“...”

Ogasawara Masayuki was silent for a moment, then nodded extremely slowly, and said, “Indeed.

In mid-July of Showa 54, the village of Yukari-koku held the Yukari Festival according to its usual customs.

Everything was carried out according to the Hiratsuka family's plan,

But when the Mekakushi-mono (blindfolded one) chose the person for the In'nen-sai (fate ritual), there was a deviation.

My older brother, Fujimura Ryosuke, took my place.”

Li Ang nodded, “I know that.

We investigated the Fujimura family's house,

And discovered that Fujimura Ryosuke was originally named Matsuoka, which is your mother's surname.

He is your uncle's son.”

"...That's right."

Ogasawara Masayuki took a deep breath and said, "We were close in height and weight when we were kids, and we looked very similar.

That day, all the villagers and foreign tourists had to wear Noh masks.

I didn't have any memories before, so it was my first time participating in the Yukari Festival.

Because I was naughty and playful, Ryosuke and I swapped kimonos, wanting to see if others could notice the difference between us.

As a result, everyone else, including my mother, didn't notice anything unusual and watched the shrine performance as usual.

Out of some kind of disappointment, I quietly left the shrine myself in the middle of the performance, before the effects of the Kisen-shu (Returning Spring Sake) took effect.

I just happened to miss the time when the Mekakushi-mono of the Hiratsuka family entered the shrine.

My mother, and Ryosuke, who she thought was me, were taken to the Kisen Well and subjected to the In'nen-sai.

In the end, the ritual failed, the resentment of Yomi (the underworld) was not appeased, but instead surged out wantonly, slaughtering everyone in the village of Yukari-koku.

The village of Yukari-koku itself was also drawn into a strange zone between Tokoyo (the eternal land) and Yomi.

All of this is my responsibility, and now, it's time to correct it."

He raised one of the hemp ropes and said slowly, "I need to, and am destined to die here.

Only by sinking into the abyss can the In'nen-sai be brought back on track."

He looked at the two of them deeply, and said complexly, "I went to investigate the village of Yukari-koku when you were eight years old, and as a result, I fell into it, missing your growing up.

I am a selfish, unqualified father.

Take this key and leave quickly, while there's still time."

Ogasawara Masayuki took out a strangely shaped key from the black fur on his body. "This key can open the trapdoor in the backyard of the Fujimura family's house. Through the trapdoor, you can go straight to the outside world.

Previously, the other side of the trapdoor was sealed by the strange power lingering over the village of Yukari-koku.

After I complete the In'nen-sai, I should be able to re-seal Yomi, allowing the other side of the trapdoor to open."

Along with Ogasawara Masayuki's words, the entire underground space began to shake and tremble again, and a large amount of yellow sand and dust fell. The entire space seemed as if it would collapse in the next second.

Under such circumstances, Li Ang was not flustered at all. He took the key, waved his hand, and said, "No hurry.

What I want to know is, didn't you escape from the village of Yukari-koku in a state of amnesia? Did you recall these things yourself?"

"Yes."

Ogasawara Masayuki said, "I did lose all my childhood memories, only remembering that I was alone, covered in dirt, walking in the mountains of Okasen Prefecture.

Later, I was adopted by the Ogasawara family.

Because of some kind of faint feeling, and the fragments of memory that often troubled me, I eventually became a folklorist after adulthood and came into contact with news about the village of Yukari-koku.

I...like you, walked into the mountains of Okasen Prefecture and entered the ruins of the village of Yukari-koku.

Here, I came into contact with things that were familiar to me in the past, slowly regained my past memories, collected a large amount of clues, and pieced together the truth of all the events.

But I was also firmly bound by the village of Yukari-koku, unable to escape, and turned into what I am now, sometimes awake, sometimes muddled, and losing my mind.

After I discovered that you had entered the village of Yukari-koku, I was afraid that I would hurt you, so I went down to the Kisen Well, preparing to take this final step and end it all."

"Is that so?"

Li Ang nodded and said calmly, "I want to know what role Fujimura Shuhei played in this incident.

Watching the Yukari Festival is something that most villagers and tourists participate in, so why wasn't he with you and your mother?"

"...Because he is a Noh mask maker."

Ogasawara Masayuki explained, "The Fujimura family has always been the family in the village that makes Noh masks.

We are responsible for using special wood, that is, wood watered with the water from the Kisen Well, to carve the Noh masks.

Such masks will themselves be contaminated with the anomaly of the Kisen water.

When it is worn on the face of a Noh performer, it can cooperate with the performer's dance and song to further amplify the hallucinatory ability of the Kisen-shu, allowing everyone to be immersed in it.

That day, the Noh mask of one of the actors had a slight break, so he went backstage for temporary maintenance."

"On this point, I believe you,"

Li Ang nodded and said, "But I think this is not the whole truth."

"Huh?"

Ogasawara Masayuki was stunned when he heard this, "What are you saying..."

"Just like you said just now, only two people with strong, inseparable emotional bonds can correctly trigger the In'nen-sai and complete the sealing of the land of Yomi."

Li Ang said, "And why can you guarantee that you will complete the seal after sinking into the abyss?"

"...Because she is still alive."

Ogasawara Masayuki was silent for a moment, then pointed to the metal box hanging on the edge of the cliff, "Because of the deviation in the ritual, my mother has been in a state of neither life nor death, without any perception of the outside world.

In the past few years, I wanted to end it all, but I couldn't bear to part with her, or my father next to the Kisen Well.

I have been delaying until now.

If I am used as a sacrifice, then the In'nen-sai can be reactivated..."

"Wait a minute."

Wang Congshan raised her hand and said, "The In'nen-sai requires two people with strong, inseparable emotional bonds, right?

This ritual, which is cruel and evil in a sense, kills two people every four years.

For a remote and closed village, the manpower consumption is too great, and it is difficult to guarantee that enough can be gathered every four years.

That's why the Hiratsuka family is holding the Yukari Festival in such a big way, publicizing it to the outside world, inviting tourists, and even inviting your teacher, that equally well-known folklorist, to the residence.

Those foreign tourists are also candidates for the In'nen-sai, right?

Because of the unique myth of Mount Yukari, every year, many people who have lost interest in life and have thoughts of death come to Mount Yukari and disappear without a trace.

Even if they occasionally go missing, it won't arouse too much suspicion."

Seeing Ogasawara Masayuki nod in agreement, Wang Congshan continued, "Then the In'nen-sai of Fujimura Masumi and Fujimura Ryosuke should not have failed.

According to you, holding the In'nen-sai does not require blood relations, siblings, lovers, or even friends can be effective.

Fujimura Masumi and Fujimura Ryosuke are mother and son, and Fujimura Masumi also treats Ryosuke as you.

How could it fail?"

"..."

Ogasawara's words suddenly stalled, and he stood silently in place.

"If I'm not mistaken, most of what you told us is correct, but you lied on a key issue.

And this kind of lie is not to protect yourself, but to protect another person."

Wang Congshan said lightly, "The real reason for the failure of the In'nen-sai is Fujimura Masumi, isn't it?

She clearly knew that the one being taken away was the adopted Ryosuke, not you.

Even after the effects of the Kisen-shu disappeared and her memories surged up, she didn't feel too much pain and regret.

Even, guessing in a more sinister and narrow direction, it is not impossible that all of this originated from her planning."