"What kind of game is this?"
Lu Ban glanced at Tachibana Masamune.
On the surface, he still looks like a human, but the places where his eyes should be are not ordinary. Instead, they are made up of countless smaller eyes. The eye sockets of Tachibana Masamune are like the compound eyes of an insect, which makes people feel disgusted when they see them.
Hongye was stunned and still stood there.
Lu Ban calmly pulled her down and sat her next to him.
"Hyakunin Isshu is a popular ghost story game on the island. Each person stands in the corner of a dark room, holding a candle in their hands. The first person blows out the candle, closes their eyes, and walks along the wall to the next person, reciting a poem as they walk. Then they tap the other person's shoulder and ask the other person to pass the candle flame to them. The second person then blows out the candle and continues to walk down the same path as the first person did."
Tachibana Masamune's dense eyes looked at Lu Ban and Hongye. Lu Ban could feel that Hongye beside him was nervous for a moment, but she quickly adjusted herself.
According to Hongye, the more you understand something and the more knowledge you gain, the less likely you are to be affected by obstacles.
Before, Riku Kan and Momiji thought that Tachibana Masamune and the others were at least human beings. Now, after experiencing the changes at the Washima Shrine, they seem to have a deeper understanding of this world, so they see more things.
Thinking about it this way, the daughter of God who sits in charge of the Watashima Shrine must know much more than ordinary people. Is the world in her eyes even more terrifying?
“Is there any secret to this game?”
Lu Ban asked casually.
This game mode looked familiar to him, but the versions he knew were more crude, and with the island itself having supernatural things, he wondered what special effects these games would have?
"Well, it's said that if you recite the poem correctly, you might attract the dead. It's a game for four people, but at the end you'll find that someone is always reciting the poem, and there are candles lit in the four corners."
Tachibana Masamune's vast eyes glanced at Momiji.
"And the reason why it's called [Hyakunin Isshu] is because this game can be played by a maximum of a hundred people. In this huge and empty environment, there will eventually be a hundred and one people!"
Yinping played with the folding fan in his hand, and the squirming flesh and blood trembled like a heartbeat.
"Shall we try?"
Lu Ban also glanced at Hongye.
"?"
Hongye was stunned, and question marks appeared in her eyes.
This is obviously a problematic game, and isn't it dangerous to play it with them who have turned into monsters?
Or does he want to gain some information through the game?
After thinking for a moment, Hongye nodded slightly.
"Then let's play."
The four of them took candles, closed the doors and windows, turned off the lights, and stood in the four corners in the order of Tachibana Masamune, Ginpei, Riku Kan, and Momiji.
In the dark room, only the flickering light of candles illuminated the faces of the four people.
"Let's start with me."
Tachibana Masamune said, then blew out the candle.
In an instant, the room became much darker. Each person's candle could only illuminate their surroundings, and they could not see the scenery farther away. This was not normal, as if they were bound by some force beyond human understanding.
"In the lonely empty mountains, the winter solstice is even more desolate. Looking up, there are no traces of people, and all I see is white grass and barren land."
Tachibana Masamune recited waka in a strange tone mixed with mumbling, and the voice echoed in the silent room like an eternal call.
After waiting for a while, Lu Ban saw that next to Yin Ping, in the shadow of the candlelight, a hand suddenly stretched out and gently patted his shoulder.
Tachibana Masamune appeared beside Ginpei. He seemed to have changed a little bit. His skin was cracked and there was red flesh under the cracks.
Ginpei lit the candle for Tachibana Masamune, then blew out his own candle and disappeared in the candlelight in the corner.
"I can't stand the loneliness..."
Lu Ban turned his head to look in the direction where Yin Ping was walking towards. He could not see anything beside the dark wall, and could only hear Yin Ping's vague voice.
The edge between the area illuminated by the candlelight and the dark area was unclear, as if the weak candlelight in the hand would be swallowed up at any time.
"Leave the temple and look at the sky..."
Yinping's voice came from the side, and Lu Ban was concentrating, waiting for his arrival.
But the sound always seemed neither far nor near, just within reach of Lu Ban, yet never getting closer.
"Everywhere is desolate..."
The whisper-like chanting sounded in Lu Ban's ears, and he couldn't help but turn his head, because just now, Lu Ban clearly heard that the sound came from his right, that is, the direction of Hongye.
But only Hongye, who was holding a candle, was looking at him with a serious expression.
Lu Ban then looked to the left again.
A face was right in front of him.
"The autumn evening brings chill..."
When Lu Ban heard this voice coming out of Yinping's mouth, he felt his heart skip a beat.
He passed the candle light to Ginpei, then blew out the candle and walked towards Momiji.
Darkness enveloped Lu Ban, and the surroundings were silent. Lu Ban turned around and saw the ferocious Ginpei holding a candle, standing in the corner. He also saw Tachibana Masamune in another corner, also holding a candle, standing there like a stone statue.
Lu Ban turned his head and looked ahead.
He suddenly remembered something.
It's called Hyakunin Isshu...but I don't even know what waka there is!
These things are not included in the knowledge he has learned.
It's a bit embarrassing.
"How about turning on the lights now and saying sorry to everyone, I'm uneducated and don't know how to sing?"
Lu Ban thought to himself, this is so embarrassing.
He closed his eyes, slowed down his pace, and continued forward, when suddenly an idea came to him.
"The moon shines brightly before my bed..."
Anyway, Japanese songs and ancient poems are similar, so it should be no problem to memorize two on the spot.
As soon as he opened his mouth, Lu Ban closed his eyes and felt that the surroundings became darker.
Only in front of him, the red leaves' candles flickered faintly in front of his eyes, guiding the direction.
"It may be frost on the ground..."
Lu Ban continued to walk forward. According to his feeling, he should have walked halfway. He subconsciously raised his hand to hold the wall on the right, but found nothing.
"?"
Lu Ban stretched out his right hand, but it still did not touch the wall.
He even moved a little to the right.
"I was walking along the wall at first, and I shouldn't have changed direction in the middle. Why is the wall gone now?"
Lu Ban thought secretly.
"Is it okay to just go straight ahead like this?"
He took a step forward, wanting to open his eyes, but still tried hard to suppress such thoughts.
"Look up at the bright moon..."
When Lu Ban recited the third sentence, he felt that the surrounding environment had changed.
A gust of cold wind blew from behind, giving Lu goosebumps.
How could there be wind in this room with its doors and windows closed?
And this wind doesn’t seem like natural wind, it’s more like... someone is blowing behind me?
He quickened his pace slightly, wanting to finish this section of the journey as quickly as possible, but at this time, Lu Ban found something was wrong.
"I've been walking for so long, why haven't I reached Hongye yet?"
Lu Ban continued walking forward and was about to run.
But this road seems to have no end, and the end can never be reached.
The walls, the rooms, everything seemed to disappear, and Lu Ban felt as if he had entered a different space.
Lu Ban calmed down, slowed down his pace, and found that he only had two choices.
First, open your eyes and confirm the situation.
Second, continue reading the poem and then read the sequel.