Stardew Valley of Gensokyo

After some time, Motoori Kosuzu also noticed something was wrong. Her delicate nose twitched, and she looked at Akina Sawaya with a puzzled expression.

It wasn't until then that Akina Sawa had sorted out the whole story and finally understood why Hieda-san, despite being the head of the family, was in such a predicament.

"You didn't die at the time specified in the rules... They all think that you broke the ironclad rule and might bring disaster upon yourself, so they're afraid of you, right?" Akina Ze also stared at Akyuu and said slowly.

"How could you do this!" This was Xiaoling's angry voice.

Hieda Akyuu said calmly, with a hint of bitterness, "Just as you said, everyone thinks I must have offended Lord Enma, which is why they didn't allow me to return to the underworld..."

“Very good, since that’s the case, it’s a minor matter. I have a way to solve it, so you don’t need to worry. Things will return to normal soon.” Akina Ze also stood up with a confident look on his face and said, “Xiaoling, let’s go.”

He waved to Motoori Kosuzu and then planned to go to a place where this matter could be resolved.

It's Lord Enma, everyone knows him.

Following closely behind Akina Sawaya, Motoori Kosuzu looked completely bewildered.

Weren't they here to ask Ah Qiu about the dark energy? Why are they suddenly leaving?

There's no contradiction between solving Ah Qiu's problem and inquiring about the black energy, right?

Seeing that they were about to turn the corner and enter the main passage of the Hieda family, Motoori Kosuzu couldn't help but ask, "Sawaya... have you forgotten something?"

Upon hearing this, Akina Sawa froze on the spot... He seemed to have forgotten the important business he came to the Hieda family for...

“Um…” Akina Sawa scratched his head awkwardly, “I think I really forgot just now. Thank you for reminding me, Suzu.”

"Hehe, you're welcome. I know you just want to help Ah Qiu as soon as possible, and I'm really happy about that."

A soft touch enveloped him, and Akina Sawa looked at Motoori Korin, who was somewhat at a loss, with her arms wrapped around his waist and her face resting happily against his chest.

and many more! ?

Did Miss Wenwen see this again? This wasn't something I did on purpose!

Akina Ze suddenly realized something and looked around, afraid that seeing the dark wings would cause her to misunderstand. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he found that she was really not there.

Hieda Akyuu stood at the window, gazing at the two people embracing at the end of the corner ahead. A hint of envy appeared on her face.

As the daughter of Miori, she has dedicated herself to Gensokyo for generations, never experiencing the innocence of first love.

"If I had the chance... I'd like to give it a try too..."

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Hieda Akyuu let out a barely audible sigh.

......

Chapter 190 The Beginning of the Past

Just moments ago, Hieda Akyuu was feeling sorry for himself when he suddenly saw the two people who acted as intermediaries returning again and again, and his expression became somewhat strange.

Akina Sawa greeted her apologetically, "I'm sorry, Miss Akyuu, I forgot there's something I need your help with. I was in a bit of a rush and forgot..."

"It's alright, it's good that you're willing to come back and sit for a while longer."

Hieda Akyuu's stiff expression only lasted a short while before he quickly recovered and responded with a smile.

"Without further ado, let's begin."

Worried that he might forget again, Akina Sawa chose to get straight to the point this time.

In just a few words, Akina Sawa told Hieda Akyuu everything about the dark aura.

Upon hearing this, Akyuu's brows furrowed deeply.

Having learned many historical anecdotes, she was fully aware of the potential damage that the black aura's surface appearance could cause to the human village.

"Are there any other clues?" A-Qiu pressed.

"No, there are only two cases discovered so far: Kaguya and Suzu." Akina Sawa also shook his head.

Hieda Akyuu's brows furrowed, her teeth slightly biting, a hint of sorrow flashing in her purple eyes.

"Okay, although there are only two clues, I might be able to find out exactly what is causing the problem. I'm going to get something."

Having said that, Hieda Akyuu got up and walked towards the bedroom.

Akina Ze also beamed with joy. Although he had two clues, he didn't know where to begin with them. Now that he could find a clear clue with Akyuu, the culprit was finally about to reveal himself.

A faint smile appeared on Motoori Kosuzu's face. Akina Sawa was happy, and so was she.

There was no kotatsu in Hieda Akyuu's hut, so Xiaoling had to tuck her chin into her scarf as much as possible, but she still couldn't stop the wisps of heat from turning into white mist and drifting away from her skin, making her feel a little cold.

Come sit down next to me.

"Eh? Okay, okay, I'm coming right now!"

Akina Ze also noticed Xiaoling's current situation and waved for her to sit down next to him.

The heat emanating from his body can be increased through the circulation of Qi.

Not to mention Xiaoling, even if there were several more, he could easily provide warmth to everyone on his own.

"..."

As Hieda Akyuu walked out of the inner room with Gensokyo in his arms, he saw Motoori Kosuzu nestled beside Akina Sawaya with a big smile on her face.

"Cough cough~" Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Hieda no Akyuu coughed heavily twice.

Suddenly hearing a cough, Motoori Kozue, who was immersed in warmth, looked panicked. Her face turned red, and she immediately straightened up, placing her two small hands awkwardly on her knees. She turned her head away and looked elsewhere, as if nothing had happened.

Akina Ze also looked at Motoori Korin with a puzzled expression. He was still focused on circulating the Qi in his meridians to provide heat, so why did she leave?

"I've brought the items over; the clues you're looking for are inside."

Hieda Akyuu slammed the book he was holding onto the table, his words laced with a deep-seated jealousy.

However, neither Akina Sawa nor Motoori Kosuzu noticed it. Seeing that Akyuu had brought a book and placed it there, they curiously went over to investigate.

"I heard from Teacher Keine that this book called 'The Origin of Gensokyo' contains many interesting stories that happened in Gensokyo?" Akina Ze also looked at the words written on the cover thoughtfully.

"Yes, you're right. Teacher Keine also helped me a lot in writing this book, and it's not just about recording interesting stories~" Hieda Akyuu was full of energy when he talked about the origin of Gensokyo.

Upon seeing the two who were listening intently, Hieda Akyuu suddenly whispered, "It also contains many embarrassing stories about yokai~"

"all?"

Upon hearing this, Hieda no Akyuu, who had been quite excited just moments before, became somewhat silent and said listlessly, "No, some yokai of rather special status are not recorded..."

Akina Ze understood Akyuu's unspoken meaning, but he didn't press further, knowing that knowing too much wasn't necessarily a good thing.

Gossip should be limited to safe areas. As for why Aya Shameimaru didn't get into trouble... who said she never got into trouble?

Distracted by Akina Sawaya, Hieda Akyuu lost interest in continuing her explanation. She skillfully opened the thick Gensokyo Origins and pointed to a page with text, saying, "What is most relevant to what you are talking about should be this event that once happened in the human village."

Following Akyuu Suhaku's finger, Akina Sawa clearly saw the line of text written on it—"The Chaos of the Weight Loss Jade Pendant."

......

It was springtime.

The inhabitants of the human world, having survived the long, cold winter, all gained a lot of weight.

After all, winter is not a good time for outdoor exercise, and staying at home can easily lead to weight gain.

Many residents who felt they were too fat started a weight loss plan.

For a time, these chubby people could be seen sweating everywhere—on the streets, along the paths, by the river, and in the squares.

This is normal, though, since this happens every spring in the village of the living, it's just a matter of how much fat the animals are due to the previous year's harvest.

Such things usually last for one or two months before ending, leaving only a few people who lack perseverance and only work sporadically.

But they really wanted to lose weight.

Just then, a group of kappa from Youkai Mountain set their sights on them.

Do you feel like you lack willpower? You keep thinking about dieting tomorrow, but when the day actually comes, you just don't want to do anything?

A kappa-like woman dressed in a white coat stood on a platform and gave a speech to the residents gathered below.

Some residents who weren't interested left in twos and threes, but some who hadn't actually started dieting even after almost a month didn't leave and nodded in agreement.

The white-coated kappa looked down at the residents who were still standing there, looking up at her, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

These are all her valuable clients!

The woman in the white coat, Kappa, suddenly shouted, gesturing for her assistant to bring her a box:

"You won't have to worry about this kind of problem anymore. As long as you use our Kappa Technology, you'll get up in the middle of the night to complete your daily workout! And you won't need anyone to urge you!"

At this point, the woman in the white coat suddenly opened the box in her hand, revealing a jade pendant with a cucumber relief carved on its surface.

Holding the jade pendant by the red rope, the kappa in the white coat swept around the audience, ensuring that every spectator had a chance to see the cucumber-shaped jade pendant.

She then shouted, "As long as you wear it, you'll have enough willpower to finish losing weight... Or are you really planning to stay fat like this?!"

After such a presentation, the crowd below was eager to participate, but some people still maintained their composure and asked, "Are you kidding us? How could a jade pendant have such an effect?"

“Very well, you’re right.” The white-coated kappa, who had been questioned, showed no change in expression, but rather an air of complete control. “But this jade pendant of mine is no ordinary jade pendant. It’s a jade pendant imbued with kappa technology, a jade pendant carved with a cucumber!”

"I wouldn't have taken this out if I hadn't seen that you guys really wanted to lose weight!"

As she spoke, the kappa-girl in the white coat looked at the cucumber-shaped jade pendant in her hand with deep affection, her tenderness evident to everyone below.

Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, the kappa in the white coat suddenly said, "The number of jade pendants is also limited, first come, first served!"

A man wearing a straw hat, hidden at the edge of the crowd, shouted, "Give me one!"

This caused an uproar among the crowd, who began shouting:

"I also want!"

"No, I want it too! Don't try to take it from me!"

The kappa in the white coat said with a smile, "Don't rush, don't rush, one at a time, 500 copper coins each~"

......

Chapter 191 Seeking the Truth

"There's obviously something wrong here! How come they can't see it?!"

After reading about the past events recorded above, Motoori Kosuzu's tone was full of doubt.

“Because all of this was written afterward,” Hieda Akyuu sighed in response. “After all, those involved are often blinded by their own perspective. Back then, the kappa’s reputation wasn’t as bad as it is now, and many people were still willing to believe them.”

As the author of Gensokyo Origins, Hieda Akyuu clearly understands how the kappa's reputation has gradually become what it is today, but the people of the Human Village cannot completely escape from them.

“There are indeed many similarities.” Akina Ze stroked his chin, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. “The subsequent development of the story is also very similar.”

......

After that speech, the kappa's jade pendants were heavily promoted, and many people who wanted to lose weight but lacked the willpower bought them.

Initially, the jade pendant did indeed have excellent effects. Many people were surprised to find that those who bought the jade pendant began to exercise every day, remaining motionless regardless of wind or rain.

The visible effects of personal use led to a surge in demand, causing the Kappa jade pendant to become scarce, with people scrambling to buy it.

This made the kappa incredibly wealthy. Every day, boxes of jade pendants were brought from the Youkai Mountain to the human village. Later, they even used materials like stones and mud to mold the pendants, but they still charged the same amount of money.

But as expected, an unexpected event occurred.

Never have any faith in Kappa's technological creations; they will always fail in some way.

After a period of peaceful days...

Some people who successfully lost weight by buying jade pendants suddenly found themselves unable to live without exercising every day. Even though they were already very thin, they couldn't help but exercise, as if there was a voice in their heads urging them on until they destroyed the jade pendant to return to normal.

Not only that, some people have started spending all their time fishing by the river or stream, as if this is the only thing that matters in their lives, and they don't care about anything else...

For a time, those who liked to drink drank all day long, and those who loved gossip would gather a group of friends and talk about gossip in the room with bloodshot eyes, even when they were extremely sleepy.

All sorts of outrageous things keep happening, but they all have one thing in common—the jade pendant!

People started avoiding the jade pendant like the plague. Those who had already experienced problems destroyed their pendants to restore normalcy, but the damage was irreversible... Some suffered ankle injuries that left them unable to move, others experienced severe deterioration in family relationships, and still others spent all their money on alcohol...

People cried out that they had been cheated and rushed to find the kappa who sold the jade pendants to demand an explanation, but unfortunately, the kappa had already realized something was wrong and had run away.

The victims can only write a heavy, indelible mark on the misdeeds of the kappa.

But even this story has faded with time and the people who experienced it have passed away, and now few people know about it.

Only Gensokyo Origins clearly recorded this event.