【Good Leaf】Eclipse of the Crimson Moon

Chapter 13

【One moment】

The feeling of entering Yuejian for the first time is still fresh in my memory. It was a depressive and suffocating experience.

The stagnant air lingering around the island is like a thick fog, blocking the vision of the eyes of the spirit.It was the evil thoughts and ominousness that settled here in an unimaginably long time. It made me feel like I had walked into a maze with no exit, and seemed to be sinking in a stagnant swamp, with nowhere to cling to. It made me feel confused and anxious. mood.

But this is only for people with psychic abilities. The stronger the spiritual power, the more obvious the discomfort will be. Ordinary people will not notice any abnormalities. Is it a kind of luck?If you see clearly the environment you are in, maybe you won't be able to calm down for a moment, right?

The vehicle is gradually approaching the end of the journey, and the seemingly peaceful and peaceful town is gradually unfolding in front of you.The well-proportioned small houses built on the mountain are dotted in different levels of greenery. The fresh air is filled with the sweetness of not-so-clear mountain flowers, and the freshly turned soil of the nearby farmland is emerging with tender green, showing a school of vitality. .

If you only look at the surface, it is really a beautiful town.But what about its reality?

There were already people waiting inside the station, including the head priest of the Asakura family.He greeted my mother-in-law and me out of the car respectfully, and then introduced us to the people waiting behind us one by one.These people in black formal suits were indeed the heads or representatives of the other four families except Ma Cang, and they all looked haggard and bleak without exception.

The old man with a cold and resolute expression at the front is Shinichi Kurosawa, the patriarch of the Kurosawa family.I don't know if it was an illusion, but when he and his mother-in-law greeted each other, I seemed to catch a glimpse of an unknown chill in his eyes.The middle-aged man who came forward afterwards was the head of the Kiryu family, Kiryu Sheng. It seems that he is about forty years old, and the time to take over the family should not be very long.Zhubu and Patriarch Tsujidou couldn't get away due to important business, so they only sent the head priest.After the meeting etiquette, the representative introduced the current situation to the mother-in-law, and the four families also briefly expressed their opinions.After several parties agreed to choose a date to discuss again, the visitor left first, just because we still have a place to go immediately.

Later, in the intensive care unit of the municipal hospital, I saw several priests who had been seriously injured and comatose during the ceremony. Granny Kino's daughter Asakura Kanko and her husband Asakura Mikhisa were also among them.

This is a special ward set up separately in the hospital. In addition to the medical emergency equipment, an enchantment has been set up around the room to prevent the miasma from spreading.Through the side window for observation, the mother-in-law's knuckles pressed against the cold glass were so tense that they appeared blue and white, and the wrinkles on the forehead moved a few times, but more expressions were hidden under the dark glasses.

Although she cannot see, her senses are extremely sensitive.Based on the explanation of the attending physician and the heavy and chilling atmosphere surrounding the consulting room, I believe she already has a clear understanding of the situation inside.

Several priests have been in a coma for several days since the day of the ceremony, showing no sign of waking up, and two of them have died due to their injuries deteriorating.

The Jiyue Festival? Ri Festival is also called the Main Festival. It is just the opposite of the table festival held in Kokubun Shrine that ordinary townspeople can participate in. It only allows the priests of the Gogo Family to participate, and its purpose is to come every ten years. Seal the gate of the underworld that will be opened in one "moment of eclipse".And Yuejian held a ceremony a few days ago according to the method that has been passed down for more than a thousand years, but it failed.What gushed out of the underworld was not only miasma, but also extremely ferocious evil spirits and monsters, which took the lives of several people in an instant, and the wounded who were still being treated were not optimistic.Medical measures can only heal physical injuries, not mental wounds caused by the spirit.For several days, priests have been here to remove the remaining miasma and spirit essence, but the effects on these wounded who have been eroded too deeply have been minimal.

Most of Master Ganjiu's body was burned by the miasma, and his whole body was wrapped in heavy bandages. Even his face was only left with a gap for the respirator to connect to.His condition was very dangerous, and the residual poison that could not be ruled out remained in his body, making his injury worse, but everyone was helpless.Mr. Ganzi seemed to be in a deep sleep, and he couldn't see any obvious scars on his appearance, but his pale face without a trace of blood and his bruised lips showed the constant weakening of the fire of life.

My eyes couldn't help but stop when I saw her face.Surrounded by plain white, blue-black satin-like hair flows past the fair skin, and although the corners of the eyes are covered with a thin layer of shadow, it will not fade the beautiful and peaceful sleeping face in the slightest.The elegant and dust-free temperament that cannot be described in words is like an orchid in an empty valley, but what surprised me even more was the inexplicable sense of sight that slipped through my mind in an instant.

The past that had been sleeping in my heart for several years slowly emerged, and a certain bright smile that had been blurred became clear again.Probably, Mrs. Ganzi's smile is equally gentle and beautiful, right?

After half a day, we ended our visit and went to Asakura Honjia.

The family mansion on the edge of the forest on the west side of the town exudes a heavy and mournful atmosphere inside and outside. It has been less than seven days since the death of the head of the family. Although the "farewell ceremony" has already been held, there are still people who come to mourn one after another.He was brought into the big house by the relatives who were waiting outside the door, and all the people who saw him walking through it looked sad.The lingering smoke of incense candles and the almost bitter scent of bouquets surround the silent people, mixed with subtle weeping, which makes people extremely depressed.

The mother-in-law bowed to the photos and spiritual tablets of the deceased relatives, and then there was a long memorial.

"Eclipse Moment" is an extremely dangerous moment of disaster, the ominous sound from the ground can be felt even by ordinary people.Therefore, at that time, most people would obey the instructions of the priest and hide in their own houses.When the ceremony failed this time, the Gate of the Underworld opened for a brief moment, and the ensuing change could be clearly felt even in a small town a few kilometers away from the Tsukiyomi Shrine.The landslides and ground fissures caused by the earthquake blocked communication and traffic, so it was several days after all the mess was sorted out and an envoy was sent to inform my mother-in-law, and I couldn't see Lord Ye Ming for the last time.

The Yuwujia has been recognized by the government to manage all affairs on the island, even the police and other agencies are not allowed to intervene.Outsiders were excluded, things that violated the Tsukimi Shinto tradition were stifled, and all those who tried to bring about changes and questioned the ancient teachings were expelled, and the plan to build an airport after Oki Island was also cancelled.The moon sees that the people living here live a life almost isolated from the outside world, and have almost become a forgotten island in the modern world that is gradually moving towards prosperity.But even so, no one thought of leaving here to start their lives elsewhere, because all this is a heavy fate borne by the people of Yuejian.

According to the records that can be found, the five royal families are descendants of nobles who lived in Oki before Kamakura, and jointly managed the "Oki Kingdom".Protecting the seal stone of Huangquan Biliangzaka is a priesthood that cannot be neglected by the five families, and holding the Siyue Festival according to the law of inheritance is also one of the missions.Since then, the descendants of the five families have multiplied and lived until now. Although there are a few outsiders who have obtained residence permits and stayed, but if you look carefully, the islanders are actually related to a distant or close relationship. They are all members of the five clans.And if people with this bloodline leave Oki Island for more than half a year, they will all die of unknown diseases or accidents without exception.People don't understand the reason, and they can only attribute it to the "sin" of the gods or the "causation" of demons.In this way, the belief in ghosts and gods was gradually established in Yuejian.Although fearful, they also have reverence, and even evolved into the spiritual pillar of the islanders.

But the priests of the five families knew that this was the crime of the clansmen who inherited the blood.Although the age is too old to trace its roots, the results it brings will not change.Once the seal of the gate of the underworld is broken, the evil spirits from the country of roots will flood the world, turning the world into a dark hell.In order to calm the earth's rumbling and maintain the seal's effectiveness, living human beings are used as sacrifices in various places, and Yuejian is no exception.All kinds of cruel rituals continue, even if the chosen one is his own blood, he still has to carry out the destiny, there is no second choice.

The people of Yuejian are destined to be born here and end here, and they will never escape the sad spiral of fate.

★★★

Two days later, after the wake ceremony was over, my mother-in-law and I entered the Forbidden Forest on the west side of Dafeng Mountain under the guidance of the priest.And the silted gas floating in the sky above Oki gathers here, forming a thick "cloud".

The Forbidden Forest is a sacred fence (note) used for guarding and sealing, and it is the boundary between the eternal world and the secular world.The Tsukiyomi Shrine, which has a passage leading to the gate of the underworld in the depths, has been used as a place of worship since ancient times, and people other than priests and "forbidden people" are prohibited from entering and leaving. Even oral transmission is not allowed.And "to avoid people" is the product of a cruel punishment that has been passed down from ancient times.It is said that felons or those who violate taboos will have their eyes slit and their tongues cut out, and they will be imprisoned in the forbidden area for labor. Many people will die madly because they cannot bear the pain or are eroded by the evil thoughts gushing out of the underworld.Up to now, Yuejian still retains this custom, which makes me feel a chill in my heart.

I have heard of "eternal life" many times in the teachings of my mother-in-law, but it is the first time I have seen it with my own eyes.Unlike Osor Mountain, Oki's seal is incomplete, so the forest here is connected to the entrance of another world.Although it is still the land of Tsukimi, it is already a different space with disordered time and space that is different from the present world, and the end of it is the corner of Changse where Tsukiyomi Shrine is located.Once ordinary people step in, they will get lost and disappear in the depths of the dense forest. That is the disappearance event called "God's Hidden" by the townspeople.

In order to prevent people from entering it by mistake, an enchantment was set up in this ancient and solemn forest, and it was detected when they first stepped in. It was hard to get used to the feeling of falling into the deep sea when it was cold for a moment.Ordinary people will instinctively have a strong sense of disgust and resistance when they enter the periphery of the enchantment and avoid it. If they enter forcibly, the discomfort will be strengthened to the point of losing their ability to move, but sometimes there are constitutions and special people who will not be affected by spells And into death.

Walking along the only path, it doesn't take long to reach the open valley where Tsukiyomi Shrine is located.The sky covered by dense forests was revealed, but it had suddenly turned into a pitch-black night. The incomparably gorgeous crimson full moon hung high in the sky, which made me lose my mind suddenly.

This is the entrance to the eternal kingdom "Eternal Night", the legendary halfway station where the peaceful dead souls go.But looking at the dead and silent world reflected by the desolate, blood-like dark crimson luster, one can't help feeling flustered.

Such a beautiful moonlight that reminds people of sin and the end, can it really lead souls to the land of no worries?

The crimson torii gates lead visitors into the shrine gradually, and the stone lanterns on both sides of the stone path brighten up the slightly dark surroundings. I can see that this is an old mottled building that has been around for many years.Unlike the shrines that are renovated every few years in various parts of Japan, the buildings here seem to have only been repaired to keep them in use, and they don't care much about the maintenance of their appearance.

There were not many people stationed in the shrine as expected, especially in the short period of time after the failure of the ceremony, but the number of priests on duty on the way to the inner courtyard gradually increased.Passing through the circuitous promenade, the scenery becomes layered and elegant.The candlelight outside the dormitory in front has been sprinkled on the light-colored dry sand through layers of branches and leaves, and there is also a soft light inside the paper door.

The purpose of our trip is to meet with the core figures of this ceremony and discuss matters after that.

The main sacrifice of the Siyue Festival is held at regular intervals, and the "official priest" who presides over the sacrifice is selected from the five families through divination, and the remaining four families will provide full support and assistance until the ceremony is successfully completed.This time it was the Asakura family who served as the officiant.

The head of the family, Lord Ye Ming, has passed away, and the chief priests Ganzi and Ganjiu are still seriously injured, but the pair of brothers from the Ma Cang family are missing.Thinking of this moment, my heartstrings couldn't help but tense a bit.Although I haven't been told more about the situation, is it the person I want to meet at this moment?

The servant serving outside the door saluted us and gently opened the paper door of the dormitory, and the indoor scenery was silently displayed in front of us.

It was an extremely spacious Japanese room, unlike the vicissitudes of life outside, the interior layout was very simple and elegant.Somewhat strangely, the candle lamp in the room was not lit in the middle, but placed close to the entrance, a considerable distance from the end of the room, as if the owner of the room was afraid of light.Stepping into it, I immediately noticed that there was a plain quilt in the middle of the slightly dark room, surrounded by a thin and thin boy.He had obviously been waiting for a long time, and he was looking up at us at this moment.

I did feel my nerves tighten for a split second when I saw that face clearly.

When I saw him for the first time, I thought of Mrs. Ganzi.The long hair like water and silk hangs down gracefully along the arc of the face, rippling in the light gray shadows in a stream of stagnant black ripples, forming a strong contrast with the pale complexion.Although the light was dim, several layers of bandages wrapped around the head could still be seen, passing through the hair and covering almost half of the face, but this did not detract from the shocking feeling of the face in the slightest.His facial contours are very delicate, no matter the straight nose bridge or the slightly curved lip line is a perfect combination, but it is undoubtedly a youthful face with an intimidating charm.Especially that eye that revealed the same strange light as Fei Yue's, the gaze was so sharp that it was almost impossible to look directly at it.

Taking back the foreword, he is neither like Mrs. Ganzi, nor like the young man with a warm smile I have ever seen.But this face has already told me his identity without any suspense:

Ma Canghao, Ye's twin brother, one of the young masters of the Ma Cang family.

Note 1: The god fence, the barrier fence formed by the evergreen forest around the shrine, is used to separate the boundary between the land of the gods and the human world, and here refers to the entire forest.