“How long has this been going on?”
“As far as I know, it’s existed since the festival began. But the consequences weren’t as severe back then.” Mokotoba recalled information he had heard from other families. “In the early years, the chosen girls would lose some of their memories at most, and they’d slowly recover after a while. No one ever died. It’s only been in the last century or so that deaths have started occurring.”
The last hundred years—this timeframe caused Li Yuan’s heart to sink slightly. A hundred years wasn't long for a city, but it certainly wasn't short either. If this had been going on for a century, it meant the person operating behind the scenes had at least enough time to perfect their methods.
“Is everything you’re saying true?”
Mokotoba nodded vigorously, his expression carrying a nearly stubborn certainty.
“Every single word is true. I also know some families who went to the temple to demand an explanation; their daughters or relatives also passed away shortly after participating in the festival. If you don’t believe me, I can take you to see them—even though they were driven away, most haven't left the area. If we walk fast, we should still be able to find them.”
Li Yuan thought for a moment and asked again, “Could the deaths of those girls simply be due to some kind of illness or accident? For example, perhaps a plague happened to break out, or they had underlying health issues?”
“Impossible!” Mokotoba shook his head, his tone resolute. “Those families told me personally that their relatives were perfectly fine before, without any ailments. Before the festival, the temple even performs a special physical examination on them to ensure they are completely healthy before they can be chosen as a spokesperson.”
“Since there were no abnormalities at the scene, how can you be sure the deaths were caused by the festival?”
Mokotoba pursed his lips, a flicker of struggle passing through his eyes.
“Because after every festival, those girls become like different people...” His voice dropped a few notches. “They stare blankly, they fear the light, and they huddle in corners without saying a word. Some even have nightmares, and then they’re gone just a few days later.”
Li Yuan didn’t immediately offer an opinion after hearing this. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze falling on the flickering flame of the kerosene lamp on the opposite wall, falling into a brief silence.
Mokotoba wasn't lying when he said those words—at least within the scope of his knowledge, every word he spoke was something he had seen with his own eyes or heard with his own ears.
Of course, whether the information the families told him was completely accurate was another matter, but Mokotoba himself believed it for now.
“You heard all this from the families personally?”
“Yes.” Mokotoba nodded earnestly. “Those people risked punishment from the temple to demand an explanation. If something hadn't truly happened, who would do something so foolish?”
There was logic in those words. The City of Divine Grace was a typical theocratic city-state, and the temple’s power here was nearly absolute. Offending the temple in such a place could result in exile at best, or being thrown into a dungeon at worst.
Ordinary commoners would never risk their lives and livelihoods to strike a stone with an egg unless they felt a piercing pain themselves.
Li Yuan remained silent for a moment, then looked up at the boy again.
“Do you have any substantial evidence to prove that their memory loss and deaths are directly related to this festival?”
Mokotoba froze for a moment, and his expression slowly turned troubled. He lowered his head and thought for a long time before finally shaking his head.
“No.” His voice carried a clear sense of dejection. “I can’t produce any written records, nor do I have any evidence that outsiders can see. My sister never came back after she was taken away. The temple won’t let me see her at all, let alone let me touch anything related to the festival. Those families only told me verbally; there is no physical evidence.”
He bit his lip and added, “But I’m certain the High Priest must know the truth. And those priests—they should know too. The festival is presided over by the High Priest himself, and every part of it is arranged by the priests. It’s impossible for them not to know where those girls went or what was done to them after they were taken.”
Li Yuan nodded. He didn’t press further, but simply rose slowly and nodded.
“I understand.”
Mokotoba stood up with him, his expression somewhat anxious.
“Then, sir—”
“Wait for my news first.” Li Yuan raised a hand to signal him to stay calm. “The Empire conducts business based on evidence. We cannot convict the entire temple based on one person’s words alone. I will investigate your sister’s matter, but until then, do not go to the temple entrance to cause trouble again.”
Mokotoba opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but he eventually swallowed his words and simply gave a heavy nod.
Li Yuan turned to walk toward the door, stopping halfway as if he had remembered something.
“By the way, what is your sister’s name?”
The boy’s eyes reddened slightly, but his voice remained steady.
“Ramina—her name is Ramina.”
Li Yuan then pushed the door open and stepped out.
Mokotoba’s farewell came from behind him. He didn't stop, only raising his hand as a response.
At this moment, Li Yuan had a vague suspicion, though he couldn't be sure yet—he needed more information to pinpoint the other party's location.
Combining the information Mokotoba provided with what he already knew, the methods used by the other party were undoubtedly those of evil cultivators. The condition of those girls generally matched the techniques of evil cultivators as well.
The girls’ symptoms likely stemmed from soul tearing—damage that left them with memory confusion and mental trances at best, or caused soul detachment and a total loss of vitality at worst.
However, this wasn't Kyushu. Given the different cultivation systems, it should have been impossible for evil cultivators to appear here—aside from himself, an anomaly, could there really be other Kyushu cultivators who had reached this place? He was skeptical... after all, the Heavenly Dao couldn't be sensed here at all, making it impossible to leave.
To put it simply, even if a master of space arrived, they would be unable to harness the power of heaven and earth to open a spatial tunnel and depart. For those evil cultivators, this would be no different from being in prison.
What could a small world that one can enter but never leave possibly offer to attract an evil cultivator? Could they really be here just to destroy this place? And what after the destruction? Continue wandering through the void? It made no sense...
Evil cultivators were malicious, but they weren't stupid.
However, there was one thing he could already be sure of—the festival in the City of Divine Grace was definitely not a simple divine descent ceremony. As for what exactly was hidden behind it, he would have to wait until the day of the festival to see it with his own eyes.
“Let’s just wait and see...”
Li Yuan raised a hand to rub the corners of his eyes, suddenly missing that teahouse in Kajinson that had been blown up.
At least when the teahouse was still there, he didn't have to worry about these messes... Now, he truly missed those days of drinking tea, reading books, and listening to the rain.
“I should go back to running my teahouse after this is over. I feel like that suits me better.”
Muttering to himself, Li Yuan stepped toward the plaza. He intended to find those priests and have a good “talk” with them first.
Rate on N.U.
