103. This Is a Song That Brings Good Luck

"A mask... its shape... is it made of Momiji?"

Lu Ban recognized the mask.

He bent down and picked it up; the mask was real.

"She left me here to guide me?"

Lu Ban pondered for a moment, then opened his mouth.

Good Luck, Good Luck good luck bring you joy and love.

In this silent world, Lu Ban began to sing "Good Luck".

The joyous songs echoed between the Torii Gate, resounding throughout this tranquil land.

As Lu Ban sang, he looked around and felt as if the stars around him were shining.

As Lu Ban sang, he suddenly saw a face approaching him on the dark road.

He stopped singing.

What are you singing?

Momiji carried a lantern, her expression slightly awkward, as if she was considering whether to just leave Lu Ban alone at the shrine.

"This is a song from my hometown that brings good luck. Do you want to learn it?"

Lu Ban asked with enthusiasm.

"No"

Momiji raised the lantern to illuminate Lu Ban's body, and only after confirming that he was alright did she feel relieved.

"I told you, don't get caught up in the shadows. The Torii Gate along this road are not just decorations, but also a kind of barrier, a barrier used to imprison monsters."

"I just saw a witch on the road."

Lu Ban then said.

"Miko?"

Momiji seemed to be deep in thought. She gestured for Lu Ban to follow, and when she saw him walking behind her, she pulled him up to stand beside her, their arms pressed tightly together.

"Each shrine is actually a cage. Using Torii Gate, spells, and barriers, we collect the Corrupted Ones from the vicinity of the island. Every New Year, the Divine Child will take action to purify all this evil."

Momiji explained that her clothes clung to Lu Ban's exposed arms in his short-sleeved shirt, the silk texture was subtle, and their arms would occasionally touch through their clothes, confirming each other's presence.

"So, those evil spirits have to be suppressed in the shrine for a whole year?"

Lu Ban couldn't help but ask.

"What if something goes wrong halfway through and they run away?"

"The Divine Child fire of purification cannot be extinguished, so each purification will cause a certain area to be permanently abandoned and cannot be used for a long time. As for the leakage problem, aren't we investigating it now?"

Momiji raised her eyebrows.

"Since the side effects of purifying fire are so severe, why use it to exorcise evil spirits? Aren't there other methods?"

Lu Ban had no time to appreciate the softer arms of Momiji than he had expected; he simply asked out of curiosity.

"At least, the Purifying Fire can delay the destruction of humanity."

Momiji's tone revealed a hint of helplessness.

"The Divine Child is remarkable. She has borne burdens that ordinary people cannot bear. The reason I want to become the Divine Child is not for fame and power. When I was young, my village was attacked by Corrupted Ones, and it was the Divine Child's purifying fire that saved me. From then on, I took it upon myself to become that kind of person."

"But you failed to become Divine Child."

Lu Ban said subconsciously.

"That's because I'm not capable enough. The current Divine Child, she used to be my friend, I know her very well. She's gentle, strong, and has the power to overcome all difficulties. She is indeed the best candidate to become the Divine Child."

Momiji sighed, climbed the steps, and grabbed Lu Ban's wrist.

The calluses on her hands and fingertips rubbed against Lu Ban's skin, creating a unique feeling unlike that of ordinary girls.

"Maybe you're just unlucky. How about I teach you to sing that song you just sang? It really brings good luck."

Lu Ban said it persistently.

"No need."

As the Momiji passed through the last step and the long tunnel formed by the torii Torii Gate, the dark Harmony Island Shrine came into view.

"By the way, I saw some people on the island who recovered even from fatal injuries. Is that also a form of pollution?"

Looking at the impressive building, Lu Ban casually asked a question.

"Is this how you see it?"

Momiji released Lu Ban's hand.

The fog on the mountain seemed to have thinned out, making it possible to see more stars and the sky brighter.

"In my eyes?"

Lu Ban was confused.

"Pollution doesn't just cause people to lose their minds and go crazy; it also alters their cognition or alienates them from themselves."

Momiji briefly explained in two sentences.

"Those things that have been contaminated are no longer in human form. Just like the person you saw during the day who was knocked down by the rickshaw, he was essentially just a lump of filthy flesh and blood."

"So, in my eyes he's human, but in reality he isn't?"

Lu Ban a slight breath.

"That's right. We call this kind of thing an obstacle. It's the same principle as invisibility or transformation. The more you know about this world, the less likely you are to be hindered by obstacles. It seems that you know more than you show."

Momiji walk toward the shrine.

"Are we just going to walk in like this?"

Lu Ban followed behind her.

What did I just say to you?

Momiji paused slightly and turned her head to ask.

"Good Luck?"

Lu Ban immediately replied.

"Barrier."

Momiji, helpless.

"I'm using a barrier spell now. Normal priestesses can't see us, as long as you get close enough, just like before."

"I see!"

Lu Ban thought this ability seemed quite convenient.

If I could master this ability, wouldn't I be able to ride Roller Coaster indefinitely without having to wait in line?

He couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.

Lu Ban and Momiji walked hand in hand toward the worship hall.

The shrine was indeed deserted at night; the offering box stood empty and forlorn. Momiji arrived at the front of the hall and looked around.

"Strange, even at night, there should still be Shrine Officials officials on duty at the shrine."

The imposing building now resembled a monster, baring its fangs and casting shadows that were chilling.

Behind the pillar, under the shimenawa ropes, and behind the ema (votive plaques), it seemed as if something was spying on the two of them, waiting for its chance to strike.

"It seems like no one has been here for a long time."

Lu Ban reached out and gently touched the top of the donation box. He had just glanced at it and there was indeed no money to take.

The fingertips were covered in a thick layer of dust, not like someone had cleaned them.

"You just said that when was the Song Island first shrouded in fog?"

"One month ago."

Momiji seemed to have thought of something, and pulled Lu Ban along quickly toward the main hall.

Then, Momiji and Lu Ban witnessed that despairing scene.

The shrine maidens, dressed in white robes and crimson hakama, sat in a row along the roadside, facing each other.

They were all wearing masks of the Shrine Officials, Motionless.

Behind the priestess stood a person dressed in a white hunting robe, with the same mask covering their face, equally Motionless.

These people seemed to be performing some grand and important ceremony, giving off a solemn and dignified feeling.

At the end of the road, on a platform, sat a priestess.

The witch was not wearing a mask, revealing her face.

It was a face that was Pale and bluish-black, seemingly devoid of life.

She remained seated upright, and that's how she died.

Lu Ban was also very clear at this moment that everyone present was already dead.

They have been dead for a month.

From the very beginning, when the Uncertainty Fog invaded, everyone in the Song Island Shrine had already perished.

Their bodies were left untouched and left to rot without anyone moving or handling them.

"So."

Lu Ban thought to himself.

"Who was the Shrine Officials inspected us when we arrived on the island?"