This Japanese Monogatari Isn't Lame
Chapter 522 - 337: I Anticipated Your Anticipation of My Anticipation (8000 Word Target Achieved)

Chapter 522: Chapter 337: I Anticipated Your Anticipation of My Anticipation (8000 Word Target Achieved)

Shenzhu Shihui clung to the ceiling, fully dematerializing her form to hide, floating within this vast mansion.

The Ihui Main Family’s house appeared to be scarcely inhabited, with hardly a few living souls to be seen in the rear half of the dwelling aside from Ihui Nai Luo and Ihui Guangjiu Juju, who lived in the front portion.

Only a sparse number of servants were visible.

Not even a single heavenly creature could be seen.

Shenzhu Shihui maintained her own pace and continued to grope forward.

She felt it now.

That scent of soul decay and ruin was drawing nearer.

Shenzhu Shihui swiftly floated forward.

After passing through a couple more rooms, she finally arrived at a large door fastened with enormous copper locks.

This door bore the Divine Pattern that had been worshipped by generations of the Ihui Main Family.

The ancient-looking lock was intimidating—

But this was merely enough to extinguish the living’s desire to enter; it couldn’t possibly obstruct Shenzhu Shihui’s path. As a Spiritual Body, she could certainly pass right through this wall.

Although thinking this, Shenzhu Shihui still cautiously sent a strand of her good thoughts towards the door.

This sliver of goodwill faced no obstacles and directly entered beyond the door.

This roused Shenzhu Shihui’s spirits.

Since good thoughts could pass through, it meant the door had no traps against Spiritual Bodies, suggesting she could freely enter and exit as she pleased.

Without hesitation, Shenzhu Shihui passed through the gate and looked inside.

There was no light here, yet it wasn’t dark.

Shenzhu Shihui looked to her right.

The first thing to catch her gaze were several slender iron chains.

These delicate chains glowed strangely; on their sturdy surfaces, it seemed a special kind of pattern shone.

These chains held captive the sole human-shaped... no, a Spiritual Body, in an utterly unreasonable manner.

Under Shenzhu Shihui’s gaze, a rotting, sickeningly yellow liquid was neatly contained in square wooden vessels.

Just looking revealed the confining smallness of these containers, barely enough for even a single person to crouch down.

Under such circumstances, the tormented state of the Spiritual Body bound within the chains also caught Shenzhu Shihui’s eye.

The entire Spiritual Body was forcefully stuffed into a square container.

Its pale form twisted in an unscientific posture.

The arms bent and hooked together strangely, like twisted flowers, and the legs, unable to fit inside the container, were broken beautifully at one thigh.

The torso was forcibly stuffed in—not so much a torso as it were a stem of a flower.

With these arms, legs, and torso together, a serene, ethereal female head rested on the "petals" formed by hands and feet, with closed eyes.

At the center of her phantom body was placed a female effigy.

This effigy was immersed in the dimly yellow, decaying liquid, hissing as it dissolved.

Behind these instruments of torture was a small outlet.

The decaying and ruinous liquid gushed forth from there.

As some were consumed, more would be refilled, much like boiling a frog in warm water.

The water of Yellow Springs constantly gnawed at the Spiritual Body while also nurturing it, subjecting it to cruel torture.

The chains binding the Spiritual Body were specially crafted; as they pulled, the Spiritual Body couldn’t simply shrink or expand at will.

The water of Yellow Springs would simultaneously decay and nourish the female Spiritual Body, trapping her in an unending cycle of exquisitely balanced pain from which she could never escape.

This cruel punishment would persist indefinitely.

Next to this female head dragged more slender chains, although no other heavenly creatures or effigies were present there.

All that remained were empty square containers and the shimmering, rotting yellow liquid.

While Shenzhu Shihui stood lost in thought, a faint sigh echoed through.

"This is the punishment for the gravest of sinners within the Ihui Main Family’s effigies... the Water Cage Chest."

The female Spiritual Body opened her eyes.

Next to her eye was a black beauty mark that, together with her naturally beautiful face, seemed to hold a seductive allure.

However, her current grotesque and terrifying state scattered any semblance of charm, rendering her once-pleasing features into something ghastly and fearsome.

After studying Shenzhu Shihui for a while, the female Spiritual Body couldn’t help but shake her head, "You are not from the Ihui family. Their Spiritual Bodies aren’t as pure as yours. Are you from the outside world?"

Even as she experienced the sensation of being burned, the woman’s expression didn’t waver. She simply looked over, her voice steady as she asked.

Accustomed to the soul-penetrating pain of the Water Cage Chest’s long torture, she was well-familiar with it.

"I—I am Shenzhu Shihui, you... must be... Miss Ihui Shenzi, right?" Shenzhu Shihui stammered out the question.

A trace of surprise flickered across the woman’s face as she struggled to lift her head.

"Do you know me?"

It really was Ihui Shenzi!

Thoughts raced through Shenzhu Shihui.

Her trip hadn’t been in vain after all; she had finally met the person she sought.

Seeing Shenzhu Shihui lost in thought, Ihui Shenzi frowned and spoke again, "This isn’t right, outsiders shouldn’t be allowed into the ancient book area... The letter I left was meant for the Ihui Main Family. Only they could see it, and only then could Nailuo..."