Chapter 105 Jade Fox Ceremony (Jade Fox Festival - End)
Snapped!Snapped!
Ring bells, throw money, clap your hands.

Chitose Haruki bowed to the Jade Fox God in front of the main hall of Matsumae Shrine.

The girl prayed in her heart for her heart's desire.

[I got engaged to Brother Shu right after graduation]
[I got engaged to Brother Shu right after graduation]
[I got engaged to Brother Shu right after graduation]
Yang Kui Qiansui devoutly recited it silently three times in front of the Jade Fox God in order to emphasize his own wish to the god.

My heart is so pious.

My wish is so sincere.

Xinchun has such a good relationship with me and is currently my best friend.

The Jade Fox God from Xinchun's family will definitely bless me, right?
I hope Brother Shu will really like me.
The girl lowered her head, thinking about the beautiful picture of living with Brother Tree in the future. Joy and sweetness could not help but surge from her heart.

Ah, of course, Lord Jade Fox God.

The most important thing is to ensure Brother Tree’s health.

Brother Shu said he had rheumatism in Tokyo and has not recovered yet.

Lord Jade Fox God, if possible, Qiansui is willing to exchange five years of his own life for Brother Shu's complete health. If not, then ten years!
Although I may spend ten less years with Brother Shu, I still feel it is a pity.

But Qiansui's life was picked up by Brother Tree, and it is worthless to Brother Tree. As long as Brother Tree lives a healthy and happy life, Qiansui will be happy.

Your adoptive parents must also be in good health.

So please please
Yang Kui Chitose bowed her head, made a wish, and walked off the stage.

A little later, Akai Muzi, who was at the back of the line, also came forward to ring the bell and throw money, hoping to make a wish.

Chitose Yangkui watched Akai Muko walk down the ladder.

"What wish did Sister Muzi make?"

"I hope my mother is in good health. She has been doing well since she recovered from her illness, but I am always worried that she will get sick again. After all, my mother is my only relative. How about you, Chitose?"

"Me too, but I also wished for good health for my family!"

Akai Muzi smiled broadly: "Chitose is really sensible."

She felt a little emotional.

Qiansui was a little girl whom she had known for a long time.

This child has been mature since he was young. He knows how to help and take care of others, and he never spends money indiscriminately.

I wonder how happy I would be if I had a sister like this.

Of course, she also felt bad for Qiansui's past.

Fujii has talked a lot about the child's experience of being bullied at school.

Being abandoned and bullied at school
No wonder Chitose likes Fujii so much
Maybe she has been longing to be loved since she was a child?

And Fujii was the one who loved her early on and gave her everything.

"By the way, where is Brother Tree?"

"I don't know. Chitose, you didn't receive a reply either?"

"No. I sent a message to Brother Shu when I arrived at Yamashita Songqian's house, but Brother Shu didn't reply."

"So what is he busy with?"

"What can Brother Tree be busy with?"

Chitose Yangkui felt a little lost. She was holding the skewers she bought for Fujii Itsuki in her hand, and was thinking about going to the festival with Brother Itsuki to eat them.

As a result, the Jade Fox parade was about to begin, but Brother Tree had not shown up yet.

But okay
Chitose Yang Kui wasn't too disappointed either.

When she came, she had already been shopping with Brother Shu for a while. Brother Shu even bought her a new hair tie and tied it for her personally.

Hair rope.
This kind of thing, which was tied by one's own hands and was similar to a vow, really made Yang Kui Chitose very happy.

Now I have been separated from Brother Shu for some time.

She couldn't wait to meet Brother Tree.

Love him, love him, love him so much.

I want to hug Brother Tree, I want to be hugged by Brother Tree, I want to be patted on the head, I want to be treated with a smile by Brother Tree!

Brother Tree.
Brother Tree.
Yang Kui Chitose quickly suppressed the longing that was growing exponentially.

At this time, a gorgeous mikoshi was carried up the mountain by a group of big men with white headbands, passed the torii gate, and arrived in front of the main entrance of the shrine.

Shinko is like a miniature shrine.

It is divided into three parts: vehicle body, vehicle body and vehicle platform.

The golden canopy is surrounded by several beautifully carved little foxes, with a large fox in the middle holding a jade bracelet. The red guardrails are replaced by torii, and rows of orange lanterns are hung under the eaves.
There is a prayer mat in the middle of the shrine, which looks like the place where the protagonist will sit.

"A-Akai-sensei Chitose-chan."

Hearing the voice, Akai Muzi and Yang Kui Chitose both looked to the right.

Jiuhuayue and Hiiragi Rinka are here.

It looked like he had just walked down from the main hall.

"Have you made all your wishes?"

"Yeah." Hiiragi Rinka answered weakly, "Satsuki and I both promised, and we just happened to see Akai-sensei and Chitose-chan here, so we came over. Where's Fujii-sensei?"

Jiuhuayue was also looking for the shadow of Fujii Itsuki.

"I heard that the Jade Fox God at the Matsumae Shrine is quite effective, especially in matters of marriage. As for Fujii, Shiraha got lost on the way, and he chased her and found her at Matsumae's home. She should be with Matsumae now."

With Xinchun?
Jiuhuayue's heart tightened when she heard this.

Why did she have such an ominous feeling?

She quickly asked Akai Muzi: "Can't contact Mr. Fujii now?"

"Yeah, I can't get in touch with Chitose either. I don't know what he's doing."

Jiuhuayue lowered her head in silence, as if she was thinking.

She always felt that the uncle's sudden disappearance must be bad news.

Especially with Xinchun.
Akai Muzi answered while looking around.

She noticed that there were really a lot of people in the shrine at this time, so she had to take a few girls and move back to the stone platform at the back, where there were fewer people but the view was higher.

The ceremony was ready, and the men in white turbans had come to the side of the mikoshi and were ready.

The clergy of the shrine also came out of the shrine one after another.

A few girls were still talking about the sudden disappearance of Fujii Itsuki in the back, but Akai Muzi seemed to have suddenly discovered something.

A guy wearing a tachi-e hat caught her attention.

She narrowed her eyes and took a closer look.

This face shape.
"Isn't that Fujii? Why is he in the crowd?"

"Brother Shu? Where?!"

When Yang Kui Chitose heard the sound, she immediately came to the guardrail and tiptoed to look.

"At the front of the group of clergy, there is the Yin-Yang master wearing a black hat, a red belt and white sleeves."

Upon hearing this, Jiuhuayue and Hiiragi Rinka also looked over.

Hiiragi Rinka blinked and said, "It's really Mr. Fujii."

"Is that Brother Shu?!"

Chitose Yang Kui was simply stunned.

Brother Shu stood at the front of the group of clergymen, wearing a pure white straight robe, a standing hat on his head, and holding a bat fan.

He was wearing a long robe and was barefoot, with his sleeves fluttering in the wind.

His sleeves were wide, and at the same time, there were sections of red ribbon inserted into the cuffs. He looked just like the Yin-Yang Master in movies and TV series.

I don’t know if it’s because Brother Shu is wearing half-frame glasses, but he still has some of the heroic and bookish air of a young man.

Capable and handsome.

Brother Shu, so handsome!

"puff--"

Akai Muzi laughed out loud, "This outfit belongs to Abe Haruaki, right? How come Fujii learned how to be an Onmyoji and can even do the movements like a real Onmyoji."

"What are you doing?" asked Rinka Hiiragi curiously.

Jiuhuayue knew the story of Matsumae Shrine and replied:

“According to tradition, the day before the festival, there is actually a parade of Yamaboko, which represents the appearance of evil spirits and the beginning of disease that plagues the world.

"The Matsumae Shrine sent the shrine's son on a chariot to pass through the Gotabisho at the foot of another mountain in order to alert the gods and invite them to come down the mountain.

“And on the way to the Imperial Tabi, demons are rampant, so someone is needed to open up a sunny avenue on this road. During this period, several alchemists are needed to lead the way, so that the shrine will not get lost between the other side and the dusk.

"The alchemist is also known as the Yin-Yang master."

Jiuhuayue did not move. She stood aside with her arms folded and narrated with her eyes closed.

"Wow, that's awesome!"

Hiiragi Rinka looked at her enviously, "Tsuki-chan actually knows so much."

"Nothing. I just had to memorize the content when I was a kid. I'll understand it after reading it many times."

Akai Muzi asked again: "Then why is Fujii there acting as a Taoist priest to clear the way? Judging from his appearance, he is even playing the role of 'Abe Haruaki'."

Jiuhuayue: “Not sure.”

Not sure.
But I don’t think it’s a good thing.

"Maybe it was Brother Shu who was invited by Xinchun?" Yang Kui Chitose guessed, "So Brother Shu was actually practicing how to lead the way just now, so he didn't have time to reply to our message?"

"It's very likely." Akai Muzi nodded.

"That must be the case! How else can I explain it? Hehe. Brother Shu looks pretty handsome like this!"

Chitose Yang Kui, who was standing in the team, suddenly looked over at the few people. She waved happily, using gestures to replace her calls.

"Hey! Brother Tree smiled at me! See, I was right, it's true! Brother Tree just wanted to give us a big surprise!"

Chitose Yang Kui waved even harder.

Meanwhile, on the other end.

Fujii Itsuki also saw Chitose waving at him vigorously.

By the way, why do you look so happy?

Aren’t you curious about how your brother Shu became Abe Haruaki?

Harmful.
Fujii Itsuki forced a smile at the people above him, then focused on his own work.

At this moment, the tourists to the shrine, the clergy of the shrine, and the drivers of the carts are all ready and standing in their respective positions.

Matsumae Yoshiko told him the next steps.

After he used his magic, he was able to clear a path and the demons and monsters were temporarily avoided.

As a descendant of Abe Haruaki.

He would walk leisurely from the torii gate to the main hall, holding Matsumae Shinharu's hand and welcoming her out.

Your expression should be calm and your face should be relaxed.

What is this called!
Fujii Itsuki had no choice but to put his hands behind his back while hiding the other hand in his sleeve, holding the bat fan downwards, closing his eyes, and walking slowly over, taking one step at a time.

A group of ghosts with green faces and fangs suddenly appeared and walked towards them from afar.

Fujii Itsuki raised his chin, opened one eye slightly, and used a magic trick to make this group of "ghosts" unable to see him, making them dizzy, and then he walked over.

Apart from anything else, Matsumae managed the parade and festival in a very formal manner.

Some of the kids around who were brought by their parents to watch the festival were already pointing at him and saying how handsome he was!
Is he really that handsome?
It seems that I felt it a little.

Fujii Itsuki walked into the main hall of Matsumae Shrine. At this time, Matsumae Shinharu was wearing a colorful twelve-piece robe, like a princess, holding Baihua and waiting in front of the jade fox statue.

The child was wearing a crown. The crown and the hairpin on her head sparkled with gold. She was dressed in an extremely luxurious way.

"teacher"

When Matsumae Shinchun saw him coming in to greet her, she felt a little shy. She lowered her delicate little face slightly and called out his name.

The girl didn't expect it.
My aunt actually arranged Mr. Fujii to this position.

She was a little confused about her aunt's purpose.

Could it be that.
Did my aunt want me to get engaged to the teacher because she knew that Mr. Fujii would climb over the wall and see me bathing?
My aunt is the kind of person who strictly adheres to the traditions of Matsumae Shrine.

No.
Not likely.

Matsumae Xinchun turned her head calmly and glanced at Matsumae Yoshiko who was standing at the entrance of the hall with a serious face. The girl still couldn't guess what her aunt was thinking.

At this time, Fujii Itsuki had already walked in front of Matsumae Shinharu, squatted down, and while holding a fan, he held Matsumae Shinharu's hand, called her "Lord Gon Palace", and welcomed her up.

Matsumae Shinchun replied like a princess, "Thank you."

I don’t know if it’s because of the thick atmosphere, or because Matsumae Shinchun in front of me wore orange eyeshadow, her eyes were too charming, seductive and beautiful.

For a moment, Fujii Itsuki felt a little moved.

"please."

He stretched out his hand and let the girl's half palm rest on his hand, then he held her hand and walked out of the hall along the carpet in full view of everyone.

"Fujii really looks like a real person, but why does she seem to be marrying Matsumae-san?"

Yang Kui Qiansui was unhappy: "Sister Muzi, what nonsense are you talking about!"

"Feel sorry."

As soon as Akai Muko finished speaking, Matsumae Shinchun suddenly staggered for some reason, as if she was tripped by something, and fell directly into Fujii Itsuki's arms.

In a panic, Fujii Itsuki hugged her with half of his body.

"."

"."

Now not only the people here were silent, but even the passengers outside were silent as well.

Why is it that this year's "Seimei" and "Son of God" seem so ambiguous?

Hiiragi Rinka, who was standing by, suddenly caught a glimpse of Jiuhuayue's pale face.

She quickly went to Jiuhuayue and said, "No, it's okay. Mr. Fujii just took Xinchun-chan to the car."

Jiuhuayue also lowered her voice and replied:

"Rinka, you think it's nothing, right?"

".Shouldn't it?"

"I used to think so, but in the end, I had nothing."

"Why."

"No reason."

Rinka Hiiragi realized that something was wrong, but she knew nothing and could not give any suggestions.

"Are you okay?"

"S-Sorry, the clogs are a little too high."

At that moment just now, the moment Songqian bumped into his arms.

Fujii Itsuki didn't know why, but he felt that his heart was melted by Matsumae Shinharu, especially since her voice was so gentle and polite.

Under the light, this child, with her little teardrop mole, looks more and more like her mother.
Fujii Itsuki confirmed that this was not the effect of any hallucinogen.

It's just that Matsumae looks too much like a professor
so similar.
If you kiss this little witch on the face in public.

She would be extremely embarrassed, right?

Will she come into my arms again?

"It's good that you didn't fall. I would be a little sad if you were injured."

"."

"what happened?"

"No, it's okay."

Matsumae Shinchun stood up holding Baihua, who had her eyes closed, and continued forward.

What happened just now?

My wrestling teacher suddenly became very gentle and considerate.

Could it be that this is really God's arrangement?
Although she didn't hate this feeling, but.
Forget it, let’s focus on the parade first.

Matsumae Shinharu climbed onto the mikoshi, raised his hands, and knelt on his knees.

Fujii Itsuki also went to the team of alchemists in front of the shrine to lead the way. Matsumae Yoshiko shouted "Let's go!" with full energy, and the men in white scarves also shouted "Let's go!", lifted the shrine on their backs, and slowly went down the mountain amid the ringing of countless bells on the shrine.

Jiuhuayue in the back was still savoring what had just happened.

Why.
Why did she feel that Matsumae did it on purpose?
The more Jiu Huayue thought about it, the more she felt that something was going to happen next.

The colorful sedan chair swayed along the way, with Matsumae Shinchun sitting on it, holding a jade fox, and she had long been accustomed to people's gazes.

Although she was afraid of crowded places and had anxiety disorder, she relaxed instantly when she saw Fujii Itsuki's back.

There was more than one float in the Jade Fox Festival. As it went down the street, there were many different floats following behind. Each float was decorated with strings of lanterns, and the sound of drums and music could be heard everywhere.

We continued on our way and swam around most of Kanazawa Town for several hours.

Finally, after passing the Imperial Lodge, we arrived at a high platform that had been built long ago on the hillside.

There are so many people here.

Many tourists come here on a carriage.

Arrived at destination.

Matsumae Shinchun sat quietly in the colorful sedan chair, as if waiting for a certain moment to come.

Fujii Itsuki and Matsumae Yoshiko stood together watching. He turned his head and saw Chitose Yangkui jumping and waving at him on the other side. He smiled at the child as a greeting.

Ten minutes later, the time had come.

Fujii Itsuki glanced over and saw Matsumae Shinharu taking off her heavy clothes one after another, leaving only a white shrine maiden costume.

Matsumae Shinharu wore Chihaya's coat, tied a fox mask around her waist, and held a Kagura bell in her hand. She stepped barefoot on the blanket and walked out of the colorful sedan chair in full view of everyone.

The girl's feet are as soft as jade.

Around her ankle was a six-foot-long red rope bell.

The arch of her foot never presses firmly on the ground, but floats slightly in the air, as if it is a cushion but not a cushion.

With every step she took, the bells under her feet rang, attracting the attention and gazes of thousands of tourists.

The girl stepped onto the platform barefoot and stood in the middle of the platform. She closed her eyes, held the Kagura bell high, and danced gracefully.

With the help of Chihaya's coat, her movements were light and graceful.

Solemn, slow, yet elegant
Can even traditional dances be performed so beautifully?

Fujii Itsuki stared at Matsumae's feet and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

The festival dance had not yet ended when Matsumae Yoshiko called out to Fujii Itsuki. He knew that it was time for him to work again, so he walked over and started preparing.

"Eh? Akai-sister? Why did Shu-sister leave again? What is he doing?"

"Chitose, didn't you live in Otaru since you were a child? Don't you know the procedures of the Jade Fox Festival?"

".I've rarely been here before! During holidays like this, the store is usually very busy."

"Then why did you come out this time?"

"Mother knew that I wanted to hang out with Brother Shu, so she gave me special permission!"

".Okay, I'll keep it simple then."

Akai Muzi began to introduce. She was quite familiar with the process of the Jade Fox Festival. "First, the son of God goes out and arrives at the place. After the son of God dances, the god, the Jade Fox God Baiye, will bless Kaneyama Town with good weather and good fishery harvests throughout the year."

“It’s a bit too superstitious.”

"This is a small town in Kaneyama-cho with a long history. It's a very traditional place. Don't tell the people here whether they believe in superstition or not. This is a matter of faith."

"Ok."

Akai Muzi continued: "However, this blessing has a prerequisite."

"What premise?"

"The god will give an instruction to the Matsumae Shrine. Let the Matsumae Shrine tell the people of Kaneyama Town what items he needs and what conditions he will meet. The people in the town need to offer these items to the Jade Fox God. The son of the Matsumae family will lead by example and show his attitude with actions first. In the end, usually an old man will write a word that briefly expresses the god's intention. This is the so-called 'oracle'."

".Then how do they know what the gods are saying?"

"How would I know? Anyway, it's the chief priest of Matsumae Shrine who interprets it. But it's usually related to the situation of the whole country in the past year, so it's not random.

“For example, last year, the word ‘money’ was written, which means that people were uneasy and the economy was declining last year.

"The year before last was all about 'prevention'. I don't need to explain what happened around the world and what we needed to prevent."

"I see."

Hiiragi Rinka couldn't help but whisper, "There are so many tricks."

"This year's characters are something to look forward to."

"Hey~ I just want to eat skewers with Brother Shu as soon as possible~~"

Akai Muko smiled, "Let's wait until this ceremony is finished. After that, we will stop at Gotabashi for a while."

"Well, I'll go find Brother Tree then!"

While waiting, Yang Kui Chitose looked at the hillside, where she saw a lot of flags embroidered with the family crest of the Matsumae family and the symbol of the Jade Fox God.

The sound of the dance was melodious as Matsumae Shinharu performed on the high platform in the dark.

Under the gaze of a jade fox god statue halfway up the hill, Matsumae Yoshiko simply bowed in greeting.

Rows of fruits and delicacies are offered on it.

Then, Matsumae Yoshiko lit incense and flames ignited under the fox statue.

Led by Fujii Itsuki, a group of alchemists threw out the talismans with various characters written on them that they had prepared in advance, and threw them into the brazier to burn for divination.

The extinguishing of the fire meant that the gods had agreed to drive away the evil spirits and bless Jinshan Town with good weather.

The fire is bright, which represents the god’s rejection.

Yang Kui Chitose had seen the flames go out, and she wanted to continue watching, but unfortunately there were too many people outside the scene, shoulder to shoulder, and a large crowd of people behind her, causing her to miss some clips.

When she had another chance to see what was happening halfway up the hill, an old man had already walked down beside the chief priest of Matsumae Shrine.

He was an old man who looked quite elderly.

Wearing a dark black kimono and holding a large brush, he raised his sleeves and wrote a large character in a graceful manner under the eyes and cameras of countless people.

--born.

Click, click, countless flashes of light lit up.

There was an uproar among the crowd, and everyone was discussing it.

Birth?
Which one?
Akai Muzi didn't understand for a moment.

Fujii Itsuki, who was standing aside waiting for the ceremony to end, also had doubts.

After writing the words, the old man bowed to the people at Matsumae Shrine, bowed to everyone, and then left.

Matsumae Yoshiko stood up at this time, facing the crowd, and her words were simple and direct:
“This year’s word is for life and fertility.”

It turns out to be the birth of life.
Fujii Itsuki thought this word was pretty good.

Fertility rates are declining all over the world, especially in the three East Asian countries, where the situation is getting worse.

Indeed, the words of children are of top priority in the world.

Yoshiko Matsumae said a few simple words and then left the stage, cleanly and neatly.

Fujii Itsuki was still thinking about how great this word was, but Matsumae Yoshiko passed by him and suddenly gave him a strange look.

Weird, why are you looking at me like that?
Fujii Itsuki didn't take it seriously. He just thought that the festival would be over soon and he would be free soon, which would make him feel relieved.

However, half an hour later, when the parade ended and the carriage stopped at the Imperial Palace, he was stunned.

Why are you so dumbfounded?
Because Matsumae Shinchun called him into a room alone, suddenly closed the door, and immediately bowed down to him.

"Matsumae?"

While Fujii Itsuki was still wondering why this child was like this, Matsumae Shinchun, who was wearing a miko costume, lowered her head and said something in a serious and polite tone that he would never forget in his life:

"Please, Mr. Fujii, come with me--!"

He is stupid because he is stupid.
Because the last word was so outrageous, his brain was completely unable to comprehend that this was a word that Xinchun would say, and it froze.

"Brother Tree, Brother Tree, Brother Tree!"

Of course, what made Fujii Itsuki's brain freeze even more was that when Matsumae Shinharu said this, Chitose just happened to push the door open.

The girl was originally very happy because she finally had the opportunity to come to Brother Shu to eat skewers, but she heard such words at this time.

Yang Kui Chitose's expression gradually turned into a look of "Did I hear it wrong?" in the stiffness. She twisted her cute face and looked at Matsumae Shinharu who was sitting down in front of Fujii Judo:
"Xinchun-chan, what do you say, huh——?!"

(End of this chapter)