The middle-aged woman helping Yotsuya Miko carry her bags smiled as she spoke.
"I work as a guide in Kawamori, and Kawamori's most famous sights are tied to what's said to have been passed down from the Dim Era. It roughly corresponds to Jianping in our country—the era when society shifted from slavery to feudalism. Back then, the supreme ruler migrated from the south to the north and established a new capital. That capital is now Jianping. But not many people know the original site of that capital. Miko, do you?"
Yotsuya Miko parted her lips. Drawing on her knowledge of history, she quickly answered and pointed to the ground beneath her feet.
"Here, in Kawamori."
"That's right. Kawamori was the original site of the capital. During the Dim Era, this place was also a terrifying haunt of demons. Even the supreme ruler of that era had to submit to those powerful demons and offer them sacrifices. Those sacrifices were young women. The myths only mention a few of their names, and the most famous of them was Shou Xiaozi. She had made a promise to the man she loved to be with him. But, tragically, when she came of age, she was chosen as a sacrifice. The devastating blow left the man unable to recover."
"The man was called Chuan Xing Yiye. He accepted the dreadful news in despair and spent the whole night awake. Ten nights later, he received Shou Xiaozi's remains. The demons had learned of the promise between them and carried out this cruel act. Helpless, he gathered the bones of the woman he loved and buried them beneath the earth in his house. Then, in a sudden fire, his house was completely destroyed, and the man disappeared. No trace of a body was found in