The Legend of Tokyo Taoist

Chapter 45 On-the-job Training (4)

"Lesson 3 - How do ghosts affect people?" Qian Xiaoyi took a sip of tea and said, "Generally speaking, there are two ways for ghosts to affect people. Let's talk about the first, which is also the most common way - establishing a connection. Heitaro, have you noticed that if the ghosts you encounter want to hurt people directly, they need some preparation? They are not like in Western horror movies where they suddenly jump out and kill people."

Hearing this, Inuyama Heita said thoughtfully, "It seems... I have never encountered such a situation. The ghosts were able to hurt Harada because Harada whipped them many times, and they established a connection through the willow branches. Apart from that, they really didn't seem to actively attack people. In other words, only when a connection is established can ghosts affect people? But why is it that every time I just accidentally touch the residual soul, I feel obviously uncomfortable?"

Qian Xiaoyi said: "It's very simple, because you have already seen it. As long as you have seen it, it is equivalent to acknowledging its existence in your subconscious mind. This is already a very deep connection."

"That means..." Inuyama Heita's face fell: "We psychics are born with the ability to connect with them and be influenced by them..."

Qian Xiaoyi rolled his eyes and said as a matter of course: "I should have known this a long time ago~ But I wasn't born with this ability. My master opened my eyes for me later in life. But it doesn't matter. Just assume that those of us who can see ghosts are all mentally ill people with the same hallucinations."

"Talking about mental illness or something like that, isn't that too much of an exaggeration?" Inuyama Heita complained.

"If you look at it from a normal person's perspective, that's it." Qian Xiaoyi spread his hands. "Objectively, monsters don't exist. They only exist in people's cognition. Their images are created by human culture and cannot be created out of nothing. Moreover, only people with abnormal mental states can see these things. If this isn't a mental illness, what is it?"

Inuyama Heita looked extremely bad, and muttered to himself: "I am mentally ill... I am mentally ill..."

Qian Xiaoyi said: "It's the same with the magic in those religions. They can only be used in specific situations and cannot affect the real world. Otherwise, if ghosts and magic really exist, I would not be in Japan now, but in a secret state agency, stabbing a doll at the US president."

Inuyama Heita's mind emerged a strange scene of Qian Xiaoyi with two candles tied to his head, stabbing a scarecrow wearing a flowing yellow wig with a needle with a look of resentment on his face, muttering: "I curse you, I curse you, idiot..." This scene made Inuyama Heita shudder, so he quickly shook his head, trying to forget this picture.

Qian Xiaoyi said leisurely: "But you don't have to worry. If everyone around is crazy, then the only normal person will become abnormal. And just like it's not just people with depression who get depressed, ordinary people can get depressed too, so they occasionally get involved in ghost-related incidents, and that's when professionals like us come in... Ahem, the topic seems to have gone a bit off track, where was I just now?"

Inuyama Heita thought for a moment and said, "For a ghost to have an effect on a person, it must be connected to the target."

"That's right." Qian Xiaoyi said, "No matter how the connection is made, such as watching a cursed videotape, entering an abandoned house, picking up a strange doll, or hearing a certain urban legend... As long as it can make people 'recognize' ghosts, it is an opportunity to establish a connection between ghosts and people. That's why I said that as long as we talk about ghosts, we will definitely return to the topic of cognition."

Inuyama Heita seemed to be thinking about something, and then asked, "However, why were the ghosts of the Lucky Mutual Aid Society able to affect the people around their owners? Making them unlucky, and then harming others for their own benefit, etc. Those people should not have a corresponding understanding of these ghosts, right?"

"Yes, that's true." Qian Xiaoyi explained: "So at the beginning, the ghosts didn't affect those people, but their masters. Because of the rhetoric of changing luck, the ghosts made their masters sharper, more confident, and more aggressive, which in turn affected the people around them. This is an indirect influence, so the ghosts can only attack their masters, or that idiot Harada." "I see." Inuyama Heita suddenly realized: "Then as long as we cut off the connection between ghosts and humans, can we eliminate their influence?"

Qian Xiaoyi praised, "You are very talented, Heitaro. There are many methods of exorcism that follow this line of thought. However, this is for future courses. It is too early for you now. And I have already said that establishing a connection is only the first way ghosts influence people."

Inuyama Heita asked curiously: "So what is the second way?" He couldn't think of any other way to achieve this effect except establishing a connection.

Qian Xiaoyi glanced out the window. The originally dazzling sunlight had now become a little dim, so Qian Xiaoyi patted the snack residue on his hands, drank the tea in the cup in one breath, and then stood up and said, "The second way... the time is just right, why not let you experience it for yourself, Heitaro, you should have nothing else to do today, right?"

Inuyama Heita nodded and said, "No, I haven't been to Shanwailou these few days. I took sick leave."

"Very good." Qian Xiaoyi said, "Then let's go out for a walk. I'll take you to an interesting place."

"Where are we going?" asked Inuyama Heita, following Qian Xiaoyi out.

Qian Xiaoyi smiled mysteriously: "You'll know when you get there."

Inuyama Heita was a little nervous. He didn't know what scary place Qian Xiaoyi would take him to and what kind of terrible ghosts would be there.

Qian Xiaoyi first took him to the station, and the two rode the tram through one station after another. The tram was very quiet along the way. Everyone lowered their heads and browsed their phones without talking. There was a strange silence, but this was not a strange scene. This was the unspoken rule of Tokyo trams. After sitting for a while, Inuyama Heita found that not only did they not go to any remote places, but the scenery outside the window became more and more prosperous.

Just when Inuyama Heita dozed off in his seat, Qian Xiaoyi woke him up: "Hey, don't sleep anymore, get off at your stop."

"Yes~" Inuyama Heita yawned and followed the crowded crowd out of the bus.

At the huge intersection, the crowd was like densely packed ants, moving through the intersection in rhythm with the traffic lights, like a precisely operated machine that never stops. Looking at the crowds of people coming and going, Inuyama Heita looked at Qian Xiaoyi with a strange look in his eyes: "So, the interesting place you mentioned... is Shibuya?"

(End of this chapter)