The Legend of Tokyo Taoist

Chapter 167 Competition Part 7 ()

After they left, Inuyama Heita couldn't wait to ask, "How did you and Ms. Suzuna know that there were problems with those masks? Why couldn't Ken and I see that?"

Ah Jian also popped his head up and asked, "Yeah, Brother Yi, I don't think there's anything wrong with those masks either."

"Because there is indeed no problem with those masks." Qian Xiaoyi said.

"What?!" Ken and Inuyama Heita were very shocked. Inuyama Heita couldn't help asking, "Then how did you find out that Mr. Lin had lost control while wearing those masks?"

Qian Xiaoyi said: "Placement and traces of use. Frequently used masks will be subconsciously placed within easy reach, rather than in a corner where a ladder is needed to reach them. Frequently worn masks will definitely have traces. That Suzuna-chan and I observed this, so we can tell the location of those masks."

"I see." Inuyama Heita said, "Did you quickly gain Mr. Lin's trust through this method? Then how should we hold the exorcism ceremony?"

"I haven't figured it out yet." Qian Xiaoyi seemed to have a headache and said, "I'm not as good as them in this regard, so I have to think of a feasible solution."

"How come?" Inuyama Heita asked, "Isn't the exorcist skills of that Ghost Vine Master completely inferior to yours?"

Qian Xiaoyi said: "But the purpose of this commission is not to exorcise ghosts, but to make the client believe that we are exorcising ghosts and helping him solve his troubles. To get the client's satisfaction, this is the purpose of this commission."

Inuyama Heita thought: "That's true... So Master Kito's image is more advantageous than Brother Oto's?"

Qian Xiaoyi said, "Not only that, he is a local exorcist and has a natural home field advantage. Even if I, a foreign Taoist priest, perform a set of super formal Taoist rituals for the client to see, they will not react at all."

"Then what should we do?" Hearing this, Inuyama Heita asked in frustration, "Aren't we doomed to fail?"

Qian Xiaoyi said, "It's still too early. Don't give up so easily. There are always more solutions than problems. We still have another way to go. Don't forget, in addition to deceiving the client, there is also the option of explaining everything completely clearly. Since it is a psychological problem, then letting Mr. Lin face his own heart and find the root cause is also an option."

Inuyama Heita said, "But didn't you say before that clients like Mr. Lin are always deceiving themselves and won't be easily persuaded?"

"But we have no other choice." Qian Xiaoyi walked over to Nuhuwan, took out the key, and said, "Although it is difficult, this is our only way to defeat the opponent. Get in the car."

"Are we going back?" asked Inuyama Heita.

"No, we have to go to the Noh Theater to find the person in charge now." Qian Xiaoyi said, "Then continue to investigate Mr. Lin's condition and find out the cause of his illness. We must complete the investigation before the other party is ready."

Inuyama Heita asked, "That means before tomorrow?"

"It's even shorter than that." Qian Xiaoyi said, "If I'm not mistaken, Lingnai and Gui Teng will go to Mr. Lin's house tonight and hold an exorcism ceremony under the cover of night. As Sun Tzu's Art of War says, 'War is the art of deception.' It's impossible for them to comply with a mere verbal commission. Whoever satisfies the client first will win."

"Why don't you just ask Mr. Lin himself?" Ajian asked.

Qian Xiaoyi said: "From a psychologist's point of view, he is a patient. It is impossible to evaluate him objectively. He may even deliberately conceal his condition. We have asked most of the questions before. It's time to ask the people around him." He and Inuyama Heita put on their helmets, got on Nuhuomaru, started the motorcycle, drove back the same way, and soon returned to the original theater.

After entering the Noh Theater, Qian Xiaoyi went straight to the previous person in charge and started asking questions. Because it was about the situation of his own pillar, the person in charge did not dare to neglect it, and he answered whatever Qian Xiaoyi asked.

This time, without Suzuna and Kidou Ryuko, Qian Xiaoyi began to inquire carefully about Lin Guangyilang. Finally, they got the information that they had not asked before.

Qian Xiaoyi asked: "...You are his elder, right? When did he start to get involved in this industry?"

The person in charge said, "It started when he was a child. His father and I are good friends. Koichiro's mother divorced when he was very young, and the father and son depended on each other. In order for Koichiro to inherit his legacy, his father trained him very hard every day. He is a very filial child and never complains. Koichiro is very talented, even better than his father. From the moment he stepped on stage, he was better than many adult actors."

Qian Xiaoyi nodded, took out his phone, opened the photo album, handed it to the person in charge to look at, and asked: "I took a few photos of the Noh mask at his home. Can you tell what it is?"

The person in charge took it and looked at it for a while, then read out the names of the Noh masks and said, "Hashihime, Hannya, Tengu, Chusho... These are all the roles that Koichiro is good at."

Qian Xiaoyi asked, "Since he was young? What about his father? Is he also good at it?"

The person in charge was stunned, not knowing why Qian Xiaoyi asked this, but still answered: "Yes, these plays are also what his father is good at, and they are also his best plays."

"I understand." Qian Xiaoyi nodded.

After the person in charge left, Qian Xiaoyi said, "We found the cause of Mr. Lin's illness."

Inuyama Heita asked curiously, "What is it?"

"It's just a guess. Maybe... he really hates Noh." Qian Xiaoyi said.

"Eh?!" Inuyama Heita said in surprise, "Impossible? If Mr. Lin hated Noh, how could he have achieved what he has today?"

Qian Xiaoyi said, "Because he had no choice. His mother left when he was young, and his father was a serious and old-fashioned man who hoped that he could inherit his legacy. Living in such a family, Mr. Lin had no choice but to learn Noh to meet his father's expectations. Ironically, he had a good talent, which allowed him to move forward on this path. Now, he can't let go of this thing."

"But it's just speculation, right?" Inuyama Heita still couldn't believe it and said, "If he hated this job, why didn't he leave here and do something else after his father died?"

Qian Xiaoyi said: "Not everyone can abandon their identity. Noh has become a part of his life. He has invested too much in this profession. He can gain everyone's expectations and praise, and can earn a satisfactory salary. In the future, as he gets older, he will gradually become a respected senior, or even a national treasure-level actor. But he may not even realize that he hates this job from the bottom of his heart. Everything he does is to respond to other people's expectations. He has never tried a life other than this. As this emotion continues to accumulate..."

"He just lost control," said Inuyama Heita.

(End of this chapter)