Chapter 326
So what happens next? Before going to Tarihono Temple?
Should I explain or just run away?
Li Pu hadn't yet recalled this small detail, but Ying Yi had already taken action.
He grabbed Belldandy and jumped onto the motorcycle in three quick steps, speeding away into the distance.
Hmm... just like that, he left?
No!
Don't leave me behind!
Chapter 370 I don't know how to do this either.
Ying Yi pulled Belldandy along and rode off into the distance, leaving only the very awkward Li Pu, the little girl named Xiao Sheng, and her mother staring at each other blankly.
"Don't look at me like that." Li Pu said without hesitation, "I'm Combat Goddess. I don't know Belldandy's Instant Costume Change either, so of course I won't perform it for you again."
The result was silence.
'No wonder there's a line in some novel that says you shouldn't use True Magic in front of Muggles,' Li Pu thought to himself.
"Um, if it's possible," Li Pu said, pointing to the two untouched hamburgers on the table, since she wasn't going to perform the instant outfit change trick anyway. "Can I take these two with me too?"
The girl's mother nodded blankly.
Li Pu also grabbed a hamburger in each hand without hesitation, intending to take it away.
"Um! Um!" The girl snapped out of her daze, her eyes filled with anticipation, and asked, "Is big sister True Magic?"
"Ah~ You asked about that?" Li Pu smiled slightly and said, "We are not True Magic, we are Goddess!"
Before she finished speaking, she took off and soared into the clouds. That's the literal meaning; you can understand it directly from the words. Flying is a basic skill of the Goddess. Although he doesn't have the instant-change-clothes technique, Li Pu still knows how to fly.
Li Pu, who was sitting on a cloud eating a hamburger, really couldn't tell whether he was lucky or not.
Belldandy was clearly not used to the rules of this world, and she seemed to have been careless and overlooked many details. Her only stroke of luck was that this era was one where cell phones weren't yet widespread.
Therefore, the speed of information dissemination is far slower than in the information explosion era of the near future.
Therefore, the little thing that he and Belldandy did probably won't spread too widely, and will more likely become an urban legend through word of mouth.
However, Li Pu was a little annoyed that Ying Yi had only taken Belldandy with her and forgotten about him when she ran away. Of course, it was just the most ordinary annoyance—the annoyance that Yingyi had forgotten him when he should have left a significant impression on Ying Yi.
So what's the next step?
Should we go look for it?
It's not easy to find. Ying Yi has already run off somewhere with Belldandy. Going to find her would probably be a hassle, so I might as well go to the Tarihono Temple and wait for her.
It shouldn't be long before these two people go to Tarihono Temple.
You can just go directly to Tarihono Temple and wait for those two people. So where is Tarihono Temple?
Li Pu carefully recalled the details of the Tarihono Temple. Neither the anime nor the comics seemed to give the specific location of the city where Ying Yi and the others were, and most of the things in the anime were fictional.
But that doesn't mean everything is fictional, though now is not the time to discuss whether it's fictional or not.
Although the exact location of Tarihono Temple is not provided, the anime does depict its location and surroundings.
This Tarihono Temple should be located in the vicinity of Katsumi City, roughly in the suburbs. It's probably not too far from Nekomi Institute of Technology; driving from Nekomi Institute of Technology to Tarihono Temple should take about thirty minutes.
Of course, this wasn't depicted in the animation; this is just Li Pu's own estimation.
Because Ying Yi a student, he has to consider his commute time to and from school. If too much time is wasted on commuting, he definitely won't choose to stay at Tarihono Temple.
In addition, Ying Yi also works part-time, so if you include the time spent working, the time from school to home and from home to work is about 30 to 40 minutes.
This timeframe falls roughly within people's acceptable range for empathy; anything higher would require consideration of abandoning the idea.
Secondly, Tarihono Temple is located halfway up the mountain, not at the summit, and the surrounding vegetation coverage is very high; this is a scene that appeared in the anime. It's the uphill path leading to Tarihono Temple.
At the same time, the vegetation coverage is very high, which is something that only parks in the city can achieve.
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However, the fact that it is uphill, with no other buildings besides the Tarihono Temple and high vegetation coverage, can probably only be met in the suburbs.
After considering these factors, Li Pu quickly chose a general direction. Now that he was in the air, he could not only have a clear view of the entire Katsumi City, but at least have a clear view of the surrounding area.
Looking north from where he was, an ancient building, located halfway up a mountain with a high vegetation coverage and an uphill road, came into view.
'That should be it.'
After roughly determining the direction, Li Pu flew towards that location, and in no time he arrived in front of the building.
"I have to say..." Li Pu muttered after circling the building for a while, "Tarihono Temple is much more dilapidated than I imagined."
If the Tarihono Temple in the anime is dilapidated, then this Tarihono Temple looks like an abandoned temple. The stone paths are covered with moss and weeds, and if it weren't for a few stone slabs still exposed, it would be almost impossible to tell that it's a path.
The temple walls were dilapidated and, apart from not collapsing, were practically on the verge of collapse.
It seems that just a gust of wind of similar strength could blow this temple down.
Most of the roofs of the main hall, side rooms, and courtyards in the temple were riddled with holes. If it weren't for the fact that some parts remained intact and the vegetables growing in the backyard, the damage would be minimal.
It felt like the temple was dilapidated and no one lived there anymore.
'It's even worse than in the anime.' Li Pu scoffed. To be honest, if it weren't for Belldandy's amazing abilities, she wouldn't want to live in such a run-down place. But it's precisely because it's so dilapidated that Belldandy's timely arrival seems all the more remarkable.
Well, as the saying goes, it's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow.
If this were a thriving temple, there would certainly be more than just one abbot. And if it were so popular, let's not even discuss whether Belldandy's efforts would be recognized by the abbot.
Even judging from the most malicious speculation, the money for incense offerings alone shows that they are not short of money and have no need to take in a penniless young man.
Although they say that monks are wholeheartedly devoted to good deeds, in reality, few of these bald monks are good people.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be an old saying, "Better to live in a cemetery than to enter a temple."
Li Pu shook his head; he didn't want to assume the worst about the host. In the animation, the host was actually quite cute.
Now, all you have to do is wait here for the money to fly in from the sky!
Chapter 371 A Coin Floats Down from the Sky
"I don't think today will be boring."
The waiting time was very boring, so Li Pu continued to observe the temple he was about to stay in from the air.
It was undeniably dilapidated, but beyond that, there seemed to be something else here. Li Pu couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was no doubt that something was hidden here, just waiting to be revealed.
'A native evil of this world?'
The world of My Goddess isn't entirely peaceful; strange things exist there besides the Goddess herself. While the overall world-building of Ah! My Goddess is based on Norse mythology, as a story written by native Japanese people with a Norse mythological foundation, it's impossible for it to escape the writer's own understanding and concepts. For example, the concepts of Shintoism, a religion native to Japan.
Everything has a spirit, and Belldandy's initial acceptance of Yingyi stemmed from this belief.
Ying Yi's meticulous maintenance and use of the equipment around her fostered Ying Yi inherent flexibility. This was conveyed to Belldandy she arrived. Now, as the user of Belldandy, Li Pu naturally possesses similar abilities.
This didn't require her to learn; it seemed like an innate ability.
Li Pu could sense that some seemingly inanimate objects around her were trying to tell her something—no, it wasn't just "trying"! They were indeed telling Li Pu something, but she didn't know if it was because her understanding was too low or her spirit was too weak.
Li Pu couldn't decipher the specific information; he only knew that the things in the temple were telling her, the Goddess hiding in the sky, about some danger.
Or rather, it sounds more like a warning, a way of discouraging them from coming near.
So what might be here?
Curiosity may have killed not only cats but also Goddess. The danger warnings conveyed by the items in the temple only fueled Li Pu 'Li Pu strong desire to explore. She was now extremely curious about what was in there.
Anyway, whatever's here will naturally come out after Belldandy moves in, and then we'll know what it is.
Li Pu waited for a while, but not too long, before she noticed a strange wind blowing in the sky, and a two-thousand-yen banknote was swished into her hand by the wind.
'This...' Li Pu looked at the banknotes in his hand, both amused and exasperated, thinking, 'Isn't this the money that brought Ying Yi here? How did it end up in my hands?'
She doesn't have a place to stay here... Oh, wait, does that mean Belldandy used this money to find her? So, she's not some kind of money-grubber who came looking for her.
Li Pu lay on the edge of the cloud and looked down the road on the ground. He saw a Theresa driving towards the temple.
'Well, never mind,' Li Pu thought to himself, holding the money, 'Since that's the case, I might as well try this.'
She did remember that the girl Ying Yi had helped in their previous 'chance encounter' was thanks to her, although Li Pu herself didn't think it was her achievement, but Belldandy wouldn't lie. If it really was because of her achievement, then she could try it now.
The "Pray" skill is quite useful; it might even be the first skill point needed to unlock the ultimate skill "Fulfill Wishes."
She can try using this money again.
What to test? Ying Yi needs a place to stay anyway, and so does she. If their goals are basically the same, then this money can be used to test whether their prayers are effective or not.
Li Pu clutched the money, trying her best to appear more sincere. Although she couldn't be as devout as a fanatic, she still tried to make herself look slightly more devout.
'Hmm, what should I say in my prayer?' Li Pu, who was preparing to make a prayer, was a little hesitant.
She really didn't know where to start with this prayer. Was it targeted or untargeted? She vaguely remembered that Belldandy's prayers were different each time she used them. Did these prayers have a fixed format that she could add herself, or was there no fixed format?
Belldandy didn't explain all of this to her, but Belldandy did explain a little to Li Pu.
Wishes are the most important thing.
So, is this a case where the heart of the prayer is more important than the words?
Maybe so.
'Let's try it first.' Li Pu decided to try it out first. She was sitting on a cloud, with the money on her lap and her hands clasped together, trying to make herself more sincere and her wish clearer. She tried to put together a few words that sounded a bit cheesy: 'Wind of hope, please blow this coin that carries my wish to where it should go, and guide those who are confused to find a new path.'
The prayer had just been completed when a gentle breeze blew the coin off Li Pu's lap. The coin spun in the air before finally landing inside the temple.
Just as it landed on the steps of the temple's main hall, Li Pu saw a figure rushing over.
That's Ying Yi. It seems my prayers really did have some effect.
Hmm, not bad, not bad.
Now we just need to wait, but it shouldn't take too long.
Indeed, it wouldn't be long before Li Pu saw Ying Yi get hit on the head by the abbot while trying to retrieve her last bit of money. Now that it was time for the main plot, she decided not to disturb the two of them showing off their affection.
As for what happens next...
'It should be soon...' Li Pu could already sense the restlessness in the temple.
As Belldandy arrived and night fell, this restlessness grew more pronounced, and perhaps soon! What lurked in the shadows that had prompted the temple's warnings to her might soon appear.
What could it be?
Night fell, and darkness enveloped the earth. A full moon rose from the horizon, casting its silvery light upon the land. Li Pu noticed a figure moving within the temple. It was likely the abbot; in the story, whether because he was a monk or because Belldandy was too close to the Buddha statue, he could see the divine light emanating from Belldandy. However, he himself was unaware of this and instead believed Belldandy to be some kind of evil entity.
So he decided to keep an eye on Belldandy. Nighttime was the best time for evil creatures to make their move. He was waiting for Belldandy to reveal what he considered to be 'fangs' and expose Belldandy in one fell swoop.
However, he was destined not to get this opportunity. It was getting late, and the abbot, being a mortal, eventually fell into a deep sleep after monitoring him.
Belldandy then arrived in the courtyard and summoned her angel to begin using her divine power to repair the entire temple.
'It's coming!' The moment Belldandy began to use her divine power, everything in the temple began to boil. Their unease had reached a peak, and the things that made them uneasy began to converge on the temple at that moment.
Did Belldandy not feel it? No, she could, but perhaps it was because of her naivety, or perhaps she was new to the human world and unfamiliar with it.
Therefore, Belldandy's interpretation of the temple's various creatures was somewhat flawed. She might have felt that the temple's age made the creatures uneasy, as they feared being abandoned and discarded at any moment.
Therefore, restoring all of this and giving the temple a new lease on life will probably bring happiness to everything here.
Belldandy never imagined that such a wish would bring about an even greater disaster.
"How could this be?" Belldandy sensed it. Even though she had transformed the temple, it hadn't become peaceful or happy. From the very beginning, this place had been hostile to her as Goddess. It seemed to be issuing repeated warnings, as if it didn't want her arrival.
Belldandy and Ying Yi originally only wanted to find Li Pu, but a wish brought them here through a paper money infused with spirits.
Belldandy sensed that Li Pu was nearby, not from the coin, but from the wind. The wind, carrying Li Pu's hopes and blessings, guided the two of them to the temple with the paper and pen.
Perhaps this is what Vivian told her, and this place might be able to solve Ying Yi's predicament.
Although the reason why there was a sense of fear and unease everywhere, the abbot of this very dilapidated temple turned out to be an unexpectedly kind person.
He hit Ying Yi at first because of a misunderstanding, but he quickly cleared up the misunderstanding and sincerely apologized.
Ying Yi then took the opportunity to ask the abbot for lodging, which he readily agreed to without charging Ying Yi any money. He simply hoped that Ying Yi and the others could help clean the courtyard, as he couldn't manage it all by himself.
He himself was unmarried and had no children. After he passed away, his blood relatives might try to seize the ownership of the temple.