Fireworks were brilliant!
The scene looked like a large stretch of stars being shaken loose by a mischievous child.
"It has begun!"
Goto Mariko was very excited.
One by one, the fireworks soared into the sky, bursting forth and illuminating the sea surface with shimring reflections.
Bang bang bang!
Watching the fireworks, Lin Baici suddenly turned his head, gazing deeply at Goto Mariko: "Mariko, I like you!"
He actually should have added, would you be my girlfriend?
This is the standard procedure of a confession, but when it ca to speaking, Lin Baici wasn’t inclined to say it.
Although this ant purifying the rule pollution, it was truly his first romantic confession, and he felt a little reluctant.
The sound of the fireworks was loud, but Goto Mariko still heard it.
She thought she would hesitate for a long ti, but in reality, only a few seconds later, she lowered her head and softly humd in agreent.
Lin Baici smiled tenderly, stepped forward, and embraced Goto Mariko.
[What are you thinking? Kiss her!]
Eater God couldn’t take it anymore.
"There’s no need for that, right?"
Lin Baici didn’t want to: "Isn’t a confession enough to purify the pollution?"
[This is God’s pollution, its intensity is different. Surely you wouldn’t want the duck in your hands to fly away, right?]
With Eater God making such a suggestion, Lin Baici had no choice but to lower his head and kiss Goto Mariko.
It was Goto Mariko’s first kiss, which made her a bit uncomfortable, she struggled a little, but soon stopped and even embraced Lin Baici.
...
"It’s done!"
Long Miaomiao was all smiles: "I told you, no one can resist Brother Lin’s charm!"
"Let’s go!"
Gu Qingqiu stood on the steps, glanced from afar, then turned around and walked down.
They had already been delayed for many days, hoping Lin Baici could extract useful information from that Sakura girl.
After the fireworks were over, Lin Baici sent Goto Mariko ho.
The two walked slowly, and when they reached the doorstep, Goto Mariko hesitated several tis but finally spoke up: "Co find tomorrow morning!"
Lin Baici’s heart skipped a beat, feeling it was ti for the next stage, but his expression remained unchanged: "To have breakfast together?"
"Don’t ask anymore!"
After saying that, Goto Mariko didn’t wait for Lin Baici to reply and ran back ho.
That night, everyone gathered in Lin Baici’s room to discuss their next plan.
"The place she takes you should be the location of the next rule pollution!"
Xia Hongyao rubbed her hands, very excited: "We won’t lose track, so don’t leave marks along the way, lest she finds out and all efforts are wasted!"
"Ok!"
Lin Baici was indifferent, if they got lost, he would handle it alone.
They talked until one in the morning, rehearsing possible situations and how to deal with them, then went to sleep.
The next morning at 7:50, Lin Baici appeared tily at Goto Mariko’s door.
Goto Mariko was still in the sailor suit, but this ti with a mountain climbing backpack and wearing a fisherman’s hat.
"Get on the bike!"
Goto Mariko pushed her bicycle, indicating for Lin Baici to get on.
"I’ll take you!"
Lin Baici couldn’t let a girl give him a ride.
Goto Mariko shook her head, signaling Lin Baici to hurry up.
Lin Baici could only comply.
On the bike, they set off.
Lin Baici didn’t dare to hold Goto Mariko’s waist, just feeling the wind, they rode along the road towards the mountains.
An hour later, they arrived at the foot of the mountain.
The cent road ended.
"Let’s go!"
Goto Mariko led the way ahead, today she was much quieter, with an air of heavy thoughts.
Lin Baici didn’t ask where she was taking him, instead, he showed an attitude of trusting her.
They walked along the mountain path for over an hour, then turned onto a side path, and half an hour later, another side path.
The mountain path beca increasingly difficult, and because it was rarely trodden, the surroundings were exceptionally quiet.
Suddenly, Goto Mariko stopped.
Lin Baici didn’t move his head, his eyes swiftly scanned around.
There was nothing suspicious, only trees, weeds, and loose stones seen everywhere in the mountains.
Goto Mariko stood still, seemingly caught in a final mont of hesitation. After about three or four minutes, she turned and called out to Lin Baici.
"Lord Lin, this way!"
Goto Mariko headed towards the nearby bushes.
Lin Baici followed along.
The two of them pressed on through the forest, where there were no mountain paths.
Thick fallen leaves crunched underfoot, making a rustling sound, occasionally accompanied by the snapping sound of breaking twigs.
An hour later, they found themselves on a narrow path, just a foot wide.
"From here, we can reach our village!"
Goto Mariko finally spoke.
"It’s quite far to get back ho!"
Lin Baici felt sorry: "Even for soone like , walking so far is tiring!"
"Once we’re in the village, don’t wander off, don’t look around carelessly, and definitely don’t speak carelessly—just stay at ho. I’ll take you to worship the Dragon Maiden, to seek blessings!"
Goto Mariko advised, then after a mont of silence, added: "If you’re scared, you can still turn back now!"
"That sounds a bit strange!"
Lin Baici frowned.
"Our village is quite old, with many ancient rules!"
"I understand!"
Lin Baici smiled. Actually, at this mont, he should say sothing to comfort Goto Mariko, to express his love for her and that he wouldn’t give up, but Lin Baici found it hard to say.
Too cheesy!
Fortunately, Goto Mariko wasn’t the kind of girl who liked to hear sweet nothings, plus she had no experience in love, so she didn’t even realize Lin Baici was acting.
Ti moved to two in the afternoon, and Lin Baici finally saw a small village in the distance, perched halfway up the mountain.
The terraced fields were interlaced with planted rice.
As they neared the village, Goto Mariko stopped and went over to a one-foot-tall statue by the roadside, taking so snacks out of her backpack to place in front of it.
Lin Baici frowned slightly. The statue was ugly, its face hideously frightening, like a fiend crawling out of Hell to claim lives.
In Lin Baici’s backpack were snacks prepared for Goto Mariko. He hesitated for a mont, then opened his backpack, took out a few of the most expensive snacks, and placed them in front of the statue.
"This is the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. The village elders say it has always protected us!"
Clap clap!
Goto Mariko clapped her hands and bowed three tis towards the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva before continuing onward.
Soon, the two of them entered the village.
Lin Baici observed in secret.
There were almost no people in the village. Apart from the occasional bark of a dog, there was no other sound.
"Aunt Yayoi!"
Lin Baici finally saw the first person.
It was a woman carrying a basin who had just returned from washing clothes by the river, her hair still wet, indicating she had also bathed.
"Mariko, you..."
Aunt Yayoi’s mouth ford an ’O’ of surprise when she saw Lin Baici.
"Hello, I’m a friend of Mariko’s, here for a visit."
Lin Baici greeted her, unsure if she understood, but he greeted her anyway.
Yayoi babbled in Dongying language, occasionally glancing at Lin Baici, and even after they had parted, she turned back to look at him.
Originally heading ho, Yayoi quickly diverted into a house.
Soon after, woman after woman appeared at that house.
Lin Baici returned ho with Goto Mariko.
"Sister, sister, you’re back?"
A little girl heard the commotion and hurried out excitedly. When she saw Lin Baici, she let out an ’Ah’ in surprise: "A man?"
Then she ran into the house: "Mom, there’s a man!"
Lin Baici sat in the living room, sipping tea.
After serving the tea, Goto Mariko’s mother left the room.
"And this scene, what kind of contamination is it, I wonder?"
Lin Baici pondered.
Sothing was definitely off about this village, and he hoped Gu Qingqiu and the others wouldn’t rashly enter.
...
"Is this Ksitigarbha? So ugly!"
Xia Hongyao looked at the roadside statue with disdain, wondering what kind of aesthetic these Dongying people had to create sothing so creepily underworldly frightening.
The group continued onward.
They didn’t offer tributes to the Ksitigarbha.
Because the snacks previously offered by Lin Baici and Goto Mariko had vanished, otherwise Gu Qingqiu would have surely noticed this detail.
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