Chapter 304
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Chapter 304: Funeral Attendant
Rokuro Shimura paced back and forth in front of his house, nervously rubbing his hands together.
Bai Wei, standing nearby, asked, “Have you spun enough?”
“I… I dare not go in,” Rokuro stammered.
Before, he had had the courage to rush up and strike someone in the face, but now, he hesitated to even push open the door.
He asked nervously, “I… I am afraid of making her angry. What if she ignores me? What should I do if she refuses to talk to me?”
Bai Wei replied, “Then apologize.”
“What should I do if I apologize but she won’t forgive me?”
“Then apologize until she is willing to forgive you.”
“What if she refuses to forgive me no matter what?”
“Are you a troublemaker?” Bai Wei snapped, losing patience. He grabbed the middle-aged man’s collar, opened the door, and threw him inside. “Go in!”
Rokuro Shimura stumbled as he was thrown into the house. The moment he entered, he immediately noticed a daughter in the room. His excitement surged as he jumped up, feeling as if he were a child on the first day of school. His expression stiffened, and his nerves and unease were palpable.
The living room had been cleaned, although no one knew when. A little girl, dressed in a new outfit, sat on the tatami mat. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders as she cradled a large teddy bear. Upon noticing the middle-aged man, who appeared slightly disoriented, she suddenly became wide awake.
Shimura dropped the teddy bear, his bare feet tapping lightly on the tatami mat. He lifted his clothes, which were becoming in the way, and quickly rushed toward the middle-aged man.
She leaped into his arms.
The girl hugged him around the waist, lifting her head with a joyful smile. A hint of baby fat still lingered on her face, as if everything that had happened before were a dream.
“Father,” she called softly.
“Ah,” Rokuro Shimura responded, his voice filled with a heavy sigh. His heart broke as he realized his daughter was safe.
“Daddy, don’t cry. Hitomi is okay,” she whispered, her eyes filled with concern. A single tear slid down her cheek, tasting salty. She stood on tiptoe and reached her hand up, gently touching his neck, her own heart aching as she felt his choked sobs. “Daddy has come back, so everything is alright now.”
Rokuro Shimura’s trembling hands wrapped around his daughter as he sobbed, “Hitomi, I’m back.”
He wept loudly, overwhelmed by emotion.
Bai Wei stood outside, hearing the sounds from within without having to listen closely. While the father-daughter reunion was touching, his thoughts were elsewhere.
The incident is supposed to trigger upon arriving in Shikoku Town.
He had arrived, yet the event had not occurred.
“Is this a glitch?” he wondered. Was the incident triggered but not fully? Was the focus of the event not on Shimura and his daughter, but on another character—perhaps Kokonohana Nori?
“I feel like I’ve ventured into a misunderstanding.”
With that thought in mind, Bai Wei shifted his focus back to Hitomi Shimura. He had already performed a quick examination on her. Thankfully, her condition was not severe, much better than Sakurai Shiru’s had been. At present, the Scarlet Curse had been temporarily suppressed.
In the future, they would go to Europe to retrieve the Golden Seeds and Golden Resin. These would be used to fry the resin in a pot with seasoning like cooking wine and shrimp, and a few drops of highly pure imperial blood. This treatment would likely sustain her for five to six years.
The best ingredients, after all, often required the simplest methods.
Not wanting to intrude on the tender moment between father and daughter, Bai Wei had previously told Hitomi that he would return in a few days to treat her illness, so there was no rush.
As the sky grew darker, Bai Wei turned and began walking back the way he had come.
When he reached the bus stop, Kokonohana Nori was already waiting. At least thirty years old, her age remained a mystery. She had an ageless quality that made it impossible to tell whether she was in her thirties, forties, or even fifties. The subtle differences of each age group were blurred in her presence.
“I don’t think I’m late,” Bai Wei remarked.
“No,” Kokonohana Nori replied, “I just arrived a little earlier. May I speak with you for a moment?”
Without hesitation, Bai Wei agreed, and the two of them walked to a more secluded location.
“Where do you want to go?” Bai Wei asked.
“The shrine,” she answered.
“At this hour?” Bai Wei glanced up at the fiery clouds in the sky. In the Shrine Path teachings, dusk was known as the Hour of Sealing Demons. It was a time when worship could inadvertently call forth something impure.
“Kamitsumi Shrine,” she clarified.
Bai Wei raised an eyebrow.
She saw his reaction and continued, “You know of it?”
“Not much. I’ve seen the trembling White Snake God,” he replied.
Bai Wei shook his head, “I’ve heard of Kamitsumiwoikirihime. She is said to embody both a mountain and a water deity.”
Kokonohana Nori frowned. “Mountain deity? No, she’s only revered as a water deity. The mountain deity is another one, Sengoku God.”
Bai Wei fell silent. He wasn’t sure if he believed her, but he had seen Kamitsumiwoikirihime’s dual nature firsthand. He asked, “What kind of deity is it, and why is it so important?”
“Very important,” she said, her voice serious. “Shikoku Town is hosting a ceremonial ritual, focused on both the mountain and water deities.”
“What is the purpose of the ceremony?”
“I’m not certain, but it’s definitely not an ordinary ritual. The local customs are intricate and precise. This time, a large number of people and resources have been involved, which has drawn attention. They also intentionally chose December.”
“December… the Bloody Red Moon,” Bai Wei murmured. “It consumes souls indiscriminately. Not just dark races, but even descendants of witches. When the red moon is at its peak, even the earth deities will bow under its radiance.”
Bai Wei looked at Kokonohana Nori again, going straight to the point: “What does this have to do with you?”
“Do you really not know my identity?” she asked.
“I should know?” Bai Wei responded, confused. “Are you a shogun or a diplomat?”
Kokonohana Nori’s expression shifted slightly. “I thought you and Saki Jingūji were close. It seems she hasn’t brought you here to show me because she hasn’t succeeded yet.”
“What does this have to do with Jingūji?” Bai Wei choked out, then immediately realized, “Oh, you’re the sword witch of the shrine, aren’t you?”
“I am a funeral attendant,” Kokonohana Nori introduced herself without pride, “one of the Three Rites of the shrine.”
The Three Rites of the Shrine held significant influence, with their decision-making power second only to the Chamberlain. They were considered the second-in-command, comparable to a deputy of a national governing body. In military terms, she would hold a rank at least equivalent to a colonel.
“Just consider me an ordinary sword witch,” she added with a shrug.
Bai Wei nodded. “I brought back the body of the Chamberlain of Kyoto Shrine, Kazamidori. I was present when she died, and she mentioned that living too long might not be such a good thing.”
Kokonohana Nori paused, feeling something stir within her. In the shrine, death was a constant companion. Becoming a funeral attendant meant having witnessed countless deaths, presided over numerous funerals, and transformed from a passive observer to someone with authority.
Shaking her head, she cleared her thoughts. “Now is not the time for sorrow. I sensed sympathy in your voice. Was that my imagination?”
“No,” Bai Wei answered, his voice unwavering. “After all, I am from the Ming Country.”
Kokonohana Nori halted. “Has anyone ever told you…?” she trailed off.
“Yes,” Bai Wei replied, locking eyes with her. “They say I have Asperger’s syndrome. And I take pride in it.”
“The people of the Ming Country have a very convenient identity.”
“I agree,” Bai Wei said. “Having a strong homeland allows us to stand on the shoulders of giants and look down at seventy percent of the world. It feels good.”
Kokonohana Nori changed the topic, saying, “Jingūji has also gone missing.”
Bai Wei paused for a moment, then continued as if nothing had changed, “Oh.”
“Do you mind?” she asked, her voice tinged with concern.
“She didn’t die so easily.”
“I thought you’d care more.”
“Who am I trying to impress? A sword witch lives this way. If she can’t learn to protect herself, I can’t offer her a safety net for the rest of her life.” Bai Wei’s tone remained calm. “Besides, I’m not here to sightsee or pick Lingzhi mushrooms. I can help you find someone, but my own matters take priority.”
“What is your matter?”
“I don’t know, still searching,” Bai Wei replied. He glanced at Kokonohana Nori, his eyes narrowing as he specifically noted the top of her head. “But it doesn’t seem like it’s you.”
It seemed that everyone wanted to use him as a tool, yet no one ever expressed any true emotion. That left him in an uncomfortable position.
