r18novel Page 20
Page 20
"Do Taoist priests make a living by gathering intelligence?"
"New era, new era~ Don't overthink it! Bye-bye!"
Lu Zizhen waved her hand, went out, and then clicked the door shut.
Dou Tang quickly washed up and crawled into his bed in the dark.
There was another hand under the covers. After touching Dou Tang's arm, the hand quickly withdrew.
"What's wrong?" Dou Tang opened his eyes and looked around. Some moonlight shone through the gap in the curtains, and with the help of the dim light, he could see Huaiyin's face.
"What is that knife that my brother brought back?" Huaiyin asked curiously.
"The usual procedure, a spirit medium after a vengeful spirit has disappeared. What's wrong with that?"
"Aren't we going to put it in the bedroom?" Huaiyin glanced at the door next to the TV behind Doutang.
The door was barely noticeable. Huaiyin and Doutang lived in the living room and dining room. In a house of more than 70 square meters, the actual living space for the two of them was only 40 square meters.
The only room felt like a taboo.
Seeing that Huaiyin seemed to have regained some energy, Dou Tang asked helplessly, "Aren't you sleepy anymore?"
Huaiyin smiled a little shyly, leaned closer, and the pleasant smell of toothpaste from her mouth filled Doutang's nostrils.
"I'm curious."
Dou Tang chuckled helplessly, then threw off the covers, got up, and picked up the long knife that was on the floor.
Huaiyin also crawled out of bed. Her pajamas were very loose, and her hands were hidden in the sleeves. She stood upright with her hands behind her back, looking very obedient.
Perhaps this was a kind of fun for Huaiyin; seeing Doutang open that door made her feel closer to him.
Dou Tang slowly pushed open the door.
A foul, chilly smell wafted over.
The bedroom window was covered with heavy white cloth, and all the furniture was wrapped in newspaper, making it look like an abandoned house that no one lived in. It was hard to imagine that this was an apartment room in Tokyo where every inch of land was precious.
This room was filled with all sorts of strange items.
A broken hourglass, an old doll, a twisted and deformed pottery, a jade disc with a somewhat eerie luster... Many of these items are quite valuable antiques, and selling them could significantly improve the lives of the two of them.
However, Dou Tang insisted on not selling them. All the items here had been the source of paranormal events. Even after the vengeful spirits dissipated, these items might still attract evil spirits. Therefore, Dou Tang brought these items back from the locations where the paranormal events occurred and placed them in his home, using them as bait while also keeping an eye on them.
"Would you like to see this knife?" Dou Tang suggested.
"Mm." Huaiyin nodded.
Dou Tang slowly drew the knife from his hand.
"Om..."
A strange thing happened: as the gleaming knife was slowly drawn from its sheath, all the supernatural objects in the room began to tremble, as if they were sensing something.
This scene happens frequently, and Dou Tang has become accustomed to it. Whenever a supernatural item that has just been cleansed of vengeful spirits is put in, something similar always happens. The specific reason is still unknown, but perhaps it is the residual resentment in those items that is merging with each other.
Huaiyin stared at the blade of the long sword with curiosity and surprise. This was the first time she had ever seen a real sword. For a young girl, her knowledge was far too limited.
Think of this
Li, Dou Tang felt a pang of heartache, and then, as if thinking of something, said, "Do you want to touch it?"
"Eh! Is that possible?!" Huaiyin's eyes widened in disbelief.
In the past, Dou Tang would never have dared to let her touch these things!
“Yes, as long as you don’t touch the blade, here.” Dou Tang sheathed the sword, then handed the hilt to Huai Yin.
"Pull it out slowly, don't be afraid."
Huaiyin blushed, reached out her hand, gripped the hilt of the knife tightly, and slowly pulled it out.
"So long...so heavy," she exclaimed.
The sharp, cold light was dazzling. She finally drew the entire knife, gripped it tightly with both hands, and stared at the blade with gleaming eyes. Subtle resentment was slowly flowing throughout the house, as if welcoming a new companion, or perhaps being moved by Huaiyin.
Dou Tang glanced at the subtle, harmless resentment but made no comment.
Looking at Huaiyin, he asked, "How are you feeling?"
“…That’s weird,” Huaiyin said.
"The vengeful spirit on this sword has vanished, and the history it represented has been buried as well. It has been reborn." Dou Tang said meaningfully, "Would you like to learn the way of the sword?"
"Can I...can I?" Huaiyin seemed eager to try.
"If you go to school, that's fine."
Huaiyin hesitated upon hearing this and lowered her head.
Chapter 37 Ren Jun, you truly live up to your reputation!
Seeing that Huaiyin was somewhat resistant, Doutang knew it wasn't the right time yet and said, "It's okay, you can think about it slowly, there's no rush."
He held out the scabbard to Huaiyin: "Sheathe your sword, it's time to sleep."
"Mmm." Huaiyin was still a little reluctant, but she obediently followed instructions, pointing the blade upwards at the scabbard, and slowly sheathed the sword.
"Click."
The cold blade disappeared, and Dou Tang casually placed the long sword on the bed covered with newspaper, among the supernatural objects.
Huaiyin left the room, glancing back every few steps. Doutang took one last look around the room, his gaze sweeping over the various supernatural items, and he could even feel a sense of familiarity.
Their vengeful spirits washed away their worldly resentment and anger within Dou Tang's body, and they roamed in a sea of joy, enjoying the happiness that Dou Tang brought them.
But they remain in the present world, sealed in a dark room, never to see the light of day.
"Good night," Dou Tang suddenly said to the items.
After saying that, he turned around, walked out of the room, and closed the door.
After lying back in bed with Huaiyin, who was already very sleepy, Doutang fell asleep in no time. Doutang held Huaiyin's soft little hand and drifted into the world of Fall Guys.
When he opened his eyes again, his body had transformed into a tall, wolf-headed jelly bean, surrounded by a joyful world of candy and milkshakes.
Beside him, a figure in military uniform kneeling on the ground slowly opened his eyes.
He opened his eyes at the foot of the Ghost Mountain, and everything before him was beyond his comprehension. Born in the Showa era, he had never seen such a magnificent world. The whole world was colorful, and the air was filled with a sweet but not cloying fragrance.
Is this the Yellow Springs?
There are no hells or tortures here, only a wonderful and relaxing atmosphere that makes you feel like you've let go of all your resentment and just want to wander freely in this world.
There are no evil spirits or demons, no Yama or Asura, nothing here.
"Ah..." He let out a long breath, feeling that his body, which had never relaxed even after becoming a vengeful spirit for decades, was now redeemed.
"What are you doing? That's disgusting."
A strange voice came through, a deep male voice mixed with several childish voices.
He was stunned at the foot of the mountain of resentment. He turned his head and found a round, strange person standing in front of him. Judging from the color of his clothes and the stupid headgear, he looked very similar to Dou Tang, whom he had encountered before.
"Ren Jun, you, how did you end up in the Yellow Springs too!" he exclaimed in surprise.
"This is not the underworld," Dou Tang said seriously. "This is the world of Fall Guys."
"Sugar, Fall Guys?"
Clearly, Fall Guys and the like are still too difficult for this old vengeful spirit who died in Showa 20 to understand.
Dou Tang wasn't in a hurry, so he simply sat down and began to explain everything to the people below Yuanling Mountain. Of course, he didn't include his background; he only told them that he was Chinese.
After learning everything, the man at the foot of the Mountain of Vengeful Spirits looked bewildered for a long time before finally saying, "So that's how it is... Ren Jun, are you the representative of the Underworld? The judge who walks on the earth, judging those vengeful spirits who still linger in the mortal world!"
Oh my... are you really that good at bragging?
Pointing to the countless different racetracks floating on the Milkshake Sea in the distance, even including the honeycomb maze floating high in the sky, he said, "And these are the judgments of souls! As you said, only the most outstanding souls, those with sufficient power, can defeat you in these races!"
"Those who fail to pass will be cast into the sweet Yellow Springs, washing away all memories of past grievances and being reborn as powerful Hall Fighters like Ren Jun! Hall Fighters... those who fight in the Hall of Elegance are worthy of respect! No wonder Ren Jun has such great power. The Specium Ray and such are things I've never seen before. It turns out to be the work of a sage!"
"Immortal of China! Lord of Mount Tai! The living Kunpeng! Ren Jun, you truly live up to your reputation!"
"Those who pass the trial are qualified to return to the present world, to be under your command."
Fulfilling a reasonable wish under supervision is both gentle and powerful!
Finally, the spirit at the foot of the mountain knelt down before Dou Tang.
"To be able to be saved by you is truly a blessing!"
Dou Tang remained silent for a long time.
This attitude puzzled those at the foot of the resentful mountain. He raised his head slightly, knelt on the ground, looked at Dou Tang, and asked softly, "Ren Jun?"
Fall Guy slapped his face and let out a helpless sigh.
"Ugh……"
What can I do to save you, my imaginary monster?
"Why do you sigh? Could it be... could it be that I said something wrong? Have I offended you in any way?" The man at the foot of the Resentful Spirit Mountain was somewhat uneasy.
"No, no, it's nothing... You're right, all right..." Dou Tang waved his hand helplessly, then said, "So, do you want to compete?"
He hesitated for a moment at the foot of the mountain, then shook his head and said, "No, I voluntarily agreed to be exorcised by you. If I were to challenge you here, wouldn't that be going back on my word? I would never do that."
What's wrong with you guys... none of you dare to play with me?
Dou Tang sighed and said, "So, is there anything else you want to say?"
"Of course!" The man sat up straight at the foot of the mountain, his posture upright and serious.
"Ren Jun, don't be afraid of what I'm about to tell you."
Dou Tang paused for a moment, about to respond to the joke, but then suddenly realized that this Showa-era guy probably wouldn't understand the mermaid joke, so he said seriously, "Don't worry, I'm a professional, I'm not afraid."
...How come I was still subconsciously making a meme?
Fortunately, he couldn't understand it.
The man at the foot of the mountain nodded: "What you say is absolutely right. Your experience must be far greater than mine. So I will speak."
"In 1941, I was a sailor who graduated from the Naval Academy and worked part-time as a cook. After the defeat in the Pacific War, my brigade was transferred to the coastal defense of Tokyo Bay."
"When our brigade was on a mission and passed by the area near the current academy, we happened to encounter the Tokyo air raids. We had no choice but to take shelter near the academy, which was still a somewhat desolate area at the time. Back then, this was just an ordinary neighborhood in Tokyo."
"Later, due to the extreme ferocity of the air raid, our brigade... along with many civilians, perished here. Helpless, we could only bury them on the spot, because at that time we had received a mission that claimed to change the fate of the nation."
The tone of the voice from the foot of the resentful mountain was mysterious and extraordinary, but Dou Tang couldn't help but want to laugh.
Betting on the fate of the nation... it's a traditional skill.
"But it's clear... we failed. I don't remember exactly how we failed. When I regained my senses, I was already in the academy, guarding against the local resentment."
After saying that, Wanlingshanxia slowly unwrapped the bandages from his face, revealing his true appearance.
That was a face that would give you nightmares.
His face was so ugly it was unrecognizable; it didn't even look as good as when it was wrapped in bandages.
Burns covered every inch of his face, and those grotesque, tumor-like skin told others about the torment he had suffered, while also casting a huge question mark over that tragic past that he could no longer remember.
“Ren Jun, although I can’t remember it clearly, please be sure to guard against the vengeful spirit in the academy. It is still lurking in some corner, waiting for an opportunity to strike. If it is not completely eliminated, the tragedy of 1941 will surely be repeated.”
Beneath the mountain of vengeful spirits, his gaze was resolute as he stared at the wolf-headed jelly bean man before him.
"……I see."
Chapter 38 A Showa Veteran's Paradise Trip
Having received a satisfactory answer, the spirit at the foot of the mountain nodded and said, "Then, Ren Jun, please help me pass on to the afterlife."
Dou Tang hesitated for a moment, then said, "Uh...don't you have any resentment? To be honest, before you, I encountered a vengeful spirit with sentience, but..."
He shook his head in confusion: "You are different from all the vengeful spirits I have ever encountered. You seem to have lost all attachment to the mortal world, yet you still linger here... If you had no resentment, how did you become vengeful spirits?"
Upon hearing this, the man at the foot of the mountain smiled and said, "Ren Jun, I cannot answer this question for you. Perhaps you can find the answer yourself."
He searched for the answer himself... but Dou Tang remained puzzled.
Ultimately, what is resentment? How did these lives become vengeful spirits and evil ghosts? Dou Tang wasn't one to get to the bottom of things, but after seeing the vengeful spirits at the foot of the mountain, he began to ponder this question.
Perhaps, after encountering more advanced evil spirits, the answer will gradually be revealed.
So Dou Tang asked, "What is your full name?"