【Good Leaf】Eclipse of the Crimson Moon

Chapter 31

【Remembrance】

The flames soaring into the sky reflected the sky red, and the capital was filled with thick smoke and flames. People fled in panic, but they couldn't see where the safe place was.

There was the sound of orderly footsteps amidst the noise, and the crowd of people fleeing along the main road receded to both sides of the road one after another, making way for the queue in the middle.It was the army sent by the capital, and it was rapidly marching towards the outside of the city.Dozens of people in civilian uniforms can be seen at the front of the line, especially among the soldiers and generals.People who have lived in the city for a long time know that they are members of "Yinyangliao" (Note), an organization of magicians directly under the emperor.Now that they have also been dispatched, the catastrophe this time must not be just a man-made disaster.

People who were bruised and bruised and still in shock knelt down one after another and bowed in the direction they left. They prayed for the blessing of the gods and hoped that the disaster would end as soon as possible.All their hopes at this moment are pinned on those sorcerers who shoulder the priesthood and have extraordinary mana. Only they can subdue the demons and monsters from the underworld, and save the world from this hell-like catastrophe.

Thick smoke and dust gradually obscured the field of vision, and the screams and wailing gradually faded away.I know it's just my own consciousness going away, not the end of the disaster.As the flow of spiritual power drifted away from the capital, the surging torrent in the void formed a powerful vortex, churning and gathering towards the north of the city, where the sky was already covered by thick dark clouds, like a terrifying high wall cutting off the sky.Even with the eyes of ordinary people, one can appreciate the horrifying scene of the end of the world.

That is the sky farther than the north of the city, across the vast ocean, to the opposite side of the strait, above the cursed island of exile, an unprecedented aura of disaster has gathered, compared with Huang Quan resonance, a new spiritual path is about to be formed.And the moment the "door" is opened, the demons and ghosts sealed in another world will swarm out, turning this world into hell.

In a trance, I could hear the howling and roaring of the ghosts in hell, and I could also hear the man's laughter.Ferocious and violent, but angry and resolute...

He waited there, ending everything with his own hands.He will no longer shed a single tear for this world, only hatred and anger are still alive in that heart, constantly burning and devouring everything.Facing the opponents who crossed the sea of ​​flames and arrived in front of him, brandishing weapons and enveloping him, he sneered and recited the mantra, offering the ultimate and strongest technique, the red flames bloomed, and the sea of ​​flames soaring into the sky engulfed everything around him .

The heat wave instantly spread in all directions, and I was caught by it before I could take any defensive action.The heat spread from the outside to the inside, but the depths of his mind were also scorching like magma. He subconsciously hugged his head, but he couldn't suppress the pain that almost took away all his consciousness.

My head... so hot... as if it's going to explode...

Can't think anymore...

★★★

When I woke up from a long sleep, I heard the noise of people around me.Although my eyes were still so heavy that I couldn't open them, I immediately determined that this was not Huangquan, nor was it eternal.

I...why am I still alive?

My body couldn't move, and my head was still burning like fire, especially near my left eye. The feeling of constantly tearing nerves from the depths almost occupied my entire consciousness, making me unable to think.

Someone next to me called my name, but they all used honorifics, and none of the voices I expected to hear appeared.After that, someone helped me change the medicine.The cold ointment did relieve the pain and burning sensation when it came into contact with the skin, but it could not last long, let alone clear up the evil thoughts entrenched in my heart.

I don't know how long it has passed, but my surroundings are still noisy, and there are always disturbing inexplicable noises echoing in the depths of my mind, making me anxious and exhausted.Rather than this ineffective treatment, I'd rather they all leave and leave me alone, so maybe I'll understand what's going on.But now I can't even express my wishes.

Then came the people I least wanted to see.The High Priests tried to talk to me, but I didn't want to see their faces.Thinking that I was still unable to meet the guests, they just summed up the ceremony and the situation after that in the simplest few sentences, and then got up to leave.

And at the moment when they left, all kinds of emotions that had been crowded in their minds and suppressed for several days suddenly burst out uncontrollably, and at the same time, more thoughts full of hatred, anger, and fear came out. into mind.I screamed uncontrollably, and then sharper noises penetrated into my mind, attacking with a posture that I couldn't resist, my headache seemed to be splitting open, no matter how much I struggled and shouted, it was useless.

In a trance, someone held me down, poured a potion into my mouth, and it seemed that someone else was performing a spell, but the noise that almost exploded my mind never stopped.They keep circling and traversing through my consciousness, and there's nothing I can do about it.

It was probably the first time in my life that I experienced the feeling of fear and helplessness.

After that, I have no memory of how I fell into a coma and fell asleep again.It's just that since then, the noises echoing in my mind have never stopped, only when I was extremely tired and almost fell into a lethargy, I was able to get rid of their entanglement a little bit.The voices came and went and became clearer, until I could even distinguish those erratic "syllables" clearly, and finally understood why they caused me so much pain.

"...how did he survive?"

"...Why? It's Ma Cang again...the two brothers are indeed the ominous people who brought disaster to Tsukimi..."

"It must be a conspiracy!"

"Other priests who suffered this kind of injury have passed away one after another, why is he the only one...?"

"Ma Cang is good... can he really be considered a human being?"

"Those who survived the ritual cannot be human beings..."

"It's the son of the ghost who brought the end of the moon... He can't be human..."

No matter how much I cover my ears, the vicious jealousy and curses will not stop entering my consciousness; no matter how they show me respect, humility, pity, or approval, no matter what they say to me, malice and hatred will not stop. The uninterrupted breeding made me breathless.

"It's the brothers of the Ma Cang family who did it... The twins are really unlucky... The Ma Cang family is also finished."

"Could it be that Ma Cangye was also..."

"Even my younger brother can attack, he must have already been possessed by evil spirits?"

"Yuejian is hopeless..."

Is it?This is the voice of your heart at the moment.

The emotions intertwined in the noise that continued to make me suffer are like the dream I saw when I was just born, full of misery, despair, anger, and hatred, intertwined by various negative emotions, brewing deeper darkness.

When I realized this, I finally controlled my frantic emotions and gradually found myself.

Even though everyone speculated maliciously, at least they were not mistaken about one thing.All of this is caused by me, and Yuejian may end because of my choice.

The moment I used the sealing technique against my destiny, I was doomed to face this cursed fate forever until the moment it ended.At that time, it should be my grandfather and mother who were behind me opened the temporary seal in time, and Yue Jian was able to survive.And that process was too short, and my intentions were not discovered by the other great priests. This can also be seen from their attitude towards me, of course, it is only on the surface.He still respects me only because I am the chief priest who "performs the priesthood and sacrifices himself".

Having gone through a failed ritual, losing all my family members and surviving alone, with the frightening etchings of the underworld left on my body, I really can no longer call myself a human being.

——That’s right, you can no longer be considered a “human being”.

"Who?" Surprised by this faint voice, I suddenly propped myself up and looked around in the dark.But at the same time, I also immediately understood that this voice did not come from a human being, it was just a spiritual wave directly transmitted to my mind.

Now it is true night, the candles in the sleeping hall have long been extinguished, and there is only one long-burning lamp near the entrance screen, and the faint yellow light shines through the thick darkness and projects around my bedding.The servants and priests on duty have all retreated outside the temple, and they will not enter this room without my call or abnormal situation.The uninvited guest who came to this room through the barrier set up by the priests of the Yuwu family was in the darkness not far from me, hiding his figure and peeping at me, and I couldn't see his true form clearly. unpleasant.

——Have you noticed my existence?It's just two short days, really worthy of that lord's...

While feeling that fluctuation, there seemed to be an imperceptible breeze passing through the empty void in front of him, and the space did indeed have a slight turmoil.Although I can't see it yet, there is no doubt that a strange spirit body is gathering there, and that feeling is something I have never felt before... Isn't this a human spirit?It's not like a nature spirit or a servant...

Well, since there is such a guy who claims to be my ancestor, it is normal to encounter something unbelievable, right?

"Who are you? Not an ordinary spirit, are you?"

——My existence is insignificant, and I have been here for a long time, but no one feels me.

The earth-bound spirit that has not been discovered by generations of ancestors of the Yuwu family?I can't help but feel a little funny.Does that spirit really exist?If the level is so high that no priest can detect it, it is not considered a spirit body, right?Could it be the existence of elves?Most of the spirits that can communicate in human language are those who have turned into elves or high-level demons, but what does it have to do with Tsukimi?

Concentrating the spiritual power on the spiritual eye, I tried my best to distinguish the thin and distorted existence.Since the other party is a spirit body, I naturally don't need to speak. The current conversation is only at the level of consciousness, and it can also prevent the watchers guarding the door from hearing it.

The "that lord" in its mouth made me care...could it be...

--correct.

It answered me before I could clearly bring that name out of consciousness.Sure enough, this spirit can also directly perceive my inner voice, right?

——Your deduction is quite accurate, saving Xiaosheng the trouble of explaining.

"Don't talk nonsense, you should declare your name first when you talk to people. I don't have the mood to pay attention to a guy who doesn't understand etiquette." The grammar used by that spirit is very old. Is it really related to that person?I didn't feel the killing intent in my breath, so I didn't plan to put on an attacking stance.Moreover, I still have a lot of things I want to ask it, and it would be great if I could get an answer.

——You really know how to joke.The owner of Xiaosheng is not you, so the name will not be reported.With your current ability, it should be easy to know everything you want to know, as long as you concentrate...

Existences such as demons and elves will not easily report their names to humans, because doing so is tantamount to acknowledging the other party as their master.It is a smart and talkative spirit, it didn't reject me directly, instead it seemed to guide me to realize the method of using that ability——

The hazy and swaying spirit body gradually became clearer, although the details were still unclear, but it was obviously not a human form, and was closer to some kind of small animal in terms of size.It lands on all fours and has a smaller body than Inugami. The spirit fire at the tail flickers and seems to be divided into two bundles.At the same time, a name gradually formed in my mind, and I couldn't help saying it softly:

"All... Zong..."

--Yes.Xiaosheng is Maoyou (note) Quanzong, what a lord.It seems that you have mastered the power of ghosts and gods that cannot be touched by humans, and it is no longer difficult to communicate with us.

"You... Could it be that you rely on his mana to maintain your figure?"

--Yes.Xiaosheng was originally just an ordinary wild cat. Master Ye Wang adopted Xiaosheng who was about to die of illness on the street, and bestowed spiritual power on Xiaosheng, so that Xiaosheng's soul would not die. After hundreds of years, he has become the existence of Yuling (Note).Master Ye Wang deliberately concealed Xiaosheng's existence, and now you have his power, so you can perceive Xiaosheng's existence.

"Blank? The power you are talking about is...?" Zou Ran had countless questions in his heart, but the root of those questions all pointed to the same place:

King Ma Cang Ye, this man who claims to be the ancestor of the Ma Cang family, I am almost sure that the curse that caused Yue Jian to fall into the millennium is related to him.But no matter how powerful spiritual power he possesses, how can a human being keep his soul conscious in the root country for thousands of years?The forbidden power he possesses that humans can never touch is...

Vision.

The ability to easily perceive the hearts of others like "visual objects".Mind reading has been considered forbidden since ancient times.Even a magician with profound magic power may be dragged into the dark space created by consciousness just by peeking at the heart for a moment, because there is nothing in this world that is more unpredictable and elusive than the human heart, and A heart full of malice is worse than hell.No matter how far the civilization of the world evolves, the darkness in people's hearts will never disappear. I have personally experienced this.And people who have the power to see the inner hearts of others anytime, anywhere, whether they want to or not, the consciousness of others will continue to flow into their hearts, and all kinds of deep resentment and hatred will continue to accumulate, and eventually even their own souls will be eroded.How on earth would he be able to sustain himself from this torment?

The cat spirit in front of me stared at me for a while, whimpering like a sigh.

——In that Heianjing (Note), which is like a hell on earth, only he knows exactly what Master Ye saw, and what kind of deep pain he has in his heart.

Shili Avenue, withered grass, shrouded in black mist, the wind and hot dust beat on the vermilion city tower, rustling.Swirling incense and gently shaking juniper fans, the nobles tried their best to practice elegance.But the red plum hanging clothes and the bright brocade can't hide the lamentation of the dry bones.The darkest period ushered in in the Heian era for hundreds of years of rule #world, war #chaotic, times #turmoil.Even in the capital, Heian-kyo, outside the palace walls where the nobles enjoyed a luxurious life, people died of famine and disease everywhere.The unclaimed corpses were thrown into the Kamo River, and the strong rotten smell spread from the river to the sky above the capital, mixing in the already polluted air.

The wraiths and ghosts floating in the world have found their fear and hatred for survival, so they no longer hibernate in the darkness, but joyfully hold their breath and live together with people in this world.Heian-kyo has been eaten away by monsters, and has become a lair for ghosts and ghosts, and also a stage where Onmyojis are active.Ma Cangye Wang is the one with the most outstanding mana in Yinyang Liao, and was awarded the title of Great Onmyoji.

And it is such a magician who once shouldered the mission of subduing demons and guarding the safety of the capital, why did he set off a bloody storm, try to open the gate of the underworld, and stand on the position of destroying the world?Is it just because of the power he possesses that he can glimpse the darkest side of the world?

"It is nothing but weakness to allow one's heart to be devoured by ghosts because one cannot tolerate the shadows in one's heart."

Whether it is a person or everything in the world, there is a cycle of life and death, prosperity and decay, and the world is not perfect.Although I don't have too much obsession with the world like Ye, I won't deny it.

The Cat Spirit Quanzong paused for a while, and then replied thoughtfully:

——You are really different from him.However, Master Ye's spiritual vision was innate, and he didn't acquire it after he became a great Onmyoji.

"...You mean, is there any other reason?"

——This layer is up to you to find the answer yourself.Xiaosheng is the imperial spirit of Master Ye Wang in Macang. Until this soul is annihilated, he will follow Lord Ye. Please forgive Xiaosheng for not being able to answer more... Everything that will happen in the future will also depend on your choice...

"...Yuejian's fate has reached a precarious point of divergence. As long as the next ritual fails, he will be able to fulfill his wish. Why did he show up in front of me on purpose? Why did I suddenly gain his power again?"

——When the door was opened, the contact with Mr. Ye Wang awakened that power, and now you are already an inhuman existence with half of your body integrated into the root country.

"...So, am I still alive just because of his arrangements?"

--You can say that.You yourself have become part of the spiritual path connecting the root country...

"and many more!"

I leaned out towards the gradually disappearing spirit body in the void, and almost shouted eagerly:

"What does my existence mean to him?"

——Don’t you understand?you are……

Note: Yinyangliao, an official institution established since the Asuka era (approximately late 6th century ~ early 7th century), its officials are specialized in astrology, divination, astronomy and calendar, as well as Shinto research and related law formulation, and Onmyoji belongs to it A kind of civil servant.Since then, Yin-Yang Dao has become a part of the legal system, and whoever controls the "Yin-Yang Liao" is equal to having the ability to interpret everything.The Tao of Yin and Yang has become the study of the Emperor of Heaven.Onmyojis participated in government affairs and gradually occupied an important position.This is the historical record about Yinyangliao, and in Feiyue's setting, the magicians of Yinyangliao are also responsible for seeking good fortune and avoiding disaster, presiding over divine affairs, and protecting the capital from demons.

Note: Mao You, a cat demon with two tails.

Note: Yuling, relying on the magician's spiritual power to purify and evolve into an elf-level spirit over a very long period of time.Even if the sorcerer dies, their existence will not disappear.Quanzong is a cat spirit bestowed by Ye Wang with spiritual power to become a royal spirit.

Note: Heian-kyo, the capital of Japan in the Heian era, is now Kyoto.At the end of the Heian era, the times were #局turbulent# turbulent, and the people didn't talk about#.In troubled times, there must be demons.It was a dark age where humans and ghosts co-existed, so the hell picture scroll of "Hundred Ghosts at Night" was left behind.