Chapter 349 Strange Event in s.h.i.+buya Togyo
s.h.i.+buya is an urban area that shares the name of “24-hour sleepless streets” with s.h.i.+njuku. There are many famous department stores, fas.h.i.+on stores, restaurants, coffee shops, and soaplands at the Hachiko exit, s.h.i.+buya station. Favored by young people, s.h.i.+buya has become the place for all kinds of fas.h.i.+on in Nihon and abroad.
Lin Luoran and other people arrived at the Cerulean Tower Hotel in s.h.i.+buya Togyo half an hour ago.
Overlooking from the 37th floor, there is a flow of ant-like people on the streets of s.h.i.+buya. Lin Qingxue brings warm coffee to everyone. Lins can’t get used to this bitter drink, so they only take a sip to show respect for Lin Qingxue.
As a female officer of the special forces, in this operation, Lin Qingxue can only serve as the leader of the logistics units. Vanguard units are all made up of young cultivators. Lin Luoran only knows how grave the situation is when she arrives.
Several old acquaintances are also missing this time.
The cultivator Ye Xiaobei who was lucky to get Foundation-laying Bolus last time, the sixth brother of Mu Tiannan, and Cui Hejian, cousin of Fatty Cui, they all disappear.
“You mean, there are many disappearances of young men and women in s.h.i.+buya so you were sent to investigate?” Lin Luoran runs her fingers over the rim of the cup. The steaming coffee is still hot.
“Some young people of s.h.i.+buya are missing. But isn’t it none of our Huaxia’s business?”
Anyone can see that Lin Luoran is unhappy. As someone who has been described by her political teacher as a “narrow nationalist”, she is not very interested in so-called international aid. In particular, people of their own country were trapped because of international aid. It’s really insane.
Lin Qingxue salutes, “Miss Lin, please allow me to clear it with you. The missing people include a Huaxia tour group of 20 people traveling in s.h.i.+buya and nine Huaxia students studying here.”
Lin Luoran frowns, “What about those cultivators, how many days have they disappeared?”
“Three days ago. Cultivator Cui Hejian made a long-distance call back to the State of Huaxia to send a message for help.”
Three days ago, Cui Hejian made an international call? Isn’t it the phone call that turned to Fatty Cui for help? Lin Luoran now thinks this is worse than she imagined.
Why didn’t Cui Hejian call logistics units for help? Why didn’t he call Chen Yun—perhaps the situation is so bad that even if the special department sends reinforcements, it is still useless?
Lin Luoran stands by the window, overlooking pedestrians on the street.
It is truly a paradise for young people. All kinds of fancy clothes and dazzling colors, more than 80% of people on the street are the youth.
“Does the disappearance continue?”
Lin Qingxue nods, “Every day at seven o’clock in the evening, no matter how great the surveillance of Nihon and us is, it always happens.”
Wen Guanjing laughs, “Then we have to defend this place. It’s such a big thing. Maybe Nihon has also sent some people with personal ability here?”
Just at that moment, Lin Luoran raises her eyebrows and laughs, “What a coincidence! It seems we have guests coming.”
Wen Guanjing and Li Xi’er also notice some breaths different from Huaxia cultivators. After a few minutes, a soldier from the logistics units sends word that some members of the Nihon shrine now come to negotiate.
“Just invite them in.”
Several men dressed in Nihon traditional costumes come here in succession. The leader is a middle-aged man with sharp eyes. With silvery hair, he looks very serious. At first glance, people can know that he is high up the food chain a long time ago.
The man has sensed a strong feeling of oppression covering the hotel. Thinking that it’s an old monster remote from life comes to s.h.i.+buya from Huaxia, he disciplines his men to behave well along the way. He is even wondering whether it is the cultivator who recently bore Essence in Huaxia. When he gets into the room, he finds that such a powerful breath is from a woman in her early twenties. Saito Asada’s fear all turns into shock.
Almost at the same instant, he realizes who she is. This woman who appears to be too feeble to truss a chicken is Lin Luoran, the rising star in the world of personal ability in Huaxia.
“Senior cultivator!” In the face of Lin Luoran, a young but essential woman in the world of personal ability in Huaxia, Saito Asada has to let go of his arrogance and lowers his chin.
“Senior cultivator…” Several Nihonese also salute together.
Lin Luoran smiles and says to people around her, “Who are these juniors? I hardly know them.”
Saito Asada’s strong jaw shakes, “I am the seventeenth-generation house owner of the Asada family, serving as the guardian of the shrine.”
The Asada family? This family gives Lin Luoran a bad impression, always reminding her of the cyan little fox which hasn’t returned home yet, “Is Sakurako Asada your…?”
Saito Asada is a little nervous, “She is my daughter. Sakurako went off on a trip a few years ago and has not come back home yet. Is there anything the senior cultivator wants to tell her?”
Lin Luoran sneers secretly, a trip? Is it a trip to Huaxia for the treasure of the Green Mountains? Nevertheless, in this case, with no news from this Sakurako Asada, so it seems nothing bad happens to the silly little fox.
“On the Night of Bermuda, years ago, I have met your daughter once only. Miss Sakurako was really impressive.”
Lin Luoran’s remark is ambiguous so Saito Asada also dares not talk more. It is awkward for a moment. Then Saito Asada breaks that awkwardness. He asks her how to deal with this incident. Lin Luoran only says that everyone should do his own duty, which makes Saito Asada feel a little disappointed.
Those Nihonese leave soon. Lin Qingxue asks boldly, “Miss Lin, why not cooperate with them?”
The nature of soldiers is to obey orders and to complete the orders at any cost. The order Lin Qingxue received at this time is to cooperate with Lin Luoran and others to rescue the missing Huaxia cultivators. In her opinion, collaboration with the local forces of Nihon will make them both stronger and more effective, why not do that?
Lin Luoran does not talk. Wen Guanjing tips Lin Qingxue a wink to shush her.
Among all the people here, maybe he is the only one who can understand some of Lin Luoran’s ideas. They are here just for saving the people of the State of Huaxia. Even if they cooperate with Nihonese cultivators, it may have the opposite effect when two sides are always on guard against each other.
Some forces in this world are destined not to trust each other due to historical reasons.
The State of Huaxia and Nihon are in such a situation.
Lin Luoran knows it is freezing out because of her, so she treats everyone to a medicine bath in the hotel. They are waiting for the “weird 7 o’clock”.
Lin Luoran’s relaxed att.i.tude really dispels the dark clouds in everyone’s hearts. One Bearing Essence cultivator and two Laying Foundation cultivators are really an unprecedentedly powerful lineup. Thinking this way, they feel that the fog on the unclear road ahead is kind of dispersed.
…
“Master, just now, is that woman Miss. Lin?”
Lin Luoran occupies an important and special status. Therefore, in the world of personal ability in Nihon, she has been called as “Miss. Lin” long ago.
Saito Asada nods, “It’s Miss. Lin… I suspect that she has been in the Bearing Essence realm of personal ability in Huaxia. What an enviable genius!” Because he is not far away from the hotel, he doesn’t dare to speak casually. It’s not only about the issue of having an enviable genius. Huaxia has such a cultivator who can make breakthroughs in just a few years. If it also happens in the world of personal ability in Nihon… It’s better to destroy this woman.
Saito Asada looks at the Cerulean Tower Hotel with pity in his eyes. It’s unfortunate that she is a woman… It’s even more unfortunate that she is a Huaxia woman.
“Master, Miss. Lin does not intend to cooperate with us. So what shall we do now?”
Saito Asada smiles, “Back to the Grand Shrine.”
“Yes!”
The “Grand Shrine” Saito Asada just mentions is the Fujisan “Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine” at the top of Mount Fuji. It is a place to wors.h.i.+p the G.o.ds of Mount Fuji. The shrine owns nearly four million square meters of land above the mountainside near the top, except for hiking trails and meteorological observatory. Nihon is a country with really scarce land, so it’s easy to see how important the Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine is.
These people walk on the streets of s.h.i.+buya. Young people wearing weird and trendy clothes couldn’t help but avoiding such serious people in suits.
The busy downtown won’t just be quiet because of anyone. Soon the crowd is back to normal.
Young people are tireless and they don’t even know the time is getting closer. At 7 pm every day, some of them may become one page in the “Missing People File”. Young people in s.h.i.+buya yearn for freedom and diversity, and their lifestyle is also imitated by many others. However, they are just the tiniest of tiny specks in existence, whose life can easily be concluded on a piece of A4 paper.
If they know death is so close to them, will they still choose to waste time like that?
On the train to s.h.i.+zuoka Prefecture, two Huaxia teenagers are sitting near the window. They look a little bit tired.
It is lingering dusk. It’s 49 minutes to seven o’clock Togyo time. Lin Luodong rubs his eyes and smiles breezily, “You are so good. You actually left Lucy to Wei Xue… When we are back, they may be fighting.”
Huang Weijian does not answer and he turns his eyes out of the window. High-speed train cuts views of the entire Nihon suburbs into slices. He can see the white snow on the top of Mount Fuji in the distance.
Seven or eight hours ago, they were still on the other side of the ocean. At this moment, they have already been on the train to s.h.i.+zuoka. Under Huang Weijian’s calm appearance, he is not less excited than Lin Luodong.
Anyway, this is an adventure for two teenagers.
However, sometimes because they are too young, they may underestimate how dangerous things are—it is a lesson of life that everyone will learn after paying many tuition fees for many times.
Tick-tock-tick-tock: It’s getting closer to seven o’clock…