Trafford's Trading Club

721: Chapter 134: The Story of Stories 721: Chapter 134: The Story of Stories [Frost Moon, Yi Yi Ya Ya.

The Nagato Family welcomed a newborn life, a girl named Tsuruko.

Nagato Tsuruko was the child of Nagato Saburo and Narukami Haru.

The newly born Nagato Tsuruko had a pair of beautiful big eyes, which she seemed to have inherited from Narukami Haru, for Narukami Haru also had a pair of beautiful big eyes.

Later, Nagato Tsuruko heard her father Saburo saying that he was attracted by Narukami Haru’s beautiful eyes.

Narukami Haru was originally a Miko apprentice at the Mountain Shrine, destined to take over the shrine.

As a Miko, one needed to remain pure, but Narukami Haru eventually united with Nagato Saburo, so when Nagato Tsuruko was five, she thought that the union of her father and mother must be a beautiful story.

However, Nagato Tsuruko overheard from the servants that this beautiful story needed to include the word “difficult.”

The seasons changed from spring to autumn, and her father would stand silently in front of the shrine every day just to see his mother, who was still a Miko.

Ah Xiu said sometimes she would see Lord Saburo return on rainy days, sometimes on snowy days, and also in the gentle evenings of early summer.

Ah Xiu also said she liked the early summer period the most because even though Lord Saburo returned late, he would bring back some freshly picked fruits.

At that time, Ah Xiu was about the same age as Nagato Tsuruko now.

Speaking of which, as time passed, Nagato Tsuruko had now turned five, becoming more and more beautiful, like a porcelain doll, and everyone in the residence adored her.

One day in the summer, Narukami Haru was in the room making clothes, saying it was for Nagato Saburo’s winter wear, with Ah Xiu attending beside her.

Nagato Tsuruko was also there, holding a copy of the Kojiki that her uncle Nagato Munachika had sent.

Nagato Munachika was the head of the Nagato House, having become a Samurai in his youth, he followed the daimyo on expeditions, brave and battle-hardened, and later returned home to inherit the family business, governing Zaodao Village with considerable prestige.

Nagato Munachika said that even women can study and learn to read and write, hence sent some books.

Nagato Munachika also said that in a couple of years, Nagato Tsuruko could join Nagato Shinji in listening to the tutor’s guidance.

“Ah Xiu, Ah Xiu, how do you read this sentence?” Nagato Tsuruko held the book up to Ah Xiu’s face.

Ah Xiu glanced at it and quickly shook her head.

Oh dear!

How could she possibly understand it!

When learning with Young Master Shinji, she always nodded off and often got teased for being silly.

Ah Xiu looked pitifully at Narukami Haru.

She knew Lady Narukami was knowledgeable, coming from a shrine, and would definitely understand.

“I don’t have time, you know.” Narukami Haru just smiled slightly, “Besides, isn’t it your responsibility to guide Tsuruko, Ah Xiu?”

“My Lady, I don’t understand.” Ah Xiu still had a pitiful look, those difficult words were hard to remember and not as pleasing as Young Master Shinji’s—of course, she didn’t plan to say that out loud.

Narukami Haru shook her head, stopped her work, asked both Ah Xiu and Nagato Tsuruko to sit kneeling properly, before picking up the Kojiki and began reading slowly, the story of the two gods Izanagi and Izanami creating the mainland.

Later, Izanami mistakenly ate the food of the Yellow Springs and ultimately broke with Izanagi at Chihiki Stone.

“Oh dear!

How could Izanagi do this!

Isn’t Izanami his wife!” Ah Xiu suddenly became indignant.

Narukami Haru just smiled without saying anything.

Unexpectedly, Nagato Tsuruko suddenly leaned onto Narukami Haru, asking pitifully, “Mother, you must never go to Chihiki Stone with Father!”

Narukami Haru gently patted Nagato Tsuruko’s head, comforting her, “When your father returns from the battlefield, we will go to the shrine to pay our respects.”

Nagato Tsuruko smiled through her tears.

It was said that Nagato Saburo could return this year, but no one knew how he was doing on the battlefield, whether he was eating well or had enough clothes.

As Narukami Haru embraced Nagato Tsuruko, she reflected on her moments with her husband.

“Mother, during the New Year when we went to the shrine to pay respects, Lady Miko asked if Tsuruko wanted to learn with her.” Nagato Tsuruko blinked her beautiful eyes and asked.

Narukami Haru curiously asked, “What did you answer?”

Nagato Tsuruko shook her head, “I didn’t agree, you know!”

Narukami Haru thought for a moment before asking why.

Nagato Tsuruko earnestly grabbed Narukami Haru’s hand, saying she just wanted to stay by her mother’s side.

Outside, the sound of cicadas buzzing and the water in the pond rippling could be heard, while Ah Xiu withdrew her gaze from the window, sticking out her tongue and saying, “Where did that frog come from!”

…

It was said that Nagato Tsuruko often secretly sneaked out of the Nagato residence when her mother Narukami Haru wasn’t looking, and when Ah Xiu was slacking off.

Perhaps she inherited a bit of her father Saburo’s character, for the young Nagato Tsuruko, though looking as pretty as a porcelain doll, was quite formidable when fighting with the children of Zaodao Village.

Once, a child from a household in the village caught a worm and sneaked it into Nagato Tsuruko’s clothes when she wasn’t looking, scaring her so much.

Nagato Tsuruko, who was known to be ‘brave and battle-hardened,’ was unexpectedly frightened to tears by a worm, leaving all the children stunned, not expecting there to be a moment of fragility for her, and they quickly rushed to comfort her.

But Nagato Tsuruko couldn’t let it go, saying the worm crawled all over her and felt so uncomfortable and dirty.

The instigator suggested, “Why not go to the Mountain Shrine?

I know there’s a pond at the back of the shrine, my grandpa says the water there can wash away unclean things.

Didn’t your mother used to be a Miko too?

You should also be able to wash it off.”

A group of children planned how to go up the mountain and bypass the Lady Miko’s notice.

“I can’t climb anymore…” The instigator was the first to give up, collapsing directly onto the stone steps, looking at the yet far-off distance, and started groaning.

“Me too…”

“I want water…”

At this point, Nagato Tsuruko was in an even more difficult state, drenched in sweat, her legs almost numb.

She almost wanted to cry, but she didn’t want to admit defeat because it was no longer about washing up, it was about whether she could make it up there.

Ah Xiu said her father used to climb every day, in spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

She couldn’t disgrace her father.

Her mother said her father had sent a family letter back, saying he’d come back at the end of the Frost Moon.

Nagato Tsuruko thought the first thing she’d do when her father returned was to tell him she managed to climb up to the shrine on her own.

But the road was really too long, and in the end, the group of children gave up, descending the mountain in low spirits.

Going down the mountain was easier, and as Nagato Tsuruko finally looked around and realized she was the only one left, she burst into tears.

That evening, the Nagato house was chaotic, searching high and low until they found Nagato Tsuruko, pitiful, sweaty, and running back, calming down somewhat.

Nagato Munachika said the Nagato family members must be courteous and understand the rules, thus punishing Nagato Tsuruko by forbidding her to eat dinner.

Ah Xiu, as a servant girl failing to watch over the Miss properly, was also not allowed to eat and received a punishment of chopping a hundred pounds of wood.

Later that night, the hungry Nagato Tsuruko and Ah Xiu planned to sneak into the kitchen to get something to eat, only to be caught red-handed by Nagato Munachika guarding the kitchen.

Nagato Munachika said, “I knew you two would sneak into the kitchen.”

Ah Xiu was terribly frightened and dared not speak.

But Nagato Tsuruko blinked her eyes and without another word, jumped onto Nagato Munachika, and in a childish voice said, “Uncle, I’m so hungry…”

Nagato Munachika didn’t soften a bit, keeping a stern face, “Ah Xiu, did you finish splitting the wood?”

How could it be done!

A hundred pounds!

Ah Xiu didn’t dare say it out loud, only showing a remorseful expression.

Suddenly, Nagato Munachika said, “If you finish twenty pounds of wood before midnight, I can allow you to eat.”

Without a word, Ah Xiu dragged Nagato Tsuruko out, telling her, “Miss, this time Madam is determined not to help us.

We can only rely on ourselves.

You don’t want to starve, do you?

But I’ll chop the wood later, you just pretend to, I fear the Old Sir might be watching us from the side!”

As she continued chopping, after not even ten pounds, Ah Xiu collapsed directly to the ground out of exhaustion.

She was simply too hungry, how could she have any strength left?

At this point, anything she saw could be imagined as something delicious.

For example, when she looked at Nagato Tsuruko’s face, she would think of white rice balls.

Ah, that head of glossy black hair was obviously like the seaweed wrapped around rice balls!

“Ah Xiu, why are you biting my face?”

“Miss, I’m hungry.

Let me take a bite!”

“No way!”

“Hehe, I’m a fox that eats humans!

Miss Tsuruko, your skin is so tender and smooth, you must taste delicious!” Ah Xiu grinned, bearing her teeth playfully.

The fox is a legend in the village, and it’s said that the fox especially likes to eat young mischievous boys who misbehave.

This is practically a story that every child in the village has heard.

“Exorcise, exorcise!” Nagato Tsuruko wasn’t going to have any of it.

She grabbed a twig and started waving it around wildly, claiming she was a miko exorcising monsters.

But the way she looked hardly resembled a miko—it seemed more like a kid playing with dung using a twig.

The mistress and servant played around for a long time, sprawling on the ground without a care for the dirt.

Suddenly, Nagato Tsuruko said, “Ah Xiu, I want to climb the mountain again tomorrow!

I want to tell father when he returns that I climbed it all by myself.”

Whew~ whew~ whew~

In fact, Ah Xiu had already fallen asleep out of exhaustion.

…

“Ah Xiu had already fallen asleep…” Boss Luo flipped another slightly yellowed page of the book.

What was written on it wasn’t exactly an interesting story.

He suddenly looked up at the young miko before him, “Why isn’t there a name yet?”

The young miko was evidently the author of this story.

The young miko just shook her head, “It’s not finished yet, I don’t know what it should be called.”

Indeed, it wasn’t finished.

Luo Qiu relaxed his fingers slightly, and the pages of the book fluttered open to reveal many blank spaces.

Instead of continuing the unfinished story, Luo Qiu asked with a slight smile, “Why are you showing me this?”

The Burning Black Card from the club had called to him, and at such a close distance, there was no way Boss Luo wouldn’t show up.

But before the negotiation began, the young miko took out this unfinished story.

The young miko thought for a moment and then slowly said, “If I don’t come back, please give this to a fellow named Inuyasha.

Can you do that?”

Boss Luo nodded, “We never let our clients down, as long as it’s a request from you.”

The young miko nodded, then stood up and gazed out through the lattice window, “I had a very long dream.

I hope you can help me finish this story.”

“The purchase is…

to finish this story, is that correct?” Luo Qiu said softly, “Please confirm once more.”

The young miko shook her head, indicating there was no need for confirmation.

She then nodded, signifying the transaction was officially effective.

Later, the young miko fetched a wooden bow from the main hall of the shrine, shouldered a quiver, and left the shrine.

Boss Luo began flipping through the unfinished story again when the maid suddenly said, “Mr.

Arex, if you continue hiding, You Ye will have to define your actions as malicious.”

“That would be quite troublesome because I can’t beat you.”

Arex suddenly appeared, which did not surprise Boss Luo and You Ye.

As for Arex, his tone remained the familiar one from before with seemingly no differences…

if anything, it was that his eyes were tightly shut.

The maid smiled gently and suddenly asked, “How many layers this time?”

Arex held up two fingers and shrugged.

The maid’s smile deepened, and Arex chuckled bitterly, then extended another finger and said helplessly, “Three layers.

You know, what you want to know doesn’t need to be asked of me.

In dreams, things can’t bind the unique and undefined real you.”

“Mr.

Arex, your eyes are hurt.” Luo Qiu suddenly looked up, recommending, “Do you need to purchase healing services?”

Arex shook his head, “No worries, seeing or not makes little difference to me.

I did, however, use one of my chances to cross between dream and reality.

If I want to clear this usage, how much would it cost?”

“Three fragmented worlds equivalent to Yan Wuyue.” Luo Qiu quickly named a price.

Arex, rather curious, replied, “In theory, one Yan Wuyue can create medium divine power.”

Luo Qiu replied calmly, “But your ability, at its highest threshold, can pull out greater divine power.”

Arex pondered for a while and suddenly asked, “The new boss, can we talk privately?”

Luo Qiu shook his head, “No need, you can speak directly.”

Arex didn’t mind, he just smiled and said, “New boss, can you sponsor me privately?

I have a piece of information that’s hard to price, but I believe you might be interested.”

Luo Qiu paused flipping the pages, “Interested?”

“For instance…” Arex said slowly, “The clues to your predecessor’s identity.”

Luo Qiu became somewhat thoughtful, then glanced at You Ye…

You Ye was smiling slightly, as beautiful as ever, but lifeless, as if her time had stopped.

He had encountered this situation once before…

during the Golden Week when he sailed out to sea, on that isolated island.

“Deal.” Luo Qiu looked at Arex and directly nodded.