Chapter 320

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Chapter 320: Shattering the Palanquin of God

That night.

In the town of Shikoku, the sacred ritual was divided into two nights.

On the first night, the young maiden was taken to Sengoku Shrine, led into the realm of shadows, and summoned the Sengoku God.

On the second night, which was the wedding ceremony of Sengoku God marrying Kamitsumiwoikirihime.

The people of Shikoku Town were filled with uncertainty, as they may not have known the true purpose of this sacred ritual.

Similarly, they were also unaware that the Hundred Demon Banquet would commence today, as part of the festivities.

Whether they were visitors from afar or local townspeople, everyone enthusiastically cheered and joined in this meticulously prepared festival celebration.

In the third hour, under the crimson moonlight, a majestic Palanquin of God set forth on its journey from the main road of Shikoku Town.

The Palanquin of God was carried by a total of sixteen strong and youthful men.

Standing on the enormous palanquin were young and strong men responsible for beating the drums, while graceful shrine maidens danced on top, offering their devotion.

Regardless of the kind, they all belonged to formal rites and celebrations, with the main purpose of expressing joy and gratitude to the gods for a bountiful harvest.

During the parade of the Palanquin of God at Inari Shrine, three exceptionally talented apprentice shrine maidens would perform sacred Kagura dances.

In Yingzhou, with its multitude of beliefs, each belief could give rise to different kinds of mysteries. However, not all mysteries would change with the passage of time. The older the mystery, the more savage it tended to be, especially in resource-scarce mountainous areas. Mountain deity worship, in particular, would often involve harsh practices such as burying people alive or locking them in the house of the mountain deity to starve to death.

In this magical Palanquin of God, the situation was quite similar. The girl was beautifully adorned, wearing a gorgeous traditional dress. She sat gracefully in the palanquin, resembling a delicate doll. Her face showed no expression, and she remained still, without any movement.

She dared not move, even though her limbs were in good condition. With so many people watching, she had nowhere to go and couldn’t escape. Rokuro Shimura was still in the hands of these people. If she were to run away, she didn’t dare to imagine what consequences her father would face.

Hitomi Shimura was very afraid, but she could only go along with it. After all, what could a ten-year-old girl do? She had endured hardships for several years and had gradually become accustomed to accepting things as they were. Other than clutching onto her own clothes with her small hands, she made no other movements.

But, as this action was noticed by passersby, a couple nearby burst into laughter.

The man said, "She must be very nervous."

The woman said, "Oh dear, the way she doesn’t dare to move is really adorable."

In the eyes of the passersby, it was like this. But in the eyes of those who paid attention, it was a different story.

Behind the Palanquin of God, there was another procession. Many people wearing colorful clothes and masks followed along.

"So many people, I am getting hungry."

"No being greedy, go back!"

"Tomorrow’s feast, if you eat now, it will be considered stealing. If you get caught, let’s see if you will be skinned."

In the bustling crowd, several monsters wearing human disguises chatted with each other.

The Land God Festival is not a tradition in Shikoku Town. It has been suspended for several decades. The more prosperous a place with smooth weather, the less importance they attach to these rituals. Unless there is no Land God or the town has undergone modernization, and the townspeople live a wealthy life, they will not think about holding such ceremonies. However, it is very easy to incite the townspeople to organize a ritual.

Intentionally spreading unsettling rumors to frighten those who venture up the mountain, creating terrifying experiences for them. Then, causing the death of a few individuals who show disrespect towards the mountain god and bringing back their bodies to intentionally make the ordinary people witness it, naturally leading them to believe it’s the anger of the mountain god. Afterwards, only needing a few respected elders from the village to come forward and say some harsh words, as ignorant ones truly don’t hesitate to wield a butcher’s sword against the weak.

The monsters disguised as humans hid among the crowds, weaving through the bustling people. Who would have known that it was they who were deliberately causing mischief?

Even though they had devised a plan, they did succeed in inciting, but it was ultimately the townspeople themselves who carried it out.

Give them a little motivation, and they will start to take action. Once they begin, there will be no reason to give up halfway. Everything they have done so far has been pushing them to complete this task.

Just like this Palanquin of God, once the procession begins, it cannot be stopped.

Everyone present wished for it to never stop, both humans and magical creatures alike.

The demons await to open the gates of the netherworld, to feast upon the myriad demons, and to indulge in a hearty feast.

The townspeople longed for the end of adversity, hoping to attain peace and tranquility for themselves and the village through the sacrifice of an innocent little girl.

It was simply an extra piece of meat given to the insatiable greedy ones, nothing more.

In the bustling center of the celebration, travelers and townspeople stood on either side of the road, cheering. The demons, wearing masks, lurked among the crowd with a wicked grin. Guilty of their selfishness, some selfish individuals raised their offerings high, but their shouts rang hollow, deceiving themselves as they made noise with their mouths.

Everything felt so magically real.

Since it was already so magical, they didn’t mind having even more of it.

As the parade was about to leave the town, the townspeople raised torches, illuminating the path and casting light on a figure walking against the backlight.

He walked towards the mountain path from this side.

The townspeople in charge of the festive ceremony waved their hands and said, "Please make way, it’s a bit troublesome."

He spoke of trouble and request, but his actions were rough and forceful. This man, who made a living from fishing and farming, pushed his hands onto the young man’s shoulder as if pushing against a concrete power pole deeply rooted in the ground, without the slightest movement.

In the next moment, the other person reached out their hand and with a slight force, as if patting away a wisp of cotton, this hardworking farmer jumped several meters high in an instant, flying into an ordinary household and shattering the window of a family’s home.

This commotion was quite noticeable, instantly attracting the attention of the crowd. The sharp-eyed tourists began whispering to each other, while the townspeople started pointing and discussing among themselves.

Several townspeople responsible for ceremonies walked up and shouted.

They ignored the foul language and the expletives, as if they couldn’t hear any of the scolding.

The young man casually picked up a mask being sold by a street vendor and placed it on his face. He calmly said, "Today, the Palanquin of God will not pass through."

The tourists looked and found it amusing.

"What? Is this some kind of performance project?"

"Is it like a fight between Musashibou Benkei and Ushiwakamaru on a big bridge?"

They didn’t understand anything and thought it was amusing, so they wanted to make a commotion.

As they watched, the Palanquin of God approached closer. Hidden within the crowd, the village elder gave a stern command, "Drive them away."

He didn’t want to see any unexpected changes happening at this moment. This old man wanted to carry out the ritual because he had sold his life for it. He wanted to live a few more years, to be able to walk on his legs, to have a healthier body. The more he lived, the younger he felt. That’s why this ritual absolutely must not fail, absolutely not!

A dozen young and strong men surrounded him, with one of them swinging the stick in his hand, "You want to disrupt the village’s ritual? Get lost, you…"

As the word "Roll" was halfway out of the young man’s mouth, he had already delivered a swift kick to his chin. The person soared five meters high, crashing into a pile of people, unconscious from the shattered jawbone.

Bai Wei was quite puzzled, "Do you all have some misunderstanding about me?"

He casually asked, "Do I look like someone who has come to reason with you?"

His finger pointed at the ground, "This is not a suggestion, but a command. Put her down, or… how many of you are disciples?"

There was nothing for the villagers to be angry about.

They were not only masters of themselves, but also the oxen and sheep of others, depending on the way they were educated.

Unfortunately, this is not a highly scientific materialistic world. The existence of mystery means that the control of power is in the hands of a few. The day when Sun Fist will be realized seems distant. For now, we can only watch a few immortals fight to maintain a relatively static world.

Bai Wei was feeling a bit melancholic. He had spoken his mind, saying everything he needed to say. The villagers looked at each other in surprise.

The village leader shouted, "Let’s get started!"

And so they began.

Bai Wei, among the crowd, moved his hands in a way that no one noticed. In fact, his hands didn’t move at all. He simply walked straight into the crowd. Immediately, they were knocked down like bowling pins, being sent flying several meters away. In the blink of an eye, they were lying on the ground.

This was not the end. He stepped on someone’s shoulder and leaped up, swiftly approaching as if he had teleported. His right foot landed on the edge of the Palanquin of God, and with a simple motion, he unleashed a graceful Thousand Golden Jade Pendants.

In an instant, the wooden structure could no longer bear the unbearable weight, and the boards on the Palanquin of God splintered and shattered like they had been thrown into a wood chipper.

The enormous Palanquin of God cracked open with a thunderous sound, and cracks appeared, tearing the palanquin apart into two halves like a piece of torn tofu.

The smoke and wood chips flew in unison, as the heavy wooden pieces crashed onto the ground. Both tourists and locals scattered to the sides to avoid them. The big drum on the Palanquin of God also fell to the ground, rolling away with a thundering sound, chasing after those few unlucky individuals who couldn’t keep up with the quick-witted Panchangjiang. It sent them running helter-skelter, like a wild goose chase.

Bai Wei stood inside the crumbling Palanquin of God and crouched down. A few steps ahead, Hitomi Shimura was kneeling on the ground, completely unharmed. Her face remained somewhat pale, with a touch of white pearl powder and a hint of blush adorning her small cheeks. The way she applied makeup resembled that of a geisha, not necessarily beautiful, but rather a mix of ugliness and cuteness.

Bai Wei reached out his hand and gently rubbed her small face, fingertips wiping away the powder, revealing a clean and pure little face.

The warmth of a living person could be felt through his fingertips. Her heart was still beating, she was alive and well. All the things that would happen in the future had yet to occur.

When he touched Hitomi Shimura at that moment, he leaped out of a twenty-year-old regret that had been delaying him.

The young man gently touched the girl’s hair and said, "Uncle will take you to find your dad, okay?"

Along the way, the usually quiet Hitomi Shimura couldn’t help herself anymore, rubbing her eyes and saying, "Hmm…"

She suppressed her voice and cried, being embraced by Bai Wei.

"Close your eyes," Bai Wei whispered.

"Mmm," she obediently complied, as she caught a comforting scent from her uncle’s embrace.

Bai Wei lifted the girl in his arms. However, his eyes were devoid of warmth, displaying a chilling determination to conquer a nation.

"Don’t hurry to lie down, the adventure has just begun…"

"This is the war that you started! Before I have my fill of fun, don’t rush to beg for mercy on your knees…!"