Multiverse: Why does the world show a health bar? !

The Grand Narukami Shrine is located at the summit of Mt. Yougou, which means Li Mo would need to spend a considerable amount of time climbing the mountain. His starting point was near the Kamisato Estate.

To reach the Grand Narukami Shrine, he had to pass by the Kamisato Estate.

Entering Chinju Forest, Li Mo was no stranger to this place. The intertwining trees created a serene and secluded environment. Hana Saruri was not accompanying him on this part of the journey. The shrine maiden stood in the abandoned shrine, lost in thought.

The mask...

Li Mo was beginning to dislike masks. Not only could he not see Hana Saruri's face beneath the mask, but he also couldn't discern her expressions. This reminded him of his teacher, Urokodaki Sakonji.

Like Hana Saruri, his teacher always wore a mask, hiding his face. This made it impossible to know what he was truly thinking when he spoke.

However, human intuition is subtle. Even without seeing facial expressions, one could sense the other's feelings through their words and actions. Empathy is one of humanity's unique abilities.

When Hana Saruri made her request at the abandoned shrine, she gave off a complex aura—hesitant, uncertain, like a traveler lost on the path of life.

Perhaps he didn't dare to ask such questions.

Whether the Grand Narukami Shrine had "Kano's Onmyōjutsu" no longer mattered to Li Mo. His thoughts were entirely consumed by the shrine maiden he had traveled with.

"Hmm?"

Li Mo heard a noise.

In the quiet environment, even the slightest sound seemed deafening.

He turned his head and saw a small, adorable creature darting out of the bushes, pursued by a Nobushi.

He had always wondered why the Nobushi and Rifthounds wore nearly identical armor and clothing. Later, he learned it was because the black market only sold a few standardized sets.

After spending some time with the Nobushi, he learned how to tell if a Nobushi was doing well. Their clothing was a giveaway. If it was pristine, they were likely doing well. Those struggling were too busy trying to feed themselves to care about their appearance.

This Nobushi, judging by his attire, seemed to be one of the more successful ones. And he was currently chasing a tanuki.

The Nobushi noticed Li Mo and immediately shifted his attention, cursing as he approached. But when Li Mo demonstrated his ability to summon a weapon from his system storage, the Nobushi backed off and fled.

Someone who could summon weapons out of thin air was undoubtedly a powerful figure. Typically, only those with Visions could achieve such feats.

—Although Li Mo didn't have a Vision, wasn't it even more terrifying to accomplish this without one?

Li Mo didn't stop the Nobushi but observed his retreating footsteps. Even with his limited perception, he could tell the Nobushi's steps were unsteady, indicating weak strength.

In the end, he treated it as a minor incident on his journey. He patted the tanuki's head and continued on his way to the Grand Narukami Shrine.

The path was not easy. First, there were no stairs leading up from the Kamisato Estate to the torii gate. Then, the wooden walkway was broken in the middle. Seriously, no one had come to fix it?

The latter part of the journey was smoother. Following the path, he eventually encountered a section where he had to climb tree roots and scale a cliff. If it weren't for the signs of previous travelers, he would have doubted he was on the right path. As he neared the summit, the path became more even, lined with multiple torii gates. Every few steps, there was another torii gate.

The first half of the path was rough, while the latter half was grand and majestic. Couldn't they have used the budget for the latter half to fix the first half?

Finally, when Li Mo saw a shrine maiden dressed similarly to Hana Saruri, he knew he had arrived at the Grand Narukami Shrine.

Of course, he also noticed the temizuya (water ablution pavilion) and the teleport waypoint.

The waypoints seemed to have existed since ancient times. The people of Inazuma had long grown accustomed to their presence. According to the village chief of Konda Village, these waypoints had existed since the village's founding.

Unfortunately, he was a traveler, but not the golden-haired traveler.

"Greetings, traveler from afar. Welcome to the Grand Narukami Shrine. If you have any troubles or wishes, you can seek out Lady Guuji for a fortune slip. The Raiden Shogun will bless you."

The shrine maiden approached, her words flowing smoothly and naturally, as if she had practiced them hundreds of times.

"Excuse me, is the Guuji at the Grand Narukami Shrine?"

"Hmm?" Upon hearing Li Mo's purpose, the shrine maiden hesitated for a moment before replying, "Are you here regarding the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual?"

Li Mo said, "Yes."

He noticed the shrine maiden's expression becoming微妙. The situation seemed to have taken an unexpected turn. "Is there a problem?"

The shrine maiden shook her head. "My apologies, I was momentarily flustered. Actually, Lady Guuji just instructed me that if a young traveler came seeking her regarding the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual, I should not let him in."

"Huh?"

"She also said she already knows your purpose. First, regarding 'Kano's Onmyōjutsu,' the Grand Narukami Shrine did have related texts in the past. But according to Lady Guuji, due to improper storage, those texts have become残本..." The shrine maiden looked slightly embarrassed.

It was indeed inappropriate for their shrine to have mishandled such important texts. But she was just an ordinary shrine maiden, barely an adult. What could she do?

"Then there's the second matter. Lady Guuji asked me to relay a message to you: 'Just a similar flower.'" The shrine maiden quickly added, seemingly to change the subject.

A similar flower.

This was clearly a response to Hana Saruri's question.

How did Lady Guuji know about these questions? Had she overheard his conversation with Hana Saruri? Or had she been observing Hana Saruri all along?

Li Mo didn't dwell on it. Instead, he handed over the book left by Kano Natsuzora regarding the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual. "This is a book about the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual. Please keep it safe."

"This is my duty. The Grand Narukami Shrine's records on the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual were also lost due to虫蛀 and other reasons."

"This book hasn't been well-preserved."

Li Mo had briefly flipped through the book earlier. It ended abruptly, not because the author hadn't finished it, but because the latter parts had become illegible due to poor preservation. After all, it had been stored outdoors. Even with protective barriers, the passage of time was the most powerful force.

"Thank you very much. Also... Lady Guuji mentioned that after the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual is completed, you can return to the Grand Narukami Shrine. At that time, she will personally receive you."

"I understand."

Li Mo nodded and left.

After watching the young warrior depart, the shrine maiden carried the book into the shrine, first handing it to her colleagues for processing. Then, under the Sacred Sakura tree, she met the Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine, Yae Miko.

"Yae Guuji, has he left?"

The pink-haired fox was cradling a small fox, gently grooming its fur. The fox's contented expression showed how much it enjoyed the attention.

"He's gone. Lady Guuji, I don't quite understand. Why didn't you meet with that traveler?"

"Yae Guuji, do you remember Ms. Alice who visited a couple of years ago? That young man, like Ms. Alice, is a traveler from another world."

"Ms. Alice?"

The shrine maiden, named Inazuma Yae, certainly knew who Ms. Alice was. A couple of years ago, before the Sakoku Decree was enacted, Ms. Alice had come from overseas and shared drinks with Yae Guuji. From their conversation, it was clear they were old acquaintances.

More importantly, it was rumored that when Ms. Alice arrived in Inazuma, the Shogun's gaze had been fixed on her.

Could that young man be someone like Ms. Alice?

Inazuma Yae felt her head spinning.

"Alright, don't look so troubled. That young man's personality is quite different from Ms. Alice's. I didn't meet him because travelers who can cross worlds are... troublesome."

Yae Miko spoke softly.

In truth, there was another reason she didn't meet the young traveler. It reminded her of that similar yet different shrine maiden.

Hana Saruri... what a lovely name.

"By the way, I think I forgot something... Oh, right, I forgot to give him the the mirror. Yae, could you deliver it to him later?"

"Of course, Lady Guuji."

Inazuma Yae bowed to Yae Miko.

After the young shrine maiden left, Yae Miko cradled the fox and whispered, "Go, continue to witness the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual, and then return to tell me everything."

The fox seemed to understand, nodding obediently before disappearing.