Chapter 118 After Climbing the Mountain, the Salted Fish Must Also Strive

Chapter 118: Chapter 118 After Climbing the Mountain, the Salted Fish Must Also StriveKurikara is Acalanatha, why would he take on the role of a love-tying god? Actually, since I was three, my bond with Hanabi was already established, so there’s nothing much to pray for. Yakuoin has both the Main Hall and the Main Shrine; the Main Hall is a Buddhist temple, while the Main Shrine is a Shinto shrine. After climbing the long staircase, you reach the Main Hall of Yakuoin. There aren’t too many people here, but you can see monks in black clothes sweeping the steps at the entrance, and some people bowing and praying. The method of worship at temples and shrines is slightly different. At shrines, after offering incense money, you have to shake the bell, bow twice, clap your hands twice, pray, and finally bow again. In temples, you skip the initial bowing and clapping; you just need to press your hands together and pray. Praying is something Uesugi Sakura is not good at. Every time he sees the white sacred coin under the shimenawa, he doesn’t know what to ask the gods for. In the past, when going to a shrine to pray, he would casually wish for everything to go smoothly and safely. Hanamaru Hanabi opened her eyes, lowered her clasped hands, and asked softly, "Sakura-kun... what were you thinking about?" Uesugi Sakura glanced at the two ladies taking photos not far away and replied, "I can’t say now, we still have to go to Aizen Hall later." Hanamaru Hanabi’s bright eyes looked at him, and she softly said, "Sakura-kun... were you thinking about marrying Hanabi?" "Hanabi-chan, Little Sakura, come over quickly!" Was it because of the previous words? Looking at the conspicuous red bowtie at Hanamaru Hanabi’s collar, Uesugi Sakura knew how to answer her in a way that would make her even more shy. He leaned towards her ear and whispered, "Do you know what happens after marriage? Actually, I’m praying to the gods for our bond to continue and for our child to be born healthy." "Sakura-kun..." The shy girl buried her head deeply, clenched her skirt with her small hand, and didn’t talk to him again for a while. At Aizen Hall, at the repeated insistence of the two ladies, Uesugi Sakura still drew a love fortune divination, which cost 300 yen each time. In the pink little note, there were two omamori talismans. "Great Fortune" Love fortune—The two of you are deeply connected, please do not stray, stay true to this hard-earned love. This is a match made in heaven, please cherish it. Please also be mindful of traffic accidents. "?" Thinking back to the previous "fate connection" in green, the more Uesugi Sakura looked at this sentence, the stranger it felt. What on earth did "be mindful of traffic accidents" mean? "Is your fortune bad?" asked Mrs. Uesugi. "Great Fortune." Uesugi Sakura handed the divination to the two ladies. "It’s really accurate." After a glance, Mrs. Hanamaru smiled and said, "It’s just that last sentence that’s a bit scary." "It is a bit." Mrs. Uesugi nodded. On the summit of Mount Takao is a blue sky drifting with clouds, and from up there, you can gaze eastward over Tokyo and see the towering Tokyo Tower in Minato Ward. After walking through Kurikarado, the Main Hall, Aizen Hall, Holy Heaven Hall, Master Hall, the Main Shrine, and Asama Shrine, Uesugi Sakura had no desire to gaze into the distance and appreciate the hazy Mount Fuji after reaching the summit. He just wanted to return home and lay on his big bed, quietly waiting for tomorrow to come. The last train of the Keio Line to Shinjuku was at eight o’clock. The two ladies insisted on visiting every temple and shrine on Mount Takao, walking up and down the mountain, leaving no time. The plan to soak in hot springs had gone down the drain. The express train sped through the dark night like a shooting star. Though Uesugi Sakura and Hanamaru Hanabi sat together, she truly hadn’t spoken to him since then. In response to conversations and questions, the girl only nodded simply. "Sakura-kun..." "What’s the matter?" Uesugi Sakura looked at Hanamaru Hanabi, sitting by the window, her eyes reflecting the night speeding past outside the train window. Pure and beautiful, yet with an indescribable melancholy. "Sakura-kun... will you remember Hanabi?" "What a silly thing to say." Uesugi Sakura said with a smile. Hanamaru Hanabi’s delicate face reflected on the transparent train window, occasionally becoming ephemeral with the train’s movement. —————— On Monday afternoon, Uesugi Sakura walked into the Kyudo Club with aching legs. "Good afternoon." "Good afternoon~ Senior." "Good afternoon." Uesugi Sakura responded a few times casually, then opened the bow bag and started another day’s preparation. But before practicing archery, Sugita Shuhei, who had just changed into kyudo attire, called over the team members participating in the group competition. Five of them gathered, and the other three girls also came to listen. "Is there any special requirement for today’s training?" asked Hirata Masanobu. "I think I should seize the time to improve my archery skills." Kanai Hideyoshi said, wanting to recover his recent slump through training. "Ahem," Seisuke Yooya coughed twice to attract everyone’s attention, "The main purpose this time is for me to tell you about our formidable opponent." "Mizuki?" Mizuki High School Kyudo Club’s strength is well-known throughout Tokyo. Of course, except for Uesugi Sakura. He was too lazy to inquire about these things and had only learned the name yesterday. Besides that guy named Fuya Nanori, he had no other impression of Mizuki. "Very strong?" Hearing Uesugi Sakura’s somewhat complacent question, everyone cast gazes at him. "Two-time team champions, very strong." "No worries," Sugita Shuhei said, "Mizuki may be formidable, but our team competition this year has a good chance of winning." Seisuke Yooya smiled and said, "Confidence is necessary, let’s aim to defeat Mizuki first." "Defeating Mizuki would mean winning the championship directly," Hirata Masanobu quipped, lacking great confidence. Kanai Hideyoshi: "It’s a pity that the third-year seniors are all gone, otherwise the team could’ve faced this strong old school." "So does that mean our school’s Kyudo Club is declining?" Uesugi Sakura found this plot strangely cliché. "Not declining. Our school’s Kyudo Club is also quite well-known, but only in individual competitions." Everyone knew why and subconsciously looked at Sugita Shuhei, who had a usual expression. "Why is the senior so capable?" Hirata Masanobu asked, actually always curious. "Haha," Seisuke Yooya chuckled and interjected, "After witnessing Uesugi’s speed of improvement, Hirata, do you still not believe in talent?" Sugita Shuhei wasn’t overly confident, "Talent is only part of the reason; the main thing is that I studied with Ogasawara Shikyo Fan Shi in junior high for a while." Sugita Shuhei said casually, but everyone knew that being guided by a Fan Shi was no small matter. Fan Shi is the highest-level title in martial arts like Sword Dao, Iaido, Aikido, Jodo, Kyudo, Judo, etc. The average eighth rank is usually Priest, Refiner, or even untitled. Refiner: Requires above the sixth rank, over ten years, and those aged over 60 can be assessed and granted this title. Priest: Granted to Refiners five years later, with outstanding personality, skills, knowledge, and excellent guidance abilities. Fan Shi: Ten years after becoming a Priest, with high morals, mastery of the way of the Dao, skilled, and a role model in the art of martial arts. Thus, a Fan Shi at the eighth rank is mostly at the pinnacle of the martial arts world. Very old, with gray hair. Due to physical reasons, the strength of Fan Shi actually declines a lot; their skills are not what they were, more about prestige and experienced wisdom. Understanding this, everyone didn’t dwell on it. Guidance from an Ogasawara Style Fan Shi is rare and precious. Better to focus on improving accuracy rate first.