Chapter 697: Chapter 33: Probing
Nightfall descends.
A gap silently opens in mid-air, from which a figure steps out, forming one cloud step after another beneath them, shaping a long stairway in the void.
"This trick is a bit childish, Zi..."
Calmly speaking these words, high in the air hundreds of meters above the ground, Gu Mo glanced at the scene below, casually standing in the air, with air rippling beneath his feet. Below, the winding road stretches far, outlining the vast architecture ahead.
"I don’t have any trick, it’s just that this is a convenient place to observe..."
Yakumo Zi sat on the gap, hearing this, gently covered half of her face with a fan, not admitting to it.
"Is this the Narita family?" Turning his gaze ahead, looking at the vast, rolling exquisite architecture, Gu Mo observed briefly, still clicking his tongue in admiration: "It really is an ancient and prestigious family, come to think of it, hasn’t the world changed a bit too much..."
He wasn’t shocked; rather, he clearly felt the leap of civilization brought by the passage of time.
Especially thinking back to when he first arrived on this land, almost resonating with the remnants of the Stone Age, primitive tribe-like settlements, and pit-style housing designs, with mixed use of iron, stone, and wooden tools, many tribal leaders formed alliances with neighboring tribes, creating countless small kingdoms.
Comparing that to the scene before him, it really is a stark contrast.
——In the cave, only a day; in the world, a thousand years have passed.
——This is roughly the feeling.
"This is indeed the Narita family, just as you said, an influential family. After all, they came from a noble background; the patriarchs of previous generations were either Northern Samurai, responsible for the security of the Imperial Palace, or held positions managing Kyoto’s law and order and judicial duties, wielding considerable power, able to influence the political decisions of the time..."
Yakumo Zi narrowed her eyes, observing the gigantic cherry blossom tree in the courtyard below, calmly explaining to him.
"The previous patriarch was also closely connected with the royal family, earning the trust of the emperor. Even though he passed away over a decade ago, his benevolence still lingers in the main family, so despite this current decline in the Narita family, as you put it, the dying camel is still larger than a horse..."
"Hmm... so, after all, this is the home of the West Traveling Master?"
Gu Mo raised an eyebrow, feeling a sense of déjà vu about this influential family’s background, especially with the name ’Narita’, it inherently triggered some associations for him.
And this cherry blossom tree—
Reportedly named West Traveling Demon by the Narita family, naturally connecting him to the legend of Westward Cherry Blossoms.
"West Traveling Master? Are you referring to the former patriarch of the Narita family?"
Yakumo Zi glanced at him: "The one I investigated was indeed a mage, and his mana was remarkable. I suspect this cherry blossom tree almost blossomed successfully over a decade ago, but was sealed by the mage with his life..."
She refocused her gaze on the courtyard, a hint of apprehension in her brow: "But it could only sustain for over a decade, although during this period it quelled the death curse of this Demon Cherry Blossom and calmed the turmoil, it has recently shown signs of activity again."
But this is something unavoidable. With the power of a mortal mage, restraining this Demon Cherry Blossom for over a decade is already quite an accomplishment.
It’s also because this Demon Cherry Blossom never gained intelligence, only acting on instinct, otherwise, this would have never been possible.
Emmm, this really is...
Gu Mo tugged at the corner of his mouth but didn’t continue to complain, treating it as a dimension offset value.
He focused his gaze from high above, his eyes like stars, deep blue and clear, reflecting the outline of the gigantic cherry blossom tree in the courtyard below. After a few moments, he gently shook his head: "It’s not about to escape the seal; it’s long since broken free..."
"Long since broken free?"
Yakumo Zi lightly furrowed her brow.
"It shouldn’t be. Based on the information I gathered, ever since over a decade ago, when the Narita Song Saint fell into eternal slumber beneath the tree, no new victims have appeared; there are no longer silent deaths of those approaching the tree..."
"I’m not too sure myself, but the only thing that is certain is that its seal has long been undone."
Gu Mo insisted on his discovery.
"Then this is troubling, the tree might have indeed matured, perhaps learning to hide after its past setbacks..."
The Monster Maiden tightly furrowed her brows, glancing again at those bright Star Pupils of the opposite party, tending to trust his words, after all, it’s a friendship of many years, how could she not know about the mystical nature of those eyes, almost able to see through all truths.
Legend says the true Eastern Immortal has emerald eyes and square pupils, but this person’s eyes could also be interpreted this way?
Although they are Star Pupils rather than square pupils, the feeling is quite similar.
......
Moments later, under the cover of night.
The two silently descended, standing in that spacious and dignified, yet quietly solemn courtyard.
Without recklessly approaching, they stood at this side of the courtyard in a dark corner, watching the huge and solitary cherry blossom tree from afar.
Directly manipulating the power of death is still too dangerous...
The Monster Maiden seriously observed the Demon Cherry Blossom, wary of any sudden moves against it, the very next moment, she suddenly sensed a dangerous aura arising beside her, nearly causing her to bristle like a cat with its tail stepped on.
Suppressing a certain impulse, she forced a smile towards her side, only to see Gu Mo’s eyes quietly change color, from clear and bright deep blue to scarlet—
Staring intently at the colossal cherry blossom tree in the courtyard center.
"..."
"..."
Silence, oppressive, solidified.
The suffocating atmosphere didn’t last long before it was broken again.
In a short span, the red pupils transformed into dusk-colored eyes, then switched back to the Cyan Star Pupil, and finally, Gu Mo gave up on trying to kill it with a glare.
He turned his head, looking at the Monster Maiden who was slightly squinting at him, and voluntarily explained the situation just now and his new discovery: "My power was just neutralized, but this entity seems yet to form a consciousness... the situation is indeed somewhat peculiar."
The opposing power is also very strong, likewise mastering the dangerous ability to manipulate death.
He just tried to directly curse the Demon Cherry Blossom, commanding it to die immediately, but was unsuccessful. Switching to the Dark Star Pupil, attempting to directly pull out the opposing soul’s consciousness, didn’t succeed either...
However, during the latter process, he also sensed that the condition of this Demon Cherry Blossom seemed much stranger than anticipated.
"Can it be moved directly?" asked Yakumo Zi.
"I can try, but I don’t think it will be easy. Over the years, not only have we progressed, it has also not fallen behind..." Gu Mo nodded slightly, thinking it’s always worth a try. He waved casually at the Monster Maiden, then walked straight ahead.
"I’ll probe first, after all, my self-preservation ability when facing the enemy head-on is much higher than yours, Zi."
Seeing Yakumo Zi seemingly wanting to follow, he stopped her with these words, showing a somewhat peculiar smile: "Otherwise, Zi, why do you think Miss Kazami... is so angry?"
...
...
Under Mount Fuji in the night.
An elegant small dwelling where the environment itself should be serene and quiet, given it was built in a tranquil place.
However, this seclusion has not been maintained, as many people constantly walk back and forth, day and night, loitering outside the dwelling, viewing the yard from afar, absentmindedly, appearing like the walking dead.
Even if someone musters up the courage to walk toward the dwelling, upon nearing it they seem to wake from a dream and instinctively flee.
Besides these dazed wanderers, there are many others boldly showcasing their talents—playing flutes, singing waka poetry, or brazenly composing poems on the spot—expressing their emotions and pains passionately, oblivious to the noise disturbing the residents.
This situation has played out every day for several years, unknown how long it has endured.
"Ugh, what a bunch of troublesome guys..."
Dressed in splendid clothing with unparalleled beauty unlike anything seen in the Human World, her black satin-like long hair cascading like a waterfall. It’s uncertain whether the moonlight illuminated her, or she illuminated the moon—the black-haired girl sighed softly, watching an elder with a somewhat troubled expression leave the courtyard from the window.
Then, her eyes slightly moved, gazing beyond the courtyard.
As if her view could penetrate walls and the Bamboo Forest’s cover, seeing the antics of the bewitched crowd outside, this exceptionally beautiful girl complained in a low voice. Her voice was like a delicate spring in the mountains, sweet and melodious, heavenly yet filled with a noble elegance.
—"Princess."
This feeling was somewhat like that, as if only this term could describe her.
But hearing the call from behind, the beautiful girl was initially stunned, and she quickly turned around to find an unfamiliar figure in the room.
It was a girl with silver hair braided into a plait, seemingly young in appearance, yet possessing an inexplicable mature and steady air. She stood silently behind the black-haired girl, gazing at the princess with a complex expression.
"Eirin... why... why have you come down here?"
The black-haired girl was momentarily pleasantly surprised.
"Because the time is approaching, I came early to check and inform you, Princess..."
The silver-haired girl known as Eirin sighed gently, scanning the surroundings briefly and then seriously saying, "Sorry, it’s been hard on you. I’ve arranged everything, and when the time comes, I’ll personally escort you back to the Moon Capital, Princess."
"It’s nothing, Eirin, you don’t need to apologize, besides, I’m perfectly fine now..."
The princess waved her hand nonchalantly.
Immediately afterward, the black-haired girl gently furrowed her brows, looking slightly troubled: "But, is the sentence about to end? Time flies so fast, I didn’t even notice..."
The silver-haired girl’s heart was slightly moved as she cast a deep glance at the black-haired girl, subtly changing the topic: "Speaking of, Princess, how have you been on Earth? Have these earthly people been bothering you?" She also intentionally or unintentionally glanced outside the house, with Eirin’s expression becoming somewhat serious.
Although only recently finding the opportunity to come to Earth, judging by now, the harassment from the crowd outside was severe enough to resemble a parade protest.
It was already nighttime, yet they were out there displaying their talents, relentlessly disturbing the peace?
"..."
"..."
"Actually, it’s been okay, though indeed, it can be a bit troublesome at times."
After a brief silence, the black-haired girl sighed longly, listening to the bizarre cries and wails from outside, and showing a rather helpless expression.
