You say this is a love game?

And this is the distortion caused by the spread of Chidori.

In the silent world, the sound of footsteps is echoing.

From far to near, it seemed that traces of flying birds appeared in the sky again.

Yuuma Nishiyama reached into his arms tremblingly and took out a small pistol.

So the priest's hand was chopped off on the spot.

Someone held his head down, dragged his head and body to force him to turn around, and then kicked him to the ground by Mizutani Makoto. Only then did he see Mizutani Makoto's cold eyes, as if he was looking at trash, and the large sword flashing with thunder that was floating beside him.

Just now, it was this knife that swung on its own and cut off his arm.

Chidori's figure was hidden in the blade, and she did not communicate much with Mizutani Makoto, but she obeyed the orders given by Mizutani Makoto 100%.

She is a knife, a knife that serves the master of the knife.

In battle, she completely obeyed Mizutani Makoto's command and became the sharpest knife in his hand.

"haven't seen you for a long time."

At this moment, as if realizing something, Mizutani Makoto turned his head and saw Yoshida Akira trembling.

This evil spirit who could show a ferocious look even when facing Mizutani Makoto, was looking at Nishiyama Yuuma in front of him with great horror... No, he was not looking at this man, but at the patchwork haori on his body, which was hard to say whether it was retro or new trend. The haori looked like wings and even had some elements of Shinto "priest" in it.

Yoshida Akira was afraid of this outfit.

Originally, I let go of the control and wanted to use Yoshida Akira to create a certain sense of oppression for Yuuma Nishiyama... Using the form of a vengeful spirit to scare people, the effect must be great.

but--

"It seems like there's a pleasant surprise."

The boy had no intention of deceiving anyone, so he said frankly:

"You are dead."

"But I'm giving you a chance now. Normally, you'd have to die a more miserable death than them, but now you can choose a death that's just as painful as theirs... I won't lie to you about this, and I don't like lying."

To be honest, the phone call with Xishan just now was one of the few times he lied recently.

He was really afraid of scaring Xishan away. Then who would make up for the loss of lives?

"Then my request is—"

"I'll give you three minutes. You have to explain to me clearly what the Red Lotus Seed Guardian Society is like now. And what about that venerable one, that great bodhisattva, and what the hell are they..."

"And most importantly..."

"Where is its new address?"

Chapter 137: Miss S, the horn of the assembly of the great Bodhisattva Zi’an’s compassionate mother.

In Japan, the extent of the rampant cults is comparable to that in neighboring Korea.

The government has introduced many religious laws to regulate the development of these religions, but in actual practice, it is clear that the so-called laws cannot control those bizarre beliefs at all. They take root among the people and thrive in a wild manner. There are many ways to circumvent these seemingly strict legal constraints.

This nation is inherently superstitious, and obsession with ghosts and gods has been a part of the social atmosphere and tradition since ancient times.

In addition, the collusion between cults and official circles and business circles has been an old tradition since ancient times. Many Japanese political figures have more or less connections with religion. For example, Abe-chan, who was in high spirits a few years ago, what he fired was not only Abe-chan's sincerity, but more importantly, the tip of the iceberg beneath the sin.

A high-end sanatorium in Night Light City.

Dongtian Ling followed the priest.

This place was previously an old abandoned maternity hospital, which was later bought by the "Red Lotus Seed Guardian Society". In less than half a year, this place was transformed into a high-end sanatorium with high-end decoration and the presence of politicians and celebrities, where believers can participate in various ceremonies.

Higashida Suzu was a middle-aged woman in her forties, whose temperament and appearance perfectly matched the stereotype of a housewife in Japanese society. She paid the initial membership fee, participated in several meditation ceremonies organized by the Red Lotus Seeds Society, and completed a two-month probationary period. The priest finally informed her that her mind had been fully purified and she could now see her daughter.

“Remember to be pious in your heart.”

"Yes Yes--"

The priest wearing the Komori haori looked back, then silently led the woman forward. While walking hurriedly, he also instilled some church concepts into her.

"The child is not missing, but has not yet resolved his past life karma. He is lost in the past karma. Now he is protected by a great bodhisattva. He needs blood relatives to provide for him to help him realize the existence of this world and help the child return to the world."

"Karma?"

"Of course, everyone has karma, the only difference is how deep it is. Children's karma is helpless, but as parents, we can also help them alleviate their karma... To be honest, I am also a parent, and my child was once missing. It was only under the protection of the great bodhisattva that I was able to find him again."

The priests were already familiar with this set of words to divert trauma.

Empathy, identification, transferring trauma, reinforcing guilt... Most of the ways cults exploit their followers are just old wine in new bottles, simply taking advantage of other people's psychological trauma and ravaging it.

“How can we help children eliminate their karma?”

The mother who lost her child whispered.

"But we have to eliminate our karma first."

The priest sighed as if with compassion.

"Are you not pious enough? Or are your karma too heavy? Sometimes parents have deep karma and are unaware of it, which only deepens their children's karma, which they haven't yet resolved. That's why we need to meditate, contemplate, and dedicate ourselves... These are worldly practices, and it is through this practice that we can reduce our own karma."

“When our karma is reduced, the great bodhisattvas will be able to use their magical powers to help us find our lost children…”

The two passed through the corridor of the sanatorium. The wall tiles and floor of this place were decorated in soft beige, with some warm-colored decorations. The overall look was particularly warm and harmonious.

Dongtian Ling would turn her head from time to time and see people meditating in some rooms.

She actually didn't believe it at first.

Japan is a country with so many different kinds of religious groups that some religious cases would suddenly appear in the news. Although Toda Ling had not experienced this, she had heard many news about cult members on TV. Some people committed suicide because of this, and some lost their fortunes because of this... These things were discussed among neighbors, so how could she not have noticed it?

This "Zi'an Ci Mu Great Bodhisattva" sounds like another small branch evolved from Buddhism. Why would people believe it at first sight?

However, there are always flaws in people's hearts.

Her daughter, Momoko Higashida, is missing.

It happened about half a year ago, two days after Taozi turned eleven.

There is always no warning when a person disappears.

She clearly did nothing wrong. Taozi had just gone out for a normal time. Before leaving, she told her clearly that she was going shopping with friends, but she never came back since then.

According to subsequent police investigations, Tomoko Higashida disappeared while shopping at a mall. Surveillance footage showed Tomoko going to the mall restroom alone, while her friend waited there, but she never emerged. When her friend panicked and ran to her home to share the news, Tomoko was cooking. She quickly turned off the stove and ran out, not even bothering to prepare the meal.

She never saw her daughter again after that day.

She and her husband were extremely worried about their daughter's disappearance. More than half a year had passed, and the whole family was still shrouded in a dull silence.

How many people can endure the pain of seeing a daughter they have raised for more than ten years disappear?

It was at this time that she met the "Red Lotus Seed Guards".

The trigger for her encounter was a postpartum depression support group she'd been invited to by a friend two years earlier. She hadn't shown any signs of postpartum depression, and it had been eleven years since she'd given birth to Taozi, so how could she possibly connect with a group of pregnant women? She'd simply been invited by a friend to help out, to help some pregnant women relieve stress and earn some extra money.

But in that postpartum depression mutual aid group, someone was promoting the Red Lotus Seed Society.

The Red Lotus Seed Guardian Society does not wear the slogan "The Venerable One has great magical powers" on its face. In the beginning, it only promoted some seemingly reasonable and wise words, which vaguely revealed that it had helped many parents find their missing children. It is a church that pursues self-cultivation and selflessly dedicates itself to others.

She didn't believe it at first.

There are so many cults in this country. Before they peel off their masks, each one presents a compassionate and benevolent face. Who knows what this cult's "cultivation" is? Who knows what hidden motives this cult, spreading through maternity and childcare groups, is harboring?

But, what if?

The Red Lotus Seed Guardian Society provides free "psychological counseling" courses, which are said to help people achieve peace of mind and body... After two months of observation, she finally couldn't bear the restlessness in her heart, and under some kind of desire, she began to accept the "psychological counseling" of this church.

She did find peace.

She was a woman called "Imperial Envoy". She looked to be in her thirties or forties. She was dressed seductively and wore makeup. What was impressive was her vermilion lips and the smiling expression that was always on her face.

When she first saw the imperial envoy, Dong Tianling thought she had seen a prostitute hanging around in the red-light district, and subconsciously wanted to turn around and leave, but the person's voice seemed to carry an inexplicable magic. Under his persuasion, Dong Tianling stopped and tried to practice "meditation".

It was an amazing sense of peace.

As the woman laughed, all the distracting thoughts in her head seemed to be emptied out, making her sink into a state of desirelessness.

From then on, she gradually came to believe in the Red Lotus Seed Society. Once she paid the annual 500,000 yen "membership fee," she began her training within the society. These training sessions were often difficult, unlike the initial meditation required for initiation, and they tested a believer's devotion. It was only after overcoming these long and complex trials that she was finally able to reduce her karmic obstacles and prepare for her daughter's return.

The end of this journey is a hall.

Sitting on the pulpit in the hall was a woman wearing heavy religious clothing. She was about thirty years old, with a rosy complexion and a dignified and elegant appearance. She actually seemed to have a certain temperament, making people feel that she was particularly reliable.

"Your Excellency."

The Venerable, who was in deep thought, couldn't help but look up, his eyes falling on the priest and Dong Tianling behind him.

The housewife was looking at her excitedly.

His Holiness has never been hiding behind the scenes, or in other words, the common point of all cults is "leader worship".

Usually, they use a myth as the main body and deify the leader in the process of spreading the doctrine, claiming that he has superpowers such as prophecy and clairvoyance, or that he is the reincarnation of a god or Buddha. They constantly appear in front of believers and deepen their spiritual control over them.

And the same is naturally true for the Venerable.

She often appears in front of the public, constantly strengthening the believers' impression and worship of her, and also firmly tying her own existence to the "Zi'an Ci Mu Great Bodhisattva".

In the sky, birds are circling.

Those crow-like birds either landed on the roof or on the treetops, making sharp calls from time to time, and their eyes fell on the venerable monks and women in the room.

"As I recall, your child's name is Toda Momoko."

Although she is a woman, her voice is always deep and charming.

At this moment, she was standing on a high pulpit, wearing a religious robe embroidered with strange runes and numerous pendants and ribbons. She happened to be standing in the center of the pulpit, and a huge golden ring hung on the top, like some kind of sacred symbol.

Behind her sat a group of devout believers, their eyes filled with a mixture of hope and fanaticism.

The woman quickly said yes, raised her head tremblingly, looked up at the respected man, and unknowingly tears were streaming down her face, murmuring her child's name.

"Peach... please let her come back..."

Her voice was choked and she could barely form a sentence.

Then the venerable smiled slightly, with a mysterious arc at the corner of his mouth.

She said in a rhythmic voice, "Of course, your piety can stand the test."

She slowly raised her hands, palms upward, closed her eyes, and began to chant an obscure incantation. The language sounded like ancient Sanskrit, interspersed with unnatural, distorted syllables. At first, it seemed mysterious, but after repeated listening, it began to resemble a shamanic act. Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to look directly at the venerable who was "exercising" her powers.

There was a sweet smell in the air, like some kind of burning herbs.

Outside the window, the crows turned their heads.

One, two, three...

All the crows that had been lingering in various places took flight at this moment, flying around the church-like building and making shrill cries in the air.

Gaga gaga——!!

The sound was sharp and piercing, like a mockery from the depths of hell.

"see it?"

The Venerable suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze deep: "She is calling you."

The woman looked up suddenly, but suddenly felt dazed. She stared blankly at the back of the podium on the other side. It seemed as if some shadow was moving there. Soon, a pleasant laugh came over again. The more she listened, the more familiar it became.

Hope suddenly ignited in her eyes: "Taozi...Taozi is really back?"

The Venerable did not answer, but waved his hand again and uttered a low cry: "Come back!"

In an instant——

The crow outside the window suddenly swooped down!

Dark shadows burst through the windows, accompanied by the sound of shattering glass. They crashed into the hall, frantically flapping their wings. The believers cried out in shock, but no one escaped. Instead, they looked toward the Venerable with anticipation, anticipating a scene that could be called a "miracle."

The venerable one they worship is not the same kind of ordinary people in the outside world.

One of the crows flew out and crashed directly into the curtain behind the stage.

The flesh and blood were wriggling.

“Ahhhh——!!”

The largest crow let out a sharp cry.

Behind the curtain where only the priest could stand, it struggled violently in the air, its body swelled rapidly, its feathers fell off, its skin turned pale, and the bird's face twisted and became more like human features, gradually revealing the outline of a child.

Its limbs were forcibly stretched, and the entire beak seemed to be forced into its face. A few drops of liquid, not sure whether it was tears or blood, squeezed out of its cloudy eye sockets.