I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 171 Conquering the Sea of ​​Souls
"Is this Yomotsu Hirasaka?"

Tanimura Wataru, Tanimura Hoshino, and Kishida Jun looked around.

Given the abilities of this "White Ghost," the "Yomi Hirasaka" he mentioned could not possibly be the "tourist attraction" in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, in the real world.

It can only be the Yomotsu Hirasaka, a place in myths and legends where the dead pass through!

"Could we be running into Lady Izanami?"

Hoshino Tanimura clung to Wataru Tanimura's arm. The two of them had finally managed to meet, but they didn't expect to run into that 'Yomizu-no-Kami'.

After all, after breaking with Izanagi, Izanami swore to kill all humans: she was hardly a benevolent 'goddess'.

"Don't worry,"

The 'White Ghost,' with white sleeves and trouser legs adorned with blood-red patterns, floated above this eerie place, explaining to the three.

"This is indeed Yomotsu Hirasaka,"

"But it is the 'ownerless' Yomotsu Hirasaka."

?

"Lord Bai, the Ghost Messenger,"

"Could it be because of the depletion of spiritual energy?"

Jun Kishida, a middle school student, was the first to react.

In order to revive Ryoko, he thoroughly studied every myth and legend he could find, and his knowledge was comparable to that of a folklore expert.

"Exactly,"

"A thousand years ago, the spiritual energy was exhausted, and Takamagahara was cut off from human affairs."

"The same is true for the underworld—"

As he spoke, Gui Shi Bai looked around:
All around were desolate buildings, withered trees and rocks; it seemed desolate, yet not entirely silent.

In the silence, there were occasional sounds that seemed to be crying or laughing, sobbing and whimpering, faint and elusive, which made people feel infinite sorrow and fear; everywhere was a hazy darkness, but not completely black: behind the eerie darkness, strange and mysterious things seemed to be growing everywhere in the ordinary.

This is not the environment he created, but the original appearance of this 'Sea of ​​Souls'!

That's right, this isn't just a lie fabricated by 'Yu'.

He didn't have the time for that; he deliberately created a 'Yellow Springs' place, a space that 'originally' existed.

“A thousand years ago, the Yellow Springs, ruled by the ‘Great God of the Yellow Springs,’ was also disconnected from the human world.”

"This is the last proof of the existence of souls who have had nowhere to go for thousands of years."

Of course, it's still the same.

Without chakra, the people of this world would never come into contact with the 'Sea of ​​Souls' in their entire lives, and naturally they would never be able to see the scene before them: it would be as if it did not exist!

"That's it,"

Tanimura Wataru seemed lost in thought; he had existed in 'soul' form for quite some time.

Although he could only vaguely sense Hoshino's situation, he had gained some understanding of the 'soul': if he hadn't been unable to let go of Hoshino, his soul would have already merged into this 'Yomi Hirasaka'.

"what?!"

Upon hearing Tanimura Wataru's account, Kishida Jun panicked.

"Lord Ghost Messenger, that Ryoko..."

"Don't panic,"

Ghostly White raised his hand, signaling Kishida Jun to calm down.

“I will not deceive you with false words—our ‘underworld’ has been separated from the human world for thousands of years, and this ‘Yellow Springs’ is also a place that we have not yet controlled.”

“My mission is to re-establish order here: this is just the entrance to Yomotsu Hirasaka. Once we advance to the River of Oblivion, we’ll figure out how to retrieve Ryoko Miyashita’s soul.”

River of Oblivion, River of Three Crossings, River of the Underworld.
This is a river mentioned in myths of various countries: clearly, its spiritual energy has been depleted for a thousand years, there is neither a Bridge of Helplessness nor Meng Po's soup, nor a boatman charging seven copper coins. Countless living beings would sink into it, and legend has it that even the gods dare not touch it.

How difficult it would be to retrieve Ryoko Miyashita's soul from this river.
But for Jun Kishida, that was enough!
At least he has now proven that 'soul resurrection' is real: the example of Tanimura Wataru, who died by his own hand.

What people fear most is not seeing hope. As long as there is hope, they will fight for it no matter what.

Even the River of Oblivion, which even the gods fear,
I must go!
No one can stop him!
His gaze shifted from Kishida Jun's face to the two members of the Tanimura family:
"As for you—"

“For you, you can absolutely consider this a ‘second life’.”

"This is your future 'home': after it's all over, it's only right that the 'underworld' will reserve two 'positions' for you."

Compilation/Organization?!
Both Wataru Tanimura and Hoshino Tanimura were surprised to hear such a 'modern' word.

but--

"Please rest assured, sir."

"We will do our utmost."

One was a college student, and the other was a high school student. They were both preparing to enter the workforce and take civil service exams. Now that "Ghostly White" had made a personal promise, they naturally had no reason to refuse.

Besides, if it weren't for the 'Ghost Messenger Bai' in front of them, their fate would probably be to drift along in the 'River of Oblivion'.

"Very good, then let's get to work!"

?

"Sir, our job is..."

"Clear away all the anomalies here!"

Led by 'Ghost Messenger White', the three people and two dogs followed closely behind, heading towards the gloomy 'Yomi Hirasaka'.

The outlines of the surrounding buildings, whether ancient or modern, clear or hazy, flew past as they moved forward.

As the saying goes, skill breeds daring. Kishida Jun and his companions looked around and could see, both openly and secretly, various strange and eerie scenes inside the houses:

For example, a woman dressed in white, grinning and giggling incessantly, crawled rustlingly throughout the room, even climbing onto the walls and the roof. Her classic recurved crawling movements, resembling a spider, amazed Hoshino Tanimura.

Isn't this just 'Sadako'?

Another person suspended themselves from a rope in their rented room, swinging back and forth like a pendulum, causing the overhead light to creak and groan. Their long hair obscured their face, with only a faint outline of a long, blood-red tongue writhing on their chest visible.
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way~~
The clear sound of a music box came from a nearby Western-style building.

Accompanied by cheerful and light music, you can see silhouettes of a man and a woman holding hands and twirling around behind the window, dancing a Western-style ballroom dance.

The next second, the music box's sound became jerky and icy, like a knife cutting flesh: arms covered in dead skin like dried corpses suddenly slammed against the window! They produced a chaotic, chilling sound, leaving behind only bloody handprints in vain.
There are even towering castle towers where you can see an ancient beauty wearing a twelve-layered kimono, combing her long hair in front of a mirror.

It's just that the head is taken off and placed on the table, while the headless body is combed behind it.
The withered tree next to them was covered with human heads, which looked like fruit growing on the tree. The heads had different expressions: some were in pain, some were sad, some were laughing, and some were crying.

"Sadako, the Hanged Ghost, Haunted Houses, Headless Princess, The Tree with a Human Face"

Kishida Jun first consulted with the 'White Ghost' ahead.
"Sir, may I do it?"

"certainly,"

"roar-----"

The next moment, roaring water dragons burst forth from under the umbrella, surging outwards with a resolute determination that would deter even gods and demons and kill anyone who stood in their way!
Boom, boom, boom, boom!

The water dragon instantly submerged the 'hanging ghost' in the rental house, blasted the Western-style 'haunted house' to pieces, and even strangled the human-faced tree into fragments. However, the 'Sadako' jumped away with eerie agility, using both hands and feet, while the castle tower's doors closed one after another, barely managing to block the water dragon amidst the deafening roar.

"All show and no substance,"

After testing the waters, Kishida Jun made this assessment.

No, no, no, that's because your 'soul' is far more powerful than these 'demons'.

These scenes and various monsters are essentially creations formed from the residual soul energy of countless dead people: although they are numerous, their quality is questionable.

In front of Kishida Jun, who was already an elite Chunin, he naturally appeared to be no match for him: if a normal person's soul were to enter, any part of it could put him in a life-or-death situation, and he would eventually be completely destroyed.

After all, this is a place where the echoes of countless souls gather.

For ordinary people, what's the difference between this and the real 'Yomi-Hirasaka'?
Of course, without Yuu, an Otsutsuki, ordinary people wouldn't have access to this so-called 'Yomi Hirasaka'. "Roar—"

“Woof woof woof~~~”

Wataru Tanimura and Hoshino Tanimura also joined in, directing their two enlarged dogs to start 'destroying' the house. No, I mean 'demolishing' it: no matter who you are, Sadako or Kayako, you'll all die again!
well,

Such enthusiasm made Gui Shi Bai nod secretly.

This is the 'Sea of ​​Souls,' which, to put it bluntly, is the place of 'cognition' of consciousness.

Everywhere you look are demons and monsters, nothing more than the remnants of souls from the island nation gathered over thousands of years: no matter how bizarre or terrifying they are, they still cannot escape human perception.

Under the attacks of Kishida Jun, Tanimura Wataru, Tanimura Hoshino, and the two ninja dogs, these demons were quickly dispersed:
Because they are overshadowed by more vivid and powerful perceptions.

If we continue, we will soon be able to carve out a foothold in this 'Yellow Springs':
And this place where they stand will be the place where You—no, the place where Ghost Messenger Bai establishes the 'Underworld'.

Nether
'Ghost Messenger Bai' lowered his eyes, even death was something he wanted to control.

I am the only one in the world!
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Higashi-Izumo Mountains,
A safe house in the woods.

"I didn't intend to run away; I did fight hard."

"Okay, okay, we understand."

The old hunter named 'Ishikawa' raised his hand, interrupting the young man's repeated murmurs.

"That's perfectly normal,"

"Back when I first went up the mountain with my father,"

"Faced with a wild boar charging towards me, I was so scared that my legs cramped up. I couldn't even run away, let alone fight."

Then the wild boar with a broken leg was pierced in the mouth by his father with a spear; then he pushed forward, stomped on it to suppress it, pulled out the spear and stabbed it in the heart, ending the battle in ten seconds.

Ever since the terrifying two-legged creature invented the 'spear',
No creature on land dared to challenge its dominant position.

In the Roman Colosseum, gladiators were only given daggers: if they were given lances, lions and tigers would be slaughtered!

Of course, that was the 'natural world' of the past; now, in this era of supernatural beings, if you encounter a supernatural wild boar, it's uncertain who will kill whom.

"I"

"Relax, young man."

A cup of hot tea was handed to the pale-faced young man, and another old hunter sat down as well.

"There aren't that many brave and fearless people in this world. When faced with danger, running away and hiding are the true reflections of most people."

"You may possess power far exceeding ours, but you are still just a human being."

It is a person,

There will be joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.

There will be times when you feel weak and want to escape:
"We're two old men, and we've lived most of our lives."

"I've met many people, and I've seen many things; don't give up on them easily."

The old hunter raised his finger and pointed to the young man's chest, then to his waist and abdomen, and finally to his limbs:

"Your heart is still beating, your lungs are still breathing, your kidneys are silently filtering your blood, and your immune system is fighting desperately against the virus, battling every cell in your body, all in an effort to keep you alive!"

"I don't know what you've been through, but there's nothing shameful about running away temporarily."

"But remember, never give up on your life."

"Grandpa, it's me."

The young man, also known as Master Zhixiong, gave a wry smile.

He had no intention of committing suicide. On the contrary, he was so 'cherishing' of his own life that he abandoned his friend and fled the battlefield!

The two middle-aged men in front of him were very kind and kept trying to comfort him, but they completely misunderstood.
"I'm a coward."

"So what if I'm a coward?"

Ishikawa casually spoke while sipping his tea.

"I hated physical education class in school the most: even though I'm not good at soccer, the teacher still made us play in groups."

"If a school's curriculum is boring, then it's wrong—"

As he spoke, the old hunter patted the hunting rifle beside him.

"Even if I can't play football, I can still be a good 'forest ranger'."

"It sounds like you're the kind of person who suddenly gains superhuman abilities and is then forced into battle?"

"If you don't want to fight, then use your power in another way: engage in production, logistics, or something else."

"But."

Master Zhixiong wanted to say something more, but he only opened his mouth and left the words unsaid.

"thank you all."

"Please rest assured, I will not commit suicide, nor will I be in any danger."

"You all go about your business, don't worry about me."

"Okay, then you can stay here for now."

Another old hunter got up and patted the refrigerator next to him.

"There's plenty of food stored here, don't be shy, it's all covered by the government anyway~~"

"Let's go, Ishikawa."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Brother, who is that young man?"

"Master Zhixiong?"

After leaving the cabin in the woods, Ishikawa spoke in a low voice.

Don't underestimate them just because they are two 'veteran forest rangers' in a remote area; they can at least use smartphones and watch videos online.

Naturally, he also knows the extraordinary individuals in the island nation: among them is the 'Buddhist high monk' Master Zhixiong.

"It's him,"

"Then we—"

"Let's just pretend we don't know anything."

The old hunter interrupted Ishikawa, having already figured it out after their conversation.

"The so-called Master Zhixiong is just an ordinary child."

"If he wants to rest, we old folks should respect his wishes."

Moreover--

The government's battle report described it as a "huge victory."

Letting Master Zhixiong calm down here shouldn't have any impact.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: Uh, something came up and I was delayed.

By the way, the books I recommend are all written by acquaintances in my author group; they're not multitasking. —If I had that kind of energy, wouldn't it be great to write 10,000 words a day? (I couldn't do that.)
(End of this chapter)