The So-Called Concept of "God"

This is one of the Vermilion Bird Fire Talisman he had left over.

He activated the Talisman, and a strange Fire Turkey appeared in his hand.

"Meow meow meow?"

The Fire Turkey glared at its master, swallowing back the fiery red saliva it was about to spit out.

"Don't spit it out, keep it in your mouth."

Shuya whispered something, placed it on his head, and let it hold onto it.

The Fire Turkey, looking bewildered, perched on Shuya, and under his control, its head tilted upwards.

It opened its mouth wide, and a bead of saliva formed inside.

The bead it was holding began to glow, illuminating the surrounding area.

"Very good."

Shuya walked into the woods with a light source above his head.

This saves you from needing a flashlight, making combat easier.

Shuya was quite proud of being able to reuse what seemed like worthless Talisman.

He quickly composed himself, holding the First Snow in his left hand and looking ahead.

He was a little nervous on his first adventure, ready to Draw-Blade Slash anyone (or Monster) at any moment.

But he clearly didn't realize that having an oddball on his head was also terrifying.

And with her long hair, she looked like a female ghost in the night... But even if she were a female ghost, she'd just be a silly one, not really scary.

Putting aside his distracting thoughts, Shuya curiously surveyed the scenery in the forest.

His Power of Will had long since spread out, and nothing could escape his detection, no matter how small the movement.

The strange presence of the Power of Will kept many insects and reptiles away, making Shuya's exploration very comfortable.

"Hmm, let me see..."

He had already planned what he was going to do before he came in.

First, look for traces.

They leave no trace, whether it's from animals or humans.

The forests on this Small Island are not very large for Xiu Ye, who knows light-body Shuya. Even if he gets lost, he can use his light-body skills to jump to the top of the tree and walk in a straight line until he gets out.

He certainly wouldn't blindly go into the mountains.

He wouldn't just wander into a large forest.

He had never been to the mountains in his previous life, but he knew that the mountains and forests should never be underestimated.

Someone could really die if they're not careful.

Shuya explored the forest using his Power of Will as he walked, and spent almost two hours wandering around.

He slowly walked uphill.

During this time, he also found many traces of human and animal activity, but upon closer inspection, he found nothing.

The reason it took so long was because he was enjoying this unique experience.

Experiencing new and novel things can enhance Power of Will (Divine Power), as Li Shuhong had taught him.

So, since it was a rare opportunity to roam through such a beginner-level mountain forest, he naturally wanted to explore it thoroughly.

Shuya quite enjoyed the feeling of exploring nature alone.

He searched slowly in the forest and finally made a great discovery.

He found a stone staircase.

The stairs extend up and down; the bottom one should lead to the foot of the mountain, but the top one doesn't seem to lead anywhere.

It could be a mountaintop, or it could be a park?

Shuya emerged from the woods and stepped onto the stone steps.

He calculated the distance from the hotel to here. If he hadn't wasted time looking around, it should have only taken him a little over twenty minutes to get here using his light-footed skills.

He himself went down too many wrong paths.

As he stepped onto the stone steps, something strange happened.

Rustle...

Rustle...

The surrounding grass was parted.

"Um?"

Shuya's right hand instantly rested on the hilt of the sword.

"... fox?"

Six steps up from where he was, two foxes emerged and squatted down on either side of the steps.

They all stared at Shuya, their eyes gleaming eerily in the moonlight.

Although the Fire Turkey's light doesn't reach there, the moonlight is very bright tonight.

With the help of the moonlight, Shuya's eyesight is now sharp enough to see very clearly.

The foxes here... don't have eyes as dull as those of ordinary animals.

Demons and monsters?

Shuya couldn't help but have this guess.

Want to try cutting one down?

A dangerous thought welled up in his mind, and he felt a little eager to try it out.

But then, reflecting on Inoue Hikoo's frivolous laughter, he regained his clarity.

Shuya stared at the two foxes for a while, and seeing that they were not moving, he tentatively stepped onto the next step.

The foxes didn't move, they just shifted their little heads slightly and continued to stare at him.

"No response?"

Shuya gradually climbed the social ladder step by step.

The foxes watched him walk up to the same class, but they simply looked up at Shuya.

Shuya appeared to be focused on what was ahead, but he kept an eye on them out of the corner of his eye, ready to draw his sword if they showed the slightest hostility.

After a while, seeing that they really didn't react, he boldly continued to climb up.

Shuya didn't sense any threat from them, so he had no plans to retreat for the time being.

He walked uphill step by step, the pair of foxes behind him never ceasing their gaze, always staring at him.

"..."

Shuya suddenly stopped, because he saw another pair of foxes perched on it...

He turned his head slightly, and the pair of foxes behind him remained in the same spot, still watching him...

All four pairs of eyes were focused on him.

Beneath the silvery moonlight, on a desolate stone staircase, four foxes, moving in unison, stared at a young man with a turkey perched on his head, wielding Fire Turkey.

This bizarre scene was as creepy as some strange story... Unfortunately, the Fire Turkey really ruined the atmosphere.

Shuya felt a desire to back out, but his intuition didn't raise any alarms, indicating that it was safe for the time being.

Trusting his intuition, he continued upwards.

Shuya continued upwards, and the scenery remained basically the same throughout.

Foxes appeared in pairs.

It wasn't until the Nine Pairs of Foxes appeared on either side of the steps that Shuya finally noticed something different.

A vermilion torii Torii Gate stands quietly in the mountains and forests...

Holy crap! That's huge!

Shuya turned around without hesitation and frantically retreated the way he came.

P. S. 1: Currently, the first two chapters have 63 and 48 subscriptions respectively, with an average of 55 subscriptions per chapter. It's undoubtedly doomed, but there should still be room for growth. Let's wait and see.

P. S. 2: I previously said I would add extra chapters at 600, 800, and 1000 subscribers, but that should remain indefinitely valid, so it doesn't really matter anymore.

Section 99, Chapter 86: The Concept of "God"

Holy crap!

Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap!

Shuya felt he had successfully courted death.

There's a Shrine hidden deep in these mountains!

He saw it; not far past the Torii Gate, there was a rather small Shrine...

Based on the foxes that appeared earlier, this place is very likely the territory of a Fox Immortal.

When it comes to Fox Immortal, many people's first thought is Inari God.

Many people confuse Inari God) with foxes, mistaking Inari God for a fox. This is a misunderstanding; the fox is Inari God's messenger, not Inari himself.

Of course, this is not important; it's not the point.

In any case, He has already been regarded as Fox God by the public.

As mentioned before, Japan has many demons and monsters.

Among them are animals with a strong Power of Will.

With their extraordinary Power of Will, they instinctively steal faith, imbue themselves with that Power of Will, slowly wash away their bestial nature, evolve into demons, and eventually become gods!

For example, in some places there is a belief in a certain animal, like the fox.

A fox with innate Power of Will can gradually steal the Power of Will from this faith through the affinity between species, integrate itself into the local belief, and thus ascend to a divine position.

This is the truth about some of the Eight Million Gods in Japan.

The situations in Japan and Great Hua are different.

Japan is a small country with a shortage of skilled practitioners, so these wild deities are often accepted as combat forces in the spiritual world. They are not expelled unless they commit evil (in reality, it is because the country is too weak to expel them one by one).

But the situation is different in Great Hua. For a wild beast to steal faith is simply courting death. It would be labeled a licentious shrine in no time and its head would be smashed by Daoist priests or the imperial court.

According to Li Shuhong, many Great Hua and monsters in Chinese history were suppressed to the point of near kneeling, and eventually chose to go to Japan, change their identities, and become gods, thus making a name for themselves.

Otherwise, where would so many powerful Monster come from in this small place?

The most famous one is probably the so-called Nine-Tailed Fox story.

Regardless of its authenticity, the fox has always been an important figure in Japan belief systems.

For example, Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto remains a must-visit destination with a large number of worshippers, making it a truly popular place.

Shuya saw that it was a Fox God, his first reaction was to think of Inari God.

But after thinking about it carefully, he felt that this Shrine should not have anything to do with the Fox God of Fushimi.

If it is that god, then this Shrine is far too desolate.

The most likely explanation is that other wild foxes stole faith and became gods.

But in any case... Shuya shouldn't be a match for him.

Of course, he might also be able to win; it's impossible to say with absolute certainty who is stronger or weaker.