326. Spring No War

It took a while to persuade the police officers to leave. Under Lu Ban's supervision, the cleaning staff spent three hours cleaning Lu Ban's room.

The fee is 105 yuan.

Cheap and affordable.

Lu Ban decided to look for another company next time.

By the time Lu Ban finished cleaning, it was already evening. He ate something casually and figured he couldn't sleep in bed anyway, so he might as well go and complete the task.

Sitting on the sofa, Lu Ban checked the things he was carrying.

Radio, suona horn, crowbar, some compressed dry food, canned goods, and of course, crystallized Momiji.

Three windows reappeared on the wall.

Lu Ban pushed open the last door directly.

The falling cherry blossoms intertwined against the azure sky, forming the system's cold and indifferent words.

[Spring No War]

The shrine maiden of Wa Island Grand Shrine, and a new shrine maiden will inherit her mantle and be bathed in the purifying fire.

However, not every priestess can enter the shrine and receive divine favor; competition is everywhere.

A shrine maiden hailed as a genius is preparing to cross the ocean to the Harmony Island. She seems to exist solely to become the Head Miko, the queen of Head Miko means power, and the entanglements of family and politics can sometimes sway the judgment of the gods. And genius, sometimes, should not exist.

[You have accepted the mission to protect the shrine maiden on her journey to the Harmony Island. Along the way, more dangerous than Corrupted Ones is the human heart. On this long and arduous journey, only the falling cherry blossoms and the clear seawater will not betray you.]

[Task Difficulty: Selectable]

[Mission Requirements: Escort the shrine maiden to Wa Island Grand Shrine]

[Mission Requirement: Witness the birth of a new Head Miko]

"I have forgotten what I once thought, only my body remains, perhaps a relic of yours."

"A very clear escort mission."

This type of task is actually quite difficult for Lu Ban.

For well-known reasons, Lu Ban's teammates have a low survival rate. Apart from fellow Chosen of the Gods Ones like Trist and Xiya, his companions from other realms mostly die one after another. Those who manage to die are considered lucky, and not turning into monsters is considered a success.

Therefore, since we've brought along a little one this time, it's best to choose a lower difficulty level.

Lu Ban checked the difficulty levels and found that the [Mortal] difficulty was blacked out. Not only the [Mortal] difficulty, but also the [Contamination] and [Erosion] difficulties were blacked out.

Only the [Alienation] difficulty level is available.

"???"

Is there a bug in this task?

Lu Ban looked at it again for a second.

"Oh, I knew it."

Lu Ban finally discovered the problem: apart from the [Alienation] difficulty, there were other difficulty levels to choose from.

Next to the [Alienation] difficulty level, there is an option for an even higher difficulty level, but it cannot be selected because Lu Ban has not been unlocked.

"How thoughtful!"

Lu Ban sighed.

He can only choose the [Alienation] difficulty level.

With tears in my eyes, I earned over 100,000 Silence Points.

[Enter the Silent Land?]

[whether]

Lu Ban chose "Yes".

The window suddenly opened, Lu Ban felt a warm breeze.

He was sucked into the window.

Purple light surrounded Lu Ban, making him feel dizzy and lightheaded, as if he had been thrown into an endlessly spinning wheel. Countless points of light formed a starry sky picture on his retina. Suddenly, a soft murmur entered Lu Ban's ears, like weeping and lamenting, like a mournful cry.

The flow of time in the Silent Land is different from that in the outside world.

The time ratio for this trip is 2:1.

Number of companions: 0

[On the way to Harmony Island]

When his feet touched the ground again, Lu Ban smelled a faint floral fragrance.

The chirping of birds and the warm, gentle spring breeze reached Lu Ban's ears, and he seemed to hear someone speaking.

"Please do not have any unnecessary interactions with her. Of course, our guards will take care of her; you are only responsible for guiding the way."

An elderly woman's voice came from behind him, causing Lu Ban to turn his head.

He saw a face full of wrinkles.

The old woman's hair was completely white, tied in a bun. She wore a dark blue silk dress and held a pipe in her hand. She took two puffs and exhaled grayish-white smoke.

"I see."

Lu Ban heard the person next to him respond, it seemed he had fast-forwarded to the time when the journey was about to begin.

Beside him sat an older woman dressed in coarse black cloth. Several strands of white hair, like highlights, were mixed in with her black hair. She was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, and there was a heroic air about her between her brows, like a seasoned hunter or warrior.

Beside the woman was a long sword sheathed.

The knife was very long, exceeding the length of a sword that Lu Ban usually recognized. It was like a clothesline, forming a stark contrast with the woman's figure.

"Bound by the Word Spirit, we naturally won't do anything that violates it. I just wonder if we could exchange a few words with her? I think getting to know each other would be more helpful for this journey, right?"

The woman asked, not taking the old woman's words too seriously. In fact, she did not show any humility or submissiveness, but rather appeared to be a Winner had the upper hand.

"She is performing her daily practice. You can see her in the side hall after it is finished."

After saying that, the old woman tapped her pipe, signaling the two to leave.

Lu Ban followed the woman and found that his clothes had also changed to similar coarse cloth clothes, and all the props were put into the bag he carried with him. It seemed that the difference in level between Harmony Island could be seen from the clothes.

The old woman was dressed in silk, while the guards beside her wore coarse linen clothes. The woman and Lu Ban were slightly better dressed, but only in terms of their clothing.

"She believed that as long as her granddaughter could become the Head Miko, her family could also enter the core of the Harmony Island's political circle."

After leaving the room and the guards, the woman spoke to Lu Ban.

"Of course, many people don't want to see the Head Miko as someone who doesn't belong to their sphere of influence, and that's where the conflict begins."

"Shouldn't the Head Miko be judged by her abilities?"

Lu Ban asked, loosening his collar. Springtime on the Harmony Island was very warm, and the coarse cloth was not breathable.

The woman turned around, glanced at Lu Ban, and smiled slightly.

"These officials are not so naive. Indeed, the Head Miko needs to rely on her strength to stand out. In fact, being able to enter the Wa Island Grand Shrine and become a candidate has already involved a lot of bargaining and compromise. The major families of Harmony Island will not allow anyone who surpasses their control to become the priestess."

"So, what do we do now?"

Lu Ban thought to himself that this was similar to elections in some countries around the world. They seemed intense, but in reality, they were the result of games and compromises between large companies and capital behind the scenes.

"That's the variable. The priestess here is said to be exceptionally talented. There were unusual celestial phenomena at her birth, and she seems to be the destined next Head Miko. The only drawback is that she and her family have long been outside the core power circle."

The woman and Lu Ban waited in the side hall. Lu Ban roughly figured out that the woman's name was Ayame, a famous mercenary at sea, and that he was one of Ayame's subordinates.

After waiting for a while, just as Lu Ban had drunk two cups of tea and was about to go to the restroom, a maid entered the room.

"Miss has arrived."

She said.