Chapter 389: Wards
Got it! Here's the revised version without any bold text:
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The situation in Higi Village wasn't particularly complicated. Even though the Watatsumi Resistance's main base was nearby, the conflict between the resistance and the Shogunate Army hadn't yet reached the village. Additionally, the presence of Musoujin Gorge ensured that the Tatarigami energy from Higi Village couldn't spread beyond it.
With the barrier Li Mo had set up, Higi Village had become a sanctuary. The Tatarigami energy couldn't affect the village at all. Li Mo had created a nearly perpetual barrier by combining his own energy with the power of Musoujin Gorge. He also crafted a batch of protective talismans to shield those who needed to travel outside the village.
Having experience from Academy City, Li Mo handled this kind of task with ease.
More importantly, Li Mo left behind one of his shrine maiden shikigami. These three shikigami were originally created by Kamuna Harunosuke to protect the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual. After multiple modifications by Li Mo, their strength was considerable, capable of holding their own against Vision holders.
The reason for leaving the shikigami was to prevent the war from engulfing Higi Village—he hadn't forgotten that in the game, Higi Village had become an abandoned ruin, a place he often visited to farm materials.
He couldn't recall the exact reasons for Higi Village's destruction in the game. The main storyline didn't mention much about the village, and other quests only briefly touched on it.
"It could have been destroyed by the war, or it might have been the Tatarigami energy."
As a priest of Narukami Shrine, Li Mo knew well that ordinary people had no resistance to Tatarigami energy. Those corrupted by it would either go mad or die—there was no other outcome.
The destruction of the Serpent's Ward was something Li Mo was deeply concerned about. At the moment, he didn't know who had destroyed it, but it was likely one of several factions: the Shogunate Army, the Watatsumi Resistance, the Fatui, or perhaps even bandits or rogue samurai.
However, the likelihood of it being the latter groups was extremely low. They wouldn't even know about the existence or purpose of the Serpent's Ward. The Fatui, on the other hand, were a more plausible suspect.
"The situation on Yashiori Island needs to be dealt with quickly, or the concentration of Tatarigami energy will only increase."
The thought of Yashiori Island becoming uninhabitable gave Li Mo a headache. If the villagers of Higi Village were forced to leave, it would be up to the Tri-Commission to decide where they would resettle. However, the responsibility for managing the Tatarigami energy would fall to Narukami Shrine.
Based on his understanding of Yae Miko, the head priestess of Narukami Shrine…
"This will probably end up being my responsibility. No, I have to drag her into this."
Yae Miko was nothing like the diligent Lady Saiguu. That fox would slack off whenever possible, avoiding any extra work. She'd rather spend her time managing Yae Publishing House than deal with shrine duties.
"When will that blonde traveler show up?"
That traveler was practically an unstoppable errand-runner. As long as there were Primogems involved, they'd do anything. Li Mo didn't have Primogems, but he did have Mora to spare.
Moving swiftly across Yashiori Island, Li Mo's speed was greatly enhanced by his spells.
He was also carefully assessing which spells could be used in this world. Many spells based on religion or mythology were unusable. For example, "Light's Execution", an angelic spell derived from the crucifixion of Christ in Christian mythology, couldn't be used here.
The problem was, this world didn't even have Christianity!
Without the foundational myths, how could Li Mo use such spells?
Li Mo was certain that the power of God spanned multiple universes, but Teyvat simply didn't have the necessary framework.
The speed-enhancing spell Li Mo was using didn't rely on such mythological references. It was a wind-based spell.
After organizing his available abilities, Li Mo confirmed that "Authority of the Beast" was still usable. Additionally, the two spells Aleister Crowley had slipped him before he left could also be used.
The issue of personal mystery still needed to be addressed.
Li Mo had several backup plans in mind and was constantly refining them as he moved. Along the way, he encountered Slimes and Hilichurls, but he ignored them. These monsters were like weeds—weak but numerous. Clearing them out was a never-ending task.
If only Hilichurls could be managed, they'd make excellent laborers…
Pushing aside such dark thoughts, Li Mo headed toward Tatarasuna.
Tatarasuna was a military zone, home to the Mikage Furnace, a device introduced from Fontaine by the Tenryou Commission to forge "Tamahagane", a key material in alchemy. However, Yae Miko had also taken an interest in the construction of the Mikage Furnace.
—The Mikage Furnace was powered by Tatarigami energy.
From his time in Higi Village, Li Mo knew that Tatarasuna had experienced an explosion a few days ago, turning the sky an unnatural color.
Li Mo concluded that the Mikage Furnace had exploded. After all, explosions in smelting furnaces weren't uncommon, right?
As he approached Tatarasuna, the concentration of Tatarigami energy confirmed his suspicions.
The Mikage Furnace had indeed exploded.
The presence of "Tatarigami" was overwhelming.
Upon reaching Tatarasuna, Li Mo could see the Mikage Furnace from atop a high vantage point. The area was devoid of people, with only human-made structures visible.
The Tatarigami energy was so dense that even Li Mo's absorption rate couldn't keep up.
"How long will it take to clean up this level of pollution?"
After a brief inspection of Tatarasuna, it was clear that ordinary people couldn't operate here. Even Vision holders would struggle to stay for long. Only a freak like Li Mo could thrive here, treating the Tatarigami energy as a snack rather than a threat.
With no one in Tatarasuna, Li Mo moved on to Fort Fujitou, a Shogunate military base. Given the ongoing war between the Shogunate and the resistance, the fort was sure to be heavily guarded and populated.
The situation in Tatarasuna would undoubtedly draw the attention of Narukami Shrine.
"I wonder which shrine maiden Yae Miko will assign to handle this?"
Though it's likely she'll dump it on me.
Li Mo already had a plan for Tatarasuna. It was less complicated than Yashiori Island, as the entire island wasn't a source of pollution like the serpent's corpse. Tatarasuna only had the Mikage Furnace to deal with.
Soon, Li Mo discovered which unfortunate shrine maiden had been tasked with handling Tatarasuna.
Fort Fujitou was heavily guarded, as it was a key military base for the Shogunate during the war. Security was tight.
Li Mo didn't want to deal with the Tenryou Commission officials, and he wasn't sure if anyone from Narukami Shrine was stationed here. So, he infiltrated the base to search. The sentries were no match for him.
Then, in a corner, he found his target.
"Ayaka, so it's you who's here."
Li Mo appeared behind the familiar shrine maiden and spoke.
"Ah, Li Mo! You're back? That's great! Did you come from Narukami Shrine to help?"
The shrine maiden, Ayaka, was first surprised, then overjoyed to see him.