It's time to improve the strength of the infinite world

Chapter 497 Seventeen-Year-Old Girl: I Didn't Come Here for This!

After leaving the Hall of Right and Wrong, Xia Zhi did not follow the custom of taking the ferry across the Sanzu River back to the mortal world.

Although that is the conventional and common practice—

Let the Grim Reaper, who has the ability to manipulate distance, act as the ferryman of the Sanzu River, ferrying people back and forth between this side and the other side...

He thought the design was pretty cool.

Perhaps we could make the same arrangement at our own dojo.

Let the Styx...

No, let the River of Oblivion flow through the vast Milky Way, invisible and unseen.

—Only in the realm of spirits can the dead see that river;

Only by relying on a ferryman can one cross the river to the other side and enter the next life.

Of course, this also needs to be accompanied by strict protective laws.

This is to prevent a classic scenario like "a hairy-faced, thunder-mouthed monk has come from outside" from being replicated.

While it is indeed a classic, it is also very difficult to maintain composure.

Not to mention his current position—

Class determines one's stance.

………………

………………

With one step, the figure of the Qi practitioner stood in front of the Hakurei Shrine.

However, this is the Hakurei Shrine as seen from the outside world.

Strictly speaking, it is the same building as the shrine in Gensokyo. Because it is located on the border of the Great Barrier, it can be seen both inside and outside the barrier.

Or rather, it exists both inside and outside the barrier.

However, even the main body of the same shrine appears completely different from different perspectives.

Just as everything has multiple facets, different perspectives yield different results.

The Hakurei Shrine in Gensokyo is a famous cherry blossom viewing spot and a major banquet venue, where banquets are held very frequently.

Compared to the sparse human worshippers, the yokai linger here more often.

At least the residents of the human village are not too willing to take the risk of crossing the beast path, which is said to be haunted by monsters, to worship. Most of the human worshippers who appear at Hakurei Shrine are people who have accidentally wandered in from the outside world.

Furthermore, although the shrines in Gensokyo are old, they are in relatively good condition and are usually clean and tidy.

Although Reimu always complained about the lack of donations, she still kept the shrine clean and vibrant, managing it in an orderly manner.

Outside the barrier—

This shrine, however, is located deep in the mountains, and only a faded and dilapidated shell remains.

The roof tiles on the low eaves are broken, the wooden steps are rotten like withered bones, and the stone bricks are covered with moss. The whole building seems to have been forgotten by time for a hundred years.

Even the inscription on the replacement plaque has been obliterated and is difficult to decipher. Only the torii gate standing in front of the gate, although the vermilion paint has long since peeled off, can still prove that this place was once a sacred site.

Anyone who sees it at a glance will know that this is an ancient shrine that was abandoned due to its geographical location and no one worshipped it.

But there's nothing we can do about it.

This is a dual exile of geography and time.

The path was treacherous and difficult to traverse, and the soil was hard and barren.

There is neither the benefit of farming nor the scenery to appreciate.

Even in this day and age, this place has no tourism value and has been deserted for many years.

Not to mention the even more distant past—

Back when rugged mountains were still seen as the dividing line between humans and demons.

"..."

"..."

On the summer solstice, he stood before the dilapidated torii gate of the Hakurei Shrine, the mountain wind carrying the scent of decaying wood brushing against his clothes.

It was midday, the time of day when the sun was at its strongest.

However, this shrine, weathered by time, appears especially lonely under the midday sun.

Just then, a gust of wind blew through the hollow shrine, stirring up a musty sigh.

"As you can see, the shrines outside have been abandoned for a long time..."

A voice, pure yet subtly alluring, rang out, suddenly piercing the desolation of the mountains.

Just hearing her voice makes people subconsciously sketch a vague outline in their minds, thinking that she must be a great beauty.

She changed into a pure white dress and wore a hat with a ruffled brim. Her long golden hair was blown by the mountain mist, sending forth a faint, strange fragrance.

A seventeen-year-old demon girl stood not far away, holding a parasol and smiling.

In the mountains and forests, sunlight filters through layers of branches, casting dappled shadows on the mountain path.

The great demon with golden hair was so beautiful that it looked like a painting.

"Moreover, this shrine... was not originally built for the Dragon God."

Yakumo Yukari gently twirled her parasol and walked over slowly.

Her long, golden hair seemed to shimmer and glow in the dappled sunlight.

"The faith in Lord Dragon God actually began around the time Gensokyo was established..."

"That was on the day the Hakurei Great Barrier opened—the sky suddenly darkened, lightning serpents tore through the heavens, and torrential rain threatened to engulf the world. When the dragon appeared, everything lost its color..."

"After the Dragon God left, the flood receded instantly, the clouds parted and the world regained its splendor. At that time, Gensokyo was like a mirror that had been wiped clean by the gods themselves."

"It was around that time that people began to believe in the Dragon God, and a stone statue of the Dragon God was placed in the center of the human village, where it was worshipped every day."

As she spoke, she stopped beside the young man and quietly observed his profile and expression.

The seventeen-year-old girl remained outwardly calm, still smiling.

She gently held up the parasol, gazing at the decaying beams and pillars of the shrine's inner sanctum, her voice like a gentle breeze that had traveled through a century: "Back then, the Hakurei Shrine in Gensokyo was the only shrine, and naturally became the only place of worship..."

"I still remember the Hakurei Shrine Maiden back then. She actually refused, but in the end, she didn't want to disappoint the villagers, so she agreed."

At this point, Yukari Yakumo paused for a moment, then continued with a hint of regret:

"Unfortunately, she was actually right, because the appearance when the great barrier was set up was the last time the Dragon God would appear before the world..."

“After that, they never appeared again, never answered prayers, never gave revelations, as if they had never existed at all…”

"Over time, the faith in dragons was lost, and even if people went to the Hakurei Shrine to worship, they no longer knew what deity was once enshrined there..."

Faith is selfless.

—Faith is utilitarian.

When there is no response for thousands of years, and no divine virtue or power is ever displayed, it is naturally difficult for this generation to persevere.

When legends become true legends, worshippers can't even remember who they are kneeling before.

After all, the people in Gensokyo do live in a world where gods and youkai truly exist, and maintaining faith is far more demanding than in the outside world.

In such circumstances, if a belief only exists as a legend from thousands of years ago, it will never be able to prove itself...

Then this kind of belief has no competitive advantage whatsoever.

"So now, the Dragon God in Gensokyo only serves as a weather forecaster..."

The young man listened patiently for a moment, then offered a comment.

The stone statue of the dragon god, once worshipped daily, no longer receives such incense offerings.

More importantly, it allows people to judge the weather of the day by observing the color changes of the longan on the stone statue.

“That’s right…” Yakumo Yukari nodded. “So, you probably can’t find any information about the Dragon God from your current beliefs.”

She glanced at the dilapidated shrine ahead and added—

"The Hakurei Shrine in Gensokyo is no good, and neither is any Hakurei Shrine outside of Gensokyo."

"..."

"..."

How did you know I wanted to gather information about the Dragon God here?

Xia Zhi laughed and asked this question in return.

"Isn't it obvious? Meryl told me that you're like someone who likes to open a character's encyclopedia when playing a game—you want to grab any cute girl you see and put her in your own bowl—"

The seventeen-year-old girl blinked: "Um, don't look at me like that. It's true that she said it. She said that's how you forcibly grabbed her."

"That's all slander, she's slandering me." The young man said calmly, "You know, a leader of the righteous path like me is bound to attract rumors from some dark forces..."

The people working under your command...

Is it considered a dark force?

A hint of amusement flashed in Yukari Yakumo's beautiful eyes, but she wisely refrained from commenting and instead continued along the lines of what she had been saying:
"Whether it's the City of the Moon or the Other Shore, you must have just returned from the Hall of Right and Wrong..."

"Let me think... judging from your expression, you've probably already threatened... cough cough, you've already convinced Eiki..."

"Since you're so interested in Enma, who's practically unrelated to you, then you must also have him on your list, Lord Dragon God..."

She gently shook the parasol in her hand, pondered for a moment, and then continued, "Hmm, just like Tsukiyo, she is now one of your aspects, right?"

Do you know what face reading means?

"I'm not quite sure. Meryl checked her database and mentioned it; it seems to be about knowledge and beliefs about gods?"

The sage of the demons wasn't quite sure: "But it seems to be from an unfamiliar system, maybe an avatar or something? But it could also be independent?"

"Well, to be honest, I always felt this concept was closer to the idea of ​​a 'container'."

"What you said isn't wrong," the Qi practitioner said noncommittally.

One's appearance is an incarnation, a disguise for God, a different identity and a divine perspective.

However, this kind of disguise or identity can exist independently, and it can also be taken away by others.

In that multiverse of magic networks and gods, many similar examples have appeared—

Some deities experienced a break in their faith, and their individual manifestations became independent gods; others were devoured by more powerful true gods, becoming one of their manifestations...

Overall, it's a very interesting and useful method.

"Alright, now tell me why you've come, Miss Yakumo—"

Xia Zhi blinked and sized up the large demon in front of her: "Let me guess, you've come here to recommend yourself, haven't you?"

Upon hearing this, Yukari Yakumo breathed a sigh of relief and nodded decisively: "That's right!"

That's good too, letting the other person bring it up themselves saves her the trouble of racking her brains and figuring out how to broach the subject.

Should we be more tactful, or more composed?
—You shouldn't appear overly anxious, but you also shouldn't be too impolite?

The degree of this is quite complicated.

The main problem was that the person in front of her was too abnormal, making it impossible for her to easily deal with them based on her past life experiences.

"Excellent, you're exactly the kind of talent I need!"

It was clear the young man was satisfied with the answer; he patted the seventeen-year-old girl's shoulder forcefully.

"So, how long will it take you to win over that dragon goddess and bring her here?"

"..."

"..."

"Eh?"

The seventeen-year-old girl suddenly paused for a moment.

Wait a minute, she came to offer herself up, but she only wanted to get a feel for Miss Meryl's job and treatment.

That's not what I meant...

(End of this chapter)