The strange icon pattern.
Although these photos didn’t have much significance strictly speaking, Beichuan Si still morized them all.
On the other side, Shen Gu Mirai was holding a notebook, jotting down so points of concern.
After flipping through the album, Beichuan Si returned it to Sanseiyuan Bei Nai and began to inquire, "Ms. Sanseiyuan, do you still rember the Voodoo Doll left by Ms. Ihui?"
"Are you referring to the one that Tenzi always carried with her?" Sanseiyuan Bei Nai asked, then took out a pack of cigarettes from her pant pocket and inquired, "Before I tell you, I’d like to smoke one, is that okay?"
"Please," gestured Beichuan Si.
She took a drag of the lady’s cigarette, "What did you want to ask? About the Voodoo Doll?"
"It’s actually the wooden box that held the Voodoo Doll," Beichuan Si looked at Sanseiyuan Bei Nai, "The engraving on it piqued our interest, and we wanted to ask if it was a product of the culture from Ms. Ihui’s holand."
"I distinctly rember that she crafted the doll herself, sewing it and inserting Tenzi’s hair and umbilical cord inside. She said that this would allow the doll to suffer the hardships that Tenzi shouldn’t have to endure. As for the wooden box... I recall it was sothing she brought over from Ihui."
It appeared the wooden box was indeed sothing Ihui Shenzi had brought from Ihui Island.
Beichuan Si glanced at Shen Gu Mirai.
When Sanseiyuan Bei Nai ntioned this, Shen Gu Mirai’s face beca even more worried.
It was now almost certain that Tenzi’s mother was indeed a resident of Ihui Island.
This ant that Beichuan Si’s deductions were largely accurate up until now.
Perhaps the island hid sothing indeed.
Although Shen Gu Mirai maintained her composure on the surface, her mind was in turmoil inside.
It was the first ti she felt so powerless that she hadn’t absorbed a word of what Beichuan Si had discussed with Sanseiyuan Bei Nai afterward, and she left in a daze.
Observing her bewildered expression, Beichuan Si patted Shen Gu Mirai’s cheeks directly.
"Uh..." Shen Gu Mirai barely snapped back to reality.
Seeing that she had co back to her senses, Beichuan Si then spoke, "We can’t yet confirm if your parents have fallen into danger. Perhaps we are overthinking it, and your parents are safely conducting research on local customs in a safe area."
"That’s true," nodded Shen Gu Mirai weakly.
One shouldn’t think so negatively, perhaps nothing had happened to her parents?
Beichuan Si nodded at her.
"Let’s temporarily return to Tokyo and search your parents’ room for information about Ihui Island. We need to clarify their location and satellite phone details. If sothing indeed happened..."
His voice lowered, his dark eyes gazing southward:
"Then I’ll make a trip to Okinawa."
Beichuan Si’s words prompted Shen Gu Mirai to lift her head.
He still wore the sa calm, indifferent deanor as when she had first t him.
Yet, it was also different.
The initial Beichuan Si wouldn’t have said such things.
Shen Gu Mirai clenched her fingers, her knuckles turning slightly white. After a long while, she took two steps forward, embraced Beichuan Si from behind, and buried her face into his back.
A soft nasal sound followed.
"Mm. Mr. Temple."
...
Beichuan Si and Shen Gu Mirai took a night ride back to Tokyo.
After all, Shen Gu Mirai no longer held the playful mood she had at the beginning.
She urgently wanted to know about her parents’ situation on Ihui Island.
Seeing her anxious deanor, Beichuan Si retracted his gaze and turned instead to the cowering Nishijou Kurenai on his collar.
Nishijou Kurenai clearly noticed Shen Gu Mirai’s nervousness, and with her button-like eyes on Shen Gu Mirai, she attempted to comfort her but didn’t know how, only managing to anxiously stand up and tug on Beichuan Si’s collar.
Fortunately, it was a night bus, and most of the people had already closed their eyes to rest. Otherwise, seeing her pacing back and forth might have given rise to another urban legend about the night bus.
Beichuan Si poked Nishijou Kurenai’s little head with his finger, then thought of his own mother, Mommy Beichuan, who usually stayed abroad designing clothes and only returned ho once or twice during the New Year.
He wondered how she was doing now.
After this incident was over, he decided he would find ti to call her to ask about her situation.
He also hoped that Shen Gu Mirai’s parents were safe and sound.
At least Beichuan Si had a good impression of Shen Gu Mirai’s parents.
The reticent Shen Gu Jiro, and the lively Shen Gu Chiharu who acted like a high school student...
If he lost both of them, Shen Gu Mirai would undoubtedly be unhappy.
With that thought, Beichuan Si closed his eyes.
He had already bought the ticket to Okinawa for tomorrow; if Shen Gu Mirai’s parents had an issue, he would imdiately fly to Okinawa.
What was supposed to be a sumr vacation trip seed now to turn into experiencing the May Day Golden Week ahead of schedule.
The bus continued moving forward, maintaining a quiet atmosphere inside, with only the occasional cough and muted conversations from others.
The night was very quiet—
An hour later, Beichuan Si followed Shen Gu Mirai into her ho.
Upon entering, Shen Gu Mirai scampered up the stairs, not even changing out of her shoes, and dashed straight to her parents’ study.
Such a little girl, usually so particular about cleanliness, now rushed into the house without even changing her slippers.
Beichuan Si followed her swiftly into the study of Shen Gu Jiro and Shen Gu Chiharu.
As soon as he entered the study, Beichuan Si sensed an unusual aura.
"What is this...?" Darkness flickered in Beichuan Si’s eyes.
Viewing through the darkness, he could see several intricate patterns, imprinted on the bookshelf and the corner of the wall.
These patterns seed to gather goodwill and, over ti, could enhance intelligence and improve physical constitution.
No wonder Shen Gu Mirai was so distinctive looking and intelligent; she had been nurtured from childhood.
Beichuan Si’s expression flickered slightly.
Shen Gu Jiro and Shen Gu Chiharu indeed possessed special abilities.
He had sensed it last ti he visited with the Voodoo Doll.
After all, those two had recognized the peculiarities of the Voodoo Doll.
But the more he thought about it, the more Beichuan Si’s mood fluctuated.
To ordinary people, having supernatural abilities might seem like a ans to increase one’s self-protection when outside.
But on the flip side—if the places necessitating these abilities were investigated, could they be anything normal?
Beichuan Si withdrew his gaze and approached Shen Gu Mirai, who was busily looking for related materials.
Although Beichuan Si wanted to help, considering he was unfamiliar with the setup of the study and unaware of where Shen Gu Jiro had placed the materials, he chose not to assist in order not to cause Shen Gu Mirai further trouble.
Two minutes later, Shen Gu Mirai wiped the sweat from her pale forehead and handed over a docunt she had managed to find to Beichuan Si,
"This is about Ihui Island, Mr. Temple, you can read this first. I need to make a call to my parents’ university research group; they should have a satellite phone number."
"Alright." Seeing her anxious expression, Beichuan Si didn’t say much, simply taking the docunts about Ihui Island and leaning against the bookshelf to read carefully.
The docunt was divided into two parts.
Beichuan Si held the first half which had been thoroughly researched by Shen Gu Jiro and Shen Gu Chiharu. The second half had likely been taken with them to Ihui Island.
’Ihui Island, a small island docunted only starting from the Taisho Era. This is not to say that the legacy of Ihui Island began only in the Taisho Era; rather, it was its isolation that prevented it from being recorded until then.’
This served as the introduction.
Shen Gu Jiro and Shen Gu Chiharu had inserted a colored picture beneath it, showing a precarious rocky island with a deep green forest that seed almost capable of drawing one’s soul into it.
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