Spell Return: The Wheel of Time

Chapter 343 Flag
The crew has a new special consultant who is very powerful and even the director is very respectful to him, along with his two assistants. Naturally, the crew members are curious about them.

In addition, after seeing the real person, the other party's face was no less than that of an idol with good looks, which made everyone start to speculate about his background and identity.

But as expected, no one has been able to come to a definite conclusion. The only thing that is certain is that the other party does have an extraordinary background and is not from the entertainment industry.

The reason is very simple. After all, with such a conspicuous appearance, it is impossible to remain unknown once it is revealed.

However, everyone soon learned the background of this consultant, and the answer was somewhat unexpected. This seemingly extraordinary young man actually came from a family of Onmyojis.

Although the so-called Onmyoji no longer has the mythological color of the past, it has become an ordinary religion like Buddhism, and people occasionally go to the shrine to worship and seek peace of mind.

But from the perspective of power, neither Onmyoji nor local Buddhism is something that can be underestimated.

In the past, these guys were local tyrants and landlords. In modern times, they have transformed themselves into a group force disguised as a belief.

What’s even more interesting is that in the eyes of the public, they are just like ordinary temples and shrines, making a fortune in silence.

It’s just that this group has always been very low-key, and has many white gloves doing things, and it is not known whether their special adviser is a white glove or a real member of those families.

Thanks to the plan that Shen Yuanyi initially carried out, even if there are people who do not believe in and are not interested in ghosts and the supernatural, there must be people around them who think the opposite.

So it was easy for the crew to connect the two together, and even when they first started filming their show, they had to offer sacrifices to the gods and pray for blessings.

Now that we have come to this kind of ancient ruins with some strange legends, it would be reasonable to invite a few Yin-Yang masters to perform a ritual and provide some professional guidance in order to avoid disturbing the ghosts and gods who died in the ancient battles, right?
As for this Onmyoji, he looks quite young, and the concerns about his ability to do the job have long been diluted by his extraordinary temperament. Those unusual physical features have now become a symbol of some kind of transcendence.

"Please prepare these things. They are very simple and can be collected in the village. I will pay for the expenses."

The director took the list and took a look at the items on it. They were indeed common things, such as cinnabar, wood, livestock, etc., which were not difficult to find. Although the village was small, it was not without communication with the outside world. There was even a shrine built by the villagers near the ancient ruins, but it was almost destroyed after being abandoned.

"It's okay, Mr. Genichi. Since these things were prepared for our crew, the cost should be paid by us."

These wouldn't cost much money at all, and besides, neither the other party nor the station mentioned any remuneration for this person who came to perform rituals and act as a consultant for their crew. But this wasn't something he should consider, and the director just assumed that everything had already been discussed above.

He found a few errand boys, gave them the list, and told them to buy the items from the village. The money would be reimbursed by the finance department.

"Um... Mr. Genichi, is there really something wrong with that ancient ruins?"

Seeing the pair of ice-blue eyes sweeping over him, the director's heart trembled. It wasn't because the other person's eyes were terrifying, but the moment of intersection, it was as if he was facing the abyss of the sea.

Shen Yuanyi knew that the director did not really discover traces of curse in the ruins, but there were many people who believed in ghosts and gods nowadays. People will always encounter things that are beyond their cognition in their lives, and they will often subconsciously elevate them to beyond the rules of the world.

Even if what they might encounter has nothing to do with the curse, in this case they will often fabricate something to reduce their fear of the unknown. This is probably how the original myth came about.

This situation has improved a lot in modern times, but it does exist, and there is a certain pattern in it, which is that the older you are and the more experiences you have, the more likely you are to believe these things.

Because they have encountered things that are beyond their understanding, except for believing that ghosts and gods really exist, they cannot explain the corresponding things with their shallow knowledge. So whether they believe it truly or not, these people will more or less have some awe. Anyway, they will not lose anything, so they might as well assume that it exists and be more careful.

The director is just this kind of person. It's nothing more than some worship ceremonies, which won't cost much money or time anyway, so he might as well believe it and take some so-called preventive measures, so that it will be too late to regret when something really happens.

Shen Yuanyi gave him a comforting smile: "After all, it is an ancient relic, and it is also the burial ground of a battlefield where brutal fighting took place in the past. If there really are some resentful ghosts wandering around all day, it is not surprising.

Don't worry, let me put it another way. The terrain of this ruins is special, and the magnetic field is very complex. Coupled with the psychological hints given by various legends about it, people near the ruins will experience psychological changes, and this self-suggestion will then lead to physical changes. "

"If there are any more hallucinations, with hints of legends, people will subconsciously associate them with the ghost warriors in the stories, and naturally there will be those true and false legends."

The director listened to the mysterious but scientific explanation. Regardless of whether he understood it completely or not, he felt much more at ease at the moment. The other party spoke eloquently and seemed to have everything under control, as if he really had some skills.

He didn't really believe in these things, he just treated them as something similar to rules. He didn't care whether it was true or not, he just had to do everything he should do. What's more, this person's background was terrifyingly powerful, so as long as he didn't ruin the show, nothing else mattered.

"Kei, Genichi-sensei is an Onmyoji?"

On the other side, Yuji, who finally had some free time, found Zenin Kei and asked curiously, but the latter rolled his eyes at him and whispered.

"In the past, we sorcerers did have another name, Onmyoji, but not all Onmyoji are sorcerers. Also, haven't you figured out what Genichi-sensei is planning? The ritual is not important. What's important is how we control the situation next."

Although Yuji Itadori has agreed to gradually make the curse public to prevent sudden accidents from causing greater losses, he is still somewhat unsure about the actual operation.

"If they really encounter the cursed spirit, can we still hide?"

"Isn't this exactly why we are here? Let's go over there. It seems that Master Genichi wants to see us."

When Yuji and Hui came to him, Shenyuan looked at them and asked with a smile: "How is it? Are you ready?"

Upon hearing this, Yuji's face turned sad: "Teacher, I can't act at all, and I'm not familiar with Onmyoji."

Shen Yuan smiled and patted his shoulder: "It's okay, actually I'm not very familiar with it. Those messy things are just made up by me. But the key is that other people don't understand it either. It doesn't matter if you can't act, just learn to keep a stern face and talk less, and others will naturally fill in the gaps for you. After all, you killed the wild boar with your bare hands, which makes you an extraordinary person in their eyes." Yuji's expression was even more dejected. After he killed the wild boar, he thought that he couldn't just throw it away, so he carried it to the village. As a result, who would have thought that the crew of the strange news program would come here, attracting the attention of the villagers and causing these people to be surprised.

Various interviews caused by curiosity made Yuji miserable. Fortunately, the situation improved a lot when Shingenichi and Zenin Kei came over. Now with the identity of Onmyoji, in the eyes of others, Yuji's shocking behavior seemed to have an explanation.

Next, Yuji will continue to play the role of an onmyoji and follow his teacher Genichi to control the next program these people will shoot, but he doesn't know the specific operations yet. What he is worried about now is how to perform the next scene well.

But now with Shen Yuanyi's "tip", he suddenly felt that there seemed to be some truth in it. Hui's look was indeed such that people who didn't know him would be fooled by their preconceived ideas at the first moment.

Good! I will learn from Hui in a moment. Anyway, Teacher Yuanyi is the leader, so I will just be a transparent tool.

The filming of the program was not delayed too long. What Kamiyama Ena and the others had to do was not just to perform in front of the camera. The script and precautions of the program had to be completed off-camera.

Only a fool would believe that variety shows have no scripts. There may be a sudden inspiration that leads to explosive show effects, but if there is no script and the actors just have to perform on their own, the audience might as well just watch their own lives.

It’s just that its script is more general. It does not stipulate every action and every line, but instead sets a range for the actors to dance within with shackles.

What Kamiyama Ena and the others have to do is to remember all the legends and information about the ancient ruins so that they won't be at a loss for words when the filming of the show starts. This is a performance, not a real adventure for them.

As a qualified actor, this level of achievement is no problem for either Kamiyama Ena or Yamazaki Seiji. The actors are already in place, and the staff from all departments are also ready.

The people arranged by the director also bought the items needed for the ritual from the village, so after Shen Yuanyi and the others were ready, the program crew officially went to the ancient ruins to prepare for the filming of the program.

"Why is it foggy?"

I don’t know if it’s because there are three more Onmyojis in the crew, but when everyone saw the misty fog in the woods, they couldn’t help but think of ghosts and gods.

"Today's weather is already bad, and this mountain area is rich in water. It's not uncommon for fog to appear under such circumstances. Maybe it will rain soon."

Shenyuan stepped out and calmed everyone's minds. They hadn't really encountered the curse yet, so they had to not be scared before it even started, otherwise how could they proceed?

Regardless of whether Shen Yuanyi's words were true or false, at least after giving everyone a reason, the inexplicable uneasiness immediately dissipated a lot.

The team continued to move forward...

"I think I saw a shadow!" Someone couldn't help but exclaim.

"It's normal for rabbits and wild deer in the forest to run away when they see people. Besides, if there are any resentful ghosts, I will definitely be able to sense them. Don't worry, everyone."

Why did they feel even more worried after hearing these words? However, with Shen Yuanyi's assurance, at least they had a reason not to scare themselves, and the team continued to move forward.

"You... hello..."

Shenyuan turned his head and saw that it was Ena Kamiyama, who was closer to him in the team. She came closer at some point and didn't look like she was trying to strike up a conversation. Instead, she looked curious and had an overflowing desire to learn.

Without having to look into the future, Shen Yuanyi could already roughly guess why she came.

"Mr. Onmyoji, may I ask, do ghosts and gods really exist? I don't mean to be disrespectful, but... I have never seen these things with my own eyes, but it seems that you are a professional in this field, so..."

Shen Yuanyi smiled and shook the other person's mind. Then, instead of giving an answer, he asked, "What about you? Deep down in your heart, do you believe it exists, or do you think it doesn't exist?"

Kamiyama Ena was stunned for a moment, then seemed to get some answer from her heart, and then spoke with a little hesitation.

"To be honest, I believe it. No matter if it's a ghost or something that cannot be explained by current science, I think there are always some strange things in this world and this universe. Otherwise... wouldn't it be too boring?"

This time it was Shen Yuan's turn to be stunned for a moment and then burst into laughter. Then he seemed to have thought of something and his expression became a little serious.

In the process of planning and gradually making the spell public, they need many different iconic characters to appear in the public eye in order to reduce a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Sometimes people tend to follow the crowd. If they could see some leading figures walking on the unknown road first, then there would be no fear of the unknown and many things would be much simpler.

If we talk about fame, star idols are a good choice. Kei, Otsutsuki, and Itadori were originally going to go in this direction in the future. They will represent the banner of the sorcery world to the outside world.

But in addition to this, we also need some "flags" among ordinary people, who then become pioneers in contact with the world of spells.

Now let's take a look at this popular idol who started her acting career as a child star and has just reached adulthood. Her age is not the best but it is still suitable. If she has certain qualifications, the awakening ritual is probably impossible, but to tap into some cursed power, she does not need to become a high-level sorcerer, as long as she can become a flag, that is enough.

"..."

Just when Shen Yuanyi was about to say something else, his eyes suddenly moved, and then he looked up at the open space in front of him that was almost reaching the ancient ruins.

There, there was a vague figure hidden in the mist, pacing silently and meaninglessly in the woods.

(End of this chapter)