58: overnight stay

"It really is a residence of a deity~" Lin Luo sighed inwardly. It had only been a guess before, but the moment this Guji appeared, he confirmed it—this kind-looking old man before him was not human. The pure and ancient Demon Power within him, though cleverly concealed by a dense aura of divinity, could not escape Lin Luo's perception. After all, weren't the divine messengers of Inari Okami foxes?

He remained calm, merely nodding in greeting. "I apologize for the late-night intrusion. We are here on behalf of this friend." He stepped aside to present Mai. "She previously made a wish at your shrine. Now, that wish has been granted in a certain form, but it has brought some unexpected troubles. We have come to investigate the cause and see if there is any room for reversal."

The old head priest—or rather, the White Fox Divine Emissary—turned his gaze toward Mai once more, a faint light seemingly flickering in his deep eyes. He let out a soft "Oh," his tone remaining peaceful. "Once a wish has been delivered, it is like an arrow released from a bow; it follows its own trajectory. The manner of its fulfillment is not something we can fully control; it depends more on the petitioner's own thoughts and Karma."

He paced forward slowly, his aged fingers lightly stroking the cool railing in front of the Worship Hall, his gaze fixed on the layers of Torii gates in the distance. "The world only knows that Inari Okami is efficacious, but they do not know that this 'efficacy' itself is a mirror reflecting the inner heart. Sometimes, what it reflects may not be what people think they desire."

Lin Luo caught the deeper meaning and followed up, "Are you saying that the way a wish is realized is closely related to the petitioner's own hidden intentions?"

"You could understand it that way." The messenger nodded slightly. "The deity listens to the prayer, but the one who interprets the wish is often the echo from the depths of the petitioner's own Soul. A strong desire will trigger the rules, and rules... can sometimes be rigid." He turned his head and gave Mai a meaningful look. "Young lady, when you first made your wish, was your truest inner thought really as simple as 'not wanting to be too dazzling'? Or... was there a more absolute impulse hidden there, such as 'wanting to disappear' or 'wanting to be free from all eyes'?"

Hearing this, Mai's face instantly turned pale. Her lips moved, but she couldn't speak immediately. Those days when she was pushed to her limit by pressure and almost wanted to abandon her identity and the spotlight... those dark thoughts that surfaced during sleepless nights, which she didn't even want to admit to herself... Could it really be those...? Seeing Mai's reaction, Lin Luo understood. He turned to the messenger and spoke solemnly, "Even if the wish originated from the heart, if the way it is realized brings harm, is there no possibility of correction? Inari Okami presides over fertility and well-being; surely the deity wouldn't sit idly by while a believer falls into a desperate situation because of a wish."

The kind smile on the messenger's face remained unchanged, but a hint of an inscrutable expression appeared in his eyes. "Correction is not impossible, but it requires an opportunity, and a corresponding 'price' must be paid. Furthermore, this is not something that an old messenger like myself can decide. It requires consulting the will of the Great Deity himself."

The enigmatic smile on the old messenger's face didn't change at all as he slowly shook his head, his voice like a whisper in the wind. "Opportunities are like the wind; they cannot be forced. You must seek and sense them for yourselves. Perhaps in a corner of the mortal world, or perhaps in the depths of the Soul... when the right 'affinity' and 'object' converge, the Great Deity's gaze will naturally fall upon you once more."

This riddle-like answer caused the small spark of hope that had just ignited in Mai's eyes to dim again. Without even knowing specifically what to do, how were they supposed to search?

This riddle-like answer caused the small spark of hope that had just ignited in Mai's eyes to dim again. Without even knowing specifically what to do, how were they supposed to search?

Lin Luo stared at the messenger for a moment. Seeing that the other party truly had no more hints to offer, he knew that asking further would be futile. He nodded slightly. "Thank you for the guidance."

Since they had confirmed the root of the problem—that Sakurajima Mai's bizarre "erasure of existence" state was indeed the result of Inari Okami granting her wish—staying here wouldn't solve the problem immediately.

The night was deep, and the chill in the mountains was gradually growing heavier. The lanterns on both sides of the approach path remained lit, yet they seemed even more desolate than when they arrived.

"Let's go," Lin Luo said softly to the dejected Mai beside him. "At least we've found the source. That in itself is the most important progress. As for the opportunity... we'll figure it out slowly."

Mai nodded silently. Although the result wasn't ideal, compared to her previous helplessness—like a headless fly—she now at least had a clear direction. She took one last look at the solemn and quiet Main Sanctuary, then turned with Lin Luo and walked slowly down the mountain through the long corridor of vermilion Torii gates.

By the time they reached the foot of the mountain, the last train had long since passed. This place was quite far from the city center, and calling for a taxi late at night was also quite inconvenient.

"It looks like we'll have to find a place to stay here for the night." Lin Luo looked at the map on his phone and made a decision. He found a business hotel nearby that looked reasonably clean.

Walking to the front desk, Lin Luo handled the check-in procedures. The receptionist maintained a professional smile throughout, and the process was smooth. When Lin Luo mentioned that two people were staying, the receptionist didn't show any abnormality, skillfully preparing the room cards.

However, just as Lin Luo took the room card and turned to signal Mai to follow, the receptionist's gaze naturally passed over Lin Luo to the empty space behind him, then returned to Lin Luo, saying with a smile, "I hope you enjoy your stay." He hadn't seen Sakurajima Mai at all, even though she was right there.

This scene silently confirmed the cruel reality. Mai's eyes instantly dimmed, and she subconsciously gripped the hem of her skirt.

Lin Luo said nothing, simply holding the room card and leading her toward the elevator. Only once they were in the enclosed space of the elevator did he speak in a low, firm voice. "Don't lose heart. Now that we've found the cause, there must be a solution. Get some rest first; we'll discuss things further tomorrow."

Mai looked up, seeing only Lin Luo's reflection in the elevator mirror, and gave a soft "Mhm." The sound was very light, but it carried a faint, barely perceptible trace of reliance.

The room was number 1856, located deep inside. Because it was so far in, the two of them wound through the silent, carpeted corridors, passing rows of nearly identical doors before finally arriving.

Although the route was a bit circuitous, the room's location brought an unexpected advantage—it was extremely quiet. They couldn't hear the hum of the elevator, and it was far from any potential street noise. Looking out the window at the end of the hallway, there were only the blurred lights of the distant city, with a silence like being submerged in the deep sea enveloping the surroundings.

Lin Luo swiped the room card, and the interior of the room came into view. It was a standard double room, but perhaps because the hotel grade was decent, the room was much more spacious than expected.

Under the soft, warm lighting, a large double bed occupied the center, with bedding that looked white and comfortable. A small set of table and chairs sat by the window, and there was even a simple coat rack and a small sofa. The bathroom was designed with separate wet and dry areas, and the clean facilities were faintly visible behind a frosted glass door.

The overall space was simple and cozy; it was certainly more than enough for two people and wouldn't feel cramped at all.

Lin Luo walked to the window to check the curtains and the lock, then turned to look at Mai, who was still standing by the door looking somewhat at a loss.

"The conditions are limited; we'll make do for a night." His tone was casual, as if this were the most natural arrangement. "You take the bed." He pointed to the large, comfortable-looking bed.

Mai's gaze quickly swept over the only large bed in the center of the room, and her cheeks flushed almost imperceptibly. Although she knew rationally that this was the most logical choice, sharing a room with a male stranger she hadn't even known for a full day, and having to share a bed... even if he was the only person who could currently see her and was helping her, she couldn't help but feel shy and a bit nervous.

She took a soft breath, trying to appear calm. "Then... what about you, Mr. Lin Luo?"

After a brief silence, Mai moved her body slightly, feeling a bit uncomfortable all over. After all, she had walked a lot during the day, climbed a mountain, and experienced huge emotional ups and downs. If she didn't take a bath, it would truly be unbearable.

"I want to take a bath," she said softly, her tone carrying a hint of finality.

Lin Luo nodded, his gaze not lingering on her. "Suit yourself."

Mai cleared her throat, a faint, barely detectable embarrassment appearing on her face. "Um... I didn't bring a change of clothes." Her original plan was just to come out and talk; who could have predicted things would develop to the point of staying out overnight?

"It's fine," Lin Luo said without looking up from his phone screen. "Give me the clothes you take off, and I'll send them to the hotel's express laundry. That way, you can take your bath in peace without worrying about me barging in."

"What I mean is," Mai's voice dropped, filled with obvious awkwardness, "I don't have... any underwear to change into."

Lin Luo finally looked up from his phone, seeing her reddened cheeks. His tone was as flat as if he were discussing the weather. "Go commando. Don't worry, I won't look at you anyway."

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Mai's cheeks instantly flushed crimson as she glared at him in embarrassment. "Take me to a nearby shop to buy some!" Let her stay in the room wrapped in a bathrobe or without underwear? Absolutely not!

Lin Luo looked at her for a few seconds in silence before finally putting away his phone as if resigned to his fate. He stood up. "What a hassle... don't you know how to adapt to emergencies?" Despite his complaining, he had already picked up the room card and signaled for her to follow. "Let's go, let's make it quick. Hopefully, the hotel shop hasn't closed yet at this hour."

Watching his back as he moved despite his complaints, Mai felt an inexplicable sense of relief and quickly followed him.

The two of them walked through the quiet hotel corridor once more, but this time the destination felt somewhat delicate. Going to buy intimate underwear for a girl he had only recently met—and whom no one but himself could see... Lin Luo felt that the scope of this "outsourced" task was becoming increasingly ridiculous.

As for Mai, following behind him and looking at his tall but somewhat helpless back, a tiny sense of security—one she hadn't even noticed herself—quietly seeped into her original embarrassment.