Chapter 347

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 347: The Bright Shooting Star That Mistakenly Seemed Like Dawn

Bai Wei left behind two jars. Inside them were golden, semi-transparent spheres, each about the size of half a fingernail.

The resin had already begun to solidify as he gathered it. It looked somewhat like fish liver oil capsules.

“These are golden resin,” Bai Wei explained.

“Have the sword witches swallow them, and their symptoms will be alleviated.”

Kokonohana Nori nodded solemnly, accepting the jars without hesitation.

“You don’t ask why? It’s only a relief, after all,” Bai Wei said, studying her.

“I’ve never had the luxury of being clueless,” she replied with a self-mocking smile.

“Even with the golden resin providing temporary shelter, it’s still temporary,” Bai Wei remarked, gazing at the crimson moon.

“One or two years is temporary. Eight or ten years is temporary. It’s far from a permanent solution. To completely free the witches from this affliction, we need more than this.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Golden Tree.”

Kokonohana Nori stiffened, recognition flashing in her eyes. The Golden Tree—a miraculous entity shrouded in legend since the Imperial Era.

“Are you planning to plant a Golden Tree here?” she asked, her voice filled with barely restrained hope.

“Not here,” Bai Wei replied, shaking his head. “The shrine isn’t suitable for the Golden Tree, nor do I intend for it to serve the Shogunate. The Shogun might even interpret my actions as an intrusion. I care little for his opinions, but you should consider your own position.”

“Then where?” Kokonohana Nori pressed.

“Wherever witches gather,” Bai Wei said simply.

“A village!” Kokonohana Nori exclaimed. “A village of witches! Please, plant it there!”

Villages were often home to retired sword witches and their descendants, who suffered gravely from the Blood Moon Disease. Curing their affliction could restore many to health and reintegrate them into society.

“Very well,” Bai Wei agreed. “Is Edo far from here?”

“Not very—about four hours.”

“Then we leave now.”

“Now?”

“Yes. Delay even a day, and more lives may be lost. You have six hours to prepare.”

Without another word, Kokonohana Nori bowed deeply and rushed inside to make arrangements.

Bai Wei remained atop the mountain, glancing once more at the crimson moon. Closing his eyes, his spirit crossed the vast sea of the spiritual world, returning to his physical body.

He glanced at the clock. Six hours remained.

Stretching, he walked over to the sofa, turned on the television, and immersed himself in a foreign drama titled The Mermaid Princess’s Revenge. The lead actress seemed oddly familiar.

Shrine

“This medicine is incredible! I’m not in pain anymore. My wounds have healed completely!”

“The strange growths on my body have disappeared! I’m truly better now!”

“Yay! I can finally run again. Being bedridden was so boring!”

“I feel strong enough to defeat ten of the evil gods’ followers! Can I leave confinement now?”

The once-solemn underground hall was now filled with laughter and joy.

Young witches who had been gravely ill were suddenly full of energy, marveling at their recovery.

Late into the night, unable to sleep, they decided to bring out their bedding for a grand pillow fight.

The priests, sensing the girls’ exuberance, retreated with knowing smiles, leaving behind only a few elderly witches who gleefully joined in the fun.

The air was filled with laughter as pillows flew. The girls, clad in loose priestess robes, tussled energetically, their previous ailments all but forgotten.

Meanwhile, on the shrine’s corridor, Kurosawa Yaka confronted Kokonohana Nori.

“Where did you get those golden medicines?”

“They’re not medicine,” Nori corrected. “It’s resin—the blood of a Golden Tree.”

“Resin or not, it’s precious! This purity level is unparalleled. Where did you find it?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Nori replied curtly.

“It does!” Yaka insisted. “And those sword witches—what method did you use to save them?”

“I’ll explain everything on the way,” Nori said, removing her funeral headdress.

“But we must prepare immediately!”

“Prepare for what?”

“To return to Kamiji Village.”

Kamiji Village

Kamiji Village, one of the few witch settlements in Yingzhou, had a history stretching back over four centuries.

Witches had arrived in Yingzhou long before the Imperial Era, drawn by shared beliefs and a desire for refuge. Over time, they formed a community rooted in the worship of gold and preserved a sacred relic from their origins.

However, modernization, migration, and internal division had taken their toll. Now, the village was home to only 900 people, nearly all descendants of witches.

For over two decades, the village had been ravaged by Blood Moon Disease. Although the presence of the Holy Relic offered some protection, many witches still suffered, with over a third bedridden.

Reality was cruel. The curses left by ancient gods rendered even the strongest helpless. History had seen countless witches fall to the Blood Moon’s torment.

Yet, amidst despair, hope had once flickered—four centuries ago, when a benevolent emperor shattered the chains of inequality. His sacrifices brought an age of equality, fostering faith among witches and other oppressed races.

But in the grand sweep of history, 400 years was but a fleeting moment—a bright, enduring shooting star that seemed like the promise of dawn.