This Japanese Monogatari Isn't Lame

No matter how secretive it is, what disappears will never reappear.

Beichuan Si stood up and then looked at the low tree stump.

In the manifestations he saw just now, among the characters and scenery.

The stump before him was that of a sakura tree.

But before the sakura tree could fully grow, the Mouchi Mansion had already cut it down.

The mention of sakura trees reminded Beichuan Si of the strip he found outside, 'The Legend of Sakura Falling Nursery Rhymes'.

The legend mentioned a very critical term—Thousand Sakura Forest.

Could this conjecture hold true?

Thousand Sakura Forest is indeed the forbidden forest.

And the brother of the one sacrificed to the Black Coffin, Mouchi Yingzhong, longing for his sister, calls Mouchi Yingzhong's name daily through the medium of the 'sakura tree'.

The sakura tree was chosen as the medium because the brother of Mouchi Yingzhong was suppressed by a sakura tree in Thousand Sakura Forest. Due to prolonged suppression, the brother of Mouchi Yingzhong can start affecting the sakura tree located at the Mouchi Main Family residence.

That's why every night, cries can be heard from the sakura tree in the courtyard of the Mouchi Mansion, prompting its felling with a hatchet.

With events up to this point, the general outline seems discernible.

Though most are Beichuan Si's speculations, if he can find evidence... there will be no more issues.

For this—

Beichuan Si's next target is already officially decided.

The library of the Mouchi Main Family or the head of the family's room.

Presumably, the living quarters are on the second or even third floor, while most first-floor rooms are for reading in a lecture hall or dining and receiving guests.

Following this benchmark to explore will save Beichuan Si a lot of time.

But at the same time... if there are any clues on the first floor, it would be a shame for Beichuan Si to miss them.

Moreover, what rooms are deeper inside the Mouchi family?

Beichuan Si glanced at the path leading further into the courtyard, then surveyed the surroundings, finding no omissions before turning away, following yesterday's exploration route back to the hearth and then upstairs to the second floor.

The second-floor environment was as unfathomably dark as last night, only occasionally illuminated by the beam of Beichuan Si's flashlight.

Step by step, Beichuan Si groped inward.

Having been here yesterday, this time he moved with familiarity.

Swiftly passing the first few rooms, he reached a small corner.

The path ahead abruptly widened, splitting into left and right parts...

The stairs to the third floor were on the right.

The left led forward down the second-floor corridor.

This corridor staircase didn't give Beichuan Si any pause; having yet to explore the second floor completely, naturally he wouldn't proceed to the third floor.

Without a second thought, Beichuan Si bypassed the stairs and continued forward, exploring the second floor.

It's unclear what exactly happened here; the walls were dark and covered in cracks.

If outside, such architecture would be a clear hazard, unlikely to last to the present.

This cracked wall extended straight ahead, containing three rooms.

Raising his hand, Beichuan Si opened the room closest to him.

Then...

He was just about to face a hateful ghostly face.

Then—

Boom!!!!

A big hole broke in the wooden floor.

Thanks to stepping back timely, the ghostly face was spared.

But the ghostly face stared at the splattered wood chips, showing an expression of bewilderment.

This... doesn't seem right, does it?

Just as it again intended to act ferocious—

"Missed it?"

A gloomy, icy voice rose from the darkness.

"No problem, I'll aim better next time, won't let you feel pain."

Uh...

The ghostly face froze once more.

Then—

Boom!!!!

Everything returned to stillness, save for the heavy fall of the Spiritual Body onto the ground.

Beichuan Si, expressionless, dispersed the Death Aura Hammer by his side, picking up the flashlight from the floor and stepping forward.

Simultaneously, he was a bit perplexed.

These sudden apparitions behind, at the doors, overhead, outside windows, Beichuan Si had dispelled quite a few.

With such 'appear suddenly and scare you' tactics... frankly, Beichuan Si felt little sensation.

Seeing such apparitions, his heart experienced nearly no ripples.

The fallen spirit didn't wear priest robes like in Mouchi Mansion, likely an ordinary person unrelated to the ritual.

The reason for dying here... was probably just a simple matter of evacuating too late.

Nevertheless... better to be thorough and meticulous, Beichuan Si wouldn't give up on any room potentially containing clues.

This room had bedding for sleeping at the back, a low desk placed by the window near the entrance, and a fully oxidized bamboo ruler beside the desk.

A ruler?

Beichuan Si recalled what Mouchi Mashi had said before.

The lecture hall near the courtyard below was where children were educated; with a ruler placed here... this indicated the room belonged to a teacher educating the children.

"...No idea what useful things can be found here."

Beichuan Si shook his head, walking to the desk's side.