"Qiushui, let's go."
Upon seeing a familiar face come into view, Qiu Haitang smiled and said.
A boy dressed in simple clothes stood not far away, his face showing a rare touch of childishness.
Who is he?
Luo Qiushui was stunned the moment she saw him, and it took her a long time to find her voice.
"He is one of the prototypes for the shikigami characters in Heian-kyo. You should have seen his face before, on the body of the demon."
"Hello."
The boy, who looked very arrogant, walked quickly up to them and greeted them.
Is this your first time in Japan?
The boy spoke in a voice they were familiar with.
"yes."
Qiu Haitang nodded.
Luo Qiushui stared at him blankly, and she finally understood that there was something very precious that she had lost.
This person is not him.
"Miss, are you alright?"
Sensing Qiu Shui's forlorn gaze, the young man couldn't help but ask.
“It’s alright. He used to have an adorable hair-eating demon, and so did I.” Qiu Haitang sighed.
This incident has become an indelible scar in their hearts.
Luo Qiushui lowered her eyes. The explosion on Yongji Island had taken them all away. If she had to choose again, would she regret it?
"Let's not talk about that anymore. This is our first time visiting here, so please explain the place to us in the way we agreed."
Seeing Luo Qiushui caught in self-blame, Qiu Haitang regretted hiring this person who would bring her pain.
Fortunately, the boy already knew about the withdrawal of virtual emotions from the online game world, and he had also heard about the players' inner conflicts.
So when he left the airport, he specially called a special flying car—a convertible flying car without windows.
This style might not have been considered old a hundred years ago, but now it has become synonymous with outdated and unsafe.
He was delighted by the reactions of his two guests, Qiu Haitang and Luo Qiushui. They sat comfortably in the car and looked down from the air.
The young man sat in front of the flying car and cleared his voice: "Greetings, gentlemen. From today onwards, I will be your tour guide. You can call me Koizumi. Now, I will introduce Kyoto to you."
The seatbelts covered the three people, and the flying car quickly flew out, reaching a height that was high enough but not cold enough, before gradually slowing down.
The boy began to explain:
"This bustling city was the ancient Heian-kyo, now known as Kyoto."
Kyoto is divided into left and right Kyoto. The wide street below is the ancient Suzaku Avenue. Suzaku Avenue connects the Suzaku Gate and Rashomon Gate of the Imperial Palace. To the east, it is a major road connecting the Omiya, Nishi-Toin, Higashi-Toin and Tokyo Goku, while to the west, it is a major road connecting the Shishin-no-Miya, Doso, Kisen and Nishi-Kyogoku. It runs east-west and intersects Suzaku Avenue perpendicularly with the Tsuchimikado Gate, Nakamikado Gate and others.
...
Around this area stood shrines such as Kamo, Matsuo, and Inari, which were worshipped by the people and later became objects of worship for the imperial family and nobility.
Silently listening to the boy's introduction, Luo Qiushui looked at the bustling streets below, and a map gradually became clear in her mind.
"Excuse me, is there a garden here dedicated to Abe no Seimei? Or is there a place commemorating him?"
Luo Qiushui pointed down and asked.
"Um……"
The boy thought for a moment, then his finger landed on a spot. "There."
Is that the place?
Looking at the low eaves and courtyard, and the towering tree, Luo Qiushui felt a surge of unspoken emotions.
"Yes. But are you planning to go there first? Going to Inari Shrine now would be a good idea; I'm sure you'll like it!"
As he described it, Luo Qiushui's gaze fell on a low hill not far away, where a bright red torii gate brought a unique vitality.
"That's a torii gate. We call it the 'chair of the legendary tengu.' When a tengu gets tired of flying in the air, it will look for a torii gate. People generally believe that there are monsters on the torii gates."
"Let's go there first."
Qiu Haitang seemed very interested in that place.
The flying car slowly moved towards the torii gate. Qiu Haitang asked curiously, "It's not difficult for the flying car to fly in the air now. You believe that there are monsters on the torii gate. So, if we fly over there now, will we see monsters? Or will we become monsters ourselves?"
His question amused the boy, who looked at the torii gate and shook his head.
"We landed there."
He pointed to the foot of the mountain.
"This is a rule that people have recently agreed upon voluntarily."
As he said this, the flying car landed steadily at the foot of the mountain. Luo Qiushui looked up from the foot of the mountain, and the layers of trees draped the shrine in a mysterious veil.
The shrine, partially hidden among the mountains, was a clear destination they knew they had to reach as they stood at its foot.
The boy lived here and knew the mountain very well. He reminded them, "It rained in Kyoto a few days ago, and the paths are very slippery after the rain. Be careful."
Qiu Haitang nodded, took Luo Qiushui's hand, and held her tightly behind her.
The three of them walked up the mountain, and along the way they saw many people, all dressed neatly and preparing to go up the mountain.
What holiday is it today?
Luo Qiushui asked awkwardly.
Festivals have basically disappeared in China.
The boy stepped onto a flight of stairs and gently shook his head. "This isn't a holiday; it's just a belief."
As he spoke, he lightly stepped onto another slippery step.
Qiu Haitang followed behind him, holding Luo Qiushui's hand with one hand. His nervous appearance made many people envious.
"You two have such a good relationship!"
The boy couldn't help but say.
When they reached the halfway point of the mountain, the torii gate was right in front of them. The boy was a little tired, so he stopped and sat down on a large rock to rest.
Luo Qiushui reached out and touched the bright red shape of the torii gate. This touch seemed to bring a silent feeling to her heart.
Looking up at the torii gate, she saw a patch of dappled shade, and in this environment, she was reminded of many things.
"It really looks like it..."
She murmured.
"What?"
The boy standing nearby heard this.
"The bright red torii gate, the layers of moss-covered steps, the two foxes, the solemn shrine... it really looks just like it."
The boy curled his lips into a smile.
"Let's go up."
He took the first step, and Qiu Haitang followed behind him. They walked all the way to the fox, which had some ears of wheat in its mouth.
Is it Inari, the god of inari?
"I asked Qiu Haitang."
"yes."
They went inside, and Luo Qiushui, immersed in the familiar scenery, soon followed them.
Inside the shrine, everything was different from what Luo Qiushui had imagined. She couldn't find any familiar places, and after glancing at the solemn-faced god above for a few moments, she left.
Walking inside the shrine, a girl dressed in red clothes and a white top, with her hair tied up with a red headband and holding an ancient longbow came into her view.
The moment Luo Qiushui saw her, she felt as if she were seeing herself in the Heian period, a brief moment in her life as "Izumi".
"Hello."
The young girl greeted her awkwardly, while Luo Qiushui greeted her calmly in return.
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