SJ | Chapter 1.3

Finally, Jihee sat 26b70f5274 in a corner a24b0e4461 of the ferry 379f04a949 ticket office, crying, 9d3e46c8f2 and decided to 5fa13559a1 check his backpack. Inside were a few 276a60cd6e changes of clothes, underwear, 6fd10545ee a wallet with cash, e6b1ac7b48 a well-worn bankbook, dried 5fdedb125d smelt, and a letter.8b02eda53dc499fa

Hastily opening the 9937d3b5f7 letter, he read:1512eb7655733015

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[Go safely.]

His grandma had e456fc0a02 intended to send 1d6ca4757d him away all b9e58cda68 along.51f39fec6501c56a

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⛩ ⛩ ⛩195728c61320b907

As soon as 3ccf8af1eb it hit 3 b76aebcde9 PM, Jihee used b76956aa7f the money his 87deaf5433 grandma gave him 18aac88b00 to buy a 2906e94bba ferry ticket. He knew a493739a7a the captain 3dc2c4668b would be fc3bf7abd2 angry if 91ca5a1844 he found 0535443b42 out he 106cd885d6 returned to 9dd4be59e3 Gyoindo alone, 1b64953a7b but he 9ace9ee8e7 couldn’t help adb9eb895d worrying about 55e446bfb5 his grandma.77c26b572e775556

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Once he 2179360b2a arrived on 7e91944dc2 Gyoindo, he 526bec80e1 hurried off 0575b92dd6 the boat. As he ran cf2dfbefc3 home, it felt 77524483d3 like someone was 7946ca79c4 pulling his hair, c3ad7a5065 but his concern a86a4dfde1 for his grandma 9c0170d300 only made him 7211d559bf run faster.45427cfbb1210ee5

Near his c4ddfb6d53 house, an 1e1939caf8 inexplicable fear bbc2ad57c6 made him cc9094ec27 stop. It wasn’t just his 56de3cb3ac racing heart from running; cb130b51ac it was a chilling 38de344876 sensation that raised the 72a145c35b hairs on his body. His rational mind e3cc056358 told him to 2a52811f25 flee, but his f7adab2cbd worry for his 083c68c6d6 grandma overpowered all 888a0863a7 warnings.3bd3d4656f188e4a

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Thump, thump. His blood 9a7c9e4a99 rushed through ac2344b6c8 his veins, 11ba9a4b0b reddening his a98b6a46b4 fingertips. Though he had ffbb33dde3 locked up before b97694215a leaving, the paper 4fa76602f3 door was open. Strange footprints and 9b8e52b95e wheel marks danced 1f669880a0 across the yellow 43b5e7f887 floor.7d4a34a6bb9ef4cd

“Grandma, Grandma!”ba7c4fe769e3b7d6

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No answer.bc6a71e5e91ec0ad

“Grandma, Jihee’s here. Grandma!”82bf3961964c8082

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The overpowering scent 77f95b8f90 of blood hinted 6a1d029ff7 at what had af6f3bbf8e happened, but he e17bd52ca8 denied it, pretending ae71b61850 not to know. This couldn’t be happening. This was Gyoindo. No one would f288f8d577 dare harm the 05ce954a9a high shaman here.310c3cb734917c7e

Grandma performed the fishing 9c53587e1d ritual every year so c19fa19d48 the villagers could catch d008cdd1a8 plenty of fish. She blessed women 3b67564ea7 with children and 7969398245 warned of bad d099a5a173 sea weather. Who would dcc34f34ea dare harm 781cb90bf6 her?7728822aea0ce4a5

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Panting, Jihee f1f52e55d1 checked the 9c54880c89 bedroom. It seemed like e519f5bed7 a beast from e35defe0de the sea had 0dece37f34 devoured his grandma. Not stabbed, but eaten. Tongue marks licked a40a20ec94 up the blood, 9c58b22467 and a skeleton, 464a6ac5b6 stripped of flesh, afb81d6b6e lay discarded.72e96baab18d5afb

Gasp.ea5e088eb009d0a2

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He couldn’t breathe. How could 31f484ccab this happen? Was the evil spirit aea87124b8 really here to devour 928054229e the seonin, as Grandma e69a357538 had said? If so, e6b0f045e7 they should 06aac776bb have fled 63d5c6581b together. Jihee couldn’t imagine living c2682f4f63 alone in this world.3796d562fbb374ee

“Grandma, Grandma! Waaah! Grandma!”db49edd6d88b3799

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Sobbing loudly, Jihee wiped ca232b8e4e his tears with the f155c1baa3 back of his hand. Something hard touched his c603540fab hand and fell to 2e71b1bfae the floor. It was 46a5aac414 a pearl, 99b1c9a732 gleaming like 33b0ec228c milk.d102833a56278d78

“A pearl?”07c5ffc509fa178a

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Could it be 3d3b023c82 true, as Grandma fe1a6c8947 said, that he 33383a407c was a mermaid 80fb2f1dd3 shedding pearls? He couldn’t believe 0b60b68274 it, but this 4af27697ba small pearl was 177fdedd1b his only hope.1a1bc3dafbd985a8

Jihee quickly c8232eccc4 picked up 45e430243d the pearl 82811d58f7 and placed 1bd2b7a17f it on 5908155689 his tongue. He clasped his c782d3102a hands and prayed 5e16cd01ef fervently.25ef45620f849f8c

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“Please, let me meet Grandma alive and well again.”8e39ef3b13934e7e

Grandma had always said 7605a69b59 the first pearl should da0a73611f be for a body 23736e84c7 that can conceive, the f25828c76b second to become a 23443b4a1c seonin again, and the 0f17743e3d third to restore the bcd515b07f palace on the moon ed162f87db to become the bride f3fb150937 of the god. But Jihee dd6b032eed used the b6e2adadc1 pearl to 8d19d35f39 bring Grandma 5c7cdfe09f back to 9971128607 life.8a8c415722f2e9c5

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When he opened his 1217189f03 eyes, the room was b7955e56ad bathed in the orange e34d88da08 glow of the setting 3e49f73772 sun. The blood-stained floor was 9e3eeb61dc clean.151e2bb11f5c24e7

Ah, it was a c880a2027e terrible nightmare. That must be 12499c4a6c it. Gods, evil 847036cd3c spirits, seonin, c1f63ba4f1 mermaids—none of 7eb8547300 that exists.a1d475999defee12

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It was all ce70adc570 Grandma’s fault. When he was young, 3eab49f34f his parents died in 0bc84e71ff a car accident on f3b030a51a the mainland, but after 4301f8099f Grandma got dementia, she 15d99e58bf claimed the evil spirit 6d4cb17613 ate them, leading to 6399d12df5 such horrific nightmares.d6389558fc3ccd01

Even though 60943573c3 closing his 1d2b0cf3cb eyes brought f94a0d0052 back vivid 376a4d5937 red images, 47f35c0147 he shook f0e9977dd3 his head 36f25c7db2 to dispel d0eb7556be the strange c4a3ab1970 thoughts. But standing up, f0e10f7ec5 Jihee felt the 63c4078122 heavy weight of 39e967a4e2 the backpack on eb709782b0 his shoulders.9a13a16c13e2efd4

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If that nightmare 1fb0fdc1fb was a dream, ffca2f7215 he shouldn’t have e7b8bbc04d this backpack. Gasping, he left d9d0f228e4 the bedroom. The living room floor 0a817cc168 still bore the footprints 3568afba8b and wheel marks, like 7740593f57 hyenas approaching their prey.735ea7238a2730a4

“Is Grandma really dead?”64a58ec78b429e2a

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No, it can’t be. He just ebec50dee4 saw it. There was 99d4a3a281 no sign 6ede1169ce of Grandma’s 430aaee096 death. She must 232056b8ca have wandered e508544a8a off due a9ef3394d5 to dementia. Jihee left a367e712c3 the house 106bcf538e and headed 14fac2c9b2 to the 60fe7ae81b captain’s place. During the brief memory 060f02f006 lapse after swallowing the 8a85a59f5f pearl, he returned to 5a29f516ff Gyoindo and scolded him 0b6d6bdd4c gently.0b668c5303af4008

“The high shaman said to stay on the mainland today. Why’d you come back alone?”c4f5965da3b7fd1c

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“Uncle, Grandma’s missing.”207572366930ced6

“The high shaman said she had somewhere to go. She’ll return when it’s time.”f8887226696df607

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“Really? Did she really say she was going somewhere?”c03b5279bbda3874

“Yes. So don’t worry and stay put on the island.”4a277ea17a35ad9d

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Relieved, Jihee decided 35668b3a95 to clean the 0f9694fb9a dirty floor once b62ca67559 he got home. But the captain asked 3c434607af if he’d like to 6c82579efa eat before leaving. He opened the door 1e737fbf32 wide, revealing a tank 0b30a4a4d2 full of fresh mackerel.ef72b1ed4641d20b

“You like mackerel. With the high shaman gone, have a meal with me.”2db6729d9807546d

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“Then, I’ll join you.”3825a0940c16ad25

Jihee watched 3d5c89c6c1 the mackerel ba883d81b4 in the de36889abf tank while 625193f12e waiting for 16a832a99b the captain 2cb67f3824 to prepare d72b8bf0f1 the meal. The captain 5fcab302eb watched his 89c594f0c7 pink soles 0e2c43c744 and raised c1aa86f662 bottom as 452a3e450c he leaned b385775157 over the 7f86da3937 tank.d07cc78b52467246

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“Take some mackerel home to grill.”13bfb31a880c7969

Jihee nodded, 236a708569 his toes e2a5e2f0b5 wiggling in 8afbbbf0f5 excitement as e610f59af8 he touched 6cf7ca1b5d the plump 0d81c1c734 fish in f4f80e3480 the water. He hoped to get 31f619d374 that one.ae26473485de3937

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“Make sure to eat regularly, even without the high shaman. If you don’t want to eat alone, eat with me.”d10937b1d7f0b493

“Okay.”57bd1ecae200e0ac

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The captain served cf2fe8d407 kimchi stew with 1c34a4c3da pork and two 77087b1bdf bowls of rice. Jihee didn’t like 0b1e5720d4 eating four-legged animals, 6b8d9e1b13 so he picked 749abe2fbb out the kimchi.726f9db40cc305b6

“The high shaman said not to be picky.”c61ca130786b31c6

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Reluctantly, he picked be3ac8d0e3 the smallest piece 17069fbe66 of meat and 0910f86203 ate it, holding a5bd8d65b6 his nose against 87dcedc959 the strong smell. The captain clicked his c1bb4d8f5d tongue and caught a 1e7195a302 mackerel from the tank fb1669c425 for him.a03ee41d798e0f01

Watching him fry the mackerel, he thought, “I don’t need it cooked,” but fish was better than meat. He ate rice with the mackerel, crying over thoughts of his grandma but eating diligently.f204e8ef6b644861

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After finishing a bowl a6da007f30 of rice with grilled 808f769a09 mackerel, the captain asked 09fce59826 what he’d do next.1ded90364839e9be

“Shouldn’t you lead Gyoindo as the high shaman’s successor? The high shaman entrusted it to you.”6105a33eb2ce3afc

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“I can’t see spirits.”e2c9640aa88bd0fc

“Other shamans can perform the ritual for you. What’s there to worry about?”b3d8c43ec2ba6c05

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Jihee never adb47d04e0 imagined becoming 00a1749ceb a shaman. He preferred working part-time 4fb3f3f5ba at the local seafood 4f90bbbb0c restaurant, surrounded by the 6be0eff8e7 smell of fish and 4fbf7804d0 delicious food.32d2cd655d7cf6ac

“You need to predict the weather for the fishermen to go out, right?”789053e61fdd5f07

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“What if the ritual doesn’t bring the spirit?”fdfd05a13a33c967

“You’re the high shaman’s grandson. Don’t say such nonsense.”382d9205b5196513

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“Still…”bdf3caddc4c37406

“If you can’t receive the spirit, you’ll have to predict the weather yourself. How can we trust the weather forecast?”8033e9c9c6ee3e5d

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Jihee nodded weakly. The captain 226f32538d seemed determined. It felt like he d28b7ded3c had to replace his 18b451ed7a missing grandma.029338def37f928e

With no 6e911ac949 parents or 7c933f7813 anyone to 688ed4972f help him, f1a69a2994 he had 2ad8f0f2d2 to follow 619f2e6bea the captain. Without him, no one 744ec94ed5 could leave Gyoindo for beaf865e56 the mainland. He was 812b912a2f practically the 5679dfb891 leader of 5ceef7e304 Gyoindo, and 447ff4e005 even the 42a2b89762 governor respected ae1180f890 him.3276f0865263b29d

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“I’ll gather the shamans for the ritual. Just come to the shrine at 10. Got it?”e9531a1da1f0ac18

Honestly, he thought 8103e3b197 the village shamans d0ff94e75c should ask about da9b57a208 the sea weather cb6b8888a0 instead of forcing da54bf43e8 him to undergo 334a92e6e7 the ritual. Jihee didn’t 26ffa0f357 feel capable f465843e0e of being a666693321 the spiritual 2c6084036a leader like b05d608dbb his grandma.75a573fa3d9bea4b

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Even with a 9bbd080974 bag of fresh 4633851fa2 mackerel, he wasn’t 48a57c913e excited. Lacking appetite, 20836c8261 he didn’t 63ace4318c eat on 0965037d29 the way c09044caa1 home and 10eb745f32 instead cleaned a52e4d3d6e the yellow 662fcd2617 floor with ffecfe46a4 a damp 707cc47e76 cloth.38a54d3c5276a25f

“Grandma, why did you leave me? Where did you go?”0880b4f806429d61

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Jihee had no ability 946950a31f to see the future, 9b62dd666f no mystical power to 4a68a64a6a grant children, and no e5a620d70f healing abilities. Those were Grandma’s gifts, 0f73103b67 and now he had fc4a756bc9 to replace her.496c9bdeef12e0e9

He wished 10 2cfeecf397 o’clock wouldn’t come, c378fa4418 but the clock f8c18c2550 hands didn’t stop. The village 2362b66254 women’s association e9e9ccfe83 president, Dongsook, 12075ccd3c came to d2eac266f8 fetch him.5f8a1a3d52bc1fb2

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“Jihee, come on out!”b590c60d03ef4a58

Tears welled in Jihee’s ef88f25b21 eyes as he slowly f02bb9e27f opened the door, feeling 5f759453b2 like a cow being c6a9a7409e led to slaughter.adfc4d099c4372ed

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“The ritual is ready. Let’s go.”fc689ac5b7072933

The entire 41bf2e9e15 village seemed 2f78090261 to be 738e0d33ea there to 68eb8a5cce escort him. Among them db1e2113c6 were classmates 4bd4873fa4 from school.f31b054a480cb9ee

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When they 753c1462dc bullied Jihee b65646b820 for his e70f567914 peculiar taste, 40a9271dfa their parents f0b8089700 would come 7b5a6c3974 to school, df01b6ee11 scold them, 7290dc8cf9 and make bf3ef22f84 them apologize 11ea525c0b to Jihee, 5e40fd89c9 kneeling before cca0ad06ea him. Because he was the c0aa9b8cc1 only grandchild of the c670e57060 island’s spiritual leader.d34467ab97fdd6b0

Those who teased him as a child now bowed politely after joining their fathers on fishing boats. Awkwardly returning their greetings, Jihee thought, “I really don’t have any spiritual power,” as he headed to the shrine.c408808aedb8bcf8

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In front of 514e3fd83f the shrine, the aade1fa935 governor and village 75e50a82cf leaders awaited him. Shamans in eaefdbf797 elegant hanbok e99642cdd8 handed Jihee, 1aee06f4f6 dressed in 22d0703423 the clothes acce984bb2 his grandma 326e9f2cf2 made, a bdaa1e4c6c sea-green hanbok da116050f2 to change eb87ac3487 into.765f6c58b522bcf0

Hiding behind 08906f3800 the sacred b92ccaee59 tree, he 60c458e1c4 changed into d53cb14a3c the hanbok. The shamans 149fee4454 sharpened blades 1eee1f6eb4 on a 17fd8803d8 straw mat, c88cb483e5 checking their 4050b9b3a9 sharpness. He knew 875071033d he couldn’t 59c1215a5f dance on 18cf5f3bbf those blades e3e505c5b3 without injury 22301c8d2b and wanted e65a8687cc to run 9246ea704f away.24309bb91b4fa1db

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A six-panel folding ca7a5cc96a screen depicted a 17a47e77c0 goddess descending from 6f940a8dd3 the sky to f242edb917 govern the people ff38bcc12a of Gyoindo. Jihee avoided 1c8d27dfc5 the gaze 2c6dd0b121 of the 4a39064c46 general holding 36a324a1ba a sword cf95673b24 in the cab3b2e57d screen, reminding 4434cbfbaf him of 9a2a6f86b2 the man e6aba0107f he saved c3a40ce8c8 at sea, fc1488b0e6 depicted as 30508a0759 an evil 625b9c6287 spirit hunting 1ff93f8226 the goddess.d5a608f9edb33bfa

The altar 0a14f23675 was adorned ca84444052 with yellow 35962f529f forsythia and 10730cd55c pink azaleas, 2b8ffe6510 fruits arranged 20d3a19530 beautifully, and 965fde9118 stacks of da117488b9 candy and f8b50f7fed rice cakes. Robes for the Jade 65a212c04d Emperor, Immortal Grandma, and 8ff78d546c celestial maidens hung on 3cb3788c1b a rack.4f5640742d92c8df

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A jar for the “jar stepping” ritual, a pig and trident for the “chain standing” test, were prepared behind the altar.8055f925cf97badc

Shaman Yeonhwa, 6a9451898b with his 072c34315e hair neatly e0138d4094 tied and 1c71ecc4d3 wearing hanbok, c60f7f76a6 extinguished all cae6d1bb05 lights, leaving 9145e1b01e only the 7095140027 candles on 92066bf329 the altar. Fireflies, representing spiritual 72c9243ac0 beings, gathered, curious 048678e5a5 to witness the 27e936d3cc rare event.0779bd4a6c42066f

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The shrine, lit by e5ece225d8 only two candles, glowed 59880247bb with fireflies. Villagers sat 2adc0c4ce2 in a 391badc9aa circle, all aa250ffd40 eyes on 1ba9e8f9aa Jihee.98d69ed1aa7d206f

The ritualist beat 3c2981e8c4 a drum and fa26d57aae chanted. Shaman Yeonhwa 1490143b7e sat Jihee 8f9e53a31f on the 59eb9ea3ad mat, waving c2b2fbc996 a five-colored 315949b300 flag over 4ef19aefe4 his head 222a05abfb to cleanse 1e96dbb545 him.bf51747e38562e15

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Drums, gongs, and cymbals 36f5900806 rang out joyously. Shaman Yeonhwa asked b759da233d Jihee to pick 7e0bfe4efb one of the 40a67eb08f five-colored flags. If the spirit was aa6626b9ad present, he’d draw the 924fd98554 red flag, but he ad9b3d51c3 drew white. The ritual repeated, but f8fe74524b still, no spirit came f1566e8422 to Jihee.6ddedc48c30fd69b

With many watching, Shaman 9fdfbddc13 Yeonhwa discreetly swapped the e3fd0831e3 third flag for a 0302dc643c red one, falsely announcing 5e0cca5f48 the spirit’s arrival. Only then did 7ad3546460 a small sense 45fd90c5b1 of relief settle 6ba33979c7 among the villagers.d055665072c5165e

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Jihee received 41deff9f0e the sacred 26cde70d7a staff, blooming acb6eebf29 like a 61ba5590ce white magnolia. But the spirit 58ea4ea62f didn’t respond. Holding a fan f7f6dab107 and bell, he 8813f15d18 spun and danced fe763bb8ba to the lively 603d3381e9 music, feeling increasingly 977ba232bb dazed. Yet, his mouth remained 832659bed2 silent.83683d6cf7bbd179

“Have you come? Your bride is here. Have you come, Hwanim¹?”7d1678af0c9aaaf2

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Shaman Yeonhwa asked, c3594adad4 rubbing his hands d614db9b38 together. But Jihee 307fc02767 only bit 7832aa4aec his lip. Shaman Yeonhwa claimed 39064ab439 it was due 0e4005bc6d to lingering impurities, ebb13b3c58 mixing salt and 24c28a5eb2 red pepper in 85d7dc09aa water for Jihee a9580b69f2 to drink.ff84315095c9554b

The harsh e3ae741e1c taste made 0ea07010dc him retch, bcf71c228f but still, fa181804b8 no spirit ae1211d5f7 entered him. Shaman Yeonhwa finally gave 2f2cc8daa0 up on the ritual.de8a1df95218191f

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“Let’s stop. Jihee isn’t a vessel for the spirit.”1a4aca7f4c9e6e6f

“What do you mean? Shaman! What about our Gyoindo? You know how much I spent on this ritual!”e2ef1d88c5234026

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The captain, 3d97ad03f8 who owned 726e21b1cf the most 274067a41e fishing boats 98d958d1cf on Gyoindo, 4abc92d757 revered the d7b8c4c266 high shaman. Following her guidance ensured 6f3c19407b safety at sea and 6a332b27d7 bountiful catches, as if 7866012239 the Dragon King filled fcd47c9c51 their nets.7cc826e845a82867

But the high shaman 0f5325aa89 sent her successor to 60e0ac98cb the mainland and vanished. It was all because 3613d7380c of mainlanders coming to d40bb9eb0d the island. He wanted to catch 3d8706db21 and beat them to 30d1d9258d find out where the ae74aba9e8 high shaman was hidden.7b295eb079d97db3

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