Yuu Nan's gaze lingered on the shrine maiden's figure.
He detected a barely perceptible weariness and...sadness in her smile.
Because of a fantastical legend, an undying desire, and an unparalleled love for this island, Kimie Shimabukuro and her family have borne far too much.
In order to preserve this legend and to meet the expectations of tourists, each generation must perish at sea, just to continue playing the role of the Longevity Granny, a character that carries the attention and fantasies of countless tourists.
.........
As night falls, Mermaid Island is brightly lit.
The plaza in front of the shrine was packed with tourists, all eagerly awaiting the appearance of the legendary "Longevity Granny." Occasionally, one could hear tourists whispering about the legend of immortality.
"They're here! They're here!"
A burst of excited exclamations suddenly erupted from the crowd.
On the high platform, the shrine gate suddenly opened with the sound of drums, and a hunched figure slowly walked out—it was an old woman with a wrinkled face and white hair, incredibly thin, holding a torch taller than herself.
She wore heavy makeup, and her eyes were almost completely obscured by wrinkles, making her look like she had lived for hundreds of years.
"That's... the Longevity Woman?"
Kazuha's eyes widened in surprise, and she subconsciously moved closer to Yuusuke. For some reason, the old woman gave her a strange feeling.
Xiao Lan muttered to herself, "He really looks like he's lived for hundreds of years..."
"So small?" Kogoro Mouri couldn't help but remark.
Indeed, the old woman was probably less than a meter tall, but the torch in her hand was almost twice her length, making her appear even shorter in the light of the torch.
Ai, holding the fish tank, watched coldly: "Playing tricks."
"Now... let's begin drawing this year's 'Dugong's Arrow' winner..."
The entire room fell silent instantly.
The "Longevity Granny" shakily brought the torch closer, lit the top of the torch, and then slowly turned around. Amid the gasps of the crowd, she aimed the flame at the talisman pasted on the wooden door behind her.
"boom!"
The flames instantly ignited the numbers on the door, the three burning numbers standing out starkly against the night sky:
"Three, one hundred and seventy-eight!"
Cheers and sighs immediately erupted from the crowd.
"Number 18! It's me!" Kazuha exclaimed excitedly, holding up her number. "I won!"
Xiaolan looked at her number tag, somewhat regretfully: "I'm number 12..."
The little girl raised an eyebrow, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Xiaolan and the Old Woman of Longevity: "She didn't even get Xiaolan..."
—There's definitely something fishy about this lottery!
In her mind, for someone like Xiaolan who could be considered an "absolute lucky queen," if she wasn't selected in the lottery, it was enough to prove that there was definitely something fishy about the lottery!
Yuzuru's lips curled up slightly, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.
Do you even know what behind-the-scenes manipulation means?
The three dugong arrows corresponded to the three friends who harmed Shimabukuro Kimie's mother, except that one of them, a woman named Kadoya Saori, was already dead, so one arrow was left for Kazuha.
Seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune, my Lan is truly European.
On the high platform, after drawing the prize, the old woman turned and walked into the shrine, and then Kimie Shimabukuro came out from inside.
At this moment, the shrine maiden changed her lively image from the daytime. Dressed in a solemn shrine maiden outfit, her face was solemn, as if she were a true servant of the gods, exuding an aura of sacredness and inviolability.
"Guests who have drawn numbers, please proceed to Mermaid Falls." Her voice was clear and ethereal. "The Longevity Woman will be there to bestow the Dugong's Arrow."
The crowd stirred, and the "lucky winners" and those who were just there to watch the spectacle excitedly surged toward the waterfall.
"Heye, let's go with you!" Xiaolan said enthusiastically.
Kazuha nodded happily: "Mm!"
Yu Shengnan glanced at the time: "My master and I are going back to the hotel first. Please be careful."
"Huh? Nan isn't going?" Xiaolan asked, somewhat surprised.
Yu Sheng Nan ruffled the hair of the two girls: "Some things can wait until later."
“Alright then~” Xiaolan and Heye nodded obediently.
Watching Kazuha and her group follow the other tourists to Mermaid Falls, Yuzuru winked at Ikenami Shizuka, who was standing to the side with a half-smile.
"Tell me, what are you taking me there for?"
"Hehe, of course I'll take you, Master, to see a good show!"
.............
Mermaid Falls is located behind the shrine, surrounded by a deep and tranquil forest. To get there, you need to pass through this dark forest filled with a mysterious atmosphere.
Before the tourists arrived, a figure appeared above Mermaid Falls.
No, it should be two figures.
The only difference is that one is standing, and the other is lying down.
Above the waterfall, the moonlight was like water.
Shimabukuro Kimie stood quietly on the edge of the cliff, her red and white shrine maiden robes fluttering in the biting night wind, making a "whooshing" sound, as if playing a prelude to what was about to happen.
She stared blankly at the rushing water at her feet, a thick hemp rope clutched in her hand.
"Sumimi...you've finally arrived."
She spoke softly, her voice devoid of any warmth.
Behind her, a woman in a purple dress stared wide-eyed in horror—it was Toshimi Ebihara, one of the lottery winners.
Her hands were tied behind her back and her mouth was taped shut, so she could only make muffled "ooh" sounds.
"Don't be afraid, it will be quick."
Shimabukuro Kimie turned around, her face half-lit and half-shadowed in the moonlight. She slowly raised the hemp rope in her hand, the end of which was tied to a heavy wooden stake.
"Three years ago, didn't you watch my mother being burned alive in the same way?"
Toshimi Ebihara shook her head frantically, tears streaming down her face.
"It's no use saying these things now."
Shimabukuro Kimie's tone remained unwavering as she slowly placed the wooden stake around Ebihara Toshimi's neck, her movements as gentle as if she were putting a necklace on her friend. However, this "necklace" was the shackles of death.
"The three of you... Saori, Naoko, and you... to verify the legend that 'mermaid flesh can grant immortality,' you set fire to my mother's house, killing her... simply because the old woman she was impersonating lived too long..."
Her voice grew softer and softer, finally turning into a sigh.
"Now, it's your turn."
Having said that, she pushed hard—
"Splash!"
Tomi Ebihara fell into the waterfall along with her lifebuoy. The weight of the wooden stake left her hanging in the middle of the waterfall, swaying violently with the current.
From a distance, it looks like a mermaid that has been fished out.
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