The afterlife blew up Gensokyo

Just like what he said to Yuuka at that time, it wasn't that he didn't want to care about her, but that he couldn't care about her because he couldn't have any weaknesses... at least not now.

If any of the creatures inside were to escape, even the weakest one, number 13 [Death Mourning], it could potentially trigger a massive cataclysmic crisis. The current situation is just a minor incident, as it was resolved smoothly without causing any major chaos.

To ensure that the world is not corrupted, he naturally cannot allow the power of evil gods to exist in this world for long.

Silently, the evil god's marks that should have existed were completely dispelled by him, and together with the painting that contained the evil god's power, they turned to ashes in silence.

"Now that desires are rekindling and the shackles on their souls have been broken, have these guys started to become more active? We'll have to be careful from now on..."

Looking down at the black mist that was quietly dissipating from his fingertips, Shi Bai frowned slightly.

If Hieda Rei hadn't come to him at that exact moment, allowing him to detect someone's underhanded schemes ahead of time, it's possible that Number 7 [The Undying Evil God] might have actually succeeded in escaping from prison.

Just a moment of relaxation led him to make such a mistake, and Shi Bai felt he needed to reflect on it carefully.

Okay, let's start by killing that guy ten thousand more times tonight...

........................................................................

After thoroughly investigating and resolving all the potential threats posed by the possible invasion of an evil god, Shi Bai's life finally returned to its usual routine.

After that day, Fujiwara no Mokou would frequently visit her every few days. Hieda no Rei also came a few times afterward, but due to his identity as a Shinigami, he was inevitably quite reserved at first, though he became much more reserved later on.

With an exceptionally strong work ethic, she even began asking him about those little-known, lost histories, hoping to fill in the gaps and add them to the Kojiki she was compiling.

Who is this person? He is the Grim Reaper who guides the souls of the dead in the underworld!! Human history holds virtually no secrets for such a being.

The reason why the other party knew so much about Qin Hesheng's deeds was probably because Qin Hesheng was helped across the Sanzu River by the other party.

That's what Hieda Rei thought, so she asked more questions, and sometimes she even chose the bamboo hut as her office location, where she could sit quietly and write on white paper.

Occasionally, because it was too late, she would choose to stay here. It just so happened that Kaguya Houraisan's room was empty, and since Princess Tsukidō had no intention of recovering her figure yet, she simply let her stay there.

However, this was only a small part of the time. For the vast majority of the time, Hieda Rei was mostly traveling to other cities to collect information. It was common for him to be away for ten days or half a month without returning.

In compiling the Kojiki, Hieda no Rei poured all her heart and soul into it, completely disregarding her own health.

According to historical records, Hieda no Rei died shortly after completing the Kojiki, and Tokihaku felt that this was a major reason why he died so young.

After he pointed out the problem directly to the other party, Hieda Rei paused for a moment before resuming his writing as if nothing had happened.

"It's nothing. I was destined to live a short life anyway. Since I don't have much time left, I naturally have to make the most of it to leave a trace of my existence in this world."

It was a leisurely summer afternoon, and the bamboo grove was extremely tranquil. In this quiet environment, even the sunlight seemed lazy.

"Won't live long?"

With a slight frown, Shi Bai, who had originally planned to take a nap in the sunlight of the corridor with a bamboo pillow, walked over to Hieda Ari, who was sitting at the table. Her words carried a hint of undeniable authority.

"Show me your hands, let me check your body."

Earlier, Fujiwara no Mokou had taken Kaguya Houraisan out to play during this leisurely afternoon. The relationship between the two, who were originally bickering lovers, seemed to be getting better and better. So at this moment, there were only the two of them in the entire bamboo house.

"........."

After hesitating for a moment, Hieda Rei rolled up her sleeves and extended her hand. Because she rarely saw sunlight, her hand was quite pale, and because she had been writing at her desk for a long time, there were still faint traces of ink on her hand, which stood out against her pale skin.

"...A congenital defect?"

After reaching out and taking the other person's hand to check their condition, Shi Bai's expression softened slightly.

"Don't worry, it's just a minor problem. I happen to have some effective medicine here; just take it..."

"Will I still be human after I eat it?"

Looking up at him, Hieda Rei suddenly asked him this question.

"Well... since it's a congenital defect, it naturally needs to be addressed through other methods, after all, humans..."

"Thank you for your kindness, but I don't need it. Please give it to someone else who needs it more."

Hieda Rei withdrew her hand and smiled.

"Regardless, I still want to maintain my pride as a human being. Isn't it precisely because human life is so short that it seems so extraordinary?"

"But given your current condition, you will die shortly after the Kojiki is completed. Even so, it doesn't matter?"

Shi Bai frowned slightly.

"But that's precisely why I need to hurry, isn't it?"

"...Whatever you want. I'll come and get you after you die."

After a moment of silence, Shi Bai turned and walked towards the corridor outside the door.

"Also, proper rest is very important. You probably don't want to die before you've finished writing your book, do you?... What are your plans for tomorrow?"

"...to explore the temple ruins left by Prince Shotoku, Toyosatomimi no Miko."

After a moment's hesitation, Hieda Rei spoke up and gave her answer.

ps: Good afternoonヽ(ー_ー)ノ

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Gensokyo Cannot Be Without the Dead

Nara.

Compared to the prosperous Fujiwara-kyo, Nara appears noticeably dilapidated, and with frequent monster calamities, its vibrancy is clearly incomparable to that of Fujiwara-kyo.

The temple that Hieda Are mentioned about the Divine Child was actually a temple specially built by the Divine Child before she transformed into a Corpse-Free Immortal for her resurrection, which is the Divine Temple in Gensokyo in later generations.

However, this temple had long since become a legend, circulating only among a small circle of people, and its location could not be found at all. Although Hieda no Rei had made a special trip to Nara to find this place, deep down he didn't really have much hope.

"It really is dilapidated after all..."

Sitting in the carriage, watching a building slowly pass by outside the window, Shi Bai murmured a few words of reflection.

"What's dilapidated?"

Somewhat curious, Hieda Rei turned her head to look out the window, only to see a dilapidated courtyard that was half collapsed and deserted.

"nothing."

Yawning, Shi Bai leaned back against the carriage wall and closed his eyes.

In ancient times, people mainly traveled by horse-drawn carriage. As a civil servant appointed by the emperor and bearing important responsibilities, Hieda no Rei still had some privileges. For example, whenever she went on a long journey, she was always accompanied by a team of Onmyoji (yin-yang masters) to protect her safety.

After all, monsters are rampant now, greatly increasing the danger of the journey. Without special protection, Hieda Rei might not be able to return after a single long trip.

This is Nara, the city where he once lived as Qin Hesheng. Returning to this place after a hundred years, he felt a strange sense of emotion. However, the fact that his own courtyard, where he had lived for more than ten years, had now fallen into such a dilapidated state made him feel somewhat sad.

There's nothing to worry about with Kaguya Houraisan. She's traveling with Hieda Rei this time, and the trip will probably only take two or three days at most before she returns. There's nothing to worry about at all. Besides, there's Fujiwara no Mokou there, with whom she's already become very close.

One of them was a high-ranking princess of the Moon Capital, while the other was a rebellious delinquent girl in Fujiwara Kyoto. This meant that they were unlikely to make any friends. However, at present, they get along quite well with each other.

Shi Bai wanted to come here with Hieda Ari not only because he wanted to revisit this place, but also because he wanted to find out about the current situation of the goddess Futo and the others.

The temples of the goddesses did not disappear; rather, they were sunk underground and sealed by the monks in an attempt to prevent the goddesses' resurrection.

Both logically and emotionally, Shi Bai felt it was necessary for him to come and take a look.

Although he accompanied Hieda Arei, he didn't contribute much in the past few days. It was all Hieda Arei who explored various places and families on her own, such as borrowing ancient books or searching for information from the Qin family who still lived there.

In such an era, compiling a history book could not be accomplished simply by staying at home and listening to hearsay. Moreover, given Hieda Arie's rigorous personality, which required her to get to the bottom of every little thing, she was destined to be unable to stay idle.

In the past few days, Shi Bai has spent most of his time serving tea and water to the other party and holding an umbrella for them, acting like a servant boy...

As night fell, twilight descended and the stars faded.

"Is this the place..."

Looking at the solemn temple in the darkness, Shi Bai seemed lost in thought.

Sinking the temple of the divine child underground and then rebuilding a new temple on the ground to suppress the seal is indeed the kind of thing that nobles who pursue profit would do.

The temple before us is a haunted temple.

The so-called "ghost temple" refers to the fact that during the day, monks sit and meditate inside, attracting worshippers, but at night, the place is heavily sealed off and deserted.

The seal, jointly placed by all the monks, was impossible for the Divine Child to break free of. After all, even Huo Qing'e, a genuine immortal, was driven out by the monks, let alone the Divine Child.

Although he had found this place, Shi Bai had not yet figured out what to do next.

He could easily break this level of seal, but the fact that the Divine Child and the others were resurrected so quickly was still uncertain and might disrupt some of his plans.

Besides, what position could he possibly be on? He had no intention of admitting that he was Qin Hesheng…

Just as he was pondering these things, a sudden gust of cold wind blew up, and several figures shrouded in darkness emerged from the wind, forming an encirclement and floating towards the empty temple in front of him.

"This is... a messenger from hell?"

Looking at the few dark figures floating in the air, Shi Bai raised an eyebrow in slight surprise.

Life and death are unrelated; the dead cannot remain in the world of the living, and the living cannot go to the world of the dead. This is the rule of the world.

However, there are always some powerful beings who, after death, are unwilling to go to the underworld to be reincarnated, preferring to become spirits and stay in the world of the living. Under such circumstances, the messengers of hell, who are responsible for coming to the world of the living to claim the lives of these spirits, came into being.

Hell messengers are manifestations of the rules of the underworld and hell. Although they have no consciousness, they are incredibly powerful, comparable to immortals, and possess an immortality... Simply put, they are very useful tools.

The mission of the messengers of hell is to capture those souls who remain in the world of the living and are unwilling to go to the underworld for reincarnation. Once captured and brought back, regardless of whether they were guilty or innocent in their previous life, they will inevitably suffer cruel punishment in hell.

Shi Bai had heard Hoshiguma Yuugi talk about this kind of thing before, but this was the first time he had seen it with his own eyes.

"So that's why this temple is deserted at night? The messengers of hell are not something ordinary people can deal with, or rather, because of their immortal nature, even great demons can't defeat them. And the reason they appeared next to this temple is because of... the spirit of Soga no Tojiko?"

After thinking for a moment, Shi Bai nodded thoughtfully.

He remembered Soga no Tokiko's story of being tricked by Mononobe no Futo quite clearly. Due to Mononobe no Futo's negligence, Soga no Tokiko's possession, which was the most important vessel for becoming a Shikaisen (a type of immortal), malfunctioned, causing her to become a ghost instead of a Shikaisen, which was supposed to be achieved by Mononobe no Futo and the others.

The dead are not allowed to exist in this world of the living. Soga no Toru, as a spirit of the dead since ancient times, is no exception. She should have gone to the underworld long ago to cross the Sanzu River and be reborn, but for some reason she has stayed here, which led to the appearance of the messengers of hell... and judging from the situation in front of her, it seems that these messengers of hell have come before.

"Is it because the seals set up by those monks to prevent the resurrection of the goddess by sealing the temple that was the hindrance...? Perhaps the goddess Futo and Huo Qing'e also played a part in it."

After figuring out the key point, Shi Bai shook his head slightly.

"From this perspective, the seals that imprisoned the Divine Child and the others have actually become a barrier protecting Soga no Tojiko. Once she is captured by those Hell Messengers and taken back to Hell, Tojiko will inevitably suffer the most severe punishment..."

Suddenly, an idea popped into Shi Bai's mind.

He casually waved his hand, and after the messengers of hell vanished into thin air like ashes, he got up and walked into the empty temple.

The solemn Buddhist hall during the day appears somewhat eerie at night.

He didn't have to wait long. Perhaps he had already understood his current situation from the fate of those hellish messengers outside. When he stood in the courtyard of the temple, a girl with long green hair and wearing a green dress emerged from the ground.

"This humble woman, Suwotu, has met the immortal since ancient times."

After a brief hesitation, Soga no Tokiko bowed slightly to the mysterious being before him.

She wasn't an ordinary person lacking knowledge; after all, she had practiced Taoist arts alongside Huo Qing'e. In the period following her accidental transformation into a spirit, she was completely bewildered. After realizing it was Bu Du's fault that led to her becoming a spirit, surprisingly, she felt no resentment. Instead, she found being a spirit quite pleasant, as it made things much more convenient.

—Until she resisted the pull of fate and refused to go to the underworld, and was then approached by the messengers of hell.

If Huo Qing'e hadn't arrived just in time to help her defeat the hellish messengers who came to claim her life, she would probably have been taken to hell by the hellish messengers to be punished long ago.

Huo Qing'e secretly came here to help them break the seal and regain their freedom, but she didn't expect to encounter this situation. With no other choice, Huo Qing'e had to change her original plan and instead took the initiative to help the monks strengthen the seal.

After all, now that Soga no Tokiko is a ghost, she can only rely on those seals to stop those persistent messengers of hell, and she can't stay here forever.

According to what Huo Qing'e told her before she left, as long as the other party could find her omnipotent teacher, then these problems would not be a problem at all.

Although Soga no Tokiko had a rather indifferent attitude towards becoming a ghost, she did not want to go through reincarnation, much less be taken to hell to be punished. All she wanted to do was stay by the side of her two former friends and wait for them to wake up.

After Huo Qing'e left, her activities were confined to this temple. The number and frequency of the Hell Messenger's attacks were unpredictable, and she didn't know what principle it followed. Sometimes it wouldn't come even once a month, while other times it would appear four or five times in a single month.

However, thanks to the seals placed by the monks and the methods Huo Qing'e used afterward, she was able to escape unscathed every time the Hell Messengers attacked. Originally, she thought that tonight would be just an ordinary night like the nights before, where nothing would happen. But after seeing the man in white easily eliminate the Hell Messengers that even Huo Qing'e could barely repel, she immediately lost all interest and thoughts.

Now that she has become an undead, she has the ability to summon lightning, but the lightning she summons cannot even deal with the messengers of hell, so how can she deal with this mysterious and powerful being in front of her?

Faced with absolute power, any petty tricks or schemes are utterly useless. While I'm unsure what to address the other party, calling them a celestial being is certainly the right thing to do.

"I am the Grim Reaper from the underworld, entrusted by an old friend to come here... Do you still remember Qin Hesheng, young lady?"

The person looked completely calm.

"Qin Hesheng?"

After a brief moment of astonishment, Soga no Toko's eyes lit up immediately, and his words were clearly tinged with urgency.

"May I ask if the immortal has seen him? What is his current status...?"

"That person has entered the cycle of reincarnation, going back and forth between lives."

Shi Bai interrupted the other person.