【Good Leaf】Eclipse of the Crimson Moon

Chapter 29

【empty body】

The crimson brilliance spilled through the sill window into the dark Japanese room, and the puppets lined up on the floor were covered with an unpredictable brilliance.

On display here are several Hina dolls made by Ye himself, which were specially brought here from the main house.Because it was made for the dark festival, it is very delicate and vivid. Each one is more than one meter high, wearing gorgeous kimonos, and looks like a real child at first glance.But they have no body temperature, and their skin is not soft and soft. Their bodies are made of white porcelain, and with special joints, they can pose in various poses.

Ye sat on the side, quietly watching me look them up and down several times, not in a hurry to ask me.Finally, my eyes stopped on a puppet on the right. Half of him was in the purple shadow. It exudes an indescribable atmosphere.

It was a puppet with short silver hair, thin bangs covering the pale face, almost completely covering the deep but clear rose-red eyes, exuding a gloomy beauty.Although it is a lifeless existence, after looking at those eyes made of glass, I was attracted to him almost immediately.

I point to him.Ye seemed a little taken aback.

"Eh? This one? It looks very gloomy," he laughed. "I thought you would choose the one on the left, which would look more lively. So I gave you this feeling..."

"Hmph, if you spend more time in a daze and sleeping, everyone will have the same feeling as me." I smiled and walked over, leaned over, picked up the doll, and brought it to Ye's side.

Near the candlelight, the original gloomy feeling faded, but this lightly pigmented doll still gave people a strong sense of nothingness, and the crimson eyes even revealed a strange luster.

"There is indeed no similarity in appearance, but at first sight I thought it was him." I stared at those eyes and said, Ye also smiled faintly.

"Actually, I also think this is better. If my brother thinks so, he should be right."

Hina dolls are injected with spiritual power by the magician when they are made, so they gradually form a spirit, which is like a human soul, which distinguishes them from other dolls. They are no longer just empty shells and have their own characteristics, and then become an existence that can be recognized by rituals.It's a pity that this kind of spirituality is still far from the human soul, let alone comparable to the human soul, so it is still impossible to completely replace the sacrificial person.It is not easy for Ye to find a way to use them instead of offering sacrifices to others.

And what we are choosing now is the body that is most compatible with Ye.This does not refer to the appearance of the dolls, but to their inner being. Finding a container that is most compatible with Ye's soul is our goal.

"Yao Falcon, his name." Ye took the puppet and stared carefully at the pair of empty eyes, "Yao means to change, to change, and Falcon is a falcon. The name obtained according to divination is also very inconsistent with him. Well, I really can't see that there is a hawk-like sharpness hidden in his heart..."

"Just like you, isn't it?" I followed up disapprovingly, and he shrugged noncommittally.

Most of the time, Ye Zai had a soft and leisurely smirk on his face, but it didn't mean that his heart was as calm as the surface without ups and downs.In fact, he was such a stubborn guy that even I couldn't persuade him to change his mind about what he believed in.

Since the day I made up my mind to rebel against fate, I have been secretly looking for a way to seal the gate of the underworld.There are more than ten large spiritual places in Japan. As long as you search the information, you will always get some useful clues. I always think so.However, after working hard for more than ten days, I became a little desperate.

If it was so easy to find a reliable solution, Grandpa and the others might have noticed it long ago.

Forget it, it's all bad luck anyway, so let me gamble in my own way without worrying about it, but I'm sorry for my mother and grandpa...

I have no way out.

The first requirement of the officiant priest is to "make the determination to dedicate his body and mind to the gods and take the initiative to offer sacrifices."If this is not done, the ritual must fail.

If I tell Ye my thoughts, he will definitely try his best to stop me, and he may report directly to Grandpa.In that case, our qualifications as sons of gods will be revoked immediately, and we will be punished for dereliction of duty. In the worst case, we will be punished as sacrifices in the dark sacrifice.

There used to be no gap between me and Ye, we knew each other better than anyone else, and we cherished each other more than anyone else, so I knew that he would definitely do that.He won't allow me to do something that will make Yuejian fall into disaster, even if I'm his favorite brother.

By the end of that conversation, he seemed to take my silence as acceptance.I never again raised any objections to him about the ceremony, and he finally felt relieved.

That's it.

This operation can only be done by me alone.I have no idea how far I can achieve with my own strength.I didn't hold unrealistic expectations for the results, delusional to see a miracle happen.If the gods are willing to forgive Yue Jian, why should such a fate continue for nearly a thousand years?

The possibility of the success of the ceremony is almost zero. At that time, we can only rely on the presence of the great priests to form an enchantment and set a temporary seal.

There have been several records of the failure of the main sacrifice in history. Thanks to the existence of the enchantment, Yuejian survived and did not suffer from the disaster of destruction.Before the next main sacrifice comes, it is necessary to rely on frequent dark sacrifices to appease the rattling gate.But the temporary seal cannot last for a long time. If the main sacrifice fails more than two times in a row, I am afraid that no one will be able to seal the spiritual path here. At that time, the "eclipse" that will destroy everything will come to the world.

I can't let that happen, and I can't let Ye get involved in my crazy plan.

There is no need for the Gemini Festival, which is doomed to fail, and Ye must leave the Tsukiyomi Shrine before the ceremony...to leave Tsukimi.Only in this way can he avoid all subsequent disasters.

However, although we, as priests, can easily get out of Tsukiyomi Shrine without the eyes of our subordinates, how do we leave Tsukiyomi?None of the people of Yuejian can stay safely on the land outside Yuejian for more than a year. This is a shackle that we will never be able to break free.This curse stays with us forever as long as we breathe.Even leaving aside Ye's subjective wishes, I couldn't get him to leave this land safely.

Just when I was thinking hard and couldn't figure it out, Ye suddenly asked me to go with him to see the dolls.It turned out that he was planning to complete the practice of one of the forbidden puppet arts in Super.

"Puppet art" is a branch of manipulative art. It is the most difficult type of this type of art, and it is also listed as a forbidden art because of its danger.Ordinary psychics don't have the opportunity to practice, but as the chief priest, Ye and I have obtained permission to read all the forbidden books kept by the Wujia, so we have the opportunity to come into contact with it.

Seeing the moon is no longer safe.Ye hopes to perfect the puppet art before the ceremony and find a way to free the people of Yuejian from the curse.In fact, he did discover a possible way to break free, and the answer lay in this uncommon and taboo technique.

This technique can inject human beings (note) into another container to form a new individual.Depending on the container, it can even be attached to a corpse, which is like a "resurrection technique".But unlike the "returning soul", this attachment is not temporary, and the corpse will not continue to rot, but will be very close to the living body and become "another living human being".The curse that trapped the Tsukimi people on Oki Island for generations is very similar to the "Blood Pact" (Note), and it will be automatically invalidated when the life ends.Based on this, Ye made a bold guess: transfer the soul with the puppet technique, and the original body will automatically fall into a state of suspended animation; after changing the container of the soul, the curse attached to the original body will also become invalid. bondage.

After being pleasantly surprised at the first moment, I immediately cooled down again.Ye's speculation is very reasonable, but it is quite difficult to actually operate it.First of all, no one has completed the spell itself. Even if Ye has an amazing talent to complete it, the magic weapon required for the implementation of the spell has become another big problem.

A compatible container is needed to accommodate the living soul, otherwise the soul will only be in an extremely unstable state, unable to continue to exist in that body and produce a rejection reaction, and will probably leave the body and become a dead soul in the end.It takes a lot of energy to find just one container, not to mention applying this method to the nearly four thousand residents of Yuejian.

Ye nodded, admitting that he had thought about the difficulties I mentioned, but he still hoped to use this as an opportunity to find a more feasible way to cut off the curse of the blood contract.Puppetry involving the field of returning souls has always been listed as a forbidden technique. Even Ye, who is a puppeteer, can't go too deep into it, but the crisis Yuejian is facing makes him decide to continue studying.

Even if the taboo is violated, we must find a way to lift the curse. From this point of view, he and I really have a striking similarity.It's just that what I'm going to do will bring about much more serious consequences than using puppetry. This sin is so serious that even if I fall into the deepest purgatory, it cannot be repaid.

Even so, I have to do it, because that's my destiny.

Not long after that, Ye, who secretly practiced puppet art, told me that the art was basically completed, and only needed the final practice.I am very happy, but there is another plan of mine in it.

He can't directly use humans to practice it. Needless to say, it is dangerous, and morality and ethics do not allow the magician to perform the soul resurgence technique at will, so what Ye wants to experiment is only the first half of the technique, "moving the soul".He will use himself as the target of the spell, and the container will use the doll he made; after the spell is successful, he can cancel the spell and let the soul return to the body, so that there is no need to involve others, this is Ye consideration.

After the soul is transferred to the puppet, Ye's mobility is bound to be greatly reduced by the restrictions of the container, and there are great doubts about whether he can continue to cast spells and withdraw the spells. "Hand over" to me within the time limit, and I will complete the second half of the operation.I have also read the literature on forbidden techniques, and as his twin brother, it is very easy for us to synchronize our spiritual power.As long as Ye gave some guidance, it would definitely not be a problem to complete this last step for him.

Yes, this is the opportunity!

The opportunity I've been waiting for so long, and once I miss it, I will never come back!The only chance for Ye to leave Yuejian.

★★★

Not long after dinner that day, Ye left the dormitory, and what he called his servants was "walking".In fact, he planned to go around a circle in the Forbidden Forest before quietly going to a side hall farther away, and the preparations for the technique had already been arranged there.

Puppetry is a forbidden technique, and it is absolutely impossible for others to notice what we are planning to do, even if Ye's purpose is completely well-intentioned.Although the practice this time could not meet the final expectations, Ye hoped that at least he could leave the information about the soul-moving technique for his successors to continue to study, and maybe one day they could find a way to free the people of Yuejian from their shackles.

I received visitors in the reception room of the dormitory, which was of course part of the plan.I pointed out to Ye that the festival was coming, and if we both always disappeared at the same time, it would definitely attract attention, so it would be better to stagger the time a little bit, and he readily accepted it, completely unaware of my deep meaning.

I have already foreseen the consequences of this action. In order to maintain the authority to continue to act freely, I must clear myself of suspicion.

After talking to the visitor for about 10 minutes, I managed to put them to sleep while they were looking at the copy.They'll go into a trance in that position and remember nothing when I come back in half an hour, and then they'll be my best alibi.

I stood up leisurely, pushed open the sliding door on the side of the Japanese room, and the view of the atrium was immediately revealed in my vision, the all-too-familiar world under the moon shrouded in brilliant crimson light.This atrium corridor connects me and Ye's bedroom, and no servants will come in to disturb me until the meeting is over.

A few flying cherry blossoms fell on the corridor, and the moonlight poured into the corridor without any hindrance. Only the two sleeping guests were left in the room.

Stepping lightly among the branches and leaves covered with night dew, paying attention to the movement around them from time to time.But the direction in front of me is deserted, and there are no other buildings except the side hall where the sacrificial utensils are displayed. It stands to reason that no one will find my whereabouts at the moment.

As soon as he pushed open the false wooden door, he immediately heard Ye Ya's low voice asking:

"Are you here? Brother."

I responded to him softly, and while entering the room without lights, I closed the door.

Ye set up an imperceptible barrier around the side hall, as long as an outsider enters, he can immediately detect it, so he naturally understands that I have arrived.

The side hall used as a warehouse is not large. After walking around the screen, you can see various sacrificial utensils piled up on the floor. Because they have not been used for many years, they are covered with thick dust, and there are cobwebs hanging messily among them.Ye has already sorted out a small area in the center, exposing an open space as a venue for performing spells.The sliding door behind is opened with a palm-width slit, allowing the moonlight to penetrate into the room a little and become the only light source at the moment.

We sat upright in our respective positions.Ye began to recite the mantra, and the enchantment on the ground around him gradually revealed a faint aura, surrounding him and the puppet in front of him.

I watched Ye Shishu with a determined expression, but I couldn't calm down.

If it continues, it will be hard to recover.If you change your mind, there is still time.

Suddenly, a warm spiritual power flashed across my eyes and instantly entered my body.Ye looked at me, smiled and nodded, and I responded mechanically.That is "spell entrustment", Ye has already given me the right to perform the second half of the puppet art.

As the spell continued, the spiritual light gradually shrouded Ye's body, and I could see the invisible and temperatureless blue spiritual power slowly condensing out of his body, gradually overflowing from his chest.Ye, who had already closed his eyes, fell back limply, and I hurriedly threw myself on his arm and pulled him into my arms.

The spiritual fire condensed in the gloomy void danced for a second, then sank down, and sank into the chest of the puppet lying in the barrier. Almost at the same time, a surge of spiritual power surged in the entire barrier , whistling and surrounding the puppet, and then gradually faded away as if being absorbed.

Gently place the leaf, which was empty inside, on the outer ground, and I stared at the puppet lying in the enchantment.He still looks like a human form made of cold inorganic matter, but a familiar wave is revealed from that small body.

The restless spiritual power filled the body made of white porcelain, and the gust of wind that gushed out lifted his layers of fine clothes, and the fine silver hair danced with the frenzied air current. At that moment, I saw ——

Yaofalcon's crimson glazed pupils turned abruptly, and after a few seconds of pause, they finally moved down slowly, and their gazes met mine.

It worked!Ye's soul has successfully entered this "vessel", and the degree of fusion is better than imagined.

I held his little palm and asked eagerly, "How are you? Do you feel all right? Ye?"

Yao Falcon's body vibrated slightly, but he couldn't answer my question. It seems that after being attached to the device, even the spiritual communication directly through the spirit body cannot be carried out.

He just looked at me fixedly, and when I was hesitating, I suddenly felt a slight touch in my hand.He seems to be able to control his fingers a little bit and make a little movement, which is enough.I immediately went on to ask him about the completion of the spell, and immediately felt him pressing lightly in my palm.

"Has all the souls been successfully transferred into this device? If so, tap your index finger."

He responded immediately in the affirmative.I breathed a sigh of relief.

It's done. So far, the "moving soul" part has gone very smoothly.Next, as long as I continue to cast spells, returning Ye's soul will complete the puppetry experiment. "Ye" also looked at me, as if waiting for me to finish the surgery.

I raised my right arm, condensed my spiritual power in it, and silently recited the mantra, and then waved my hand gesture towards the falcon, and the bright red aura instantly blocked his vision——

At that moment, I seemed to see the astonishment in those wide crimson eyes.

Yes, if he could still make a sound, he would definitely scream, because what I used was not a soul return spell at all, but an attack spell that would make him lose consciousness completely.

The puppet originally held up by the spiritual power fell back to the ground, the restless spiritual power had ceased, the expression on Yaohu's face due to the spiritual power had been lost again, and the surface of the glass eyeballs was once again covered with a thin layer. Yi, now he has returned to the appearance of a puppet, because the soul of Ye who resides in it has fallen into a deep sleep.

The enchantment is still shimmering, and the spell has not ended.I still have work to do.

Turn to the front of an inconspicuous side room at the back of the hall, undo the sealing technique I personally imposed, and open the door, a person wrapped in white can be vaguely seen in the dim space.

That was the "vessel" that I found with a lot of hard work, a boy who had died less than two days ago.His young parents were distraught and still could not accept the outcome.In this way, it will be easier for me to perform memory modification techniques.Although he is a little younger, he meets the requirements in all aspects, and he will definitely be able to integrate well with Ye's soul.In the case of Yaofalcon as a transitional medium, the possibility of success has increased a lot.

I can't let Ye use the puppet's body, then he can't live as a human at all.But if I use this "device" in front of me, I can realize my wish.

Move him into the enchantment of the art, and lie side by side with Yao Falcon.Pulling the spiritual power gathered here, I activated the last part of the puppetry.

Seeing the young puppet gradually merge with the lifeless flesh and blood body, and the white porcelain body seep into it as if melting, the dead boy gradually changed.The pale, death-colored skin gradually regained its moisture, and the dull and rotten spots also slowly disappeared.It won't take long for the heartbeat to resume and the blood to surge under that fair skin again.Even without touching, I know that this body is no longer a dead thing that has lost its soul, but has a new life. Even if it is just a virtual image, it has been guaranteed to exist.

Looking at that strange but familiar face, unspeakable emotions filled my brain.I stared at his face for a long time, wanting to engrave that scene deeply into my mind, into the depths of my soul.

When he woke up again from the slumber beyond death, he was no longer Ye, no longer my brother.

As the strongest conjurer of the Yuwu family, I guarantee that the technique of sealing memory given to him will never be broken.He will never remember anything about Guan Ye, He Hao, and Yu Wujia.

He was originally a foreigner without Yuejian's blood.After that, he will leave Yuejian with his family, away from this cursed land, and start a new life.Among them, there will no longer be Ma Canghao.

Sorry, Yeh.I know you won't forgive me.

Until the end, I still can't think of a better method than this, a method that can protect you and allow Yuejian to exist.It is simply impossible to use puppetry to make everyone escape from nature, so at least let you...

I am sorry.

This is my fate, and I will face it.

If there is any chance, on the day the door is successfully sealed, I will definitely come to you.

Ye, please live a good life.

Note: The souls of living human beings are called living souls or living souls, while the souls that leave the body after death are dead souls.A living soul will become a dead soul if it loses its returnable body and lingers in this world for a long time.If the dead soul does not go to the ordinary world, it will gradually lose its nature and become a wraith.

Note: Blood contract, a technique inherited by blood, is attached to a specific person with a certain blood, and will not dissipate until the body dies.