The afterlife blew up Gensokyo

"Even if you tell me all this, what's the use? I can't even handle a mid-level apocalypse, let alone a higher level of power. I'm not like you, who can't die no matter what. I cherish my life."

"I just don't want another one of my few friends to die. If you don't want that, then forget it."

Shi Bai waved his hand, not insisting.

"Alright then, I'll give you permission to come and go from here for a short period of time, so you won't have to... Wait, what are you doing!?"

Seeing the guy in front of him suddenly press his entire face against the glass and contort it into a mess, Shi Bai was almost startled.

"Tell me honestly, have you already found Car Zero and obtained this [strange object]?"

His face remained pressed tightly against the glass, and Wu Xiu spoke softly.

"Legend has it that there is a little-known carriage, number zero, on the [Strange Object - Crossover Train]. That is the conductor's cabin. Anyone who is lucky enough to enter there will have complete control over this [Strange Object]. When did you find that carriage number zero?"

"Cough cough cough... You know, I'm incredibly lucky. Otherwise, how do you think I managed to get out of there and even send things into this place?"

Slightly embarrassed, Shi Bai coughed a few times and glanced around aimlessly.

"Actually, I had already found the Zero Carriage a long time ago, but there are also mistakes in the legends. Although it is indeed the commander's room, it is not that whoever finds it can completely control this [strange object]... I was able to completely control this [strange object] after entering the [door] and then coming out of the [door].

"So early... If that's the case, then why didn't you release me from here back then!?"

Unedited looked completely frustrated.

"Let's set aside the fact that I didn't have that kind of authority at that time..."

Shi Bai spread his hands, his face showing complete innocence.

"Even if I really release you from there, would you dare to come out? Being mistaken for one of my accomplices, you'd probably be completely wiped out the moment you gain your freedom, right?"

"I'm not your friend!!!"

His face slowly left the glass, and there was a hint of gritted teeth in his words.

"Yeah, but those guys don't think that way."

"...How long can I be away?"

He slumped back into the chair, and in an instant, Wu Xiu seemed to have aged thousands of years.

"Go and figure it out yourself. Even if it's just for a short time, just being able to get out of here for a bit should be an exciting thing for you, right?"

Shi Bai's tone was extremely relaxed.

"Oh, and let me give you a little more advice. You'd better not think about telling anyone what I've told you today, especially about me being the one in control of this [Wonderful Object - Crossover Train]. You know I hate trouble the most."

His tone was low and somber.

"While I may not be very good at solving problems, it's quite easy to deal with the person who caused the problem. At worst, we can just replace the ticket seller."

"……I see."

Wu Xiu nodded stiffly.

"Very well, then it's settled like this."

Snapping his fingers, Shi Bai nodded with satisfaction.

"I have granted you the authority to temporarily leave the area for short periods of time. Remember not to let others find out. Since you cultivate the appearance of all beings, it is quite convenient for you to conceal your appearance."

"Yes, yes, yes, I will keep your words in mind and would never dare to have the slightest intention of being disrespectful."

Wu Xiu's reply was rather weak and listless.

Ever since he learned that the other party had actually taken control of the train and could come in and beat him up anytime, even though he had gained temporary freedom, he couldn't feel happy at all when he recalled the words he had said to the other party when they first met again.

...Surely the other party won't hold a grudge?

P.S.: Good morning!

Chapter Seventeen: Conquering Purple Mom in Progress

Few people are able to glimpse the truth, because compared to falsehood, the truth is often harder to accept.

Since Shi Bai and Yakumo Yukari boarded the train again, the Cross-Boundary Train has been traveling through the void for another hundred years. Compared to the time boundary that spans tens of millions of years, a hundred years may only be a fleeting moment, but for Yakumo Yukari, who has been sleeping on the train for the past hundred years, she has lived through nearly seven or eight complete lives.

A lifetime is but a hundred years, and it is but a fleeting dream.

In these seven or eight complete lives, Yukari Yakumo has been a superstar who has reached the pinnacle of the world, and a chivalrous woman who has lived a life of chivalry and adventure. She has the boldness of drinking when she is awake and singing when she is drunk, and the tranquility of wandering the world with a clear mind.

It seems that no matter which life she lived, she was never short of suitors, but in the end, she always ended up alone, with all her friends leaving her one by one.

People say she doesn't understand love, habitually using those around her as pawns, but she herself seems oblivious, continuing to do as she pleases. This is not just a beginning, but rather seems to be an end.

After ending her eighth life, Yukari Yakumo sought out Tokihaku, full of questions, to ask him about her inner doubts, but received only a lukewarm answer.

Under these circumstances, Yukari Yakumo's ninth life begins once again.

In this life, she became Murong Qingwan, the young lady of a wealthy family in an ancient setting. With a start full of talent, although she had no memory of Yakumo Yukari, she still became a rising star in the shortest time.

When noble ladies came of age, they would hold a marriage contest to choose a good husband. This practice even alarmed the emperor. The day of the public marriage contest was a grand affair, and the princes even traveled thousands of miles to the capital to participate in the contest.

However, to everyone's surprise, the one who ultimately won Murong Qingwan's heart was a man from a poor family, possessing great talent and witty remarks, but disliked by officials for his frivolous attitude. He failed the imperial examinations three times and was known as the "White-Clad Madman."

Thanks to Murong Qingwan's insistence, the wedding took place as scheduled. After the marriage, the two treated each other with respect. Baiyi seemed to have reformed his ways and studied diligently. Within a year, he passed the imperial examination with top honors and became the top scholar. Later, he was favored by the emperor and rose to high office in just a few years.

When he served as prime minister in plain clothes, the country was peaceful and prosperous, and people from all over the world came to pay tribute. At a young age, he had already made a name for himself in history. His reputation and achievements even seemed to surpass those of the first person in history who was known as a wise prime minister at the founding of the country.

Just as the world was praising Murong Qingwan's remarkable foresight, Baiyi took the initiative to submit his resignation, announcing a letter of divorce to the world and shocking everyone. It was because of this letter of divorce that the world learned about the agreement between Baiyi and Qingwan.

Murong Qingwan was unwilling to marry too early, believing that no one in the world was worthy of her. However, she could not resist the pressure from her family and had no choice but to choose Baiyi as her shield to silence the gossip. Although Baiyi and Qingwan had been married for many years, they were husband and wife in name only, not in reality.

After being ennobled and promoted to high office, he announced his divorce to the world in white robes, declaring that he had never forgotten the humiliation of that day and was now repaying it in one fell swoop. He only wished to retire from the military, return to his hometown, travel the world, and live a secluded life in the mountains.

Once the scandal was announced to the world, the Murong family was furious, and the emperor was furious. He issued three imperial edicts in succession, ordering Baiyi and Qingwan to reconcile and be united forever. The Murong family was willing to hold another grand wedding banquet to invite the whole world.

However, after receiving the imperial decree, the man in white laughed loudly and burned it in the fire without even looking at it. Then, he led the donkey he had ridden when he came to the capital and leisurely left the city. When the soldiers guarding the city learned of the name of the wise minister in white, none of them dared to stop him.

On the day he left the city in white, he pointed to the capital and said casually.

They came with nothing, and they left with nothing but the breeze in their sleeves.

Half a day after Bai Yi left the capital, the Murong family guards, along with the imperial guards, rode out in full force and found the wise minister Yu Du at the Banxia Ferry. The Murong family guards carried a letter written by Qing Wan herself, while the imperial guards carried the emperor's edict to invite him.

The man in white vowed not to comply and threatened to kill himself. He then drew his sword and committed suicide at the Banxia Ferry on the riverbank. His body fell into the river, and heaven and earth grieved, the sun and moon wept, and a month of torrential rain followed.

Later historical records documented this event, and the phrase "the wise minister in white robes and the promise of Qingwan" became widely circulated. However, other accounts were not recorded, such as what happened to Qingwan afterward. Was it regret or pain?

As for right and wrong, merit and demerit, let future generations judge them.

……………………………………………………………

After waking up from her sleep once again, Yukari Yakumo sat on the bed for a while, which was unusual for her.

"what happened?"

At that moment, Shi Bai, holding a bottle of soda, strolled leisurely in from outside. Seeing her in a daze, he asked her something rather strangely.

"nothing."

Shaking her head, Yukari Yakumo stood up from the bed.

"What's the matter with you?"

"Ah, it's nothing serious."

After taking a sip of his cola, Shi Bai gave a somewhat indistinct reply.

"The train will soon pass by a strangely beautiful nebula ruin. Judging by the time, you should be awake by now. Would you like to go take a look together?"

"...No need, it's a rare opportunity here, I want to continue."

After a moment of silence, Yukari Yakumo shook her head.

"I will definitely reach the standard you mentioned."

"Oh? Then keep up the good work."

He glanced at her with a hint of surprise, shrugged indifferently, and turned to leave the room.

"........."

After watching Shi Bai's figure disappear outside the door, Yakumo Yukari stood there for a moment before turning around, lying back down on the bed, and closing her eyes.

............................................................

The warm afternoon sun streamed in through the window, and the cozy bedroom, with its warm tones, resembled autumn maple leaves. The little girl slowly opened her eyes in her sleep and groggily sat up in bed.

After rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, the little girl looked around at the surroundings and couldn't help but show a hint of surprise in her eyes.

"Strange, wasn't I asleep in the forest? How did I suddenly end up back home... Oh right, that strange older brother with the fox mask who lived in the forest..."

As if suddenly remembering something, the little girl cheered and quickly rolled off the bed.

Every summer, a little girl named Ying would visit her grandfather's house in the countryside. This summer, she packed her bags and went to her grandfather's house in the countryside amidst her mother's nagging.

On a sunny summer day, she chased after a beautiful butterfly and ran into the depths of the woods, a place her family usually forbade her to enter. Although the scenery deep in the woods had a unique beauty compared to the outside world, she got lost there.

Just as Ying was feeling scared, a white-haired boy wearing a fox mask appeared in front of her and led her out of the forest with a branch.

The boy told her that the forest was the dwelling place of the mountain god and monsters, and that she could not enter it casually. However, the little girl became very interested in it and ran into the forest every day. Over time, the boy and she became friends.

Just as she was about to happily reach out and take his hand, the boy subtly dodged her. It was then that she realized that the masked older brother she knew was not human. He lived in the mountains and could not be touched by humans, or he would disappear.

The boy asked her to keep the secret and help him protect the spirits and mountain gods living in the forest from human disturbance—Hotaru agreed.

Happy times are always short-lived. Soon, Hotaru's summer vacation was over. Hotaru and the boy made a promise to come here every summer, and then embarked on their journey home with mysterious fantasies and longings for the future.

Time passed day by day, and the little girl grew up day by day, from elementary school to junior high school, but she never forgot the promise she made to the boy, and would return to the countryside every summer.

Ying discovered that the boy, who had lived in the mountains for a long time, did not understand the world. So she happily explained to the boy what she had seen and heard and the outside world. Every time this happened, she would talk and the boy would sit quietly to the side or sit on a tree and listen. Sunlight shone through the gaps in the trees and fell on the boy's hair, refracting and splitting into seven colors.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Sometimes, the boy would take her to meet the monsters in the mountains and forests who looked scary but were actually very friendly. The boy would introduce her to the monsters as his friend, and the monsters would try to scare her away from him.

Hotaru simultaneously ventured into both the increasingly noisy world of humans and the increasingly tranquil world of yokai.

Are there also monsters hiding in the human world?

"Ha...maybe there will be, but they are rare now. The human world is not suitable for monsters to live in."

"Then, wouldn't that monster want to invade the places where humans live? That's what I've heard in those storybooks..."

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Some monsters actually yearn for a peaceful life, a life that the human world cannot provide."

"Hmm... Is it possible for humans and yokai to coexist peacefully?"

"Of course it's possible, but it doesn't seem like it's going to happen right now."

The boy smiled gently.

"Perhaps there really is such a place somewhere, a place where humans and yokai can coexist peacefully..."

Hotaru noticed that the boy seemed to know a lot, but sometimes he seemed to know nothing at all. She had seen the face under the fox mask before. It was an exceptionally handsome boy, but he always hid his face under the mask, so she could never see his expression clearly. This often made her feel extremely frustrated.

What's even more frustrating is that she can't touch the other person at all, or rather, she can't even touch them, because as soon as the other person's body is touched by a human, they will disappear.

Perhaps it's a regret that, even after more than a decade, the other person's face remains unchanged. Sometimes, Ying feels uneasy. Perhaps when she is old and frail, the other person will still have that youthful face. How will she face the other person then?

However, her fears did not come true.

It was a very lively temple fair, or perhaps it was a temple fair she would never forget, because, by a seemingly accidental turn of events, the boy who accompanied her to the temple fair came into contact with a human.

In his final moments, as his life was about to end, the boy smiled and reached out his hand to her. It was the first and last time she touched him.

Looking at the countless fluorescent lights dancing in the sky, the girl suddenly remembered the moment when the two of them first met.

The sunlight was bright then, shining through the dense forest and into the depths of the thicket. The shadow cast behind the boy was trampled under her feet. The boy walked ahead of her, holding a branch in his hand. A gentle breeze blew by, carrying a leaf that brushed past her hair and disappeared into the distance.

I've been with you my whole life, haven't I? But my whole life isn't yours.

............................................................

"This is the first time I've ever seen you care so much about someone."

Seeing the person in front of him sit up from the chair, Wu Xiu clicked his tongue in amazement.

"Is it really necessary? I think your attitude towards her is a bit too nice."

"If you tell anyone, I'll kill you."

Turning his head to glance at Wu Xiu, Shi Bai spoke lightly.