MM Racing Chapter 76 My Uchiha clan excels at winning people over with virtue
Chapter 76 My Uchiha clan excels at winning people over with virtue
Uchiha Ryo: "So, what do we do next?"
Nyanko-sensei jumped onto Natsume's shoulder and gave Uchiha Ryo a somewhat disgruntled look.
"It's all because of you that that monster disappeared. Otherwise, we could have asked around."
Natsume lifted Nyanko-sensei off his shoulder. "Anyway, let's go check inside the mountain god's shrine first, since that's where Aki and the others disappeared."
Upon entering the somewhat dilapidated mountain god temple, one sees a light blue paving stone laid out in the center of the temple, upon which are placed many snacks and bento boxes.
Natsume: "Aki-san, Kato-san, and Sawamura-san disappeared here. I've searched the area, but I couldn't even find their footsteps... It's like they vanished into thin air."
Teacher Cat narrowed her eyes. "Hmm, since it's a temple dedicated to the mountain god, let's see who this mountain god is."
Uchiha Ryo suddenly became interested. "Does this world... have gods?"
The cat teacher nodded. "Of course, but there are two kinds of gods. One kind has lived for so long that other monsters revere them as gods because of their formidable strength."
"The other, and most common, type is the deity who becomes a god through human faith. These gods vary in strength. The more people who believe in them, the stronger they become, but once the faith is lost, the god himself ceases to exist."
As the cat teacher spoke, his gaze was already fixed on the three white porcelain masks on the floor of the ancestral hall.
"Huh? How did it get on the ground? Did they drop it?"
Natsume stepped forward. Two of the three white porcelain masks were covered in dust, while the third was broken.
Nyanko-sensei: "I see, it's a four-sided mound. With a mountain god like this who helps humans around, your friend is probably fine."
However, Nyanko-sensei glanced at the broken mask again and said, "Your two friends are probably alright."
Uchiha Ryo stepped forward and curiously picked up a mask. It looked somewhat worn and had been around for at least fifty years.
"What do these masks mean?"
"That's what the cat teacher explained."
[The Four-Faced Tomb: A deity created by humans who prayed to heaven after encountering disasters in the mountains. The Four-Faced Tomb usually wanders the mountains and forests, helping children who have lost their way. Its four masks serve as protective amulets.]
If an ordinary person enters the mountain god's temple and a mask falls to the ground, it means that they are being protected by the Four-Sided Tomb today.
Nyanko-sensei: "In other words, as long as the mask doesn't break, the person being protected won't be in any danger."
Natsume stood up with some concern. "How are we going to find Yomotsuka? They must be in danger now."
The two people and the cat walked out of the mountain god temple, but Natsume also felt his feet sink and fell forward.
Uchiha Ryo quickly caught Natsume, who was about to fall, but to their horror, the entire area around the mountain god temple was flooded by the lake.
Uchiha Ryo: "High tide? Are you kidding me? This isn't the beach! It's that woman's doing again!"
"You all stay in the temple, I'll go out and take a look!"
Uchiha Rin stepped directly onto the water's surface and, with a few leaps, reached the lake.
"Hey! Whatever kind of monster you are, release those two girls right now! Otherwise..."
The calm lake surface was completely silent, but Uchiha Ryo could sense that the other party was nearby.
"Down there!"
Uchiha Ryo lowered his head, but the female demon's hands had already firmly grasped his ankles, and with a forceful pull, she dragged Uchiha Ryo down.
"Humans can't breathe underwater, you lost!"
The banshee was pulling Uchiha Rin's body underwater, but... why was this human's body so stiff?
The banshee turned her head and saw that Uchiha Rin, whom she had just captured, had turned into wood.
On the surface of the lake, Uchiha Ryo clapped his hands together.
"As expected, the demons can't distinguish between the wood clone and the original body. So, next... Wood Release: Silent Binding Technique!"
The underwater wood itself transformed into long branches that bound the monster.
"Wood Release: Wood Splinter Technique! Next up... Wood Dragon Technique!"
This is the first time the Uchiha clan has used Wood Release in battle since acquiring the First Hokage's technique. It has to be said... the chakra consumption is enormous; it seems they need to acquire more.
A giant wooden dragon burst from the forest into the water, then leaped into the sky with the banshee in its jaws before crashing onto the lakeshore.
At this time, the female demon was already on the verge of death from being overpowered by Uchiha Ling. As the rising lake water gradually receded, Natsume and Nyanko-sensei also ran out of the mountain god temple.
Cat Teacher: "That was really ruthless... He's just a water ghost with less than fifty years of cultivation."
Uchiha Ryo let the wooden dragon disintegrate on its own. "I just wanted to pull her up as quickly as possible and subdue her while I was at it. If I wanted to kill her, it would be much easier."
Reaching the water demon, Uchiha Ryo stomped on its abdomen, where the stab had been planted. "Hurry up, release it if you want to live."
Natsume tugged at Uchiha Ryo, "Ryo-nii, even if she's a demon, I don't think she would kidnap Aki and the others for no reason. Let's ask her tactfully."
Uchiha Ling nodded. "I understand. The Uchiha clan excels at winning people over with virtue."
The female water ghost looked at Uchiha Ryo tremblingly. "I...I won't let anyone who disrespects the Mountain God get away with this."
Uchiha Rin's face remained cold as he bent down and delivered a powerful blow to the water ghost.
"Hurry up, tell us and we'll leave. If you don't... then I'll keep planting cuttings! I'll swear I'm not a Uchiha if I don't leave a mark on you!"
The female water ghost stared into those blood-red eyes. Although she didn't understand what "cuttings" meant, the branches still stuck in her body were probably the best explanation.
"They...they're all in the cave across the lake! Everyone except the man is fine!"
Uchiha Rin put away the tree branch, and the female water ghost slowly sat up and led the group to the cave.
Natsume: "So, why did you target Aki-kun?"
The female water ghost's face showed anger, she snorted coldly and didn't want to speak, but after being glared at by Uchiha Ryo, she spoke from the bottom of her heart.
"Five years ago, that little brat came to play near the mountain god's temple alone. He got lost, and the mountain god secretly helped him. And then..."
Five years ago, Aki Tomoya found a white porcelain mask lying on the ground. Although he didn't know what it was, he thought it looked interesting, so he took it home.
As a result... Aki Tomoya, who grew up, never intended to bring the mask back. Instead, he discarded the white porcelain mask from the Four-Faced Tomb during a move.
The mask is the source of Lord Yomozuka's faith. That brat destroyed the mask that Lord Yomozuka had painstakingly crafted, and he still dared to come here! I will make him pay the price.
Upon entering the cave, Uchiha Ryo finally saw Kato Megumi and Eriri, who were fast asleep, nestled against a large rock, and... Aki Tomoya, who was being suspended by seaweed.
Uchiha Ryo: "They're all alright? Didn't you say you'd already made a move against this guy?"
The water ghost was stunned. She was also surprised to find that all the scars she had left on Aki Tomoya by whipping him with water plants had disappeared.
Natsume shook his head. "It seems that you're the only one who's angry about this. The Mountain God didn't blame Aki-kun at all."
"Impossible! He lost a mask that the Mountain God spent decades crafting."
Natsume: "Let's go to the shrine and see. All three of them are under the protection of the mountain god. The mask protecting Aki is broken, probably because of the damage you caused."
Uchiha Ryo chuckled. "You thought you were avenging the mountain god, but you've only caused him to lose another mask~"