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Chapter 279: It Was All Feudal Superstition

When Kimura Kazuki and Sei Shigeru descended the mountain and arrived at Sakagami Village, they found out that the pitch dark Sakagami Village was empty, but in the wheat fields to their left and right, many people were harvesting wheat using sickles. This scene incited a sort of dark humor. The two of them looked at each other as they felt a bizarre feeling. Even if... it was around the season for wheat to ripen, what was the time now?

It was around seven or eight o’ clock in the evening, with not a single light in the whole village, yet they were here harvesting wheat? This...

The two of them stood there for a full two minutes, then Kimura Kazuki slowly opened his mouth. “Shigeru-dono, do you know what’s going on?”

Sei Shigeru shook his head, and laughed bitterly. “It’s my first time seeing people harvesting wheat at night. Besides, I have observed for a while. Sakagami Village may be pitch dark, but these villagers are making their way around easily as if walking on even ground. Clearly, they have night vision ability.”

Kimura Kazuki nodded. He also observed for a bit and initially thought that these people were being controlled. However, he saw clearly that these villagers were harvesting wheat while conversing, there was spirit in their eyes, unlike the looks of being controlled. They were obviously able to think clearly, unlike any puppets.

“Eh, Kimura-kun, Grandpa Shigeru!”

The two men stood there for a few minutes, wanting to ask someone what was going on. But then they heard a surprised voice coming from the side, the two turned their head and saw that it was Otome Sakagami.

Sei Shigeru instantly showed a kind smile. “Little Otome, we just came down from the mountain, hoping to find something to eat, but...” He pointed at this scene and spoke bizarrely, “What’s going on with Sakagami Village?”

Otome Sakagami’s sparkling eyes were glued to Kimura Kazuki. When she came to her senses afterwards, she answered sheepishly, “Ah... Grandpa Shigeru, what did you say? There are too many people here, I couldn’t hear you clearly.”

Sei Shigeru sighed quietly at Kimura Kazuki’s charm, before he repeated himself once again.

“Oh... About this, I actually don’t know as well.” Otome Sakagami scratched her head as she spoke. “For as long as I could remember, Sakagami Village have had this custom. When the wheats have ripened, they must be harvested at night. Besides, the entire Sakagami Village has always been active at night. Truthfully, I am also curious, before I left the village, I actually thought that wheat should be harvested at night.”

“You didn’t ask your parents?” Kimura Kazuki asked.

Otome Sakagami said shamefully, “I remembered that I asked when I was younger, and my parents did answer me, but I forgot, and after I grew up I didn’t ask. Since everyone was used to it, I guess that this is the village’s custom.”

This custom was terrifying. If any outsiders were to come in and see the villagers from Sakagami Village harvesting wheat in the middle of the night, they would be frightened to death. The entire scene looked kind of absurd, like it came straight out of those hell scroll paintings.

Without waiting for the two to speak, Otome Sakagami smiled. “Kimura-kun, Grandpa Shigeru, you two must be hungry, right? I just got home, and my mom made a lot of delicious food. There’s a lot left, so do you want to bring some for Harunaka and the others on the mountain?” Seeing their doubtful expressions, Otome Sakagami immediately said, “One of my uncles saw you guys going up the mountain, so I suppose you guys were here to investigate the problem at Unto Shrine.”

Kimura Kazuki and Sei Shigeru did not say a word, they just nodded.

The two followed Otome Sakagami. As Kimura Kazuki looked around at the villagers of Sakagami Village, he suddenly asked, “Why was there so few people in Sakagami Village during the daytime?”

He remembered when he came here at noon, besides the old man who greeted Otome Sakagami, there was no one else in the other houses, the village felt dead. Sei Shigeru felt that it was weird as well when he heard that question.

“Because they were all sleeping.” Otome Sakagami gave Kimura Kazuki a weird look. “If they don’t sleep during the day, how would they have the energy to harvest wheat at night.”

That was very logical, the two instantly became speechless. Soon enough, the two arrived at Otome Sakagami’s home.

“Otome, you’re back so soon.” As soon as they entered the door, Kimura Kazuki heard an old voice before he observed anything. The next moment, the three of them saw an old lady, propped on a walking stick and was emerging from the dark. If they were normal people, they would be scared out of their skins.

“Grandma, they are Kimura-kun and Grandpa Shigeru whom I told you about during the day.”

“Oh, so it’s them. Are they hungry? There’s still some dishes in the cabinet, you can bring it out for them to eat.”

“Okay,” Otome Sakagami replied happily, and went to the kitchen.

“Have a seat, don’t feel restricted.” Grandma Sakagami smiled happily at the two of them, “There hasn’t been any visitors in this village for a long time. You’re here for the problem in Unto Shrine, right?”

Kimura Kazuki and Sei Shigeru found some stools and sat down. When they heard this question, Kimura Kazuki did not answer. He was sensing around this house with his consciousness, trying to see if there was anything unusual. He would not have done this before because this was impolite, but Sakagami Village seemed way too creepy.

Logically speaking, humans lived toward the light. Sleeping during the day and working at night was against all logic. After all, did they buy their daily necessities at night? What’s more, getting to the nearest town from Sakagami Village also required a bus trip... and there were no buses operating at night.

Sei Shigeru saw that Kimura Kazuki who was beside him was not speaking, he then laughed. “That’s right, we’re here to investigate the Unto Shrine case. I am an Onmyoji from Kyoto Shrine’s Management Department. Unto Shrine is a shrine recorded in the management department, so we have to find out what happened when Unto Shrine was destroyed.”

Hearing this, Kimura Kazuki glanced at him. Shrine Management Department? He had never heard about this. Looks like Sei Shigeru had some skills when it comes to lying.

“Shrine Management Department? Are you from the government?” Grandma Sakagami obviously did not know what this management department was. However, they said something about investigating the shrine, so it had to be someone from the government because who else had the time to come to Sakagami Village?

“Close enough.” Sei Shigeru said, “Sakagami onee-san, do you know about Unto Shrine?”

Hearing herself being called Sakagami onee-san, Grandma Sakagami was clearly joyous. She smiled gleefully and said, “I know a bit of it. Rumors have it that the Unto Shrine on the mountain was to suppress a Majin. But now that Unto Shrine is destroyed, it was probably the Majin who broke the seal right?”

Hearing these words, Kimura Kazuki’s heart tensed up. Sei Shigeru looked at Grandma Sakagami without any changes in his expression. He asked curiously, “The Majin broke the seal, don’t you feel panicked?”

“Why should we panic? Aren’t these just feudal superstitions? I have listened to this story since I was a kid, but I have never seen anything mystical about the Onmyoji at Unto Shrine.” Grandma Sakagami suddenly thought of something as she spoke, and laughed. “You didn’t actually believe me, right?”

Sei Shigeru and Kimura Kazuki looked at each other in the eyes, speechless. They were being so serious, but Grandma Sakagami was cracking jokes.

“What are you talking about, grandma? Why are you so happy?” Otome Sakagami brought out the dishes at this moment, she became curious when she saw the scene.

“We’re talking about Unto Shrine.”