I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

Lu Ban nodded.

"Do you remember that madman we encountered on our way here yesterday?"

"……he?"

I only realized how beautiful the autumn leaves were late in the day.

If we follow Lu Ban's logic, people who seem crazy are the most normal people. The missing painter Wan Ye could very well be the madman who was hit and killed yesterday.

"No, but he has already undergone mutation, so he should... no, if his body has been corrupted and mutated, but his mind hasn't been corrupted, then that's how that situation would occur?"

That should be the case.

Lu Ban recalled a story where the protagonist, who was originally the pillar of his family, suddenly turned into a giant beetle. His family went from helping him to disliking him, and in the end, he died alone in his bed.

If a person suddenly discovers that their body and the bodies of those around them have changed, turning them into monsters, and everyone around them is used to it, while only they are aware of it, then their mind will surely be severely tormented and eventually collapse.

It's like when you're chatting with some friends in a group during summer vacation, and everyone says they didn't do any summer homework and plan to quickly copy it down when school starts, which results in you slacking off for two months without touching that mountain of work. But when school starts, you find that all your group members had finished their work a couple of days before the holidays, and you're the only one who hasn't touched a single word.

I'll definitely feel like the Joker is actually me.

"If we can remain rational, there might still be room for redemption. After all, there's the saying 'disabled people can be determined,' isn't there?"

Lu Ban was full of confidence.

He and Momiji walked out of the house and saw Tachibana Masamune and Ginpei.

The two people had turned into two indescribable lumps of strange flesh and blood, their sharp teeth rubbing against the flesh, and several eyeballs rotating, finally looking towards Lu Ban.

"It seems you two had a good night."

Yinping's chubby tentacles were still holding his fan, giving him the air of a refined scholar among monsters.

Hongye calmed herself down and did not respond.

Lu Ban smiled and followed them to the central courtyard of Anxin Courtyard, which was spacious and bright, and already had quite a few "people" gathered there.

Lu Ban saw that the painters and poets dressed in kimonos had all turned into twisted and bizarre monsters. These monsters, some writhing, some waving tentacles, some covered in eyes, and some piled with bones, gathered in the courtyard, resembling a painting of a hundred demons walking at night.

Combined with the floating crystal dolls in the sky, it creates an eerie atmosphere.

"Wow, this year's poetry festival looks really grand!"

"Although that happened before, it seems that everything is fine now. We should trust the magistrates of Utajima."

"I've been here for many days and haven't felt anything unusual. It's true that you have to see things with your own eyes to know whether they exist or not."

"I wonder what the theme of this year's poem will be. I'm looking forward to it."

The air was filled with the sounds of chattering as the monsters discussed what they had seen and heard, clearly looking forward to the festival.

Standing among these monsters, Hongye felt a sense of disorientation.

Only Lu Ban remained silent.

The poetry festival began amidst colorful fireworks.

Chapter 109 Underworld Performance

The first thing Lu Ban saw was a group of monsters.

These monsters should theoretically be dressed in their finest attire, dancing gracefully.

But in Lu Ban's eyes, all that remained was the bizarre scene of monsters intertwining and entangled with each other.

Even the music sounded like a funeral.

Lu Banzhong is often criticized for his penchant for doing things in the underworld, but he feels that the festival performance in front of him is the real underworld.

Those skeletal monsters, which looked like insects, came and went as if rehearsing a grand drama.

"This performance represents the birth, destruction, and rebirth of the island. It's quite good."

"Yes, yes, this form of artistic expression is unique and truly amazing."

“I saw the future, hope, and the spirit of the island in these people’s performances.”

"What moved me so much that I was moved to tears? This year's poetry festival was truly amazing!"

"It is precisely because of people like these that the island has been able to survive despite its difficulties!"

Everyone expressed their gratitude to the Kazushima Daisha and to those around them.

The performance seemed to be of a high artistic standard.

"Young Master Lu, what are you looking for? This kind of performance is rarely seen elsewhere."

Yinping, standing to the side, waved his fan and asked Lu Ban, who was looking around.

"It is indeed rare."

As Lu Ban watched the centipede-like monster writhe and twist, he realized he simply couldn't appreciate such art.

He is looking for people who have not mutated.

Or at least, monsters that behave relatively abnormally.

Unfortunately, Lu Ban didn't notice.

The elderly with children, couples holding hands, friends walking together, and artists attending alone all turned into monsters.

These monsters cheered, celebrated, and applauded, dancing, singing, and reciting poetry in the courtyard, like humans, yet not human.

Lu Ban even saw that the eaves, corners, and tall pavilions were all stained with a deep purple color, as if congealed blood had stained them, turning the entire courtyard into a terrifying hell.

“I once read a story about a painter who, in order to complete his painting, asked the local lord to find a woman and burn her alive in his carriage as a reference. Unexpectedly, the woman the lord found turned out to be the painter’s daughter. The painter was initially horrified, but in the end, he showed a fanatical expression and painted a picture while his daughter was screaming in pain.”

As Lu Ban watched the monsters' animated performance move into the next stage, with the underworld's music echoing in the courtyard, he casually remarked.

"What does this mean, Brother Lu Ban?"

Tachibana Masamune's eyes were filled with countless eyes; his body was rotting and covered in pustules. He turned his head and asked.

"Because the painting is called 'Hell Transformation,' I think it fits the current scene very well."

Lu Ban chuckled, then pulled Hongye along and headed towards the exit leading out of the central courtyard.

"Is Young Master Lu Ban leaving already? The most exciting performance is about to begin."

Yinping tried to dissuade him with great regret.

"Okay, I'll be right back."

Lu Ban replied, taking one last look at the hellish scene.

The island magistrates guarding the central courtyard did not stop them, and Lu Ban easily arrived at the prison of Anxin Courtyard with Hongye. The person who went mad yesterday was being held here.

Monster-like island officials stood guard at the entrance, and for some reason, Lu Ban could sense their wariness from what couldn't even be called faces.

Lu Ban felt that if he spent a little more time with them, he would be able to fully understand the monsters' every move.

“I am a shrine maiden of the island shrine. This is proof that we suspect the prisoners held here have been contaminated and an investigation is needed.”

Momiji pulled out a piece of sandalwood paper, which looked like identification from the Shima Shrine.

"So convenient!"

Lu Ban saw that the island officials stepped aside to make way for him.

Hongye and Luban walked down the dark and damp cell one after the other. They could see that the area was very empty and there were no other prisoners.

There was only a dark green mass of flesh and blood, curled up in the corner of the cell.

Lu Ban couldn't recognize this person as the same one from yesterday, but Hong Ye leaned closer.

"You are Wan Ye?"

A faint light emanated from her body, a gentle glow like the soft radiance of moonlight, which caused the green mass of flesh to react.

"...Save me, save me! I'm not a monster, I'm a human, I'm not a monster, I'm a human..."

The lump of flesh made a muffled sound, which Lu Ban could vaguely make out; it was the madman he had seen yesterday.

"Are you Wan Ye?"

Lu Ban also asked to confirm.

"Manye... Yes, yes, yes, it's me, Manye! Please save me, save me... Lady Horror Priestess, Lady Horror Priestess, save me, save me..."

The fleshy mass spoke urgently, as if it were pleading.

"He's already mentally deranged..."

Lu Ban muttered to himself. In his field of vision, the tangled straw in the dungeon formed the text of the system, accompanied by the underworld music coming from outside.

[Participating in the Poetry Festival: 1/1]

Searching for the Missing Artist: 1/1

[Survived until the end of the Poetry Festival: 69:41:16]

So this must be Man Ye.

Lu Ban felt relieved.

If I hadn't gone to the shrine on Uta Island, I probably wouldn't have been able to discover the island's anomalies by acquiring knowledge, and thus deduce Manyo's true identity.

Now all that remains is to survive until the end of the poetry festival.

Can you cure him?

Lu Ban asked Hongye.

"I can give it a try..."

Hongye raised her hand.

A golden light flowed from her fingertips, transforming into threads that wrapped around the lump of flesh.

In Lu Ban's eyes, the fleshy mass rapidly twisted and shrank, transforming into the shape of a human.

Although his limbs were still somewhat thin and his skin was dark, at least he looked like a human being.

"Perhaps this person has a special constitution, which is why they were able to maintain their rationality even after being mutated?"

Lu Ban pondered Wan Ye's special qualities.