The flower is a tulip [Chu Liuxiang]

Chu Liuxiang and the others did not expect that Ai Hong would be brought into the main altar of Shintoism so easily.However, it was only when I got there that I realized why Ai Hong was not worried about violating religious regulations.

What is called the "main altar" is actually a large stone chamber, or rather, a shrine.It is indeed decorated like a palace, with high steps, stone thrones, and colorful canopies and sculptures of various images on the thrones, as if they were the gods they worshiped.But compared to the magnificent underwater palace of Shenshui Palace, this temple is like a child's wooden house meeting the Daming Palace in Chang'an, which is far from enough.

However, when Ai Hong led them into here, she still fell down in front of the steps devoutly, worshiping the empty throne.

Chu Liuxiang and Hua Manlou were a little hesitant, not knowing whether to follow her or stand where they were.

There were people in this temple, but no one noticed them, not even Ai Hong's return.Those people seemed to be suffering from a strange hysteria, constantly worshiping the same direction, that is, the direction of the throne that Ai Hong worshiped.But their expressions were empty, as if they had lost their consciousness and anger.

It's like a group of walking dead gathered in the temple, it's really creepy.

The one closest to the throne, apparently the leader, was dressed in a long, heavy black suit.Although she couldn't see the figure and appearance of that person at all, Chu Liuxiang still intuitively felt that it was a woman, and she was not young anymore.

The old woman suddenly raised her head, stared straight at the stone wall behind the throne, and hissed, "Ah! Amaterasu Omiya! Ah! Amaterasu Omiya!"

Then her body twitched non-stop, as if she was in a state of epilepsy, and at the same time, two hands as dry as chicken feet stretched out the black robe, holding them high in the air, as if trying to catch something.

Her tearing voice and crazy movements made her look like a lunatic, but those worshiping people behind her bent down in trepidation and put their whole bodies on the ground, as if they were listening to some instructions.

Chu Liuxiang couldn't help touching her nose.He had never believed in these strange things, not to mention that he had met Zhang Jiejie and heard her talk about Shintoism.

Although Zhang Jiejie is a saint of Shintoism, it can be seen from the attitude of her narrative that she does not believe that the "god" in nothingness can help her and her people.She was even troubled by the identity that restricted her freedom, but she still came back to take on these responsibilities in order to promise her tribe.

where is she now

Why isn't Zhang Jiejie the one leading everyone to worship?

Who is that old woman who looks like a witch?

While thinking about this, Chu Liuxiang heard that hoarse voice like an old bird shouting again: "There is a result! The divination has a result!"

When these words were spoken, all the people who prostrated themselves on the ground were shocked.Someone plucked up the courage to ask: "Is it the order of Amaterasu Omiya?"

Chu Liuxiang saw that it was Ai Qing, and she and Ai Hong were kneeling side by side, which was also a relatively front position.If this position represents the status of the believers, then their sisters are obviously important figures in the religion.

What are they doing?Ai Qing and Ai Hong appeared in front of Chu Liuxiang successively, is it a coincidence or another conspiracy?Do these things have anything to do with Zhang Jiejie?

The witch-like old woman said: "No, what the divination indicates is that ancient legend...an ancient ceremony, the ceremony that can summon Amaterasu Omisami out of Tianyando!"

Ai Hong also raised her head slowly, and said word by word: "It's dance..."

The witch-like old woman nodded and said: "It's a dance! It's a dance in which Tianyu is betrayed, a dance in which Tianyu is betrayed!"

◇ ◆ ◇

Chu Liuxiang didn't know what the dance of Tianyu's betrayal was, but what he didn't expect was that the witch-like old woman suddenly turned around after saying this, looked straight at him, and stretched out her withered hands .

All of a sudden, everyone turned their heads and looked at him and Huamanlou with eyes mixed with surprise, fear and expectation.

Of course Hua Manlou didn't care about other people's gazes, but Chu Liuxiang already felt the hairs all over his body stand on end.

Neither he nor Hua Manlou has invisibility skills, so of course their arrival was noticed by the witch-like old woman.But they didn't expect that the old woman didn't attack immediately, but just drew everyone's attention to them.

They suddenly became the focus of the temple.

The witch-like old woman actually spoke again: "The person who divination and instructions... the person who performs the ritual is him!"

Her terrifying hands, almost bony and bony, pointed at Chu Liuxiang's face.Chu Liuxiang couldn't help covering her nose with her hands, as if this could stop her.

Ai Hong stood up, looked at Chu Liuxiang in a daze, as if she was seeing this person for the first time, and then said in an unbelievable tone: "How can an outsider...a man...perform the ceremony?"

Chu Liuxiang nodded vigorously.All these things happened so suddenly and inexplicably, he couldn't think of what to do, but he felt that Ai Hong was trying to help him get rid of some embarrassing things.

But the witch-like old woman said coldly: "You don't believe in divination instructions?"

She seemed to be much more authoritative than Sister Ai Hong, so although Ai Hong showed dissatisfaction, she didn't speak again.The old woman continued: "This person will dance the dance of Tianyu being sold."

Chu Liuxiang coughed all of a sudden, he felt that he couldn't stop talking.So he coughed and said, "You...you haven't asked me who I am, where I come from, and why I broke into your forbidden area..."

The old woman showed a pair of sharp and cold eyes under the black hood, and said slowly: "This is naturally the will of the gods, and you are summoned by the Amaterasu Goddess!"

Chu Liuxiang couldn't help choking.Hua Manlou let out a chuckle, and said: "It seems that you have to have a good talk with this old woman."

His voice was so low that only Chu Liuxiang could hear it.In fact, even if you say it out loud, others will not respond.This sentence is too common and unremarkable.

But Chu Liuxiang's expression immediately changed.

He found that he had lost his initiative and was thinking along with the old woman's words.It was just because the old woman's words and decisions were too surprising and beyond his expectation.He just wanted to explain his identity and the purpose of coming here.

However, after Hua Manlou reminded her, Chu Liuxiang remembered, what purpose did the old woman and sisters Ai Qing and Ai Hong have?

Was the old woman's decision a temporary idea, or was it premeditated?

Chu Liuxiang touched his nose, couldn't help laughing, and then took Hua Manlou's hand.

He also said softly: "I can't even imagine what I would do without you!"

◇ ◆ ◇

The witch-like old woman in black stared at Chu Liuxiang and said word by word: "I know you."

At this time, they were no longer in the temple, but Ai Hong led the way to a secluded stone room.

In this cave, there are such stone chambers everywhere, which are connected by long tunnels, and those believers seem to live in them.

The stone room has only one door and no windows. There are lampstands embedded in the rough walls, and there are beds and tables in the room.Compared with the throne in the temple, these utensils look so simple and shabby.

But whether it was the old woman or Sister Ai Qing and Ai Hong, there was no change in the way they looked at these things, as if they were used to it.

Chu Liuxiang couldn't help sympathizing with them.

These people have lived in such a dark place for many years, living such a simple and poor life, but they don't complain or even notice it, they just worship their "god" devoutly.

Are they willing to sacrifice for their beliefs, or do they simply not know what life can be like?

Why can Zhang Jiejie go out?Could she not bear everything here?

When thinking of Zhang Jiejie, Chu Liuxiang's eyes flickered.He had thought of something, but it was too vague a thread of thought, and he had to try to catch it in his mind and sort it out.So he just followed the old woman's words and said, "Oh?"

The old woman continued: "You are a prodigal son and a passionate lover. Your reputation is widely spread in the world."

Chu Liuxiang said: "Oh."

He really didn't know how to answer, let alone what this witch-like old woman wanted to do.

Did she recognize Chu Liuxiang, or did she already know that Chu Liuxiang was coming?

Could it be that Ai Qing tipped her off in advance that she gathered the congregation and staged such a farce?

The old woman still said in that flat and rigid voice: "You came here because of a girl."

Chu Liuxiang touched her nose.He knew he had to answer, but before he spoke, he glanced at Ai Qing and Ai Hong beside him, and said, "How do you know?"

Although this is a rhetorical question, it is also an affirmation.

However, he did not admit which girl he was looking for.

The old woman didn't go to see Ai Qing and Ai Hong, and said again: "That is a very special girl, she is worth your sacrifices. However, I am not sure if you are ready to accept the test."

There was something strange about her voice, a hint of seduction in the mystery.Chu Liuxiang felt that if she really liked Zhang Jiejie, it would be hard not to be seduced by her words.

Of course Chu Liuxiang likes Zhang Jiejie, he likes all cute girls.It's just that this kind of liking is obviously different from what the old woman imagined.

Chu Liuxiang somewhat guessed who the old woman was.

But he still said calmly: "Test?"

Sure enough, the old woman answered quickly: "Do you know that she is the saint of our religion, so she is not allowed to marry a mortal?"

Chu Liuxiang asked, "Where is she now?"

The old woman said: "In Tianyanhu."

Chu Liuxiang said: "Tianyanto?"

The old woman said: "It's behind the throne of the temple."

Chu Liuxiang recalled that behind the throne, there was only a thick stone wall.Could it be that Zhang Jiejie is there?Did she hide in there by herself, or was she held there?

Seeing Chu Liuxiang's thoughtful expression, the old woman seemed very satisfied, and continued: "After the saint returned to the main altar, she walked into the stone chamber there for retreat. According to our legend, Amaterasu also hid in the same way. After leaving Tianyanto, the world has lost the sunshine of the sun since then. Therefore, Tianyu was forced to dance and dance, attracting Amaterasu Omikami out of Tianyando."

Chu Liuxiang said: "The test for me is to dance this dance and let the saint come out?"

The old woman said: "The saint is the incarnation of Amaterasu Omiya, and those who can perform this ceremony are equal to the approval of Amaterasu Omyo, and you can be together and never separate."

Chu Liuxiang nodded, and suddenly burst into a joyful smile.He smiled like a man who has finally found an answer to a difficult problem.

Then, his gaze swept across the old woman, Ai Qing and Ai Hong in turn, and finally landed on Hua Manlou beside him.Hua Manlou seemed to have noticed this kind of gaze, so she also turned around and smiled.

Everyone heard Chu Liuxiang say clearly: "I understand."

Hua Manlou smiled and said, "I think, I probably understand."

The old woman looked at Chu Liuxiang as if she hadn't seen Hua Manlou at all, and said, "Now that you understand, then..."

Chu Liuxiang interrupted her gently but decisively, and said with a smile: "But, I don't want to pursue the saint, and I never thought about being with her."

The old woman trembled violently, as if someone had punched her in the face, and said hoarsely, "You...you..."

Chu Liuxiang said lightly: "Even if I like Zhang Jiejie, I don't want to be treated as a fool... Being a fool once is enough."

Hua Manlou couldn't help holding Chu Liuxiang's hand.He knew that Chu Liuxiang thought of the Queen Bee Project again, and the experience of being used by others hurt not only Chu Liuxiang's self-esteem, but also his confidence.

Hua Manlou began to wonder whether his suggestion of letting Chu Liuxiang come to Shintoism was wrong, and would it be counterproductive?

However, Chu Liuxiang's fingers were warm and steady, as was his voice: "I think, you are Zhang Jiejie's mother, aren't you?"

◇ ◆ ◇

When Zhang Jiejie broke up with Chu Liuxiang and Hua Manlou, she once told them that her mother wanted her to get married so that she could get rid of her status as a saint.But Zhang Jiejie felt that this was just coming out of one cage and entering another.

Chu Liuxiang looked at the old woman in black robe, not much anger in her heart, but more sympathy and helplessness.He said slowly: "Why do you use this method to choose a husband for your daughter? Why don't you ask her what she thinks?"

The old woman's expression was still so cold, but her eyes were no longer indifferent and mysterious, she stared fiercely at Chu Liuxiang and hissed: "Don't you like her? Didn't you come to find her?"

Chu Liuxiang said: "There are many kinds of feelings between people, and the relationship between a man and a woman is not what you imagine. Zhang Jiejie is a very good girl, she is our good friend, and she deserves our care."

The old woman immediately burst into a sneer.She looked completely like a madman, she giggled and said, "Man! Nothing a man says is believable! You are just afraid to say such high-sounding words to clear things up! You..."

Her voice choked suddenly, and then she coughed violently.Ai Qing and Ai Hong looked at each other behind her, and silently stepped forward to support her.But the old woman threw them away again, and rushed out of the stone room like the wind.

Chu Liuxiang sighed helplessly.

According to Zhang Jiejie, her mother is a person who thinks about her.Although parents in this world always have a misunderstanding, thinking that what they think is good must also be suitable for their children, but it is also out of love for their children.Zhang Jiejie understands this, so she never speaks ill of her mother.

But in Chu Liuxiang's eyes, her mother was clearly a terribly paranoid person, in order to keep her daughter by her side, she did not hesitate to use tricks to achieve her goal.

Ai Hong seemed to see Chu Liuxiang's resentment, and said in a low voice: "You...don't blame her, she did pay a lot for Jiejie..."

Chu Liuxiang's eyes stopped on one of her empty sleeves, and she said calmly, "I think you are the one who paid the most, right?"

(to be continued)