The courtyard behind the shrine is very quiet.

Summer is the season of green. Although it is not as delicate as spring green, it is more vigorous and full of vitality.

There is a pond in the yard. In the late summer when the heat is still steaming, there are lotus flowers blooming, white and pink. There are water flies in the pond and dragonflies on the lotus leaves. There is mountain spring water left along the bamboo pipes and injected into it.

In the frightened deer, it poured into the pond again with a "dong" sound, frightening away a group of koi carp.

Ling was also sitting in a pavilion with Granny Gong Shui. Her hands were wrapped with silk threads, one by one around the machine, just like an ancient fairy tale.

Ling did not expect that Granny Miyamizu would teach her to teach her, but instead let her spin silk thread. Is this related to the witch? Granny didn't tell her, and she didn't ask either.

Because this is also a very interesting thing for her. Watching the silk thread winding in her hands, her heart can calm down, and her usual worries are put aside, and they seem to have nothing to do with her.

.

There is no air conditioning here, and there is no need to install it. As long as you open the bamboo curtains to ventilate all sides, you will not feel stuffy among the green plants and ponds. The sound of wind chimes on the eaves, and the occasional roar of bamboos from frightened deer,

It makes people feel more and more peaceful.

Dozens of silk threads are wound regularly through the machine, little by little, and weaved into ribbons, or knots. Those are the knots used for blessings in shrines.

"It's so beautiful, Lingya, your craftsmanship is so skillful. I originally wanted to teach you something, but I didn't expect to bother you to do things for me."

The formed knotted ropes are colorful and the silk shines in the sun. It is indeed very beautiful.

"I have learned knitting and embroidery before, so I probably know a little bit about it. But this is the first time I have seen the tricks you have here, mother-in-law. They are very exquisite."

"Yes, this is passed down from my grandmother's mother, and it's been a few years."

Grandma’s mother lived at least sixty or seventy years ago. For household appliances, it can indeed be regarded as an antique, embodying the memories of several generations.

In fact, Granny Miyamizu was very surprised. She thought that the girl would ask her all kinds of questions. But Ling was always quiet and would do whatever she was told to do seriously, even if it was such a boring spinning for two hours.

, but she didn’t have the slightest impatience. If it were Sanye and Siye, they would have been clamoring to go out to play.

Oh, by the way, Mitsuha has already gotten married and left the village, and Yotsuba has also gone to high school. Time flies so fast.

She hasn't seen such a well-behaved child for a long time. It's like - yes, like her daughter Erye, the once-famous shrine maiden, left her and this world prematurely.
p>

Aggregation and then dispersion, the relationship between people is like this thread.

"Okay, let's take a rest."

Listening to her mother-in-law's words, Ling also stopped talking and put down the silk thread in her hand.

"I thought you would ask your mother-in-law if you had something to say, but you didn't say anything." Mother-in-law Miyamizu smiled and brought a cup of tea to Lingya, "Is it fun to knit knots?"

"Yeah, it's very quiet. You can not think about anything, and you won't have any worries." Ling nodded. She took the tea and took a sip. It was cool, sweet, and had an unknown fruity aroma.

, very thirst quenching.

In fact, she usually doesn't have too many worries. After all, there are not many things in this world that cannot be solved with money. With the surname Oshima, what she lacks most is money. In addition, she also has the light of Gaia. Money plus

Power is very useful most of the time. If you still complain about life like this, you are obviously ignorant.

But throwing away thoughts like this, weaving silk threads into knots in the pavilion beside the quiet summer pond, the quiet and ethereal atmosphere is a different feeling.

"It's great to be able to make you like it. If you caress the threads like this and gradually become familiar with them, feelings will appear between people and the threads. This is the birth of spirits."

"Spirit-producing?"

"The silk threads that were originally a mess were straightened out, wound, woven, and shaped in the hands. They came together and became a flowing knot. This is the birth of spirit."

Granny Miyamizu gently stroked the formed ribbon with flowing light, her eyes were soft, and she didn't know whether she was recalling or yearning for it. This Miyamizu Shrine has a history of more than a thousand years, and in the past, it has been enshrined to the Japanese god of literature, that is,

The God of Knitting.

"Connecting ropes is the birth of spirits, connecting people is the birth of spirits, and connecting time is also the birth of spirits. Weaving these ropes is the practice of our miko of Miyamizu Shrine for generations. It is shameful to say that, in fact, the original teachings of the shrine

It has long since been destroyed. Two hundred years ago, the bathroom of the house of Yamazaki Sekigoro, who ran a straw sandal shop, caught fire. The entire area was burned down, including the shrine and ancient books. This is the legendary 'Sekigoro Fire'.

From this, we don’t even know the meaning of the sacrifice. All that has been passed down is the form, only these threads."

The shrine can be rebuilt, but the ancient books that record history and traditions have disappeared forever. This is a shrine that has lost its history. They worship it, but they have forgotten even the meaning of the worship. The Japanese gods they believe in have even lost the name of the god.

In the midst of the fire.

But Granny Miyamizu still believes in the thread in her hand. It is not a god above, but a spirit, all fate, love and hate.

"Lingya, you should go back tonight. Let the two uncles and aunties from the TAC team take you back."

"But what about exorcising evil spirits?"

The mother-in-law shook her head. She put her hand on Lingye's head, untied her hair accessories, and then picked up the wooden comb to comb Lingye's hair.

Ling also looked at the hair ornament that her mother-in-law had taken off and didn't say anything. After her mother-in-law casually placed it on the tatami next to her, she hesitated, reached out and took it out and held it in her hand.

"Is this hair accessory a very important thing?"

"Yeah."

It is indeed very important, because the light of Gaia resides in the hair accessories.

"Sorry, I moved without your consent."

"It doesn't matter." Feeling the warm light that only she could detect in the palm of her hand, Lingye's heart returned to calm.

It turns out that she is not as strong as she thought, and has not changed from the past. She even looks like a ridiculous frightened bird.

Her strength and self-confidence are all given by external things. Without the surname Oshima, she would not even have the ability to make a living. Without the light of Gaia, she is a coward who dare not even turn off the light when sleeping.

"Does it hurt?" Her mother-in-law combed her hair with her comb.

"It doesn't hurt. My mother-in-law is so awesome. Brushing her hair doesn't hurt at all."

"Don't look at me like this, I've combed many people's hair."

Her daughter, Futaba, and granddaughters, Mitsuha and Yotsuba, both generations, had their hair combed by her when they were children. For her, in addition to weaving the shrine knots, combing the little girls' hair has become something so familiar that it has almost become a ritual.

The comb is combed from top to bottom, one comb after another, and the child under the comb will grow up unknowingly.

The little girl in front of her seemed to overlap with one figure after another in her memory. Granny Miyamizu shook her head to dispel the inexplicable sentimentality.

After straightening her hair, her mother-in-law picked up the knotted rope she had just braided as a hair tie and tied Lingye's hair up.

"It's so beautiful." The mother-in-law nodded with satisfaction. She didn't know whether she was satisfied with her skill in combing her hair, or she was appreciative of the knots she had just knitted. Or maybe both.

"This is a knot to ward off evil spirits. Even if we forget the name of the god enshrined in the shrine, the blessing will not disappear."

"You don't have to think about the devil. It's not something that children should think about. Me too, and so does a wood priest. We old immortals are still alive, and it's not time for you young people to show up. Where are we going to play tomorrow?

, What new clothes do you want to buy? This is what you children should think about."

Granny Miyamizu stood up as she spoke. Her feet were a little numb because she had been kneeling for a long time. Ling also hurriedly helped her to prevent her from falling.

"Okay, the sun will set in two hours. The two TAC members should still be in the main hall. The mountain road is not easy to walk, so I won't leave any food."

Just as Granny Miyamizu said, Beidou and Nan Yuko were still in the main hall of the shrine at this time. Among the pilgrims coming and going, they were a bit awkward in their TAC team uniforms. However, no one raised this point, and the pilgrims were respectful.

After offering incense to 'Ultraman God', many people will also salute them.

If Ultraman is considered a god, is Team TAC the servant of the gods?

Beidou put aside this ridiculous idea. The hall was filled with incense and it did have a sacred feeling, but he couldn't help but want to laugh. He lay on the guardrail and held his chin while looking at the statue. This action was somewhat disrespectful to God.

But there is no way, the 'gods' in front of him are several brothers he is very familiar with, including himself, so how can he feel awe?

Brotherly friendship is pretty much the same.

If there weren't many pilgrims around, he would even want to jump up to the altar to take a group photo and take it back to show to his brothers when he returns to the Kingdom of Light.

Ultraman, haha, no matter how many times I hear this name, I still find it ridiculous.

At this time, Beidou saw Lingya coming back from the backyard.

"What, is it over yet?"

Ling also shook her head.

"My mother-in-law asked me to go home."

"What about the ritual to exorcise evil spirits?"

She didn't know about the ritual of exorcism. Granny Miyamizu had no intention of actually teaching her this from the beginning.

If a super beast appears in front of her, she can immediately transform into Gaia and fight. But there is really nothing she can do about the so-called 'demon' who has no physical body.

After all, whether the rituals of the miko are useful is another question. She is not a real miko.

At this time, Lingya and Beidou saw Mayor Miyamizu Toshiki walking through the main hall, mumbling something unknown.

"The mayor."

"Ah, it's everyone from the TAC team, and the little girl. Sorry, I'm too busy to entertain you."

"Miyamizu Mayor, what are you doing?"

Toshiki Miyamizu holds a Kagura bell in one hand and a large miko robe in the other.

"This is what my mother wanted. It's true. I'm a long time old. I'm no longer a miko. I still want to dance the miko dance. I'm asked to find these from the warehouse, and I'm not afraid of missing out."

Lingya and Beidou looked at each other.
Chapter completed!