Chapter 43 Childhood 1
"Xiao Lin, don't talk nonsense. I'm sorry, sir. It was my child who called me that."
"Oh, okay, Mother."
A woman in a light blue kimono, carrying a bamboo basket of flowers, trotted up to Iwakatsu. She first scolded the little boy before shyly handing Iwakatsu a white flower.
Yan Sheng thanked her softly and accepted the white peony. He watched as she smoothed her loose hair, his gaze falling on her long braid that was placed to her right.
Madam, your hairstyle is a bit risky.
"I am a traveler passing through. Is there some kind of celebration here?"
Yan Sheng shifted his gaze and subtly began to probe for information. He hadn't forgotten the task the scumbag boss had given him; although he really wanted to slack off, the other party had taken the matter of the blue spider lily very seriously.
"Oh dear, you've come at the perfect time! Today is the sacrificial day of our Eternal Bliss Sect. We are going to offer sacrifices to the gods together with our sect leader."
As if they were discussing something important, the woman became radiant and, holding the boy's hand, began to explain to Yan Sheng the various aspects of the Eternal Bliss Sect.
Yan Sheng listened as the woman recounted the entire sacrificial ceremony and many other stories about the Eternal Bliss Sect.
"The final step is for the cult leader to meet with us, listen to everyone's troubles, and use the language of God to take away all our troubles and purify our hearts."
As the woman spoke, a look of longing appeared on her face. She gazed at the central altar where flames were rising and at the empty platform, her excitement infecting those around her.
The woman waved her hand and gently lectured her son, whom she was holding.
"Xiao Lin, you must remember that it was the Lord who saved us. The Lord is the Son of God."
"Okay, I didn't mean to mistake him. I just thought that the older brother looked like the cult leader..."
"?" Kid, you...
Xiao Lin saw something, grabbed the woman's hand, and ran forward, shouting as she ran.
"It's about to start! Handsome brother, come quick!"
"good…"
Yan Sheng watched as the people around him excitedly surged forward, and silently quickened his pace, but he remained silent about the way Xiao Lin addressed him.
—The Blissful Religion—
"Master, it's almost your turn to appear."
The believer, who was kneeling at the door waiting, knocked on the door and gently reminded them.
"Okay, okay, I'll be right there."
As he hummed a tune, Doma adjusted his headdress with a smile on his face. The gorgeous clothes he wore made him look even more exquisite and noble.
"It's such a pity, darling, I have to leave."
He picked up the skull and looked at it with deep affection. He turned and opened the door next to him, which led to a storage room filled with skulls of different sizes.
Doma hummed a little tune as he placed the item in the empty space, adjusted the angle slightly, and then slowly closed the door.
He looked at his reflection in the mirror and straightened his collar. Douma happily twirled around, then walked over, opened the door, and slowly went outside.
"Let's go."
The two believers who were greeting people outside the door kept their heads down and watched Douma's legs move back and forth before they got up and silently followed behind him, secretly glancing at Douma's back with their eyes full of fanaticism.
"Your Excellency, there are a few more believers this time. Would you like to see them one last time?"
As he reached the corner, Douma heard a sound. He turned around and saw a young girl hurrying towards him. She was the person in charge for the day, a close follower of Douma, who specialized in organizing these large events.
She stood panting in front of Doma, bowed deeply, and then looked up at him.
"Of course, they've come all this way, so we should definitely meet with them and ease their suffering."
Douma smiled, his diamond-like eyes captivating the mind with his smile, his holy appearance irresistibly alluring.
Doma walked through the long corridor and came to the side of the high platform outside. He looked at the ornately decorated platform, with lifelike lotus flowers on it and colorful blossoms all around. He slowly walked up, and the crowd below, seeing his arrival, knelt down.
The crowd surged, but they did not make a fuss or complain. Instead, they waited quietly for Doma to walk up to the platform.
Doma sat down on the golden lotus throne, his red robes and crown making his skin appear even whiter. His ivory-white hair cascaded over his shoulders, and his seven-colored eyes were filled with a smile. He slowly opened his arms, gazing tenderly at the crowd below, his gentle, expressive voice captivating everyone.
"Welcome to the Church of Eternal Bliss, my dear believers. Let us worship our greatest deity, and may we all go to the Pure Land of Bliss."
"Long live the Lord!"
"May the Lord bless us."
"Master..."
The layers of voices, so sincere and resonant, were truly awe-inspiring. Yan Sheng stood in a corner, watching the cult's scene, and inexplicably recalled the pyramid schemes he had encountered before, marveling at the sheer power of brainwashing cults.
He had just learned that Lady Wada was wearing a gorgeous pale yellow kimono embroidered with pink peonies today. He'd heard she looked exceptionally beautiful and planned to meet the leader of the Gokuraku sect after the event.
Yan Sheng glanced around at the kneeling crowd, straining to find the figure. He couldn't alert the enemy; attracting attention and scaring them away would also be troublesome for him.
"Kuroshibo, have you found out anything?"
Kibutsuji Muzan's voice rang in his mind. Iwakatsu did not speak, his eyes fixed on the gorgeously dressed woman in the front row.
She wore a pale yellow kimono embroidered with pink peonies and white chrysanthemums, her long black hair tied up on top of her head, adorned with an exquisite outfit and a jewel-colored flower. She knelt there, gazing fervently at Doma on the stage. Iwakatsu pondered for a moment, then responded to the scoundrel.
"Muzan... Lord, we've found him."
"oh?"
"She will meet with the leader later, alone... wearing a pale yellow kimono embroidered with pink peonies and white chrysanthemums..."
Upon hearing Yan Sheng's words, the other party seemed to have been thinking for a long time, and only when Yan Sheng thought there would be no reply did he hear a voice.
"Okay, I'll go take a look first."
Kibutsuji Muzan decisively cut off Iwakatsu's contact.
Damn, they're hanging up on me again.
Iwakatsu gave a wry smile, looking at Doma smiling on the stage. He shifted back a bit, realizing he was still too conspicuous standing there.
Half an hour later, the entire ritual finally came to an end. Yan Sheng watched as the crowd gradually dispersed, with only a few people being called to a stop and led in another direction.
Yan Sheng watched, then jumped onto the roof of the building and quickly left to catch up with the others.
Yan Sheng arrived at a courtyard with a very distinctive and exquisite architectural design that was out of place in this village.
Yan Sheng looked at the two-story attic and took a few steps to go around the blind spot at the back. He arrived at a corridor in the backyard and slowly walked to the deepest part, where he smelled a faint scent of blood.
Following the scent, Yan Sheng arrived at the door, which had a "Do Not Enter" sign on it. Feeling a sense of unease, Yan Sheng rudely forced the door open. Luckily, no one was around. He swiftly went inside and pulled the door shut behind him.
He took a few steps, and the night vision allowed him to see many golden ornaments and several skulls placed on the table.
This is?
Looking at the arrangement, Iwakatsu found it increasingly resembling… a ritual for the deceased? Iwakatsu fell silent; it seemed Doma was indeed a bit mad.
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