Should I enter a weird city shrouded in demonic energy?

That's a real problem.

Horii brought the ShiKi and stood outside the city gate for a moment before deciding to go in.

She was very tired now and needed to take a hot water bath to forget the displeasure of being ignored by someone. In the vicinity, hot water was only available in the city in front of them.

Before she could reach the city gate, a streak of light suddenly descended from the sky and landed in front of her, turning into a pretty little boy.

"It's Lord Reiko's ShiKi." After a quick glance, MaSu immediately revealed the identity of the visitor.

The boy did not say anything else. He walked forward and bowed to Horii, saying, "On Reiko's orders, I have something urgent to ask Horii to return as soon as possible."

"Something happened to the shrine?" Horii asked.

Reiko would not let her go back so quickly if she was allowed to travel. Unless something happened at the shrine, she would send a ShiKi to look for her.

The ShiKi shook his head and remained silent.

He was originally a type of god used to transmit messages, so he naturally could not answer any questions other than the contents of the message. Seeing that the mission had been completed, a white light flashed and he turned back into a human-shaped talisman paper.

Horii bent down to pick up the talisman paper and remained silent.

"Master, are you going back now?" He asked as he stood at the side.

Horii raised her eyebrows, "Of course. There's something going on at the shrine, I should back"

"Then what about this city?"

Horii raised her head and looked at the Chinese character "人见" on the city wall. She muttered, "We'll talk about it after we go back to see Lord Reiko."

…

When they returned to the shrine, the noisy little Yokai quietly hide under the eaves. When they saw Horii return, they did not rush up like a swarm of bees.

Horii was puzzled, but she didn't ask any further. When he stepped into the shrine, he immediately smelled a strong smell of medicinal ingredients mixed with a faint miasma.

Even though the faint stench of miasma was almost impossible to smell, it still couldn't escape Horii’s nose.

However, why did miasma is there?

Moreover, there was also the smell of medicinal ingredients. Could it be that Reiko was injured?

Thinking of this, Horii quickened her pace and walked into Reiko’s room.

Reiko was lying in the middle of the room with her eyes closed, her face pale. A faint miasma enveloped her and lingered on.

Apart from the time when Mao died, it had been a long time since Horii had experienced the feeling of panic.

Horii could not believe that one day the woman who saved her from the Yokai's mouth and taught her how to become a qualified witch would lie in bed so weak.

She was clear that powerful! How could it be! How could it …

Horii held Reiko’s hands, they were no longer as warm as usual instead they carried a faint chill.

ShiKi followed behind her and stood silently behind Horii.

"How could this be?" Horii asked blankly.

She did not know who to ask, nor did she know who could answer her. She had only travelled for a period of time, so why did things become like this?

Was that a dream? The dream should not be too much true like this?

"Horii" A weak voice suddenly sounded.

Reiko’s hand moved gently and turned to hold Horii’s.

"You're back …"

Horii lowered her head. Reiko did not know what time she woke up and looked at Horii with her head tilted.

Horii pursed her lips and said, "I'll help you up."

Reiko did not refuse and allowed Horii to help her up. As if she knew what Horii was going to ask, she said first, "Horii, are you fifteen years old this year?"

"Yes, in another two months, it will be sixteen after the summer solstice."

Strangely enough, she didn't remember many things after being saved by Reiko, but she still remembered that she was born on the summer solstice.

"Fifteen … not a little girl anymore." Reiko sighed and turned to Horii. "You can see my situation. I can only last for another two to three days."

"Lord Reiko, you must keep alive …"

Reiko interrupted her, "I have no choice. This is a decade-old injury. This miasma has been in my body for more than ten years, and I can no longer suppress it."

"Horii, I know you're reluctant to part with me, but death is the most common thing in this world."

Horii stopped talking.

When Reiko called her back this time, what she said was basically the last word.

"Ever since I was ambushed by that Yokai, I knew that there would be a day like this. That's why I wasn't surprised at all. That's why I used to urge you and Mao to hurry up and become my successors."

"I’m lucky enough, the wound can be suppressed until now. Actually, it's about time."

Reiko spoke very slowly, and Horii did not urge her. She listened silently. Something in her eyes was so hot that it blurred her line of sight.

"Reiko, you are a good child. Ever since I saved you, you have never refused my request."

"I know that you are not willing to take over the shrine, so I raised Akiko so that even if you leave, there will still be someone to take care of the village."

"I… I'm not unwilling" Horii wanted to refute, but she couldn't find anything to refute. She really didn't want to stay in a shrine all her life. She wanted to know her origin, but if Reiko spoke, she would definitely not refuse with her life-saving kindness.

"You don't have to hurry to deny it." Reiko pressed down her hand and said gently, "Horii, you have been suspecting that the appearance of the Western Yokai is related to you for all these years, right?"

Horii remembered the matter of letting the ShiKi investigate and nodded silently.

"The timing of your appearance is very coincidental and your identity is unknown. It's really hard not to doubt it." Reiko sighed softly, "So, do what you want to do. The village naturally has someone else to look after, and I don't want to detain you here for the rest of my life."

"It's just that don't forget to come back when you have time …"

…

That day, Reiko forcefully held on and talked to her a lot. Although most of the time, Reiko was the listener and Horii was speaker, it made her feel her warm and kind heart again.

Two days later, Reiko passed away.

Without any pain or torture, she closed her eyes, as if it was just a shallow sleep, waking up from her dreams at any moment.

But no matter how much Horii comforted herself, Reiko would never be able to revive.

Although she had left, life should be continued.

Horii sat by the window and played with a pendant.

The pendant was in the shape of a water drop. It was pale green, and when you looked it carefully at the sunlight, there seemed to be an eye spinning in the depths of the green.

Reiko said that this was the token she had brought with her when she appeared. To prevent the Western Yokai from coveting it, Reiko sealed the pendant and hid it. She didn't return it to Horii until she died.

However, Horii didn't see anything after looking at it for a long time.

She hung the pendant back to her neck, and the cold feeling made her shrink.

A strange thought suddenly arose in his heart.

This was not a pendant, but a tear.