Chapter 192: The Betrayal Carved on the Other Side of Freedom
In the afternoon, Bai Wei went to Yoshino's home and confectionery shop. Yamada's business was thriving, and he was busy greeting many people.
As Bai Wei approached, he noticed a woman in black mourning attire sitting on a chair covered with red cloth. She leisurely sipped tea and ate wagashi.
There was no exclamation mark above her head, but her aura and demeanor were out of the ordinary.
Noticing Bai Wei's gaze, the woman in funeral attire looked over from behind her black veil hat and courteously smiled, nodding slightly.
Bai Wei also nodded and returned the gesture.
“Boss, another serving and pack it to go."
“Hey, thank you for your patronage."
“The wagashi at your place tastes great, almost on par with Jingūji’s."
“Hahaha, you're too kind. The shrine has special offerings, my small workshop can't compare." Yamada scratched his head and laughed heartily, "Take care, Miss Kokonohana."
The woman nodded slightly, holding her gift. Her steps seemed slow, but she quickly walked away.
...Kokonohana? Jingūji?
Upon hearing the familiar name, Bai Wei was lost in thought as he watched her figure.
“Mr. Bai, snapped out of it." Yamada waved his hand, "It's not appropriate to stare at a widow like that, is it?"
“Huh?"
“If you're interested in this kind of thing, I can introduce you." Yamada said, "I actually know quite a few widows."
“Huh??” Bai Wei rolled his eyes, "I just thought she looked familiar."
“That's a shame." Yamada chuckled, "Widows are quite good. It's not easy to be a single woman in this world..."
“You actually enjoy that?" Bai Wei looked at him strangely.
“Older, mature women are attractive to gentlemen." Yamada confidently explained, but reality got the better of him, "Being an old bachelor like me, I can't think of anything better. Dealing with widows just comes naturally."
Bai Wei suddenly had some doubts, he thought to himself... are widows considered NTR?
...what about single mothers who have made a vow to remain single, are they considered NTR?
...what about the third parties who enter into a broken marriage, can they be considered NTR?
And what does it mean to be truly NTR?
The path of NTR is long and challenging.
“In the Ming Country, there's a saying: 'Women are like wolves at thirty and tigers at forty.'"
“Huh?"
“And in the Ming Country, there's another saying: 'A newly born calf is not afraid of tigers.'"
“Huh?"
“Combining these two sayings, it means... young people are not afraid of women in their thirties or forties, even if they know there are challenges ahead...”
Bai Wei sighed, "I didn't expect you to reach this stage and this age."
“No, no, no, I have clearly passed that age. I'm almost forty." Yamada teased, "As for you, Mr. Bai, you have to put in more effort."
“Your concern is a bit unnecessary. In the Ming Country, there's no strict monogamy." Bai Wei shrugged, "Just marry a few wealthy women, and in the future, you can live an easy life without having to lift a finger."
"Young people are tough both in body and speech," Yamada said with a fist gesture. "But please don't just talk the talk, put it into action as well."
"Give me some easily digestible wagashi, I'll take it back to feed my family," Bai Wei said, taking out some money. "I won't freeload this time."
"Uh, how can I accept your money?" Yamada scratched his head and reluctantly took the money. "But I'll accept this money and coincidentally do something for you."
"Did you find it?"
"Yes, Dragon Sakura, there's only one place called Dragon Sakura." Yamada took out a map. "The location is right here, I marked it."
"Thanks." Bai Wei took the map and headed home with the wagashi.
For now, the matter of Dragon Sakura can be put aside. What he's more concerned about is the situation with the alliance.
He'll have to sneak in tonight to take a look because he wants the seeds of the Golden Tree and plant an old crooked-neck tree.
"How come you have time to come here?" In the lounge, Kurosawa Yaka looked at the visitor with curiosity.
"It's for you." Kokonohana Nori put down the wagashi.
"I don't like the sweets from the shrine."
"So these aren't the specialty sweets from the shrine, but from a roadside shop." Kokonohana Nori smiled. "How could I forget your taste?"
Doctor Kurosawa opened the box and confirmed that they were indeed not, the wagashi had a very ordinary appearance, far from exquisite enough.
She picked a petal-shaped pastry, took a bite, and a sweet flavor spread on her tongue.
She narrowed her eyes and said, "It's passable, want to try one too?"
"I ate them before bringing them to you to avoid getting into a tug-of-war over food," Kokonohana Nori said, propping up her chin.
"You're still the same, always thinking of old friends after you've eaten your fill," Kurosawa hummed.
"You need to change that sarcastic tone of yours, otherwise, who else would come to see you apart from me?"
"Being ignored by the people in the shrine, I'm actually more free," Kurosawa scoffed. "Freedom comes at a higher price!"
"Do you think I've been a doctor for so many years and it's boring?"
"No, being a doctor brings a sense of fulfillment from saving lives and helping the injured, something you don't understand at all!"
"Do you really think after all these years, I still hold any grudges? Do you think I care?"
Kokonohana Nori propped up her chin. "But every word of yours seems to shine with a sharp sting."
Kurosawa chuckled coldly. "Of course not? My dear Kokonohana."
Her smile was sweet. "I just feel that constantly preaching about love and justice, urging young girls to fight relentlessly, is more deserving of being a filthy place that deserves to be nuked."
Kokonohana Nori paused for a moment. "...Suddenly, I feel a bit hungry, give me one."
"No way!" Kurosawa guarded the box. "Why do you always like to snatch food from other people's plates?"
"I'm used to it. The other girls at the shrine are happy to share with me."
"That's because they don't know about your nasty temperament. Go away."
"It's precisely because you never let me that I enjoy snatching food from your plate..."
Is this the reason why you picked up a quail egg from my lunch box, dropped it on the table, and then put the same egg back into my plate, choosing another one that hadn't fallen on the table before?
"You remember something from so long ago quite clearly..." Kokonohana Nori's expression was subtle.
"Enough with the nonsense," Kurosawa finished three pieces of wagashi and glanced at Nori. "You didn't bring me here just to chat, so what's the matter?"
"It's almost December," Kokonohana Nori said slowly.
"So what?"
"You know," Kokonohana Nori said with a solemn expression. "I need your help."
Kurosawa's face revealed a subtle expression. "No way, you don't seriously think that I would willingly help you without anything in return, do you?"
"You're a doctor."
"Just a doctor, not a saint," Kurosawa Yaka opened a cup and leisurely took a sip of tea. "It was you who first chose to abandon us, and now you want to turn back. Isn't it a little too late?"
"The shrine doesn't turn back," Kokonohana said. "This is my personal proposal."
"There isn't much bond left between us. Since it's a personal proposal, it's best not to discuss these matters."
"Those kids are innocent. What if something really happens?"
"That's still your responsibility, not ours!" Kurosawa mocked mercilessly. "Don't shift your blame onto us. From the beginning, I said... the shrine will regret, but you didn't believe it. Before blaming me for not saving them, think about who forced them to face the Bloody Red Moon directly. It was all of you!"
She spoke so resolutely and differed greatly from the gentle image of a doctor that people usually associated with her. She could request family consent for using expensive and effective medications for her patients, but she firmly declined Kokonohana Nori's request.
"Alright." Kokonohana Nori wasn't angry, just regretful. "Even if you don't help, please tell us what we should do."
"The December Ash Tide blockade. If you had made contact with the alliance earlier, maybe there would still be a chance to purchase..."
"Is there no other alternative?"
"No one will protect us. This is Yingzhou. Do you really think of yourself as the sovereign ground here?"
"There's no such thing as a sovereign ground. We are who we are," Kokonohana refuted word by word.
"Your pride is high, but that won't help. The moon waits for no one. When the moonlight turns crimson, you should remember that feeling," Kurosawa Yaka said slowly. "The solution is right there, but you abandoned it, betrayed the past, abandoned responsibility, and also abandoned faith. So all you see is the red moon... On the other side of freedom, 'betrayal' is engraved. You choose, you endure. Now, you only want the benefits, not the consequences. Isn't that too childish?"
There was a long silence from Kokonohana Nori, and then she asked again, "What's the price?"
What you need is faith, and no one will demand any price.
"No, this is the price." Kokonohana Nori said firmly, "I don't believe that there is only one cure in this world, and one must submit and humble themselves to gain liberation!"
