The Legend of Tokyo Taoist

Chapter 124: Yellow Springs House (5)

"welcome."

Qian Xiaoyi and Inuyama Heita opened the door curtain and entered the pub. The noisy sound suddenly disappeared. A short-haired girl wearing a red kimono bowed to them and said, "Welcome to Huangquan House."

The girl looks about ten years old. She has a serious face, looks well-behaved and lovely, but also full of energy, giving people the feeling of a girl next door.

"Ah, yes." Inuyama Heita returned the greeting subconsciously, then was stunned. Where is the evil Onmyoji?
"Little girl, where are your parents?" Qian Xiaoyi looked at the girl and asked.

The girl said, "Grandpa knows you two are coming and is preparing drinks to entertain the guests. Please take a seat here first."

The two of them sat at the bar. As soon as Inuyama Heita sat down, he felt a sense of being watched. He turned around and saw the little girl holding a teapot, pouring tea and water at a table where no one was.

"There's something over there, but there's a barrier so they can't see each other." Qian Xiaoyi said, "Heitaro, stop acting like a country bumpkin and have some tea first." After saying that, he picked up the cup and took a sip.

Inuyama Heita looked at the steaming tea in front of him with an unpleasant expression on his face. He remembered the story Qian Xiaoyi had told him before.

"Drink it with confidence." Qian Xiaoyi said.

"Is it really drinkable?" Inuyama Heita asked in surprise: "Could it be that this is ordinary tea? I thought that things in places like this were all fake."

Qian Xiaoyi said, "It's indeed fake." Then he took another sip.

"Eh?"

"If I must say so." Qian Xiaoyi looked at the teacup in his hand and said, "This is the 'ghost' of tea, something that only exists in the ghost realm. However, this cup of tea is processed very pure, without any resentment or anything like that. It's okay to drink it. If this were real tea, I wouldn't dare to drink it."

"The...ghost of tea?" Inuyama Heita didn't understand for a moment.

"Mr. Qian has a good eye." An old man with a silver ponytail came out of the kitchen with a pot of wine. He was clean-shaven and wearing a white T-shirt with the word "Huangquan" written on it. He looked like an ordinary izakaya owner. Putting the wine pot in front of the two, the old man smiled and said, "As expected of an exorcist from over there, he could tell it at a glance. You know, many people, when they first came here, were like this Inuyama brother, and didn't dare to touch anything, wasting a lot of good things."

"Let's put the greetings aside for now. What is the address of this old Onmyoji master?" Qian Xiaoyi asked directly, shaking his teacup.

"Old man?" The old man said as he placed his wine glass, "My name is Ashiya Yoshisuke. I'm sure you two have guessed it. Ashiya Doman, who was as famous as Abe Haruaki in the past, is my family's ancestor." When he mentioned the name, a hint of pride appeared on the old man's face.

"Excuse me." Qian Xiaoyi flattered without sincerity. He had no feeling for the name. Then he asked, "So, what is the purpose of Mr. Ashiya inviting us here? You don't just want to treat us to tea and wine, do you? I am really flattered to receive a letter of unknown origin all of a sudden." Ashiya Yoshisuke smiled and said, "Sorry, sorry, although our store is not big, not everyone can come. In order to distinguish between fake and real exorcists, this is the simplest method. Please forgive me if it makes you uncomfortable. But any guest who successfully comes here will be regarded as a distinguished guest of our store. This first glass of wine is free. As for you, brother Inuyama, I will keep it for you until the day you come of age."

He poured the wine into the glass in front of Qian Xiaoyi and said, "This wine is called 'Like a Dream'. Please."

Qian Xiaoyi sighed and said, "Another test? Can't you be more honest? There are so many steps..." He smelled the wine glass, but didn't smell any alcohol. It was as plain as a glass of boiled water.

"Life always has to have some sense of ritual, and this is indeed the fine wine that our store is proud of. It would be a pity if you come here and don't try it." Ashiya Yoshisuke said with a smile: "Please use it, it won't taste good if it's left for too long."

"Okay." Qian Xiaoyi curled his lips. He heard that in the old society, there were many such rules for outsiders to visit the local mountain. It was nothing more than testing a person's courage and ability, so Qian Xiaoyi took it as a life experience. Under the worried eyes of Inuyama Heita, he drank the glass of wine in one gulp, which made Inuyama Heita hold his breath. That was the wine that was said to make people fall into the underworld after drinking it!

"Hmm... this stuff... is a bit intoxicating." After drinking it, Qian Xiaoyi's eyes became a little vague, but after just a few seconds, he shook his head and sighed: "It actually condensed the inspiration of the drunkards in this area. This level of concentration is really not something that ordinary people can drink."

"How is it? I didn't lie to you, did I?" Ashiya Yoshisuke laughed: "It's genuine good wine."

Qian Xiaoyi said, "It is indeed a good wine. For people who like to drink, it is simply the best. They want to drink it once no matter how much money they spend. But whether you can get out alive after drinking it...it all depends on your strength and luck."

"Is it true that he will die?" Inuyama Heita asked in surprise, "So that urban legend is true?"

"Part of it." Ashiya Yoshisuke took back the wine jug and cup, and smiled at Inuyama Heita: "Ordinary people may get drunk to death after drinking this, but I have said before that not everyone can come to this store."

Qian Xiaoyi took a sip of tea and said, "Well, now that I've found the place and drank the wine, can we get down to business? Mr. Ashiya, what is your purpose for inviting us here? Is it related to Gui Teng Longguang?"

“Yes and no.” Ashiya Jisuke said, “I did know you from Kito, but please don’t misunderstand me. He didn’t ask me for anything. I asked you two to come here on my own initiative.”

Qian Xiaoyi nodded: "That's right, how could an exorcist of his level possibly hire a great Yin-Yang master like you?"

"Thank you for your praise. I am not as powerful as my ancestors and cannot be called a great Onmyoji, but..." Ashiya Yoshisuke said confidently, "In the whole Tokyo... no, in the whole Japanese exorcist circle, my words still carry some weight. I will send an invitation letter to every exorcist who comes to Tokyo and wants to achieve something in this industry. As long as they can come here, they are my guests, and the same goes for you two."

"Well, so you are a businessman who runs a store." Qian Xiaoyi nodded and asked, "Then may I ask, what services can I enjoy as a customer of this store?"

(End of this chapter)