to the meeting between two heads of state. It’s all about nice, polite, and empty gestures.
Li Xi’er’s big amber-like eyes move around. She doesn’t know what her school sister Lin is thinking tonight. In such an emergency situation, she is still making small talk and don’t get right to the point for a long time. It really makes her anxious.
Wen Guanjing is also surprised that Lin Luoran has such a side. But Mr. Lin and Yuan Ye are very proud of Lin Luoran—Lins are always patient.
In the meantime, Mr. Lin has some emotions because now they know nothing about what happened to Luodong and Huang Weijian. He is supposed to be the backbone of the Lin family. However, without personal ability good enough, he can only ask his daughter to do his job.
“If the senior cultivator doesn’t mind, why don’t you come in and visit our shrine?” Saito Asada keeps a really low profile and Lin Luoran just goes with the flow.
People who hold lighting lanterns look like servants of the shrine. They remain silent all the way. It’s easy to know that Saito Asada doesn’t often do such a humble job. The guided tour along the way is a bit tedious. Lin Luoran has a weird feeling about the two sun flags flying in the wind on the left and right sides of the main hall.
It is said that there are many “Comforting Monuments” and “Loyal Souls monuments” in about 100,000 shrines throughout Nihon. As what is wors.h.i.+ped in the Yasukuni Shrine, those so-called loyal souls are all stained with the blood of common Huaxia people.
It even distinctly reminds Lin Luoran of the blood pool of the underground palace under the Zhongshan Mausoleum in the Jinling City. It’s the blood of hundreds of thousands of civilians that makes the Blood Evil Air… All these aggravate her subtle discomfort. When her excited Huaxia compatriots visit here and write down their wishes on “Ema”(Nihonese wooden wish plaques), do they ever think about some taboo issues like these?
Or maybe, only she cares about the gray history recorded in books?
—Without direct kins.h.i.+p, they are still compatriots bleeding the same red blood. They were ma.s.sacred. Can’t such a history make any waves in people’s hearts?
Wen Guanjing also looks very serious. Even Li Xi’er is touched by Lin Luoran’s solemn expression, and Mr. Lin always looks down on these low-rise Nihonese houses. As for Yuan Ye, he is clever. He kind of knows what his grandmaster is thinking about.
“Master Asada, can we visit the G.o.ddess guarding the mountain?”
He has read his grandmaster’s mind. The chief apprentice Yuan Ye has changed the subject cleverly. They still don’t know what happened to Luodong and Huang Weijian. Besides, lost Huaxia cultivators have not yet been rescued. Yuan Ye respects and agrees with his young but powerful Grandmaster. In a bad mood, she can chop this so-called shrine into pieces of wood. However, now they need to save people first.
Saito Asada’s face is frozen. Of course, he has no choice but to say yes.
Since the door is opened to welcome guests, there is no reason to stop guests from visiting the real hostess. As the security officer of the Grand Shrine, Saito Asada’s actions stand for Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine, especially when there is no Grand Priest. To a certain extent, what he says can also represent the G.o.ddess “Konohananosakuyahime” in the eyes of believers.
Lin Luoran actually goes to visit the G.o.ddess but Li Xi’er takes the opportunity and drags Mr. Lin and Wen Guanjing to explore this Grand Shrine. She is agile and crosses the gate just with a single leap. Standby waiters with lanterns are so miserable because they have to keep up with her in clogs.
Saito Asada is about to say something but Yuan Ye asks him about the story of the G.o.ddess “Konohananosakuyahime” with a religious look.
If he doesn’t respond, it will be an evidence of his impiety to serve the G.o.ddess. It will definitely harm his chances of winning the upcoming Grand Priest election. However, if he responds, he can’t stop these people wandering around in the Grand Shrine which will disturb the G.o.d.
Lin Luoran walks into the main hall. The G.o.ddess idol in the tabernacle is made of wood. She closes her eyes to feel the power of faith shrouding the main hall. As a small boat, she almost capsizes because of the wave cras.h.i.+ng over in the dense black fog.
What gathers here is probably the power of faith from all believers of the G.o.ddess guarding the mountain. Lin Luoran can’t help but clenches her fists. The power of faith is all black. She wonders what they have sincerely prayed for everyday so that such dark wishes can be gathered together.
She is so surprised and angry that she forgets about her experience in the Jokhang Temple.
Now she is not an ordinary person. G.o.ds have their own Taoist field. How can she enter the main hall of Sengen Grand Shrine if she has her own G.o.dhead?
Lin Luoran hasn’t thought through it but Yuan Ye can no longer hold back Saito Asada. Saito quickly walks into the hall so Lin Luoran can’t look it over anymore. She just fakes up an excuse and leaves.
Li Xi’er and others don’t look happy. It seems that nothing special is found.
Only the black power of faith with darkness attribute in the main hall can confirm the Sengen Grand Shrine has a close relations.h.i.+p with the disappearances. However, there is no clue where those missing people are.
Lin Luoran and others come and go in haste. Saito Asada watches them leave and then asks servants to close the door.
He returns to the main hall. A black shadow appears in the dense fog. It screams, “Why does she have G.o.dhead! Kill her… She must be killed!”
Saito Asada’s eyes are bleary. He can’t think about what “having G.o.dhead” means. The only thought left in his mind is “kill her.”
It’s certainly the best choice to kill promising young people who don’t belong to Nihon. As the most devout believer of the G.o.ddess, Saito Asada doesn’t resist this command at all.
When the gate of the main hall is closed gently, he is so muddleheaded that he doesn’t find some tears are trickling out from eyes of the idle in the tabernacle.
Time is limited, so Lin Luoran also does not find there is still a white layer of the power of faith around the idle. In the main hall covered by dark, it is like Lin Luoran who is a small boat in the angry sea and in serious danger.
…
“School sister, there is obviously something strange in the Grand Shrine but we can’t find it out. d.a.m.n it!”
Li Xi’er holds the Bundling Rope tight. Thinking Lin Luodong and Huang Weijian who she has been watching grow up are missing, she can never calm down.
Lin Luoran is more anxious than her. However, if she can’t find the core of the dark power of faith in the main hall, this battle will probably be more dangerous than any other fights she has ever dealt with on the way to improve her personal ability.
Only as a last resort would Lin Luoran do things she is not sure about. Otherwise, it’s useless and may hurt her family.
Luodong, Huang Weijian, as well as the lost Chinese cultivators, you guys must hold on!
Lin Luoran feels anxious. But for everyone’s morale, she has to gather her composure.
Li Xi’er is annoyed, “So now we…?”
Lin Luoran summons the Bright Sword, “Go back to s.h.i.+buya!”
Those missing young people are all related to s.h.i.+buya. If now they can’t find anything in Mount Fuji, the only thing she can do is focusing on s.h.i.+buya.
This time, Yuan Ye takes Mr. Lin on his sword. With one accord, they all seem to forget Goldie somewhere in the wild.
…
Lin Qingxue leads a team of Special Forces to trudge at another hiking entrance of Mount Fuji.
Equipped with the finest weapons, they are all the most disciplined and powerful team in individual combat in Huaxia. Corresponding to the power of faith with darkness attribute in the main hall of Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine, the name of this team is coincidentally “Bright”.
Can the team Bright bring wonder?
A Special Forces guy suddenly lets out a soft cry. Lin Qingxue turns back, “What’s wrong?”
The man uses the sharing function. In the white light of his communicator, there are many fluctuating lines and numbers in the virtual video.
“Officer, there are signs of human activity half an hour ago.”
Scientific and technological civilization is not without any advantage. Lin Qingxue clenches the magical pistol in her hand. They are in a high mountain three kilometers above the sea level, and the vast snowy top of Mount Fuji is not far away. It’s too suspicious that someone comes here at night when the snow is melting.
“Follow the trace.”
“Yes!”
Their combat boots step on dead branches and makes a slight sound. They are heading toward a snow-covered valley. Lin Qingxue’s breathing is soft and quiet. She has no idea what truth she is going to discover.
Even if she luckily succeeds, punishment will still come with glory when she returns to Huaxia. However, Lin Qingxue does not regret it at all.
This humble female soldier also has a pure land to guard in her heart. In some ways, she is also a devout believer.