harleyscars Page 200
Page 200
"Gentlemen, are you looking for a place to take refuge?"
Just then, a new voice came over, its tone very gentle.
Chinatsu Kume and Tsukishima looked over and saw a monk standing on the road next to the parking lot. The monk was very tall, wearing a straw hat and holding a tin staff. His face under the hat was smiling as he looked at everyone.
The monk walked into the parking lot, his gaze lingering for a moment on the talisman in Kume Chinatsu's hand, before his smile remained unchanged as he said, "I am a monk who practices in a secluded temple on this mountain. It is much quieter there than the streets. If you have any unspeakable secrets, you can go there to hide."
He pointed to the dark sky and said, "The celestial phenomena are so strange. We might as well find a quiet place and observe the situation first."
Tsukishima was clearly tempted. They had previously seen someone collapse on the street with edema all over their body and didn't know why, but it seemed that staying away from crowds would prevent such incidents.
If this temple is indeed quite secluded, then perhaps it can allow the group to temporarily escape the stagnation. Putting aside everything else, it's always better to stay away from people with strange edema.
Kume Chinatsu was puzzled, but she couldn't go against Tsukishima's wishes. After all, she respected Tsukishima, who was both her manager and her older sister.
The monk raised his hand and pointed to a small path leading to a ravine next to the parking lot, saying, "Speaking of which, it is fate that we are all here. The place where you parked is right on the road that I must take back to the temple, so helping you is a good deed."
Chinatsu Kume hid the talisman in her sleeve and followed behind Tsukishima, while the photographer carried the camera, seemingly not wanting to miss this strange journey.
The three followed the monk, walking step by step along the mountain path towards the mountainside.
After walking for a while, Chinatsu Kume turned around and saw flames shooting into the sky over the town. She quickly tugged at Tsukishima and said, "Tsukishima-neechan! The town is on fire!"
Tsukishima turned around, and everyone looked closely. In the distance, the town was not only on fire, but many people were also running around in the streets. Some were trying to put out the fire, while others were fleeing to distant places. The streets were in chaos.
From this distance, I could no longer hear any specific sounds from afar; I could only hear some fragmented, noisy noises.
The monk turned around, saw the scene, sighed, and said, "Amitabha, it's fortunate that you left with me, otherwise you might have also fallen into such a dangerous situation."
Tsukishima was clearly still shaken and took a few more steps closer to the monk, while Kume Chinatsu frowned, lost in thought.
The photographer pointed the camera at the street in the distance and said, "At least record this scene; it might be useful after this is over."
"
Upon hearing this, the monk smiled mysteriously, nodded slightly, and covered his face completely behind his bamboo hat.
The monk said, "Let's continue. Let's go to the temple first, so at least we can have a place to rest."
The three of them followed.
Hearing the footsteps of the three people behind him, the monk's smile became increasingly sinister, appearing arrogant and treacherous. The sound of his staff striking the ground carried far and wide.
Although his good deeds in Kyoto were ruined by Fall Guys, there are still several thousand people in Okutama Town. While it's impossible to convert them all, after causing such a big incident, he should be qualified to infiltrate Tokyo's evil circles after he escapes...
Of course, the most important thing is still, emerald brain...
Chapter 145 Ghost Temple in the Midnight
As they ascended the stone steps, the woods on both sides were incredibly quiet, and the town burning with flames behind them had become a tiny afterimage. Finally, a small temple appeared before them.
The temple did look very quiet. The paint on the gate was almost completely gone, and the eaves of the entire temple were covered with fallen leaves. Although it looked very old, it seemed like it hadn't been maintained for a long time.
The monk stepped forward, pushed open the temple door, and said, "Since I am the only one in charge of this temple, some of the fallen leaves in late autumn have not been cleaned up in time. I am truly sorry."
Tsukishima stepped into the temple and looked at the antique Tang-style temple architecture in front of him, saying, "I never knew that there was such an ancient temple in Okutama Town. Could this be a temple that has survived from the Heian period?"
The monk nodded and said, "You are right, this is indeed an ancient temple that has survived from the Heian period."
The ancient temple in front of us is roughly divided into three parts: the east and west wing rooms and the central main hall. This ancient temple, which has been preserved since the Heian period, retains a large number of Tang-style architectural structures and layouts. Although it does not occupy a large area, it is well-planned and has a solemn atmosphere.
Just as the group breathed a sigh of relief, a strange crying sound suddenly came from the east wing. The crying was mournful and brief, disappearing in an instant.
The eerie sound, combined with the quiet atmosphere of the deep mountains, sent chills down one's spine.
The three of them immediately looked extremely embarrassed.
The mindless monk bowed with one hand in front of him, sighed, and said, "That is my younger sister. She was persecuted by evil spirits when she was young, and her condition has not improved to this day. She cannot be seen by others... and she is also plagued by evil spirits."
Although everyone heard this, their doubts remained undiminished. Seeing this, the brainless monk could only say to the east wing, "Sheng'er, greet the guests."
A strange child's voice came from the unlit east wing: "Hello everyone..."
"Sorry……"
Upon hearing this, the brainless monk sniffed as if he were about to cry, wiped his eyes with his hand, and said in a trembling voice, "Sheng'er, you don't need to apologize."
Seeing the brainless monk's emotional reaction, the three men's doubts lessened somewhat. However, Tsukishima asked curiously, "Um... we still don't know your name!"
The brainless monk quickly turned his head, bowed slightly, and said, "My Buddhist name is Baizhi."
"Brainless yet incredibly intelligent"—this is probably a little self-deprecating humor from the brainless monk.
"Then, Master Baizhi, do evil spirits really exist in this world?" Tsukishima continued to press.
The brainless monk didn't speak, but simply pointed to the sky before walking towards the west wing.
A moment later, the lights in the west wing were turned on. He came out of the room and said, "Please stay in the west wing for now. We'll talk about other things after tonight."
Tsukishima gazed thoughtfully at the sky and said, "Master Hyakuchi means... that the black mist in the sky is actually caused by evil spirits?"
The brainless monk nodded and said, "That's right. That's why I led you all here. After all, I can't protect so many people down the mountain, but if it's just a few, at least I can protect you."
"Thank you so much, Master..." Tsukishima quickly bowed slightly, and Kume Chinatsu and the photographer followed suit, but Kume Chinatsu was actually secretly clenching the talisman tightly.
I have a feeling that something's wrong here, something's definitely wrong...
After arranging accommodations for the three of them, the brainless monk said he had to take care of his younger sister and went into the west wing.
The three arrived at the east wing and found that it was indeed a very old building. Even the wood used for the roof beams had turned dark red, and the walls were covered with a mixture of brownish-yellow bamboo strips, dried grass, and other materials.
The tatami mats on the floor were also somewhat sunken, which was caused by overuse and lack of maintenance for a long time.
In the middle of the room is a recessed brazier, which is the main way to keep warm in winter in traditional Japanese buildings.
There was a pile of firewood in the corner of the room.
"Sir, light the fire. It gets very cold in the mountains at night." Tsukishima said, walking towards the pile of firewood. He picked up a piece at random and frowned.
The firewood had some mold spots, but it was already dry, so it was clear that the pile of firewood had been there for quite some time.
As a result, mold can grow on it, but it dies off when the environment dries out again.
It's probably just because we haven't had any guests for too long...
Tsukishima moved some firewood and pried a small piece of bamboo strips and dried grass from the wall. He then used the photographer's lighter to start a fire, which warmed the room a bit.
Meanwhile, Chinatsu Kume took out sheets of talisman paper from her bosom and began sticking them on the surrounding walls, not even sparing the windows.
Seeing this, Tsukishima asked, "Chinatsu! What are you doing?"
"These are talismans I got from an Onmyoji friend. They can ward off evil spirits. I wanted to add a little extra protection..." Kume Chinatsu said timidly.
Tsukishima frowned and said, "Putting up Onmyoji talismans in a temple... isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
“But this talisman really works…” Chinatsu Kume argued.
Tsukishima stopped speaking and just stared at her.
Unable to bear the silent protest, Chinatsu Kume could only sigh, tear the talisman off the window, and say, "Can I...can I just stick it on the wall?"
Tsukishima nodded.
Lying on the tatami mats, everyone felt a little uneasy.
Was that black mist truly caused by evil spirits? How is the commotion in the town going? Does anyone outside know about this?
The brainless monk did not reappear until nightfall.
There was complete silence outside the window; not even the chirping of birds or insects could be heard.
In the middle of the night, the photographer got up from the tatami mat, feeling the urge to urinate, and pushed open the door to go out into the yard.
It was cold in the courtyard. He hugged his arms and shivered, thinking to himself, "Why is it so quiet in these mountains?"
The brainless monk hadn't mentioned where the toilet was, so the photographer could only look towards the west wing, only to find that the light in the west wing was still on.
Could it be that Master Baizhi is still awake?
The photographer glanced at his digital watch, only to find that it had stopped working at some point.
The power is out...?
With questions in mind, the photographer walked toward the west wing.
He knocked on the door of the west wing and whispered, "Master Baizhi? Are you there?"
There was no response from the west wing, only the sound of slow footsteps, as if each step was actually dragging on the ground.
A shadow gradually appeared on the window.
The photographer stared wide-eyed in horror.
The shadow looked very much like a person, but the photographer was certain that no one in the world would have a head bigger than a shoulder. The figure gradually approached and eventually pressed against the glass.
Even frosted glass couldn't hide the eerie figure revealing its terrifying appearance.
It was a...huge, extremely swollen head.
The head slowly opened its mouth, its voice delicate and mournful.
"I'm sorry, everyone, sob... ahhh..."
Chapter 146 Extreme Speed
Dou Tang rode his bicycle forward. After leaving the city, the traffic became sparse, and his speed gradually increased.
As the setting sun gradually disappeared into the shadows of the city, the streetlights on both sides of the road suddenly lit up, and a bright avenue appeared before Dou Tang.
Night has fallen in Tokyo.
This means that Dou Tang is now able to use the power of the Moon Crown.
He took a deep breath, and black mist emanated from his body, enveloping him and the motorcycle. After a blurry burst of light, the mist dissipated, and Dou Tang and the motorcycle transformed into an invisible, distorted shadow—the resentment barrier he had learned from the Great God Ito.
Then, within a barrier invisible to ordinary people, a golden crown depicting a chaotic and unrestrained scene with countless wheels condensed above Dou Tang's head.
【Sounding the Horn for a Thousand Miles】
Suddenly, the sound of a tram whistle rang in Dou Tang's ears, long and loud.
The wind was gathering, and the shadows were becoming restless. The shadows on the ground that had faithfully represented Dou Tang's appearance gradually twisted, and strange figures were born from the shadows, beckoning to the raging winds around them.
Dou Tang suddenly felt a powerful push coming from behind him.
The scenery in front of me suddenly began to rush past, and the streetlights on both sides began to whiz by, leaving behind a turbulent "whooshing" sound in my ears.
The vehicles on both sides of the road felt a gust of wind whip up around them, and amidst the noisy wind, there seemed to be a piercing horn sound. Then the sound and the wind disappeared instantly, and when they looked around, they found nothing.
Dou Tang looked at the speedometer in front of him, which was going crazy, switching between 10 and 130, but judging from Dou Tang's own feeling, it was probably already above 200 km/h.
That's terrifying speed! To put it bluntly, if Dou Tang were to crash into something right now, and it were an ordinary person, there would probably be a temporary worker left to pick up scraps of flesh from the road afterwards...
Even with Dou Tang's current physical condition, if he doesn't turn into a jelly bean after the car accident, he'll probably suffer a lot.
As the speed continued to increase, Dou Tang's eyes began to tremble at an extremely high frequency. In reality, he was constantly observing the things around him, and it looked as if his eyeballs had turned into constantly trembling dark light, with the black pupils even occupying the entire eye socket.
He was driving when suddenly his phone rang. He reached out and pressed the answer button on his headset. A very serious voice came from the other end of the line.
"Dou Tang, where are you? What are you doing?"
"Go save my friend."
"Your friend?" Lu Zizhen's tone held a hint of curiosity. "Where are they going? Okutama Town?"
"How do you know?" Dou Tang asked back.
"An emergency has occurred in Okutama Town. An evil spirit has created a vast barrier of resentment, isolating several areas around Okutama Town and trapping at least a thousand people."
"Isn't the entire town of Okutama trapped?" Tou Tang asked, frowning.
"Okutama Town branched off into several small villages along the mountain road, all shrouded in a barrier of resentment, but those barriers..."
"The barrier is inaccessible; you can enter but not leave. All the exorcists near Okutama Town have entered the barrier to control the situation. Currently, the only area where no exorcists have gone is the Nichihara Ward, including the Nichihara Limestone Cave."
"If your friend is trapped there, then it's probably in the Nihara Ward."
"However, to get to Nihara Ward, you have to go through Okutama Town, unless you take a detour via the mountain trails."
As the two were talking, Dou Tang had already completely broken out of Tokyo. Low-rise buildings began to appear on both sides, and the streets were no longer so noisy.
“Mountain trails…” Dou Tang frowned. “Then, what about the exorcists in Tokyo? You already know about this news, so the situation is obviously not optimistic.”
"Sigh..." Lu Zizhen sighed and said, "Have you ever seen Real Godzilla?"
"See, what's wrong?"
"In the real Godzilla, when Godzilla first landed, the cabinet government didn't take any action, nor did it the second time. It wasn't until the real Godzilla had fully grown and was wreaking havoc in Tokyo that someone had to take the initiative to lead and formulate a plan before any action was taken. Do you understand what I mean?"