This Japanese Monogatari Isn't Lame
Chapter 108 - 107. Wait, Mr. Beichuan——

Chapter 108: Chapter 107. Wait, Mr. Beichuan——

Beichuan Si flipped through the pages, finally finding the words "Shenzhu Village" slightly to the left of the center of the page.

"Shenzhu Village, this is a mountain village located on the outskirts of Shimadu City, unknown to most. Even maps do not mark its position. As a result, the Shenzhu villagers who live a secluded life are very exclusive."

"Shenzhu Village is deep in the Shenzhu Mountain Area..."

Beichuan Si read on carefully and found that this report was mostly about the environmental situation around Shenzhu Village and didn’t mention much about the customs and traditions.

This was only natural, after all, with the villagers so exclusive and silent about their village customs, it was certain that the author of this article could not have obtained much information.

But the next issue also mentioned "the last issue introduced the mysterious and terrifying customs of Shenzhu Village." Beichuan Si didn’t believe that it wouldn’t be in this issue’s pages.

He read word by word, finally finding the mysterious and terrifying custom mentioned by the author.

"The Shenzhu Family and the Magong Family, the two major families of Shenzhu Village, are revered by the villagers, and atop Shenzhu Mountain, there is a little-known building. Shenzhu Shrine..."

Shenzhu Shrine?

Another new term.

Beichuan Si continued to read on.

"According to the descendants of a worker who once repaired the Shenzhu and Magong homes and escaped, the Shenzhu and Magong families would bind the workers’ bodies to the foundation pillars and bury them alive. The workers buried within the houses were then called ’human pillars.’"

"Human pillars?" Beichuan Si raised an eyebrow.

Perhaps this topic sounds somewhat barbaric, bloody, and even incredible in the Reiwa era.

But in that era of Japan, legends of human pillars were actually widespread, and there were even cases where human pillars were unearthed.

The main purpose of using a living person as a human pillar in sacrifice was to pray for the safety of the town or village. This tradition later evolved in civil engineering to the point that if the work was not going well, live humans would be bound to the corners of the foundation as a sacrifice to pray for successful completion.

"The author found the descendants of this survivor and recorded his words as evidence to preserve, hoping to eradicate such traditional customs."

There were a few more words on the newspaper, but nothing Beichuan Si wanted to know.

This time there were some discrepancies in what he had imagined; it turned out that the customs recorded in issue 59 were not those of Shenzhu Village but the human pillar ritual common throughout Japan.

Beichuan Si put down the newspaper. He now wanted to know more about where that author’s recorded tape was currently. What if the worker’s descendants had revealed more than just information about the human pillars in their conversations?

Just as Beichuan Si put down the newspaper, he was scratched on the face by the round hands of Nishijou Kurenai at his side.

"Do you say you can sense a faint resentment?" Beichuan Si looked at Nishijou Kurenai.

Nishijou Kurenai tugged at Beichuan Si’s clothes, sliding down and clumsily squeezing into the gap of the storage rack.

Watching her struggling to burrow in, Beichuan Si almost couldn’t help wanting to push her further in.

But Beichuan Si held back in the end.

He waited patiently for Kurenai’s good news.

Soon, the crisp sound of tape being torn was heard, and Nishijou Kurenai, who reemerged from the gap of the rack looking somewhat dirty, held out a square object wrapped in white, yellowing paper.

She quickly made her way to Beichuan Si’s feet in three steps, tugging at his trousers, her little face raised as if she carried a sense of having done something praiseworthy—

"..."

Beichuan Si, expressionless, lifted her up and gently patted the dust off her.

Nishijou Kurenai looked utterly helpless as he lifted her.

After dusting her off, Beichuan Si placed her on his shoulder and took the rectangular object wrapped in white paper.

This must be the recording tape the author had mentioned.

Indeed, a faint resentment seemed to twine around it.

After a small praise for Kurenai, Beichuan Si put the tape into his pocket without changing his expression, and then he left the storeroom.

He would surely take the tape with him as it could aid in his upcoming investigation.

But if the staff at the newspaper office found out about him taking the tape, it could become another troublesome matter.

Following the principle that less trouble is better than more, Beichuan Si, with the tape in his pocket, went to pick up his bag at the front desk.

"This is Mr. Beichuan’s belongings." The receptionist smiled broadly at the sight of Beichuan Si.

She was considering how to ask Mr. Beichuan for his contact information while handing him his backpack.

"..." Beichuan Si.

Perhaps it was because of the tape, but Beichuan Si felt the woman’s gaze on him was somewhat peculiar.

"Thank you," Beichuan Si thanked her politely, turning to leave—

"Wait! Mr. Beichuan."

Beichuan Si heard the call and hesitated for a moment, then quickly walked towards the door as if he had heard nothing, bag in hand.

Did this woman notice something?

She shouldn’t have. There was nothing improper about me, was there?

What exactly had given me away?

"Wait, Mr. Beichuan!"

Beichuan Si moved even faster.

While considering where he might have slipped up, he left expressionless and strode swiftly towards the exit.

His hasty departure was quicker than the receptionist’s walk.

Before long, Beichuan Si had completely exited the building and rapidly left down the road.

The receptionist watched Beichuan Si’s swiftly retreating figure, her lips pursed: "I just wanted his contact information!"

Beichuan Si had definitely heard her, but why didn’t he even slow down?

The receptionist felt she was attractive and would have been a good match for Beichuan Si.

With a sense of lost ’first love,’ she sighed sorrowfully and returned to her work post.

...

Of course, the departed Beichuan Si had no idea about this commotion. He tore the outer paper and, looking at the well-preserved audio tape inside, was filled with emotion.

On it was written in fine ballpoint pen: ’Recordings of the surviving worker’s descendants.’

He had traveled extensively for this tape; if it couldn’t play, it would mean all his efforts were in vain.

Beichuan Si examined the tape for a long while, muttering to himself:

"There’s a recorder at the homestay, it should be usable."

He would use that recorder tonight to see exactly what was recorded on this tape.

Beichuan Si’s expression softened as he put the recorder in his backpack and set off back to the homestay.

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