The afterlife blew up Gensokyo

Things like that will be forgotten in ten days or so at most. Besides, there were only about a dozen people in the noodle shop at the time, so there's absolutely nothing to worry about!

Hmm... maybe?

....................................

Just as Shiki Eiki was dutifully explaining to Saigyouji Yuyuko her future work and related key points, on the other side, Tokihaku also began his own big shopping spree.

After Saigyouji Yuyuko moves into Hakugakurou, Hakugakurou will no longer be an empty building. While this can be considered a good thing, it also brings a whole host of problems.

For example, the spirits Youki and Youmu, who will inevitably move into Hakugyokurou later, are half-human and half-spirit, but ultimately half of them are human. They also need the same living conditions that humans need... such as the most basic food and water.

It is foreseeable that for a long time to come, Konpaku Youki will be plagued by headaches because of that glutton's appetite.

Midway through the journey, Shiro happened to encounter a lazy Mamachi on the road, so she captured it to use as a food transporter. A wild Hieda Ago appeared by the roadside, and Komachi defeated it to recruit it into her party.

When Shiki finally finished get off work and returned to Hakugyokurou with Saigyouji Yuyuko, a huge barbecue grill had already been set up in the front yard. In the middle of the banquet, a sneaky mahjong parlor owner joined the party.

Shi Bai didn't know whether Saigyouji Yuyuko had actually read the newspaper, but judging from her seemingly self-destructive state at the banquet, Shi Bai felt it was best not to go up and ask her.

The banquet ended with everyone enjoying themselves.

"Thank you very much."

She sat down next to Shi Bai, her voice tinged with a hint of nostalgia.

"I've already compiled the third edition of 'The Origin of Gensokyo.' If it weren't for your help back then, I would never have been able to get to this point."

"Are you Hieda Rei now, or who is it?"

Turning his head to look at the girl beside him, whose appearance was quite different from before, Shi Bai raised an eyebrow.

"From the perspective of worldly ethics, Hieda no Rei is my ancestor, but from the perspective of the cycle of life and death in the underworld, Hieda no Rei is me, and I am not Hieda no Rei."

"Oh? Really? You seem quite different now compared to before. So, do you regret the choices you made back then?"

Turning back to continue brushing seasoning onto the skewers on the grill, Shi Bai casually replied.

"I can tell that you seem a little confused."

"It's not so much confusion as a problem; rather, it's a problem that has been bothering me for a very, very long time."

The girl looked up at the endless dark void above her.

"I have encountered many monsters, and I have also encountered many humans. I can recall most of the things, but some memories gradually become fragmented over time. Among those fragmented memories, some people and things are gradually drifting away from me. Compared with a hundred years in the underworld, the few decades in this world are so insignificant."

"Don't you feel it's real? That's because there's nothing that leaves a deep impression on you... Hieda Ami, the son of the third generation of Miyako, and also the third compiler of the Gensokyo Origins. If my memory serves me right, the time when you were in Gensokyo was the time when the Saigyou family was still in Gensokyo. You should know Saigyouji Yuyuko."

Shi Bai spoke calmly.

"On one hand, there are those uneventful years as a human being, and on the other hand, there are those unchanging years in the underworld as a spirit. It's normal for you to feel this kind of confusion, because I've felt this way before."

"...Tell me how to get rid of this confusion."

After a moment of silence, the girl spoke softly.

“I’m starting to feel scared now. I’m even afraid of being reincarnated. I know this kind of thought shouldn’t exist in my heart, but I can’t stop thinking about it. After Meimu left Gensokyo and disappeared without a trace, there’s nothing in this world that I can look forward to. No one understands me, no one knows me. The Hieda family just treats me as a special, revered being. Following the predetermined path of my life, I’m going to come into contact with youkai, write about youkai, and watch those youkai eat people and those humans kill youkai. That feeling sometimes drives me crazy… I can’t take it anymore.”

"What you have witnessed is the chaotic side, the dark side, but there is always light in the darkness, and order in the chaos."

Putting down the seasoning brush, Shi Bai handed several freshly grilled skewers to the other person.

"I've already said it, this road is difficult to travel."

"……I know."

"is it?"

Shi Bai smiled.

“Now that you have a set goal, you will never be confused. Those so-called confusions are only temporary. I know what you are pursuing, but the more a tree yearns for the light at the top, the deeper its roots must go, into the soil, into the depths of darkness. Beauty is just a fleeting feeling; only truth is eternal, and truth is never beautiful. And what you are trying to explore and record is precisely this truth that is never beautiful.”

"reality……"

The girl suddenly let out a soft sigh.

"I have the courage to explore the darkness and the confidence to seek the truth, but sometimes those so-called truths are simply unacceptable. Monsters slaughter humans, and humans hunt monsters. Between humans and monsters, who is right and who is wrong?"

“These things are also real.”

"Is it... also true?"

"That's right, these things are also real. The so-called reality is actually the fact that cannot be accepted by the public. The killing that occurs in the struggle for survival is neither right nor wrong, neither good nor evil... Let me ask you a question. If a wolf wants to hunt a lamb that is only a few months old, and you happen to run into it, what would you do?"

"Hmm... chase that wolf away?"

"Poor wolf, without this little lamb to fill its belly, it will starve to death before the winter. Your protection of the sheep is a disaster for the wolf."

"...Let the wolf eat the sheep?"

"The poor little lamb, only a few months old and yet to have seen this wonderful world, has lost its life because of your inaction. Your protection of the wolf is also a disaster for the sheep."

"........."

The girl stopped talking.

"That's why I said, in the face of survival, there is no distinction between good and evil."

Shi Bai shrugged, completely unconcerned.

"If you can figure this out, you will no longer be confused."

P.S.: The second update will be between midnight and 1 a.m., and the third update will be between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Fine Oolong Tea

Whether it's the underworld or hell, there is no distinction between day and night. No matter when or where, the sky is always that boundless dark void.

"So, did you manage to talk to him/her?"

Holding a glass of wine, Heca approached the man and poked his arm with her finger.

"Ah...more or less. It's not really a big problem. Even without my guidance, she'll be able to get through it on her own."

Shi Bai casually took the wine glass that the other person offered him and nodded slightly.

"Actually, everyone does things like this... Pfft! Cough cough cough, what the hell is this?!"

After downing half a glass of wine, Shi Bai frantically fanned his mouth with his hand, his face contorted in a grimace.

Oolong tea.

Heca blinked, looking completely innocent.

"...Is this revenge?"

It took four cups of saliva to barely suppress the strange taste in his mouth. Looking at Heka sitting on the railing in front of him, swinging his legs, Shi Bai's lips twitched.

"Hmph, would I be the kind of person who would seek revenge just because you threw a banquet and didn't invite me? No way."

With a soft hum, Heca made a large X with both hands in front of him.

"How is it? My specially blended oolong tea tastes pretty good, doesn't it?"

"Yes, yes, it was absolutely unforgettable."

Feeling the tingling sensation on his tongue, Shi Bai rolled his eyes.

"Didn't you say yourself that you didn't want to see Xiao Siji because you were afraid of being lectured by her? Besides, with your lazy and trouble-averse personality, even if I went to invite you, you wouldn't come, right?"

"What do you mean 'trouble'? This is clearly a free opportunity to eat and drink to your heart's content!!"

With a heavy downward swing of her hand, Heca's tone was quite firm, and it was also filled with obvious resentment.

"Do you even know? I've been so poor I haven't eaten for days!! I helped you so much, I did all those things, and you treated me but didn't invite me, and even made me show up uninvited!!!"

"Okay, okay, I was wrong. I shouldn't have left you out when I was treating. I'll definitely do it next time, next time."

Speaking in a tone as if coaxing a child, Shi Bai looked both amused and exasperated.

"I just don't understand, you can clearly pay yourself a salary, so why are you still complaining about being poor?"

"Rules cannot be broken; I must lead by example."

Heca held up a finger in front of him, his face serious.

"If even I can embezzle and use money at will, then the financial system that was built with great effort is meaningless. If I can spend money recklessly, the underworld may fall into a financial crisis again."

"But you guys should get paid too, right?"

Pushing the remaining half-cup of oolong tea far to the side, Shi Bai opened a can of beer for himself and casually tossed a can of beer to Heca as well.

"An ordinary Grim Reaper earns 100 yuan a month, Enma earns 1500 yuan a month, and gods like you earn 3000 yuan a month, which is 30 times that of an ordinary Grim Reaper. Is 3000 yuan not enough for you to live on for a month?"

"Uh... I lost everything at the card game... Otherwise, why would I come all this way to freeload a meal?"

Holding the can of beer in both hands, Heca responded dryly.

"...You deserve it."

"What?! If you hadn't opened Pandora's box and released mahjong, how could I have lost so much money playing mahjong?! So ultimately it's all your fault!!"

Heca tilted his head back and took a swig of beer, looking quite self-assured.

"I'm out of money for food, could you lend me some... Uh, what's that bunch of notes you have in your hand?"

"It's nothing, just an IOU you wrote to me before."

Holding up the large stack of IOUs in front of Heca, Shi Bai looked completely nonchalant.

"Your previous statement is like someone stealing a bicycle, falling off a cliff and dying, and then their family demanding compensation from the original owner of the stolen bicycle. Do you think that makes sense?"

"Hmm... I'll write you another IOU now!!"

After thinking for a moment, Heca decisively jumped down from the railing and ran into the house.

Shi Bai: "..."

...I knew this guy was here to borrow money!!!

"Brother, tell me about what happened after you went out this time."

Just as Bai was plotting how to trick Heka into drinking the remaining half cup of oolong tea to get revenge, a voice came from beside him, and Xiao Siji sat down on the steps next to him.

"What, are you interested in that kind of thing?"

Shiro glanced at Saigyouji Yuyuko, who was talking to Hieda Ago and Komachi at the banquet, then turned around and smiled at Shiki beside him.

"Do you really want to know about things happening outside the world?"

"Yes, because after you came back this time, your sins have been reduced a lot."

Xiao Siji nodded quite seriously.

“I think you must have encountered some very interesting things during this trip, brother.”

"Hmm...it is indeed very interesting."

After thinking for a moment, Shi Bai nodded in agreement.

"In the first world, there is a magical boy who transforms into a magical girl and attempts to save the world. This is a story about [why boys can't be magical girls, and when boys can stand up for themselves]..."

..................................................................

A certain world.

"Son, there's something I need to tell you."

Walking over to the sofa and sitting down, Su Ning looked at the boy lying on the sofa next to her, holding a phone in both hands, and sighed softly.

"Hmm? Oh, Dad, don't worry. I got all A's in my school tests. In a few days, when the ability awakening test comes, I promise I'll awaken an incredibly powerful ability to bring you glory!!"

Without looking away from his phone screen, Su Mo casually replied.

"When the time comes, Dad, you just wait..."

"It's not this matter, but another rather important matter."

As if he had made up his mind, Su Ning took a deep breath.

"Didn't you ever find it strange when you were little that your dad was always so young and handsome?"

"........."

His gaze swept over his father's bearded face and receding hairline before the boy turned his head away expressionlessly.