Today is the day when the "ceremony" begins.
Needless to say how arduous the preparations were, especially since the two Liudao Wuchang had been "absent from work" for a few days, which had already delayed things a bit. Although the rivers and lakes are still ordinary rivers and lakes, in places where the sun does not shine, things that like shade must be growing more and more happily. Regardless of the result now, let’s quickly come to a conclusion today.
This is a depression in the mountains. The terrain is very high, but the terrain is concave and has a large scope. Mizumu-kun and Uzuki-kun stood on a high point on the edge, with a steep and downward slope on their sides, looking a little dangerous. Shi Wuqi, Kong Lingbei, Long Miao and Miss Zhu Tong were making final preparations. Shui Wujun had nothing to do but wait to see if they had anything else to do. And Uoyuki-kun will play a decisive role in this ceremony, she is just taking a short break.
There are many stars tonight, but no moon. If there were only the moon, I'm afraid it would attract things that shouldn't come. Shui Wujun raised his head and looked at the sky, and said softly:
"This spiritual conjuring ritual—how sure are you?"
"Calling souls is really...an inappropriate term." Lord Uoyue looked slightly sideways.
"Sorry, I don't quite understand this. How should I say this?"
"It's not entirely wrong. After all, the rituals are indeed similar, but we have made many improvements. First of all, the time has been calculated, and the clothes are also newly cut. The real soul summoning should use the old clothes of the deceased to attract him The soul, but we don't have... Even Shi Wuqi didn't leave anything commemorative. This is harmless. I have to say... it should be called 'soul summoning', right? But what we want to recall is It’s not Kisaragi-kun’s soul, it’s just to awaken her consciousness as the master of the new body.”
"Is this so?"
Shui Wujun understood half of it, but that was enough. She just needs to know that she stays here to avoid accidents. At this time, she noticed a bright spot in the night sky getting closer and closer, like a star falling and rushing towards her. The white star is getting closer and closer, emitting soft light. Shui Wujun was not surprised.
"Here we come." She patted Utsuki-kun gently on the shoulder.
The two of them looked up at it. It was a pure white Tengu. It passed over the two men and did not land, but one of them jumped down. Needless to say, Lord Shuangyue came as promised.
"Thanks for your hard work!"
The two of them came forward and looked at the dusty Lord Shuangyue. Her breathing was a little short, of course not because of the fatigue of traveling in person - but because of her nervousness and anxiety. The biting wind blew her face to ice. Although she was not cold, her face was numb and even simple expressions were stiff. She asked urgently:
"How's it going? Am I late?"
"No, no, it's just the right time." Uoyue-kun took her hand, which was stiff with cold, and led her, "Let's go, let's go there now."
The three of them went to their destination. Lord Shuoyue raised his head and glanced at the Tengu who was gradually moving away. Its figure almost completely disappeared into the night. In this deserted place, Mr. Shuangyue felt an indescribable kindness. The structure of this place and the circulation of spiritual energy really resembled Xueyan Valley... but she didn't have much time to express her emotions. She just needs to know that this is an essential condition for Lord Kisaragi to wake up.
She is still very busy, so busy that her feet never touch the ground. There are always too many trivial matters, large and small, in the world. Compared with the objective threats of evil, the filth in the sewer cannot be ignored. However, she must come this time, because the people involved and standing here are the most important people to her in the past, present and future.
When meeting his old friends, Shuangyue-kun had no time to express any emotion. Their time is limited, and if they miss the time, the consequences will be difficult to predict. Besides, their lives are so... so long, and there will be more opportunities in the future. There is only one thing that needs to be made clear at the moment: concentrate on making Lord Ruyue awaken smoothly during this soul-awakening ceremony. Other than that, the little details don't matter.
Mr. Shuangyue's eyes swept across the faces of everyone present. Shi Wuqi's expression was similar to that of Mao Yuejun. There was no trace of worry, only calmness. But she knew that these two people were not without worries. On the contrary, people like them who are "in charge" are the most nervous. But they can suppress their emotions and focus all their attention on the event itself.
On the contrary, Long Miao's expression was no different from Shui Wujun's. When Shuangyue-kun first met Shuiwu-kun, her confusion and worry were clearly revealed on her face. Logically speaking, someone like her wouldn't express any of that clearly - but that might be the past. She is no longer the killer she was during her lifetime, and no longer needs to pay attention to these things. What's more, this is also the person closest to her, so she can show her concerns so safely. Long Miao didn't understand this either. He only knew that things should be arranged by knowledgeable people. Like Shui Wujun, he was here to control potential accidents.
Kong Lingbei was really calm and relaxed... It's not that he was indifferent, but that he couldn't realize the specific value of this matter like others. Of course he knows the importance of it - that's a Six Paths Impermanence! But for him, it is difficult to resonate with the feelings he has had with his friends to this day. He only knows that everyone else cares about this matter, so he should care too. Just looking at Uoyuki-kun, he may feel that he has a relatively high degree of confidence in this matter. But he's not stupid either. He can see Long Miao's anxiety, and he also knows that it's not his turn to say nonsense like "relax".
He stood here like this, exuding an unusual majesty. Maybe this is part of his temperament as a lord... Needless to say, it makes people look a little at ease.
Zhu Tong looked very relaxed...
This monster, who looks like a little girl, always seems to be like this, able to do anything with ease. Her temperament and performance make others forget that she is a girl - forgetting that such a little girl usually cannot accomplish anything big. But her relaxed attitude was as if she could really overcome any difficulty.
"Miss Zhu Tong..." Mr. Shuangyue hesitated and finally said, "How sure are you about this matter?"
"Not sure."
...?
Such depressing words. Others didn't say anything after hearing this. At most, they rolled their eyes. No matter what, this girl's virtues are all in the movie. What's more, she can come to help on behalf of the Shadow Pavilion and has overcome many problems. Otherwise, is there a better choice? At this point, what can the people standing here do except choose to believe?
The ceremony is about to begin.
A gust of evening wind blew, and everyone's hair tips were raised slightly. After the others retreated to a suitable distance, only Utsuki-kun stepped forward and walked towards the quiet corpse in the center of the circle. She was wearing a new dress with a dull color, similar to the previous one but made of much better material, and she looked so decent.
So...so complete.
Her missing parts have been completed. This kind of craftsmanship cannot be accomplished by anyone except the experienced girl Zhu Tong. One of Ruyue-kun's legs, one arm, waist and abdomen, and many other small places were filled with soil. The larger parts can be fired and installed directly, while some details require Ms. Zhu Tong to take fire protection measures for the body, use special fire, appropriate temperature and environment, and handle it together with the clay.
She also stayed up day and night and couldn't get even a drop of water. Although this is not a difficult task for youkai, it is not easy to deal with one thing seriously. But she still looked so relaxed and happy, making people feel that the atmosphere was not as heavy as expected.
Before the ceremony, Uzuki-kun changed into the clothes of a miko.
Compared to the one she usually wears, the red and white miko uniform looks too plain. Her hair was tied up with a paper band, and the Kagura bell in her hand made everyone present feel familiar. She stepped forward step by step with her wooden clogs, making a dull sound as she stepped on the dead branches and leaves. She came to Lord Ruyue and looked at her completed and peaceful face, feeling a different kind of sadness in her heart. The familiar face has been repaired very restored, but there are imperceptible cracks at the joints and slight color differences that cannot be detected in low light. I think Miss Zhu Tong also tried her best.
But she showed no emotion. She shook the Kagura bell in her hand regularly, and the bell made a rhythmic and crisp sound. Unlike any previous "retrospection", this melody coupled with her dance made everyone present feel strangely peaceful. This kind of tranquility is not the soothing brought by music or spices, but a magic-like direct, unexpected and mandatory "hypnosis".
Almost everyone present became drowsy, but had to cheer up. They have to see it all before the results come - and just in case the results are not so "mellow".
Then, in accordance with the rules, each of them whispered Kisaragi-kun's name.
It’s not Cyan Xiangmei Jian·Ruyue Jun.
It’s not the name that belongs to the six realms of impermanence.
It is the original name that truly belongs to the owner of this body and has not been reclaimed by that adult.
The seventh Xiangling.
The seventh Xiangling.
The seventh Xiangling.
The seventh Xiangling.
The seventh Xiangling.
As he murmured this familiar yet unfamiliar name, something deep in Shi Wuqi's heart was about to stir. What memory is about to come out, will it be Kisaragi-kun's name that was taken back? The sudden uneasiness made his heart feel like there was a fire burning, it hurt and itched. But that place cannot be touched with just hands.
Don't think about it anymore...it's useless, don't think about it anymore.
Can't remember.
Even if you think about it, what's the use?
So stop thinking about it.
The call did not last long, but there was much preparation for the ceremony. The burning incense floats in the mountains, extending into every gap in the vegetation. Utsuki-kun was already very tired, but she did not stop. The stars in the sky are still bright, as if each eye is paying close attention to everything at the moment.
Finally, the ceremony was over.
Lying there was Kisaragi-kun with his eyes closed. Before, her expression and body were still under her control, but today, she has not shown any signs of movement for a long time. It's simple. The spiritual energy stored in the body is almost completely exhausted. Before, Shi Wuqi and others tried to supplement it with other plants or small animals, but in order to prepare for this ceremony, she had been silent for too long.
"...It should be a failure, right?"
Uoyuki-kun turned around and wiped the sweat from his forehead. She forced a smile, as if she was trying to tell everyone that this was no big deal.
But what she saw was not the disappointed expressions of everyone, but...
"Watch your back!"
