A Tale of Forgotten Gods

Chapter 90: True Face

Mo Fei stopped walking as he sensed the presence of a familiar spirit thread. He opened his Apprentice’s Eyes , and noticed the threads coming closer.

”Jim Hermit...” He muttered under his breath as he recognized the spirit threads.

He pulled out his mask which stuck to his face, changing it back into the Jester’s face who had permitted him to use it. Kiyori stopped and watched his face melt, then shifted to a new person.

”You... can do that?” She said with surprise.

Mo Fei looked ahead as he watched the man walking toward them, staring down at the paper. Mo Fei looked at Kiyori and murmured. ”Don’t speak my name to him.”

She turned toward the man approaching them.

Jim stopped near both of them, the glint of his eyes slightly soft today. Mo Fei knew why; in his other identity, he looked at Jim and questioned with a nod. ”May we know your reason for approaching?”

Jim gave a warm smile, then he said, ”I have been searching for a priestess named Kiyori Tamayori. Through villagers, I got to know that she has an unusual appearance.” He pointed toward Kiyori and then continued. ”When I saw her, I guessed she might be her.”

Mo Fei stared at him for a moment, then raised his brows. ”Why?”

Looking at the man ahead with green eyes, Jim darted his eyes around. Slowly, he showed them the paper. Where it was written. ’Yi Jyuhan, as a leader of Astral Cult, I seek help from you. While Lin and Zhuo, my subordinates, are already in world seven, I couldn’t connect them, so I sent Jim Hermit. If you read the letter, please; consider helping us, I’ll be great full for the efforts.’

Mo Fei read each word; Lin and Zhuo were in the next world...

Jim whispered. ”The leader of my cult needed help from a person who has extraordinary spiritual powers. While travelling, I got that name from a nearby villager who had told me about Tamayori shrine.”

He looked at Kiyori and spoke. ”So, are you Kiyori Tamayori?”

”Yes, and what help can I do?”

”To convince the Tree of Ages...”

Jim’s words hung in the air; both Mo Fei and Kiyori exchanged a look, then Kiyori fixed her bow and asked in tone mixed with surprise and curiosity. ”For what?”

”To travel to World Seven, please consider it for a moment. We need help to find the Divine Dragon’s Blood Lake...”

Kiyori’s gaze fixated on the blond-haired man as she thought deeply. ”That’s too risky... I don’t think I could convince the Tree of Ages.”

Jim nodded in understanding. ”Thanks for the moment; I understand.”

”But.” She continued, stopping him from turning. ”If I can get Shikon shards scattered around the world first, then I will gladly help you. By your expression, I could see that it’s really important.”

Jim paused, his eyes slightly widening. He didn’t expect that; a small grin curled on his lips as he unfolded the paper and put it back in his pocket and bowed slightly. ”I appreciate it a lot. In return, I must repay the debt by finding the shards.”

Kiyori smiled back and continued in her usual tone which reflected the softness of a priestess. ”The shard turns black under demonic miasma; it’s a silver crystal.”

Jim gave her a small object, a star-shaped ornament. ”By this, I can find you; take it.”

With that, Jim turned and walked away, happy for what had happened. Mo Fei pulled the mask from his face, which twisted back into his normal face and voice as he looked at Kiyori, who watched the star-shaped object then put it together in the shards’ pouch.

***

In a place surrounded by dark forests, various birds landed. There was no flesh, just their bones moving as if they were alive. The countless skeletons of herons landed in the lake, their one leg in the air while the other balanced them in the lake. A soft buzzing of waterfall echoed as the steam emerged from the river nearby.

The lake’s colour slowly shifted into light green as if it had been filled with venom.

From deep within the center of the lake, hair floated on the surface, and slowly a man’s head emerged, only showing his crimson eyes and nose. Those deep dark crimson eyes stared at the skeletons; the man tilted his head slightly, then, in slow motion, he stood. His half-body was inside the lake and half out.

Looking around, he adjusted his combed long hair, dripping the venomous water as he stood still.

Finally, amidst the dark forest, a small ray of sun hit his face. His pale face was revealed under the soft illuminating light.

...

Yumikoto stood in the center of the lake. He quietly walked out of it and grabbed the baboon robe, hiding his face behind the ape’s skull; an unsettling grin twitched on his lips. ”My incarnations, get on with your work.”

From the venomous lake, three figures emerged. One was a woman with a bun and silver hair with black feathers holding them together. She wore a white kimono with wind symbols embedded in the clothes. In the middle, a man emerged with medium-sized, red combed hair and an orange robe with flame symbols crafted in it. Finally, another man came out of the lake with light blue hair and a blue haori over a purple kimono with water symbols.

Yumikoto disappeared with one voice echoing in the dark forest. ”Find the shards, and if you don’t... I have your heart and can crush it anytime I want.”

Three of them looked at their bodies; their hands were empty. They stared at the world around them; slowly they came out of the lake silently and scattered around in different directions.

***

However, Mo Fei and Kiyori turned toward a place. A small place created for travellers to sit and rest. As both of them sat down, Mo Fei pulled out the page of the severed record book.

On the ordinal page were written the requirements:

The Mysteries Unraveler: Ordinal Nine. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

1:- Exploits the loopholes of the place where no spirits exist.

2:- Turn the spirit threads in your favor.

3:- Personify yourself with the dead. Find the mirror of truth; that artifact shall show your vision.

World requirement:- 柒 (7)

Time of descent: 21 days

Mo Fei glanced at his ribbon; he turned his wrist, looking behind the ribbon. The letter written behind was 陸(6). He’d need to ascend to the next world.

He read the requirements again. A place without spirit... use the spirit threads and find the mirror of truth. It’d be most likely in world seven; in these three he could fill one requirement. Changing his identity. He let out a sigh and then saw Kiyori drinking water. He’d have to leave her, but knowing that mysterious demon, he couldn’t decide what to choose.

Should he leave her?