Undercurrents Emerge / Going to the Amusement Park

Indeed, that was the case. Despite being a powerful cultivator, she allowed the enemy to perform Blood Sacrifice and summon the great monster. Even a righteous cultivator wouldn't stoop to such a level, let alone a demonic cultivator. Although she was indeed a third- or fourth-rate cultivator, she was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator. To be so incompetent wasn't just due to a lack of experience; it was because she completely failed to maintain the right mindset.

Simply put, they got carried away.

Many things can only be truly understood through hardship; otherwise, even countless cases won't convince people. This is the case with Yotsuya Miko.

After the second riot in Kawamori, she finally took the knowledge in Zhang Qiudao's mind seriously and read through all the knowledge about sects. She put the Divine Gate into these sects and imagined the worst-case scenario in her mind.

For example, if Divine Gate wanted to use her to work for his organization, that would be considered relatively basic. Worse still, he might threaten her family and friends, using her as a tool. Or perhaps he coveted her body—in a legitimate way—trying to squeeze his cultivation out of her, forcing out her techniques and then using her body as research material. Or maybe he simply saw her as a ticking time bomb, planning to eliminate her beforehand.

The more Yotsuya Miko thought about it, the more she felt that such a possibility was not out of the question. After all, before coming to Gate of the Underworld, she had never thought that a Xuanming Python in the late Core Formation stage would emerge from the Gate of the Underworld. As an ancient spiritual energy organization, it was reasonable for the Divine Gate to have some hidden tricks that she was completely unaware of, right? After all, the Gate of the Underworld had already far exceeded the strength that the Divine Gate had shown.

Thinking this way, Yotsuya Miko became even more cautious towards Divine Gate, intending to control Divine Gate before they could reveal their trump cards. To control Divine Gate, she would need to come up with some techniques for dealing with people.

As for methods to deal with people... the Demonic Path has nonetheless.

"Demonic cultivator, oh demonic cultivator."

After burying the last node for the day, Yotsuya Miko looked at the sky that was about to turn white and sighed.

She initially didn't understand the caution and treachery of demonic cultivators, but her personal experience told her that their way of survival was perfectly acceptable.

These people resort to any means to enhance their strength, not because they lack resources or have no other options, but because they are desperate. If they had other means, they wouldn't resort to techniques with severe side effects, nor would they risk being hunted down by righteous cultivators to massacre villages and cities. In the Xuanhui Realm, a world where the strong prey on the weak, enhancing strength itself is not a problem; it's just that some people have choices in how they do it, while others don't. And it is precisely because they value their lives, and precisely because they are forced into this situation, that demonic cultivation has become synonymous with cheap, worthless people.

People's understanding of demonic cultivators is limited to superficial views such as bloodthirsty killing, ruthlessness, treachery, and cowardice. They have never thought about why demonic cultivators have become like this.

"I sympathize with the demonic cultivators... no, it's just that my current situation is similar to theirs."

She shook her head and leaped into the air, using the wind to propel herself high into the sky.

When dealing with the Mountain God, she intended to act with justice and did not use any underhanded methods, but simply tried to defeat the monster by overwhelming its numbers. The ending was naturally not good. Originally just a novice, she was basically wiped out in one fell swoop and was given away for nothing.

When dealing with Kawamori 'Gate of the Underworld, she was acting with the intention of upholding justice, but her preconceived notions prevented her from imagining things would escalate to such a dire situation. The stadium, in the end, still saw countless deaths, but none of them were of concern to her; they were all insignificant figures.

But when dealing with Divine Gate, she suddenly became clear-headed, her righteous demeanor completely gone, leaving only a bellyful of calculations. She used these calculations without any remorse, and never thought about acting kindly. She just hadn't killed anyone, though it wasn't that she hadn't thought about killing.

In retrospect, there was an unspeakable hypocrisy and deceit.

High in the sky, relying on Hiding Concealment Technique and the Falcon Spirit Wind Control Incantation, Yotsuya Miko felt somewhat lost, her understanding of her own identity becoming less clear. She inadvertently thought that she was probably indeed a demonic cultivator, incapable of upholding justice on behalf of the righteous path.

"Forget it, forget it, who cares? I just want to have a clear conscience."

There are no pure people in this world, not even Miko.

Perhaps she never imagined she would end up like this, but she just happened to receive the inheritance of a demonic cultivator.

He is still the Great Demon who has dominated the Xuanhui Realm for a thousand years.

Chapter 182 Undercurrents Emerge

As Yotsuya Miko, completed her daily tasks, and began her normal school day, subtle changes were taking place in some things she had overlooked.

In a dark tunnel that hadn't seen any vehicles for a long time, the scenery hadn't changed much. Plants that hadn't been tended for years had climbed over the man-made railings at the other end of the tunnel, and the paint on these iron railings had long been wiped away, revealing red rust.

After a while, the mountain road turned out to be unpaved. Following the mountain road, you would reach the end of the mountain, a shrine.

Yotsuya Miko this shrine before, but at that time, her cultivation level was not high enough to make her feel uneasy about the shrine's eeriness, so she did not investigate it further. Now that she has reached her current level, she seems to have forgotten about this shrine and has not visited it again since.

The shrine has changed a lot since the last time.

The statues of the Divine Messenger that originally stood on both sides of the courtyard, their features destroyed and their bodies shattered, now have one head broken off and fallen to the ground, while the other appears to have been cleaved in two by an external force, though it has not fallen to the ground.

The hanging Shimenawa were scattered all over the ground. These thick, bound Shimenawa revealed the blackened and yellowed Talisman Paper inside, and the surface of the paper was also yellowish.

When the three of them arrived earlier, they found the Shimenawa had broken and fallen to the ground, but fortunately no one was injured. It seems that their actions slightly disturbed this deserted shrine, causing the Shimenawa, which were already unable to hold together, to fall and become what they are now.

The main hall is still relatively intact, but it looks particularly dilapidated because of the Shimenawa that have fallen to the ground and scattered many black and yellow Talisman Paper from inside.

No one has ever been to this shrine. A long time ago, due to a haunting incident in the tunnel in front of the shrine, this section of the road has been abandoned for a long time.

The shrine, which originally had a number of worshippers and priests, gradually became deserted after the tunnel haunting incident, and was eventually abandoned, losing its original incense offerings.

Divine Gate had investigated before, but that was a long time ago. After learning about the multiple car accidents in the tunnel that were suspected to be caused by spirits, Divine Gate members, who had not yet been divided into the Special Affairs Department and the Investigation Department, came to investigate the tunnel. However, due to the fact that the manpower at that time was far less than that of Divine Gate now, and the exorcists who had not yet experienced the Kawamori riot, had to give up on the exorcism work in the tunnel and instead chose a more appropriate method, which was to abandon this section of the road.

At the time, the government was planning a new route, and this particular road was destined to be replaced. Therefore, after negotiations between Divine Gate and the government, the project was abandoned. Only the urban legend of the tunnel remained, and the shrine beyond the tunnel gradually became deserted during this period.

Having lost its incense offerings and repairs, it has ended up in its current state.

After the reforms at Divine Gate, there were suggestions to cleanse the tunnel of its spirits. However, by then the tunnel had been completely abandoned, and almost no one would use that route, let alone traverse it. At most, paranormal enthusiasts would visit this gathering place for the supernatural, but these spirits only caused significant disturbance to vehicles at night, easily leading to accidents.

After careful consideration, and taking into account that the spirits in the tunnels had grown considerably over the years, with many external spirits appearing, Divine Gate ultimately abandoned the proposal. After all, it was simply a waste of time. Firstly, they were extremely difficult to deal with; secondly, no one was willing to volunteer; and thirdly, there were no requests from above. Divine Gate's previous reforms had still not resolved the conflict between the Investigation Department and the Special Affairs Department, so there was no time to concern himself with these tunnel spirits that posed virtually no threat to ordinary people.

So much so that after Yotsuya Miko cleansed the tunnel's spirit, none of the members of the Divine Gate realized that the tunnel's spirit had been removed; they didn't pay any attention to the tunnel at all. And even if they did discover it, they would only remark that a kind person had helped them get rid of a problem. As for the tunnel's restoration work afterward? No, the fact that this road had been replaced and abandoned was already unchangeable, and the original shrine no longer had any need for repair or reopening.

After all, this shrine has already been deregistered.

There are quite a few shrines like this in the country, popular only in certain regions but with virtually no fame. Many shrines are family-run, and their lifespan ends with the decline of the family. In a country that boasts millions of deities, shrines are not considered a particularly grand event. There are large shrines, but even more numerous and inconspicuous small shrines.

To be honest, many shrines don't have any supernatural properties. At least according to the information about Divine Gate, the shrines on this side of the tunnel don't have any supernatural properties.

Of course, whether or not Divine Gate's information can be trusted is another matter entirely.

As Yotsuya Miko busied herself with her studies, a slight stirring occurred to her heart, and she suddenly felt a strange sense of unease.

She looked towards a certain spot, rummaging through her memories to find some blurry fragments, which gradually became clearer.

These memories... have been tampered with.

She rubbed her head, only then remembering the shrine she had overlooked.

She had thought of this shrine when she was in Kawamori, but she had subconsciously ignored it at the time. Now, for some reason, this memory had suddenly resurfaced in her mind.

No, it's not that it was without reason.

Her gaze drifted to that distant place, and the signs unique to cultivators reminded her that something seemed to be happening at this shrine.

That's why her altered memories started to loosen again.

This modification was probably planted when she was only at the Spiritual Sense Consciousness Realm, otherwise it wouldn't still be saying it's in effect now. Of course, even if it's still in effect now, it's already somewhat strange.

It should be noted that Yotsuya Miko is a cultivator who specializes in Spiritual Sense.

New trouble?

The word instantly popped into her mind, and she was at a loss for words when it came to her luck.

The matter of Divine Gate hasn't been resolved yet, and now this incident has happened at the shrine.

Considering the importance of both, she abandoned the idea of creating unnecessary complications.

She was completely unaware of what had happened at the shrine. Moreover, she hadn't noticed anything strange about the shrine then, and she couldn't say for sure now. Having experienced something like the Xuanming Python incident, she wasn't going to gamble on whether her opponent was weaker than the Xuanming Python. If she were to fall inside the shrine, the Divine Gate's plan would be useless.

In that situation, Divine Gate might very well pull off a classic case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Rather than dealing with two troubles at the same time, it's better to resolve the issue of Divine Gate first.

Moreover, she could first use the people from the Divine Gate to test the waters.

I've finished writing; there are no chapters I owe.

Chapter 183 Going to the Amusement Park

After sensing what was happening at the shrine, Yotsuya Miko decided to go to Divine Gate again and ask the people at Divine Gate to observe the shrine for her.

However, not today. We need to keep Divine Gate in the cold for a few more days, since his current actions are too easily interpreted as making a statement.

Yotsuya Miko held the daifuku in both hands, took a small bite, and savored the soft, sweet taste on her tongue.

The road ahead was becoming increasingly deserted, and due to the season, the sky was now bathed in the last rays of sunlight, turning her body orange-red.

She squinted at the setting sun that seemed to touch the ground in the distance, swallowed the food in her mouth, leaving a lingering taste.

There's no rush.

From the moment Kawamori went to solve the Gate of the Underworld to the moment he met Okita Qishen on the train, Yotsuya Miko had many thoughts running through her mind.

She had long anticipated that Divine Gate would discover her identity, but because it hadn't been exposed yet, she had never considered or taken any action against Divine Gate.

But after killing the Xuanming Python, the moment she saw Okita Qishen, a plan formed in Miko's mind, and she naturally thought of how to deal with Divine Gate.

The shrine's existence was indeed not within her considerations, but compared to the matter of Kawamori, she found herself becoming more composed. In the past, she would never have been able to put the shrine's affairs aside.

She threw the leftover wrappers into the sorted trash can, hesitated for a moment, and then took out her phone.

Tomorrow is the weekend, and she plans to visit the city's newly opened amusement park with Hua and Yuria.

Speaking of which... should we bring Kyosuke along?

The week she spent in Kawamori was more eventful than the rest of her life. She had originally planned to come back and rest, but she was busy dealing with the Divine Gate matter, and in the end, she still had a lot of things left undone.

Whether it's Hua, Yuria, or even that kid Kyosuke, there's still something unclear about their intentions.

Yotsuya Miko rubbed her head, deciding to deal with the problems she had caused one by one.

Shortly after the message was sent, Hua quickly replied to the invitation, sending an emoji to express her delight. As for Yuria, she didn't refuse and chose to accept.

As for Kyosuke, she can bring it tomorrow.

The situation involving the three people wasn't as clear and obvious as that of Divine Gate.

She could use her skills to outmaneuver Divine Gate, but not these people.

If you really can't solve it, just consider it a chance to get away and clear your head.

After returning home, Yotsuya Miko told her younger brother about what had happened.

"Come with me to the amusement park tomorrow, Kyosuke."

She placed her shoulder bag beside the sofa, looked at Yotsuya Kyosuke watching TV, and suddenly spoke.

The last time Yotsuya Kyosuke asked her about her father, Yotsuya Masamori, Miko didn't tell the truth because the issue of True Spirit) had been troubling her, preventing her from convincing herself.

She couldn't recognize that Ghosts, or the non-human being that Divine Gate called a "spirit," as her deceased father, nor could she ignore this Ghosts that possessed her father's memories—at least those memories hadn't been altered in the slightest.

Therefore, Yotsuya Miko chose to lie and did not intend to tell her younger brother or mother about the other decision she had made.

"Hmm? Sister, don't you have friends?"

Kyosuke glanced at his sister, puzzled, but showed no sadness or suppressed emotion. Although he had felt a profound sense of loss when he learned from his sister that their father's spirit was no longer in the house, his father's passing had been long ago. Such a long period of time had been enough to erase most of the sorrow of separation, leaving only a tiny bit of regret hidden in his heart.

This minor regret doesn't affect the continuation of life. Therefore, Yotsuya Kyosuke's mood has improved considerably.

"Sister Hua and Yuria... Sister, is something wrong and I can't go with you?"

Of course not.

Yotsuya Miko shook her head.

"Hua and Yuria will be coming too. Come to think of it, it's been a long time since we went out together, hasn't it? You even walked away halfway through the last calligraphy competition. Don't you have any faith in my calligraphy?"

"How was I supposed to know your calligraphy was so good... It never showed up before."

"Well, now you should believe me, right? After all, your sister has appeared on television."

Although Kawamori's calligraphy competition fell through, the program was still broadcast, bringing some attention to Yotsuya Miko. Although this attention quickly dissipated without any promotion, Miko did indeed appear on television for the time being.

"Yes, I know your handwriting is good, but inviting me at a time like this..."

Kyosuke's little brain works quickly. He knows his sister's temperament and it's unlikely that she suddenly had the idea to take him out to play.

It's unlikely that he wanted to clear his head because of Kawamori's situation; the most probable reason is...

"You're not worried that what happened last time will hurt me, are you?"

As he spoke, he realized he didn't even believe what he was saying.

However, Yotsuya Miko paused for a moment, then readily nodded.

I am indeed worried about your situation.

"So you're admitting it?"

Kyosuke looked at Miko in disbelief at her completely undisguised attitude, and he began to wonder if the woman in front of him had been replaced.

However, Miko ignored his emotions and simply brought the topic back to the main business.

"So are you going or not? If you're not going, then I'm not going to bother with you anymore."

Seeing how lively and energetic the boy is now, she realized she had probably worried for nothing.

"Uh, where to?"

Slightly recovering from the shock, Yotsuya Kyosuke decided not to dwell on whether his sister had been switched or not. Since he had nothing to do on the weekend, going to the amusement park was a good thing for him.

"Of course, it's the newly built amusement park! I just happened to find some news about it; they're having a ticket discount right now, and there's an extra discount for groups of four. By the way, children get half-price tickets."

So you bought the ticket because it was discounted?