Seeing the boy's retreating figure, Kashima's tense body suddenly relaxed and he sat down directly on the ground, showing no ladylike demeanor.

"Phew, I was scared to death."

Kashima's chest heaved violently, and large drops of sweat slipped from her white forehead.

As a captain-level monster, it is rare for her to show such a miserable side.

Just by saying a few words to the young man who had the same face as the God of Steel, the pressure from her memory almost crushed her.

So scary.

But even so, she still wanted to come over and see if that boy was really who Danzaburo said.

Facts have proved that Dan Saburo was right.

Just by looking directly at him for a few times, Kashima felt that his calves were a little weak and he was sweating all over his body.

But even so, she had to come over and confirm it herself.

Because even in the second half of her story that was not recorded in the book, the god who was approached did not have any ill intentions toward her.

On the contrary, the God of Steel looked at the monster who had just emerged from the earth's veins and felt pity. Just when she was about to take action against the god, something unexpected happened.

'Do you think I'm beautiful?'

'generally.'

Then there was a violent fall over the shoulder, and the unconscious girl felt dizzy and then fainted.

When she woke up again, her groggy head, which had been affected by the power of the earth's veins, suddenly became extremely clear, no different from ordinary people.

Even the crack on her face that originally extended to the base of her ears has long since disappeared, replaced by the flawless face she had before her death.

Moreover, his strong demonic power has not suffered any loss, and has even increased slightly. I think this should be the credit of some god.

So she began a long journey of practicing and chasing the gods, but she was a monster and not very strong, so she could not find any trace of the god no matter what.

Until the invasion of the dark sea five hundred years ago.

Looking at the hiking trail after the boy's figure disappeared, Kashima sighed quietly.

"Is it really you, my lord?"

————

Bai Qiyun naturally doesn't know what the cracked girl is thinking. He is currently leading Kamisato Ayaka on the mountaineering road step by step.

"Hurry up."

Bai Qiyun took the girl's hand, and with a force of his arm, he directly lifted Kamisato Ayaka from the bottom of the cliff and landed on the flat ground above.

I don’t know if it’s because the mountaineering road has been in disrepair for a long time. In addition to the rugged roads, there are also various broken steps on this road. It’s just like small cliffs blocking the way of tourists.

Really, where do the funds allocated to Narukami Taisha Shrine by the shogunate go every year? It can't really be spent on the Yae-do by the Yaegu Shrine.

Bai Qiyun suppressed the curse in his heart and patted the girl's long skirt that was stained with dust twice.

Although this was something that only required a shake of the elemental power in the past, Kamisato Ayaka did not make a sound and allowed the young man's palms to slap back and forth on her skirt.

"Well, that's almost it."

After seeing that the long skirt in front of him had returned to neatness, Bai Qiyun stopped and looked up.

I saw that at least half of this mountaineering path was still there, and some of it was even hidden in the cliffs, which looked daunting.

He even wondered whether the Eighth Palace Priest built the road deliberately to make it difficult for people to climb and thus reduce his workload.

"It's still so far away. It looks like we won't be able to reach the shrine this morning."

"Yes...yes."

Kamisato Ayaka stuffed the small device she had just taken out behind her back, looking a little panicked.

In fact, the Kamisato family has a flying device that can quickly reach Narukami Taisha Shrine. After all, the shrine has to coordinate with Narukami Taisha Shrine to discuss plans for many festivals. If you have to climb a mountain road for half a day every time, how can you carry out work.

As for now...just enjoy hiking with your friends.

The sun was getting hotter and hotter as it approached noon, so Bai Qiyun had to find a shady place to take Kamisato Ayaka with him to avoid the heat.

There are also several sacred cherry trees planted on this rugged mountain road, which makes the originally narrow road leave even less space for people to pass.

But thanks to them, the two of them now have a bit of shade and shade, which can be considered pros and cons.

"I don't know what they are doing now."

Sitting in the shade, Bai Qiyun felt relaxed and thought of the girls in Daozuma City.

Before leaving, he left the other party with a mess, and he didn't know how he could handle it.

If he suffers a little longer, he will be able to relax.

Hmm, why does he sound a bit like a scumbag?

"Ying? That traveler?"

Kamisato Ayaka moved her little feet and leaned closer to the boy's side, her elegant voice mixed with a hint of surprise.

"By the way, Brother Bai, I want to hear the story between you and that traveler. The previous investigation by the Kamisato family——"

Halfway through speaking, Kamisato Ayaka's voice suddenly cut off like a duck that had its neck strangled.

"You're investigating your identity, right? There's no need to avoid it. It's a normal thing."

Bai Qiyun didn't take this matter seriously.

No matter who asks for help, it is reasonable to first investigate the person's resume.

"hey-hey..."

The girl scratched her head in embarrassment.

Having said that, such words can only be said by the person under investigation, and it would be a bit unfair for Ayaka Kamisato to say it herself.

"But... Ying..."

Mentioning the blond girl who had become his partner, an inexplicable meaning appeared on Bai Qiyun's face.

Although I only got along with her for less than a year, it felt like a long time passed.

It was as if the surroundings of his life were already filled with traces of the other party.

This feeling is really amazing.

"Where to begin..."

The wind gently blew through the treetops of the sacred cherry trees, and it was already afternoon by the time the young man finished telling his story.

Kamisato Ayaka held her chin with her hand and was fascinated by the boy in front of her telling her story.

It would be great if she could be a part of the story.

Unfortunately, the honor and status bestowed upon her by her family have deeply bound her to the land beneath her feet.

The parade with her friends is just a green leaf in her life. When autumn comes, this green leaf will eventually wither.

"so good."

The girl muttered to herself subconsciously, her eyes blurred, and she didn't know what she was thinking.

"Okay? Those two guys are pretty good except for causing trouble."

Hearing this, Bai Qiyun shook his head as if he had heard a joke.

The dragon disaster in Mondstadt and the turmoil in Rice Wife, these two guys didn't miss a single thing.

Sometimes Bai Qiyun himself doubts whether these two guys are troublemakers.

However, the young man who thought this way did not know that he might be involved in more trouble than Ying and Paimon. Perhaps this was a double standard.

After resting for a while, the energetic two climbed to the top of Shadow Mountain without the interference of monsters.

Near the top of the mountain, the originally narrow mountain road suddenly opened up, and an obviously exquisitely decorated road appeared.

Sacred cherry blossoms are planted on both sides of the road, and the pink petals cover the ground, like a carpet welcoming guests.

The top of the road is shrouded by a series of birdhouses, and the red lacquered wood looks even more sacred against the backdrop of cherry blossoms.

Looking around, there are still a few scattered tourists standing in front of the road, including children.

The breeze blows, and the fragrance of cherry blossoms rushes into Bai Qiyun's nose, making him feel relaxed and happy.

Most of the fatigue from climbing the mountain was gone at this moment.

"It's so beautiful."

"yes."

Kamisato Ayaka looked at the beautiful scenery in front of her and couldn't help but nodded.

No matter how many times you see this beautiful scenery, it is never too many.

The boy and the girl walked up the road in front of them, and finally at the end of the Torii Corridor, a magnificent shrine came into their eyes.

A towering sacred cherry tree stands in the back courtyard of the shrine. Even looking across the front courtyard, the swaying flowers on the branches are still clearly visible.
To be continued...