(a)

At the top of the main peak of the Monster Mountain, a classical-style palace towers under the night, among the white clouds, proudly looking at the mountains and the earth at your feet.

There is only one way to the main hall, but it is a steep stone staircase that stretches from the foot of the mountain to this point, and is not connected to other mountain roads. On this way, a pair of stone lanterns stand every ten steps, lit with a secluded cage fire, such as the soul-attracting lamp on the Huangquan Road. On those stone lanterns stood sculptures of animals, white wolves on the left and crows on the right, always watching the every move of the climbers, so that the visitors did not dare to be careless. The road is lined with dense forests, and at the top of the hill, there is no grass, only two rows of lampposts and a white brick, leading straight to the magnificent hall.

This hall is a half-timber structure, the red pillar gold top, the eaves and the arch, the four corners are each placed in a day of dog-faced relief, the supporting pillar is carved with the totem of crow feathers and wolf teeth, solemnity and mystery coexist, the atmosphere is full. At the entrance of the main hall stood two tall and mighty Raven Tengu guards with black feathers on their backs, wearing golden armor, holding halberds in their hands, and their faces covered with ghosts, motionless, like the ghost guards in front of the gate of the Hades Palace. The light of the red moon sprinkled down, illuminating the wooden plaque above the heads of the two guards, with three large characters written on it, saying:

"The Chamber"

This is the place where the elders of the Tengu clan gather together to discuss important matters.

At this time, the large double-opening iron door of this council hall was open. The cold wind poured into the spacious and silent hall, blowing the candles on the pillars on both sides. The dim candle flame was the only light source in the huge hall, and the four figures under the candle flame swayed with the wind and fire.

"Begonia fruit. ”

A deep, age-like male voice read out the name of one of the visitors.

The lord sat on the main seat on a high place, and his figure was obscured by a double white veil, so that his true face could not be seen. According to the shadow printed on the white veil, it can only be judged that this person "has wings on his back and is a member of the Tengu clan" and "has a huge body and is more than three meters tall".

"In ......"

As if fearing that the weak, unconfident reply would cause the adult to be dissatisfied, the girl took a deep breath, tore her voice apart, and said again:

"In!"

There were a total of three girls kneeling down in front of this adult, Ji Haitang Fruit, Inu Walking Tree and Hecheng Hetori, all of whom hung their heads and looked solemn, and they didn't dare to take a breath. The marble floor was smooth and cold, and kneeling for a long time would make people's knees uncomfortable, and the three of them had been kneeling for more than an hour, but they could not feel anything except the solemnity of the council hall and the coercion of the great man.

That's a matter of course, after all, at this moment, the big man sitting in front of them is the second-in-command and de facto manager of the Yokai Mountain, the head of the Raven Tengu clan, the Great Tengu-sama. The internal hierarchy of the Tengu society is strict and does not allow transgression, and this Tengu Council Hall, those who are not above the elder level cannot set foot in half a step. With the three of them, an ordinary Raven Tengu, a White Wolf Guard Squad Leader, and a Kappa Mechanic Chief, they had never had the opportunity to step into this hall in their lifetime, let alone discuss important matters with the Great Tengu.

Let's put it this way, the mountain of monsters has a spring cherry blossom feast every year, and the banquet can be placed from the top of the mountain to the mountainside. The Heavenly Demons, the Great Tengu, and a few invited VIPs sat on the top seat together, looking down on the demons below, and there were attendants on both sides who served them, chatting and laughing and tasting wine. The elders of various ethnic groups and the cadres of various departments occupy the next level of "upper seats", sitting around the long table, eating meat and toasting each other. And the backbone of the Jingying people like Shotmei Marunwen, who is not qualified enough but has great ability, and will be able to take on great responsibilities over time, is located in the "middle seat": one person and one small table, and the students generally sit in a neat row, with a table of dishes and a pot of wine, and eat and drink quietly by themselves.

As for the three mentioned above, they sit on the "lower seat" where the flat-headed common people sit. It is said that it is a "seat", but in fact, there is not even a "seat", they all spread blankets on the floor by themselves, and sit cross-legged in groups to eat and drink. They can't eat the good wine that is specially provided for the high-ranking people, and there will be no attendants around them, they all bring their own wine and food, and help each other. "Lower seat" will generally be lined up on the mountainside, the scenery is often unsatisfactory, fortunately away from the big people, surrounded by relatives and friends of the same generation, do not care about etiquette and discipline, drink too much can be free to make noise, and even sing and dance to engage in talent shows. It can be said that the lively atmosphere of the whole banquet was supported by these small people in the market.

In a sense, the banquet of "sitting down" is the real one, and the purest banquet is simply flower appreciation, pleasure, and drunkenness. The political flavor of the "middle seat" and the "upper seat" is too strong, and the undercurrents are surging, and the swords are hidden in the laughter, and they cannot be lively. Once this person's brain is not at the dinner table, the wine and meat will be in the stomach, and the taste will be dull, and after a banquet, even if it does not reach the level of "sitting like pins and needles", it is certain, there is no enjoyment.

As for the "most top", Ji Haitang Guo can't imagine what the big man in that position will think in his heart, and whether he will still be happy with the people, it is too far away from her.

However, at this time, the situation is urgent, and the rules and regulations can be temporarily abandoned. It was the Great Tengu-sama himself who personally summoned the three of them into the Tengu Council, and even more so to hear the information brought by the three of them. This is enough for them to brag for a lifetime.

"That vampire you're talking about, Nalan Twilight," after listening to everything Ji Haitang Guo knew, the Great Tengu behind the white veil asked, "What kind of person is it?"

"This ......"

A drop of cold sweat swept across Guo's cheek, but she didn't even dare to wipe it.

"My subordinates are incompetent, I just want to know, this question, how to answer it?"

"For example," the Great Tengu continued, "is he a good man or an evil man?"

"Not very good, not very evil, but a very determined person. ”

"Is he a threat to this monster mountain, to this Gensokyo, or a help?"

"A little threat, not a threat to the fundamentals, in a big matter, it will be a powerful help. ”

"What level of strength is he?"

"Lower than the 'sages', but, very close. ”

"Then what is the attitude of that 'sage', Yakumo Murasaki?"

"Lady Purple is completely at his disposal. ”

"Huh?"

In the voice of the big tengu, there was a little more playfulness and curiosity. The white veil obscured his figure, making his demeanor invisible to outsiders, but it was easy to imagine his expression at this moment—it must have been a smile of great interest.

"One last question," said the Great Tengu, "if it were you, Ji Haitang Guo, that man, how much would you believe?"

"I ......"

Ji Haitang Guo swallowed a mouthful of saliva, slowly raised his head, his expression was firm, his voice was calm, and said:

"I fully believe his words. ”

"Do you dare to swear by your words in this Tengu Council Hall, in front of this Great Tengu?" asked the Great Tengu, his tone one degree higher than just now.

Guo glanced left and right, and on the beams of the main hall, rows and rows of sculptures of crows and white wolves were staring at her in unison. These wood carvings have a smooth surface, fine textures, and are painted with paint, making them lifelike. The pair of eye-catching eyes, reflecting the fire below, seemed to have spirituality in the dark.

Hiego had heard the legend that when the meeting to decide the future of the Tengu clan began in this hall, the spirits of the ancestors would attach themselves to the wooden carvings on both sides, and through the eyes of the wood, they could see through the soul of the speaker. Therefore, there is no room for lies in this Tengu Council.

She could feel the eyes of the ancestors, and her next sentence was not only to Lord Tengu, but also to the ancestors and ancestors present.

"I swear. ”

The voice echoed through the walls of the main hall, and the voice did not stop for a long time. The Great Tengu was silent for a moment, and then said:

"Alright, you can step down. ”

"Yes, sir. ”

The three lowly visitors came out again and again.

(b)

"Boom!"

The door of the council hall closed heavily behind the three of them, and in front of them was the night sky with the red moon hanging high, and the flat and empty white brick courtyard in front of the council hall.

"Hey—"

Kawashiro Lottori, who walked out of the porch of the main hall first, sighed and sighed:

"It always feels like I've been in it for 10,000 years. ”

"There's nothing going on with us next, right?" she turned to look at the dog walking and Ji Haitang who were going down the steps, holding their hands behind their heads, and said very leisurely:

"Where can you take refuge in the cold, right? To be honest, this moon is quite uncomfortable for us to see......"

"I still have work over there," Hatsuki said with a wry smile, "Although it's my turn to rest today, the current situation is ...... There shouldn't be any rotations, right?"

"Speaking of which......"

Walking down the last step in front of the porch, Tsubaki turned to Guofa, who was two steps behind her, and asked:

"At times like this, Sister Wenwen is always the fastest runner, why can't I see anyone today?"

Guo seemed to be concentrating on thinking, lowering his head, and not giving any reaction. When she had descended the steps, she patted her on the shoulder, awakened her from her contemplation, and asked again:

"Have you seen Sister Wenwen?"

"Wen?"

Hearing this name, Guo was stunned at first, then pouted, spread his hands, and said with a bored face:

"Hell, I don't know what she's doing! Maybe she's flying away to the Eternal Pavilion, and I don't believe she's going to join in this excitement. ”

In fact, there is a more important reason, which Guo did not say. When everyone went to the underworld to enjoy the cherry blossoms, it was her Ji Haitang fruit who deceived Wen into going to the lost bamboo forest. As a result, this is a good place to die, and the lost bamboo forest has become the center of abnormal changes, which is really unpredictable. Now it seems that the casual flickering of this mischievous mentality has instead hit the ground crookedly, giving the biggest scoop of the year to her lifelong rival Shotimaru Fumi. At first, when I thought about it, I couldn't help but get annoyed, and my face couldn't see where it was.

"Yes...... Really?"

According to Guo's demeanor and tone, he vaguely sensed that there was another hidden emotion in this, smiled a little embarrassedly, and nodded.

"Anyway, sure," Nitori suddenly interjected, and asked, "what were you thinking about?"

"Nothing ......"

"What is 'nothing'?"

"I just thought...... That, big enough to cover the red spots of the entire Eternal Pavilion, can they really win? I mean, the team of people who ran to the decisive battle together may not even be able to do it when they see Yuxiang, and their enemy is a super-sized monster whose strength is far above Yuxiang! Nalan Yu, that guy, is there really a way to win?"

"If you can't win, and let so many main forces be buried there, won't this Gensokyo be finished?"

"Uh...... This one...... It's a bit ...... indeed."

When Tsubaki and Lotus heard this, they looked at each other and stammered speechless.

Nalan Twilight's tactics seem to be methodical, but in essence, they are quite crazy gambling tactics, attacking the strong with the weak, and there is no return. After understanding this, the three of them invariably felt a trace of fear. It's no wonder that Lord Fang Cai Daitengu will confirm with Guo one more time to see how Nalan Yu is and whether the information is reliable. Perhaps, in the eyes of onlookers, if this vampire is not a hard-headed maniac with a steel plate on his head, he is probably a genius that ordinary people can't see.

However, the hope of Gensokyo is now in the hands of this madman. He was going to make a bet on it and throw it all into the wheel of fate, which was not funny at all.

"Now, we can only choose to believe him. ”

Do you have any other choice?