Chapter 146 The Girl in the Box
Wearing a red hat, white robe and holding a bell, he walked down the alley.
Boys and girls, come closer and watch as the things go into the box.
It's dark and foggy, with white paper floating in the sky. Whose child is this tonight?
In the dark night, it seemed as if someone was singing a ballad, walking through the dense forest path.
The man was wearing a red hat as conspicuous as a clown and a white robe. From a distance, it looked like it was made of pieces of white paper.
He carried a wooden box on his back, on which were tied some small toys that children liked.
For example: dolls, glass marbles, Lego toys, tumblers, kendama...
He held a rattle in his left hand and a bell in his right hand. As he walked, the objects behind him swayed, and together with the sounds of the rattle and bell in his hands, a strange yet somewhat harmonious sound was made.
In the dark night, he kept walking along the road until a village appeared in front of him, and then he stopped at the entrance of the village.
He stood in the night, gazing at the village in front of him, a smile gradually spread across the corners of his mouth beneath the Nuo mask.
He squatted down, put down the wooden box behind him, and gently shook the bell in his hand.
About 10 minutes later, two children, a boy and a girl, about seven or eight years old, walked out of the village alone.
When the two children came to him, the man handed the dolls and Lego toys behind him to the two children respectively.
He squatted, supporting his chin with one hand, and watched the two children happily playing with toys.
After a while, he opened the wooden box beside him and took out a red and black box from the box. He placed the box on the palm of his right hand and gently opened the box with the index finger of his left hand.
Revealing a girl hiding in a box.
The two children were immediately attracted by the girl in the box and cast their gazes over her.
"Dance, dance,"
The girl in the box began to dance as the man spoke.
When the dance was over, the two children in front of me had blurry eyes and the toys in their hands fell to the ground.
The next moment, two black-haired arms stretched out from the box, grabbed the two children, and dragged them into the box which was only the size of a palm.
The man closed the box again, and the girl in the box just stood there quietly like a doll.
"Let's get going."
The man stood up and tore off his white clothes, which turned into pieces of white paper floating in the air.
He took one last look at the scattered dolls and Legos on the ground and grinned.
Carrying the wooden box on my back, I returned to the forest, not knowing where to go next.
The next day, before dawn, a tragic cry was heard in the village.
"My child, where are you?"
Then came the second crying voice, "My Xiangzi is missing too!"
The tranquility in the village was instantly broken, lights were turned on one by one, and people began to search for the missing child.
Other villagers also volunteered to help with the search, and some even prepared to go into the mountains to look for it.
Finally, they found the last trace of the two missing children in the surveillance video at the entrance of the village.
In the unclear picture from the surveillance camera, one could only vaguely see two children, a boy and a girl, walking from the village to the village entrance.
Outside the village entrance, there was a figure hidden in the darkness and could not be seen clearly.
I could only vaguely see the red hat and white robe; it was night and it was difficult to see the specific facial features clearly.
In addition, the man was wearing a Nuo mask with exaggerated paint on his face.
As if he was aware of the presence of the monitor, he raised his head slightly and nodded in the direction of the monitor.
……
Pinggong Chiye left Lingshan Temple only after having a vegetarian meal the next morning.
It only took a few days to pass through Kagawa Prefecture and arrive in Okayama Prefecture.
During the day, he slept in the open and traveled, and at night he often communicated with Yaezakura Jingu under the moonlight.
In the last attempt, with the help of Chiya Hiramiya, Jingu Yaezakura finally managed to make the moon doll capable of charging.
A full charge of moonlight power can last for three days.
Now every night, when night falls and the bright moon rises, Jingu Yaezakura descends in the body of the moon doll.
When Chiya Hiramiya was about to cross the mountains and forests from Okayama Prefecture to Tottori Prefecture, the people he met on the road would occasionally cast curious and wary glances at him.
Some adults would even keep a close eye on their children, with anger and fear hinted in their eyes.
Even police officers on the road stopped him several times to check and verify his identity.
When he was stopped by the police for investigation for the third time, Chiya Hiramiya finally asked the police for the specific reason.
He could sense that the people nearby were very wary and sensitive towards strangers.
Under his questioning, the police officer finally told him what had happened nearby recently.
In just one month, more than 30 children have gone missing in Okayama Prefecture and Tottori Prefecture.
Most missing persons cases occurred in rural areas, with only a few occurring in more populous counties and cities.
The government has attached great importance to this case and has issued multiple orders, strictly instructing police stations in all regions to solve the case quickly, but there is still no clue so far.
Even though many places are now equipped with surveillance cameras, it is still impossible to find out the specific reasons for disappearances.
Many villages in the countryside have been placed under full martial law to prevent any strangers from approaching, and many surveillance cameras have been set up inside and outside the villages.
But there are still children missing.
After listening silently, Ping Gong Qianye asked the police officer, "Didn't you try to find help from temples or shrines?"
"Yes, there are many monks and priests patrolling and stationed in the countryside now, but two days ago, two children, a boy and a girl, disappeared."
Ping Gong Qianye hesitated for a moment and said, "Is that the latest case of missing children?"
"It's in the nearby Iori Village."
When the police officer said this, he looked up and sighed, "Although the surveillance camera captured the general appearance of the criminal who kidnapped the child, there is still no further discovery."
"For this reason, many parents who have lost their children have paid a lot of money to find their children, trying to find their children in the vast sea of people."
"The police department has also been actively cooperating with nearby temples and shrines, but there has been no progress."
After chatting with the police officer for a few more words, Hiramiya Chiye changed his original route and headed for the nearby Iori Village.
No wonder he was so calm these days, it turned out that something big happened.
In this age full of demons and monsters, children are most vulnerable to danger.
Whether it is demons or cults, they are prone to committing horrific acts against children.
"Red hat, white robe, walking down the alley with a bell in hand."
"Boys and girls, come closer and watch as it enters the box."
"It's dark and foggy, with white paper floating in the sky. Whose family is this tonight?"
Hiramiya Chiya recited the horror songs she had heard from the police officers and people nearby.
According to the police officer, the suspect was wearing a red hat, a white robe, and carrying a wooden box on his back.
In order to understand the situation as quickly as possible, Pinggong Qianye walked through the dense forest much faster than before. Finally, before sunset, he arrived at the entrance of Iori Village.
Before entering the village, surveillance cameras were quietly installed on nearby trees or hidden in the bushes to prevent any strangers from approaching.
Pinggong Qianye only stood at the entrance of the village for a while, and several villagers appeared and surrounded him.
"I am a monk who came all the way from Tokyo. I passed by here and heard that a child had gone missing nearby. I was afraid that a demon might have caused trouble, so I came to take a look."
After Pinggong Qianye finished speaking, he chanted the Buddha's name.
At this moment, he really had the illusion that he was Master Xuanzang.
I came from the Tang Dynasty in the East, and went to the West to worship Buddha and learn scriptures. Passing by your precious land, I heard...
When the villagers heard the word "monster", they became obviously upset.
During this period of time, there have been so many cases of missing children in the neighborhood, but the police have never been able to find any clues, solve the cases, or recover the missing children.
The rumor of the monster had already spread in the neighborhood.
Apart from monsters and demons, how could ordinary people have the ability to seduce so many children?
"Master from Tokyo, you must save my child. He is only 7 years old!"
A man with untidy beard and messy hair in the crowd knelt down on the spot.
"You get up first. I need to understand the specific situation here before I can help you solve the problem."
"Master, what do you want to know first?"
"Check the surveillance footage from that night."
"Master, please follow me and I will take you there."
Pinggong Chiye followed the man to the security room where the surveillance videos were stored.
While walking on the road, Pinggong Qianye learned the man's identity through communication with him.
Iori Fujino, the father of the little boy who disappeared two days ago.
He has been guarding the village gate for the past two days. Whenever he encounters a monk, priest, or police officer who comes to inquire about the situation, he will greet them immediately in order to hold on to this tiny hope.
Many villagers on the road cast curious glances and kept talking about this matter.
"Another monk has come. I guess he will leave after checking the surveillance video and never come back."
"Poor little Iori and Kaori had to go through such a horrible thing at such a young age."
"This monk came from Tokyo. Maybe he can really help find little Iori and Kaori."
Pinggong Qianye listened to the discussions around him, came to the security room, and watched the video of that night.
It took less than 10 minutes from the time the two children left the village to the time they disappeared.
Pinggong Qianye watched it three times, not missing any suspicious details.
In the end, he was certain that the one who kidnapped the children was not a demon or monster, but a cultivator who had gone astray.
It's a human, not a monster!
As for the means, it was the bell in the man's hand and the wooden box.
Iori Fujino on the side watched anxiously, never saying a word, so as not to disturb Hiramiya Chiye.
It was not until a priest from the shrine arrived at the village entrance that Iori Fujino hurriedly left and went to the village entrance to greet the priest.
After Hiramiya Chiye finished watching the video, Iori Fujino brought the priest to the security room.
The priest was about 40 years old, wearing a light purple hunting robe, a tall hat, and holding a white tablet.
When walking, he has a dignified demeanor.
At first glance, Pinggong Qianye realized that the other party must not be an ordinary priest.
Rather, he is a big shot who has held a high position in a certain shrine for many years.
"I heard that the master is from Tokyo?"
"I am indeed traveling from Tokyo, sir?"
Seeing that the other party took the initiative to talk to him and respectfully called him Master, Pinggong Qianye also spoke more politely.
"This is the chief priest Iori of Ogamiyama Shrine." Iori Fujino introduced excitedly.
Their Iori Village has produced many famous and talented people. This Iori Miyaji also lived here when he was a child.
After this incident, the old village chief suspected that a demon was causing trouble and hurriedly called Iori Miyaji.
Only one day had passed, and Iori Miyaji had already returned to Iori Village from Ogamiyama Shrine in Tottori Prefecture.
"This is my childhood hometown. I will never allow any demons or monsters to harm the lives here."
Iori Miyaji's words gave Iori Fujino infinite hope.
Pinggong Qianye only talked to the other party for a few words, then stepped aside to allow the other party to observe the contents of the surveillance video.
He had also heard of the place called Dashan.
There are four famous mountains in Japan: Mount Fuji, Mount Tateyama, Mount Ontake and Mount Daisen in Tottori Prefecture.
It has been regarded as a sacred mountain in Japan since ancient times.
This Iori no Miyaji from the Ogamiyama Shrine is definitely a real big figure in the Shintoism lineage of the shrine.
His status is probably higher than that of the Omasa priest of Tsukimi Shrine, who has little presence.
Half an hour later, Iori Miyaji, who had also observed several times, looked solemn.
Finally, Iori Fujino couldn't help but ask, "Iori Miyaji, did you find anything from the surveillance video?"
“We have indeed discovered something.”
Iori Miyaji first glanced at Hiramiya Chiye, then slowly said: "That is not a demon or monster, but an evil practitioner."
"He first used the bell in his hand to make a seductive sound, and manipulated the child's mind, so that the child walked out of the village and came to him."
"Then use the strange thing in your hand to take the child away out of thin air."
Pinggong Qianye's eyes lit up slightly, and he also noticed the open box in the man's hand.
Iori Miyaji was silent for a while, but still said: "That thing should be the girl in the box."
Girl in the box?
Pinggong Qianye had heard of this item, but in his impression, it was not something extremely vicious.
The truly evil box is another one, the Monster Box.
That thing is truly terrifying.
It is rumored that the Monster Box contains the most terrifying demons and monsters in the world. Once it is opened, the whole world will become a den of ghosts.
There was a record of the opening of the Monster Box 150 years ago, and it was said that an entire county's population died at that time.
That place turned into a horrible ghost den where no living person could live.
Later, several eminent monks and priests joined forces to purify the den of evil spirits, and the incident gradually subsided.
As for the girl in the box... In his impression, this object was a tragedy from the very beginning.
(End of this chapter)
