Master Craftsman of the Elven World

Chapter 570 Five hundred years of Baosheng's life, like a dream, a bubble, a shadow. This time, we will seize everything!
Although Uri is very young and still has a hairstyle like a bad star, he also has another side that is unknown to others.

Whenever the topic of "ghosts" comes up, he becomes lively, and his timid, introverted, and cowardly personality disappears as if by magic. He even becomes more proactive than his strong-willed older sister.

That was what Danyu was thinking at that moment.

I'm cursed and can't talk nonsense outside, or my life will be in danger. In the ancient legends of the north, there really is a story of a curse, although that story is not as widely circulated as the legend of ghosts.

"When someone in the family starts acting strangely, it will happen one after another."

"Ah, Ah Li, are we really going to Ghost Mountain?"

"I dare not go. And you can't go to the back mountain at dusk! Have you forgotten when Grandpa scolded you before? All the adults went up the mountain to look for you!"

Danyu was dragged out the door by Wuli, and her usually timid younger brother stood up for his sister at this moment:
"According to legend, ghosts are clearly bad people. But in reality, he didn't do anything to you, sister. It might just be a curse, or the ghost is just trying to scare you."

"If we tell Grandpa, we won't be able to get out. It's okay, I know the way around Ghost Mountain best."

"Sister, you don't need to be afraid of anything, just follow me."

"My dragonfly can glow, so it won't get lost at night."

He then muttered to himself, "Anyway, I'm not liked by the villagers, so what if I follow the rules? Ghosts, on the other hand, are naturally handsome, so they're not afraid of being ostracized."

Danyu stared at her younger brother: "Ali, you're just too excited because you want to see a ghost. In the end, you don't care at all about the fact that I'm cursed."

Wu Li lowered her head: "Sister only told me because she thought I could help you. Also, sister, you don't want to get scolded, do you?"

"If we let the curse spread, are we just going to stay here and do nothing? It was my sister who told me about ghosts and curses. It's not good for my sister to hear about the curse. I might get sick too."

Danyu's eyes widened, her teeth clenched: "You! How could you say such a thing! But it really was me who told you. I should have kept quiet... no, no, if I hadn't told you, I would have gotten seriously ill and died without anyone knowing."

Wu Li: "Then I won't go. Let's tell Grandpa."

Danyu: "Shh! I, I know, I'll go with you, just don't tell Grandpa. I'll take some talismans and an umbrella with me before I go out!"

Danyu initially wanted to put pressure on her younger brother, but the thought of the curse made her tremble all over. In the end, she unwittingly embarked on this ghost-hunting journey with Wuli.

He left home under the pretext of going to play on the nearby riverbank.

Stealthyly, head back to the Kitashin Center. From the mountain path behind the Kitashin Center, you can proceed towards Ghost Mountain!
Danyu: "You seemed to have said before that you would welcome a ghost to live in our house, right? Maybe my encounter with a ghost is related to your wish!"

Wu Li: "How could such a thing happen? Wish fulfillment? There's no such power."

At the siblings' home, their grandfather, Xuezhong, initially thought there was something slightly wrong with the children's behavior. However, as a descendant of a mask craftsman, he knew that the legend of the ghost in the village was completely false, so it wasn't a big deal if they went out at dusk.

There was no curse at all!
Secondly, it's common for rural children to play until late before returning home, and there aren't any particularly ferocious Pokémon in the vicinity of Beishang. At least, Grandpa hasn't encountered any in his life. He might even get a bite from wild fruit-eating bugs he encounters on the road, or at most, he'll be knocked into a ditch by a roadside lobster soldier with its pincers.

"I went out when the sun was almost setting. Danyu came back from the North Center looking like this. She couldn't buy her favorite fried noodles, I don't know what happened. It's good to go out and have some fun, to relax a bit."

"I'll go to the Beishang Center too. The kid will be happy to see fried noodles when he gets home. The weather's a bit bad, so I'll take an umbrella with me."

That was what Grandpa Xuezhong thought, so he told his wife and went out.

However, no sooner had Grandpa left than guests arrived at the house.

Since everyone in the family had left, the siblings' grandmother, Shuzi, received the visitors.

"Oh, isn't this the administrator? Xuezhong just went out. What do you need him for?"

"Well, it's nothing serious. We just came to deliver something." The person who came to visit Xuezhong's family was the bald administrator of the Beishang Center.

He manages the community center in Beishang Center, is also the head of the entire Cuilu Town, the town mayor, and is responsible for promoting Beishang Township's tourism.

In many small towns and villages, local village chiefs are generally racking their brains to develop local tourism in order to increase the village's income. Compared to Dongning Village, another place that focuses on development and has a simple and honest folk culture, Beishang has developed quite well under the planning and construction of the bald administrator.

Tourism, apple orchards, sticky rice cakes, festivals, legends—all the things that could be utilized were put to good use. Although it may seem somewhat profit-driven, the village's development is indeed booming, isn't it?
"Here's the thing, we received a gift from the peach-growing region. The peaches are ripe this year. We have a friendship with the peach-growing region, and every year after October is the natural harvest season for various apples in the orchards. We have high-quality 'honey apples' here, which taste just like peaches, so they are a very popular agricultural product."

"You probably know that we also have agricultural trade with Taoxiang, right? To enhance our friendship, we gifted them a batch of honey-glazed apples, and we received a generous return gift!"

"Although I've heard that other places have greenhouses and sheds that allow fruit to be grown all year round, I think natural things are definitely better, right?"

The administrator gave a batch of peaches to the old lady, who found it slightly strange: "Peaches don't ripen this month. Didn't we import a batch from the peach-growing region a few months ago?"

"Hahaha! That's just a peach."

The administrator shrugged: "These seem to be some kind of carefully nurtured fruit. I heard that they were carefully cultivated by crossbreeding peaches from two different regions. They taste amazing and are especially large."

"However, Peach Berries are special [tree fruits]. As food for Pokémon, they bear fruit all year round, unlike regular apples."

"Even ordinary peaches, including late-ripening varieties from peach-growing regions, may contain a mystery grand prize."

"More than just a peach, this is a vibrant, glossy fruit, meticulously crafted by artisans. It's considered a treasured delicacy among Pokémon, perfect for celebrating battle victories or as a gift for friends and family!"

"This is a peach fruit that appears every few years. It's of exceptionally high quality and has a top-notch aroma. It's known as the 'Phantom Peach Fruit.' It used to be very rare, but this year's harvest seems to be particularly good, which is why this fruit has appeared!"

"I've been troubling you with making masks all this time, so this time, among the peach fruit gifts I've prepared, there are also Illusionary Peach Fruits, a total of six boxes. Please accept them."

Shuzi seemed a little surprised: "Oh dear, but there are only four people in our family."

The administrator was taken aback: "Oh, your son and daughter haven't come back this year?"

Shuzi was a little embarrassed: "It seems like I'm working in a faraway area, and I won't be able to come back this year."

The person most likely to disappear in the Pokémon world is the father, and sometimes both parents disappear together. The administrator can relate to this:
"I've put in a lot of effort to manage Green Town, and sometimes I'm incredibly busy. It's a real shame I can't come back this year either."

"But please accept these six boxes of Phantom Peach Fruit."

After the administrator delivered the gifts, he left. Shuzi looked at a bag of peaches and six boxes of special Phantom Peaches and muttered to himself.

"Six at once, we can't possibly share them all at home. Everyone just happened to be out. Oh, speaking of peaches, I think there was an incorruptible peach ornament in the store, and there's some kind of legend about peaches?"

Green Town has only one shop, Momozawa Shop, which sells everything from ingredients to clothing. Millet and Granny Momozawa, who runs the shop, are good friends. This is to be expected, since they are both elderly people of the same age and from the same hometown, so how could they not know each other?

Moreover, her grandchildren often go to the store to buy things, and the old lady there often gives them fun toys and clothes.

"Take one and give it to Momozawa. She's taken good care of us over the years. If we pray to the Immortal Peach, we might receive her blessing."

"Danyu is acting strangely today. Let's go to the store and buy her something to comfort her. We should bring her a gift."

Giving gifts to neighbors or sharing good things with friends is common etiquette. Shuzi carefully put away the five boxes of Phantom Peach Fruits, took one box, and headed to Momozawa Shop.

Granny Momozawa warmly welcomed Shuzi. When she heard about the Phantom Peach and Shuzi's plan to visit the Immortal Peach to make a wish, Granny Momozawa found the purple peach ornament that had been gathering dust among the various goods.

Grandma Momozawa: "So, it's because Danyu acted strangely today, but she seemed fine during the day."

"The Phantom Peach Fruit must be very expensive on the market. Giving it to me is a great gift and I am flattered."

Grandma Millet: "No, no, my grandchildren often cause trouble in town. I should be thanking you for taking care of them."

Granny Momozawa: "About the [Peach of Immortality]... I don't really know much about it. There's a rumor that whoever gets the Peach of Immortality will be happy. Haha, actually, that's something I made up."

"However, I have displayed it as a decoration in front of my shop for many years, and business has always been good. I wonder if it really has some kind of power?"

"But it's also possible that it has no power at all, and is just an old object."

The story of a certain mythical Pokémon did not circulate in Kitakami Township. Only the story of the "non-rotten peach" was told, but most people thought that the non-rotten peach was just a toy or something, and that it seemed to have been around for many years.

"In the beginning, it was picked up from the forest by someone. They originally intended to eat it, but found that no matter what they did, they couldn't cut it open or eat it. It didn't feel like food to the touch. When they tapped it, it seemed like there was something inside. Perhaps it was a toy made by the ancients, so they kept it as a lucky charm."

"This ornament occasionally emits an unusually sweet scent, which is incredible."

The two old women chatted with each other, with Granny Momozawa telling them what she knew. However, just as the two were about to touch the incorruptible peach ornament to pray for blessings and seek some psychological comfort,

The peach ornament suddenly disappeared.

"Huh? Where did it roll off to?"

The two elderly women were surprised when the ornament that had been beside them suddenly disappeared. Their eyesight was failing, so they looked around for a bit, and when they turned around, they found that the box containing the Peach of Illusion had also been opened.

The peaches are gone, and some strange purple sticky cakes have appeared in the box where the peaches were originally.

"Who is it? Is it a prank? Or is it a Pokémon?"

"Oh dear, did the manager pack the wrong items? This isn't peach fruit, it's sticky rice cake! I'm so sorry, Momozawa, I must have taken the wrong one. I'll go home and check what's in the other boxes."

"No, no, this sticky rice cake looks pretty good too. Maybe the administrator really made a mistake, but it doesn't matter. Let's try it."

Successful.

The sky to the north was overcast, and no stars could be seen. A light drizzle began to fall. A purple, peach-shaped Unknown Pokémon floated like a ghost on the roof of Momozawa Shop, enjoying its hard-won freedom!
The Redemption of Moshenk!

After centuries of hiding and fear, masks, companions, happiness—all are lost! The situation is beyond repair!
That terrifying demon wielded such a powerful club that it almost killed itself! Fortunately, its hard shell protected it, and it used its last bit of strength to shrink itself inside!
That guy must have thought he was dead. But the long-lost Phantom Peach, a fruit from Peach Village, awakened his long-forgotten memories and his dormant self!
What a coincidence!
and!

This rain is wonderful!

The purple peach gazed up at the dark sky, having survived until now in order to fulfill its wish. Although it didn't know how much time had passed, this time, it was completely resurrected!

Five hundred years of Baosheng's life, like a dream, like an illusion!
"Peach, Peach Peach!" This time, I will personally take back everything I have lost! Three Poison Beasts, come!
Tao Dailang spent half a day in the rain on the roof of Taoze Store, but he couldn't sense the presence of the Three Poison Beasts. The so-called "Gan Wen Cui" seemed to be dead and couldn't be summoned by it. Even the sense of the Poison Chains was barely noticeable!
what on earth is it?

Tao Dailang's heart skipped a beat.

Those three useless things, they couldn't have really been killed by the Evil Spirit, could they? Is there anyone else who faked their death and survived like me?
However, the poison chains still have a slight presence, which proves that he's not completely dead, right? What exactly is going on?
Furthermore, that same aura of crystalline gemstones from before has reappeared here, and it even seems to have increased! This energy is so obvious!
Tao Dailang was completely baffled, but there was another piece of good news.
The aura of the Evil Spirit has also disappeared!

Ha, that's great! That's great!
Although I don't know why, maybe she moved away, maybe she also died from exhaustion, or maybe she couldn't live without me!
That's right!

She died of old age!
I survived by faking my death; this is martial arts. This is the victory of self-regeneration!

But how much time has passed? Are Grandpa and Grandma still alive? They're still waiting for me to bring the masks back! Those sparkling masks should all be mine; it's something I have to do to get more love!
However, for some reason, the crystalline aura of the exotic gems is everywhere, as if something that was once very rare has now become commonplace. But even gems are divided into different grades, right?
Tao Dailang looked at Emerald Town, which was now deserted due to the rain. He gazed at the town silently, recalling the past.

A lively festival will be held here, and everyone will wear a mask.
Alright, alright. The reason my past self couldn't defeat the Evil Spirit was because he lacked strength and manpower. He only had three useless things with him, and in the end, he still failed.

However, if I could turn everyone in the village into my subordinates, wouldn't that solve the problem?

Tao Dailang thought this was a good idea, and not only that, after feeding them the poisonous sticky cake, he would gain all their favor.

The more love you give, the better!

Momo-Dai-Lang acted swiftly and decisively. Inside the Momo-Zawa shop, the two old women's eyes had turned a deep purple, their consciousness beginning to fade, and they murmured incomprehensible words through their masks:

"Jibei. Jibei"

"Peach hello~"

Tao Dailang asked the two old women if the mask from back then still existed. The answer was yes!
Right in the center of Beijing and Shanghai, right... uh? What place is that?
Forget it, just tell me the location, I'll go there myself and find out!
With a whoosh, Momodai flew out of the shop. Of course, traveling through the air is much faster than walking on the ground. It arrived at the center of Kitakami in no time. Because it possessed the attributes of a ghost, it easily entered the shrine.

Then it saw the three glittering masks.

Tao Dailang opened its outer shell, revealing its core body, which resembled a peach pit. Its two small white eyes stared blankly at the three shiny masks, and then suddenly it flew into a rage!

Oh dear! How dare you deceive me!

These three masks don't look right!

It was immediately identified as a fake!
The gems on it were indeed shiny, but they seemed to be just ordinary, glittering stones. No, no, no, the point isn't that they were glowing; the point is that these gems are wrong! They are completely different from any crystals I've seen before.

There was no trace of the grass-attribute energy of the Evil Spirit on the three masks, which didn't make sense at all! He knew best about the energy of the gems in the masks!
"Peach, peach, peach! Hey!"

They're unknowingly worshipping useless fakes—are humans deceiving themselves, or did those three take the masks with them when they died? There seems to be some legend of a precious companion here.
Tao Dailang looked at the notice board for a while.

It doesn't know how to read.

Although it was illiterate, it didn't matter, it could capture humans to explain things to itself. So it opened the peach shell and attacked a lucky passerby with sticky rice cakes and chains—a staff member of Kitakami Shrine.

The shrine staff here all wear masks, which are the same style as the Green Grass Mask of Ekipon, but the craftsmanship is very different. You can tell at a glance that it is a cheap imitation.

Tao Dailang stared at the controlled northbound passerby with an ugly expression.

Seeing that mask was like seeing a face I didn't want to see!
Every time I see the Green Grass Mask, it makes the wound on my peach shell ache!
Throw away that mask!
"Bah!"

Tell me! What's the deal with the bulletin board? Where's the real mask? And what is Baoban?
Through the words of the controlled humans, Momotaro gradually came to understand some things.
The legend has been passed down for hundreds of years.
The Hoban are the Three Poisonous Beasts. Their remains were collected and enshrined in the Hoban Square as heroes who protected the northward journey. The masks were indeed enshrined in the center of the northward journey; they were found by the people of that time. The Hoban sacrificed their lives to steal three masks, completely sealing the power of the demons. Therefore, the villagers were very grateful to them.
Defend the northward advance?

A question mark appeared above Tao Dailang's head.

Ah, when have we ever done something like that? Have we?
This is a new world now!
Then there's another question. What does "several hundred years" mean?
As the travelers heading north informed it, Tao Dailang's eyes gradually widened. It stared blankly for a while, understanding the concept of a "hundred years" and the fact that everyone from the past had died, including those from distant places, including the old woman and old man who had taken care of it.
This is unacceptable!

They died before I even got the mask back!
Damn it, damn it! It's all because of Egui Peng. If it weren't for Egui Peng, I would have already taken the mask and been pampered by my grandparents!

Pain, anger, and the flames of revenge spread and rose in Tao Dailang's heart, burning continuously!

It's true now. Everything's gone!
But that's impossible! I didn't witness my grandparents' deaths. They're not dead! There must be a chance for people to be resurrected. Tell me what to do!
Tao Dailang interrogated the passerby heading north, using chains to restrain the controlled staff member. However, he was merely venting his anger, but unexpectedly learned of another legend!
"Tao Tao Tai!?"

What? You mean, at the summit of Ghost Mountain there's a strange crystal pool, and by gazing at the crystalline light at the bottom of that pool, you can see the deceased and meet them?

Those sparkling crystals are similar to the strange, crystal-like gems you sometimes see by the roadside, but even more dazzling.
Ah! It's that kind of gemstone! The one that man brought from a foreign land, the one set in the mask!

Ghost Mountain, the place inhabited by humans and Egui Peng, was where I once secretly infiltrated with San Du, found their terrifying cave, stole the mask, and killed the man.

"Tao Tai!"

Yes, although I really want to see my grandparents, what's more important is to bring the mask back! This time, I'm going to take everything away!
So, does that crystal have the effect of resurrection or enhancing life force? Speaking of which, ghosts are the same. Egui Peng relied on the crystal mask to change his form and even unleash powerful energy, which is how he defeated himself and San Du!
The three poisons are probably not completely dead yet! The poison chains are still active!
Tao Dailang came up with a plan!

It will go to the top of Ghost Mountain to collect crystals from the lake, then revive the Three Poisons, and use the superpower of the Wish-Growing Ape, one of the three poisonous beasts, to find the true whereabouts of the three masks by foreseeing the future!

However, before that, we need someone to help us. We thought the evil spirit was gone, but it turns out the ghost might still be living in the mountains. If that's the case, did she take the mask back?
Like this!

We have no choice but to take control of the entire Green Town first!
After that, all of you go up the mountain to collect crystals, and then join me in defeating the evil spirits!
You are all beings who should be loved and served.
Everything in this village and town belongs to me!

Tao Dailang carelessly tossed sticky rice cakes around in the North Center, and after a while, he flew away.

Just then, Danyu and Wuli arrived at the Northbound Center. Looking at the completely dark sky and the light rain, the siblings didn't look too happy.

Danyu wanted to complain to her younger brother, but once she returned here, she started trembling. Looking at the dark and jagged Ghost Mountain ahead, Danyu whispered to Wuli:
"Ah Li, you really know how to get to the demon's cave, right!"

Wu Li: "Yes, because there are road signs along the way."

Danyu was shocked: "Eh! There's such a thing!"

Wu Li: "My sister is too rule-abiding and never goes up the mountain, so she probably doesn't know. The administrator recently put up a sign on it."

Danyu was a little annoyed. She looked around and said, "The rain isn't heavy yet, but it could turn into a downpour soon. Do we really have to go?"

Wu Li also looked at the mountain path with a troubled expression.

In normal weather, it's perfectly fine to venture into the mountains, but for some reason it's drizzling today, making the mountain paths a bit muddy.

“If we go back, Grandpa will definitely scold us. We’ve already come all this way.”

"Let's just say we couldn't find any fried noodles. Oh, right, since we're already here, let's take a look at some fried noodles."

The weather became a major obstacle preventing the siblings from moving forward. Just as the two children were hesitating, a strange voice coming from a shrine staff member caught their attention.

“.jibei”.

"Huh, what kind of fried noodles is 'jibei'?" The siblings looked at each other in confusion, but the staff member's next action terrified the two children!

"Giggle. Giggle giggle giggle!!"

Suddenly, the staff member started waving his arms and legs behind the window, and a Rock Pokémon was released!

Facing north!
The north-facing nose, as solid as a stone statue, smashed the shrine's front desk!

"What are you doing! Ah Li, are you alright?!"

Danyu quickly shielded her younger brother, but something even more terrifying happened. When Wuli opened his eyes and looked behind his sister, he was held in her arms and saw a large number of people rushing towards them!

"It's raining, why are there so many people? What kind of festival are you holding?"

"Ah Li, this is clearly not a festival!"

Wu Li stared in astonishment at the managers of the North Shore Center who stood like zombies in the rain, as well as the passersby nearby, whose eyes shone with a terrifying purple glow in the darkness.

"Gebei. Gebei!"

This group of people blocked the way home. It seemed that everyone in the neighborhood had gathered here. They were swaying and had terrifying expressions. Danyu and Wuli felt a chill run from their heels to their heads and were so frightened that they were completely at a loss!
Danyu's face turned deathly pale:

"A ghost! A ghost's curse! The curse is real, it's really starting to spread!"

"I encountered ghosts around here before! They've blocked the road! They're surrounding us!"

"Sister, run! Run up the mountain! There's no one there!"

The two children ran frantically up the mountain, not even bothering to open their umbrellas, when Danyu suddenly realized:
"This is a curse! If we run towards Ghost Mountain, aren't we just walking into a trap?!"

Wu Li: "But the way back is blocked."

"Isn't the most dangerous place the safest place? We're here to break the curse. Sister, we can only go to see the ghost."

Wu Li was also filled with fear.

This group's awkward dancing left a deep psychological scar on a child who was only a few years old!

After the siblings ran up the mountain and escaped the zombie army, their grandfather, Xuezhong, also arrived. He was dumbfounded to see a group of people awkwardly dancing in the festival square.

"What, what are they doing? Square dancing?"

Darkness, drizzle, zombies, incomprehensible murmurs, and sudden attacks—even the most worldly-wise elderly would feel fear!
Neither Danyu nor Wuli had any Pokémon devices, so Xuezhong couldn't send them a message to confirm. However, he immediately realized that something was wrong, so he decided to go back to the place Danyu had told him to play at to find them.

The old man left immediately, and on his way back, Dan saw a large group of people wandering around the vicinity of Emerald Town.

"Huh? What's going on? Are they filming a horror movie?!"

(End of this chapter)