Lin Luo understood then that the obscure ghost array, Miyuu Chikurin (Lost Bamboo Forest), only affected him.

In truth, this was something easily deduced. The Eternal Shrine was currently hosting the Lunar Metropolis Exposition. Judging by the unprecedented splendor of previous events, coupled with the fact that Gensokyo seemed deserted today—even the utterly shameless Reimu, the shut-in Reimu, and the notoriously difficult-to-contain rogue sister weren't staying home—one could gauge just how immense the turnout for this event was.

Such a massive crowd couldn't possibly arrive simultaneously, nor could Eirin Yagokoro personally greet them all. Therefore, setting up such an array in the Lost Bamboo Forest meant that over ninety percent of visitors would likely be blocked, perhaps even instantly ground to dust... However, such an outcome was clearly impossible. This led to the conclusion that the super-deadly array, capable of crushing early Earth Realm experts, would not affect the residents of Gensokyo.

Tengu had already provided a perfect demonstration of this point.

"So, this array only works on me? Damn it!" Lin Luo ground his teeth slightly, finding it utterly discriminatory—was this planar discrimination? Or perhaps gender discrimination?

He was the only outsider in all of Gensokyo. He suspected Eirin Yagokoro had devised this spectral array specifically to prevent him from getting close to Kaguya. Otherwise, why deploy it now, after they had lived peacefully in Gensokyo for over a thousand years? Why deploy it only at this specific time?

Sima Zhao's ambitions were known to all!

"So it was you. I thought someone had been stopped by my array, attempting to break through twice." Just as Lin Luo was cursing Eirin Yagokoro internally, vowing to curse her a hundred times over, a familiar voice drifted from the bamboo thicket opposite him. Looking up, it was Eirin Yagokoro herself.

Lin Luo hadn't expected Eirin Yagokoro to appear at this moment. Looking at her, his eyes held a definite flicker of annoyance. "This array, it wasn't set up to stop me, was it?"

"I don't have that much free time to expend effort arranging this Shanhai Scroll just for one person," Eirin Yagokoro replied casually, unconcerned.

Hearing their exchange, Tengu blinked her eyes and couldn't help but ask Eirin Yagokoro, "Is there truly something very dangerous in this bamboo forest? Why can't I sense anything at all?"

"Ah, you little Celestial has come too, though a bit late," Eirin Yagokoro said. While her expression was stone-faced toward Lin Luo, she showed a kind and amiable smile when addressing Tengu—a world of difference. This only served to deepen Lin Luo's frustration... He hated preferential treatment!

Celestials are ageless and immortal. While no one knew exactly how long Tengu had been a Celestial, it couldn't be much more than a thousand years, possibly less. This span of time, compared to Eirin Yagokoro, was likely equivalent to the length of one of her little fingers. Thus, calling Tengu a 'little Celestial' was not an overstatement. In fact, among the Celestials currently residing in Heaven, few could claim to have survived longer than Eirin Yagokoro, as rumor held that she belonged to one of the earliest batches of prehistoric humans, making her well over a hundred million years old—though whether this was true remained unknown.

"There is indeed a very dangerous array here, but it is inconsequential to you. Go ahead to the Eternal Shrine; the event already started," Eirin Yagokoro instructed Tengu again.

Tengu nodded and immediately ran toward the Eternal Shrine. During the last incident she caused, she had intended to use the Hakurei Shrine's keystone as an opportunity to stay there, but she was forcefully ejected by Yukari Yakumo. There seemed to be an unspoken relationship between them. Thus, facing Eirin Yagokoro, who was on the same level as Yukari Yakumo, Tengu dared not be as presumptuous as she was with Lin Luo.

After Tengu departed, Eirin Yagokoro gave Lin Luo a meaningful look, then turned and walked into the bamboo forest. Lin Luo understood her intent and immediately followed.

"Anything you want to say?" Lin Luo asked as he walked alongside Eirin Yagokoro. If she had only come to guide him into the Eternal Shrine, there would have been no need to dismiss Tengu. Lin Luo realized she must have something to discuss.

"It's only been a few days since I last saw you, yet you seem to have changed quite a bit," Eirin Yagokoro sidestepped his question and began discussing Lin Luo instead.

"Well, I've grown a little," Lin Luo replied noncommittally.

"Indeed. At least you don't look quite so childish anymore," Eirin Yagokoro nodded, her tone placid, though her words made Lin Luo’s mouth twitch.

"...I think now isn't the time to discuss me, is it?"

"You mean this array?" Eirin Yagokoro countered, then, without waiting for his reply, she stated, "This is the Shanhai Scroll, an array I developed while researching on the Moon. The mysteries within would likely be beyond your comprehension, so I won't explain it."

"..." Lin Luo was truly speechless. He hadn't realized his mentor could be this subtly malicious. "Then what was the purpose of setting up this Shanhai Scroll, if not for me?"

"Arrays are naturally for trapping people. Does that need explaining?" The malicious mentor posed a rhetorical question while subtly mocking his ignorance. Lin Luo somewhat understood; Kaguya's own streak of cunning was likely influenced by her, and he could only hope Reisen wouldn't pick up bad habits.

"You look quite perplexed. Since you still can't gather the implication, let me spell it out for you plainly." Eirin Yagokoro's expression sobered; she ceased needling Lin Luo and spoke gravely, "Recently, several outsiders have appeared in Gensokyo. Their strength is comparable to yours from half a month ago. Do you understand now?"

"Who are they?" Lin Luo asked. The hostility hidden in Eirin Yagokoro's words made the purpose of the Shanhai Scroll obvious. And being equal to him from half a month ago—that meant... early Earth Realm!

"The Four Sacred Beasts."

"..." Lin Luo's expression instantly changed. Although Eirin Yagokoro only spoke three words, he immediately thought of many things. The Four Sacred Beasts did not reside in Gensokyo. If Eirin Yagokoro called them outsiders, it meant they had appeared recently. Furthermore, the Four Sacred Beasts wouldn't show up without reason, and if the threat was merely early Earth Realm, Eirin Yagokoro wouldn't bother setting up such a massive array... At this thought, a certain name flashed through his mind—Dark King!

Though this conjecture lacked any concrete evidence, Lin Luo intuitively felt he was close to the truth. Dark King's Heart Scripture and Liu Ziwen's Heart Scripture were identical: the Book of Beast Taming. Of course, Liu Ziwen's must be a counterfeit; it couldn't even reach the peak Human Realm after leveling to LV2. A genuine Heart Scripture wouldn't be so pathetic.

If a counterfeit Book of Beast Taming could summon so many strange beasts, then it wasn't surprising that the genuine article could summon the Four Sacred Beasts. The Four Sacred Beasts, all at the early Earth Realm, represented a truly formidable power.

Whether Dark King had arrived in Gensokyo or not, analyzing the capabilities of the Heart Scripture... Dark King was a Summoner. Generally, Summoners relied on their summoned creatures for combat, while they themselves were pitifully weak. Therefore, focusing all effort on the Summoner was the key, and there was nothing to fear.

Yes, normally that was the case, but!

Lin Luo would not apply this "normalcy" to Dark King. Firstly, when he entered the Nightmare-level World, he had no summoned beasts and was in extremely poor condition. His most crucial assurance for survival, therefore, wasn't his summons, but himself.

Secondly, the dignified King of Three—if he could only rely on summoned creatures, he would never qualify for such a position!

Lin Luo pondered deeply. If the Four Sacred Beasts were indeed summoned by Dark King, then the man himself must be at least early Earth Realm, possibly even mid-Earth Realm... Lin Luo wouldn't believe for a second that Dark King was weaker than his own summons!

"Have you figured something out?" Seeing Lin Luo remain silent for a long time, Eirin Yagokoro suddenly asked.

"Yes," Lin Luo nodded gravely. "If things are as I suspect, it might cause some minor trouble, but overall, there shouldn't be much cause for worry."

His face showed no trace of anxiety or unease. Yes, he could estimate Dark King's terror and might, but... as long as Dark King hadn't reached the Heaven Realm, no matter how strong he was, he wouldn't be able to sow chaos in Gensokyo. Putting aside the fact that his current strength might not be inferior to Dark King's, there were figures like Eirin Yagokoro and other B-rank entities whom Dark King couldn't simply handle.

Of course, not fearing him didn't mean one could relax; necessary vigilance was still required.

"What you said is largely consistent with what I told the Princess," Eirin Yagokoro remarked casually, then continued walking forward without looking back.

Eirin Yagokoro must already know about the Divine War, as Kaguya was aware of it, and there could be no secrets between them. In truth, the guilt she carried from failing to protect Kaguya a thousand years ago still persisted. Over the flow of time, this guilt had gradually transformed into an unshakeable sense of responsibility and deep affection. Therefore, Eirin Yagokoro would guard Kaguya's side at all times, and Kaguya's reciprocal loyalty was met with absolute trust.

In a sense, the two were inseparable.

Thinking of this, Lin Luo’s heart suddenly grew complicated. Under these circumstances, if he were to contract Kaguya, wouldn't that mean Eirin Yagokoro had signed up as well? Not just Eirin Yagokoro, but also Reisen, since she was equally inseparable from them... So, strictly speaking, contracting Kaguya meant contracting the entire Eternal Shrine.

"I truly don't know whether to laugh or cry about this," Lin Luo shook his head helplessly and followed Eirin Yagokoro toward the Eternal Shrine.

Along the way, Lin Luo paid close attention to Eirin Yagokoro’s steps and sequence of movements, as the Shanhai Scroll was still active, and she was taking the only safe path through it... Although Eirin Yagokoro said nothing, Lin Luo grasped her meaning.

Moments later, the two finally arrived at the Eternal Shrine. Lin Luo had successfully memorized the pattern for bypassing the array.

Eirin Yagokoro was a co-host of the event and had duties to attend to, so she departed ahead of him. This suited Lin Luo well, as it meant less constraint and the freedom to explore at his leisure.

The Eternal Shrine now looked completely different from when Lin Luo first visited. The corners of the rooms and the railings were connected to nearby bamboo stalks, hung with lanterns and adorned with colorful streamers and silks that swayed gently in the breeze. The Three Fairies of Light were playing music and dancing in the air.

Various utensils were placed around the house, but they were not products from the Moon Metropolis; they were ordinary Gensokyo props, as this area was not the exhibition hall itself. Most were firecrackers, occasionally bursting with cheerful explosions, making the atmosphere resemble a holiday celebration.

Many fairies also flew around in the air, seemingly responding to the music played by the Three Fairies of Light. Some of these fairies Lin Luo recognized, such as the fairy maids from the Scarlet Devil Mansion, and a few who often followed Cirno near Misty Lake. Even the Three Mischievous Fairies of Spring were present. Of course, he didn't recognize most of the others.

The Lunar Metropolis Exposition was completely open; anyone capable of passing through the Lost Bamboo Forest could participate. Therefore, despite seeing Lin Luo arrive, the fairies and spirits showed no surprise, frolicking like children.

Then, stepping through the main gate of the Eternal Shrine, the already large house seemed even bigger—perhaps because several central screens had been removed. Aside from Kaguya and the others' private quarters, the entire space was divided into three sections: the Classical Hall, the Military Hall, and the Academic Hall.

In front of each exhibition hall was a sign providing a detailed introduction. Visitors could choose which area to tour based on their interests... Overall, the Classical Hall displayed Moon Metropolis culture, the Military Hall showcased their military strength, and the Academic Hall exhibited the Moon Metropolis's marvelous technology, including medical history and even stereoscopic projection—truly comprehensive.

Lin Luo glanced around casually, then headed toward the Military Hall. He was somewhat intrigued by the mysterious lunar weaponry, as most of them were a blend of mystery and technology, some even causing Yukari Yakumo to tread cautiously.

"Ah! You finally made it, you scoundrel!" After passing through the corridor, Lin Luo had just entered the Military Hall room when he suddenly heard a familiar voice, tinged with a hint of excitement, but seemingly more rooted in anger?

Lin Luo instinctively looked toward the source of the sound and saw a small girl in a white Gothic Lolita dress hurtling toward him at high speed. The next moment, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. Looking down, he saw the girl half-hanging onto him, her two sharp fangs deeply embedded in his flesh, greedily drawing blood...

...My Lady, what about your dignity and composure?

Lin Luo couldn't help but feel speechless.

l;!--END--g;RH