This Japanese Monogatari Isn't Lame
Chapter 563 - 357: A Master at Roasting the Beichuan Divine Society (4000)_2

Chapter 563: Chapter 357: A Master at Roasting the Beichuan Divine Society (4000)_2

After having some red wine, a cruel excitement appeared on her face.

Her ruddy complexion extended a finger, pointing to Beichuan Si who stood still, and she ordered the subordinate beside her, "Pay a little attention to that person, next time I hope to see him at the gathering again."

"Yes, Bai Mian."

The subordinate beside her bowed their head and spoke.

She nodded in satisfaction, her eyes shining as they focused on Beichuan Si.

His well-proportioned figure stood out even in a crowd, standing at 1.8 meters tall, and combined with his mere nineteen years of age and his detached manner of speaking...

"The fruit is almost ripe."

Bai Mian licked his lips, half his face showing a sickly, frenzied blush.

...

Beichuan Si stood in place and waited for ten minutes until the gathering finally began.

A person in a black robe appeared.

It started with the clichéd opening words, roughly praising the doctrines of the Church of Truth and Happiness and leading the followers to recite those sentences with a strong suggestive influence.

During this process, Beichuan Si distinctly felt that the scent of the incense placed in the corners was getting progressively stronger, and that everyone here had drunk more or less some beverage with nerve-numbing drugs in it.

The atmosphere became chaotic and uncontrollable.

Everyone’s necks showed clear signs of redness, their spoken words carried a thick tail sound, giving off a drunken feel.

But this wasn’t exactly drunkenness...

Beichuan Si looked up at the doors that served as entrances and exits on both sides.

A snow-white trolley was pushed in from behind the doors.

Atop the trolley, there gleamed shiny silver cutlery and glass cups.

The glass cups were filled to about two-thirds with clear water.

What was this for?

Beichuan Si was puzzled.

But in the next moment, the people of the Happiness Truth Sect gave Beichuan Si the answer.

Driven by the drugs and the repeated chanting of those strong suggestive sentences, they were unable to think beyond.

They held the stem glasses and then bared their arms.

On their arms, Beichuan Si could see neat knife cuts.

Some areas were already scarred, but the scars were clearly re-opened.

"Pain and happiness go hand in hand!"

The lecturer standing on the stage held the same kind of knife, aiming it at his wrist.

"Pain and happiness go hand in hand!"

The Believers’ voices rose high in a frenzied accompaniment!

The atmosphere of zeal and obsession was completely heated at that moment!

At such times, even if someone’s mind was still clear, they would be captured by the fervor in the air as well as the extreme faith atmosphere.

Because humans are creatures that follow the crowd...

Beichuan Si thought and picked up the table knife and the glass that belonged to him.

The black-robed lecturer brought down the knife, and a hoarse, tearing sound arose, "A toast to happiness!"

"A toast to happiness!"

Everyone brought down their silvery knives in unison.

Suddenly, a bloody smell filled the air.

First were the lines of blood that appeared on the wrists.

Then the blood began to flow incessantly.

From the faces of some who wore only half-masks, Beichuan Si could see their current expressions.

Distorted, painful.

Pleasure, joy.

Although they were clearly in so much pain they gasped for air, and their hands could no longer grasp the knife, the twisted smile still bloomed on their faces.

They bared their stark white teeth, their mouths curling upward, then twisting to the extreme.

It was as if the doctrine of the Church of Truth and Happiness had truly come to fruition within them.

Happiness was pain, and following pain was—

"Happiness!!!"

The black-robed lecturer raised his hand.

He guzzled the cup of blood and water, his face full of the sweet taste of happiness.

No... not just him.

Beichuan Si looked down at the believers below.

After drinking the blood water, they clearly entered a state of spiritual trance, and soon a dazed smile flickered across their faces.

Beichuan Si looked at the clear water in his hand and, without much hesitation, crisply squeezed out some blood and followed suit by taking a first sip of the water.

There was something wrong with this water.

And the problem was significant.

Beichuan Si, without changing his expression, discreetly poured the blood water under the table, then stood still, barely managing to squeeze out a smile on his face.

He had originally thought that this clear water was just that, plain and simple, but to his surprise, it was drugged.

While pretending to be like the other believers, Beichuan Si surreptitiously surveyed his surroundings.

Some believers, under the influence of the drug, seemed to see the vistas they longed to see, tears streaming down their faces, murmuring to themselves.

Others, simply due to the drug intake, had a bewildered look, stupidly grinning.

Is this what the Church of Truth and Happiness claims to be a miracle?

Pretending to be exhausted, Beichuan Si leaned against a pillar.

He was more interested in seeing what other tricks these people had up their sleeves.

The water in the black-robed lecturer’s cup was clearly not the same as that in the believers’ cups; the other party remained clear-headed.

When all the believers had fallen into a trance, the black-robed lecturer lowered his voice and said in a deep, profound tone, "Now follow me in chanting the doctrine of the Church of Truth and Happiness."

The black-robed lecturer chanted the doctrine of the Church of Truth and Happiness once again.

But this time, the doctrine was clearly different.

Its content hinted heavily at the believers’ sacrifice for the Church of Truth and Happiness, even to the point of utter ruin.

Beichuan Si had understood it all by listening to only half of it.

No wonder the congregation of the Church of Truth and Happiness was so fanatical.

If one attended such a gathering every week, the impression of ’the Church of Truth and Happiness above all’ would naturally form under these suggestive influences.

It was laughable that Hetian Wu had told Beichuan Si that one could witness true miracles here.

But what she ultimately showed Beichuan Si were these ’miracles’ under the influence of drugs and suggestion.

Beichuan Si exhaled.

The bloodstained silver dinner knife.

The blood spots scattered on the carpet.

The wildly frenzied believers.

This was the Church of Truth and Happiness.

An organization proclaiming ’happiness above all.’

...

The entire suggestive session didn’t last long; it was just after ten minutes when the incense burned out, and at the same time, fresh, cold air cycled in, dispelling that lethargic, limp atmosphere.

In the process, staff came to clear the wine glasses scattered on the tables and tried to restore the scene to its previous state.

As the effects of the drugs were gradually wearing off, some of the believers began to come around.

They looked exhausted, but their expressions were glowing, radiating a sense of happiness and joy.

This was when Beichuan Si also stood up.

He mimicked the mannerisms of the people around him, pretending to feel drained.

Just then, a voice called out from beside him, "Mr. North Island, how do you feel?"

Somehow, Hetian Wu had already come and gone.

She wore her cat mask and gazed at Beichuan Si cheerfully.

Beichuan Si could not detect a whiff of blood on her.

In other words, Hetian Wu had not participated in this assembly.

But...

Beichuan Si also caught that unique fragrance emanating from Hetian Wu.

It was the same scent as the incense, the beverages, and the drug in the clear water...

It seemed that senior members held a status above ordinary members.

They didn’t have to resort to self-harm to obtain ’happiness.’

Thinking so, Beichuan Si then raised his hand and gently patted Hetian Wu’s shoulder, saying in an unaltered voice, "Indeed, I feel refreshed."

"Right!?" Hetian Wu was quite pleased with Beichuan Si’s response.

She continued, "Isn’t the miracle of the Church of Truth and Happiness something real and tangible, unlike the false Divine Society of Beichuan?"

Hetian Wu truly was a detractor of the Beichuan Divine Society, not missing a chance to throw shade at the Beichuan Divine Society even at such a time.

And facing her question, a rare smile flickered across Beichuan Si’s face.

He said with a hint of depth, "Indeed... completely different from the Beichuan Divine Society."