He changed Tiwat

"Yes, those are the ley line memories I selected, specifically to guide you... especially you."

The divine child nodded, looking at him with an expression that said, "This child is teachable."

"Given Aying's personality, if she discovers a problem, she'll definitely come over to investigate herself. But she's also stubborn and only knows how to fight and kill, so she probably won't realize that the problem lies with this space. However, if it's you, you should be able to find this place based on those ley line memories. I have a lot of faith in you, okay?"

"That's really something, Lord Palace Master, who thinks highly of me..." Han Fulai glanced sideways.

"Although it might be a bit disrespectful to Lord Kuji, I still urge you to get to the point quickly—that puppet general has a conflict of ideas with the general and they are currently engaged in a fierce battle in another dimension. I need to resolve the anomaly of the Divine Cherry Tree as soon as possible before going back to help them. By the way, the general also shared the temporary contract of the familiar with me, which helped me find you."

As he spoke, he showed the "three-point mark" on his shoulder to the divine child.

The divine child still smiled and said, "I see... Hmm, now that you even know about the spacetime anomalies here, that makes things easier."

She waved her hand again and took out the "True Meaning of Kagura".

Han Fulai's expression instantly hardened—the Kagura bell in the Divine Child's hand was still pitch black.

He also remembered that the Kagura bell he saw in "Isshin Jodo" was supposed to be pinkish-purple.

"It is 'Evil Star'."

The priestess twirled the Kagura bell in her hand.

"You should remember that a crimson moon once hung in Shadow's 'Pure Land of One Heart,' right? That thing was the source of all the anomalies."

"'Calamity God'... a power summoned by Kanria from beyond this world..." Han Fulai nodded solemnly.

Lei Yingdian once told him, "The crimson moon you see is merely its projection in my heart—its true form is an existence isolated from the world by the laws of nature, which I call 'the God of Calamity.' With just a glance, my divine body was already tainted by its power. At that moment, I felt true fear; the power of 'the God of Calamity' far surpasses that of any demon I know."

Although he still didn't know the true nature of this so-called "God of Calamity" or what the "power from outside the world" was, it was definitely not a good thing.

The fact that Lei's films used to fall into paranoia and even ignore the current inhabitants of Inari is largely related to the "spiritual pollution" left by this "god of calamity".

That day in the Pure Land, he successfully swayed Lei Ying's will with the help of the "power of vows" of the people of the Rice Fields, and the red moon in the Pure Land also disappeared as Lei Ying's will changed.

He never saw the Crimson Moon again after that.

Even when Lei was sparring with Ying, or when he was killing those "Beast Hounds", he never used the "Evil Eye". He originally thought that it was the "power of will" of the people of Inari who helped Lei get rid of the influence of "Evil Eye".

However, today in Raiden's consciousness space, he saw "Evil Yao" again—once as the puppet general, and once as the divine child.

Both of them wield the "Eye of Evil".

“‘Calamity God’…” the divine child murmured, repeating the word. “I didn’t know what it was before, I only knew that it influenced the will of the Shadow. So that day in ‘Pure Land of One Heart,’ I actually secretly performed a ‘Great Purification’ on the Shadow…”

She raised the "True Meaning of Kagura" in her hand.

“You remember, right? That day in the Pure Land, I used the memories left by Master Saigu to try to influence the will of the Shadow. It was also at that time that I absorbed the red moon in the Pure Land, which is the projection of the ‘Calamity God’ you mentioned, into Kagura Bell.”

“This Kagura bell is a ritual instrument left behind by Master Saigu. It is a ritual prop needed for the ‘Great Purification of the Divine Cherry Tree’. It can guide the impurities in the earth’s veins into the roots of the Divine Cherry Tree, sealing and purifying them… However, the impurities I absorbed from the ‘Pure Land of One Heart’ that day seem to have exceeded the Divine Cherry Tree’s capacity…”

"As a result, this has led to the current situation."

The divine child sighed.

"The 'Divine Cherry Blossom Great Purification' is scheduled for a period of sixty years. The last 'Great Purification' was more than ten years ago, and there was still some time before the next 'Great Purification'... So when I noticed the changes in the ley lines, I went to those ley line nodes, preparing to replace the 'suppressing objects' and re-establish the barrier according to the 'Minor Purification' ritual... but I found that the 'suppressing objects' had been completely destroyed, and the filth was overflowing, almost breaking through the barrier."

"The situation is critical and there is no time to lose. I will immediately begin the 'Divine Cherry Blossom Purification'."

"The removal of the filth from those five nodes went relatively smoothly, but during the final 'great purification,' I realized that the source of the anomaly was actually the root system of the Divine Cherry Tree, within this space... If I'm not mistaken, it was the influence of that 'Evil Star.'"

"I entered this space intending to exorcise the source of the anomaly—and as you can see, I failed, was possessed by the Evil Star, and was swept into the temporal turbulence... It's all A-Ying's fault. It must be because I used up too much power pulling her out of the 'Pure Land of One Heart' that I failed..."

Han Fulai responded with a glare: "At a time like this, please stop joking around."

The divine child choked for a moment: "Alright, it's all my fault. Even that Ah Ying couldn't handle it, how could a pitiful fox spirit like me possibly be able to touch it..."

"To be honest, it's true." Han Fulai clenched his fist, almost wanting to hit her on the head.

"I was punished too..." the divine child pouted, looking aggrieved. "Anyway, that's how it is. I was possessed by the evil spirit and trapped here until you came to find me..."

"I obviously can't continue to preside over the Great Purification Ceremony in this state, so I'll leave the rest to you?"

"Sigh, I came here to clean up your mess." Han Fulai glared at Shenzi again, annoyed. "Tell me, what's next for the 'Divine Cherry Blossom Great Purification'?"

The divine child's expression also turned serious: "Your divine artifact that can purify impurities should still be usable, right?"

Han Fulai nodded and summoned the Salt Sorrow Spear.

The divine child reached out and gently touched the shaft of the Salt Sorrow Spear.

"Hmm, very good, it can also serve as a 'suppressing object'... then there's only one thing left."

The next instant, she gripped the tip of the Salt Sorrow Spear and plunged it into her own chest.

Chapter 234 The Fox Will Repay Kindness [4k]

The moment the Salt Sorrow Spear pierced flesh, time seemed to freeze.

The robe on Yae no Miko's chest was adorned with a poignant display of blood-red cherry blossoms.

The splattered blood droplets condensed into tiny crystals in the air, landing on Han Fulai's chest with a cracking sound.

Han Fulai heard the hollow sound of wind echoing inside his skull. The wind carried fragments of "salt from the earth" and wrapped the crimson cherry blossoms in the goddess's hair, eventually turning into a sharp buzzing sound in his ears.

He saw the divine son's blood-stained fingertips move along the spearhead, leaving a winding trail on the surface of the black iron, like a river that was drying up in the wind.

What just happened?

Hasn't he already exorcised the "evil spirit possession"?

Why did things turn out this way?

A myriad of thoughts, like a tangled mess, ensnared his consciousness.

Suddenly, the branches of the sacred cherry tree behind the goddess grew wildly, and the branches full of pink cherry blossoms pierced through her shoulder blades, imprisoning her in an eerie cage—it was the goddess who was driving the roots of the sacred cherry tree, and it was she who had imprisoned herself.

Han Fulai stood frozen in place, like a stone statue, unable to move.

The Salt Sorrow Spear suddenly trembled violently in his palm, like a python that had come to life.

It is struggling.

It wanted to break free from the god's hand, to leave the god's body... However, the god's porcelain-like fingers were tightly gripping the gun blade, letting the blood in his palm flow down the blade.

Not only that, she was still trying to push the gun deeper into her body, piercing her heart inch by inch.

"Let go!" Han Fulai roared as he retreated, only to find that the gun barrel did not budge.

Salt crystals, like ice crystals, had formed on the son of God's chest.

Her body was connected to Shio Ai, inseparable.

She will be corrupted by the divine power of saltification, eventually turning into a statue made of salt...

Han Fulai gritted his teeth and mobilized the power of the demonic remnants within his body, attempting to extract the saltification power from the divine child's body. But his remaining sanity told him: it was too late.

A person whose heart has been pierced by Shio Ai cannot be saved.

unless……

Unless, like Zhongli did in "The Salt of the Earth," the power of the demon god's remnants is also sent into the divine child's body, allowing her to also possess the power of the salt god to resist saltification.

But he is not Zhongli.

He didn't know how to transfer the remnants of the demon god to someone else.

Han Fulai gripped the gun barrel tightly, his pupils turning golden once more, and transferred all his immortal power to the divine child, attempting to protect the divine child's heart meridian first.

However, the moment the divine power touched the heart of the divine child, he felt a gentle rejection, as if she were gently pushing his hand away.

“I remember…you told Shadow a story about Liyue…”

Blood continued to froth from the corner of the goddess's mouth, yet a smile still lingered on her face. The downy hairs on the tips of her ears were fading, turning into fine, crystalline dust that drifted away.

"The doctor in that story said, 'If the disease is superficial, it can still be treated with hot compresses... If the disease is in the bone marrow, there is nothing that can be done.'... I'm sorry that you wasted so much effort... As for me, I am already terminally ill and there is no cure. Let's leave the medicine for those who need it more."

Within her body, the dark, foul energy from "Evil Star" was gushing from her heart, flowing upstream along the blade of the gun.

Shio's struggle intensified. It wasn't out of pity for the divine child, but rather a desire to refuse to absorb that overwhelmingly corrupt power... However, as a bloodthirsty spear, its instincts couldn't suppress its thirst for the divine child's blood.

It was at this moment that Han Fulai finally understood everything: "You had planned this all along... From the moment we met, no, even before that, you had intended to do this..."

"Hmm... thankfully it was you who came..." The smile on the goddess's face grew even brighter. "If it had been Kage, I might not have been able to trick her into taking out 'Dream of the Heart' to kill me..."

The "Great Purification Ritual of the Divine Cherry Tree" was inherited by Narukami Taisha Shrine, and for the past few hundred years, it has been overseen by the shrine's chief priest, the Divine Cherry Tree. Her familiarity with the Divine Cherry Tree and the Inazuma ley lines should far surpass that of the movie "Ray."

When the "evil spirit" caused trouble in the Snake Bone Mine, it was the Divine Child who guided Kanoin and him to exorcise it. When the "talisman" in Hishiki Village went wrong, it was also the Divine Child who sent the shrine maiden Asuka with a branch of the Divine Cherry tree to suppress it.

Moreover, the divine child is the only remaining "heavenly fox" in Inazuma, possessing various supernatural powers, and can even foresee the future... How could such a divine child be completely unaware of the accumulation of filth in the divine cherry tree, hastily perform a "great purification," and end up suffering harm instead?

With such a major incident occurring at Inazuma's ley lines, even if she didn't have time to notify Kage, she should have had time to send him a message using that amulet. How could the Divine Child simply disappear without a trace?

Furthermore, he had witnessed the Divine Child's strength within the consciousness space of the "Scattered Soldiers." If the Divine Child had truly been "possessed by a malevolent spirit" and fallen into "darkening," how could he have been so easily suppressed by a single ancient demon-subduing seal?

Considering the Divine Child's deliberate seclusion recently, and her actions of secretly absorbing the corrupting power of the "God of Calamity" in the "Pure Land of One Heart"... the answer is obvious.

She had planned everything in advance.

Draw their attention with a "disappearance"...leave clues to lure them into this consciousness space...then wait here, feigning "possession by a demon," to force them to fight back...

From the very beginning, she was prepared—prepared to use him to commit suicide.

"The principle of a great purification ritual lies in cleansing away impurities so that sins may be dispersed."

The divine child recited a sentence from the "Shin-oka Daipu Yoroku" left behind by the fox-mongering palace.

“…Five hundred years ago, Master Saigu did the same thing.”

"Ahem... Not to brag, but our Bai Chen bloodline is actually very strong, you know? Even if we die, our soul memories can remain in the earth's veins for a long time, and we even retain the demonic power we had in life... For example, Master Zhaigong's memories have remained in the Divine Cherry Tree, and even the darkest calamity couldn't completely erase them..."

"These memories, tainted by the filth of the abyss, will themselves become a blazing filth... But unlike those 'fallen warriors' conjured by filth, the filth formed from our Bai Chen bloodline possesses its own will..."

"After Master Saigu died, she became a filth called 'Hana-sanri,' slumbering within the roots of the Divine Cherry Tree... She bore the brunt of the filth accumulated in the roots of the Divine Cherry Tree..."

“In the past, every time there was a ‘great purification’... I had to personally... cleanse the memories left by the teacher…”

“In order to pull the shadow out of the ‘Pure Land of One Heart,’ I used up all of Master Saigu’s remaining strength… Therefore, it is time for me to take over the Master’s responsibilities…”

"The corrupting power of the 'God of Calamity' is too immense for me to contain... but if there were a few more of me..."

"In this space of consciousness, there just happens to be many versions of myself at the same time, versions of myself from different times... I, we, bear the filth of the 'God of Calamity' here... Each version of myself from every era... will be here... waiting for you..."

"I'll leave the rest to you."

Her voice grew softer and softer, and the smile on her face gradually became transparent.

She is being "exorcised" by the Salt Sorrow Spear, and her time is running out.

"...I will not accept this request." Han Fulai lowered his head, his voice somewhat muffled.

The priestess was still smiling, her slender eyes seemingly able to see through everything: "You... you're the kind of person who says 'no' but your body says otherwise..."

Han Fulai silently shook his head: "...You don't understand me at all."

The goddess lowered her eyes: "I'm sorry... I tricked you into coming here and forced you to do this kind of thing..."

The roots of the divine cherry blossoms twisted and turned, completely enveloping her body, while salt crystals slowly covered the corners of her lips.

Han Fulai took out the amulet she had given him from his bosom, raised it high as if making a vow to the heavens.

“I am the kind of person who always keeps my promises. I promised you that I would save your god, and I did. And now, I have made a promise to your god—I will definitely bring you back.”

"Yeah……"

The divine child knew that he was beyond saving.

Or rather, she cannot be "saved"...

If she were to throw her own life and the lives of the rice-producing people onto the two ends of a scale at the same time, no matter how many times, she would make the same choice.

This is the responsibility she inherited from her teacher, Saigu, and also her duty as a member of the Thunder God's retinue.

But in the end, she still tried her best to give him a smile.

"Thank you."

"If... we can really be saved..."

With a crisp sound as the spear fell to the ground, the divine child transformed into countless salt crystals and vanished.

Along with the Salt Sorrow Spear, the coat he lent her also fell to the ground.

There was a bulge under the coat, as if something was hidden inside...

Han Fulai stepped forward, lifted his coat, and saw Kagura Rin underneath.

That was the token of the chief priest of Narukami Taisha Shrine, "the true meaning of Kagura".