Soon, according to the scene they saw in Backtrack, the two arrived at the site of the underground ritual under the ice chamber.
"It's this door."
Looking at the tall stone door in front of her, Hidaka Crimson was both nervous and excited. Of course, she still remembered that during the Backtrack, she clearly saw that Shoukata Ryozo seemed to have discovered the secret of the ice room and came here. The moment Shoukata Ryozo opened the stone door, countless white hands reached out from inside and grabbed him, then pulled him in.
This meant that …
"Miss Miasma, that female ghost is also in here!"
Crimson was holding a camera and glaring fiercely at the stone door. Those who knew that she was exorcising a ghost, but those who did not know would think that she was a wife who brought people to catch her husband having an affair with his mistress.
But for Miasma, that was more or less the case.
"I'm not sure. I don't feel any spiritual power … Anyway, let's go in and take a look first."
"But how do we open this door?"
Facing the thick stone door in front of her, Crimson could not help but feel a little lost. The stone door was about five meters high and made of stone. It was extremely thick. Crimson tried to push it open, but it could not be pushed at all.
"There seems to be a device next to it. Do we have to find something and put it on it to open the stone door?"
"There's no need for that."
Miasma shook her head. She clenched Frostmourne and looked at the stone door.
Then, a sword light flashed.
"Boom!!!"
The next moment, accompanied by the flashing sword light, the solid and thick stone door fell to the ground like tofu. Miasma withdrew her sword and let out a long breath.
That felt good …
Although she did not know who made this Starseed, at least that person did not have the hobby of decrypting secrets like the Goddess of Space. Otherwise, she would have had enough of having to find a key to open the door!
"Miss Miasma is really powerful …"
Crimson couldn't help but sigh at the sight of this, even though she already knew that Pi was very powerful. However, watching a petite girl easily chop the five-meter-tall stone gate into pieces, this kind of shock was much greater than when Suan had swung his sword to slay demons and monsters.
"Let's go."
He waved his sword and walked in with Crimson Fledgling.
Behind the stone door was a deep passageway. After walking for a short while, the two of them saw a skinny corpse wearing a kimono at the edge of the passageway. Needless to say, this was the corpse that they had seen in the Backtrack, the one that was captured and brought into the stone door. Just as the two of them arrived, the corpse seemed to have some sort of reaction. A strange, distorted aura emerged from it and gradually took shape.
"Zong Fang Ryozo, wake up."
Just like before, Si stretched out his finger and lightly flicked the edge of the sword. Accompanied by a crisp sound, the originally distorted spiritual energy began to become clear. Then, the shadow of a man appeared in front of the two of them.
"I didn't expect that I could still wake up …"
The man mumbled to himself as he looked around before looking at the two of them.
"I don't know who you are, but since you can come here, you must have some understanding of the situation here …."
"No, we're just passing by."
Bi An silently answered the man's question.
"But we know that you've been studying the secret of the Ice Chamber. I think you should know about the evil spirits in this place and what's going on with the woman in white, right?"
"Oh, of course, of course …."
Perhaps it was because the topic of folklore was his passion, Zong Fang Ryozo suddenly became excited.
"Yes, I've investigated it clearly! What exactly happened in the Ice Chamber that year, and what the secret of the Ice Chamber is!! "
Then, as Zong Fang Ryozo's ghost chattered on, Bi An and Crimson Fledgling learned the deepest secret hidden in the mansion.
According to Zong Fang Liangcang's description, below the ice room, there was a door that led to the Yellow Springs. Once this door was opened, the miasma would envelop everything, eliminating the boundary between life and death, turning the entire world into hell. The Ice Chamber Family was the guardian of this gate. In order to prevent the miasma from flooding in after the gate was opened, they had been guarding the gate and sealing it.
This sealing ritual required several steps.
First was the "Muyin Ghost". The Ice Chamber Family would choose a girl and put a mask with spikes covering the eyes on her face, blinding her eyes, making her the "Muyin Ghost".
Next, the Muyin Ghost would be in the same room with all the seven-year-old girls of the Ice Chamber Family, playing hide-and-seek. The girl who was blinded would be the ghost, and the other girls would need to escape from the hands of the Muyin Ghost.
According to the records, this was not an ordinary game, but a ritual to select the Rope Witch.
In the game, the first girl caught by the Muyin Ghost would become the next Muyin Ghost, and the last girl caught would become the Rope Witch — — because according to the Ice Chamber Family's records, the last girl caught by the Muyin Ghost had the most powerful spiritual power, which could be used to seal the Gate of the Underworld.
After that, the selected Rope Witch would never be allowed to step out of the Ice Chamber Family's door. She would be locked in the room as if she was under house arrest. Ten years later, when the Rope Witch was seventeen years old, the Rope Ripping Ritual would begin to seal the Gate of the Underworld.
The Rope Ripping Ritual itself was very simple. In fact, it was similar to the Carriage Ripping Ritual, except that horses and carriages were not used. The people of the Icehouse family would tie special ropes around the Witch of Rope's hands, feet, and neck. Then, they would wrap the other end of the rope around a mechanism. Then, they would rotate and pull hard, tearing the Witch of Rope's body apart. Then, they would use the rope of the Witch of Rope as a prop to seal the Gate of the Netherworld.
The Witch of Rope, on the other hand, was not allowed to have the slightest nostalgia for the human world. This was also the reason why they put the Witch of Rope under house arrest. When a person was locked up in a small dark room for ten years, she probably had no special hope of living or dying.
"That's too much …"
Hearing Zong Fang Liangzang's story, Crimson covered her mouth with her hands and showed a disgusted expression.
"Why, why must they do such a cruel thing? Isn't there any other way? "
"Theoretically speaking, the Ice Chamber Family's method is indeed valid."
Misuzu thought for a moment and gave an answer.
"Great pain will make people erupt with power far beyond their usual level. The higher the spiritual power of the child, the more it will be like this. Although I don't know where the Ice Chamber Family learned of this method, at least this method is indeed effective. "
"But, but they can find someone to help."
Crimson obviously still did not understand.
"There should be a lot of exorcists like Miss Misuzu in the world. Can't they find a witch or an eminent monk and ask them to help seal the Gate of the Underworld? That way, they wouldn't have to sacrifice those girls so cruelly, right?"
"Ancient Japan was quite closed. They probably never thought of …" Misuzu spread her hands helplessly.
What a joke. There was only one exorcist like her in the entire history of the Earth … Where could they find another one?
After learning the secret of the Ice Chamber Family, the tragedy of the Ice Chamber Mansion was understandable.
Obviously, the Rope Ripping Ritual failed. The Gate of the Underworld opened and miasma gushed out. According to the following records, in order to seal the Gate of the Underworld, the patriarch of the Ice Chamber Family killed everyone in the family and used their souls to suppress the miasma in the Gate of the Underworld.
In the end, this method could be considered a success. But because of this, everyone in the Ice Chamber Family became evil ghosts of the Underworld and were bound here forever.
"Although what he did was not commendable, I have to say that the patriarch of the Ice Chamber Family is really awesome."
Misuzu could not help but praise him when she heard this. Indeed, those rituals were barbaric and bloody, but the Ice Chamber Family did it for the sake of the world. Even when the ritual failed in the end, they did not choose to give up. Instead, they used the lives of their entire family to protect the world from being eroded by the miasma of the Underworld … To be honest, there was really no way to judge this kind of approach.
It was the same in modern society. For example, if a virus was leaked, the entire laboratory would be sealed and no one would be allowed to go out. Although it would be unfair to the people in the laboratory, at least it was better than the virus completely leaking out and spreading throughout the world.
Of course, if this was the United States, they would only care about their own lives. What did the lives of others have to do with them?
After all, freedom was the greatest thing in the world. Without freedom, one would rather die. It was only natural to drag the whole world down with them.
Although Japan was almost the same, there were still a few stubborn people. They were not like the United States, where they were not ashamed but proud, thinking that they were doing it for freedom and that there was nothing wrong with it … .Just like those guys who ran out of the quarantine zone in zombie movies.
If the United States also had a Gate of the Underworld, then Misuzu would not mind using the entire United States to suppress them.
"So, is that female ghost in white also a Witch of Rope?"
Hidaka Crimson still remembered that the female ghost in white also had ropes tied around her hands and feet.
"That's right. She should be the last Witch of Rope, Icehouse Kiki …."
"Huh?"
Hidaka Crimson exclaimed when she heard Zong Fang Ryozo's answer.
"But isn't Kiki a little girl?"
"… … …"
However, Zong Fang Ryozo did not answer Hidaka Crimson's question. After he told her all about his research, he seemed to have fulfilled his wish and gradually disappeared into thin air.
"Let's go."
Hidaka Crimson followed Misuzu and continued forward. Along the way, they encountered many ghosts of the Icehouse. Just as Zong Fang Ryozo said, when the ritual failed, many people of the Icehouse died here. Now, they had all become ghosts, indiscriminately attacking anyone who dared to step into the forbidden area of the Icehouse.
But for Misuzu, this was naturally not a problem.
She raised Frostmourne, and the next moment, the Banshees howled and rushed over, tearing the ghosts in front of them into pieces. After all, the difference in levels between the two sides was obvious. Banshees were like a fully armed army, while these vengeful spirits were at most a militia without any weapons or equipment. When the two sides clashed head-on, it was only natural that they would be defeated by the Banshees.
However, when the two reached the end, they were dumbfounded.
The other end of the passage had completely collapsed and was buried by rubble. This path was obviously completely blocked.
But at that moment, Hidaka Crimson saw a familiar figure.
"Big Brother!!!"
While shouting, Hidaka Crimson rushed to the pile of rubble and looked through the small hole on the other side, only to see Hidaka Mayuzu standing there silently with his back to Hidaka Crimson.
"Big Brother! Big Brother! Can you hear me? Big Brother! Answer me!! "
However, Mayuzu Mayuzu seemed to have not heard Hidaka Crimson's call at all. He walked straight forward and disappeared from Hidaka Crimson's sight.
"… Big Brother …"
Watching her brother leave, Hidaka Crimson collapsed to the ground, giving off the feeling of an ex-girlfriend abandoned by her boyfriend …
Something seems wrong?
Forget it, there's nothing wrong with it.
"He's not in our Space. Let's go! Chase after him! "
Misuzu grabbed Hidaka Crimson, gripped Frostmourne with her right hand, and stabbed at the collapsed rubble in front of her. Soon, the rubble in front of them exploded and turned into a dark cave. Then, the two quickly jumped into it. Then, there was a flash of light in front of Hidaka Crimson, and the next moment, she left the narrow cave and came to an elegant courtyard.
"Here …"
Hidaka Crimson looked around and saw the surrounding bamboo forest, rockery, and ponds. No matter what, the Icehouse Family was a wealthy family. Not to mention anything else, this courtyard would definitely not be too shabby.
But like before, it was still pitch-black as if they had fallen into a bottomless night.
But Hidaka also found that the ice house in front of her was a little different from before.
The ice house that they first came to looked like a dilapidated house that was on the verge of collapse and had not been repaired for years.
Next, Misuzu brought Hidaka Crimson to the ice house where Zong Fangliang hid. Although it was a little dilapidated, it still maintained the function of a house.
But now, this ice house — except for the fact that there was no one, everything else was no different from an ordinary house.
"Miss Crimson."
"I understand."
With two experiences, of course, Hidaka Crimson would not hesitate anymore. She nodded, then stretched out her hand to press the wall next to her, and then a hand held her hand. As a matter of fact, Crimson Fledgling Crimson's heart was filled with anticipation. When she held her hand and placed it on her forehead to feel the warm energy flowing into her body, Crimson Fledgling Crimson felt incomparably intimate and longing.
Soon, when that comfortable feeling appeared again, the scene in front of Hidaka Crimson changed again.
This time, they saw the history of the Icehouse Family.
According to Misuzu, only the most intense emotions and memories could be stored in objects, so they did not need to watch the Icehouse Family members eat and drink. Soon, they found the scene of the ceremony and saw the ceremony — they saw a woman in a white kimono being pressed into the room. The man wearing a ghost mask raised the mask of the Eye Hidden Ghost high and pressed it down on the girl in front of him. Accompanied by a scream, the mask was put on the girl's face, and the two sharp knives inserted in the eyes of the mask also pierced her eyes.
"That's so cruel …"
Although she had heard about it before, seeing this ceremony with her own eyes still made Hidaka Crimson feel uncomfortable.
And after that, it was a game of ghost hunting.
A girl led a group of little girls to play hide and seek in a room. Although it looked happy and harmonious, thinking that it was also part of the ceremony, it was obviously not so pleasant.
In the end, the Eye Hidden Ghost caught the last girl, which was the one that Misuzu and Hidaka had seen before — Hidaka Kiri.
What awaited this seven-year-old girl was ten years of imprisonment.
"… Why did they do this?"
Looking at Hidaka Kiri who was locked in the room in front of her, watching the lively and cute little girl gradually become a silent girl, Hidaka Crimson couldn't help but ask. Misuzu shook her head.
"Simply put, this is their last trace of pity for the victim?"
"Pity? Is this pity? "
"Of course."
Misuzu nodded.
"We all know that the Witch of Rope must die, but death is not a beautiful thing for anyone. If she knows the beauty of this world, then she will definitely be reluctant to leave this world, so she will definitely not want to die. So they want to anesthetize this girl's spirit, so that she will not fear death. To put it bluntly, this is actually like anesthesia before an operation, so that you will not feel anything, so that the operation can be carried out. "
Misuzu explained to Hidaka Crimson, and looked in front of her again.
"It's just that, for this girl, this period of anesthesia is as long as ten years."
Soon, time passed, and soon it was the time when Hidaka Kiri was seventeen years old.
And this year, was also the year when she was going to become the Witch of Rope, and sacrifice herself to carry out the ceremony.
If everything was normal, then there would be no problem.
However, at this time, fate changed.
A stranger came to visit Hidaka Castle. When he was walking in the courtyard, he accidentally met Hidaka Kiri who was looking at the outside world through the window. Seeing the stranger, Hidaka Kiri was so scared that she hurriedly shrank back, not daring to move.
At the same time, Misuzu and Hidaka also saw the stranger's appearance.
That person was …
"Brother?!!"
Hidaka Crimson was stunned and speechless as she looked at Makoto Hidaka, who was wearing a kimono and dressed like a character from a period drama.
After this, what unfolded in front of the two of them was a period drama of love.
Seeing a stranger for the first time made Hidaka Kiri nervous, and her face flushed red as her heart raced.
The second time the two of them met was when Hidaka Kiri went out for a walk. Meeting the stranger again, the two of them chatted. This was Hidaka Kiri's first time chatting with an outsider, and she was quite happy.
The next day, the stranger came to Hidaka Kiri's room and let her out. The two of them chatted about everything under the sun, looking for flowers (literally), and had a great time.
After that, the priest also found out about this, and Hidaka Kiri was forbidden from going out again, while the stranger appeared again and came to her room to chat with her.
After that, the two of them strolled in the courtyard, admiring the cherry blossoms …
Looking at everything that happened in front of her, Hidaka Crimson's expression was extremely complicated, although she also knew that this person was definitely not her brother. But a man who had the same face as her brother was happily flirting with a woman she didn't know … … Crimson Hibiscus Crimson really felt that her head was a little green now.
This naturally caused the Hidaka Family members to feel uneasy. After all, the reason why they imprisoned the Witch of Rope for ten years was to cut off her longing for the outside world and survival. But looking at her red and happy face now, where did she look like someone who was about to die?
If that happened, the ritual might fail!
So in order to eliminate any future troubles, the Hidaka Family quietly killed the stranger, threw his body into the pool, and then told Hidaka Kiri that the stranger had left.
However, Hidaka Kiri was not a fool. She had a very strong spiritual power, and she also noticed the priest's lies and cried for the stranger's death. Obviously, Hidaka Kiri also knew that if it wasn't for her, the stranger wouldn't have died.
So, the ritual naturally failed.
The deep hatred in Hidaka Kiri's heart, her reluctance and sadness towards the outside world tainted the ritual. The seal of the Yellow Springs Gate failed, the rope broke, and the miasma inside the opened Yellow Springs Gate quickly rushed out and devoured everything. Not only did the divine mirror used for the ritual shatter, but the entire Hidaka Family became a dead land.
Then, the Hidaka Family leader who was lucky enough to survive knew that the situation was hopeless, but he still picked up his weapon and killed the rest of the family, using their souls and blood to suppress the spread of the miasma. In the end, he committed suicide in the hall.
"That's too cruel."
Hidaka Crimson couldn't help but say in a low voice when she came to the ritual site and looked at the blood-stained round stone platform and the five mechanisms around it. Tying a girl's hands, feet, and neck with a rope, and then turning the mechanisms to tear them apart … Hidaka Crimson couldn't imagine such a cruel thing.
"Now we finally understand why she's so reluctant to leave your brother. It seems that it's not just because of her good looks."
Kasumi silently complained, while Hidaka Crimson's expression became more and more strange.
"Ugh … Although that's true …"
"Don't you pity her?"
"Of course I feel sorry for her, but … but that's two different things!"
Faced with Qui's question, Crimson Daisy hesitated for a moment before giving an answer.
"No matter what, she is already dead, and my brother is still alive. Besides, even if they look alike, they are still different people! In short, absolutely not! "
Alright, there was no cure for his brother complex.
Soon, the two of them passed through the ritual platform and arrived at the innermost part of the Yellow Springs Gate. And there, they saw Zendong the Hatchling standing in front of the Yellow Springs Gate.
"Big bro!!"
Crimson squealed and ran over to Makoto when she saw it. However, at this moment, the white-clothed female ghost appeared behind Hatsune Hatsune again and hugged him tightly in her arms.
"Let go of my brother!!"
"Crimson …"
Hearing Crimson's voice, Zhen Dong slowly raised his hand, but this time, the female ghost suddenly grabbed him and forcefully stuffed him into her body.
"From now on, we will always be together …"
"Let go of him! He's my brother, not your lover!!"
While saying that, Crimson raised the camera in her hand and pressed the shutter hard at the white-clothed female ghost. Soon, a white light flashed, and the female ghost screamed. But even so, she did not give up on Hatsune Hatsune. On the contrary, several dozen arms suddenly appeared behind her, grabbing towards the Fledgling Hou Crimson!
"Ah, I knew this family ethics drama would end in a fight."
At the same time, accompanied by a sigh, Dusk swung Frostmourne down and easily cut off the white-clothed female ghost's arm that was reaching for Crimson. After suffering such a serious injury, the white-clothed female ghost screamed and retreated. Then, she raised her head fiercely and glared at Dusk and Crimson.
"I say, you should return your brother to him. After all, you're not Nie Xiaoqian, and this isn't Lanruo Temple. If you're willing to give him up, I can give you a quick death. "
"No …"
However, the white-clothed female ghost obviously did not intend to listen to Dusk's advice.
"He's mine … he's mine …! We'll be together forever!!! "
Following the shrill scream of the white-dressed female ghost, countless spirits flew towards the two of them from all directions. They were all people who had died in the tragedy of the Ice Chamber, and now, they had all become part of the Ice Chamber's Misty Spirits.
"Then there's nothing I can do."
Seeing this scene, Dusk sighed helplessly. Then, she raised Frostmourne high in her hand.
The cold wind whistled.
With Frostmourne as the center, a bone-chilling wind spun and erupted, spreading out like a huge vortex. Soon, the vortex absorbed the evil spirits, and they were sucked into Frostmourne with unwilling screams. Even the white arms on Icehouse Kiki's body were torn apart. An invisible force pulled those arms away from Icehouse Kiki's body, then tore them into pieces and disappeared into Frostmourne.
When everything disappeared again, the white-clothed female ghost had returned to Icehouse Kiki's appearance, while Hatsune Hatsune stood behind her with a pale face.
"Brother!!!"
This time, seeing her brother, Crimson Hatsune hurried to his side and looked at him anxiously. Hatsune Hatsune opened her eyes and smiled at Crimson Hatsune.
At the same time, in front of Icehouse Kiki who had collapsed on the ground, the girl in the kimono appeared again. It was Icehouse Kiki when she was young.
She stretched out her hand and pointed at the dark doorway behind her.
"Remember your mission."
After saying that, the girl slowly disappeared. Hearing the girl's words, Ikaru Kiri's eyes gradually regained clarity. She stood up and walked to the front of the black tunnel. She turned around and looked at the crowd. Finally, her gaze fell on Tian.
"Please, help me seal the Gates of the Underworld."
"You mean … you're going to close the door and let me destroy it?"
Dusk raised her eyebrows when she heard Icehouse Kiki's request. Hatsune Hatsune and Crimson Hatsune showed a puzzled expression.
"What's the matter? Miss Dusk? What are you talking about? "
"It's simple."
Looking at the brother and sister, Dusk decided to explain it to them.
"Originally, this ritual was just a temporary seal. Otherwise, it wouldn't need to be sacrificed every few decades. But now that the people of the Icehouse family are all dead, even if we continue the ritual, it will at most be sealed for a few decades, and then it will be opened due to the weakening of the seal. This time, no one will be able to seal the Gates of the Underworld. "
"Then, then what should we do?"
Hearing Dusk's explanation, the brother and sister's faces turned pale. Only now did they realize that this was indeed a problem.
"The way to stop a gate from functioning is to destroy it forever. When it is no longer a gate, it no longer has the ability to 'open'."
Dusk looked at Icehouse Kiki again.
"So, Icehouse Kiki will close the gate from the inside, and then I will completely smash it from the outside. This way, this will no longer be the entrance to the Underworld, and we won't have to worry about any problems."
"Yes."
At this moment, Icehouse Kiki also nodded.
"Closing this gate is my mission."
While saying that, Icehouse Kiki raised her hand, and along with her action, the originally half-opened Gates of the Underworld slowly closed. Then, the ropes that were originally tied to the rocks suddenly sprang up and tied Icehouse Kiki's hands, hanging her in front of the Gates of the Underworld.
Saying that, Icehouse Kiki looked at Hatsune and smiled at him.
"Thank you. It's enough for us to have this memory."
After saying that, Icehouse Kiki looked at Dusk and nodded slightly.
"I'm counting on you."
"I understand."
Hearing Icehouse Kiki's words, Dusk raised the Frostmourne in her hand again.
Soon, the runes on the pitch-black greatsword lit up and turned into a dazzling blue radiance. Then, Dusk gripped the greatsword with both hands and swung it at Icehouse Kiki and the Gates of the Underworld behind her!
Swoosh —!!!
The sword flashed.
The next moment, the Gates of the Underworld behind Icehouse Kiki suddenly broke into two halves, then spun and was sucked into the endless dark void behind it. At the same time, Icehouse Kiki, who was tied to the ropes, was also sucked into the deep Underworld along with the broken door.
But at that moment …. Makoto Hatsune, who was standing on the side, suddenly ran forward. He leaped into the dark and deep tunnel along with the whistling cold wind, and tightly hugged Ikari Kikari who was tied to the door.
"Brother?!"
Crimson was shocked by this scene, and she screamed hurriedly, while Madon turned around and looked at her sister.
"I'm sorry, Crimson, I still can't let her go."
"What are you talking about, come back, brother!!!"
Crimson hurried forward, but at that moment, the whirling gravel had gradually begun to fill up the entire tunnel, so she couldn't get close at all.
"This is something only I can do."
Holding Icehouse Kiki tightly, Hatsune looked at his sister, then looked at Dusk.
"I'm sorry, sister … I'm counting on you."
With these words, Hatsune's figure disappeared at the end of the Underworld. At the same time, the last stone blocked the passage of the Underworld and turned into an incomparably sturdy stone wall.
"Brother …!!!"
At this moment, Crimson threw herself onto the stone wall and burst into tears.
Dusk, who had put down Frostmourne, was stunned to see this scene.
Forgetting his sister because of love? Forgetting his sister because he has a girlfriend?
Is this even possible?!
At that moment, looking at the crying Crimson, Dusk was completely speechless.
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