Sealed Memories

But he couldn't gamble, nor did he dare to.

Fortunately, the foxes didn't move when he retreated the way he came, otherwise he would have gone on a killing spree today. (He might also have been killed in return.)

Shuya fled back into the dense forest, his shock subsiding slightly.

"Phew... My goodness, I was scared to death."

Shuya leaned against the tree, catching his breath.

Looking back now, his intuition didn't detect any danger when he saw the Shrine; his running away was just him scaring himself.

It's simply about following your heart.

Perhaps that Shrine doesn't have any gods?

But how do you explain the foxes along the steps?

Shuya thought about it and came up with a few possibilities.

Perhaps the god of that Shrine has temporarily left, or perhaps he is asleep, or perhaps... he is dead.

This is not surprising.

Even gods can die.

This brings us to the concept of "gods" in the world of Strange Arts cultivation.

"Gods" themselves cannot possess sentience; this has been a common rule among practitioners of Strange Arts since ancient times when they created gods.

In other words, any "god" with intelligence is not a "god".

The "gods" created in the world of Strange Arts cultivation are actually a "concept," not a completely new "species."

Gods who are "wise" and "have substance" are either people or animals who steal authority.

Of course, we can't use the word "steal" to describe it entirely, because many gods were originally created by practitioners and were their property.

But as times have changed, people have spontaneously created many myths, and the gods in these myths may not be under anyone's control, thus being stolen by beasts with powerful Power of Will.

The application of the "conceptual" power of "God" differs between Great Hua and Japan.

While "stealing" God's authority may make it easy and quick to become powerful, it also has drawbacks. One may lose oneself in people's "faith" and risk assimilating into that "god".

This is something that practitioners of the Great Hua's Strange Arts do not do; they generally use "Talisman" to draw upon the power of "gods."

If a Daoist priest truly wants to become a god, he might choose to spread his own stories and deeds, gather faith, and become an immortal. However, just like the "Vampire" mentioned earlier, he risks being tricked by enemies who fabricate stories about him.

Once you're in Japan, you become a bit less restrained.

There has always been a legend of "Eight Million Gods" here. The people here have different ideas than those in Great Hua. They are more accepting of "becoming a god" and are willing to lose some of their "self".

There is another important reason.

The ancient Japan court's control over folk beliefs and supernatural beings was incomparable to that of the Great Hua Chinese court.

Japan is also having a tough time; not only do it have to deal with its own local monsters and demons, but even the monsters and demons from Great Hua are coming to join the fun.

Back then, a Nine-Tailed Fox almost brought Japan to its knees...

This is such an injustice!

Therefore, Japan has basically given up on addressing this issue.

This led to many wild demons and monsters becoming gods.

After demons and monsters became gods, they naturally became the backbone of the force preventing the imperial court from intervening in this matter.

Over time, this resulted in Japan's unique and chaotic mythological system.

Ultimately, "borrowing" Divine Power and "incarnating" to become a god are simply different paths, and neither is inherently superior to the other.

Shuya felt that the Shrine he encountered was very likely a case of "beasts becoming gods".

These "gods" had the opportunity to be killed.

Because its essence is merely that of a beast.

He has a physical body, not a "conceptual" existence.

Having a physical body means there is a possibility of injury or even death.

Shuya pondered the principle he had heard from Li Shuhong and hurried back to the hotel.

After returning home, he took a bath and soaked in a hot spring to soothe his mind and body.

When hiking in the mountains and forests, you'll always get some mud on your face.

Moreover, he broke out in a cold sweat when he finally escaped; he was truly terrified.

Despite his shrewd post-mortem analysis, he was actually incredibly panicked at the time.

But after the initial panic subsided, it was replaced by intense curiosity.

There is no doubt that this Small Island holds some secrets.

The Quintuplets' maternal grandfather would warn them not to go to the back mountain to play, presumably because of the Shrine there.

So, is that Shrine in danger?

If there's any danger, then those foxes are far too docile and safe.

So the truth is... something happened in the past?

P. S.: For now, I'll update twice a day, and then it will depend on the subscription situation.

Ps2: Currently, the first three chapters have 75, 65, and 47 subscriptions respectively, with an average of 62 subscriptions per chapter.

Speaking of which, the subscription rate for the first chapter is 74 times that of my previous book (I subscribed to it myself, so it's 74 times).

Hahahaha... (hangs himself)

Chapter 100, Section 87: Sealed Memories

"That's probably the most accurate guess."

Shuya did not give up.

He was very curious and wanted to find out the truth.

If any religious beliefs remain, there must be myths and legends circulating on this Small Island.

There is only one human settlement on this island, so the answer must be there.

If the people there do not believe in Fox Immortal, or only pass down a few stories about them, it means that the Fox Immortal is dead or weak, which means there is not much danger.

You can visit the Shrine.

Conversely, you can't go.

In any case, the Shrine master's condition will definitely allow them to obtain information from the city.

Shuya became increasingly calm as he thought about it, feeling that everything was under control.

He leisurely left the hot spring, changed into a new yukata, and returned to his room.

Rena nor the Quintuplets came to see him.

Shuya wouldn't be so tactless as to bother them.

He decided to go to sleep first, get up early the next day to practice his swordsmanship, and then make further plans.

The hotel staff had already made up the bed in the room, Shuya lay down inside.

He quickly drifted off to sleep...

No, wait a minute.

Shuya lifted the blanket and dragged First Snow from the wall to the bedside and put her down.

He then took out the Vermilion Bird Fire Talisman he had used before, summoned the Fire Turkey, and ordered it to guard his vicinity, while also instructing it not to spit out its saliva.

Having done all this, Shuya, finally drifted off to sleep.

Shuya his sleep.

He groggily got out of bed, staggering as if he were drunk.

It was very dark all around.

He walked forward in a daze, pushed open the door, and found himself in a dark corridor.

Amidst the inexplicable calls, he stepped into the corridor with his eyes half-open and half-closed.

One step, one step, and another...

The corridor seemed to have no end.

I don't know how long I walked.

Ahead, a dim light appeared at the end of the dark corridor.

A very familiar aura emanated from that light.

He couldn't stop himself from moving; he could only instinctively walk towards the light.

He walked into the light.

The next moment, space shifted.

Shuya appeared in a dimly lit room with the lights off.

The interior furnishings of the house looked familiar to him, but they did not awaken him.

He walked in as if he were sleepwalking.

Then he saw it.

---A shadowy figure.

On the ground.

A dark figure lay on the ground in front of them.

Judging from the outline, it was a woman.

The moment Shuya saw this woman, his narrowed eyes suddenly contracted sharply.

He was greatly shocked and was waking up from his dream.

The dark world shattered with a deafening roar, breaking into pieces.

But Shuya just stared intently at the woman on the ground.

A long-buried memory is trying to break free of its seal.

Shuya covered his head, and the light of reason was returning to his eyes.

Just then, the shadowy figure moved.

She slowly got up.

Because she was facing away from the window, the cool moonlight shone on her back, creating a backlight that made it difficult for Shuya to see her clearly.

However, from the outline, he could see a pair of animal ears and a tail protruding from the head and back of the shadowy figure.

The shadowy figure's long hair flew wildly, exuding an overwhelming and strange presence.

Shuya covered his head, staring blankly at the dark figure.

He... remembered.

(I...)

The dream was shattered completely.

(That year...)

(I...)