The Legend of Tokyo Taoist

Chapter 397 Huang Quan Invitation (3)

Compared to the twists and turns on Inuyama Heita's side, Qian Xiaoyi did not encounter any gatekeeper monsters after entering Huangquan House. After entering, the lanterns in the house immediately lit up with bright yellow light. After the shoji door that greeted him was opened, there was no passage, but a direct exit.

Feeling the presence of many people behind the door, Qian Xiaoyi curled his lips and said, "Is this considered a VIP passage?"

After walking through the door, the scene in front of me suddenly became clear. This was a building that looked like a restaurant. Lanterns were floating in the air, swaying with their mouths wide open and grinning, providing lighting for the place.

Inside the venue, a group of life-size paper figures were walking around carrying plates with wine glasses on them, and the aroma of wine was everywhere. These paper figures were just like what was meant by paper thin, with round heads and round brains. On their heads were painted the nine-character talisman of the Ashiya family's Yin-Yang Dao, which looked quite strange.

Exorcists dressed in various costumes were standing scattered around the venue, chatting and laughing.

In the center of the venue, there is a large circular pit surrounded by a fence where people can lean on and watch the scenery below. This reminds Qian Xiaoyi of the ancient Roman Colosseum, but the style here is more Japanese. The pit is not as big as the Colosseum, but only half the size of a basketball court.

As soon as Qian Xiaoyi walked out of the door, he heard a pretentious deep voice.

"Hehehe... Another unfamiliar face I haven't seen before... Is he a newcomer?"

A Goth man with exaggerated earrings, heavy eyeshadow, and a black windbreaker leaned against the door, crossed his arms, and said, "Newcomer, don't really think this is a casual place. I advise you to be careful here."

Qian Xiaoyi only took one look at this guy and made a judgment.

"A sorcerer." Qian Xiaoyi thought to himself, "And he's the worst kind."

If you ask why Qian Xiaoyi could see that... it was entirely because the disgusting aura emanating from the other person was too weak. For a sorcerer of Hiruda's level, Qian Xiaoyi would have felt uncomfortable just by looking at his face.

The guy in front of him had a very light smell of curse on him. It was likely that he had never cursed many people. That was why Qian Xiaoyi thought that this guy was a very bad sorcerer.

However, this also means that this guy hasn't harmed many people. He is probably just an amateur. So Qian Xiaoyi didn't say anything bad to him like he did to Hiruda. Instead, he asked politely, "I haven't asked you yet. Who are you?"

"You haven't even heard of my name?" The Gothic man laughed and said, "You are indeed a newcomer~ Then I forgive you... Terao Yu, remember this name! This name will surely resound throughout Tokyo... No, throughout Japan!"

"Tera..." Qian Xiaoyi seemed to be thinking, "What is your relationship with that [cursed witch]?"

"Oh? Do you know that lady too?" Terao Yuu became a little excited: "Yes, I am from that lady's clan! I'm sure you have heard of the exorcist school [Terao Fuyin-ryu], right?"

"I've heard a lot about you." Qian Xiaoyi said without sincerity. He knew nothing.

But Terao Yu seemed to take it seriously. He nodded with satisfaction and said to Qian Xiaoyi, "You are a good newcomer. I will protect you. By the way, which school of exorcist are you from?"

Qian Xiaoyi waved his hand and said, "It's a little-known sect from another place. Even if you tell people about it, people here won't know about it."

Terao Yu said: "Is that so? But it doesn't matter, don't underestimate yourself. If you work hard, one day you will be able to stand firm in Tokyo like me, and let others know your name and style!"

"That's really a good thing." Qian Xiaoyi turned his head to look at the center of the venue and asked, "By the way, what are we doing today? Why are there so many exorcists gathered here?" Terao Yu said, "I see that you have passed the test, so let me tell you~ Today is Mr. Ashiya's birthday."

"Is that so?" Qian Xiaoyi was surprised. "If I had known, I would have bought some gifts for him, something the old man would like."

Terao Yu shook his finger and said, "Although today is Mr. Ashiya's birthday, today is not a birthday party, but the annual exorcist assessment."

"Assessment?" Qian Xiaoyi said with a smile, "Could it be that there is some kind of Exorcist Association here that requires ratings based on performance?"

"The Exorcist Association doesn't have one, but Mr. Ashiya does." Terao Yu said, "This is a step set up to ensure the quality of the members of Huangquanwu. After all, he is the middleman and needs to understand the strength of the members. Every year, new exorcists come to Tokyo to make a living, so it is more convenient to set a time and conduct unified testing. And it's not just that."

Qian Xiaoyi said, "I'd like to hear the details."

Terao Yu said, "Exorcists who have passed the gatekeeping checkpoints and come here are considered qualified for the test. When the time is up, the exorcists can enter the arena in the middle and challenge Mr. Ashiya's shikigami. The higher the level of the challenge, the more prizes Mr. Ashiya will give out after the success. He will record the strength of the exorcist so that he can introduce commissions of similar levels later."

He paused and continued, "It's not over yet. For new exorcists, this is an opportunity to show themselves to others and demonstrate their strengths. Other exorcists can decide whether to cooperate with them in future commissions based on their own needs. Many exorcists will take this opportunity to choose suitable partners to make up for their own shortcomings and avoid accidents in dangerous commissions."

Qian Xiaoyi nodded. If that was the case, this gathering would be very meaningful. After all, for some exorcists who had not yet made a name for themselves, they received relatively few commissions, and this was a good opportunity to promote themselves and increase their chances of receiving some big orders.

You have to know that the commission money obtained from a large commission is not comparable to those marginal ones. It can be said that if you close the business for half a year, it will be equivalent to half a year after opening it.

Just like the previous commission from Masato Shichijo, the amount of money involved is probably the highest in the entire circle.

At this time, Terao Yu lowered his voice and said, "At this point, we have to mention the level division among exorcists?"

Qian Xiaoyi was stunned: "There is such a thing? Could it be that it was also formulated by Mr. Ashiya? How come I never knew about it before? He never mentioned it."

"This... was not formulated by Mr. Ashiya." Terao Yu said a little embarrassedly: "This is the result of discussion among our circle. After all, you see, everyone likes to discuss strength and weakness, and this is especially true for the exorcist industry. So we also divided the strengths of each exorcist according to their battle records."

"Can you tell me about it?" Qian Xiaoyi also became interested.

"Ah... Speaking of this, I'm a little thirsty." Terao Yu looked at a paper shikigami holding a plate with an erratic look in his eyes, and said, "Today is Mr. Ashiya's birthday, so every guest who passes the test can get a free cup of [Dreamlike]..."

Qian Xiaoyi understood immediately. It turned out that this guy was standing here waiting just to cheat the newcomers out of free drinks.

"Uh... I'll give you my glass." Qian Xiaoyi said helplessly, taking a glass of wine from the plate and giving it to him.

"Oh, thank you for your kindness." Terao Yu took it and drank it in one gulp. His eyes were dazed for a while before he sighed, "Huh~ I feel my spiritual power has increased again. The wine of Huangquan House is really well-deserved... Ahem, let me tell you, a newcomer, about the level classification of exorcists in Tokyo, so that you can avoid offending some people you shouldn't offend..."

(End of this chapter)