All I heard was the aunt saying, "Sigh, do you really think it's okay for us to lie to that girl Junhui like this?"
Another woman shook her head: "But it's no use now, and it's a pity for Junhui."
Then the two women started talking about other topics, and Guangyou, seeing that there was nothing left to hear, quickened his pace again.
Along the way, Guangyou stopped frequently and saw many police officers running towards the forest. When they arrived at Mermaid Falls, the waterfall, though not wide, was still breathtaking.
The waterfall is not high, but it is still about thirty meters high. The rushing water crashes down and hits the rocks with a loud roar. At this time, apart from a few people passing by, no one comes to Mermaid Falls.
Several small fish can be seen in the clear water, occasionally emerging from under the rocks and then quickly disappearing under another rock.
Guangyou picked up a flat stone from the shore, held it horizontally in his hand, and then forcefully threw it out. The stone created ripples on the water, and Guangyou smiled as he watched it float on the surface.
After playing for a while, Guangyou and Xiao Ai also entered the forest. Although the forest was undeveloped and uninhabited, there were still several paths due to the frequent footsteps of people.
As they walked along the path, Guangyou and Xiaoai occasionally saw a few figures moving through the woods. Looking at the wildflowers blooming by the roadside, their mood improved considerably.
Occasionally you can see a few small animals, but that's all you see, like wild rabbits. As you walk along, you can smell a sweet fragrance.
Curious, the two headed towards the source of the fragrance. Following the path, Guangyou and Xiaoai came to a fork in the road. At the end of the path on the right, there was a fallen stone tablet, from which wisps of smoke rose.
Next to the stone tablet, there was a broken wooden sign on the ground with the word "Danger" written in large characters.
"Fool!"
Heiji's voice suddenly rang out, and Kōyū looked up at the path ahead. The footprints on it were clearly visible, and even from Kōyū's perspective, he could see that the end of the path was a cliff.
Kōyū got up and walked quickly to the edge of the cliff. Looking down, he saw Heiji wearing a hat. Besides Heiji, he also saw Kazuha. Kazuha and Heiji were holding hands, while Heiji's hand was on a dead tree branch on the cliff.
The branch was already cracked, and it was clear that the combined weight of the two people was making it difficult for the already withered branch to support itself.
If the two people below the cliff make any sudden movements in a short while, the tree branch will break. The cliff is estimated to be nearly forty meters high. Even if they survive the fall, they will likely spend the rest of their lives on a stretcher.
When Kazuha saw the figure suddenly appear on the cliff, the panic on her face lessened considerably, and she shouted, "Kuangyou, hurry and call someone to save us!"
Heiji also turned around and looked at Kōyū with some surprise. Kōyū did not leave. He turned around and walked to a tree, pressed a button on his belt, and the belt instantly lengthened. He then tied the extended part to the tree.
Then, to Heiji and Kazuha's astonishment, Kōyū jumped off the cliff. He then grabbed Heiji's hand and shouted to Ai on the cliff, "That's enough! Press it! Heiji, let go."
Upon hearing Kouyu's shout, Ai, who was on the cliff, quickly walked to the belt that was almost at its limit and pressed a button on it.
The moment the button was pressed, the belt suddenly tightened, and a tremendous force came from it. Guangyou felt a sharp pain in his waist. He frowned, pushed off the edge of the cliff, and the three of them flew up in an arc through the air.
"hiss"
Heiji and Kazuha were fine, but Kouyu was in a bit of a mess. The sudden tightening of his belt caused his back to slam hard against a tree, and the pain made him gasp.
Seeing this, Ai quickly stepped forward and untied the belt that was tied to the tree. When Kouyu was put down, he looked at the belt around his waist and felt the burning pain in his back. He couldn't help but complain, "Doctor, this elastic belt is good, but it hurts a bit when you use it."
"Are you alright?" Ai asked anxiously, knowing from the sound of Guangyou hitting the tree that he must have hit it hard.
Kōyū waved his hand and asked Heiji, "Kurokichi, how are you?"
"You won't die." Heiji got up from the ground, helped Kazuha up, and suddenly realized the problem with how Mitsuyu was addressed, but then thought better of it.
Kazuha's face showed the joy of surviving a near-death experience. She then secretly glanced at Heiji, her face instantly flushing slightly. Heiji said, "Let's go back. The old man has already solved the case."
When they returned, even Mitsuyoshi could see Kazuha's attachment to Heiji. Clearly, this experience on the brink of death had changed Kazuha's mindset.
As soon as they returned to the shrine, they heard Junhui's trembling voice. Pushing open the door, Guangyou calmly looked at everyone present and said, "The secret of the Longevity Granny is not only known to you and your mother. Everyone here who is a bit older should know it, right?"
The middle-aged and elderly people present hesitated for a long time. One of them gritted his teeth, seemingly having made up his mind, and said to Junhui, "I'm sorry, Junhui, actually, just as this child said, almost everyone except the young people on the island knows."
"What?"
These words were undoubtedly a huge blow to Junhui. She really didn't expect that the secret she thought was hidden by no one, and that everyone came to participate because she had kept it well hidden, was all just an illusion.
With this uncle taking the lead, the others also lowered their heads. The uncle said apologetically, "Actually, it was your mother who burned to death in the warehouse three years ago. We all know that!"
Another man looked up, his face full of regret: "Actually, after that accident, we decided to never hold the dugong festival again, but after seeing you dressed up as the old woman again, we didn't know what to say."
"This island has always been entangled with mermaids. Since you are willing to continue holding the Dugong Festival and the Longevity Ceremony, we are naturally willing to help you fulfill your wish in silence. Please forgive us, Junhui!"
After the uncle finished speaking, everyone bowed their heads even lower, hoping in unison that Junhui would forgive their lies. Junhui looked at the people around her, and suddenly large tears streamed down her cheeks: "I thought no one knew, but it turns out I was the only one who didn't know..."
Standing at the door, Heiji suddenly spoke up: "Actually, it's good that human life is finite. It's because it's finite that people strive. Is immortality really a good thing?"
As Guangyou gazed intently at the desolate scene, he couldn't help but sigh. What was originally a well-intentioned lie had unexpectedly turned into such a tragedy due to the greed of a few individuals.
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