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Chapter 855 Teammates Sacrificed at the Start
"Is the Shrine over there?" Fukuura Reiji asked, heading in that direction with his camera. "Then I have to go take a photo!"
"Wait!" Tushi Yicheng quickly said, "The Village is preparing for a festival activity that happens once every three hundred years recently, if you go over there now..."
"It's okay, I won't disturb them!" Fukuura Reiji didn't turn his head back, waved his hand, and quickly disappeared around the corner at the end of the road.
"Hey! But..." Tushi Yicheng wanted to chase after him, but turned his head to look at a group of people still playing beside the God-dwelling Tree, and finally gave up.
"Are outsiders not welcome here?" Conan asked.
"Everyone doesn't want their peaceful life to be disturbed. It's okay to come for sightseeing, but if you want to take photos, the priest here won't agree," Tushi Yicheng explained, "Moreover, because President Wakura bought most of the land here and started large-scale construction, and even widened the road specially for his own car travel, destroying the environment here, many villagers have opinions about the Wakura family. You are here for the Wakura family, if you take photos casually, then..." Tushi Yicheng sighed, but quickly cheered up and said with a smile, "But you don't have to worry, everyone will at most just stop him from taking photos and want to drive him away."
Conan chuckled dryly. Isn't being driven away serious enough?
"Police Officer Tushi, there is a festival activity here recently?" Kisaki Eri asked, walking over from the rear.
"That's right, it's a festival that only happens once every three hundred years, and it will be in three days," Tushi Yicheng said enthusiastically, "You can also see the National Treasure-level Sacred Mirror then. If the lawyer has time, you can stay until three days later to participate in the festival before leaving."
"Ah, no," Kisaki Eri politely smiled and refused, "I still have matters to deal with, I'm afraid I won't be able to stay until then."
"A festival activity that happens once every three hundred years, it's such a pity not to see it!" Mitsuhiko came closer and joined the chat.
Genta said with expectation, "There should be a lot and lot of delicious food then, right?"
"Police Officer, what does that Sacred Mirror look like?" Ayumi was more interested in the Sacred Mirror, "Could it be a very big crystal mirror?"
"There will be some special delicious food at the festival," Tushi Yicheng patiently answered their questions, "But I don't know about the mirror, after all, it only appears once every three hundred years. Before the festival activity starts, it is kept in a safe place by the priest. I just heard that it is a dark and shiny mirror."
"A dark and shiny mirror?" Conan asked with doubt, "Aren't ancient mirrors generally bronze mirrors?"
"I'm not sure about that, but it is indeed said in the rumor," Tushi Yicheng said, "It is said that that mirror can resonate with the Sacrifice Tree, and then incredible phenomena will happen, attracting a solar eclipse."
Chi Feichei smoked a cigarette aside, listening quietly.
There is no mobile phone signal here, the Suspension Bridge is the only road and it is easy to be destroyed, and it happens to be a festival in three days. No matter how you look at it, it looks like the rhythm of a serial murder case.
But he really has no impression of this case, no impression at all.
Now that Fukuura Reiji is acting alone, will he become the first sacrifice?
It's daytime, there should be many people at the shrine, probably not... right?
"I remember news reports said," Mitsuhiko recalled, "The next time Japan can see a solar eclipse should be in 2035, right?"
"I'm not sure whether or not a solar eclipse will appear then, but..." Conan looked towards Chi Feichei, "Fifteen Night Village should have a connection with Mesoamerican civilization."
"Hey?" Ayumi looked at Chi Feichei curiously.
"In Mesoamerican civilization, the Sun God Huitzilopochtli is the god who breaks the night and brings light to people every day. Light can bring the maturity of grain and also symbolizes harvest, so among the gods, the Sun God has a lofty status, and the one who is hostile to him is the Darkness God Tezcatlipoca," Chi Feichei explained, "People worry that Huitzilopochtli will lose to Tezcatlipoca, worry that the human world will never see the sunrise again and be ruled by darkness, so they offer the hearts of humans, who are rumored to be loved by the Sun God, as sacrifices to him. In Maya civilization, Aztec civilization and other civilizations, there is a tradition of live sacrifice in worshiping the Sun God. In Aztec City, the king would summon six priests, five of whom would hold down the limbs and heads of the sacrifice, and the remaining priest would cut open the chest of the sacrifice, take out the heart, and offer the still-beating heart to the Sun..."
Ayumi shuddered and silently hugged Haibara Ai's arm.
Haibara Ai was also speechless. Listening to brother Chi Feichei say these things in a tone that was as emotionless as usual, like a narration in a historical scroll, or like a deity whispering to the world, it felt very strange.
"Those sacrifices were all prisoners of war. In order to offer more hearts to the Sun God, the Aztecs launched wars again and again, collecting wealth, territory, and prisoners of war. They believed that as long as they continued to offer hearts, they would make the Sun God stronger and defeat darkness," Chi Feichei paused and commented, "Stupid."
Silence fell around them at some point. Conan came back to his senses and broke the strange silence, "Cough, the Darkness God Tezcatlipoca's alias is also called 'Smoking Mirror'. Legend has it that his left leg was devoured in a battle with the Earth Giant, so he used an Obsidian Mirror to replace his left leg. The dark and shiny mirror that Police Officer Tushi just said should be an Obsidian Mirror, right?"
Mitsuhiko had a serious face, "In other words, is it possibility that this village is worshiping the Darkness God Tezcatlipoca?"
"The name Fifteen Night Village doesn't seem to have anything to do with the Sun God either," Ayumi pondered, "It's more like a Village of the Darkness God."
"But at least you don't have to worry about someone being sacrificed heart," Kisaki Eri saw that these people were interested in this Village, and was in a good mood. She made a joke and turned her head to Chi Feichei, "Hissashi, it's rare for you to be so interested in some place, do you want to..."
"Get out of here! Leave here immediately!"
An angry sound interrupted Kisaki Eri's words.
At the intersection ahead, an old woman who looked to be in her eighties or nineties, wearing white clothes, led a group of villagers and aggressively drove away Fukuura Reiji, "We have been living a peaceful life here, I will not allow you these people to come and destroy it!"
"But..." Fukuura Reiji just wanted to explain, but was surrounded by the villagers.
"Hand over your camera!"
"Leave the photos behind and get out!"
"This place doesn't welcome you outsiders, get out!"
"Everyone!" Tushi Yicheng quickly step forward to stop them, in order to avoid a bigger conflict, "Calm down..."
Once Fukuura Reiji saw the Police Officer coming, he retorted, "Where did this stubborn old woman come from? I just wanted to take a photo, I have the right to freedom of the press!"
Chi Feichei watched from a distance, not intention to step forward to help.
People who have been living in big cities may not be very clear that in some remote and secluded places, when there are not enough police officers, they can't stop angry villagers.
Especially in places with special faith, the danger level is even higher.
Smart people would honestly sightsee if they can't beat a group of people, and apologize with a good attitude if they violate other people's taboos, otherwise they will be beaten to death.
He didn't like Fukuura Reiji... It would be fine if he was beaten to death.
Sure enough, in the next second, the old woman in white clothes said angrily, "I am the priest here, disrespecting me will be punished by heaven!"
The dispute directly escalated into physical attack. A group of villagers began to push and shove Fukuura Reiji.
"Hey, everyone..." Tushi Yicheng tried hard to block the crowd, but helplessly he was alone, and his thin body was not enough to see in front of a group of strong villagers, and he was quickly swallowed by the crowd.
Kisaki Eri subconsciously asked for help from the only familiar male adult at present, "Hissashi..."
Chi Feichei looked at the crowd, Okay, with so many people, he couldn't just watch Fukuura Reiji being beaten to death, but going up to stop them is not the best method, "Now it's best for us outsiders not to step forward and have physical contact with the local villagers, otherwise it will easily lead to a large-scale melee. First, make a big movement to divert the crowd's attention and quiet them down, and then let Police Officer Tushi communicate, he is a local..."
In the forest aside, suddenly more than thirty birds fluttered their wings and flew into the sky. The movement of a group of birds flapping their wings was not small, and soon, an even louder sound came out, almost spreading throughout the entire village and mountains.
"Chirpppppppp—"
"Ah!" Genta, Ayumi, and Mitsuhiko were startled and quickly covered their ears.
Kisaki Eri also covered her ears to resist the sharp and loud sound, and looked at Chi Feichei blankly.
Chi Feichei also covered his ears and shook his head.
This sound was too loud, let alone suppress the situation, if the sound was a little louder, they would all have tinnitus, but it really had nothing to do with him, he hadn't thought about how to 'friendly' make a little movement that could give the rioting villagers a time to calm down, and not be regarded as a provocation.
At least knocking down two trees is not okay...
The sound did not last long, just like some animal screamed in protest.
"It's very like the call of a Mockingbird..." Conan turned his head to look at Chi Feichei.
Chi Feichei remained noncommittal.
Mockingbird, Passeriformes Turdidae Turdus, the whole body is roughly Black, black-brown, dark brown, so it is also called Blackbird.
In addition to Blackbird, Mockingbird also has many other names, such as Black Tit, Mockingbird.
There is a poem saying about the call of Mockingbird: All birds take advantage of the spring to produce throats and kisses, and the forest is full of infinite calls to the new sunny day. Among them, the Mockingbird is the most fearless, and its mouth is full of learning the sounds of all birds.
This is a bird that can learn sounds, good at singing, good at imitating sounds, and it is difficult to distinguish from the call, but it will indeed call a long string of tones like singing.
Conan just wanted to continue speaking when his line of sight suddenly crossed Chi Feichei and noticed the branches of the ancient tree in the rear. His pupils shrank and his face changed instantly.
On the sharpened branch of the Sacrifice Tree, there was already a bloody corpse hanging, impalement by the branch, and the branches extending from the abdomen were stained red with fresh blood.
Shirafuji Yasumi was like a tattered doll hanging on the tree branch, her head and upper body slightly leaning forward, her short blonde hair falling messily on the side of her face, blocking most of her face, fresh blood flowed through her abdomen and dripped continuously along her toes, converging into a pool of blood under her feet.
Chi Feichei turned his head to look over and fell into silence.
This was the first teammate to be sacrificed to the sky.
Should he sigh 'Life is all destined', or should he consider how to deal with this situation that looks like a serial murder case at the start.
Gradually, others also noticed Shirafuji Yasumi on the Tree of Sacrifice. After a moment of silence, someone let out a piercing scream that was comparable in volume to the strange cry just now.
Tushi Yicheng took out the wireless intercom, looked up at the corpse on the tree, his hands still trembling non-stop, and shouted to the other side, "Th-This is Patrol Officer Tushi from Fifteen Night Village, there is an emergency!"
(End of Chapter)
"Is the Shrine over there?" Fukuura Reiji asked, heading in that direction with his camera. "Then I have to go take a photo!"
"Wait!" Tushi Yicheng quickly said, "The Village is preparing for a festival activity that happens once every three hundred years recently, if you go over there now..."
"It's okay, I won't disturb them!" Fukuura Reiji didn't turn his head back, waved his hand, and quickly disappeared around the corner at the end of the road.
"Hey! But..." Tushi Yicheng wanted to chase after him, but turned his head to look at a group of people still playing beside the God-dwelling Tree, and finally gave up.
"Are outsiders not welcome here?" Conan asked.
"Everyone doesn't want their peaceful life to be disturbed. It's okay to come for sightseeing, but if you want to take photos, the priest here won't agree," Tushi Yicheng explained, "Moreover, because President Wakura bought most of the land here and started large-scale construction, and even widened the road specially for his own car travel, destroying the environment here, many villagers have opinions about the Wakura family. You are here for the Wakura family, if you take photos casually, then..." Tushi Yicheng sighed, but quickly cheered up and said with a smile, "But you don't have to worry, everyone will at most just stop him from taking photos and want to drive him away."
Conan chuckled dryly. Isn't being driven away serious enough?
"Police Officer Tushi, there is a festival activity here recently?" Kisaki Eri asked, walking over from the rear.
"That's right, it's a festival that only happens once every three hundred years, and it will be in three days," Tushi Yicheng said enthusiastically, "You can also see the National Treasure-level Sacred Mirror then. If the lawyer has time, you can stay until three days later to participate in the festival before leaving."
"Ah, no," Kisaki Eri politely smiled and refused, "I still have matters to deal with, I'm afraid I won't be able to stay until then."
"A festival activity that happens once every three hundred years, it's such a pity not to see it!" Mitsuhiko came closer and joined the chat.
Genta said with expectation, "There should be a lot and lot of delicious food then, right?"
"Police Officer, what does that Sacred Mirror look like?" Ayumi was more interested in the Sacred Mirror, "Could it be a very big crystal mirror?"
"There will be some special delicious food at the festival," Tushi Yicheng patiently answered their questions, "But I don't know about the mirror, after all, it only appears once every three hundred years. Before the festival activity starts, it is kept in a safe place by the priest. I just heard that it is a dark and shiny mirror."
"A dark and shiny mirror?" Conan asked with doubt, "Aren't ancient mirrors generally bronze mirrors?"
"I'm not sure about that, but it is indeed said in the rumor," Tushi Yicheng said, "It is said that that mirror can resonate with the Sacrifice Tree, and then incredible phenomena will happen, attracting a solar eclipse."
Chi Feichei smoked a cigarette aside, listening quietly.
There is no mobile phone signal here, the Suspension Bridge is the only road and it is easy to be destroyed, and it happens to be a festival in three days. No matter how you look at it, it looks like the rhythm of a serial murder case.
But he really has no impression of this case, no impression at all.
Now that Fukuura Reiji is acting alone, will he become the first sacrifice?
It's daytime, there should be many people at the shrine, probably not... right?
"I remember news reports said," Mitsuhiko recalled, "The next time Japan can see a solar eclipse should be in 2035, right?"
"I'm not sure whether or not a solar eclipse will appear then, but..." Conan looked towards Chi Feichei, "Fifteen Night Village should have a connection with Mesoamerican civilization."
"Hey?" Ayumi looked at Chi Feichei curiously.
"In Mesoamerican civilization, the Sun God Huitzilopochtli is the god who breaks the night and brings light to people every day. Light can bring the maturity of grain and also symbolizes harvest, so among the gods, the Sun God has a lofty status, and the one who is hostile to him is the Darkness God Tezcatlipoca," Chi Feichei explained, "People worry that Huitzilopochtli will lose to Tezcatlipoca, worry that the human world will never see the sunrise again and be ruled by darkness, so they offer the hearts of humans, who are rumored to be loved by the Sun God, as sacrifices to him. In Maya civilization, Aztec civilization and other civilizations, there is a tradition of live sacrifice in worshiping the Sun God. In Aztec City, the king would summon six priests, five of whom would hold down the limbs and heads of the sacrifice, and the remaining priest would cut open the chest of the sacrifice, take out the heart, and offer the still-beating heart to the Sun..."
Ayumi shuddered and silently hugged Haibara Ai's arm.
Haibara Ai was also speechless. Listening to brother Chi Feichei say these things in a tone that was as emotionless as usual, like a narration in a historical scroll, or like a deity whispering to the world, it felt very strange.
"Those sacrifices were all prisoners of war. In order to offer more hearts to the Sun God, the Aztecs launched wars again and again, collecting wealth, territory, and prisoners of war. They believed that as long as they continued to offer hearts, they would make the Sun God stronger and defeat darkness," Chi Feichei paused and commented, "Stupid."
Silence fell around them at some point. Conan came back to his senses and broke the strange silence, "Cough, the Darkness God Tezcatlipoca's alias is also called 'Smoking Mirror'. Legend has it that his left leg was devoured in a battle with the Earth Giant, so he used an Obsidian Mirror to replace his left leg. The dark and shiny mirror that Police Officer Tushi just said should be an Obsidian Mirror, right?"
Mitsuhiko had a serious face, "In other words, is it possibility that this village is worshiping the Darkness God Tezcatlipoca?"
"The name Fifteen Night Village doesn't seem to have anything to do with the Sun God either," Ayumi pondered, "It's more like a Village of the Darkness God."
"But at least you don't have to worry about someone being sacrificed heart," Kisaki Eri saw that these people were interested in this Village, and was in a good mood. She made a joke and turned her head to Chi Feichei, "Hissashi, it's rare for you to be so interested in some place, do you want to..."
"Get out of here! Leave here immediately!"
An angry sound interrupted Kisaki Eri's words.
At the intersection ahead, an old woman who looked to be in her eighties or nineties, wearing white clothes, led a group of villagers and aggressively drove away Fukuura Reiji, "We have been living a peaceful life here, I will not allow you these people to come and destroy it!"
"But..." Fukuura Reiji just wanted to explain, but was surrounded by the villagers.
"Hand over your camera!"
"Leave the photos behind and get out!"
"This place doesn't welcome you outsiders, get out!"
"Everyone!" Tushi Yicheng quickly step forward to stop them, in order to avoid a bigger conflict, "Calm down..."
Once Fukuura Reiji saw the Police Officer coming, he retorted, "Where did this stubborn old woman come from? I just wanted to take a photo, I have the right to freedom of the press!"
Chi Feichei watched from a distance, not intention to step forward to help.
People who have been living in big cities may not be very clear that in some remote and secluded places, when there are not enough police officers, they can't stop angry villagers.
Especially in places with special faith, the danger level is even higher.
Smart people would honestly sightsee if they can't beat a group of people, and apologize with a good attitude if they violate other people's taboos, otherwise they will be beaten to death.
He didn't like Fukuura Reiji... It would be fine if he was beaten to death.
Sure enough, in the next second, the old woman in white clothes said angrily, "I am the priest here, disrespecting me will be punished by heaven!"
The dispute directly escalated into physical attack. A group of villagers began to push and shove Fukuura Reiji.
"Hey, everyone..." Tushi Yicheng tried hard to block the crowd, but helplessly he was alone, and his thin body was not enough to see in front of a group of strong villagers, and he was quickly swallowed by the crowd.
Kisaki Eri subconsciously asked for help from the only familiar male adult at present, "Hissashi..."
Chi Feichei looked at the crowd, Okay, with so many people, he couldn't just watch Fukuura Reiji being beaten to death, but going up to stop them is not the best method, "Now it's best for us outsiders not to step forward and have physical contact with the local villagers, otherwise it will easily lead to a large-scale melee. First, make a big movement to divert the crowd's attention and quiet them down, and then let Police Officer Tushi communicate, he is a local..."
In the forest aside, suddenly more than thirty birds fluttered their wings and flew into the sky. The movement of a group of birds flapping their wings was not small, and soon, an even louder sound came out, almost spreading throughout the entire village and mountains.
"Chirpppppppp—"
"Ah!" Genta, Ayumi, and Mitsuhiko were startled and quickly covered their ears.
Kisaki Eri also covered her ears to resist the sharp and loud sound, and looked at Chi Feichei blankly.
Chi Feichei also covered his ears and shook his head.
This sound was too loud, let alone suppress the situation, if the sound was a little louder, they would all have tinnitus, but it really had nothing to do with him, he hadn't thought about how to 'friendly' make a little movement that could give the rioting villagers a time to calm down, and not be regarded as a provocation.
At least knocking down two trees is not okay...
The sound did not last long, just like some animal screamed in protest.
"It's very like the call of a Mockingbird..." Conan turned his head to look at Chi Feichei.
Chi Feichei remained noncommittal.
Mockingbird, Passeriformes Turdidae Turdus, the whole body is roughly Black, black-brown, dark brown, so it is also called Blackbird.
In addition to Blackbird, Mockingbird also has many other names, such as Black Tit, Mockingbird.
There is a poem saying about the call of Mockingbird: All birds take advantage of the spring to produce throats and kisses, and the forest is full of infinite calls to the new sunny day. Among them, the Mockingbird is the most fearless, and its mouth is full of learning the sounds of all birds.
This is a bird that can learn sounds, good at singing, good at imitating sounds, and it is difficult to distinguish from the call, but it will indeed call a long string of tones like singing.
Conan just wanted to continue speaking when his line of sight suddenly crossed Chi Feichei and noticed the branches of the ancient tree in the rear. His pupils shrank and his face changed instantly.
On the sharpened branch of the Sacrifice Tree, there was already a bloody corpse hanging, impalement by the branch, and the branches extending from the abdomen were stained red with fresh blood.
Shirafuji Yasumi was like a tattered doll hanging on the tree branch, her head and upper body slightly leaning forward, her short blonde hair falling messily on the side of her face, blocking most of her face, fresh blood flowed through her abdomen and dripped continuously along her toes, converging into a pool of blood under her feet.
Chi Feichei turned his head to look over and fell into silence.
This was the first teammate to be sacrificed to the sky.
Should he sigh 'Life is all destined', or should he consider how to deal with this situation that looks like a serial murder case at the start.
Gradually, others also noticed Shirafuji Yasumi on the Tree of Sacrifice. After a moment of silence, someone let out a piercing scream that was comparable in volume to the strange cry just now.
Tushi Yicheng took out the wireless intercom, looked up at the corpse on the tree, his hands still trembling non-stop, and shouted to the other side, "Th-This is Patrol Officer Tushi from Fifteen Night Village, there is an emergency!"
(End of Chapter)
