The girl is wearing a red yukata. She is short and looks to be only five or six years old. There are many toys around her: kendama, temari, wood carvings, slingshots, rattles... She has all the toys that children like.
The ceiling was a bit low, and the two of them had to lower their heads slightly and hunch their bodies. Shi Wuqi wanted to take a step forward, but Shanhai suddenly stopped him. Then, he raised his hand and pointed at the pillars of the attic.
They are all covered with dusty charms.
Shi Wuqi took a deep breath: "There is another person, where are you hiding her?"
The little girl hid behind Aluan and said nothing.
"Listen, girl," he continued, "let her go and I'll help you undo these curses."
"Can you figure it out?"
Shan Hai looked at him, then turned and looked at the nearest pillar. He gently blew away the dust on it and carefully looked at the pattern painted on it.
"As long as you can... uh, you can, right?"
"...Don't make random promises to others in the future."
The answer is obvious. All the hallucinations in this hotel are caused by this little girl.
——Zashiki Warashi.
Shanhai waved and asked Aluan to come over. She looked back at Zashiki Warashi, touched her head, told her that nothing would happen, then turned around and ran to Shanhai and the others. Shanhai knelt down and looked level with her.
together.
"Little girl, don't be afraid. Let me ask you, is the shopkeeper of this store the one who set up these spells?"
The girl was a little scared at first, but when she saw Aluan, who had been playing with her for a while, standing next to him, she seemed to think that he was not a bad person. Although the tall man next to her looked really scary, she still nodded and shook her head.
"You mean, it's not him, but he found someone to set it up?"
She nodded.
Zashiki warashi are youkai who like to have fun. Although they have no evil nature, they are very powerful. Usually, they are children who died young from poor families and are playful in nature. Zashiki warashi often pretend to be familiar to you among a group of friends, but each of them
After counting, there is one more person than agreed upon, and the extra partner is who they pretend to be. They can bring peace and wealth to whomever they are willing to stay. Therefore, people try their best to lure them with toys and candies.
They tried every possible means to keep them.
Of course, if this little monster is angry and goes away, it will definitely lead to misfortune. Therefore, some people with evil intentions will find ways to trap them here. In this way, a prosperous life will be guaranteed.
They don't take care of the little monster's mood, and they never even think about what their anger will bring.
Even if the demon is very powerful, a little child can't do anything about it. But if this place itself is evil and there have been murders, it will be hard to say.
"Since this store was built, I'm afraid a lot of people have died," Shi Wuqi said, "but it's not too many. After all, wherever you go, people have accidents. So this little soul is not enough for you.
use."
Shan Hai nodded in agreement: "People come and go in Cangyi City, especially the hotel, which is very lively. This place is also popular with children, so you came. But you must have never thought that you would be discovered by this black-hearted shopkeeper, and also be raped.
Trapped."
Zashiki Warashi lowered her head. After a while, she reluctantly nodded.
"Some of these monsters are real, and some are faked by you. And those who are real account for the majority - although not all of them are dead people, but after the Taki Mansion murder case, due to the decrease in guests and the gradual loss of yang energy, the monsters like
Come here, right? Besides, I smell the wine in the cellar, it’s really good.”
Shanhai looked at her sincerely, as if he were really staring at a child.
"Girl, I want to ask you - whether the affairs of Taki's house have anything to do with you?"
Zashiki Warashi shook his head vigorously with a firm attitude.
"He won't lie to us, right?" Shi Wuqi whispered.
"No. This child-like monster is very innocent."
"Really? I think you are easy to deceive."
Shan Hai ignored him. He stood up, pointed his fingertips at the talisman next to him, and muttered something. The talisman emitted a dark blue light, and a small flame ignited from bottom to top, burning the talisman completely.
, not even a bit of dust.
Zashiki Warashi looked at him in surprise. Perhaps it was an illusion, but her originally pale complexion seemed to have become more rosy. The suspicion in her eyes seemed to be lessened.
"I'll help you slowly unlock the spell that sealed you. Can you promise me two things?"
The little girl tilted her head and looked at him with curious eyes. Dai Luan was a little worried and asked Shan Hai not to make things difficult for her.
"It's not difficult for her, but it's difficult for Mu Wan?" he asked back, and Ah Luan fell silent. Then, his tone softened again, and he said to the girl:
"Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you. First, we have a human girl who may be trapped in a corner by you. We need to see her first. Secondly..."
Shanhai stretched out a second finger.
"Don't make things difficult for the shopkeeper."
"What?"
These words were spoken by Wu Qi and Aluan at the same time.
"Are you kidding me? Why, you have done something wrong and you don't want others to fight back?"
"Yes, Shanhai, why do you care so much? This is retribution!"
Shan Hai was not annoyed either. He slowed down his tone and explained calmly:
"As long as Zashiki Warashi leaves, this person's family will be in ruins and will get enough retribution. But if she continues to stay here to cause trouble, subsequent guests will also be frightened. If she really catches up with someone with a bad heart, it will be really hurt.
Innocent. Moreover, when she stays here, the resentment in her body still suppresses all the wronged souls here... In the worst case, they will become ghosts who have lost their consciousness and will not be reincarnated."
The girl over there was obviously panicked, and she trembled slightly. As if anticipating the bad situation in the future, she shook her head to herself, trying to drive out those bad thoughts. At this time, they heard someone coming downstairs.
There was a noisy sound. Shi Wuqi jumped down from the hole in the floor and quickly reached the stairs.
He saw a very complicated scene.
If you say it's scary, it's not that scary; if you say it's funny, it's a bit unkind - Mu Wan's nerves are still tense, his face is gray, his head is like a frightened cat, and his eyes are very fierce.
She tightened her grip on the weapon in her hand, ready to summon the Tengu and die with her opponent at any time.
"Uh, calm down..."
"Who are you!"
"I'm Shi Wuqi?"
"Prove it to me!"
Shi Wuqi sighed, thinking that she shouldn't be frightened by those little devils who imitated people. But if she wanted to calm down her mood, it would be really hard to fight with her usual mean words and provocations. As for proof...
"Here, you made such a big hole." Shi Wuqi opened the clothes at his waist, "Remember to pay for it."
Mu Wan let out a long breath.
Aluan poked his head out of the hole above: "Well, you still have a face."
"...Why do you still curse when you talk so nicely?"
"Ah, no, I mean... I originally saw you, but it turned out that you were transformed into monsters. I thought your faces were stolen by the monster that washes your face."
It takes some time to undo those spells. Fortunately, the spells are not difficult and do not limit Zashiki Warashi's magic power - if so, she would not have the effect of attracting wealth. However, they control her range of activities.
, making her like a guard dog with a rope tied around its neck, and had to walk around the whole house. So she had to take advantage of the lack of people and use all the resources around her.
After all this tossing, it was almost dawn.
Before the last spell was untied, Shanhai turned to Zashiki Warashi and said that he must remember their agreement. The child nodded obediently and had completely let down his guard. She really looked like a human child now, her face
With a smile that was hard to hide. She must be very happy because she was about to be free. In the face of the rewards of freedom, even hatred was insignificant.
Wu Qi and Mu Wan stood below for a long time, chatting away. It was getting cold, so they looked out the window. Shi Wu Qi shouted to Shang Min:
"The shopkeeper is back - and he's bringing two waiters with him. Hurry up. Ah...wait a minute."
His voice suddenly became lower, and Mu Wan asked him what was wrong.
"...Oh, let me tell you, the co-author was thinking about the travelers' money."
"What, what did you hear?"
"It's nothing. I heard him telling those two people to be quick and tell them about our room. He must have known that there was a problem with this store, but he still tried his best to make money. Gee, people are really terrible..."
These words made Mu Wan very unhappy. She turned angrily and went up to the attic. She quickly ran to Shan Hai and muttered something to him. Shi Wuqi wanted to catch up, but he had already heard what she said.
if.
"I don't think Shanhai will agree to you-" Shi Wuqi shouted again from below.
The mountains and seas meditated for a long time.
"I think it's good for you to tease them one last time...don't go too far."
"Eh? Shanhai, have you changed your gender?" Shi Wuqi still yelled at the top of his lungs.
After dawn, they quickly left the hotel, returned to the north of the city, and found the inn recommended to them by Ye Mu. Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and although most people still dare not go to the streets, there are still many people in the city.
People are preparing stalls for the festival. I wonder if the government has relaxed a little, or if human beings are too forgetful - it doesn't matter, as long as it's lively.
That night, Aluan complained inside the house.
"Why is this mooncake stuffed with five kernels?"
"What's wrong with the five kernels?" Shi Wuqi grabbed it and pointed at the cross section and said, "Isn't this good? Look, walnuts, peanuts, melon seeds... why there are only four ingredients. No, there are five, that's right, but this...
…No, who would add Sichuan peppercorns to moon cakes?!”
The two of them were cursing, and Shan Hai and Mu Wan, who had returned from sending a letter, walked in the door.
"Have you finished writing the letter to your family? Have you told me everything?"
"Yeah" Shan Hai nodded, "Also, we heard an unfortunate thing."
"Whose? What bad luck happened? Tell us to make us happy." Shi Wuqi smiled.
"I don't think there is anything more unlucky than the pepper and five-nut mooncake." A Luan complained.
"Yes, yes," Mu Wan said with great interest, "I heard that the manager of the hot spring hotel in the southeast is crazy."
