LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 46
Good things and bad things come together, they say.
“I ended up meeting an elder while mingling with those who are blessed. Maybe it was luck, but I was able to join a club where he serves as the head. Let me bring up the topic of the next Shinto Priest.”
I was briefly disappointed that my younger sisters couldn’t come to Japan.
One politician who received magic from Jinseong contacted him, promising to create connections for him.
And not just any connections, but connections to elders wielding power through dark politics in Japan.
“The elder is quite interested in the next Shinto Priest. If you grant him a blessing, it would be like having a powerful backer. Moreover, I see several politicians and businessmen from Tottori Prefecture in the club you mentioned, so it would be great for reaching out regarding the festival. While participating in the festival as a Shinto Priest might be a stretch, it seems I could at least secure some benefits.”
Jinseong chuckled at that.
The politician was under the impression that he wanted to contact Tottori’s power holders to become a Shinto Priest responsible for the adults’ festival and rake in profits.
Well, if someone suddenly labeled as the next Shinto Priest started looking into other regional festivals and reaching out to local power holders, it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine such thoughts.
“Club, huh.”
Club.
A Japanese expression for ‘club’.
But even though it’s grandly referred to as a club, it’s really just a Japanese term for a gathering similar to a hobby group, not the dancing and partying kind seen in Korea.
However, regardless of being the same type of group or hobby, the purpose and who created it can greatly alter its nature.
If it’s a club created by a powerful figure in Japan, especially one where politicians who indulge in vitality and pleasure while continuously surrounding themselves with women are members, what could its true purpose be?
“I don’t know which elder it is, but they must be pretty fit.”
Finding a fit person isn’t that difficult.
Even among witches, many maintain a youthful appearance despite being at an age where they could easily be called grandmas, and in the case of warriors, there are plenty of muscular individuals even when they’ve reached the age where they show signs of age such as age spots and long beards.
Moreover, some powerful figures have extended their lifespans and slowed aging through procedures that elongate telomeres.
Indeed, we’ve entered an era where, if you have talent and abundant money, you can even extend your lifespan.
“If I’m lucky, I might be able to receive a procedure through that elder.”
Jinseong thought as he read the following text messages.
The messages went on about a gathering at some hotel, mentioning that the hotel by the sea has breathtaking views, and they were full of details about which gravure models and AV actresses would attend.
“Procedures, huh.”
To Jinseong, the message seemed to plead for him to definitely come because it was such a grand club, so he replied saying he’d go. Shortly afterwards, he received a happy message saying they would send a car in a few days.
Jinseong looked at the date quietly, then called Kenji.
“From now, get everything I say as quickly as possible. Get 20 of each. Small jars, strange mushrooms, red sand, mercury, squid ink, a live rooster, rice miso, a bundle of string, a pregnant mother rat, white silk, ash made from burning birch wood, small dolls…”
As he rambled on, something occurred to him, and he asked Kenji.
“Oh, by the way, is there a place nearby where many people have drowned?”
* * *
1 AM.
Jinseong used teleportation to head towards the bridge recommended by Kenji.
The bridge looked like an ordinary bridge you could see anywhere, but its atmosphere was chillingly ominous. The reddish hue that appeared rusted from the sea breeze looked like blood stains, and the darkness, combined with the absence of lighting and traffic, made it feel otherworldly.
Moreover, since it was 1 AM, when negative energies are stronger, the fog settled over the seaside bridge provided an eerie mood.
I was worried that someone might beckon from beyond the fog, creating a fearful ambiance.
Jinseong gazed at the fence standing over 8 meters high on the bridge.
At the top of the towering fence were concertina wire and sharp nails, and oddly enough, they showed signs of having been torn apart as if someone had climbed over, leaving behind ripped clothing and dried bloodstains. Additionally, there were places on the wire that were oddly clean from dust, indicating that someone had climbed over recently.
“Very good.”
Jinseong smiled contentedly, thinking Kenji’s recommendation was indeed right.
He was currently standing on the Otengoku Bridge.
It had appeared in broadcasts a few times as a spirit site and was also known as a notorious suicide spot. Perhaps due to its name, it even had the nickname “Heaven’s Bridge,” and at night, no locals or tourists dared to approach.
“There is a place called Otengoku Bridge. Built during the bubble era, it seems the workers were cursed as they kept dying during construction. Eventually it was completed, yet accidents never ceased.”
“Both locals and outsiders frequently threw themselves into the sea from that bridge and, allegedly, even the boss of the construction company jumped off the bridge one early morning. The city tried to construct protective fencing, yet people still find ways to leap into the water; even with the fencing, they disregard injuries and throw themselves anyway…”
“That’s why a famous onmyoji and monk were hired, but the spirits of the sea are so strong and skilled at hiding that they say it’s hard to gain any control. So they set up barriers to prevent the vengeful spirits from luring people and regularly conduct offerings and purify the defilement.”
“Even with all that, outsiders come every year to jump off the bridge. Therefore, the locals avoid using that bridge, and it seems the infamous rumors make outsiders only come at night for ghost-spot investigations.”
Jinseong recalled what Kenji had told him about the bridge’s origins while staring at the fog rising thickly.
In the darkness, the white wriggling fog was unmistakably visible like in broad daylight, and without even a gust of wind, it persisted in shifting form, appearing eerie.
And beneath that fog, the waves were undulating.
The waves softly whispered while breaking, creating noiseless chaos in the quiet night; the rhythmic spread of that sound could almost sound like flesh colliding with flesh or the dull sound of someone clapping with their palm.
And as Jinseong listened to that sound for a while, he was starting to see the shape of those undulating waves changing more and more.
The waves surged and rose dramatically. The white foam formed and changed shape, while waves that had been conical sank back into the sea in curves. Above it, the fog danced and flowed, reminiscent of a river made of mist.
Splash—.
Splash—
The sound of palm clapping echoed in the absence of light.
Splash—
The water collided and burst.
The shape changed, emitting a white, glowing sound.
Despite the lack of lights, it shone white in the darkness, clearly visible in Jinseong’s eyes.
Splash.
The waves beckoned.
The sounds of splashing went on as if the rising waters themselves were clapping, and the small white hands that emerged continuously performed regular claps.
Splash—
One white hand.
Splash—
Another white hand.
Splash—. Splash—
A white hand arose.
What was once waves transformed entirely into white hands rising up, clapping together as if they had united in thought, moving further away then closer in unison, striking their hands— the backs of their hands clapping against each other, not their palms.
Clap—
Clap—!
And finally, when the sound became one of hands colliding rather than waves splashing, countless white hands began to rise further from the edge of the sea, all reaching out towards Jinseong on the bridge.
It beckoned ominously.
Watching that chilling scene, Jinseong couldn’t help but smile.
“A find indeed.”