I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords
Chapter 327 - 327 326. Springtime without Warfare_1

Chapter 327: 326. Springtime without Warfare_1 Chapter 327: 326. Springtime without Warfare_1 It took some time to persuade the police officer to leave. Under Lu Ban’s surveillance, the janitor spent three hours cleaning his room.

The charge was 105 yuan.

Affordable and economical.

Lu Ban decided to find another service next time.

By the time the cleaning was done, it was already evening. Lu Ban ate something casually, thinking that since he couldn’t sleep in the bed anyway, he might as well go complete his mission.

Sitting on the sofa, Lu Ban checked the items he carried on his person.

A radio, a suona, a crowbar, and some compressed rations and canned food. Of course, there was also the crystal from Red Leaf.

On the wall, three windows appeared again.

Lu Ban directly pushed open the last one.

The falling cherry blossoms interwove against the azure sky, forming the System’s cold, indifferent words.

“Springtime without Warfare”

“The current shrine maiden of the Great Shrine of Harmony Island is about to retire, and her successor will follow in her footsteps, bathed in the Pure Fire”

“However, not every shrine maiden can enter the Shrine Hall and be graced by the gods; competition is everywhere”

“A shrine maiden, touted as a prodigy, is ready to journey across the sea to Harmony Island. It’s as if she was born to become the Chief Priestess, the maiden among maidens. But being a Chief Priestess means power, and the entanglement of family and politics can sometimes sway the will of the gods. And sometimes, a genius should not exist”

“You have accepted the task of protecting the maiden on her journey to Harmony Island. Along the way, more dangerous than foul beings are human hearts. On the long road, only the drifting cherry blossoms and the clear seawater will not betray you.”

“Mission Difficulty: Self-select”

“Mission Requirement: Escort the shrine maiden to the Great Shrine of Harmony Island”

“Mission Requirement: Witness the birth of the new Chief Priestess”

“‘I thought I had forgotten this, but I am left with only your belongings. Could these be your remnants?'”

“A very clear escort mission.”

This type of mission was actually somewhat difficult for Lu Ban.

For well-known reasons, the survival rate of Lu Ban’s teammates was not high, except for fellow Chosen by Gods like Cui Siter and Shia—companions from the Foreign Domain would frequently die, and those who managed to die successfully were considered lucky, for not turning into monsters was a success in itself.

Therefore, taking along a burden this time, it would be better to choose a lower difficulty.

Lu Ban clicked into the difficulty settings to take a look. The [Mortal] difficulty was naturally greyed out; not only the [Mortal] difficulty, but also the [Contamination] and [Corrosion] difficulties were greyed out as well.

Only the [Metamorphosis] difficulty was selectable.

“???”

Was there a bug with this mission?

Lu Ban checked again.

“Oh, I see.”

Lu Ban finally spotted the issue. Besides the [Metamorphosis] difficulty, there were higher levels of difficulty available, but they were unselectable because he hadn’t unlocked them.

“How considerate.”

Lu Ban remarked.

He could only choose the [Metamorphosis] difficulty.

With tears, he earned another hundred thousand or so Silence Points.

“Do you wish to enter the Silent Lands?”

“Yes/No”

Lu Ban chose “Yes”.

The window suddenly opened, and Lu Ban felt a warm breeze.

He was sucked into the window.

Purple light swirled around Lu Ban, making him feel light-headed as though he had been tossed into an infinitely spinning wheel. Countless specks of light formed a picture of the universe’s starry sky on his retina. Suddenly, a soft murmur reached Lu Ban’s ears, sounding like a plaintive lament full of sorrow.

[The flow of time in the Silent Lands is inconsistent with the outside world]

[The time ratio for this journey is 2:1]

[Number of fellow travelers: 0]

[Heading to Harmony Island]

When his feet once again felt the ground, Lu Ban smelled a faint scent of flowers.

He heard the chirping of birds and the warm spring breeze; it seemed as if Lu Ban could hear someone talking.

“…please do not engage in unnecessary communication with her. Of course, our guards will take care of her. You are just responsible for leading the way.”

An older woman’s voice reached him, prompting Lu Ban to turn his face.

He saw a face full of wrinkles.

The old woman’s hair was completely white, tied into a bun, and she wore a deep blue silk dress, holding a smoking pipe in her hand. She took two puffs, exhaling a grey-white mist.

“I understand.”

Lu Ban heard someone beside him respond, seemingly having fast-forwarded to when the preparations for the journey began.

Beside him sat an older woman dressed in black coarse cloth, with several streaks of white among her black hair, resembling deliberately added highlights. She appeared to be in her late twenties, with a certain heroic air about her, like that of an experienced hunter or warrior.

Resting by the woman’s side was a long sword sheathed in its scabbard.

This sword was quite long, surpassing the length of side arms that Lu Ban usually recognized; it resembled a clothesline pole, forming a stark contrast against the woman’s figure.

“With the Word Spirit binding us, we naturally won’t make any moves that break our vows. But, is it possible for us to have a word or two with her? Getting to know each other might help with the journey, right?”

The woman asked. She didn’t take the old woman’s words too seriously; in fact, she didn’t show any signs of subservience or meekness, but rather seemed like someone holding a position of advantage.

“…She is undergoing her spiritual practice today. You can meet her in the auxiliary shrine after she finishes.”

Having said that, the old woman tapped her smoking pipe, signaling for them to leave.

Lu Ban followed the woman and noticed that his clothes had also changed into a similar coarse fabric, and all of his belongings had been placed in a baggage he carried with him, making it clear that there was a significant status discrepancy visible from the clothing on Harmony Island.

The old woman was dressed in silk, while the nearby guards wore rough hemp garments; the woman and Lu Ban’s clothes were slightly better, but only in terms of their design.

“She believes that if her granddaughter can become the Chief Priestess, her family will also be able to enter the core of Harmony Island’s political circle.”

After leaving the room and guards, the woman told Lu Ban.

“Of course, many people don’t want to see the Chief Priestess be someone outside of their sphere of influence, and that’s where the conflict begins.”

“Shouldn’t the Chief Priestess be selected based on ability?”

Lu Ban asked, loosening his collar. Harmony Island during spring was very warm, and the coarse cloth was not breathable.

The woman looked back at Lu Ban with a hint of a smile.

“These officials are not that naive. Indeed, a Chief Priestess needs to stand out through her strengths, but in reality, just being able to enter the Great Shrine of Harmony Island and becoming a candidate has already involved much struggle and compromise. The major families of Harmony Island will not allow anyone outside of their control to become Lady Priestess.”

“So where do we stand now?”

Lu Ban thought to himself that this was much like the elections in certain countries of his original world; they seemed vehement, but in fact, they were the result of negotiations and compromises made by corporations and capital behind the scenes.

“That’s the variable. The Shrine Maiden here is said to be exceptionally gifted, with extraordinary celestial events marking her birth, seemingly destined to be the next Chief Priestess. The only issue is that she and her family have long been outsiders to the core power circle.”

The woman and Lu Ban arrived at the auxiliary shrine to wait. Lu Ban gathered that the woman’s name was Shobu, a well-known mercenary of the seas, and he was one of her subordinates.

After waiting for a moment, just when Lu Ban had already drunk two cups of tea and was thinking about visiting the restroom, a maid entered the room.

“The young lady has arrived,” she said.