??Chapter 353: 352. I’ll co to help them_1
Chapter 353: 352. I’ll co to help them_1
The spring days on Harmony Island were strewn with pale pink petals everywhere.
But Ke Lu Ban had never seen such a dense and chaotic shower of cherry blossoms.
Petals from flowers that lay dormant for a year, blooming for only a few days under such sunlight, under such temperature, cascaded down at a speed of five centiters per second, reminding Lu Ban of the rain of cherry blossoms in “April Tale” that was thick enough to obscure the view.
What was even more noteworthy was that all these petals were falling from one tree.
Without even approaching the harbor, one could see that enormous tree that could no longer be described as towering into the sky.
Taking the entire island as its foundation, that lofty tree grew atop a mountain range. No, Lu Ban thought at this mont, perhaps it was this great tree that existed first, and then all these other things followed.
Full-blown cherry blossoms covered its massive canopy, which was large enough to shield the whole island. The falling petals, like snow, even blanketed the surface of the nearby sea, becoming denser the closer one got to Harmony Island.
Lu Ban saw people standing on the dock, holding umbrellas as if to shield themselves from the rain, warding off the falling petals. These people showed no surprise or dismay at the cherry blossom rain; it was as ordinary as any wind or rain, seemingly an accepted part of life.
“The Divine Sakura of Harmony Island blooms all year round and never withers. In the spring, the flowers bloom with increased vigor, and that’s why we have this spectacle of cherry blossom rain,” Xia Dao spoke as she saw Lu Ban staring at the blossoms, explaining as if he were a country bumpkin entering the city for the first ti.
Through the shower of falling petals, Lu Ban could see that the mountain, which took up a third of Harmony Island, was dense with various trees. A long, winding path led up the mountain from its base. The path was red, made up of countless torii gates. Along the road were several Shrine Halls leading to the top of the mountain, where amidst the trees, breaking through the earth, stood the solemn Shrine Hall.
This was the Great Shrine of Harmony Island, the center of the world’s politics, economy, and extraordinary powers.
In a position in front of the tree trunk, Lu Ban saw a pavilion with delicate eaves outlining its slender structure, different from those solid buildings. The pavilion was like an island suspended in mid-air, creating a strong sense of alienation from its surroundings.
“That is the Shrine Maiden Pavilion. The Shrine Maiden Lord usually resides in that pavilion, sending down Pure Fire to purify regions contaminated by filth,” Xia Dao added.
Suddenly, Lu Ban heard a series of bell chis.
They were like the singing of nightingales, or wind chis in the evening, crisp and pleasant, like the murmurs of a young girl.
Imdiately afterwards, a pale fire flared up on the Shrine Maiden Pavilion.
Lu Ban had never imagined seeing Pure Fire appear before his eyes in such a way. The Shrine Maiden Pavilion, burning fiercely, was like a beacon in the night, and in an instant, the showering cherry blossoms, the mighty tree, even the sunlight seed to fade into insignificance.
All around him darkened.
Everything lost its color due to the burning of the Pure Fire. The next mont, as the bell chis reached a crescendo like the harmony of a church chorus, an arrow was loosed.
It shot out from the Shrine Maiden Pavilion, flying in the direction behind Lu Ban, like a dayti teor, brighter than the sun itself, and with its departure, a thread of sorrowful contemplation touched everyone’s hearts.
Once the Shrine Maiden’s Arrow of Purifying Fla was shot, it signified that another place had fallen victim to corruption, and humanity would lose a piece of land forever.
When the light vanished above the sea’s horizon, everything finally returned to normal.
The faint lancholy was just a brief shadow passing over people’s hearts, and soon everyone returned to their usual work and daily lives.
This was Harmony Island, the center of the world. Even as other places fell to corrosion and invasion, they were miles away from here. Rather than worry about an apocalypse hundreds or thousands of years away, it’s better to focus on tomorrow’s harvest and accounts.
There are many fishing boats near the shore, forming a wobbly landmass of connected vessels near the docks, lined up end to end, making up the continuous hos of the fishern.
On these boats, there are so elderly, children, and won seated; their nfolk all head out to sea to fish and do not return until sunset. These boats have bedding and tables, and every evening, in the golden glimr of the setting sun, wisps of cooking smoke rise, creating a picture full of the sense of life.
“The boat dwellers, these people haven’t been able to own their own hos on He Dao, so they can only live on the boats. Whenever a storm cos, a damp sll perates their space. Actually, they mostly go to the streets by the docks, never entering the residential areas of the townspeople.”
Xia Dao added another comnt, his attitude toward these fishern very clear.
“Of course, sotis they catch so rather nice fresh seafood. If you want to try it, you can taste it in any restaurant on the harbor street.”
The ship continued around He Dao, naturally not headed for this area filled with fishing boats, but for the docks on the other side of He Dao. There, huge and pure white stones made up the main structure of the harbor, with countless large and small rchant and passenger ships coming and going, bustling as though it were a marketplace.
It might be sowhat impolite to say, but this was the first ti Lu Ban had seen so many people at He Dao.
Lu Ban heard the sound of a copper bell striking from the mainmast of the boat he was on, alerting other ships ahead and behind, while a sailor at the lookout post brandished a flag, wildly waving it.
“Seems like on the sea, making a big noise doesn’t work very well either.”
Lu Ban joked.
The aning of the flag signal was roughly to tell the other ships to clear the way, as this was an escort fleet for the shrine maiden or sothing of that sort. Upon seeing the flag signal, the vast majority of the ships smartly cleared a path, except for one that remained steadfast in front, with no intention of moving an inch.
Above that ship hung a flag with the black tripartite family crest of the Sanada Family, a man standing on the ship’s gunwale, looking at the ship Lu Ban was on.
“That is the Sanada Family’s flag. The eldest daughter of their family, who is also the sister of the current head, happens to be the Chief Priestess. Therefore, the Sanada Family rose to prominence, becoming the first major family of He Dao, and they are the ones who most dread the Lady Priestess.”
Xia Dao covered his mouth with the folding fan in his hand and whispered to Lu Ban.
“There’s a problem with the ship, please be patient.”
Lu Ban saw the person on the ship with the flag signaling this ssage.
The tone was respectful, but the ssage was still the sa—”Wait.”
The people of He Dao are probably like that, respectful and pleasant on the surface but possibly arrogant and rude inside. Doing enough on the surface was considered enough.
“Should we wait?”
Lu Ban asked, being an outsider, he wasn’t familiar with the customs of He Dao.
“We can wait, but it seems to
that Lord Sanada wants to show the Lady Priestess a bit of force. If we wait, who knows until the dark we’ll have to wait; we might as well find another place to dock.”
As Xia Dao spoke, he was about to wave his hand to signal the captain to turn the rudder.
“Then it’s no trouble.”
Lu Ban said.
“I’ll help them.”
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