Beichuan Si did not give her an answer.
He simply gazed distantly toward the horizon.
Seeing that Beichuan Si did not respond, Qiushan Caiyin shook her head, her voice still trembling slightly,
"...Mr. Beichuan."
"Hmm?"
"...Do you think we are guilty? Are the residents of Yuchuan... the inhabitants of Yuchuan Town guilty?"
The heavy, wordless despair and imnse sorrow from Seto Cheng had left Qiushan Caiyin sowhat at a loss.
What about the people of Yuchuan Town?
Should those who had chosen to forget be forgiven?
Did they indeed bear sins?
Qiushan Caiyin could not understand.
Upon hearing this, Beichuan Si also took another look at Qiushan Caiyin.
They say that young girls in their adolescence always have superfluous worries, pondering things with or without substance.
It seed that this was indeed the case.
Faced with this question, Beichuan Si stood on the slope, pointing in the direction of Yuchuan’s artificial river,
"Perhaps the answer you’re looking for is over there."
By the artificial river, there were little flickers of fla dancing, as if soone was performing a ritual by the river’s edge for sobody.
"Who is that...?" Qiushan Caiyin asked, uncertain.
"Let’s go over and see," Beichuan Si suggested.
The two descended the slope, crossed the little street, and arrived on the long path by the riverbank.
From here, one could see a middle-aged man and woman squatting by the river, muttering fragnted ritual words.
In front of them were five water lanterns.
The waters of Yuchuan reflected the lanterns, appearing shimring and glistening.
With the light of the flas, Qiushan Caiyin clearly saw the faces of the man and woman releasing the lanterns.
She exclaid in surprise,
"That’s... the parents of the Hazawa family, who are they holding a ritual for at this late hour?"
Qiushan Caiyin turned to look at Beichuan Si.
Beichuan Si, looking back at her, countered, "What do you think?"
Five water lanterns... symbolizing five souls...
In Japanese legend, water lanterns released into the water are said to guide the spirits of the deceased.
The five small lanterns slowly drifted on the water’s surface, their light reflecting and softly rippling.
Just like children nestled against each other...
Qiushan Caiyin could no longer hold back her tears but tried not to cry out loud.
Five children.
In addition to the four children who were lured and killed, there was an extra lantern symbolizing the drowned Seto Sosuke.
The river of Yuchuan swept the lanterns away, off into the distance.
Through this ritual, the Hazawa family sought redemption for all that they had done.
Qiushan Caiyin was thankful to them.
It turned out that in the fragntary edges of Yuchuan Town, there were still those who rembered the sins they had once committed and repented for them.
This silent repentance deeply moved Qiushan Caiyin’s heart.
It turned out that the town she had always lived in... also had such unforgettable incidents.
She turned around, wanting to thank Beichuan Si.
But for so reason, it had already beco empty beside her.
Beichuan Si had long since left without a sound—
...
Three days had passed.
The questioning of Jiand Ding and Qiushan Caiyin was over.
Seto Cheng, who had lost all hope, had confessed everything.
The bodies in the Tokyo residence were his work alone, and the location where the four children’s bodies were hidden was in a natural cave in the Danze Mountain Area.
In that place, the police discovered the skeletal remains of the four children, as well as their tattered personal clothing.
This case, spanning over a decade, also ended amidst the cries of the Yuchuan people.
The news also reported that Seto Cheng’s case was classified as a malicious homicide.
In the newspapers, Beichuan Si and Qiushan Caiyin were referred to as male youth A and female youth B, with their real nas not disclosed.
Public opinion surged for a ti, and coincidentally, Seto Cheng’s novel "Lost Yuchuan" caught fire once again.
This truly was an urban ghost story that had happened—
"Hey, Beichuan, aren’t you really planning to go back?"
Gangye Yoshiko leaned against the patrol car, sticking her head out to glance at Beichuan Si.
To this, Beichuan Si shook his head, "I still have my own things to do."
"Hmph... don’t go causing more trouble!" Gangye Yoshiko pursed her lips, no longer doubting Beichuan Si’s ability to stir up trouble.
Wherever this guy Beichuan Si went, a great incident seed to follow.
Like the last case with the corpse hidden in the park, or the recent Seto Cheng incident, these were events that were shocking enough to alarm the entire nation.
Such incidents were rare enough not to occur even once in ten years, yet two had unfolded within a span of just two months.
"I know."
"Tsck..."
Watching Beichuan Si’s expressionless face, Gangye Yoshiko clicked her tongue, deeply annoyed at feeling used by him.
But annoyance aside, the case still had to be dealt with.
She took a drag of her cigarette, gazing thoughtfully at the already dusky sky, and murmured absentmindedly, "I really wish there were fewer tragic cases in this world."
After a while, she slapped the steering wheel and turned to Beichuan Si, "I’ll stop wasting my breath on you, rascal! Just rember not to cause too much trouble, I have to head back to the station."
Beichuan Si heard the concern in her voice, so he nodded to see her off.
Having sent Gangye Yoshiko on her way, Beichuan Si picked up his backpack again, from which the head of a stuffed doll poked out of his bulky collar.
The doll’s head stretched out a hand to tug at its own face, pulling a face at Gangye Yoshiko, who had already driven away.
"Kelian, don’t be naughty, let’s go."
Upon hearing Beichuan Si’s words, the doll’s head vigorously nodded, then ducked back into the collar of Beichuan Si’s jacket.
There were still things to be done.
Beichuan Si took out the Shinra Bell and inserted it into the water cloth bag at the side of his backpack, walking step by step toward the slope leading to Yuchuan Elentary School.
The Seto Cheng incident had drawn to a close, but Beichuan Si still had things to do.
As an outsider, Beichuan Si couldn’t comnt on the affairs between Seto Cheng and the Yuchuan people, but there was one thing he absolutely had to do.
The child spirits still lingering in Yuchuan Elentary hadn’t been transcended by him, not even one.
Even the last spirit, Seto Sosuke, had rely been forcibly dispersed by Beichuan Si, resulting in so deficits.
Just like the other four child spirits, he hadn’t disappeared.
Now, Beichuan Si’s mission was to help them break free from their suffering.
"We’re here."
The sky had grown dark, and an eerie chill perated the air around Yuchuan Elentary School.
A faint scent of blood hung in Beichuan Si’s nostrils.
After the previous turmoil, Yuchuan Elentary had been cordoned off with yellow police tape, which had been layered upon itself several tis over, blocking the entire premises.
But Beichuan Si simply leapt over the tape with ease, heading straight for the main gate of Yuchuan Elentary.
The main gate was, as always, locked tight; through the perspective of a lifeless gaze, the entire gate was shrouded and covered in malevolent energy, causing an instinctive chill in those who drew near.
Naturally, Beichuan Si wouldn’t try to forcibly break through the main entrance, especially with the seals in place—the only way in would be to destroy them.
But that would be a foolish move, and Beichuan Si would never do such a thing.
"The whole of Yuchuan Elentary communicates with the spiritual realm within... Simply by entering this Yuchuan Elentary, one naturally enters the spiritual realm..."
Beichuan Si took a deep look at the white talisman at the entrance, gradually corroded by malevolent energy, and turned to walk toward the left of the school.
The left side of the school was obscured by tall trees, where one could also see the tall, barbed wire fence stripped of its light green rubber coating.
As ntioned before, to the farthest left of Yuchuan Elentary lay the open-air swimming pool.
And this would beco the entry and exit point for Beichuan Si to infiltrate Yuchuan Elentary.
Beichuan Si’s eyes grew steely, as he drew the lifeless energy into Jian Ding.
With the influx of this death energy, the curse and blood-stained tip of Kendou’s dagger glinted with a silver light.
Beichuan Si raised his hand.
The dagger left three trails of silver light in the air.
Clang!!!
The barbed wire was cut into a small ’door.’
Beichuan Si withdrew Jian Ding and, as if sensing sothing, stretched out his hand.
When his fingertips touched the ’door,’ faint ripples appeared.
"I knew it, it connects to the spiritual realm!"
Beichuan Si didn’t hesitate any longer and plunged straight in.
Yuchuan Elentary School.
Beichuan Si had returned.
Reviews
All reviews (0)