The afterlife blew up Gensokyo

"...offering sacrifices to the monsters in exchange for the village's survival."

After a moment of silence, the girl began to speak with a somber expression.

“Without the protection of gods or powerful Onmyoji, this is the only way for a village to survive… In the past, our village would regularly offer sacrifices to the most powerful yokai in the vicinity in order to ensure safety. If we didn’t do this, those yokai would kill and eat everyone in the village.”

"...Such a harsh living environment?"

Shi Bai frowned slightly.

"...A few months ago, I was also chosen as a sacrifice to a monster, but just as I was about to be eaten, a conflict broke out between the monsters from outside and the monsters here. I took advantage of the chaos and desperately escaped."

Biting her lip, the girl continued speaking.

"At that time, several monsters were chasing me. I was seriously injured, but luckily I ran here and was protected by the River God... Those monsters dared not enter here."

"And then what? Didn't those monsters retaliate?"

Shi Bai's brows furrowed even more.

"The powerful monster from outside and the strongest monster in the area perished together, so the monsters in this area are currently fighting fiercely for the title of the strongest monster and have no time to bother with our village."

With her head down, Kanako spoke silently.

"But a few months is enough time for those monsters to argue and reach a conclusion. If the gods don't protect our village, it will fall back into its old ways..."

"The people in your village treated you like a sacrifice to a monster, and even so, you still want me to protect them?"

Shi Bai's face remained noncommittal.

"But...isn't this a normal thing?"

Kanako raised her head with a slight look of confusion.

"I have no power, nor any other value. Is it not worth it to be offered as a sacrifice to a monster in exchange for the temporary peace of the whole village?"

"Your thinking is very problematic...tsk...I almost forgot the context of this era..."

He had only spoken halfway when Shi Bai realized what was happening.

"Is this the only way for the powerless to survive in this world?"

The girl spoke softly.

"So many people who were sacrificed before me could make sacrifices for the village, why can't I? But when death truly came, I still felt fear..."

"It is right to feel scared, because that is the natural reaction as a human being."

Shi Bai glanced at the girl in front of him and began to speak.

"The solution to end this situation is actually quite simple: unify all the countries and establish a completely new nation. That way, the practice of sacrificing humans will no longer occur."

"To establish...a unified country?"

Kanako suddenly paused, stunned.

"Actually, there should already be gods taking action, right? For example, Amaterasu... wait, I think I've thought of a very likely possibility..."

Shi Bai turned his head thoughtfully and glanced at the lush green grass next to his chair, then nodded.

"Never mind those things for now... I have a question for you now, and my next move will depend on your answer."

Shi Bai snapped his fingers and looked at Kanako in front of him.

"Remember, never lie before the gods; that is the behavior they despise the most."

"The question... I understand, I will answer truthfully."

Kanako nodded nervously.

"My question is actually very simple. Yesterday I gave you a golden apple and a silver apple, right? Now I want you to tell me, where did the golden apple and the silver apple I gave you yesterday go?"

Looking directly into the other person's eyes, Shi Bai spoke seriously.

"Okay, just this one question, answer me."

"I……"

"Think carefully before you answer. Lying in front of the gods is the most disrespectful thing you can do to them."

After a long silence, the girl lowered her head.

"...It was stolen by the villagers."

P.S.: Good morning!

Chapter Five: The Origin of Kamiki's Creation and... Wrath

Human nature is actually a rather wondrous thing.

Although there is a saying that human nature is inherently good, the human heart is often the most unpredictable thing; some are as kind as saints, while others are as dark as demons.

After the girl in front of him recounted her entire ordeal, Shi Bai could guess, even if he were to use his feet, what had happened to her.

The offering intended to appease the monsters did not die; instead, it returned to the village unharmed. What choices and attitudes will the humans make?

...Actually, we can see a thing or two from this incident alone.

"Look at humans, who even covet the gifts of the gods and try to steal them. They have no reason to protect them at all, do they?"

Shi Bai glanced at the girl in front of him with her head down, his expression noncommittal.

Compared to the incredibly powerful goddess mother of later generations, Kanako now undoubtedly appears quite weak.

"I think you don't need to worry about the people in that village anymore. Why don't you just stay here in this bamboo forest?"

"...My friends are still there, and I cannot abandon them."

After a moment of silence, Kanako shook her head, her face filled with determination.

"There are still many good people in the village, I shouldn't have..."

"You're so stubborn... How about this, I can give you a chance."

After thinking for a moment, Shi Bai smiled and snapped his fingers.

"If your reasons are convincing enough, I'm willing to protect the people of your village."

"The River God can gain more faith, and the people in our village will even build a special shrine for the River God, and offer special items to him every now and then..."

Her eyes lit up, and as if she had rehearsed it a thousand times in her mind, Kanako quickly began to speak.

However, seeing the god's ambiguous smile on his face, her voice grew softer and softer until it completely disappeared.

"Did the people in your village send you here? Did they teach you to say these things?"

Shi Bai waved his hand, looking utterly dejected.

"Do the people in your village really think that gods are beings that can be deceived at will? Let them return what they stole from you first... However, considering your sincerity in cleaning up this bamboo forest over the past few months, I can still offer some assistance."

"...Lord River God?"

The girl, who had been somewhat dejected, raised her head with great anticipation upon hearing the words of the deity before her.

With a "thud," a wooden box was placed on the stone table, followed by someone's lazy voice.

"The talismans in the box are enough for you to defend against monster attacks in the near future. In the meantime, you should build the river god's shrine first."

"Yes, we understand!!"

Kanako hugged the wooden box tightly and answered happily.

"Humans...?"

Watching the girl's joyful departure, Shi Bai raised his head and looked thoughtfully at the sky.

If Yasaka Kanako has already appeared, there's no reason why Moriya Suwako, born from human faith, wouldn't exist. Perhaps he could find some time to find Kamoko and complete her Pokédex entry...

The Moriya Shrine is the site of the Suwa Wars in history, a war between the goddess and the frog. The frog was defeated in this war for faith, and the two were united to form the Moriya Shrine because of the flow of faith.

In ancient times, in order to unify Japan into one country, the Yamato gods launched an invasion of the country ruled by Suwako, which is known as the Suwa War.

Suwako used the most advanced iron weapon of the time to resist, namely the so-called arrow-delaying iron wheel, while Kanako used plant vines to entangle the ironware, rendering it unusable due to rust.

Seeing the difference in divine power, Suwako readily surrendered and handed over her country. At this time, Kanako and Suwako were still enemies.

However, although Kanako won the war and gained land, the people within her territory were unwilling to believe in her because of their fear of Akakuchi Kyoujin. Helpless, Kanako prepared a new god called "Moriya", hoping to merge herself and Suwako with faith through this method.

The new god created by the two of them was eventually only preserved by name, and the history of the god Moriya was lost to history.

In modern times, due to the rapid development of science and information, people's faith in gods has become increasingly weak, and Kanako and Suwako have received less and less faith, and their power has also decreased.

Although Suwako seemed indifferent to the fact that she had been forgotten and could no longer gain faith, Kanako, facing the crisis of no longer being able to gain faith and Suwako's disappearance, decided to move the shrine to Gensokyo with Sanae.

—This is the origin of the so-called Moriya Shrine.

However, from this lost history, Shi Bai vaguely grasped something.

If nothing unexpected happens, he will be able to find Shenqi and the succubus soon.

In later Japanese mythology, who is the most famous deity?

Without a doubt, it's Amaterasu, that is, Amaterasu Ōmikami... well, that is, the little prince... little princess, Kamiki, who wreaks havoc on the house?

However, Amaterasu Omikami was a being from the same era as Tsukiyomi and the others. How did humans in later generations know about things from such a distant past?

Even the tengu of the Youkai Mountain rarely remember this once-powerful deity who appeared only briefly. How did humans come to know about him and pass his story down to later generations?

The reason is actually quite simple: it was done by Shinki.

In other words, Shinki is the so-called "Yamato Gods" who planned to unify Japan into one country.

As for why Shenqi was allowed to reclaim the identity she had abandoned, after much thought, the only explanation is her immense and unparalleled faith.

Judging from the situation in later generations, she was undoubtedly very successful.

As for the reason why such a massive faith is needed...

"...Have they already begun preparing to create a world? Using the magical power of faith..."

Thinking of this, Shi Bai suddenly laughed.

Although he was only just beginning to explore the concept of faith, if the faith of just one person could give birth to life, then could more faith create life and even... create the world?

Just like the Kingdom of Heaven established by God Jehovah, he doesn't believe that it has nothing to do with faith. After all, in later generations, God can be said to be the most widely known deity in the world.

The fog that was originally hidden in the layers of history was finally vaguely lifted by him.

However, for Yasaka Kanako and Moriya Suwako, who were involved in the situation, these things were simply beyond their comprehension.

"Therefore, this era is less an era of humans, monsters, and gods, and more an era of fierce competition for faith."

Shi Bai picked up the soda on the table next to him and shook his head almost imperceptibly.

"Even if other gods wanted to seize faith from Shenqi, how could these gods, born from human faith, possibly compete with her? They're not even in the same league in terms of power... But thinking about it, a succubus might actually be able to gather faith and become a god with Shenqi's help... Surprisingly, it doesn't seem so bad, does it? After all, compared to the identity of an evil spirit..."

Thinking of this, Shi Bai narrowed his eyes slightly.

got windy.

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

After the birth of humankind, the world entered a completely new era, but the ensuing cultural discontinuity and technological deficiencies were quite alarming.

Humans are not born with the ability to know, which is why Kanako couldn't understand the books and words she had placed in her room. But that's only secondary; the cultural and technological gap that followed was the most terrifying thing.

On the continent of Shenzhou, there were clans led by Hou Yi's Youqiong clan who remained. Although there were also monsters born from filth running rampant there, there were quite a few humans who had received teachings from Hou Yi and his clan and possessed great power, and various kinds of traditions had not been interrupted.

They mainly rely on human power, unlike here where most people borrow the power of gods. Even the power of shrine maidens and onmyoji is obtained from the gods.

Of course, there is actually no difference between the two, since gods are also born from human faith. However, the former may have a harder time, while the latter, with the protection of gods, will have a much better time.

However, there are exceptions, such as the village where the goddess mother, who is still human, lives.

Since that day, Kanako has been coming to the bamboo forest almost every few days. She has gradually started to smile and has become much more lively, which is quite different from the domineering mother he remembered.

However, having an extra cleaner in the bamboo forest is actually quite good... even though he has stopped the other party from secretly throwing axes into the pond three times.

When he occasionally went out and was away, he would always see a clean bamboo forest and fresh fruit laid out on the table in the pavilion when he returned.

He had also visited Kanako's village. Although he didn't have the mind-reading talent of the Kaku clan, he could still read people's faces, since appearances reflect the heart.

To be honest, the village wasn't very big, but considering the era we live in now, it's actually quite nice.

Kanako seems to have been chosen as the shrine maiden personally selected by the god for the newly built River God Shrine. Although it's impossible to draw any conclusions without comparing the past and present, it's clear that her treatment should be much better than what she received in the village before.