At about six o'clock in the evening, the flow of people visiting the shrine began to decrease significantly. Even the part-time shrine maidens who guided the tourists to leave changed their clothes and left.
Half an hour later, the entire shrine was empty.
Kamiyakawa finally saw Onitsuka Kirihotaru.
"Kamigu, have you waited for a long time? Are you hungry?"
The little witch has exquisite makeup today. She wears white clothes and scarlet hakama. She wears white footbags and wooden clogs. Her hair is tied up high. She is smart and mysterious.
It was still some time before the ceremony started, so she wore a white bread suit on top of the red and white miko uniform.
In addition, she also held a small sandalwood box in her hand, and she didn't know what was inside.
"It didn't take long. Besides, the cats at your shrine are quite cute, especially the fat orange one you showed me last time named Dango."
"Isn't that right? Tuanzi is very close to her and is not afraid of life."
"Onitsuka, are you... wearing cold clothes like this?"
"I put on a baby warmer, but it's still a little cold."
"It's really hard to be the son of a god."
"There's nothing we can do about it. Let's go. I'll take you to dinner. After dinner, let's go see my mother-in-law. In fact, my mother-in-law is quite interested in you, a disciple of ghosts and gods."
"good."
As far as Kamiya knew, Onizuka was raised at Juqiong Shrine since he was a child.
As for her parents, she had never heard of them.
It seems that Granny Gu and Onizuka in the shrine are not related by blood, but they are her legal guardians.
Going to see the old priest means meeting Onizuka Kiriho's parents.
…
Onizuka brought Kamiyakawa to a guest room in the back hall.
The Japanese-style furnishings are elegant and clean, and the lighting is bright.
The potted green plants in the corner of the room are still green in this season. They should be carefully taken care of by someone special.
This place is probably used by the believers who donated a lot of money to the shrine and stayed there occasionally.
There were two food boxes placed on the table in the room.
The food on both sides is the same, a bowl of rice, a fried saury, and a bowl of tofu soup.
It looks quite bland.
Onizuka led Kamiya to the small table: "That's all we did in the kitchen today."
"Looks... healthy."
"Yes, I usually eat like this. So I often miss the food outside." Onizuka sat down opposite Kamiya, put the small box in his hand on the table, and pushed it forward unconsciously. , "By the way, Kamiya. I have prepared a New Year's gift for you..."
Before she finished speaking, there was a gentle knock on the open door of the room.
A female cleric who looked to be in her 30s stood outside and whispered softly: "Xiaoying, Granny Gu is looking for you."
"Oh, I'll be right away." Onizuka Kiriho stood up.
The woman outside the door, whose temperament and manners were outstanding, looked at Kamiya in the room again: "Isn't this Kamiya-kun, a disciple of ghosts and gods who is famous in Kyoto?"
"Hello." Out of politeness, Kamiyakawa also stood up.
"Gui'an, Mr. Kamiya, my name is Fu, and I am your Yi here."
"Sister Fu." Kamiya immediately greeted her obediently.
Young people with sweet mouths and good looks are always popular. Fu Niyi smiled gently: "Haha, Xiaoying, I will borrow it first. See you later, Kamiya-kun."
"You should eat the god valley first. My mother-in-law should have some sacrificial matters to talk to me about."
Onizuka walked out of the door quickly.
Tonight's Tianyu sacrifice at Juqiong Shrine is a top priority and cannot make any mistakes.
"Go and do your business. Don't pay too much attention to me."
Watching Onizuka and Tomi Ki leave, Kamiya sat down next to the table again.
He wasn't actually particularly hungry.
I didn't know if the little witch would be back soon, so I simply waited for a while.
"Onizuka said she has a New Year's gift for me."
Kamiya's eyes fell on the small box on the table.
Is it this thing?
I just noticed that she was pushing the box forward while talking.
"What's in the box?"
Kamiya was a little curious.
According to Onizuka's actions just now, this small box was meant to be given to him, but he was interrupted by Tomi Nie. That being the case, it shouldn't matter if you take a quick look.
Snap.
The small sandalwood box was opened.
Inside was a small plain white sake bottle.
The spout is tightened and blocked by a cork, and the bottle is conical in shape, giving it a very simple look.
"Wine?"
Kamiyakawa casually picked up the white bottle of wine, without opening the cork, and directly put the mouth of the bottle to the tip of his nose and sniffed.
He has no ability to evaluate wine.
But the wine in the small bottle smelled unusual, fragrant and sweet.
"Onitsuka is going to give me a bottle of wine?"
Having satisfied his curiosity, Kamiyagawa was about to put the bottle back into the box. At this time, the sound of clogs' footsteps suddenly came from the door, and Onitsuka's voice said: "Kamiya, I forgot to take it - eh!?"
"Um?"
Kamiya turned around.
I saw the little witch and Fu Niyi standing at the door.
Onizuka Kiriho's beautiful almond eyes stared at the sake bottle in Kamiya's hand, her pupils shaking. From her angle, she couldn't see whether the cork of the sake bottle had been opened, but she could see Kamiya holding the bottle and bringing it to his mouth and nose.
"Kamiyagawa! You, you stupid fool! You don't know how to drink!"
The little witch's fair cheeks suddenly turned crimson, even the roots of her ears were visibly red, and her mouth was almost sunken into a W-shape.
"Huh? I didn't."
Kamiya quickly put the bottle down.
Not good.
Judging from Onizuka's reaction, this bottle of wine was probably not meant for him.
It would be a mistake.
Moreover, the little miko always seemed to be full of energy. Although she occasionally acted foolishly, she had a calm attitude toward everything. This was the first time Kamiya saw her face flushed.
Onizuka rushed into the room in three steps. When he got closer, he saw that the cork of the sake bottle had not been opened.
The expression on his face finally became a little more normal.
"Uh...Sorry, I thought this was your New Year's gift to me."
"My brain is not broken, how could I give this to you! Idiot Kamiya!"
Onizuka quickly picked up the sake bottle on the table and put it back into the box.
He turned around and walked away angrily.
"The wine..."
"Hehehe, that's the wine used for the afternoon ceremony. Normally, it wouldn't be drunk by others. Xiaoying probably plans to take it and dispose of it."
Fu Niyi at the door did not leave immediately, but looked at Kamiya River with squinted eyes and a smile.
"It turned out to be for sacrifice. I'm really sorry."
"It's okay. The sacrifice that used the Shenzi wine in the afternoon has ended. Even if you drink it, it will have no impact on the sacrifice." Fu Niyi still smiled, "However, this is the first time I have seen Xiaoying show such an expression. Come on. Kamiya-kun is really powerful. If it were someone else holding the bottle of wine, Xiaoying would probably just take out the yellow talisman based on Xiaoying's temper."
"Uh, Shenzi wine?"
"Yes, it's the chewing wine that Xiaoying made last year. If Kamiya-kun really wants to drink it, for the sake of you calling me Fujie, I can tell you quietly where Xiaoying usually pours the wine away. "
"……No, thanks."
Kamiyakawa raised his hands to cover his face.
A girl's chewing wine?
No wonder Onizuka's reaction was so big...
"Hehehe, I'm so shy. Boys and girls are so cute."
Tomi Nie of Juqiong Shrine has somewhat sinister attributes in her body.
…
Onizuka did not come back to eat with Kamiya.
She was probably shy and angry and didn't want to see him.
No reply to Line message.
However, around seven o'clock, Kamiyakawa received a Line from the other party: "Come to the front of the hall, idiot Kamiya."
"Feel sorry."
Kamiyagawa replied to her.
Onizuka's side showed "read" but there was no reply.
In front of the main hall of Juqiong Shrine.
The moonlight tonight is very bright, falling in the courtyard, divided by the shadows of the trees, and rippling on the ground like water.
The lights inside the main hall are warm and yellow, and two wooden braziers are added outside the corridor, with charcoal fires burning inside.
When Kamiya came here, some people had already gathered in front of the hall.
They all seemed to be insiders of the shrine.
Grandma Gu, who is leaning on a blind cane, and Fu Niyi, who looks gentle but is actually sinister, are among them.
Individuals holding various musical instruments stood in the corridor of the main hall.
Onizuka had already taken off his white bread suit, and the white scarlet hakama miko costume seemed to be a different one. It was more gorgeous and thicker than usual, exuding a self-evident sense of solemnity.
Grandma Gu and Fu Niyi below noticed Kamiyachuan's arrival and just nodded towards him without speaking.
The atmosphere here seems not to be conducive to speaking loudly.
Therefore, Kamiyakawa also nodded in response.
The little Onizuka miko in the center of the hall also noticed Kamiya walking into the courtyard, and didn't give much reaction. She just glanced at him briefly and puffed her cheeks invisibly. Then he walked to Grandma Gu and talked quietly.
After waiting for a while, tonight's staff arrived. This is a ceremony that is not open to the public, so there are not many people watching.
It's almost time.
In the corridor of the temple, Onizuka inserted the Kamiko flower hairpin into his hair, and expertly tied his long hair in white sandalwood paper.
Then, she took off her clogs and wore only the white and loose footbags. The socks of the footbags were tied to her shapely white ankles.
The little witch walked lightly, her hairpin tassels drooping and swaying, and she walked to the center of the temple.
There was a giant painted fan, with a golden crown in front of it.
She bowed slightly toward the crown, and then two young shrine women came out to serve. They respectfully took the crown off the dressing table and held it in front of her with both hands.
Onizuka Kiriho took the tiara and put it on. The gorgeous clothes set off her delicate and beautiful appearance. Coupled with the serious and solemn expression on her face, her whole temperament seemed to have changed.
The crown she just wore was called a shrine crown, the last ornament worn by a shrine maiden during her ritual dance. Wearing the shrine crown means that the god's sight has been directed to this place and the ritual dance is about to begin.
The people watching the ceremony were silent and could only hear the sparks of the burning charcoal fire.
The Kagura flute began to play.
The two bonfires outside the corridor burned even more enthusiastically, and the shrine crown that was placed squarely on Onizuka's head flashed with gilded patterns.
The little shrine maiden holds a Kagura bell in her right hand, holds a five-colored thread in her left hand, and walks dignifiedly and elegantly.
The taiko drum sounds.
Onizuka stood still and slowly turned his slender body to the sound of the drum.
There is no wind tonight, and the ends of the five colors in her hand are floating slightly with the dance movements.
Boom, boom, boom.
The taiko drum sounded three short times.
Zheng, Zheng, Zheng.
Onizuka cooperated by shaking the Kagura bell in his hand three times.
The golden Kagura bell is divided into three rings. From the inner ring to the outer ring, three, five, and seven bells are tied respectively. When the bell rings, the sound it makes is like a clear spring hitting a rock, crisp but full, pious and ethereal.
Then, the drum beat slowly became more urgent.
The little witch bent down gently, and five colored threads passed in front of her.
Straightening up, the Kagura bell passed in front of her delicate and solemn face, and the five-color silk satin scattered in an arc shape in the air, and then gathered into Onizuka's left hand again.
Continue to bend down, stand up, wave the bell, caress your thoughts, raise your hands and move your feet, slowly creating a sense of sacredness.
She danced the dance of betrayal in the sky, calm and calm, pure and untainted, standing like a peony and moving like a mountain elixir.
Standing in the courtyard, Kamiyagawa watched Onizuka's dance steps and felt an inexplicable itch in his heart.
"Onizuka's dance looks so lonely... Is this the way the dance is originally, or is it an expression of her own emotions?"
There is a holy figure dancing in the center of the temple. It is so beautiful that it cannot be compared.
But I don’t know why, but it looks very lonely. It is right in front of me, but it seems to be far away and difficult to reach.
Kagura flute and taiko drum symphony performance.
Onizuka's movements are more holy and firm, and also more ethereal and distant.
The familiar girl in the center of the temple was so focused that she ignored and turned a deaf ear to all the sounds, things, and people around her. Waving her sleeves and twirling lightly, she stepped on graceful, light, free and fluent dance steps to perform Tianyu Shou's solo dance.
The expression is solemn but indifferent, the figure is beautiful but lonely, as if she is the only one independent between heaven and earth.
"Or maybe, the original Tenden girl felt the same way when she danced in front of Amagado?"
Onizuka's dance continues——
Six feet long, five colored threads are whirling, and the silk strips are dancing with light.
Fifteen golden bells are ringing with a sonorous sound.
Three spins, six rings, and nine echoes.
The ribbons and golden bells danced in the stream of light, creating silhouettes in everyone's sight, enough to separate the boundaries between light and darkness, life and death, man and god.
In front of the temple.
All the colors were dim, leaving only the dancing and swaying red and pure white; all the sounds were mute, except for the sound of the footsteps of one person and one bell.
When everything calmed down and Kamiyagawa came to his senses, Onizuka's dance had stopped.
There was fine sweat on her forehead and cheeks, and her bright eyes illuminated by the bonfire were a little triumphant, scanning the valley of gods standing quietly below, taking a small breath.
"...That guy takes it very seriously."
…
After Tianyu's dance of betrayal, Onitsuka Kirihotaru will not need to appear again in tonight's sacrifice.
She returned to her room and changed into thick, warm clothes.
When she walked out, she saw Kamiyagawa waiting for her outside.
"Onizuka."
"what?"
"Um, I'm really sorry about the Shenzijiu thing. And - the dance just now was very good."
"Hmph -" Onizuka snorted softly, "You are a guest anyway, and I don't want to argue with you anymore. It seems that I am so stingy. Here, I'll give this to you."
She took out a pentagonal Ema wooden tablet from her pocket and stuffed it into Kamiya's hand.
This thing is the New Year gift that the little witch wants to give.
She seemed to have said before that she would draw a good-looking Ema for Kamiyagawa.
The largest area of Ema cards is hand-painted——
It was a girl in a red and white miko uniform, with a smiling face and a fat orange cat in her hand.
It was probably drawn by Onizuka in his own image, and it's quite cute.
On the left side of the Ema, in neat and graceful handwriting is written: [Congratulations on the New Year]
On the right is a line of small words——
[Wish: Kamiya River can always be safe. ]
"Happy New Year, Kamiya."
"Well, Happy New Year, Onizuka."
"Let's go."
Onizuka wrapped up his clothes and smiled towards Kamiyakawa.
Apparently, according to the little miko's little Shiba Inu personality, there might not have been much trouble in the first place.
"Where to go?"
"Didn't I say before that my mother-in-law wants to see you?"
(End of chapter)
