Tokyo Fall Guys beats up the supernatural

Page 51

Dou Tang lifted the curtain of the izakaya and immediately saw the two girls who had come to the izakaya but were not drinking.

He walked over with a smile, pressed Huaiyin's head down and said, "Well, you two are having a great time eating, leaving me all alone!"

Huaiyin stuck out her tongue and smiled, while Kume Chinatsu said embarrassedly, "Kiryu-kun! I was going to call the police, but Huaiyin insisted that you were alright... Are you really alright?!"

"I'm perfectly fine." Dou Tang pulled over a chair and sat down, smiling as he looked at the table.

The dishes include ginger-braised pork, a favorite among fishermen by the sea; pickled fish made with fresh tuna; and several other side dishes with a seaside flavor.

The two of them ate a rather heavy-flavored main dish: a bowl of ramen each. The springy noodles floated in the brownish broth, and a few pieces of juicy rolled char siu were placed on the side, with oil dripping onto the surface of the soup, making it look very appetizing.

Huaiyin asked curiously, "Brother, is the matter resolved?"

Dou Tang nodded: "It's nothing. I just ran into an acquaintance and let them handle it."

Huaiyin seemed surprised. She had never heard of Doutang having any acquaintances she didn't know, and asked, "Acquaintances? Does brother have any acquaintances in Yagawa?"

Chinatsu Kume listened with great curiosity, her big eyes blinking rapidly.

Dou Tang turned around and called out to the bar, "Hello! One bowl of ramen!" The owner in the kitchen responded, and then Dou Tang took out chopsticks from the chopstick holder, rubbed them together, and said, "It's alright, just a photographer friend in college, someone I met by chance before."

At this point, Huaiyin understood who it was and stopped asking, while Kume Chinatsu also felt it was inappropriate to ask any more questions.

The three chatted as they ate. After swallowing a bite of meat, Chinatsu Kume asked, "Does Kiryu-kun know the itinerary for this school trip?"

Dou Tang shook his head.

Chinatsu Kume immediately became interested. Even the slightest topic of conversation and common ground with Tou Tang made her extremely happy. "Tomorrow, the morning is free time, and the afternoon is for going to the aquarium. The day after tomorrow, we'll start some class activities and some outdoor classes."

"The day after tomorrow, we'll be going into the mountains to visit some famous shrines..." Chinatsu Kume had been looking forward to this school trip for a long time, and once she started talking about it, she couldn't stop.

The ramen arrived, and the three of them ate and chatted, but most of the time it was Kaine and Chinatsu Kume who talked about games.

Just then, Dou Tang received a message on his phone, which was indeed sent by Lu Zizhen.

He blinked; the message actually asked him to go out.

It seems she's finished dealing with that.

Putting down his chopsticks and using the excuse of getting some fresh air, Dou Tang left the izakaya.

This izakaya is right by the sea, with the seawall right outside the door. The noise from the izakaya behind you is blocked by the wooden door, and the sound of the crashing waves fills your ears.

A young girl in a black dress sat on the seawall pier, her long legs slightly crossed.

The slightly bent figure was also placed on top, holding a small cup as it drank alone.

The cool moonlight shone on her slightly purple hair, making her look somewhat dreamlike.

Her expression was somewhat forlorn, and there was an indescribable sense of loneliness, something Dou Tang had never seen in her before.

Dou Tang walked over and praised in Chinese, "What a fine mood you are, enjoying the moon and drinking wine."

Lu Zizhen smiled and said, "You rascal, do we have some kind of karmic connection? How come I keep running into you everywhere I go?"

Dou Tang sat down next to her with a wry smile: "I came here on a study trip, how was I supposed to run into you?"

Lu Zizhen shoved her wine glass into his hand and said, "I've taken care of it for you. Drink a glass of wine as payment."

Dou Tang had just taken the wine glass when he suddenly grabbed her hand and frowned.

"What are you doing? Trying to take advantage of me? You should at least drink some wine and pretend to be drunk first, right?" Lu Zizhen said while pulling her hand away, only to find that Dou Tang was holding it tightly.

Dou Tang looked at her cuff, where there was a bloodstain that was extremely difficult to detect: "What did you do? Whose blood is this?"

Lu Zizhen smiled nonchalantly, picked up the small liquor bottle, poured Dou Tang a glass of liquor, and said, "It's nothing, I just accidentally got some while dealing with something. After all, that person is quite heavy."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not some kind of murderous monster. I just helped them carry that person into the car." Lu Zizhen chuckled, shook the bottle, and then tilted her head back to drink it all in one gulp.

Dou Tang stopped talking nonsense, tilted his head back and drank the scalding hot liquor down his throat, making him click his tongue in amazement.

Looking down again, she found that Lu Zizhen had already walked away slowly, her hands behind her back, standing gracefully in the moonlight.

"Enjoy your trip! You don't need to worry about what's going on here!" she called out, looking up as she walked into the shadows of the house.

Dou Tang put down his wine glass, finding it quite amusing.

How did he know I should care about her when I hadn't even said anything?

She came all this way just to have a drink with me?

Chapter 97 Undercurrent

When the three returned to the house, it was already late at night. Ms. Kyoko was standing at the door with her hands on her hips, her red hair falling behind her, and her face full of anger.

Upon seeing the three, she finally focused her gaze on the tallest one, Dou Tang. When the three arrived in front of her, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Kiryu-kun, no, Kiryu-kun, Kume-kun is one thing, but you're out so late with your little sister by your side, do you think that's appropriate?"

Dou Tang still respected teachers and similar figures, so he bowed deeply and said, "I'm sorry, Ms. Xingzi, some trouble happened tonight and I was delayed."

Ms. Kyoko pursed her lips. Although she still wanted to lecture her, her heart was filled with more concern, so she asked, "What's the problem...? Has it been resolved?"

"It's been resolved. I ran into an acquaintance. Thank you for your concern, teacher," Dou Tang replied truthfully.

Ms. Kyoko's expression softened a bit, but she still spoke with a slightly admonish tone: "No matter what, Kiryu-kun, yes, I'm calling you Kiryu-kun now because you've suffered a lot this past year, and I've heard about your part-time job. I believe you can be considered an independent member of society."

She stepped forward, looking up at Dou Tang with a determined gaze: "But you need to know that in front of me you are still a student, and your sister is only in junior high school. You can't take her running around in a place where you don't know anyone, understand?"

“During the school trip, your teacher will be your guardian. If you need any help, be sure to come to your teacher.” She reached out and placed her hands on Dou Tang’s shoulders. This gesture was somewhat intimate in Japanese social settings, but Dou Tang felt her sincerity even more.

"...I understand, Ms. Kyoko, please don't worry."

Having received a satisfactory answer, she nodded and then wearily pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Alright... Go upstairs and rest. Kume-kun, the girls' room has been reserved for you, go on."

After saying that, Ms. Kyoko covered her mouth and yawned slightly, then waved her hand and said, "Get some rest... Tomorrow morning is free time, but it's best not to sleep in."

"Thank you for your concern, teacher."

Upon entering the residence, most of the students were in their rooms. The sounds of them making noise in their respective rooms could be heard from the corridor. Ms. Kyoko said goodnight and went into a single room on the first floor, while Chinatsu Kume rubbed her eyes.

"Kiryu-kun, and Kaine-ne, goodnight..."

Dou Tang nodded and said, "Get some rest early, good night."

Huaiyin was also extremely sleepy. Her eyes were half-closed, and she couldn't help but lean against Doutang.

After going upstairs with Huaiyin and quickly washing up, Huaiyin had just changed into her pajamas when she grabbed his arm and collapsed onto the bed, starting to mumble incoherently, making it impossible to understand what she was trying to say.

Dou Tang sighed, took a coin out of his wallet, and flicked it, hitting the light switch in the room.

The room darkened, and Dou Tang carefully tucked her in, lay down beside her, closed his eyes, and began to doze off.

There seemed to be some small dark shadows flashing past the window, but Dou Tang didn't pay any attention to them.

He merely opened his eyes slightly, and the dark figures vanished as if they had encountered their natural enemy, disappearing into the darkness.

………………

Outside Kamogawa City is a...

The narrow road leads into the mountains, and the city becomes less and less visible. The fields along the roadside are interspersed with some buildings, making it feel like we've arrived in the countryside.

In fact, Kamogawa City is just a rural area. Apart from the aura of its temples and shrines, the city is not particularly outstanding.

Along the main road, countless country lanes meander in all directions. Whether it's the small houses at the foot of the mountain or the path leading to the shrine gate, they are all interconnected like a finely woven fishing net, with small plots of farmland in the gaps of the net.

Zhenfu Temple is one of the few temples located right next to a main road.

The temple is not large and has only one main building, but it is undoubtedly special because there is an open space behind Jinpukuji Temple that is the temple's cemetery.

It is precisely because of the existence of this cemetery that Shinpukuji Temple receives offerings from the nearby families, thus surviving next to the main road.

However, these are all superficial reasons. The real reason is that Shinpukuji Temple has a lineage that can truly exorcise demons.

The tradition here is the Rinzai sect, which has been passed down since the Kamakura period. The exorcism method is a set of fist techniques. By using fist techniques and a unique way of gathering energy, the exorcists of Shinpukuji Temple can touch and harm unseen beings such as vengeful spirits.

Because it is a temple for exorcising demons, there are no taboos in this temple, and the monks can drink alcohol and eat meat.

At 12:50 a.m., Aida Gaku, the temple's guardian, returned to the temple, but he was driven back with a bandaged knife wound on his thigh.

The priest, now dressed in ordinary clothes, helped him back to the temple. The temple was quiet, except for a young boy sitting at the entrance. Seeing Aida Gaku in this state, the boy quickly went to help him up.

The boy looked concerned and flustered, but Aida Gaku waved his hand.

The three entered the residential area deep inside the temple, sat on tatami mats, and were surrounded by the last cicada chirps of early autumn.

Aida Gaku sat on the ground, taking deep breaths, his face covered in cold sweat.

The priest, his face grim, brandished his useless folding fan and said, "Aida-kun, how do you intend to vent this anger today?"

Aida Gaku glanced at his concerned nephew beside him, stretched his head up, pulled off his wig, revealing a bald head.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Priest Ito, what do you mean?"

Priest Ito waved his fan, smiling, a smile full of malice: "Of course I'm referring to that guy called Mr. Ren, and Miss Lu."

“…Hmph.” Aida Gaku snorted coldly, glanced at his nephew beside him and said, “Koichi, you should go and rest first.”

After the boy left the room, Aida Gaku said, "Priest Ito, I'm sober now."

"So what do you mean?" Priest Ito raised an eyebrow, his handsome face filled with coldness and suppressed anger.

Taking a deep breath, Aida Gaku said, "I spoke recklessly and am not as skilled as others. Should I seek revenge now? The abbot has just passed away. Now Koichi and I are the pillars of Shinpukuji Temple. I cannot act rashly."

A hint of disappointment flashed in Priest Ito's eyes, but he still asked, unwilling to give up, "Aida-kun, don't you think that woman is hateful? Don't you think that so-called Mr. Ren is too arrogant?"

Aida Gaku, on the contrary, calmed down at this moment. He tapped the table with his fingers, making a tapping sound, and looked at Priest Ito with a puzzled expression.

Priest Ito continued to persuade, "Aida-kun, Michiko Sada came from Tokyo and has only been making a name for herself for two years, yet she dares to challenge us. She doesn't give us locals any face at all. Shouldn't we at least try to prove her worth?"

“We’ve already decided to ask for help from the outside world, so what’s the point of talking about saving face?” Aida Gaku shook his head. “From the moment we decided to raise money to hire outsiders to exorcise the demon, the exorcists in Kamogawa City have lost all face.”

“Priest Ito, it’s true that I was impulsive today, but it’s also true that I’m sober now.” Aida Gaku placed his hand flat on the table, staring at the spot where Toudou had parried with his left hand, as if recalling the feel of that punch.

"I am, after all, a monk. No matter how arrogant Mr. Ren or Ms. Lu are, it has nothing to do with me. I only care about the people of Kamogawa City... Please leave."

Priest Ito left with a look of regret and displeasure.

As he drove away from Zhenfu Temple, he suddenly slammed his fist on the steering wheel, veins bulging on his forehead.

He suppressed his anger, his fair face filled with a terrifying, sinister aura. Then, with one hand forming a sword-finger gesture, a small black humanoid talisman flew out of the Zhenfu Temple and returned to his hand.

It failed...

Chapter 98 Mr. Ren's Work

"Crack, crack..."

Hiking boots crunched on the thick layer of fallen leaves, making a sound like dry leaves breaking.

Huaiyin opened her eyes and found herself in darkness, or rather, in a dark valley.

In front of her was the back of a tall man.

“Mr. Ren…” an aged voice came from the front, calling out to someone.

The tall man in front of her responded in a dull voice, "Hmm."

"Mr. Ren, it's just ahead," the aged voice continued.

"Ah."

He replied with his usual indifference.

Huaiyin then realized that she had been dreaming again, dreaming about Ren Doutang's past once more. This made her somewhat happy, as she was happy to be able to delve into her brother's past again.

The valley was dotted with twinkling lights. Huaiyin looked closely and realized it was a place nestled in the valley.

A village nestled in a narrow passage.

But at this moment, the village was deathly silent, and the firelight shone with an eerie green hue, the mixed red and green light looking extremely unusual.

Ren Doutang frowned.

"An entire village was poisoned to death?"

The elderly man walking in front of him, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, shook his head helplessly: "Yes, Mr. Ren... we unearthed a tomb in the mountains here before, and the poisonous water from the tomb flowed into the groundwater, we..."

He began to sob, gasping for breath, the cold night air of the valley filling his throat with a wheezing sound like a bellows.

"The old man is useless, the old man is useless... He watched helplessly as the entire village died, all of them turned into wronged ghosts!"

Hot tears streamed down his aged, wrinkled face. Ren Doutang frowned as the two continued toward the deserted village in the valley.

The old man, leaning on his cane, continued, "But, but I can't call the police. The police don't believe there are vengeful spirits here, but if they come and get killed by the spirits, wouldn't I become a sinner for all time?"