Since he had no experience with infiltration, Kazuma didn't know exactly what to do. So, he tiptoed onto the path, looked left and right, and the scent in his nose grew stronger, but he didn't see anyone.
Stepping through the torii gate, which in Shintoism signifies entering the realm where gods reside.
Above the torii was a not-so-large open space, about 20 stone bricks, each 300mm by 300mm, laid out. The ground was clean stone bricks.
For some reason, unusually tall trees above obscured most of the sunlight with their dense branches, leaving only scattered golden traces on the surrounding trees and ground.
If it weren't for last night's madness, Kazuma would have surely thought he had come to some New Township for a tour.
To be honest, Kazuma had already imagined the scene above before coming up. Combining the information he learned last night, the place above, if not like the Lion Camel Kingdom in Journey to the West, with human flesh hanging everywhere and live people in cages, like a forest player's base, it should at least be like a Conan Exiles player's base, with enslaved people working everywhere, and wails and screams constantly echoing.
Looking at the stairs leading from the open space ahead, which were just more stairs, Kazuma couldn't help but let out a sigh.
Imagining scenes from Sekiro and Yakuza, Kazuma picked up his sword and began the painful climb up the stairs.
On the other side, in the mountains next to the one where Kazuma was currently located, within an unimaginably luxurious building, although Japan never lacks grand mansions or invitation-only restaurants built in the mountains.
If it weren't for the strange location, its sheer scale would even make one wonder if this was a summer residence for a top zaibatsu like the Si Gong Family or the Shichijo Family.
The multi-door binary structure reminded one of a quadrangle courtyard, but it was a Japanese-style garden with smaller rooms and a denser layout.
What made it immediately seem odd was the dark canopy stretched over the building, resembling a greenhouse, but serving to block out sunlight.
And inside, only a few rooms had faint lighting.
In the central pond of this building, a thin old man in a kimono was scattering fish food into a pitch-black pond, and the water would occasionally bubble.
"Muroi-kun, do you mean that there are 573 people in the village, but you were driven up the mountain by an outsider?"
The honorific 'kun' in Japanese, besides being used between very close people, is more often used by elders addressing juniors.
So, in some anime, when certain heroines start calling the male lead 'xx-kun' as soon as they meet, it actually implies a bit of flirtation.
"Yes." Jingxin knelt in the dark courtyard, head bowed.
He did not refute nor did he give any more reasons.
"And now, because ordinary people with guns can't do anything to that guy, and those of us who have cultivated our bodies can't go down the mountain during the day, we can only hide in the mountains and wait for night, is that right?"
"Yes." Jingxin continued to nod.
The old man, who had just been feeding fish, immediately became furious upon hearing his reply. He smashed the basket containing the remaining fish food onto Jingxin's head, scattering the food all over him.
"How did you handle things? Didn't I tell you many times to be meticulous in your work? New Township is like our gateway, our shell, and especially at a time like this!
I had already invited Ms. Fukuyasu, the governor of Hokkaido, and Inspector Nagata of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department to attend the ritual, but you caused this mess! How am I supposed to explain this to them? If they find out we can't even keep a secret, how can they trust us? Do you want us to die?"
"I am deeply sorry." Jingxin bowed slightly while kneeling, apologizing.
Facing the old man's anger, Jingxin did not utter a single word of rebuttal, nor did he answer his questions.
Because Jingxin knew that even if he explained his difficulties, this guy would only say unrealistic things like "I don't care" or "Can't you just?" This is a common flaw of people who think highly of themselves; as long as they invest, they must see a return. If any problems arise in between, they will drag the subordinates and scold them.
But after scolding, besides tormenting the subordinates and inflicting pain, they offer no constructive advice.
Jingxin had adapted to this over the past 14 years.
"I will call trustworthy people to repair the village and gather information about that person. Shimura Danzo! Right! No matter what he is, he won't have an easy time afterwards!"
Just as the two were talking, someone suddenly came to the courtyard gate.
"Master, I received a call from Qi Ren-kun's side. Someone has approached the Heavenly Gate, it might be the person who attacked the village last night, so I rushed over to inform you! People have already been dispatched to block him."
"What?"
"Huh?"
Jingxin and the old man both turned their heads in surprise.
Neither of them had ever considered that Keli would pursue them up the mountain.
In fact, Keli's actions last night alone had left Jingxin very puzzled.
Regardless of whether Keli's immortality was acquired in the village or not.
If a person suddenly stumbles into a village, discovers something strange about it, and then is about to be harmed, wouldn't their first reaction be to run?
Yesterday's actions, like driving the dump truck and shooting with a gun, could still be understood as wanting to leave or being stimulated into a frenzy.
But what was this?
They had never considered, or rather, most people wouldn't even consider, that there would be someone in the world who would risk being arrested and severely tortured, simply because they couldn't stand them and felt compelled to eradicate them.
At this moment, on the mountainside, Sato Kazuma was still climbing the mountain path, completely unaware that his whereabouts had been exposed.
He was still looking left and right while following the scent.
Suddenly, there was a violent rustling in the bushes. Kazuma sharply turned his head and saw three people with hunting rifles quickly emerge from the bushes below, blocking his path down the mountain. At the end of the stairs above, he could vaguely see a few people walking out.
"Huh?" Before Kazuma could react, gunshots rang out.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Because the other party thought it was Keli, there was no nonsense or negotiation. They first hid, and then as soon as they were within range, they directly opened fire.
Kazuma painfully clutched his chest and fell to the ground, feeling a severe burning sensation in his lungs. He unwillingly tried to grip the knife by his side again, then lost consciousness.
Seeing Kazuma fall, the people with guns did not rush closer but continued to shoot. They had heard about last night's events from the villagers who had fled up the mountain.
However, the reality of the situation made them curious.
There was no flesh regeneration happening; the approaching person was simply being shot to pieces, becoming unrecognizable, with no sign of revival, until they noticed this situation. Only then did those people stop shooting and walk onto the path, which was already stained with blood, to confirm the body.
This news was immediately relayed via communication devices to another mountain.
"Other people? Jingxin, didn't you say there were only two people and a family of four, one of those two was confirmed dead, three of the family of four were on Tianhu Mountain, and the other was a girl?
Where did this person come from? Did someone from outside get in?!
Surveillance cameras should have been installed in the village long ago! Didn't you think of this? Do you only realize your regrets after something happens?
Have Qi Ren go down the mountain and see what's going on!"
Somewhat anxious and nervous, the old man paced back and forth, constantly scolding Jingxin.
However, just a few minutes later, a communication came through that made him feel like his jaw was about to drop.
"Master! Qi Ren-kun's side said another person has arrived, and he looks exactly like the previous person, even his clothes are the same!"
No way? Are you guys paying homage to Journey to the West here?
Monkey King, Monkey Disciple, and next there's going to be Monkey Grandson, right??