Chapter 395 Nonsense

Mermaid Island is very quiet at night.

The evening breeze carried the salty and humid air, blowing from the distant coast, intruding into Xinfan's nasal cavity, sweeping away the chaos and sleepiness in his brain.

He picked up a path and walked deeper into the increasingly dark forest.

The road below is getting narrower and narrower, and the slope is getting higher and higher. I don’t know when the surrounding light started to change from neon lights and street lights to the full moon above my head.

The moonlight was bright, and because the surrounding environment was dark enough, the moon, which had almost no presence in Tokyo in the past, was now as bright as day.

Nobuhiro's footsteps were brisk, and it didn't take long to reach the halfway point of the mountain.

Apart from the occasional human footprints, the dirt roads here are mostly filled with animal hoof prints. Nobushige also discovered several traps used by hunters to kill game along the way.

Japan, like many countries in the world, has a hunting culture since ancient times. However, as time went by and hunting tools improved and evolved, the game they ate became increasingly larger and more difficult. Perhaps the modern Japanese hunting of whales originated from this.

Suddenly, Nobufan's brisk footsteps stopped.

He stood there quietly without even the slightest movement. You can hear the sound of wind and the calls of nocturnal animals such as owls. Quietness and noisy reach a strange harmony here.

But in addition to these chants of nature, Nobuhiro also keenly noticed some subtle movements hidden among them.

He looked around and his eyes fell on a rope not far away that was the same color as the dead grass.

It was a trap used by hunters to hunt large herbivores. As long as animals of a certain weight stepped on the trap, they would be tied up by rope loops hidden in the canopy.

Question: How can two strangers get to know each other quickly?

Answer: Of course it is the life-saving love and bond between them.

Although it is a bit low-level to accidentally step on a hunter's trap, it is much better than "accidentally" falling off a cliff. At least it is safe.

Nobuhiro moved his legs gently, trying to make as little noise as possible. Except for himself, who could hear some sounds of clothing rubbing against grass and trees, no one else would notice anything.

At the same time, his hearing was also developed to a terrifying degree. He has to distinguish the sound of his attention from the surrounding ambient sounds, and always pay close attention to the distance between the sound and him.

After a while, the voice got closer and closer, and finally passed through the dense forest.

Almost at the same time, Nobushige "accidentally" stepped on the trap, and his whole body was instantly trapped by the oncoming hemp rope.

"who?!"

Shimabukuro Kime asked loudly and alertly.

Nobuhiro's tone was filled with some less obvious shyness. He raised his voice slightly and said, "Is anyone there? I am a tourist who came to Mermaid Island for vacation. I am in some trouble now and need help."

Shimabukuro Kimie's heart dropped slightly, but her face was still full of vigilance.

She walked slowly from the direction of the dense forest and approached Nobuhiro sideways. She was obviously ready to run away at any time if she encountered danger.

When Shimabukuro Kime saw Nobushige's state clearly, she was obviously stunned.

Perhaps it was because of Nobushige's very deceptive and good-natured face, or perhaps because of his extremely embarrassed appearance. In short, after seeing him, Shimabukuro Kimie's vigilance faded a little.

She stared at Xinfan and suddenly burst into laughter: "Sorry, I'm not laughing at you. It's just that this is the first time I've seen someone trapped in a trap."

Nobushige said helplessly: "I don't know much about Mermaid Island. I didn't expect that the residents of Mermaid Island can also hunt. Can you help me untie these ropes?"

"Okay." Shimabukuro Kime agreed readily.

In order to match the disguise of Hisashi Watanabe on his face, Nobushige deliberately chose a pair of loose clothes to make his figure appear thinner. Shimabukuro Kimie looked at it and even felt that even if this man had evil intentions, she could handle it with her own strength and familiarity with the terrain.

"Why are you coming up to the mountain so late?" Shimabukuro Kimie asked as he untied the rope.

Nobushige explained with the excuse he had prepared long ago: "I came to the top of the mountain to look for a plant that only blooms at night."

Shimabukuro Kimie raised her eyes and looked at him, then smiled and said: "There are such magical plants!"

Now she was a little suspicious of this man's purpose. A plant that only blooms at night sounds like something out of a fairy tale to coax a child.

"Plants such as epiphyllum, tuberose, and evening flowers only bloom at night." Nobushige noticed a slight hesitation in Shimabukuro Kimie's movements, and immediately joked, "You don't think I'm lying to you, do you?"

"That's not the case. I'm just curious." Shimabukuro Kimie quickly untied most of the ropes. "Can you turn around? I'll help you untied the ropes at the back."

"Okay." Nobufan quietly put away the knife he had been holding in his hand while turning around.

Hey, he didn't want to do anything inappropriate to other girls. He just thought that if Shimabukuro Kimie refused to save him and had a knife in his hand, at least he wouldn't really be trapped here for a whole night.

Shimabukuro Kimie helped Nobuhiro untie all the ropes, and now she could finally take a good look at the man in front of her.

After being freed from the restraints of the rope, he finally looked a little more pleasing to the eye and not so embarrassed.

"Hello, I am Shimabukuro Kime, the shrine maiden of Mermaid Island Shrine." Shimabukuro Kime stretched out her hand to Nobushige, "Who are you?"

Nobushige held her hand back and quickly separated: "Hisashi Watanabe. I run a sushi restaurant in Tokyo that was passed down from my ancestors."

Shimabukuro Kimie was slightly surprised: "So you're a cook, so your skills must be very good."

"I am far inferior to my father and grandfather. Only when the ingredients are in their hands can they truly gain new life." Nobuhiro explained sheepishly, "To be honest, I came to Mermaid Island this time just to help my grandfather find food. An ingredient used in traditional cuisine.”

"Is it the kind of plant you just mentioned that only blooms at night?"

"Yeah." Nobuhiro started talking nonsense, "My grandfather's health is getting worse. Recently, he has been craving for the red bean rice his father made for him when he was a child. My great-grandfather liked to add spices when making red bean rice, but One of the spices Grandpa only knows is from Mermaid Island, but he doesn’t know what it is specifically.”

"That's it. It's no wonder. No wonder you come up the mountain so late at night. However, Mermaid Island is still very dangerous at night. All the way up from this road, there is a cliff in front of you. If you lose your footing and fall, there is almost no possibility of survival."

"Then why did you go up the mountain at night?" Nobuhiro asked.

Shimabukuro Kimie was stunned for a moment before replying: "I am a miko, and I will help my grandmother feel the mermaid's aura before the celebration."