Stardew Valley of Gensokyo

"Marisa, have you ever drunk alcohol?"

"Hmm~" Upon hearing this topic, Marisa lowered her head and thought for a moment before saying, "I don't quite remember. Akina-sensei, do you like it?"

"Don't be fooled by my brewing skills; I don't actually like drinking it," Akina Ze said, recalling his past experiences.

He was short of money for a while, so he provided some wine to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. After the wine was made, he took a sip and found it unpalatable, so he spat it out on the spot.

However, according to feedback from the silver-haired head maid, the owner of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Remilia, had a very high opinion of his brewed sake; in any case, Akina Sawa himself didn't appreciate it.

Upon hearing this answer, Kirisame Marisa rested her chin on her hands and smiled at Akina Sawa, saying, "I don't like drinking it either, but I've heard that tengu really like it."

"Does Tengu like to drink?" Akina Sawa was also taken aback, but for a moment, he couldn't recall Shameimaru Aya drinking in front of him. However, if she really liked to drink, then planting some fruit trees and brewing some low-alcohol fruit wine would be good; maybe Marisa could even have a drink.

The two chatted aimlessly.

Suddenly, Akina Sawa also noticed that Kirisame Marisa's expression had suddenly become serious.

"What's wrong?" he asked confused.

"Shh!" Marisa, with a solemn expression, raised her slender index finger to make a shushing gesture, then pulled him by the hem of his clothes and turned into a dark corner of the building.

“I sense an extremely strong demonic aura approaching. I suspect a demon king is near. Be careful, don’t get caught,” Marisa whispered in Akina Zeya’s ear.

"If ghosts are passing by, why not just ask them for directions? Why hide?" Akina Ze asked, puzzled. However, he didn't speak loudly but instead whispered in Marisa's right ear, just like she did.

Feeling the warm air blowing against her ear, Marisa Kirisame couldn't help but let out a soft hum, but she reacted quickly, reaching out to cover Sawa Akina's ear so he wouldn't hear.

"What are you doing?" Akina Ze asked in a low voice, looking puzzled, as his ears were covered.

In the cramped corner, the two were very close, and the warm breath brushed against her ears again, but Marisa resisted this time. She rubbed her legs together nervously, her beautiful amber eyes glistening with tears as she gazed at Akina Zeya, and whispered an explanation:

"Ghosts... are unreasonable. Most ghosts don't actually welcome humans. If they find out about you, it will definitely be a lot of trouble."

The starlight was dim, and in such a dark corner, Akina Ze couldn't see Marisa's current situation at all. He nodded and turned to look at the end of the street, wondering what the oni that would come out later would look like.

Seeing that Akina Sawa had also turned his head away, the warm air blowing on her ear disappeared. Kirisame Marisa, who had never known that her earlobes were so sensitive, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, some regret rose in her heart.

Feeling indescribable, Marisa Kirisame thought she must have caught a cold, otherwise her heart wouldn't be beating so fast.

The Demon King is coming soon.

Marisa Kirisame shifted her focus from the dimly lit profile of Akina Sawa to the street.

Under the focused or uncertain gazes of the two, a bright red plate, resembling blood, came into view first.

Then, a tall woman with long, deep red horns on her forehead appeared behind her. She was wearing a loose, light purple bathrobe, carrying a plate in one hand and a large wine gourd at her waist. She walked with a swaying gait as if she were drunk, but the full plate of wine did not spill out.

Akina Sawa's eyes widened as well. The ghost that appeared on the street corner completely shattered his imagination, especially the pair of snow-white thunderbolts, which overturned all the wrong knowledge he had built up based on the image of Suika.

Suddenly, he felt a pain in his waist, but this did not affect his appreciation of beauty at all.

With her fiery red lips lightly sipping the wine from the plate, Hoshiguma Yuugi raised an eyebrow, glanced at the shadows, but ignored them and left.

Such a bold human is indeed rare, and his courage is commendable, but he doesn't seem like someone who would drink alcohol, which is a pity.

After Hoshiguma Yuugi strode away, Akina Sawa finally felt the intense pain in his lower back.

"Ouch!" The next second, he winced in pain, jumped out of the shadows, and asked Marisa, "Why did you pinch me?"

"I'm just worried you'll attract her attention!" Turning her head away, Marisa Kirisame pouted, seemingly a little unhappy.

After the farce of the Demon King's passing, the two continued searching for the trail of the Flame Chariot, but Marisa seemed somewhat distracted.

"It's all excess fat, which affects flight efficiency and is actually not good at all..."

Faintly, Akina Sawa also heard some whispers coming from Marisa, but because they were so soft, he couldn't hear them very clearly. However, he could confirm that she seemed to be in a bad mood.

Just as Akina Sawa was wondering how to cheer Marisa up, a fiery red light appeared at one of the corners of the intersection.

"Look at that!"

The fiery red color was just like the flame-shaped chariot the girl on the bridge had described. Akina Ze quickly shook Marisa, who had been keeping her head down the whole way, to prompt her to look over.

The two looked at each other with delight. Could it really be the Flame Chariot?

Chapter 86 The Corpse Speaks

The flickering reflection of the flames shimmered on the soot-covered, dark wall, creating a swaying, ethereal effect, yet also casting a large shadow.

Unable to tell whether the next person would be friend or foe, the two hid in a familiar dark corner. Fortunately, there were quite a few dilapidated and collapsed buildings on this street, providing ample hiding space.

pound! pound! pound!

The wheels, laden with heavy loads, chugged over the potholes in the ground. Akina Ze looked on with curiosity. Since it was called the Flame Car, what exactly was on it?

On the bluestone street, the sound of wheels rolling grew closer and closer, under the expectant gazes of the two.

—A pair of straight legs lying flat appeared.

Without any preamble, what appeared before the two was a pair of legs lying flat on a wooden cart.

Moreover, as the wheels continued to move forward, pairs of legs of varying sizes and shapes appeared on the wooden plank, with a white cloth covering the back of each leg, leaving one to wonder just how horrific the scene inside might be.

It was shocking to see these were all corpses...? Akina Sawa's pupils contracted slightly upon seeing this scene.

Moreover, the white candles of varying heights stuck in the railings of the handcart emitted a faint candlelight, while streaks of solidified black wax covered the cart, outlining a skull that was 'weeping'.

Only then did Akina Sawa realize that he was now in hell... albeit the old hell.

“This must be the cat cart they’re talking about in the book,” Marisa said gravely. “They say they steal corpses from all over the place and put them on their carts.”

"Are there so many dead people on the ground?" Akina asked in confusion. He had been in Gensokyo for so long and had never seen a family hold a funeral. It was possible that he was not familiar with the local people and no one had told him, but in any case, there could not be so many corpses.

"I don't know," Marisa Kirisame replied hesitantly, shaking her head. "It could also be a youkai..."

A silence fell over the dark corner, but the cat cart continued to rumble along the street.

However, what happened next surprised Akina Ze as well.

Because a cute little kitten appeared in their field of vision.

Two fluffy black cat ears stood upright on her head and twitched nimbly. A dark green dress, almost black, was worn on her petite body. Black Mary Jane shoes were paired with black ribbons. Her slender, thin arms struggled to push the cart forward.

...Is this the CatCart Monster?

From any angle, Akina Sawa could only see a petite and adorable catgirl working hard, but... the truckload of corpses made this conclusion impossible to explain.

A handcart filled with corpses and a cute little cat girl... there's an inexplicable contrast between the two.

"Maybe she'll transform?" Marisa began analyzing this illogical scenario. "She might turn into a giant wolf that could bite a person in two with a single bite?"

"It shouldn't be..."

Looking closely at the overly lively fluffy cat ears, Akina Ze retorted without turning his head, "Look at those cat ears, they should feel nice to touch, right?"

The two were still discussing, but the cat cart kept moving. Soon, the cat girl pushed the cat cart across the intersection.

"Let's follow her. If the girl on the bridge is right, she will lead us to the ruins."

Seeing that the cat cart was about to leave the tracking range, Akina Sawa turned around and said to Marisa.

But instead of a response, a girl squatting down with her hands supporting her cheeks and a lovely smile appeared on her face.

His pupils contracted sharply. When did she appear behind him? Where was Marisa?

"Brother Akina, have you seen me again?" The voice was hollow.

She showed no emotion, but her face was indeed smiling, and in Akina Sawaya's constricted pupils, Komeiji Kosei's sweet smile was reflected.

......

What are you daydreaming about?!

Like a voice from the heavens, Marisa's clear voice appeared in Akina Zeya's ears, waking him from his reverie.

Did I just see someone and say something to her?

As Marisa approached with a slightly angry expression, Akina Zeya's mind was still not fully awake. He realized that he seemed to have forgotten something, but he couldn't remember it no matter what he did.

"If we don't leave now, that cat cart will be gone!" Marisa tugged at Akina Zeya's sleeve, her amber eyes looking up as she said with dissatisfaction, "You were acting strange just now, what were you doing squatting there all by yourself? You didn't answer when I called you."

"It's nothing." Akina Ze also stroked his chin, shook his head, and said to Marisa, who was staring intently at him, "I'm fine. Let's follow them first, so the cat cart doesn't get lost."

Although Marisa Kirisame had many questions she wanted to ask, she suppressed them, and the two followed closely behind the cat cart.

Thanks to the combined noise of the wheels and the bumpy road, the sound of their footsteps was largely masked.

Suddenly, Akina Sawa also reached out to stop Marisa, and the two hid behind a nearby pillar.

The cat-shaped cart stopped in front of a building. Under Akina Ze's watchful gaze, the petite cat girl walked to the front of the cart and patted a 'corpse' under a white sheet. Her impolite tone was clearly audible to the two people behind her.

"We're home! Get off the bus!"

Is she talking to a corpse? Akina Sawa looked at Marisa with a puzzled expression, but found that she was doing the same thing.

Just then, the situation ahead changed again. The catgirl sighed and shook her thin arm as if she was warming up before doing something.

Then, something amazing happened: she grabbed the 'corpse' by one leg and dragged it out.

It was only then that Akina Sawa realized that the 'corpse' had horns on its forehead and its mouth was opening and closing.

"The corpse is alive!?" This scene made Marisa Kirisame exclaim in surprise.

"Who?"

The catgirl clearly heard the voice, and she immediately let go of his hand, looking around, causing the drunkard in her hand to fall heavily to the ground, groaning a few times.

However, she looked left and right, then at the distant pillar, but saw no one. A look of confusion appeared on her face.

Of course, she didn't notice anything, because Marisa was being held in Akina Sawaya's arms with her mouth covered, the two of them hiding closely behind a pillar, and the flying broomstick was standing upright.

Finding no one and not wanting to waste any more time, the catwoman shook her head, grabbed the drunkard's leg, and dragged him up. The ghost's head bumped against the bluestone floor, but the catwoman ignored it and dragged him to the door. She pushed open the door, shoved the ghost inside, and then slammed the door shut.

The houses where ghosts live don't seem to be locked?

After finishing all this, the catgirl clapped her hands, walked back to the cart, and continued pushing it forward. There were still quite a few 'corpses' on the cart.

The two people behind the pillar breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.

It was only then that Akina Ze noticed the burning heat on his hands, which was coming from the person in his arms.

"Marisa!? Are you alright?"

Seeing this, he quickly let go and put Marisa down.

"I'm fine, let's keep going."

With difficulty, Marisa Kirisame sat back down on the broom, rubbing her flushed face as she spoke.

......

Chapter 87 Changes in the Ruins

"The task assigned by Lord Jue has finally been completed!"

After dragging the last drunkard from the cart into the house, wiping his sweat, Rin the Flame Cat said joyfully.

For nearly a year, no one died in the human village, and the monsters were at peace, making it the most peaceful year ever. However, this was not good for Rin the Fire Cat, because no corpses, which she loved, were produced.

"Aren't you two going to show yourselves?"

Suddenly, Rin the Fire Cat changed the subject, turned to look at a shadowy spot in the corner of the wall in the distance, and said with certainty.

Through her conversation with the ghost, Flame Cat Rin had already noticed that two humans were following her. However, since they were humans, she didn't pay them any attention and instead focused on completing the task assigned by Lord Satori—that is, bringing the drunkards scattered throughout the streets back home.

Now that the mission is complete, Rin the Fire Cat has time to confront the person who was secretly following her.

Although I don't understand how I was discovered, now that I've been found out, continuing to hide would only be self-deception. I might as well come out honestly and maybe I can manage things a bit with my eloquence.

After thinking it over, Akina Sawa nodded to Marisa beside him, and the two walked out of the shadowy street corner together.

“I am only interested in humans who have died but not been buried, not humans who are still alive. Tell me, why are you following me?”

Rin the Flame Cat, or rather Rin, wiped the white cloth, spread it on the handcart, and plopped down on it. He looked at the two people in front of him with great interest, his sharp canine teeth slightly parted, gleaming coldly.

Not afraid at all, Akina Ze took a few steps forward and came to Rin's side, asking sincerely, "We want to go to the ruins of the Scorching Hell. We heard that we can only enter by following behind you."

"The ruins of the Scorching Hell?" Ah Lin clicked his tongue, his face full of doubt. Why would these people go to Ah Kong's place?

So she said, half warning and half questioning, "That place is not suitable for humans to stay. The fire and poison are fierce. You'll die there if you go! Also, why do you want to go to the ruins?"

"They say there's a kind of mushroom that grows there with cat ears on top, and we want that one," Akina Sawa honestly replied.

"Cat mushroom?"