Chapter 43 The Journey to the Sanzu River
As soon as Dazai Osamu learned about the bounty on Youchuan Ling's head, he told her about it.
"Wow, I didn't know I was worth so much."
Unlike when she first entered human society, she now understands human currency and realizes how enormous a fortune nine billion US dollars is.
Alas.
The elf was somewhat smug.
If Mammon finds out, that miser will definitely kidnap her to collect the bounty.
That's not good.
She would patiently play these pretend games with Mammon, but Mammon wasn't in this world after all, and there were plenty of people coveting the nine billion, so she was getting annoyed by the disturbances.
【One cannot die for love alone~】: Yao Yao, the sky airship that you can turn into with your superpower might be a lot of fun~ The group is the richest organization in North America. I remember they specially hired a pastry chef, who should be in the White Whale.
Yokohama is not safe in the coming days, and there is even a high probability that unrest will occur. The White Whale is arguably the most peaceful place.
Dazai Osamu carefully studied the bounty poster, and Francis's attitude towards Yokawa Rei could be described as polite.
"Please," "Do not harm"...
She will be safe on the beluga whale.
Only after making sure of this did Dazai Osamu send her the message.
In all the plans he and Edogawa Ranpo devised, her safety was paramount.
【Afternoon tea today too】: oO, I have to go to Beluga Whale Airport for something ^_^
She boarded the beluga whale willingly.
Herman's ability allowed him to discover that a guest had arrived, but the alarm system inside the white whale failed to detect anything unusual. Yao Chuanling arrived at his office first.
"I didn't expect you to come to me like this, Miss Yaochuan."
Francis had just finished a phone call with his wife and was standing by the window, silently making up his mind.
He was determined to bring their daughter back to life and save his wife, no matter what.
“Sir Francis, I think we can have some time together over a raspberry cheesecake and a glass of strawberry milk.”
Yao Chuanling raised her eyebrows and met his gaze, her eyes open and fearless.
She smelled the aroma of freshly baked cake when she passed by. As for strawberry milk, it was just a word she changed because she didn't like coffee.
"I'll have someone bring it over. Please have a seat."
This was exactly what Francis wanted, and he nodded in agreement.
In his plan, he was certain to meet this girl with the ability to resurrect.
"The tiger is the beacon of the 'book,' and I need to obtain the power of the 'book' to rewrite reality and bring my daughter back to life."
As for you… that information broker told me you once brought a dead person back to life, and I need you.”
Francis sat on the sofa, his hands clasped together, supporting his chin.
"Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"
One of the secrets to success is: appropriate sincerity, and preemptive strikes.
Yao Chuanling: "Who is that information broker?"
Her intuition told her that the person was crucial.
Mice always like to hide in the shadows and quietly drive events forward.
"I can't tell you that," he said with a half-smile. "We can only exchange them."
Francis was a shrewd businessman; it is in a businessman's nature to believe that everything has a price and to take what one needs.
“I can heal Margaret, and I can also visit your daughter at the Sanzu River, but I’m sorry, I cannot bring her back to life.”
She never makes promises she cannot keep.
Besides, she's not good at catching mice; professional tasks should be left to professionals.
The elf wiped the cream from the corner of her mouth, knowing that the conversation was about to end, but what brought it to a close was a small doll by the window.
The doll had a wide, creepy smile on its face.
She jumped to her feet: "Where is Yumeno Kyusaku?"
There's no mistake, this is Yumeno Kyusaku's doll.
That child wouldn't hand the doll over to anyone else; he must have encountered danger.
“Even if the deal falls through, we can still be on good terms.” Francis raised his hand and took a step back. “The intelligence didn’t say you had anything to do with him.”
After all, there was a four-year gap, and she hadn't seen Yumeno Kyusaku since she woke up. In the end, he only focused on the Minic incident.
"Let him go."
Yao Chuanling produced a knife in her hand, gripped the hilt, and prepared to strike.
Like her mother, she is extremely protective of her own and unreasonable. No matter the reason, anyone who bullies her is unacceptable.
"What an impolite guest."
Francis squinted and said unhappily, "Even the leader of the port mafia has tacitly agreed. I advise you not to meddle in other people's business."
For thirty million US dollars, Mori Ougai agreed without batting an eye to let Yumeno Kyusaku come and "visit" for a few days.
Slaves of the organization?
Oh.
Let him and his organization perish here.
Yao Chuanling hadn't figured out how to face Mori Ougai yet. It was true that she had been schemed against by him, but it was also true that they had shared genuine affection and warmth in the past.
She, too, had once treated him with such sincerity.
Upon hearing Mori Ōgai's name, her offensive intensified.
“He is him, and I am me. Since you have investigated me, you should know that Verlaine is no match for me either. You should just admit defeat now.”
The office was already a mess, with the porcelain cup containing strawberry milk lying on the floor and shattered into pieces.
The fairy was somewhat anxious; every second she stayed there meant another second of suffering for Yumeno Kyusaku.
She wasn't just focused on fighting; she also took the time to ask the wind and the big tree questions.
The wind carries the tree's message to the sky.
"You just wait."
Upon learning Yumeno Kyusaku's address, Youkawa Rei brandished his knife and uttered harsh words before leaving.
Francis didn't want to fight her in the first place. This short time had cost him a lot of money, and if it were a protracted battle, it was hard to say whether he could take down the man-tiger.
He tore the superpowered doll apart.
On land in Yokohama, many people intentionally or unintentionally trample on flowers, grass, and trees. These pain sensations are transmitted to Yumeno Kyusaku, fulfilling the conditions for activating the Brain Hell.
"Will riots break out? That would be a disaster."
On the top floor of the central building in the Port Mafia, Ozaki Koyo, one of the five top executives, leisurely sipped her tea, while Mori Ougai sat opposite her.
She knew about Mori Ōgai's deal with Francis, but she knew the man better.
He deeply loved Yokohama and would not allow anyone to disturb the peace of this land.
"Of course not," the leader said calmly with a smile, "because Q already knows she's back."
Q. "Living disaster" refers to Yumeno Kyusaku.
The fairy doesn't love this land, but she is compassionate and kind-hearted, and Yumeno Kyusaku would never do anything to upset her.
Therefore, he would rather endure great pain than activate his supernatural ability.
Even though Yao Chuanling cares more about him.
“Yao Chuanling taught him how to control his supernatural abilities, and he did very well this time.”
As expected.
In terms of cunning and ruthlessness, neither Francis nor President Fukuzawa can compare to him.
"The rest is up to Akutagawa and that boy from the detective agency to bring us good news."
Mori Ougai raised his teacup.
Ozaki Koyo also raised her glass.
Diamonds need to be polished with diamonds, and Yokohama's future will ultimately be handed over to the next generation of youth.
*
The third day since the beluga whale crash.
"Chuuye, let's go somewhere."
Upon catching Xiao Zhong alone, Yao Chuanling immediately pulled him away and fled.
Zhongyuan Zhong did not resist, but silently adjusted his position, turning their fingers into an interlocked knot.
"Leibo Street? What brings you here all of a sudden?"
After traversing many streets, they arrived at the place where they first met.
At the age of fifteen, they ran from inside the street to outside.
At twenty-two years old, they ran from outside the street into the street.
Leibo Street was where their relationship began, but they have hardly visited it in recent years.
"Looking for someone!"
Yao Chuan Ling answered with boundless energy.
She deliberately wandered in, turning this way and that.
Walking past haphazardly placed cardboard boxes, bumpy narrow paths, and carelessly discarded trash, Yao Chuanling finally found the person she was looking for.
Dressed in tattered clothes, she was a far cry from her former glory.
Francis Fitzgerald.
Chuuya Nakahara recognized him and immediately shielded Rei Yokawa behind him.
"Don't worry, Chuuya."
The elf remained calm, walked up to Francis, squatted down, and looked him in the eye.
She pushed a bag of gold coins in front of him and said, "It's the money for repairing your office."
They got into a fight, but Nakahara was unaware of it. He stood to the side, watching Francis's every move intently.
How did you know I was here?
Francis asked as he counted the gold coins.
He's not stupid; of course he'll take the money.
He spent all his wealth fighting against Atsushi Nakajima and Ryunosuke Akutagawa that day; no one should have thought he was still alive.
"The wind told me that. Besides, I didn't sense your death."
The wind is everywhere.
Wherever the wind blows, there are her eyes and ears.
"But I'm here to talk to you about something more important."
She asked, "Would you like to see your daughter?"
On the night of the summer festival when she left Namimori, Yokawa Rei went to the shrine to see Izanami. The goddess of the underworld did not appear, but secretly gave her authority.
Perhaps deep down, she hoped her daughter would come home soon.
Why are you helping me?
When his family was mentioned, the impoverished tycoon paused in counting his gold coins, and the coins he was holding rolled back into his bag.
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; when the birds fly, they each return to their respective forests.
Human nature should be like this.
Businessmen value the exchange of benefits, and he didn't think he had anything else to offer her.
“Because I also have a mother, it’s not hard to understand a mother’s love for her daughter.” Yao Chuanling stood up. “Also, the raspberry cheesecake is really delicious.”
Chuuya Nakahara, who was listening in, secretly made a mental note of it.
My latest favorite is raspberry cheesecake.
I'll buy this one during this period.
"Beware of the demon. That's all I have to say."
Francis stood up.
This might be the only thing he could trade.
He would give anything to see his beloved Scotty again.
The Sanzu River isn't particularly beautiful; only one bridge connects the light and darkness of life and death.
It's been eight years, and this is the first time she's come back.
The river flows mightily, as if evil spirits are howling within it. The riverbanks are covered with spider lilies, and there is neither sun nor moon in the sky.
"Take this to conceal the presence of the living." Yao Chuanling handed each of them a wooden plaque and walked ahead to clear the way. "Don't be dragged down by the souls in the water, don't eat anything from the underworld, and don't linger too long."
The Yomi no Hirasaka in this other world is completely different from her home; it's disorganized, undisciplined, and far more dangerous.
She brought the people with her, so naturally she has to take responsibility for them.
Thinking of this, she glanced at the man behind her to make sure he was still safe.
Chuuya Nakahara chose to come in with them, and she whispered for him to hold her hand tightly.
The only married man present, who deeply loves his wife, pondered the situation: "It's said that the gravity of the Hong Kong Triads makes people like someone, and it seems the rumors are true."
Chuuya Nakahara always wore a pair of black leather gloves. But Francis's gaze fell on his hands; without the gloves, two porcelain-white hands were clasped together.
He is much more open and generous in his youth than he was in his teenage years, and he can respond calmly to teasing: "Ah, yes, that's true."
There's no point in hiding the fact that he likes her; even if he doesn't say it, his actions speak for themselves.
Subconsciously, habitually, and even when aware of it, one is unwilling to change.
She didn't hide these questions from Yokawa Rei, asking curiously, "Who does Chuuya like?"
I like you, and only you.
He spoke of it so naturally, as if it were just a trivial matter.
Just like what I ate today or how beautiful the clouds in the sky are, it's all so ordinary and unremarkable.
In the dim red light, no one noticed that his face had secretly turned red.
"Huh?" Yaochuan Ling's eyes widened, then she happily announced, "I like Chuuya too!"
Like a child, she swayed her clasped hands and laughed happily.
Chuuya Nakahara chuckled softly.
He should be happy to hear the answer from the person in question.
However, having known her for seven years, Chuuya Nakahara was familiar with her personality and knew that the "like" they spoke of did not mean the same thing.
She has far too many people she "likes".
Of the three, Francis understood love the most, and he laughed out loud.
Yokawa Rei didn't understand, but Nakahara Chuuya got the hint and turned his face away unhappily.
"Scottie—!"
Legend has it that the red spider lily can bring the soul you long for to your side.
His deceased daughter was standing on the other side of the river. Francis ran towards her, his eyes fixed on her figure.
Yao Chuanling maintained an appropriate distance, giving the father and daughter enough space.
Chuuya Nakahara asked, "Is this where you used to live?"
To be honest, he was quite curious about the underworld since it was his first time there.
He wanted to know everything about elves.
“It’s not quite the same.” Yao Chuanling recalled her hometown, standing on tiptoe to indicate a height. “We have a very tall building there, which can be seen from anywhere in the underworld.”
When she was a child, she often went to the top floor to look out over the Sanzu River, where she could see the rushing river, the vibrant red spider lilies, and the sound of wind chimes.
She noticed that the wooden plaque hanging on Nakahara Chuuya's head was disappearing, so she interrupted the conversation between the father and daughter.
"We should go."
Once the power of the wooden plaque is exhausted, the living person who has been tainted by the aura of the underworld will return to the mortal world, which will have a negative impact, such as bad luck, nightmares, and fatigue.
She used a wisp of spiritual energy, tying one end to Scottie's wrist and the other end around Francis's wrist.
"She can be your child again when she is reincarnated. I can let her be reincarnated with her memories intact, so you should go back and work hard as soon as possible."
Could this be a roundabout way to achieve our goal, dispel Francis's obsession with reviving his daughter, and thus stop him from thinking about Yokohama?
The trouble-averse elf, having considered this, nodded in satisfaction.
"I owe you a favor, how about I buy Yokohama and give it to you?"
Francis began to consider the feasibility of his idea.
Yao Chuanling made a big X with her hands in front of her chest: "No! How about a small cake instead!"
What use is Yokohama to her?
Small cakes are better; they taste good and look nice.
"Okay, I got it. I'll take care of your cakes from now on."
"That's a good option."
The greedy elf's eyes lit up.
I'm getting a little hungry.
"Let's go get some cakes."
Just by seeing her eyes move, Chuuya Nakahara knew what she was thinking.
The ochre-haired youth straddled the motorcycle and patted the back seat, gesturing for her to get on.
Yao Chuanling ran over quickly.
"Yay, let's go!"
That's what young people are like.
Francis smiled.
Seeing them is like seeing myself and Zelda from back then.
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