noffsinger Chapter 508: Praying at the Shrine and Encountering the Villain
Chapter 508: Praying at the Shrine and Encountering the Villain
Under the torii gate, the sunlight was divided into mottled light and shadow, falling on the two people.
Yunari took a deep breath, and the air was filled with a faint scent of incense, and the uneasiness in her heart dissipated.
She walked skillfully to the shrine's wash basin, scooped up a spoonful of water,
First wash the left hand, then the right hand, and finally rinse the mouth. The whole process is solemn and pious, as if performing some kind of sacred ritual.
"Grandma, let's go!"
The two of them walked through the wash basin and along the stone path to the statue of Mahakala.
A small queue has formed here, and people are holding their breath, waiting to pray.
Yunari and Grandma Tsuru also stood quietly at the end of the line.
The team slowly moved forward, and when it was Yunari's turn, she took out a coin from her pocket.
He put the money into the coin box, then put his hands together and rang the bell reverently.
"Ding-ling-ling--" The crisp bell sound echoed in the shrine, as if it could convey her thoughts.
She closed her eyes and silently repeated her wish in her heart.
Grandma He standing by also clasped her hands together and prayed silently.
She did not pray for anything for herself, but only hoped that her kind granddaughter,
The road ahead will be happy and healthy, and free from the shadows of the past.
"Grandma, okay, it's time for us to go." Yunari opened her eyes, a smile on her face with a hint of relief.
She took Grandma He's hand, and they walked side by side towards the shrine entrance.
A breeze blew by, bringing a hint of coolness.
The originally peaceful atmosphere was broken by an abrupt scene when they reached the entrance of the shrine.
Yunari's smile froze on her face instantly, as if the pause button had been pressed.
She saw several men in black leather jackets looking around menacingly on the street outside the shrine.
Their eyes were like those of cheetahs, full of aggression.
Those men had thick flesh on their faces and it was obvious that they were not good people.
Yunari's body trembled slightly, and an inexplicable sense of fear instantly occupied her heart.
"Grandma, I...I seem to have forgotten something."
Yunari's voice trembled a little, and she subconsciously grasped Grandma Tsuru's hand.
His eyes were wandering, trying hard to hide his inner panic.
"Ah?" Grandma Tsuru looked at Yunari in confusion, but before she could continue asking, Yunari quickly took over.
"Grandma, I remember the boss's pudding seems to be almost sold out,"
"I promised to bring the little guy to him last time. I have to go and see him right away. Why don't you go back first?"
Grandma He was old and her eyesight wasn't very good, so she didn't think much of it and just assumed that her granddaughter had really forgotten something.
"Okay, then go quickly and come back soon, don't delay too long." She patted Yunari's hand kindly, turned around and walked back slowly.
Looking at Grandma Tsuru's receding back, Yunari felt a little relieved.
She took a deep breath, turned around with forced calmness, and walked quickly towards a small shop on the corner.
The sign of this store has faded a bit, with a few crooked words "XX Grocery Store" written on it, exuding a strong sense of age.
Yunari slipped into the store and looked around nervously like a frightened little rabbit.
The store was small, its shelves filled with all sorts of odd little gadgets, and the air was filled with a faint musty smell.
Yunari hid behind the shelf and peeked out secretly.
Those men in black were still wandering around the entrance of the shrine, like a group of hungry wolves looking for prey, which made Yunari feel uneasy.
She bit her lower lip tightly, her brows furrowed, and her little face wrinkled.
How to do?How to do?
Yunari was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
The shrine was surrounded by high walls that were impossible to climb over. The only exit was the main gate, but those men were blocking the way there and she couldn't get out at all!
She felt like a turtle in a jar, unable to escape.
She rubbed the corners of her clothes anxiously, her palms full of sweat.
The shrine bell rang "Dang——", like a death warrant, knocking on Yunari's heart again and again.
"Little girl, what do you want to buy? If you're not buying anything, don't block the road!" An impatient voice suddenly sounded.
The shop owner spoke in a bad tone, looking Yunari up and down with impatience in his eyes.
Yunari then realized that she was blocking someone else's business.
She smiled awkwardly: "Sorry, I'll buy it right away." As she spoke, she glanced at the shelf and picked up a bag of spiced melon seeds.
"how much is it?"
"Five dollars." The young boss replied unhappily, his tone sounding like he had taken gunpowder.
Yunari paid the money and continued to hide behind the shelf with the melon seeds, but she felt even more anxious.
These melon seeds now taste like wax to her.
At the same time, the atmosphere on the street opposite the shrine became tense.
"Boss, this girl won't run away, right? We've been waiting here for a long time!"
A man with a fat face complained impatiently, playing with a dagger in his hand, which flashed coldly in the sunlight.
"Wait a little longer, this chick can't fly away even if she has wings!"
The man known as the boss spoke in a gloomy tone, his eyes fixed on the entrance of the shrine, like a cheetah waiting for an opportunity.
"Boss, why don't we just rush in and catch him? This damn place is so gloomy and eerie, I don't want to stay here any longer!" another man echoed.
The eldest brother hesitated for a moment, and finally shook his head: "The shrine is the Su family's territory, we can't act rashly, wait a little longer, she will definitely come out!"
Inside the shrine, Yunari looked at the ferocious men outside and was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
Suddenly, her eyes fell on a pile of colorful raincoats in the store, and a bold idea emerged in her mind.
She turned to the young boss and said, "Boss, how much do you charge for this raincoat?"
The young boss looked Yunari up and down, his tone still unfriendly: "Ten dollars a piece, buy it if you want or not!"
Without saying a word, Yunari took out fifty yuan and bought five children's raincoats of different colors.
She found five little boys playing in the store and gave each of them a raincoat and a piece of chocolate.
Then he said to them mysteriously, "Children, do you want to play an exciting game?"
When the children heard that there were games to play, they nodded excitedly.
Yunari lowered her voice and gave a few quick instructions, and the children put on their raincoats and hats, and ran out of the shop like five colorful little mushrooms.
Outside the shrine, the vicious men were waiting impatiently, when they suddenly saw five children wearing raincoats of different colors running out from the direction of the shrine and were stunned.
"Boss, this..." The younger brothers looked at each other, at a loss.
"Could it be..." The boss narrowed his eyes, and suddenly a bad premonition arose in his heart.
"Chase!" He gave the order, and his younger brothers immediately reacted and made a move to chase.
"Wait!" The eldest brother suddenly called them and glanced sharply at the five children who were running away.
"Something's wrong! There's something wrong with these little brats!"
He pushed aside the younger brother who was blocking his way and strode towards the shrine. "You guys, separate and chase them! I'll go in and take a look!"
The shrine was filled with the aroma of incense. The eldest brother roughly pushed away the elderly and children who were praying, and searched everywhere for Yunari like a vicious dog sniffing out its prey.
"Where are the people? Damn them! Come out!" he roared, his voice echoing in the empty shrine and startling a flock of birds.
He kicked over the incense burner, sparks flew everywhere, and a burnt smell mixed with the smell of incense made him even more irritated.
He walked up to the statue and glared at the kind-looking god fiercely, as if he wanted to vent his anger on it.
"Bless? Bullshit blessing!" He spat, turned around and continued searching, but still couldn't find any trace of Yunari.
The shrine was empty, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the cries of crows in the distance, making it seem particularly eerie.
"Boss, we didn't find it!" The subordinate ran back panting and sweating profusely.
"Waste! A bunch of waste!" The boss was furious and punched the stone pillar next to him. The severe pain made him even more irritable.
He kicked the fallen leaves on the ground hard, and the leaves flew around like frightened butterflies.
"Chase her! Even if I have to dig three feet deep, I'll find her!"
Just then, the boss's phone rang. He picked up the call irritably: "Hello! What's going on?"
"Boss, we caught a kid wearing...a pink raincoat..."
The voice on the other end of the phone was hesitant.
"Child? Pink raincoat?" The eldest brother was stunned for a moment, and a bad premonition came to his mind.
"Where's Yunari? Did you catch her?"
"No, boss...the kid said...said..." The voice on the other end of the phone became smaller and smaller, as if it was difficult to speak.
"What did you say! Say it quickly!" the boss roared.
"They said...the woman gave them lollipops and asked them to play...play catch-the-ghost game..."
"Ghost hunting game?!" The boss felt his blood pressure soar and his vision went dark.
"What the fuck..."
He was so angry that he almost threw his phone. "What a bunch of little bastards! You got fooled!"
He hung up the phone, his face ashen, like a volcano about to erupt.
"Boss, what's wrong?" the subordinate asked cautiously.
"Chase! Chase them! Those little bastards must know where that woman is!" the boss said gritting his teeth.
In the distance, three children in raincoats were running wildly along the path, with two men in black chasing them closely...
"Stop! You little devils!" a man with a scar on his face shouted...