346. Leaking Air
Lu Ban repeatedly confirmed that Amber's name was indeed not in the mission details.
Therefore, he could send the Amber to the Wa Island Grand Shrine, wait for the shrine maidens' election to end, watch a ceremony, and that would be the end of it.
But is it really okay if Amber isn't the new Head Miko?
Lu Ban had confirmed the power of Amber; its ability to carve out a patch of sunlight amidst such a storm was truly astonishing.
If she could become the Head Miko, then Harmony Island should be free from the troubles of Corrupted Ones for a period of time.
Moreover, becoming Head Miko would surely bring wealth, power, and the adulation of thousands.
Amber can have anything she wants, eat whatever she wants, and is above all others; she is the most supreme and noble being in this world.
Even if she becomes Head Miko, she should still be able to enjoy cherry blossoms in spring and play in the water in summer, leading a life that may not be so easy, but at least she can have a lot of happiness.
Is this task really that simple?
Lu Ban decided to deal with the invading Chosen of the Gods first.
Since he knew the other party was not dead, the other party must also know that Amber was not dead, so they would definitely make a move after chasing after him.
Whether Amber wants to become Head Miko or live a peaceful life somewhere else, Lu Ban definitely has to kill this intruder.
Early in the morning, Lu Ban and Amber took a small boat to the dock. He did not reveal Amber's identity, but in this era of underdeveloped communication, these people certainly wouldn't recognize Amber.
The pirates had a considerable amount of savings. Lu Ban had a sum of money from the Harmony Island. There were no hotels open to the public on Changfeng Island, only post stations run by the Shrine Officials and the Island Magistrate, which were definitely not available to ordinary people.
Without revealing his identity, Lu Ban could only find a fisherman's family and rent a room they used to store miscellaneous items. He also bought some girls' clothes for Amber to change into.
"W-How is it?"
Amber twirled around. She was wearing the clothes that an ordinary girl would wear this season. The fabric was slightly finer, and it wasn't quite as comfortable as silk or cotton, but the plain-colored clothes were embroidered with patterns like hydrangeas, making the wearer look more lively.
"Shouldn't you dress more simply?"
Lu Ban rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.
"???"
Amber, not hearing what she wanted to hear, looked slightly resentful.
"Otherwise, you might attract attention. After all, with your looks, you should be quite eye-catching on this island."
Lu Ban added.
"Then should I wear a plain-colored one?"
Amber glanced shyly at her clothes hanger.
Amber, who had never bought clothes before, bought a huge pile of them, mostly clothes for this season. Many of them had cute patterns, but due to technical limitations, the patterns were all very simple.
It is said that during the ceremony of becoming the Head Miko, the Divine Child must wear a very formal white robe and scarlet hakama, with a pine and crane patterned senhaya over it, a crown, and a sacred bell with fifteen bells in her hand, and dance under the watchful eyes of the gods.
However, Amber now feels that those things are very far removed from her own life.
"Let's take this one."
Lu Ban didn't let Amber change her clothes again. Her Amber eyes were already eye-catching enough. If the invading Chosen of the Gods came to Changfeng Island, they could easily find their location.
This was also part of Lu Ban's plan.
Instead of hiding, it's better to fish with a straight hook and lure the other party out.
However, once the mission is complete, Lu Ban will return to his own world, leaving Amber alone.
So, Lu Ban couldn't really agree to anything she said.
Door Opening, there is a cherry blossom tree in the courtyard. You can see this kind of tree almost everywhere on Harmony Island. The thickest cherry blossom tree is at Wa Island Grand Shrine. Behind the Torii Gate of the shrine is a towering tree, also known as the Divine Cherry Tree. Every spring, the petals of the Divine Cherry Tree fall from the treetops to the entire island of Wajima Harmony Island. The cherry blossoms fall gently like raindrops, and the scene is amazing.
After three days on Changfeng Island, the two have gradually adapted to life on the island.
The fisherman's daughter, only five years old, was wearing somewhat tattered clothes and playing with a slightly deflated ball in the yard.
"Your ball is deflated."
Lu Ban said seriously.
"It's leaking air!"
The little girl repeated her lesson.
Can you read?
Can you read?
The little girl repeated the lesson again.
"As expected, the essence of humanity is that of a broken record; you can see it even in human infants."
Lu Ban stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Don't treat children like that."
Amber said something, then leaned closer to the little girl and patted her head.
"Will your older sister play with you?"
"I'll play with you, I'll play with you. Waaaaah—"
The little girl suddenly burst into tears, leaving Amber at a loss for what to do, and tears welled up in her eyes as well.
"Wait, wait, don't cry, don't cry."
The tears were about to spread from the little girl to Amber.
Lu Ban squatted down.
"Let me show you a magic trick."
He said to the little girl.
Upon hearing this, the little girl quickly stopped crying and looked at Lu Ban with curiosity.
"These are my hands."
Lu Ban held up a finger and waved it in front of the little girl.
Then, he rubbed his finger on the pebbles on the ground, breaking the skin and drawing blood.
Seeing the way Lu Ban's fingers looked, the little girl's eyes welled up with tears again, and she was about to cry.
At that moment, a blade of grass suddenly sprouted from the tip of Lu Ban's finger.
The little girl's crying face was frozen in time.
With tears in her eyes, she stared wide-eyed as the grass on Lu Ban's finger grew taller and taller, even blossoming into a flower.
Lu Ban picked the flower and handed it to the little girl.
"Isn't that amazing!"
He said excitedly.
"Be serious!"
Amber patted Lu Ban on the back of the head, warning him not to use this extraordinary power to amuse children.
The little girl held the flower, happily dug up the soil with Stone, carefully planted the flower in the soil, and then carefully buried it.
"Grow up quickly."
The little girl clasped her hands together in a prayer-like gesture.
"It can grow up."
Amber also offered a prayer, and suddenly the flower grew taller and sprouted more branches and leaves, as if it had truly absorbed nutrients and grown.
"Aren't you one too?"
Lu Ban complained from the side.
"This is to give her a wonderful childhood."
Amber rolled her eyes at Lu Ban.
"This woman has a serious double standard."
Lu Ban muttered something to himself.
"So you're here. My husband caught some fish at sea today. Here, have some with you. They're all very fresh fish, no need to add salt, just cook them directly."
The landlady of the rented house brought Lu Ban a bamboo basket filled with several fish.
"These fish are all very fat; it looks like we had a good haul today."
These fishermen rely entirely on the weather for their livelihood. They lack modern aquaculture methods and mostly rely on fishing at sea. There's no such thing as buying fish at the market if you can't catch any. On days with no harvest, they might not even be able to afford to eat.
"Yes, there's been a lot of fishing lately, and the fish are of very good quality. We can stock up quite a bit. By the way, I heard that a big shot has come to the island. Apparently, he killed quite a few pirates. He's scheduled to give a speech to the Island Magistrate this afternoon."
The hostess said again.
"An important person?"
These words alerted Lu Ban.
"Yes, I don't know either. I only heard some people who came back from the shore this morning say that he seemed to have injuries, and that he was covered in strips of cloth."
The woman spoke as if she were expressing deep emotion.