The afterlife blew up Gensokyo

Meanwhile, in Gensokyo.

After a three-month separation, Shibai and Hieda Ashichi returned to the place together.

"So, did you have fun this time?"

Seeing Shi Bai walk in from outside the shop looking travel-worn, Kazami Yuuka put down her teacup and asked him a question.

"It's not bad, I guess."

With a slight smile, Shi Bai put down the painting box he was carrying on his back and took out a large pile of paintings rolled into tubes, presenting them to Kazami Yuuka as if they were treasures.

"These are some landscape paintings I've done during this period. Take a look and what do you think?"

"Have you been painting together lately?"

When the scrolls were unfurled and the content copied onto them was revealed, Kazami Yuuka felt slightly surprised.

"Seeing the mountains and rivers live long, painting all the beauty of the world, capturing all the mountains, rivers and streams in a scroll... it can be considered an unforgettable trip."

After saying something with a touch of emotion, Shi Bai also sat down at the table.

"By the way, during the three months I was away, did anything major happen in Gensokyo?"

"Nothing serious... I don't think so."

After thinking for a moment, Kazami Yuuka shook her head.

"It was around the time that Yukari Yakumo woke up from her slumber, a mysterious bamboo forest appeared around the Human Village, Aya Shameimaru and the others' newspapers were a huge success, topping the bestseller list for several months in a row, and the Dream Pavilion was successfully moved to the foot of the Youkai Mountain near the Misty Lake... and then that was it."

"The Bamboo Forest of the Lost... Eirin and the others have finally moved into Gensokyo too?"

Upon hearing what Yuuka Kazami had said, Tokihaku's eyes lit up.

"That's right, I ran over and fought with her. Over the years, she has improved a bit compared to before."

After taking a sip of tea, Yuuka Kazami calmly spoke.

"No... why are you fighting?"

Shi Bai's lips twitched slightly.

"...Maybe it's because they don't like the look of it?"

After thinking for a moment, Yuuka Kazami gave a very honest answer.

"I remember Eirin Yagokoro was your student, wasn't she?"

"That's right... Never mind, I'll go take a look myself later."

Shi Bai reached out and gently pressed his forehead.

"Also, now that Yukari Yakumo has woken up, the selection for the first Hakurei Shrine Maiden of Gensokyo will begin. With the opening of the Hakurei Barrier, Gensokyo will soon be complete... Has Yukari Yakumo come to see me?"

"Oh dear~ You brought me up as soon as you got back. It seems I still hold a certain place in your heart~"

As soon as Shi Bai finished speaking, a purplish-red gap appeared in mid-air, and Yakumo Yukari, who was holding a purple fan, poked half of her body out from the gap.

"It's been so long, how have you been?"

"Remember to use the main entrance from now on, and no peeping."

Looking at Yakumo Yukari so close to him, Shi Bai rolled his eyes and unceremoniously reached out to press her head into the gap. As if he were zipping up a zipper, Shi Bai casually closed the gap that had been opened.

"Hello, Zi Ma. Goodbye, Zi Ma."

"That's too much! Was it really necessary to be so violent?"

A soft voice sounded outside the door. With a fan in her hand, she pushed the door open and Yakumo Yukari walked in with a resentful look on her face.

"I'm already being very polite by not crushing your gap."

Turning around, Shi Bai raised an eyebrow slightly as he looked at Yakumo Yukari walking in from outside.

"What's wrong? Is there something you need that you suddenly came to see me about? Logically speaking, you should have a lot of things to do now that you've finally woken up from hibernation."

"Tch... It's simple, it's about the first shrine maiden of Gensokyo."

Having made a fool of herself, Yakumo Yukari pursed her lips and sat down at the table without any hesitation.

"I don't really know much about this kind of thing, so I had to come and ask you for advice. For example, why is it the Hakurei Shrine Maiden, and not some other shrine maiden?"

"Oh, because the name Hakurei Shrine Maiden sounds nice, and there was already one available before."

Shi Bai glanced at Yakumo Yukari and gave a casual reply.

"What, have you already chosen the shrine maiden?"

"I have indeed shortlisted a few, but I haven't yet decided in my mind which one is the most suitable."

With her folding fan open to cover half her face, Yakumo Yukari remained nonchalant in the face of the warning gaze directed at her by Kazami Yuuka.

"You know far more than I do. I'd like to ask you for your help in this matter. So, do you have any spare time?"

"For things like this, it mainly depends on compatibility."

After thinking for a moment, Shi Bai began to speak.

"As for the question of who is the most suitable Hakurei Shrine Maiden, you only need to ask each of them one question."

"what is the problem?"

Yukari Yakumo seemed slightly curious.

"It's very simple, just ask them whether they believe in God or not."

Shi Bai held up one finger in front of him.

"The Hakurei Shrine Maiden is not an ordinary shrine maiden; there is an inherent difference between her and ordinary shrine maidens. In some terms, she is the key to maintaining the balance between humans, youkai, and gods. Therefore, the Hakurei Shrine Maiden is destined to have no faith, or rather, the only thing they believe in is themselves."

"So, according to you, the Hakurei Shrine Maiden I'm looking for must be someone who disrespects the gods?"

After hearing Shi Bai's words, Yakumo Yukari's eyes flickered slightly.

"Just like that abandoned priestess from the now-destroyed Hakurei Shrine?"

"No, you still haven't found the key point I'm talking about."

With a sigh, Shi Bai shook his head.

"Disrespect for gods is secondary; the most crucial point is that one must be ruthless."

"Heart...heartless?"

For a moment, Yukari Yakumo seemed quite bewildered.

"That's right, and at the same time, they must be incredibly powerful, daring to beat up humans, monsters, and even gods."

Looking at Yakumo Yukari in front of him, Shi Bai nodded solemnly.

"In short, we need a powerful urban management team."

P.S.: Good morning! _(:з」∠)_

Chapter Thirty-Six: Eternal Pavilion

The term "sleepyhead" can be summarized in eight characters.

Spring drowsiness, summer fatigue, autumn lethargy, winter hibernation.

Fujiwara no Mokou is quite troubled lately because there's this one person right next to her who's a complete...sleepyhead.

"Get up!!"

With a whoosh, Fujiwara no Mokou flung open the door and shouted loudly at the black-haired girl who was sleeping soundly in the center of the room, lying on the tatami mat covered with a quilt.

"Zzzz..."

The other person responded with a defiant, sleepy sound.

Fujiwara no Mokou: "..."

The room was in a terrible mess, clearly indicating that the owner had never bothered to clean it properly. In fact, the owner of the room hadn't left it for nearly fifty years.

—A whole! Whole! Fifty! Years! of! Time!

Back when I wasn't a resident of Penglai, 50 years was practically a lifetime!

However, since they settled in Eientei, they haven't stepped out of Eientei for nearly 500 years, truly embodying the concept of "staying at home" to the extreme.

So Fujiwara no Mokou just couldn't understand it. How could this shut-in's bones not rust after staying in her room for months on end?

"You're still sleeping?! Get up now!!!"

Thinking of this, an inexplicable anger rose in her heart. Fujiwara no Mokou strode into the room and, without thinking, reached out to pull the covers off.

However, the other party was no pushover either. The moment her hand touched the blanket, the black-haired girl with a near-perfect face in front of her had already gripped the edge of the blanket tightly with both hands.

"Don't even think about it! No one can make me get out of bed, no one!!!"

With her eyes wide open, Kaguya Houraisan, the princess who fled from the moon capital, the unparalleled beauty of the world (and the number one otaku), began to speak with unusual solemnity.

"You damn turkey, give up!! Your schemes will never succeed!!!"

"Tch, really? But I really do want to try it today, so you'd better get out of here!!"

With a cold snort, Fujiwara no Mokou increased the force of her pulling.

"Even if Yonglin doesn't care about you, I'm going to teach you a lesson today!!"

"Mudamudamuda!! I've seen through everything about you long ago, you absolutely cannot beat me!!!"

With a mocking smile playing on her lips, Kaguya Houraisan suddenly released her grip.

Then, based on the physical law that forces act in pairs, Fujiwara no Mokou staggered backward and almost fell to the ground... She wouldn't have fallen if someone hadn't deliberately tripped her.

"You guy..."

A dazzling red flame rose up from within, and Fujiwara no Mokou dangerously sat up from the floor, her hand pressed against her forehead.

As for the blanket covering her, it was burned to ashes along with the flames.

"This time, you've really angered me..."

"Hehehe, I've given you another buff, you're welcome!!"

Kaguya Houraisan made a face at Fujiwara no Mokou, who was sitting on the ground, and stood tall with her hands on her hips, looking smug.

"If you've got the guts, then come and try..."

"Suffer death!!!"

Before Kaguya Houraisan could finish speaking, Fujiwara no Mokou pounced on her... vicious and ruthless.

Meanwhile, inside the pharmacy at Eientei.

"...It's started again."

Hearing the commotion that had even reached this side, Yagokoro Eirin shook her head slightly as if she were already used to it, and continued to busy herself with her work.

About five days ago, she chose to move the Bamboo Grove of the Lost along with Eientei into Gensokyo.

This wasn't something she did on her own initiative; rather, it was because a certain sage-like demon came to her door. Heaven knows how he even knew where she was hiding...

Regarding Yukari Yakumo's invitation, she understood to some extent the purpose behind it. Originally, she did not intend to get involved in such matters, since she did not have much affection for her.

When they traveled with the princess and the others before, they had heard a lot about the deeds of this sage, so their impression of him was naturally not very good.

She never supported Gensokyo from the beginning; she had made it clear long ago that she would not help them in any way.

So she initially had a puzzled attitude towards the other party's pointless invitation, since she had never thought about moving to Gensokyo to live.

Absolutely impossible, and I've never had that intention.

—Then, after Yakumo Yukari said just one sentence, she changed her mind.

His teacher had already settled in Gensokyo.

"I wonder when the teacher will come back..."

While continuing to classify the medicinal herbs in her hands, Eirin Yagokoro couldn't help but drift off into thought.

The respect she held for the person who truly changed the course of her life has never changed.

Over the years, they have traveled to so many places.

It is no exaggeration to say that their footprints can be found in almost every corner of the world.