LRAB Chapter 17 Ju-on 3
Chapter 17 Ju-on 3
The shrine's silhouette in the night resembled a lurking beast; the dilapidated torii gate leaned precariously, stone lanterns lay overturned on the ground, and the approach path was overgrown with weeds, exuding a heavy, deathly stillness. Even more intense was the chilling resentment that seemed to materialize, like an invisible swamp, enveloping every inch of the shrine's grounds.
Wang Lin and Zero stopped in the shadows a hundred meters away from the shrine. Zero set up his sniper rifle, and through the scope equipped with a psionic sensor, the seven "heat sources" inside the main hall of the shrine remained motionless, their outlines appearing distorted and elusive in the gray resentment, as if they might melt at any moment.
"No patrols, no guards, completely still," Zero reported in a low voice. "Like... seven decorations, or traps."
Wang Lin focused his senses, and his rudimentary rule perception allowed him to "see" more. Around the seven "heat sources," the black threads of resentment were particularly dense; they were even connected to the entire shrine's resentment field, as if they were seven nodes in the entire curse network. A direct, forceful attack could instantly ignite the resentment within the entire shrine, and might even alert Kayako's main body in the direction of the haunted house.
"We can't force our way in," Wang Lin said to Chu Xuan and Zheng Zha via their mental link. "They're part of the shrine's resentment aura; attacking them is like attacking the entire shrine's curse. We need a more subtle approach... or, a decoy, to draw their attention, or a portion of their power, away."
Chu Xuan's voice came immediately, still calm: "Agreed. The first wave of attacks has been temporarily halted by the formation, but the formation's energy is being depleted quickly. Kayako's main resentment is gathering, and the second wave of attacks could arrive at any moment, its intensity unknown. We must finish this quickly. Recommendation: Zhan Lan should conduct targeted mental interference, attempting to stimulate one or two 'heat sources' to pull them out of the shrine's resentment field. Zero should snipe any who manage to escape from this area. Wang Lin, your exorcising bullets and possible mental attack methods will be used as supplements. If we successfully lure out a portion, Zheng Zha and Zhang Jie should prepare for a close-quarters assault to quickly eliminate them. If we alert everyone, we should immediately retreat and activate the backup plan—utilizing any 'purifying substances' or 'special terrain' that may exist within the shrine."
"A purifying substance?" Wang Lin's heart skipped a beat, recalling a key item from the original story—the Buddhist scripture stolen by that idiot newbie, ultimately leading to heavy casualties! "Chu Xuan, you mean, there might be something in the shrine that can subdue vengeful spirits?"
"Based on the common setting of religious sites combating vengeful spirits, and the items such as amulets, charms, and statues often found in Japanese shrines, there's a greater than 70% probability that a countermeasure exists," Chu Xuan analyzed. "If we can find it, it will not only be able to deal with the 'West Sea Team,' but also help resist subsequent cursed attacks. However, it will take time to search, and it may be located in the core area where the resentment is strongest."
"I'll go find them." Wang Lin made a decisive decision. "Zero point, cover. Zhan Lan, prepare mental interference. Zheng Zha, Zhang Jie, you two wait for your opportunity. Chu Xuan, try to delay the second wave of attacks."
"Okay. Zhan Lan, in ten seconds, apply a weak mental stimulus to the second heat source in the upper left corner to simulate the 'yang energy' fluctuations when a living person approaches. Zero point, lock on. Wang Lin, sneak in from the broken wall behind the shrine. Be careful; your danger perception is the only warning." Chu Xuan quickly gave the instructions.
Ten-second countdown.
Wang Lin took a deep breath, channeling his mental energy into his "Danger Perception" and "Basic Rule Perception," while simultaneously activating his "Basic Protective Talisman." A barely perceptible pale golden aura enveloped his entire body, dispelling some of the chill. Like a shadow, he shone along the shadows of the buildings, making his way towards a collapsed low wall behind the shrine.
Zhan Lan closed her eyes, the silver lines on her forehead glowing slightly. An extremely subtle mental fluctuation, yet carrying the "warmth" of a living person, pierced the second stationary "heat source" in the upper left corner of the shrine's main hall like a precise scalpel.
The "heat source" trembled. Then, in Zero Point and Wang Lin's perception, the "heat source" seemed to be awakened, its outline suddenly becoming clearer. It broke free from its state of complete integration with the entire field of resentment and "looked" towards the source of the mental fluctuations. It began to move, but not rushing outwards, but circling within the main hall, seemingly searching for something.
"One of them has woken up and is moving around inside the hall; it hasn't left," Zero reported.
"Increase the stimulation to simulate an intention to 'escape' or 'provoke'," Chu Xuan instructed.
Zhan Lan gritted her teeth and increased her mental energy output. The mental fluctuation became more pronounced, carrying a hint of "panic" and "probing," and quickly moved around the edge of the main hall.
This time, the stimulated "heat source" reacted even more strongly! It suddenly turned and "walked" towards the temple gate! At the same time, it seemed to "call" another heat source next to it, and two twisted figures floated out of the main hall one after the other and stood in the empty front courtyard of the shrine.
The pale moonlight (which had somehow peeked through the clouds) shone upon them. No longer were the dignified monk Shikong and his companions, but two indistinct, distorted figures emanating a thick, black aura. They wore tattered monk's robes and lay clothes, but their skin was bluish-black, their eyes were pure white, and their mouths stretched to their ears, revealing an inhuman, grotesque grin. One of them, one could vaguely make out, was the "mute."
"Now!" Chu Xuan shouted.
At midnight, the trigger was pulled! The specially made exorcising bullet (inlaid with a trace of holy silver) left the barrel, drawing a faint light in the air, and accurately entered the forehead of the "mute"!
"Swoosh—!" Like a red-hot iron block falling into ice water, a cloud of black gas exploded from the "mute's" forehead, emitting a silent, sharp screech. His entire figure shook violently and became much thinner, but it did not dissipate. Instead, it aroused even more ferocious resentment and suddenly turned its head in the direction from which the bullet came!
Another vengeful spirit that was drawn out (judging from its figure, it was the muscular man) also roared and pounced in the general direction of midnight!
"Attack!" Zheng Zha roared, a flash of crimson light emanating from his body as he leaped from his hiding place like a cheetah, pouncing straight at the wounded "mute." His fist, enveloped in crimson energy, slammed fiercely into the vengeful spirit!
Zhang Jie's figure was like a ghost, striking first even though he was behind. The gun in his hand had somehow been replaced by a short blade that exuded a faint fishy smell, which he slashed towards the neck of the muscular vengeful spirit.
Wang Lin had already scaled the low wall and entered the shrine's backyard. This area was even more dilapidated and desolate than the front courtyard, with a dry well, a collapsed offering box, and overgrown stone steps. His sense of danger pounded wildly, signaling an omnipresent malice. He could feel the battle and energy fluctuations erupting from the direction of the main hall, which had stirred the entire shrine's resentment aura, as if something deep within the backyard had been awakened.
There was no time for a detailed investigation! His awareness of rules was fully activated, scanning the surroundings like a radar. He was looking for an object that was completely different from this dense resentment, one that carried an aura of "purity," "suppression," and "purification"!
Ignore those stones, withered trees, and broken statues that exude an eerie aura... I've got it!
Deep within the shrine, in the corner of a half-collapsed side hall, Wang Lin's "rule perception" detected an extremely faint, yet resilient and pure golden light! That light flickered like a candle in the wind amidst the black tide of resentment, teetering on the verge of collapse, yet never extinguished.
That's it!
Without hesitation, Wang Lin rushed towards the side hall. The weeds beneath his feet seemed to come alive, wrapping around his ankles, their icy touch creeping up his skin. Countless faint sobs and whispers reached his ears, trying to disturb his mind. The light of his talisman flickered continuously, resisting these invisible forces of corruption.
Rushing into the side hall, it was even darker, covered in cobwebs, and the shrine was long since decayed and collapsed. But beneath the collapsed shrine, an inconspicuous, dusty sandalwood box was emitting a faint golden light.
Wang Lin rushed over, brushed away the dust, and opened the box. Inside lay a thin, yellowed, thread-bound ancient book, its cover inscribed with the Heart Sutra in simple, archaic Chinese characters. The sutra itself radiated no light, but a pure golden glow emanated from between the lines, creating a stark contrast with the surrounding surging resentment.
That's it! The key Buddhist scripture from the original work!
Wang Lin was overjoyed and reached out to take it.
Just as his fingers were about to touch the scriptures, something unexpected happened!
Suddenly, a pale, swollen hand with black fingernails reached out from the shadows of the side hall and grabbed Wang Lin's wrist with lightning speed! At the same time, the figure of a woman with wet, disheveled hair and wearing a white nightgown slowly "emerged" from the shadows. Her face, mostly covered by long hair and revealing only her scarlet lips, was almost touching Wang Lin's face!
Kayako! Or rather, an avatar of Kayako! She's lurking here, guarding (or perhaps drawn to) this Buddhist scripture?
Wang Lin's hair stood on end, his sense of danger reaching its peak! He tried to pull his hand back, but the ghostly hand was too fast! The golden light of the talisman made contact with the ghostly hand, producing a sizzling sound, and the ghostly hand emitted blue smoke, but its momentum did not diminish!
At the critical moment, Wang Lin had a sudden inspiration. Instead of dodging the ghostly hand, he used his other hand to slam the sandalwood box shut with a "bang"!
The golden light suddenly vanished.
Almost simultaneously, the ghostly hand grabbed Wang Lin's wrist. A bone-chilling cold, filled with endless resentment and despair, instantly spread up his arm! Wang Lin felt his blood freezing, his consciousness blurring, and he seemed to hear countless screams in his ears.
Just then, the sandalwood box he had closed seemed to be stimulated by the external evil force, and it suddenly trembled! The light shining through the gap in the lid was no longer a faint golden light, but a soft yet firm milky white halo that rippled out like water and instantly enveloped Wang Lin's entire body.
"Ah—!" A piercing scream came from Kayako's clone. Her ghostly hand, which had been gripping Wang Lin's wrist, recoiled violently as if burned by a hot iron. Her entire figure twisted violently like a bubble, retreating backward and disappearing back into the shadows.
The halo lasted for several seconds before slowly dissipating. Wang Lin slumped to the ground, panting heavily. Five bluish-black finger marks remained on his wrist, throbbing slightly. However, the chilling resentment that had invaded his body had been largely dispelled by the halo spontaneously emitted by the Buddhist scripture.
He dared not delay and immediately hugged the sandalwood box tightly to his chest. Strangely enough, when he held the box, the omnipresent chill and whispers around him seemed to lessen considerably, and even the stinging sensation of danger he sensed decreased several levels.
"Wang Lin! How are things on your end?" Chu Xuan's urgent voice rang out in the mental connection, with the sounds of fierce fighting and the howls of vengeful spirits in the background.
"Got it! I encountered a clone of Kayako, but it was repelled by the Buddhist scriptures! I'm coming out right away!" Wang Lin, holding the box, got up and rushed out.
As soon as I rushed out of the side hall, I saw that the battle in the front courtyard was nearing its end.
Zheng Zha was covered in blood (both his own and from black aura), panting heavily. At his feet lay a nearly destroyed, almost completely annihilated, "mute" vengeful spirit, now only faint black energy remaining. Zhang Jie stood on the other side, black liquid dripping from the short blade in his hand. The muscular male vengeful spirit was gone, seemingly completely "dealt with." Zero was on a rooftop not far away, his gun still emitting wisps of smoke.
However, from the direction of the main hall, the remaining five "heat sources" had all awakened, transforming into five twisted black shadows, carrying overwhelming resentment, and slowly drifting out! Their auras were much stronger than the previous two, especially the leader, "Monk Shikong," whose body had swelled to nearly twice its size. The compassionate look on his face had long since disappeared, leaving only ferocity and resentment. Black energy churned around him, and faint sounds of ghosts wailing and wolves howling could be heard.
"Desecrating the sacred Buddhist grounds...tampering with sacred objects...you...will all die!" The hoarse, unpleasant words, like countless voices overlapping, came from the mouth of "Shikong".
"Withdraw!" Chu Xuan decisively ordered. "The Buddhist scriptures are in hand, objective achieved! Wang Lin, run towards the stronghold! Zheng Zha, Zhang Jie, Zero, take turns providing cover, disengage!"
Wang Lin, clutching the box of Buddhist scriptures, turned and ran. The faint purifying aura emanating from the scriptures caused resentment to recede wherever he went, and even the weeds beneath his feet seemed to regain a brief resurgence of life.
"Chase!" The vengeful spirit of Shi Kong shrieked, and five black shadows transformed into black smoke, chasing after Wang Lin fiercely! They seemed to have an extreme greed and hatred for Buddhist scriptures.
Zheng Zha, Zhang Jie, and Ling Dian fought and retreated, using enchanted bullets, energy attacks, and that strange short blade to block the vengeful spirit's pursuit, buying time for Wang Lin.
Wang Lin pushed his speed to the limit, the Buddhist scripture box in his arms acting as a warm source, dispelling the chill behind him. He could sense that as he moved further away from the shrine, the five vengeful spirits' pursuit seemed to be somewhat restricted, as if the shrine itself was binding them.
Finally, the reinforced doors and windows of the stronghold came into view. Chu Xuan stood at the door, holding what appeared to be a hastily modified energy transmitter (a crude combination of engineering explosives and energy crystals), aiming it at the pursuers behind Wang Lin.
"Come in!" Chu Xuan shouted.
Wang Lin rushed into the room. Chu Xuan immediately pressed the button!
Buzz—! A chaotic yet powerful energy pulse erupted from the front of the transmitter, sweeping in a fan shape toward the five pursuing vengeful spirits!
The vengeful spirits let out painful howls, which dispersed much of the black aura and slowed their pursuit.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zheng Zha and the other two rushed back. Chu Xuan immediately closed and reinforced the temporary array drawn on the door and windows.
Five vengeful spirits circled and roared outside the house, their black energy constantly impacting the pale golden light shield formed by the array. The light shield fluctuated violently, but remained stable for the time being.
"Did you get it?" Zheng Zha asked eagerly.
Wang Lin placed the sandalwood box he was carrying on the table and opened it. Inside lay the yellowed Heart Sutra, emanating a faint, comforting aura.
"That's it." Wang Lin breathed a sigh of relief. "Just now, one of Kayako's clones tried to snatch it, but it was repelled by the light it spontaneously emitted."
Chu Xuan walked over, carefully examining the Buddhist scripture, then glanced at the vengeful spirits frantically attacking the array outside the window: "It seems this Buddhist scripture has an extremely strong restraining effect on vengeful spirits. The vengeful spirits of the 'West Sea Team' are pursuing it so frantically, which confirms this. Perhaps they are suppressed in the shrine by this Buddhist scripture, or perhaps they want to obtain it to strengthen themselves or fight against Kayako."
"What do we do now?" Zhan Lan's face was pale; maintaining the mental barrier and dealing with the previous interference had taken a heavy toll on her.
"Buddhist scriptures are key," Chu Xuan quickly analyzed. "They can passively dispel resentment, and actively activating them might be even more effective. However, their energy is limited, so we need to use them sparingly. We must rely on them to survive the remaining six waves of attacks and find a way to completely resolve the curse or safely get through the seven days."
He looked at Wang Lin: "You've been exposed to Buddhist scriptures, what were your impressions?"
Wang Lin pondered, "When I held it, I felt the surrounding resentment dissipate, and my mind became peaceful. It seems to have its own 'energy field,' but it's very weak. I suspect it needs 'charging' or the correct way to use it, such as... reciting it?"
As if to prove his words, a second wave of attacks came without warning outside.
There was no sound, no light. But everyone, including the newcomers hiding in the corner, felt an indescribable chill and suffocation pressing in from all directions! It was as if the entire space had turned into a viscous, malicious gel. The array's light shield creaked under the strain, and its light rapidly dimmed.
Kayako's second wave of attacks—wide-ranging mental oppression and physical invasion!
Dark red water stains began to seep from the walls, long black hair shadows appeared on the ceiling, and the sound of fingernails scratching came from the cracks in the floor... Countless terrifying images directly affected everyone's senses and minds!
"Stay calm! Concentrate your mind to resist!" Chu Xuan shouted, placing both hands on the energy crystal at the core of the formation and unleashing his newly acquired spiritual energy to barely keep the formation from collapsing.
But the newlyweds could no longer hold on; their eyes glazed over, they screamed in terror, and some even began tearing at each other.
Wang Lin looked at the Buddhist scriptures lying quietly on the table, gritted his teeth, reached out and picked them up, and turned to the first page.
He doesn't understand Japanese or Sanskrit, but he recognizes the Chinese characters on it.
Taking a deep breath, he focused his mind and, facing the scripture, recited it aloud, word by word:
"When Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva was practicing the profound Prajnaparamita, he perceived that the five aggregates are all empty, and thus transcended all suffering and distress..."
A clear, melodious voice rang out in the room filled with resentment, like a clear spring flowing into a murky swamp.
As the scriptures were recited, the faint golden light on the Buddhist scriptures suddenly brightened! The gentle yet firm light spread out from Wang Lin as the center, and wherever it passed, the water stains on the walls disappeared, the long hair phantom on the ceiling vanished, the scratching sound on the floor lessened... that omnipresent feeling of cold suffocation receded like the tide!
The array's protective barrier stabilized instantly, even becoming more solid.
Outside, the vengeful spirits roared even more furiously and painfully, but the force of their attack on the formation weakened.
Everyone felt a surge of energy, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from their hearts.
"It works!" Zheng Zha exclaimed in surprise.
Wang Lin dared not stop and continued reciting. Each word seemed to carry power, cleansing away the surrounding filth and resentment.
Chu Xuan's eyes flashed as he quickly recorded the data: "The Buddhist scripture's energy is activated by recitation, forming a purification field. Its intensity is positively correlated with the reciter's mental strength and concentration, covering a radius of approximately fifteen meters... The suppression and dispersal effects on spirits are significant... Energy consumption rate... moderate. Based on this calculation, if they take turns reciting, it might last until the seventh day..."
He looked at Wang Lin, then at the shadows of the vengeful spirits gradually being driven back by the Buddha's light outside the window, and at the haunted house in the distance that still exuded a sky-piercing resentment.
With the help of Buddhist scriptures, they finally grasped a glimmer of hope in this world of unsolvable curses.
But Wang Lin knew this was just the beginning. Kayako's attacks grew stronger with each wave, and the energy of the Buddhist scriptures was not inexhaustible. They needed a more meticulous plan, more seamless teamwork, and... a little bit of luck.
He glanced at the scriptures radiating a warm light in his arms, then at his teammates who were still panting beside him, his eyes resolute.
At least, the most crucial prop wasn't lost due to some stupid newbie's selfishness. This has already changed the original trajectory of death.
The next six days and six nights will be the real test.