I became Hokage in Tokyo

Chapters 271 & 272: The Temptation of Going Home

"Outsiders, don't you consider staying on Penglai Island? I can make the decision for you to stay in the village. As for that Kunlun slave, forget about him."

The following morning, in a fairly spacious mud-brick house, Hirota Tulio and his party were being hosted by the old village chief.

After arriving in the village last night, the militia notified the old village chief, who, upon arriving, did not make things difficult for them and allowed them to pass directly.

The village was a small, isolated place where people lived in close proximity but rarely interacted with each other. There were few outsiders, and naturally, no inns or hotels. Fortunately, the old village chief's residence, which also served as a place for village discussions, had enough space for the group to sleep on the floor.

They work at sunrise and rest at sunset. As dawn broke, the old village chief arranged for his granddaughter to prepare breakfast for them.

The main dishes consist of a bowl of brown rice, a grilled fish, a few slices of salted radish, and a bowl of wild vegetable and tofu miso soup.

After a long day of travel, Hirota Tulio and his companions were starving and wolfed down their food.

"Tulio, what is the old man saying?"

Antonio, the Black man, no longer complained about the strange taste of miso. He grabbed rice with his hands, drank large gulps of wild vegetable and tofu miso soup, and asked indistinctly.

"Well, the old village chief asked us if we wanted to stay. He also said you're very strong and would definitely be suitable for farm work."

Hirota Tulio looked somewhat embarrassed and made a casual remark.

"Of course, I'm very good at working."

Antonio, a Black man, grinned, his smile innocent.

"Thank you for your hospitality, old village chief. The food is delicious."

After the village chief's granddaughter finished clearing away the dishes, Hirota Tulio clasped his hands together and politely thanked her.

"It's nothing, just ordinary three meals a day in the village. Thanks to the shrine maiden's blessing, the weather is good and the harvest is plentiful."

The old village chief stroked his beard with a smug look and laughed:

"If that's not enough, I'll have someone cook another pot of rice for you. When I was little, there was a stranger in the village who said that you people on the island only get to eat rice during festivals, right?"

"You're too kind, there's no need for that."

Hirota Tulio politely declined, saying with a wry smile that this breakfast was just so-so for modern people, and he wouldn't have eaten it so heartily if he hadn't been so hungry.

"Old village chief, you said there are other visitors from outside the island in the village. Where is he now? Can we meet him?" someone asked impatiently.

The old village chief blinked, a look of reminiscence on his face. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head and said, "That was a long, long time ago. That person died two hundred years ago."

"Did something happen?" the long-haired woman interjected.

"He died of old age."

The old village chief looked at her with some surprise and said, "Before I was born, that outsider had already lived in the village for more than a hundred years."

"I see."

Was the last outsider from the Edo period?

Hirota Tulio and the others exchanged glances. Although they had already heard about it from Miss Yuhuo, they couldn't hide their amazement.

Ordinary people can easily live past 100 years old if they come to Penglai.

It truly lives up to its reputation as a legendary paradise and a fairyland!

"So, do you want to stay in the village? It's better to make a decision as soon as possible."

The old village chief asked again.

Hirota Tulio turned his head and whispered to the other four people for a while. Apart from the foreign woman who seemed somewhat interested, the others did not hesitate for long.

Although one might live decades or even centuries longer on Penglai Island, and the village's productivity was more advanced than in medieval society, ensuring a life free from worries about food and clothing, the allure of this medieval society—completely devoid of modern conveniences and characterized by men farming and women weaving—is greatly diminished for modern people.

They weren't like the common people of the Edo period, who could only rely on daikon radish to fill their stomachs all year round and were content with just being able to eat rice.

In particular, Hirota Tulio and his group were all young people in their twenties and thirties, and they were not alone.

Perhaps they will only regret missing this opportunity when they are old and frail, lying on their sickbeds.

"Is that so? What a pity. But making a decision sooner rather than later is a wise move." The old village chief sighed and said nothing more.

"Village chief, I heard that outsiders who come to Penglai for more than twelve hours can never return, is that true?"

The young man asked abruptly.

"It seems that's true, but it's been so long since any outsiders have come that I really couldn't remember it if you hadn't mentioned it."

The old village chief slapped his forehead, looking as if he had suddenly realized something.

"The location of Penglai Island is constantly changing, and it is not connected to the outside world. Even if you go out to sea by boat, you can only travel around the waters near Penglai Island. Only the priestess can come and go freely."

"Old village chief, please take us to the priestess immediately."

Hirota Tulio glanced at his watch and calculated the time they had disembarked from the passenger ship. It was less than 10 hours until it would be a full day, and he couldn't help but urge them on impatiently.

"The priestess does not live in the village."

Hirota Tulio was stunned.

The old village chief, leaning on his cane, strode briskly out of the gate and arrived at the village entrance, followed closely by Hirota Tulio and his group.

The old village chief pointed with his cane to the vast primeval forest in the distance, and a majestic mountain peak surrounded by mist, the most beautiful and imposing among the mountains.

"The priestess usually trains on the highest mountain in the center of Penglai, and only comes to the village occasionally."

The old village chief said slowly and deliberately.

"It takes two hours to walk from the village to Lingfeng, and half an hour to climb the steps from the foot of the mountain to the shrine at the top. You need to hurry."

"Old village chief, could you help us find a guide?"

Hirota Tulio pleaded with a sheepish grin, saying, "I'm eating and living here, and now I'm asking them for help. I feel a little embarrassed."

"This old man is of no help."

Unexpectedly, the usually easy-going village chief refused outright.

"Old village chief, we won't take the villagers' help for nothing! We have some items from outside the village on us, they're not very valuable, but they'll still be of some use."

Hirota Tulio immediately became anxious, took the mechanical watch off his wrist, and tried to shove it into the village chief's hand.

"No, no! That's not what I meant."

The old village chief waved his hand in refusal, then coughed before speaking sternly and solemnly:

"There are monsters on Penglai Island! Although they fear the barrier that the priestess set up near the village, especially during the day, they don't appear on the outskirts of the forest, but it's hard to say what will happen deep in the forest."

The old village chief, leaning on a cane, had a serious expression on his face.

"Only during the New Year, under the escort of the priestess, do the villagers dare to visit the shrine in the mountains. On ordinary days, they would never dare to venture into the depths of the forest, as it is far too dangerous. We humans are no match for the monsters."

Upon hearing the village chief's words, everyone's expression turned extremely grim.

hateful!

Now that things have come to this, are we really going to be trapped on Penglai Island, spending the next hundred years or so in this small village?

Seeing the old village chief's serious and alarmed expression, it was clearly unlikely that he would arrange for the villagers to escort them into the mountains.

"It's not to say you'll definitely encounter monsters. If you're lucky, you might reach the shrine without any major incidents."

That's what they say, but for Hirota and his group to just charge in like that would be incredibly reckless. Not to mention the risk of getting lost, if they really encountered a monster, wouldn't that be suicide?

"Wait, old village chief, you said humans can't defeat monsters, but what if they weren't humans...?"

Hirota Turi had a sudden inspiration and hesitated before speaking.

"Oh, you mean the fishing lights?"

Although the old village chief was advanced in years, he was shrewd and immediately understood Hirota Tulio's implication, nodding slightly.

"If it were her, perhaps there would be a way. Sometimes Yu Huo would bring herbs from the depths of the forest to the village to exchange for daily necessities, and I would turn a blind eye to it. Half-demons are truly pitiful."

The old village chief shook his head and sighed, his tone carrying a complex meaning that was hard to describe.

Judging from the old village chief's tone, he didn't seem to have as deep a prejudice against Miss Yu Huo as the other villagers.

Hirota Tulio's expression shifted, but he knew now was not the time to delve into the matter. They were already struggling to protect themselves, and couldn't afford to help Miss Yuhuo fight for the village's human rights.

"That's the situation now. Let's vote. Should we stay in the village forever, or go and ask Miss Fisherman for directions?"

After a vote, a group of young people were still unwilling to spend their lives on Penglai Island and decided to take a risk.

After a hasty farewell to the village chief, the group turned back along the beach to the old site of the fishing fire.

If the old village chief hadn't been so certain that monsters would never leave the forest during the day, they might not have dared to leave the village.

"We hope to find Miss Yuhuo; we don't have much time left."

Hirota Tulio prayed silently as he walked.

The beach was shrouded in a light fog, which reduced visibility and cast a shadow over Hirota Turio's mind.

Miss Fisherman's thatched hut has been destroyed by the octopus monster. If Miss Fisherman is not around, they don't know where to look for her.

Just then, a melodious and beautiful song drifted gently across the sea:

"My father once said that the hands of demons are the hands of guardians—"

My mother once said that human hands are nurturing hands.

"Come together with your hands, open the door—"

"You will become light, protect the child, protect him—"

The song rose higher and higher, its sincere and heartfelt emotion moving Hirota Turio to tears, leaving him momentarily lost in thought.

"Fishing lights!"

Not only him, but everyone listened quietly to this heavenly sound until the singing disappeared, at which point the foreign woman called out in the direction of the singing.

"It's you guys."

As the sea fog gradually dissipated, a fisherman was seen sitting on a rock by the sea, his legs dangling like a mermaid's, with a look of surprise on his face.

"You sing. Wonderful! Although, it's not very clear."

The foreign woman clapped repeatedly.

"She's praising your singing, Miss Fisherman!"

Hirota Tulio stepped forward to translate.

"Thanks."

The sound of fishing lights was barely audible, and two blushes rose on her cheeks, clearly indicating a touch of shyness.

"That's how it is..."

Hirota Tulio quickly explained his purpose, lowered his head and pleaded, while the others also looked expectantly at the fishing fire.

"Please, Miss Yuhuo."

Yu Huo hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"I happen to have something to see the priestess, so it wouldn't hurt to take you all with me."

"Really!?"

Hirota Tulio and his group were overjoyed.

"Wait a moment."

The fishing lights leaped into the sea and soon resurfaced, reaching the shore.

In his hand, he now held a crystal-clear, sparkling jade tree branch.

It's unclear what kind of magic Miss Yu Huo possessed, but the seawater that had gotten on her body quickly rolled off and she became clean and refreshed.

"What is this?"

Someone asked curiously.

"These are items brought by the invaders, and they are related to Penglai Island. I must return them to the priestess."

Yu Huo said calmly.

Then, they found a leather bag in the ruins of the thatched hut and put the Penglai Jade Branch inside.

Even so, a faint light still shone through the animal hide, and the fishing fire could only be tied up with straw.

"The Jade Branch of Penglai..."

Behind the fishing lights, the couple exchanged glances, a hint of greed flashing in their eyes.

"I know the path in the forest that leads directly to the shrine, and I can deal with the territories of every yokai along the way, as well as ordinary wild beasts or small yokai."

After securing the items, Yu Huo carried them on his back and repeatedly instructed Hirota Tulio and his group:

"If nothing unexpected happens, the sun will reach the foot of the mountain at noon. But you must not be careless; you must follow my orders and act with caution."

"Yes, Miss Yuhuo!"

"Understood!"

Seeing that Hirota Tulio and his group had made up their minds, Yuhu nodded and led them into the woods.

The path was hidden by bushes, with deep and dense forests on both sides, like a tourist trail in a famous scenic spot. The scenery was exceptionally beautiful, almost breathtaking.

But the thought of the threats lurking in the forest made them tremble with fear, as if walking on thin ice.

"No problem, don't be nervous. We're still on the outer edge of the forest. It's closer to the village, no monster would be so foolish as to build a nest nearby."

While trying to calm everyone down, Yu Huo also kept a watchful eye on the surroundings.

After walking for about half an hour, a jagged, towering tree, as thick as several people could hug, appeared ahead. Only then did Yu Huo become serious and whispered a word of advice:

"We're about to enter the inner part of the forest. A three-eyed fox demon lives in a tree hole here, so everyone be careful."

Everyone held their breath and tiptoed, not daring to even breathe loudly. Some were so nervous that they couldn't even walk properly.

"Don't be so afraid, that fox demon is just a minor monster, I can chase it away..."

Just then, a huge, multicolored snake head emerged from the tree hole, with a fluffy white tail hanging from its mouth.

"A giant snake?"

The fishing lights seemed somewhat bewildered and at a loss.

Because she had never seen this monster in Penglai for three hundred years.

(End of this chapter)