Black Myth: The Legend of Tianpeng Seeking Demons

"The Will-o'-the-Wisp Inari Shrine? That place... wasn't it abandoned a long time ago? I heard it's haunted!"

Zhu Feifei couldn't help but shudder when she heard the name.

"Haunted?" Yukishiro Chihiro glanced at him. "Didn't you pride yourself on being a 'worldly expert'? What, are you afraid of ghosts?"

"Who...who's afraid of ghosts!" Zhu Feifei said, forcing a smile. "I, Old Zhu...I just feel that going to such a creepy place late at night is unlucky..."

"Coward." Chihiro Yukishiro retorted mercilessly, then turned and left. "If you don't want to go, stay here. I'll go by myself."

"Hey... no!" Zhu Feifei quickly chased after her. "Who said I wasn't going? I'm just... I'm worried about your safety!"

"Hmph, I think you're just worried about your little bit of 'stupidity tax'?" Yukishiro Chihiro mercilessly exposed Zhu Feifei's little scheme.

"Hehe, you understand me best, Chihiro..." Zhu Feifei grinned shamelessly.

"But speaking of which, what exactly are Fujiwara Koji and that 'Nightingale' up to? Why did they kidnap Aso Minako? And what ritual did they mention..."

“It’s not clear yet.” Chihiro Yukishiro shook her head. “But my intuition tells me that there must be a huge conspiracy behind this.”

"A conspiracy? Could it be... that they want to destroy the world?!" Zhu Feifei exclaimed, her mind racing.

"Shut up! Can you stop thinking about all sorts of nonsense all day long!" Yukishiro Chihiro glared fiercely at Zhu Feifei.

"Anyway, let's go check out that will-o'-the-wisp Inari Shrine first; maybe we can find some clues."

“Okay…” Zhu Feifei touched her nose and obediently shut her mouth.

The two hailed a taxi and headed straight for the Onibi Inari Shrine.

On the way, Zhu Feifei couldn't help but start gossiping again: "Qianxun, what kind of monster is that Fujiwara Koji? He looks like a human, could he be some kind of fox spirit?"

“He is a nine-tailed fox demon,” Chihiro Yukishiro said calmly, “and a high-ranking member of the ‘Dark Moon’ organization.”

"A nine-tailed fox demon?! And a high-ranking member at that?!" Zhu Feifei was so shocked she almost jumped out of her seat. "Then...then aren't we in great danger? Maybe...we should go back and reconsider..."

"Now you're scared? Too late!" Chihiro Yukishiro said coldly. "Since we've already provoked them, we have no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it."

"But...but..." Zhu Feifei wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Yukishiro Chihiro.

"No buts!" Chihiro Yukishiro said. "Either come with me, or get off now. The choice is yours!"

"I...I..." Zhu Feifei looked at Yukishiro Chihiro's cold eyes and finally gave in, "I...I'll go, okay..."

"Hmph, that's more like it," said Chihiro Yukishiro. "Remember, once we get there, follow my orders and don't cause me any trouble!"

"I know..." Zhu Feifei said dejectedly. He now fully understood what it meant to be "once you're on a pirate ship, there's no getting off."

About half an hour later, the taxi stopped at the foot of a barren mountain.

"Gentlemen, we've arrived," the driver said. "This is the location of the Oni-bi Inari Shrine."

Zhu Feifei paid the fare and got off the bus with Yukishiro Chihiro.

Looking up, one could see a dilapidated shrine standing halfway up the mountain, surrounded by overgrown weeds, eerie and terrifying, appearing even more sinister and unpredictable under the cover of night.

"This is the Oni Fire Inari Shrine?" Zhu Feifei looked at the scene before her and couldn't help but shudder. "This... this is too creepy!"

"Stop talking nonsense, let's go." Yukishiro Chihiro said, and led the way up the mountain.

Zhu Feifei had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow.

The two walked along the rugged mountain path for about half an hour before finally arriving at the entrance of the shrine.

The shrine's main gate was rotten and on the verge of collapse, with a worn plaque hanging on it, on which the four characters "Inari Shrine" could still be faintly seen.

"Is there really a monster in this place?" Zhu Feifei asked doubtfully, looking at the dilapidated scene before her.

"Whether it's there or not, we'll find out by going in and taking a look." Yukishiro Chihiro said, pushing open the half-closed door and walking inside.

Zhu Feifei followed closely behind and also entered the shrine.

The interior of the shrine was even more dilapidated, covered in dust and cobwebs, with a rotten smell permeating the air.

"Cough cough... How long has it been since this place was cleaned..." Zhu Feifei said while coughing.

"Be careful, something's strange here," Chihiro Yukishiro warned.

As soon as he finished speaking, a cold wind suddenly swept around them, and several green will-o'-the-wisps appeared out of thin air, drifting in the air and making a "whooshing" sound, as if ghosts were crying.

"Oh my god! There really is a ghost!" Zhu Feifei shuddered in fright and quickly hid behind Yukishiro Chihiro. "Chihiro... Chihiro... you have to protect me..."

"Look at your pathetic self!" Yukishiro Chihiro glared at Zhu Feifei, then took out a talisman from her pocket and stuck it on her forehead. "Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Qian, Xing! Open!"

With a sharp shout from Yukishiro Chihiro, a golden light flashed in her eyes, and the originally dim shrine became clear in her vision.

“These will-o’-the-wisps… aren’t ordinary ghosts…” Chihiro Yukishiro said, “more like some kind of sorcery…”

"Sorcery? Then... what should we do?" Zhu Feifei asked.

"Don't panic, watch me." Yukishiro Chihiro said, taking out a copper bell from her bosom and gently shaking it.

"Ding-a-ling... Ding-a-ling..." The crisp sound of the bell echoed in the shrine. The green will-o'-the-wisps seemed to have met their nemesis, letting out a series of "squeaking" screams before dissipating into the air.

"Wow! Chihiro, you're amazing!" Zhu Feifei exclaimed, immediately flattering her, "No wonder you're called 'Falcon'!"

"Stop being so glib!" Chihiro Yukishiro said irritably. "These will-o'-the-wisps are just an appetizer; the real danger is yet to come!"

"There's... there's something even more dangerous?" Upon hearing this, Zhu Feifei turned pale with fright.

"Are you scared?" Chihiro Yukishiro asked.

"Who...who's scared!" Zhu Feifei said, forcing a smile. "I...I'm just...just a little hungry..."

"Hmph, all you know is eating!" Yukishiro Chihiro ignored Zhu Feifei and continued walking deeper into the shrine.

The two walked through a messy courtyard and arrived at the main hall of the shrine.

The main hall's doors were tightly shut, with a yellow talisman pasted on them, covered with strange symbols.

“This place… seems to be sealed off,” Chihiro Yukishiro said, looking at the talisman on the door.

"A seal? Could it be... that some kind of monster is sealed inside?" Zhu Feifei asked.

"I don't know." Chihiro Yukishiro shook her head. "However, we can go in and take a look."

"Go in? How do we go in?" Zhu Feifei asked. "There are talismans on this door. If we force our way in, won't we...?"

"Don't worry, I have a way." Yukishiro Chihiro said, taking out a dagger from her pocket and lightly slicing it on her finger.

Blood dripped onto the talisman on the door, immediately producing a hissing sound. The symbols on the talisman began to twist and deform, and finally turned into a wisp of green smoke and dissipated.

"What... what kind of operation is this?!" Zhu Feifei stared in disbelief. "A blood test for kinship?!"

“This is a ‘Demon-Breaking Spell,’ specifically designed to break various seals and barriers,” Chihiro Yukishiro explained. “However, this method has a significant backlash on the caster, and should not be used lightly unless absolutely necessary.”

"Backlash? Then... then wouldn't you be in great danger?" Zhu Feifei asked worriedly.

"It's nothing," said Chihiro Yukishiro, pushing open the main hall door and walking inside.

Zhu Feifei quickly followed.

The two entered the main hall and discovered that it was a hidden world inside.