manynovel Page 197
Page 197
[Shadow Warrior Crown]
[A descendant of the Emperor, inheriting a treacherous legacy. The bamboo shadows of the Southern Heaven, the hidden spirit of Su Tie. Blessed by the Nine Netherworlds, Hachiman inherits the throne.]
【Shadow Martial Arts Avatar】
[As a being possessing a six-fold transformation of mind and spirit, their nature is unpredictable. They manifest as six bodies that detach from the body, and upon solidifying into human form, each body carries its own martial arts and thoughts, connecting with the original being.]
【Xiangma Crown】
[The Emperor's kin, with his majestic divine might. On the birthday of the Serpent God, a sacred ritual is performed. His body is shrouded in crimson clouds, a shimmering net of malevolent blood.]
[The Killing Nature of the Serpent and Dragon]
[As the usurper of the Great God's bloodthirsty nature, his heart is filled with boundless rage, which manifests as energy that circulates throughout his body. As this ignites his fighting spirit, those nearby will become increasingly agitated, their malevolent thoughts surging forth.]
【Fire Rope Crown】
In mythology, there are monsters that roam the streets, preying on women and children to devour them. These monsters are bound to cartwheels with fiery ropes, yet those very ropes, meant to restrain their ferocity, will one day aid and abet their evil deeds.
【Soul Chain Flame Soul】
[The rope is created by consuming the vital essence that sustains the body, and the flames are ignited by consuming the spirit that sustains the mind. Thus, the fiery rope, capable of harming the very essence of the soul, is born, restless and thrashing like a mad serpent.]
Your current holdings are as follows:
[Low-level vengeful spirit (purified): 303]
【Shining Soul: 1】
[Advanced Evil Spirit (Purified): 0]
[High-level evil spirits (not yet purified): 1]
[True Evil Spirits (Purified): 1]
[True Evil Spirits (Not Yet Purified): 3]
[Purification complete: 304]
Chapter 139 A Man's Words Are Contagious
The efficiency of Mengnan Village exceeded Dou Tang's expectations.
The next day, while Lu Zizhen was still washing up in the bathroom and Huaiyin was still lazing in bed, Xiao Qin, who was wearing a red scarf around her neck, called.
"Hey, are you there?"
Upon hearing Xiao Qin's unique tone on the other end of the phone, Dou Tang fell silent, unsure of how to respond.
"Hello? Hello—?"
"That's weird, the call went through, but no one answered. Ah, nobody spoke~"
Dou Tang sighed and said, "Speak plainly."
"Hey, my dear brother was here all along..."
"Beep beep..."
On the other end, Xiao Qin sat on a beam high up in the factory building, curiously looked at his phone, and said, "Huh, why did they hang up? That's so rude of them!"
The people eating breakfast they bought outside below the factory looked up and started cursing.
"Ugh, I'm speechless! Can't you speak properly?!"
Xiao Qin stuck out her tongue and dialed the number again.
Dou Tang answered the call again, and Xiao Qin quickly said, "Good brother, don't hang up! We've found a clue about that Onmyoji!"
"...Should I come over now?"
"That's for the best."
After hanging up the phone, Dou Tang said to Huai Yin, who was still lying on the floor with her eyes closed, "Huai Yin, I'm going out for a bit. Can you stay home and look after the house?"
Huaiyin raised her hand and waved it to indicate that she understood.
At this moment, Lu Zizhen came out of the restroom and said, "Hey, are you going out now?"
Dou Tang nodded and asked, "And what about you?"
Lu Zizhen yawned.
"I don't have anything planned for today, so I'll probably stay home and sleep in!"
Dou Tang smiled and asked, "At my house?"
"Ok!"
Fine, if she wants to stay here, then she can stay here. At least she can take care of Huaiyin a little.
Dou Tang was planning to just wear whatever he wanted when he went out, but Lu Zizhen stopped him and insisted on putting together a complete outfit for him.
Wearing a suit vest with a long woolen overcoat, and with a half-exposed gold chain of a pocket watch peeking out of the vest pocket, he looked like a gentleman, but Dou Tang said rather helplessly, "Isn't he dressed too formally?"
Lu Zizhen straightened the collar of his wool coat and said, "What's wrong with dressing smartly when you're going out? Blame it on your good figure, it makes people want to try on your outfits."
Dou Tang pondered for a moment and said, "Are you treating me like a dress-up game?"
"Pfft..." Lu Zizhen couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
Dou Tang left the house helplessly.
Upon arriving at the factory, Dou Tang immediately heard shouts and yells echoing through the empty space.
Dou Tang stepped inside and found that the factory was completely different.
The factory, which used to be cluttered with junk and covered in dust, is now spotless. The haphazardly placed furniture has been gathered together and arranged into a cozy living room. Several curtains have been erected to block the view. Apart from the lack of actual walls, this open space has been transformed into a very livable place by the people of Mengnan Village.
Meanwhile, the money that Dou Tang had previously given them had found a new purpose.
Several tables were put together, each with a computer. The men from Mengnan Village were having a great time playing games on the computers, occasionally letting out strange shouts.
"Hey, Shuangya, don't hit me! Stop—you mute, do you even know how to drive?!"
"Little Qin, take this sword, rub!"
"Rua, you think you can be the godfather of the Black Building? Die, you beast!"
Upon seeing this, Dou Tang coughed twice.
The previously chattering crowd suddenly fell silent.
Dou Tang sneered, "You guys are having a lot of fun, huh? You wouldn't use the money I gave you for food and living expenses as a cover, would you?"
So you don't have to pay it back, right?
Xiao Qin said awkwardly, "Ah, well, I can only say, uh, we're also trying to figure something out, um, trying to figure something out."
"So what solution have you come up with?"
Xiao Qin waved his hands and pointed to the computer in front of him: "We can become game streamers! This industry is quite popular right now, and Mengnanzhai has a bright future!"
Dou Tang didn't want to dwell on such trivial matters, so he said, "Alright, let's not talk about that. Didn't you say you had news? What information do you have now?"
Kenny stood up and said, "Last night, our friends in Urayasu City sent us a message saying that an Onmyoji has been appearing there recently. He is nameless and unaffiliated, and has been inquiring about various beast demons."
Upon hearing this, Dou Tang said, "If I remember correctly, Urayasu City is located east of Edogawa Ward, separated by a river... If that Onmyoji ultimately fled, it is indeed possible that he escaped to that area."
Urayasu City is located southeast of Edogawa Ward. Based on the location of the Shinkawa Wastewater Treatment Plant and the previous battle that took place in the park southeast of the plant, it is indeed possible that the Onmyoji continued to flee southeast.
Dou Tang had roughly confirmed the information and said, "Then, I'll contact my intelligence contacts to continue gathering information. What about you?"
"Can we continue slacking off?" Xiao Qin asked weakly.
Shuangya tugged hard on Xiao Qin's ear, snorted, and squinted her eyes, seemingly quite dissatisfied with his cowardly behavior.
Kenny laughed and said, "If you ask us, it's best to join in the fun. If you accidentally kill the Onmyoji, we might never be able to turn back."
"We still need to figure out how to break the spell off from that Onmyoji!"
Dou Tang thought so too, so he said, "Then you guys get ready, I'll take you to see Nurarihyon."
"Nurarihyon, is that the most famous neutral great yokai in Tokyo, Nurarihyon?" A-Tian asked curiously.
"Yes, that's him."
………………
A moment later, an acquaintance from Mengnan Village arrived at the Hua Piao residence in a taxi, following Dou Tang on a motorcycle.
A moment after ringing the doorbell, Yizi, dressed in a kimono, opened the door. When she saw Doutang, she smiled politely. But when she saw the strangely dressed men from the Mengnan Village following behind Doutang, she covered her face in surprise and exclaimed, "Eh, could you all be... the beast demons that Mikazuki mentioned who were turned into humans?"
When Xiao Qin saw Yi Zi's cat ears, his eyes lit up: "Wow, a cat girl!"
"Isn't Catwoman from the Avengers?"
"How embarrassing!" Ah Ji said with a look of disgust, rubbing his short gray hair. "That's DC!"
Dou Tang waved his hand: "Never mind them. It's bound to cause some problems if you change from an animal brain to a human brain. Is Mikazuki here?"
Yizi bowed and said, "Yes, Mikazuki is right here, Kiryu-sama."
Dou Tang raised an eyebrow: "Why do you call me that?"
"Mr. Ren's name is known throughout Tokyo, therefore... I should also address you as 'Sir'."
Dou Tang ignored these trivial details, nodded, and led the strongmen into the mansion.
Behind him, there was a cacophony of chatter. Xiao Qin's tone seemed to have an infectious power, and the people around him seemed to lean towards him when they spoke.
Dou Tang helplessly covered his ears.
Chapter 140 Mikazuki's Thoughts
In late autumn and early winter, the trees in Nurarihyon's garden gradually wither, and the bright red fallen leaves cast shadows on the pond. The ornamental carp occasionally swim across the fallen leaves, leaving ripples and crimson marks.
Dou Tang followed Yi Zi through the corridor, looked at the scenery in the courtyard, and said, "Winter is coming..."
“Yes, Kiryu-sama.” Yizi crossed her hands in front of her, perfectly embodying the image of a Yamato Nadeshiko, and smiled. “In winter, this garden may lack some vitality, but as Nurarihyon-sama said, it also has a more desolate atmosphere.”
The men of Mengnan Village looked towards the courtyard. Ah Ji, who was originally a penguin, seemed very interested in the carp in the pond, but he was being pulled along by Ah Tian beside him, looking back every few steps.
The group slowly arrived at the guest room where Nurarihyon was, and as expected, Nurarihyon was still sitting on the tatami mat, leisurely drinking tea.
Seeing Toudou enter, Nurarihyon laughed heartily, raised his glass, and said, "Should I call you Mr. Ren, or Mr. Kiryu?"
"Whatever." Tou Tang sat down cross-legged in front of Nurarihyon. He didn't care what others called him. Anyway, as he became more and more famous, his true identity as Kiryu Tou Tang would be impossible to hide.
"Alright then, Mr. Ren." Nurarihyon raised his hand to pour tea for Dou Tang, then looked at the people who sat down behind Dou Tang and said, "Hmm... it seems that these are the beast demons who were turned into humans. I think I've heard of your name before, the so-called Mighty Man Village in Hokkaido, is that right?"
"So we're that famous?" Kenny raised an eyebrow, asking curiously.
Nurarihyon took a sip of tea and calmly said, "No, it's just because I know a lot."
Dou Tang, on the other hand, turned his head with some curiosity and said, "I didn't realize you were from Hokkaido."
Xiao Qin nudged Fatty A-Tian next to him and said, "Because of this guy, this guy is a polar bear, and he drifted all the way to Hokkaido with the ice floes."
"Later he said he wanted to go out and see other parts of the world, so we set off for Tokyo."
Just then, the sliding door next to him made a sound, catching Dou Tang's attention.
Mikazuki, dressed in casual clothes, stepped out and looked...
Lai was a little excited. He looked at Dou Tang and said happily, "Hey, you're here!"
Dou Tang nodded and said, "Xiao Qin and the others found some information, so I brought them here to Nurarihyon to investigate."
Mikazuki nodded to Koharu and the others, then said, "Then... then you'll be going with them later, right?"
"Of course."
Mikazuki breathed a sigh of relief, then waved his hand and said, "Come here for a moment, I'll give you... I'll give you something."
Dou Tang raised an eyebrow and first looked at Hua Piao.
Nurarihyon seemed to have no intention of getting involved in this matter. He closed his eyes and said, "I'll talk to the men of Mengnan Village about some intelligence-related matters, and then report to Mr. Ren in a unified manner. Mr. Ren, please go ahead and do your work."
Upon hearing this, Dou Tang looked behind him and said, "Then, you guys discuss it with Nurarihyon first. He has a lot of information about Tokyo and should be able to help you. We'll talk about it when I get back."
"Go ahead without worry, dear brother," Xiao Qin waved his hand.
Dou Tang got up and walked towards Mikazuki. The two left the reception room and came to a dimly lit wooden corridor with paper doors on both sides.
As soon as Mikazuki pulled him into the corridor, Dou Tang saw Xue Qing, with white hair, kneeling on the ground to the side, her precious sword hanging at her waist, her hands on her knees, her eyes closed in meditation.
Dou Tang raised an eyebrow and pointed at Xue Qing. Mikazuki, who was holding his hand, chuckled and said, "He kneels here every day, just waiting for any commotion in the reception room so he can rush out to help. With him around, Nurarihyon can receive guests with peace of mind."