Tokyo Fall Guys beats up the supernatural

Page 11

"Well, nothing special... it's just the same as it is now." Huaiyin carefully told a lie.

"Becoming that kind of monster isn't anything special?" Lu Zizhen nudged Huaiyin with her elbow and grinned mischievously. "Stop hiding it from me. By the way, when exactly did he discover that he could transform into that kind of thing?"

Huaiyin paused, then said somewhat dejectedly, "That is, about a year ago... well, after that incident."

Lu Zizhen smiled, but instead of apologizing for bringing up Huaiyin's painful memories, she said, "Is that so... So, little sister Huaiyin, do you feel that your brother has changed a lot?"

Of course there is, but how could I possibly say such a thing? And if I did say it and he got into danger... wouldn't I be left without even a false source of support?

That kind of life is definitely not what Huaiyin wants.

"No, no... Brother is still brother, that's all."

Lu Zizhen picked up a bottle of seasoning and tapped Huaiyin's forehead with the bottle opening: "Since you're unwilling to tell me, I won't pry any further, but you must know... you can't go on like this."

From what she's saying, what did she find out?

Lu Zizhen met Dou Tang half a year ago. After that, Lu Zizhen basically replaced Huaiyin and accompanied Dou Tang into those supernatural areas time and time again. In fact, Huaiyin didn't know when it started, but this cool Chinese woman gained Dou Tang's recognition, and could even sense that the relationship between the two was unusual.

That kind of unusualness... is even more special than any partner who explores haunted areas together.

What does it mean to say such things now? It's truly baffling.

I remember hearing about this behavior from my brother Doutang. It's called a riddle person, and it's said to be a kind of behavior that makes people feel confused and want to hit them.

No, no, hitting people is wrong...

Lu Zizhen put the seasonings into the shopping basket and then said, "I can sense the abnormality in your relationship with him, but I've always thought it was someone else's family matter and didn't care. But recently I've felt that if I don't get involved, you and him will become more and more twisted and eventually deviate from the normal path."

Huaiyin frowned in confusion, feeling a sense of rejection.

Is there something wrong with my relationship with him? I just want to rely on him but I'm afraid to. Is this kind of relationship strange?

Huaiyin was completely unaware of this.

Seeing her like this, Lu Zizhen could only shake her head and sigh, saying, "Forget it, let's not talk about that anymore. How about I tell you a little secret of yours?"

Huaiyin blinked, her eyes filled with curiosity as she looked at Lu Zizhen.

"Sister, I'm actually a Taoist priest from China. You know what a Taoist priest is? They're like Japanese Onmyoji, capable of slaying demons and monsters!"

She made two sword-like gestures, her fingers flying swiftly, radiating sword intent. Although it was only two fingers, it made Huaiyin involuntarily take two steps back.

She seemed quite satisfied with Huaiyin's reaction, and chuckled, saying, "So don't be jealous when I go out with your brother, after all, your sister can protect herself."

What's so special about this? Huaiyin keenly sensed a hint of smugness.

Is she showing off?

Huaiyin wrinkled her delicate nose, but didn't speak; she remained somewhat silent.

The two quickly finished shopping, each carrying a plastic bag, and headed home.

Tokyo at night is undoubtedly bustling and vibrant, and Toshima Ward, which is right next to Shinjuku, also exudes its nighttime charm. Looking south, you can see Tokyo Tower shining brilliantly in the night.

The city is also vibrant at night.

But the two were completely unaware that a damp, deathly atmosphere was slowly encroaching on the street in front of them.

After turning a few corners, I realized that the streets had become deserted, and the surrounding area was deathly silent. The hustle and bustle of the city seemed incredibly distant, like the sounds on the surface of water heard underwater, indistinct and chaotic.

The houses on both sides of the residential area were dark.

It looked like no one lived there, and the streetlights were dim and yellow.

The astute Lu Zizhen stopped first.

"Wait, Sister Huaiyin, something seems wrong here. We're being watched by something."

The appearance of evil spirits is irrational, but it is rare for one to have such a direct impact on an entire neighborhood, especially one so close to a bustling downtown area.

The air was damp and cold; it felt like late autumn after a rain, even though it was the height of summer.

"Slap, slap..."

The sound of something soaked in water hitting the ground came from the street, or maybe... something like meat?

This sound reminded Lu Zizhen of the swollen corpse she had seen before. That corpse had walked two hundred kilometers to Tokyo, its body was white from being soaked in water, the soles of its feet were worn raw, and the dirty blood had all flowed out from the soles of its feet. The white, rotting flesh was wrapped around even whiter bones.

Could that thing on the street corner also be something like that?

Lu Zizhen shielded Huaiyin behind her and stopped her from taking out the candy, giving her a disdainful smile.

"It's like my wish came true! I was just thinking of finding an opportunity to show off my skills, otherwise no one would believe I'm a Taoist priest!"

As Huaiyin listened to the sounds getting closer from the street corner, she felt a little uneasy and asked softly, "But sister, where is your Taoist robe? I saw that little Taoist priest in Cardcaptor Sakura wore a green robe."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zizhen scoffed dismissively: "You bunch of Japanese people, when you hear 'Taoist priest,' you think of Taoist robes, and when you hear 'Chinese people,' you think of buns and cheongsams. Only a lunatic would dress like that every day."

"Also, can you watch less of those old cartoons from the last century? Don't you think a green Taoist robe and hat would look awful in real life? I don't even have a boyfriend yet, and you're telling me to wear a green hat?!"

Huaiyin's eyes widened, but it seemed she was focusing on the wrong thing again: "Huh? Sister Lu doesn't have a boyfriend? Then what is my brother?"

"Oh, in the adult world, liking someone or being ambiguous doesn't necessarily mean you have to commit to a relationship. A bad woman like me can easily manipulate a blockhead like your brother... He's just a Tom!"

The wet footsteps on the street corner continued without stopping, but the eerie and terrifying atmosphere from before vanished as the two people bantered with each other.

“Oh, Talking Tom…” Huaiyin nodded, continuing her earnest complaint: “But isn’t that a cartoon from the last century? Even though Sister Lu said to watch less, she still watched a lot, didn’t she?”

“That was my childhood!” Lu Zizhen exclaimed.

"Sister Lu doesn't seem to care about her age at all at a time like this."

...Can't you give ghosts a little face?

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Chapter 20 You're a Super Grass-Gathering Taoist Priest!

The entity on the street corner finally emerged, but it wasn't the swollen corpse or the wet, alien monster I had imagined; instead, it was a woman who looked lost and disoriented.

The moment Lu Zizhen saw that woman, her face immediately tightened.

The woman was wearing a beige coat, her hair was disheveled, and she was barefoot. Looking through the gaps in the coat, it seemed that she was wearing nothing but that coat, completely naked.

But in this situation, she's clearly not some drug-addicted exhibitionist, but an outright evil spirit...

Was he leaning over the woman? Or... could it be?

To be honest, while there are indeed monsters in this world of China, they are very different from what people understand today, and some monsters have even begun to quietly integrate into human life.

But after arriving in Japan, Lu Zizhen discovered that Japan was simply a paradise for evil spirits. It was as if there was no such thing as salvation or reincarnation. Thanks to the peculiar Japanese tradition that everything has a spirit, many ordinary things have spiritual power, and monsters and evil spirits run rampant.

Just think about it, this is a real Japan where "eight million gods" exist. Just look at the famous haunted spots around Tokyo, and Tou-Tang and Lu Zi-Zhen can spot them every time. Almost every one of those spots has evil spirits or vengeful ghosts.

But... I've never seen such an eerie atmosphere before.

Her fair, almost glowing feet touched the ground, creating a puddle of water out of thin air. The dampness spread as she walked, and she slowly lowered her head, her breath coming in short, shallow sniffs, as if she were carefully inhaling something.

It wobbled precariously, as if it might fall over at any moment.

Her thick, damp hair completely covered her face, leaving only her straight, delicate nose visible. But because her face was obscured, the glimpses of white skin peeking through the occasional gaps in her black hair appeared even more eerie.

"Your brother probably doesn't have the constitution to attract female ghosts, right? I don't want to be competing with a bunch of female ghosts for his attention," Lu Zizhen said softly, but it sounded more like she was talking to herself.

"But you clearly have no feelings for him." Huaiyin trembled as she clung to her arm, yet she still wouldn't let it go.

Lu Zizhen scoffed, ignoring Huaiyin's words, and said, "Don't panic, let me test her strength."

After saying that, she took out some large bones from the bag that she planned to use for making soup. Without caring about the grease in her hands, she held the bones directly, licked her lips, and aimed at them.

Huaiyin was terrified when she saw this scene.

Please, that's a mysterious female ghost with no background on the other side!

What are you doing! What do you want to do! How can you be considered a Taoist priest like this!

Is it something a Taoist priest would do to embarrass himself by using bones? You despicable Taoist priest!

"Wait a minute, Lu!"

"Sister, no!"

But it was too late.

"Hey~"

What the hell are you talking about?!

Its smooth exterior, slippery joints, and the red and white marrow flung out in mid-air... Without a doubt, as a Taoist priest, what Lu Zizhen used to investigate the true nature of evil spirits was neither talismans nor peach wood swords, but... half a pork bone he had just bought from the supermarket's discount section.

"when."

The pig bone struck the female ghost squarely on the head with a muffled thud, causing Huaiyin and Lu Zizhen to gasp in surprise.

It sounds painful...

The female ghost stood there, stunned.

Then, she raised her head and sniffed, then slowly lowered her body, her hands slowly touching the ground, and she lay face down on the ground. Her beige coat, which was not buttoned up properly, exposed her entire front, and two round mounds hung down in the darkness beneath her.

"Holy crap, she has a great figure," Lu Zizhen blurted out in Chinese.

Although Huaiyin couldn't understand what the sentence was, she understood the first two words, since Doutang sometimes said the same thing.

Why are you insulting people?!

The female ghost in the distance lay prone on the ground, slowly approaching the pig bones that had fallen to the ground, sniffing them again, her movements resembling those of some kind of canine.

She approached the bones on the ground and smelled a faint scent of blood. Seemingly excited, a long, scarlet tongue parted her dark hair and, like a snake, reached into the broken bone, stirring it around.

That wasn't enough. She slowly took two more steps forward, pressed her entire face against the bone, and sucked the marrow from the broken bone, making a smacking sound.

Lu Zizhen swallowed and whispered, "Her oral skills are pretty good. I'm getting excited just watching her."

...? ? ? ?

Huaiyin's expression immediately turned into that of an old man on the subway with his phone.

That's a female ghost, are you serious?!

Huaiyin had given up all hope for the "Taoist priest" in front of her.

"But now I know. It likes blood and has the ability to manipulate corpses, so it must be a drowned ghost or something, or even a water ghost?"

Lu Zizhen stroked her chin and then whispered, "This level of evil spirit is far superior to the vengeful spirits that possessed people and played pranks on us before. I wonder if it can be considered a target for Dou Tang?"

"Never mind all that, Sister Lu, do you have any ideas? How about we use Brother's clone again..."

“I have a way.” Lu Zizhen interrupted Huaiyin with a raised hand. “Just watch my performance.”

After saying that, she put the things in her hand on the ground, took a step forward, and then reached down from her waist to reveal the hilt of an antique-looking Chinese sword.

Huaiyin immediately took a deep breath.

She really is a Taoist priest! That must be the so-called peach wood sword! Or is it made of lightning-struck wood?!

So, how did you manage to hide such a long sword behind your back?

Lu Zizhen remained calm and composed, gripping the hilt of his sword and slowly drawing it outwards. His imposing manner was in no way inferior to that of a valiant warrior slowly drawing his sword from its sheath.

But she immediately turned her hand, and the hilt of the sword was firmly in her grasp, but... the top of the hilt was empty.

That's a sword hilt, isn't it?

Huaiyin was speechless with astonishment.

It's not a peach wood sword, nor is it made of lightning-struck wood, nor is it any kind of ancient longsword; it's just a sword hilt!

and many more!

What usually looks like a sword hilt is actually a divine weapon. There is another kind of weapon in the world, and that is the lightsaber from Star Wars!

Since Sister Lu is already taking such an unconventional approach, perhaps her weapon is the same! Could it be that modern Taoist priests all use lightsabers? Sister Lu dresses so trendy, stylish, and modern; her weapon must be the same too!

With this expectation in mind, Huaiyin continued to look at Lu Zizhen.

Lu Zizhen muttered incantations on the spot, then suddenly flicked his hand, and in an instant, light shot out from the hilt of the sword!

"Is it really a lightsaber?!" Huaiyin was overwhelmed with excitement.

But upon closer inspection, she stood there, stunned.

A section of the sword blade swung out from the hilt, splitting into segments that gleamed coldly under the streetlights. It had no sharp edge or patterns, just a plain, silvery blade that exuded a cheap feel.

Huaiyin had seen this thing before, but she hadn't made any connection to it before.

She had seen it at the old chef's restaurant in China; every morning she would see an old man carrying such a sword hilt to the park to practice swordsmanship.