The Legend of Tokyo Taoist

Chapter 306 The New Year Begins (3)

"Monster?" Hearing this word, Lingtang Yanci was a little emotional. He said, "I didn't expect Mr. Qian would actually want to ask this? It's been a long time since I heard anyone talk about that kind of thing. The last time I saw this word, besides TV programs, was in ancient scrolls left over from the past...

However, I have a question, why did Mr. Qian come to me? Instead of Mr. Ashiya? As a rare great Onmyoji, his research on monsters is much better than ours. If Mr. Qian went to ask him, Mr. Ashiya would definitely tell him everything he knew. "He was very curious about this.

Why did he come to the funeral hall to find Yan Ci? Is there any need to ask? Of course, it was because Qian Xiaoyi didn't trust the old man anymore.

It’s not that Qian Xiaoyi suspected that he had any connection with those monsters that harmed people. After all, Ashiya Yoshisuke was a middleman who was synonymous with "fairness". If people knew that he did such a thing, he would have no chance of continuing.

However, as a broker, or exorcism intermediary, Ashiya Yoshisuke has countless connections, and he might know the mastermind behind those things. If Qian Xiaoyi can find him and get information, then others can also get Qian Xiaoyi's information from him.

After all, Qian Xiaoyi didn't think that his face was more important than money. He and Ashiya Yoshisuke were just casual acquaintances, so he was unwilling to look for Ashiya Yoshisuke.

However, Iwama Shrine is different. First of all, in terms of its status in the industry, Iwama Shrine may not be as good as Ashiya Yoshisuke, but it will not succumb to the other party. It is considered a powerful and independent entity, and it is also very familiar with the surrounding situation.

Then there is the reputation. After Qian Xiaoyi's inquiries during this period of time, he found out that Iwama Shrine has had a very good reputation over the past hundred years. They exorcise spirits honestly and keep to themselves. Sometimes, if there are any vengeful spirits with greater influence in the surrounding area, they will take the initiative to go and exorcise them. Not to mention Tokyo, where cults are rampant, even in the entire industry, they can be regarded as a breath of fresh air.

Finally, there is the other party's inheritance. This kind of ancient family is generally much better at studying ghosts than the half-baked ones like Gui Teng. Not only will you definitely gain something by visiting them, but at least it will be good to exchange experiences.

To sum up, Qian Xiaoyi had been thinking about finding time to visit for a long time, but due to too many commissions before, he had never found the time. Now that he had some free time, he suddenly thought of this, so he took a ride here.

"To be honest, I don't like going to places like the Yellow Springs House." Qian Xiaoyi said, "Although I know he won't do anything to me, I always feel uncomfortable in places like that, as if I had walked into a room full of traps."

"Is that so?" Lingtang Yanci nodded and accepted this reason.

Perhaps in the eyes of some fellow exorcists, the Yomiuri House is a mysterious club where they can drink, exchange information, and take on tasks without feeling any danger. Instead, they feel very safe because with Ashiya Yoshisuke in charge, no one dares to mess around.

But the more powerful the exorcist is, the more they can feel the power hidden in the Yellow Spring House. Unlike their peers, they do not regard Ashiya Yoshisuke as a neutral "authority", but rather regard him as someone of the same level as themselves and who can threaten their existence.

So they will instinctively be wary of that place.

Qian Xiaoyi is undoubtedly an exorcist of this level. "I understand." Lingtang Yanci said, "I am honored that Mr. Qian thought of Iwama Shrine. I am also very happy to communicate with Mr. Qian. So, what exactly do you want to ask? I will tell you everything I know."

Qian Xiaoyi said, "Let's talk about the definition of monsters first. Although our two countries have many similarities in monster culture, differences may gradually emerge in the process of transmission. I would like to understand the views of monsters here first."

When it comes to the definition of ghosts, the Japanese people do not actually make a very clear distinction. Vengeful spirits can be monsters, strange natural phenomena can be monsters, even some weird people can turn into monsters, and even monsters in urban legends are monsters. Unlike Qian Xiaoyi, monsters, elves, and ghosts are clearly distinguished, so he wants to hear what the professionals here say.

"Okay." Lingtang Yanci said, "Then I'll start. According to the traditional definition, the so-called monster is actually a general term for monsters that are born when the filthy energy of heaven and earth gathers on a certain object. But Mr. Qian also knows that among exorcists, in order to distinguish the characteristics of various monsters, there are still differences between monsters, and the definitions of different schools are also different. I will mainly talk about the sayings passed down in my family."

Lingtang Yanci began to talk about his classification of ghosts.

The first is the mythological type, which basically only exists in myths and often exists as the enemy of gods. In some places, they are also worshipped as gods and only exist in ancient books.

Then there are the most common types of spirits. This kind of thing is relatively common to psychics, and often exists in places with extremely heavy yin energy. Only certain vengeful spirits with names are qualified to be called monsters, but those named ghosts tend to be mythical and are basically not seen in normal times.

Next is the category of gods and spirits. Although Shintoism has integrated Buddhist and Taoist cultures, its source is the local shamanism. It believes that all things have spirits, that is, the so-called eight million gods. All existences that mortals do not understand may be materialized as monsters. Here, the boundary between monsters and gods is very vague. Now some rural areas still worship these monsters (gods). This category can only be encountered in very remote places.

Finally, there are the legends.

Lingtang Yanci said: "According to the records, this kind of monster is different from the monsters in myths. There is countless evidence to prove its real existence. In addition to spirits, the ghosts that are most often dealt with by spiritual masters are of this kind."

"Real existence?" Qian Xiaoyi asked, "Do you mean, physical existence?"

Lingtang Yanci looked at Qian Xiaoyi strangely, not understanding why he asked that? If there is no entity, can it still be called a monster? So Lingtang Yanci said, "Yes, this kind of monster often has a physical existence, which may be a person or an object. When the bad luck of heaven and earth gathers on that object, a monster will be derived, and then gradually evolve into a legend, making them more powerful and even affecting the world."

Qian Xiaoyi asked, "You mean, the ghosts in urban legends, such as the Slit-Mouthed Woman, also have physical entities, and their physical entities are hidden in a certain space?"

When talking about the slit-mouthed woman, Lingtang Yanci was silent for a while, and then continued: "Yes, we think so. If Mr. Qian knew what happened 18 years ago, he should know that it would be impossible to cause such casualties if it was not a big monster with a physical body."

(End of this chapter)