57: Inari Shrine

Lin Luo listened to her description, his expression slowly turning a bit strange. He went to a shrine, and the whole world changed? "What did you do at the shrine?" he couldn't help but ask, with a hint of inquiry, "Could it be... you accidentally offended something and suffered divine retribution?"

Mai heard this, glared at him unhappily, her dark eyes filled with a reproachful look: "What nonsense are you talking about! How could I do such a thing!" She paused, her tone calming down slightly, "It was just a very ordinary thing. I saw a quiet-looking shrine by the roadside, so I went in to pay my respects. It was a very normal prayer process."

"Then at that time," Lin Luo leaned forward slightly, his gaze focused, "what wish did you make?"

Mai's fingers, holding the spoon, tightened slightly, as if finding it difficult to speak, but finally, she lowered her eyes and whispered: "Because I... grew up under the spotlight, debuting as a child star, always the center of attention. Sometimes, it's really tiring... So, at that time, I wished... I wished I wouldn't be so dazzling, and could have some ordinary, undisturbed space and time."

Hearing this wish, Lin Luo was first stunned, then shook his head helplessly, sighing inwardly: This really is... the same world, different fates. He couldn't help but recall Kato Megumi, whom he had met before. That young girl's wish was to become noticed and no longer be like a "little transparent." Yet, this national idol, exhausted from being in the spotlight, wished for "low-key."

One wanted to be seen but couldn't, while the other wanted not to be seen but had her "dream come true" to an excessive degree. This sense of misplaced destiny left him at a loss for words.

"Your wish..." Lin Luo chose his words carefully, "really came true... quite 'thoroughly.'"

"Which shrine?" Lin Luo pressed, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the rim of his coffee cup.

Mai's gaze drifted towards the deepening twilight outside the window, her voice tinged with reminiscence: "It was that... very famous Inari Shrine. It's always been rumored that the deities there are particularly efficacious and truly help fulfill wishes."

These words made Lin Luo's eyes narrow. He sharply caught the key point—she didn't just "pass by and casually worship" as she claimed earlier, but specifically went to that shrine known for its efficacy. This discrepancy in detail cast a more complex light on the whole matter.

"You went there specifically?" he confirmed, his expression unreadable.

Mai seemed to realize she had let it slip, bit her lip lightly, and tacitly admitted the fact. She looked down at the swirling latte art in her cup, her voice a little softer: "At that time... I was right in the center of career and public opinion pressure, constantly being watched by countless eyes. I felt like I was suffocating, so I thought... I'd give it a try."

"So you wished to the deity, hoping you 'wouldn't be so dazzling,'" Lin Luo repeated her wish, his tone calm, yet it made Mai feel a wave of mortification.

"I know it's selfish..." She clutched the hem of her skirt, "but I really didn't think too much at the time, I just longed to breathe."

Lin Luo didn't immediately judge the right or wrong of this wish. He pondered for a moment, then asked: "During the process of making the wish, or after leaving the shrine, did anything special happen? Like seeing an unusual light, hearing strange sounds, or feeling anything abnormal in your body?"

Mai thought carefully, her brows slightly furrowed: "It seems... nothing special. If I had to say, the shrine was extremely quiet at the time, almost excessively so. When I rang the bell after making my wish, I felt the sound of the bell was exceptionally crisp, echoing for a long time in the empty shrine. As for my body... I just felt a sense of ease, as if a heavy burden had been lifted."

Now that he thought about it, that feeling of "ease" was probably the start of the anomaly. Lin Luo mused. Inari Okami itself presides over fertility and commerce, and while there are legends of wishes being granted, it usually wouldn't be in such a nearly "cursed" manner. There was likely something else at play here.

"I think I understand," Lin Luo put down his coffee cup, his expression becoming serious. "Your situation is indeed special. This isn't a simple psychological problem or coincidence; it very likely involves... the interference of certain supernatural powers."

He looked at Mai: "If you're willing, I can help you investigate this. However, I'll need your cooperation, including taking me to the Inari Shrine where you made your wish."

Mai met his gaze, her eyes flickering with hesitation, but ultimately, the desire to return to normal outweighed everything. She nodded gently: "Okay. I'll take you."

After they settled on it, the two immediately left the cafe and took the subway to the Inari Shrine. A nearly forty-minute ride was enough to indicate that its location was not in a bustling city.

When the two stepped out of the subway station and walked for a moment along the signs, passing through a lush forest, their view suddenly opened up. Layers upon layers of Vermilion Torii Gates, stretching as far as the eye could see, appeared before them, winding up the mountain and forming a visually striking passage. The air here seemed exceptionally fresh, faintly imbued with a pure and ethereal aura. Just standing at the entrance, one could feel the extraordinary nature of this place.

"This is it," Mai whispered, looking at this place, both familiar and strange, with a complex expression.

Lin Luo nodded slightly; his perception was much sharper than Mai's. As soon as he stepped onto the Approach Path beneath the torii, he clearly felt an invisible, gentle yet undeniable "field" enveloping the entire area.

This was not malice, but a sacred aura, accumulated over long years and containing unique rules, like a deep, still current, naturally exerting a faint pressure on extraordinary beings who entered its Domain.

They slowly ascended the ancient stone steps, with dense trees on either side, their branches and leaves casting dappled light and shadow, making the environment exceptionally serene.

By now, dusk had fallen, and the Stone Lanterns lining the Approach Path had, at some point, all lit up with warm lights, like two rows of silent guides illuminating the path ahead.

Specks of fireflies danced among the trees, adding a touch of mystery to the place. Lin Luo even vaguely glimpsed a few pure white fox figures flashing past behind the bushes, their nimble eyes curiously observing these uninvited guests.

"What you said earlier..." Lin Luo couldn't help but speak, his voice exceptionally clear on the silent Approach Path, "could it really be true?"

"What?" Mai turned her head to look at him, somewhat puzzled.

"That... Inari Shrine truly has a deity residing here," Lin Luo repeated, his tone carrying a hint of confirmed gravity. "As soon as I entered, I felt enveloped by an invisible force. Although it's not malicious for now, that sense of pressure is very real. This place is definitely not ordinary."

He was now even more convinced that the "gradual disappearance" phenomenon happening to Mai was by no means a simple psychological effect or coincidence, but genuinely touched upon some high-level mysterious rules. This shrine, and the being it enshrined, were the key.

Hearing him say this, Mai also grew nervous and instinctively moved closer to him: "Then... what should we do now?"

"Let's first go to the Main Sanctuary where you made your wish," Lin Luo's gaze swept towards the brightly lit main shrine building ahead. "Let's feel the aura there and see if we can find any traces or clues left by the 'execution' of the wish."

The two continued to climb. The closer they got to the Main Sanctuary, the stronger the sacred and solemn atmosphere became. More fox shadows seemed to appear around them, but they merely observed silently, not obstructing their path.

Arriving in front of the Main Sanctuary, Mai pointed to the Worship Hall with the huge Shimenawa hanging in front of it: "I made my wish right here, after ringing the bell and offering incense money."

Lin Luo closed his eyes, slowly spreading his Spiritual Perception, carefully sensing every trace of energy flow in the surrounding space. A moment later, he opened his eyes, his brows slightly furrowed.

"How is it?" Mai caught the change in his expression and eagerly pressed him.

"The 'imprint' of the wish is still there, very clear," Lin Luo said in a deep voice, his gaze sharply scanning every corner of the Worship Hall. "I can feel a unique power responding to and 'locking onto' your wish. The nature of that power... carries a sense of almost absolute 'rules.' But..."

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of confusion: "The strange thing is, after this power completed the 'lock,' its source... or rather, its 'connection' to the deeper core of the shrine... seems to have been deliberately obscured or severed by something. It's impossible to trace its specific flow and origin. It's like seeing water flowing from a spring, but being unable to find the underground river."

This meant that they could confirm the problem originated here, but it was difficult to directly find the "entity" responsible for "fulfilling" the wish to communicate or rectify it.

Just as Lin Luo was contemplating how to investigate further, an old and gentle voice suddenly sounded behind them, breaking the night's silence: "Two guests, it's getting late, and the shrine is about to close. May I ask why you are lingering here?"

Their hearts tightened, and they spun around. Standing silently behind them was an Old Chief Priest (Guji) with white hair and beard, dressed in a pure white Shinto priest's robe with a dark Haori over it.

He wore a kind and peaceful smile, but his eyes were as deep as an ancient well, as if they could reflect the human heart. What made Lin Luo secretly alarmed was that the old man's appearance had completely evaded his constantly maintained Spiritual Perception.

The Old Chief Priest's gaze slowly swept over Mai, lingering on her for a moment. A faint hint of understanding flickered in his seemingly cloudy eyes. Finally, his gaze settled on Lin Luo, his tone peaceful yet profound:

"Especially this Young Miss," he said slowly, his voice seeming to merge with the surrounding night breeze, "the 'Karma' on your person seems to have formed quite an interesting Karma with this shrine. And this Spiritual Perception attempting to trace its origins... Young man, what are you searching for?"