Page 60
Looking inside, there are some stone statues of Ultraman standing in the main hall.
Since it was the First Generation who saved the town back then, he naturally stood in the center of the hall, with the Ultra Brothers also present.
"Lord, the word 'Ultraman God' you just mentioned sounds really weird."
But when put together with the surrounding environment, it seems to fit in well.
"I think it sounds weird, too." Grandma Miyamizu agreed unexpectedly. "Our Miyamizu Shrine has been worshipping Wabunjin (the god of rope braiding and weaving) for generations. It was my useless son-in-law who gave up being a priest and ran to become a mayor, but now he comes here and says he wants to worship Ultraman. I'm old too, and my granddaughter Mitsuha has gone to Tokyo, and her sister Yotsuha doesn't seem to want to follow the Shinto path either. When I go there, this shrine will still be arranged by Toshiki, and I can't control what he wants to do."
"However, thanks to Priest Junshu, Lord Miyamizu, your incense is much more prosperous than before." Priest Ichiki had to admit that he was a little jealous.
"It would be a lie to say that as a shrine leader, I don't care about the incense of my own shrine. But I think it's better to worship the gods with more sincerity. Why are you here if you are not here for the autumn festival?"
"Ah, that's right." Speaking of business, the wooden priest cleared his throat, "You should know the 'Black Bag Monk' from more than a thousand years ago, right? We all thought he was a myth, but he broke the seal and escaped, so we are going to arrange an exorcism ceremony, a real priestess' exorcism ceremony, to see if we can seal him again."
If it weren't for the serious look of the Ichimoku priest and the TAC members around him, Granny Miyamizu would have definitely taken this as a joke.
"Black cloth bag monk? You... Maybe I am old and confused and didn't understand. Are you saying that we should use a witch dance to deal with the 'Black cloth bag monk'?"
Seeing the other party nodded affirmatively, Granny Miyamizu became even more surprised.
"I think you should know that Kurobutsu-san was worshipped as a god for hundreds of years. The evil temple was destroyed during the shogunate. For such a ghost, not to mention that we no longer have a shrine maiden in Miyamizu Shrine, even the old woman when I was young, do you think we are the Ise Shrine with the Eight-foot Mirror? Or can we borrow the Kusanagi sword?"
Miyamizu Ichiha was indeed a well-known shrine maiden when she was young. She was proficient in all kinds of rituals such as exorcism, purification, and prayer. Therefore, Miyamizu Shrine is one of the largest shrines even in this small town with many religious shrines, but it is only within the scope of this small town.
"Of course I understand, Miyamizu-chan, but we have the shrine maiden in front of the gods, the 'shrine maiden in front of the gods' that everyone has seen with their own eyes."
"What nonsense! All shrine maidens are shrine maidens in front of the gods."
The shrine maidens are the servants of the gods. They communicate between yin and yang and between humans and gods, and devote their whole hearts and minds to the gods. Miyamizu said so, but she also understood what the Ichiki priest meant.
"So, this is the little girl?"
"Good afternoon. Sorry to bother you, Granny Miyamizu."
"Good afternoon, what a lovely little girl." Facing Lingye, Miyamizu God Lord was not as serious as before, and smiled kindly. "What's your name?"
"Reiya, Oshima Reiya. Actually, I'm not a shrine maiden, and I don't know what a shrine maiden does."
"Is that so, Lingye, but it doesn't matter. The gods sometimes choose us when we are completely unaware, even if we don't know the reason. This kind of thing happens occasionally, but the gods always have a deep meaning." Miyamizu Goddess walked in front of Lingye. Because she was too old and had a hunched back, her height was almost the same as Lingye.
She looked at Lingye and continued, "The demon god is a very terrifying thing. It doesn't matter whether it exists or in what form, feudal superstition or not. It is the weirdness of a thousand years of memorial service and the resentment accumulated for a thousand years. It will dirty people's hearts and cut off the important things between people."
In the corner of the hall, a censer was burning, and smoke was rising. A group of people were in front of the hall. When pilgrims saw them, they all bowed from a distance. No one came forward to disturb them. However, the priest Gong Shui still led people into the inner court and to the tea room in the backyard.
On the way, a middle-aged man came to pay his respects, but was dismissed by Grandma Miyamizu.
"Excuse me, everyone. That's my useless son-in-law. He took off his priest robes, but now he's back again."
When she said that, Ichizoku and other magicians did not dare to be impolite and greeted her. He was the mayor, the highest official in the town. If he was in a bad mood and made a mistake, the incense offerings to Ichizoku Shrine might be reduced by 50%.
The "useless son-in-law" that Granny Miyamizu mentioned was named Miyamizu Toshiki, because he married into the family and took the surname of the shrine. Not long after he left, he brought the teapot over. This time Granny Miyamizu didn't say anything and tacitly allowed him to serve tea to the guests.
Everyone knelt on the tatami, and Grandma Miyamizu deliberately pulled Ling to sit next to her.
However, Ling was not used to the kneeling posture, as she had never practiced it before.
"It's okay if you're not used to kneeling. There's no need for a little girl to be like us old-fashioned people. You can sit however you feel comfortable."
Since Grandma Miyamizu said so, Ling didn't force herself. She bent her legs and found a comfortable position.
Seeing this, Konno and Yoshimura also wanted to relax their thighs, but under Captain Long's gaze, they had to sit upright again.
"I believe that a wood priest would not speak nonsense. He must have seen something in you. But even so, the devil is not something that can be easily contaminated. Its curse will corrupt people's hearts. Do you understand? This is a very dangerous thing, very, very dangerous. Both for the body and the mind."
Obviously, Grandma Miyamizu did not quite agree with the proposal of Priest Ichiki, and she hoped that Ling could also seriously consider it.
"That black cloth bag monk... the devil, if we leave it alone, will anyone get hurt?"
"Injured? Maybe. The demons won't hurt humans with their fists, knives, or swords, but they will arouse the evil thoughts in humans. Not only humans, but also the evil thoughts of all living things around them, causing suspicion, betrayal, and hatred, until the whole land is corrupted."
The demon is not a super beast, it will not destroy those tangible things personally, but it will wantonly play with people's hearts and destroy all ethical orders. It cannot interfere with reality on a large scale, and it will not be destroyed by real weapons.
"If that's the case, let me give it a try. At least I can help others and be needed by everyone."
"Being needed by everyone?" Granny Miyamizu repeated strangely, not quite understanding. "Everyone is needed by others, by mom and dad, brothers and sisters, Lingye, and when you grow up, your husband and children. No one can respond to everyone's needs and listen to everyone's prayers. That is a responsibility that only gods can shoulder."
“But I don’t have any of these.”
Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters, there is no blood relative left in this world. When parents are alive, we know where we came from. When parents are gone, there is only the way back.
Miyamizu paused, and then she realized that she seemed to have said something wrong. After a long time, she finally found her words.
"But even though you are still young, you will find someone who truly loves you in the future."
"It is every girl's right to find someone who truly loves her and to be needed by only one person. This is how the world continues. For a girl, this is the only responsibility she needs to bear. There is no need to take on more."
After saying this, Grandma Miyamizu looked at the little girl. She was only about ten years old, much younger than her granddaughter Yotsuba who was already in high school. No matter how much she persuaded her, she remained silent. Her stubborn temper was somewhat similar to that of her late daughter Futsuba.
The shrine maiden before the gods...
"Okay, if you really insist, I can teach you some things about priestesses." In the end, Grandma Miyamizu compromised. She had no way to deal with such a stubborn little girl.
Because they really know what they want to do, and maybe what they do is right, but it's just not fair to themselves. This is true for Futaba and this little girl named Lingye.
"I will teach Lingye as you wish. Is that all you want to say? I won't see you off."
Granny Miyamizu was in a bad mood and ordered us to leave. I didn't want to leave, but after thinking about it, I asked, "Master Miyamizu, I wonder how long it will take for the Oshima Miko to learn? You know, the evil spirit of the black bag monk could appear at any time."
"How about half a day? I have a witch manual here, just read it, is that okay?"
Seeing that the mother-in-law was obviously speaking in anger, Yizhimu quickly said with a smile: "You know that's not what I meant. We just, yes, just want to prepare the items for the exorcism ceremony, so we need to know the time."
"We have everything at our shrine, so don't bother. I spent ten years training before I participated in the exorcism ceremony for the first time. Futaba also trained for eight years. How long do you think it will take?"
As for her granddaughter Mitsuha, she was just an apprentice shrine maiden until she left her official membership and got married last year. She had not even completed the most basic training of "concentrating thoughts", "concentrating nature" and "concentrating the mind", and knew nothing at all.
"Ten years, eight years? That won't work..."
"Whether it works or not is not up to you or me, okay, it's time for you to leave."
Since Grandma Gongshui said so, Yizhimu had no choice but to leave. He knew that even now, Lord Gongshui did not intend to really let the girl exorcise the demon.
Is it dangerous to exorcise the demon? That is obvious, but Shusai still wants to believe that the scene he saw and the moment he felt not long ago are real. He felt the gaze of the gods. It is not just about serving the gods.
God, indeed, was with her.
"Master Gongshui, after talking for so long, our TAC team should say goodbye." Captain Long said, "But considering the possibility that the so-called 'Black Bag Monk' may still exist, and whether the super beast will appear again, we need to keep our team members here for a while. Please allow me."
"It's okay, this is a shrine, anyone can come here if they want." Granny Miyamizu didn't have any bad feelings towards the TAC team. They were the warriors who protected humans from the Ultra Beasts.
"Beidou, you stay." Captain Long ordered. He thought for a moment and added, "Nan also stays and cooperates with Beidou to be on guard. I'll leave this place to the two of you. The rest of you come back to the headquarters with me."
"understand!"
Chapter 77: Spiritual Birth
The courtyard behind the shrine is very quiet.
Summer is the green season. Although the green is not as tender as that of spring, it is more vibrant.
There is a pond in the yard. In this late summer when the heat is still steaming, lotus flowers are blooming, white and pink, water scorpions in the pond, dragonflies on the lotus leaves. Mountain spring water flows down the bamboo tube, pours into the frightened deer, and pours into the pond with a "doo" sound, scaring away a group of koi.
Ling also sat in a pavilion with Grandma Miyamizu. She had silk threads wrapped around her hands, one by one, around the loom, just like in an ancient fairy tale.
Ling also didn't expect that when Grandma Miyamizu said she was going to teach her, she was actually going to let her spin silk. Was this related to the miko? Grandma didn't say, and she didn't ask.
Because it is also a very interesting thing for her. Watching the silk thread winding in her hands, her heart can also be calmed, and all the worries in her daily life are thrown away, and it seems that they have nothing to do with her.
There is no air conditioning here, nor is there any need to install one. As long as you open the bamboo curtains to ventilate the room, you won't feel stuffy surrounded by green plants and ponds. The tinkling of wind chimes on the eaves and the occasional chirping of bamboos when startled deer make people feel even more peaceful.
Dozens of silk threads are passed through the loom, winding regularly, little by little, into ribbons, or knots. Those are the knots used for praying in shrines.
"It's beautiful, Lingye, you have great craftsmanship. I wanted to teach you something, but I didn't expect you to have to do it for me."
The finished knotted ropes are colorful, and the silk glistens in the sun, which is really beautiful.
"I've learned weaving and embroidery before, so I know a little bit about it. But this is the first time I've seen the loom you have here, grandma. It's very delicate."
"Yes, this was passed down from my grandmother's mother. It's been a while."
My grandmother's mother's was at least sixty or seventy years ago. For household utensils, it can indeed be considered an antique, embodying the memories of several generations.
In fact, Grandma Miyamizu was very surprised. She thought the girl would ask her all kinds of questions. But Ling was always quiet. She would do anything seriously. Even if it was such a boring spinning for two hours, she didn't get impatient at all. If it was Sanye and Yotsuba, they would have been clamoring to go out and play.
Oh, by the way, Sanye has married and left the village, and Yotsuba has gone to high school. Time flies.
She hadn't seen such a well-behaved child for a long time. Just like - yes, like her daughter Futaba, the once famous shrine maiden who left her and this world too early.
Gathering and then dispersing, the bond between people is like this silk thread.
"Okay, take a break."
Following her mother-in-law's instructions, Ling stopped the loom and put down the silk thread in her hand.
"I thought you would ask grandma if you had something to ask, but you didn't say anything." Grandma Miyamizu smiled and brought a cup of tea to Lingye, "Is it fun to knit knots?"
"Yeah, it looks very quiet. You can think about nothing and don't have any worries." Ling also nodded. She took the tea and took a sip. It was cool and sweet, with an unknown fruity aroma, very thirst-quenching.
In fact, she usually doesn't have too many worries. After all, there are not many things in this world that can't be solved with money. With the surname of Oshima, she happens to have the most money. In addition, she also has the Light of Gaia. Money plus power is very useful most of the time. If you still complain about life, it is obviously ignorant.
But leaving your thoughts behind and weaving strands of silk into knots in the pavilion beside this quiet summer pond, the quiet and ethereal atmosphere is another different feeling.
"It's great that you like it. By stroking the silk threads and getting familiar with them, feelings will develop between people and silk threads, and this is spiritualization."
"Birth spirit?"
"The silk threads that were originally in a mess are straightened out in my hands, entangled, woven, and formed. They gather together to form a knot of flowing light. This is the birth of spirits."
Grandma Miyamizu gently stroked the shaped ribbon with flowing light, her eyes were gentle, and I don't know whether she was reminiscing or yearning. This Miyamizu Shrine has a history of more than a thousand years. In the past, it has always enshrined Wamonjin, the god of weaving.
"The strings that connect are the spirits, the strings that connect people are the spirits, and the strings that connect time are the spirits. Weaving these strings is the practice of the miko of our Miyamizu Shrine for generations. It's embarrassing to say that the original teachings of the shrine have long been lost. Two hundred years ago, the bathroom of Yamazaki Seigoro's house, who ran a straw sandal shop, caught fire. The entire area was burned down, and the shrine and ancient books were all burned down. This is the legendary 'Seigoro Fire', and because of this, we have no way of knowing the meaning of the sacrifice. Only the form and these silk threads have been passed down."
The shrine can be rebuilt, but the ancient books that record history and traditions have disappeared forever. This is a shrine that has lost its history. They worship the gods, but have forgotten the meaning of worship. The Wamon God they believe in was buried in the fire.
But Grandma Miyamizu still has faith, faith in the silk thread in her hand. It is not the god who is high above, but the spirit of creation, the cause and effect of all coincidences, love, hate and separation.
"Lingye, you should go back at night. Let the two uncles and aunts from the TAC team take you back."
"But what about exorcism?"
The mother-in-law shook her head. She put her hands on Lingye's head, untied her hair accessories, and then picked up the wooden comb to comb Lingye's hair.
Ling looked at the hair accessory taken off by her mother-in-law without saying anything. But after her mother-in-law casually put it on the tatami next to her, she hesitated for a moment, reached out to take it and held it in her palm.
“Is this hair accessory something important?”
"Ah."