Tokyo: The evil god doesn't want to be the top star

Chapter 304: A Day Trip to the Shrine
"At least I can save my life, which is much better than I thought..."

"It's not that exaggerated. Although the death penalty system is retained in District 11, successive justice ministers would rather resign than sign for execution, so very few people are actually executed."

Xia Fan did not have much sympathy or apology towards Makoto Shibata.

The other party has fallen into depravity and believes in evil gods, abuses supernatural powers to compete unfairly, and even wants to threaten his life, which is already running out. As an adult, he must be responsible for his actions...

However, Xia Fan couldn't help but sigh at the impermanence of life when he saw that the man who was a classmate in the same school a few months ago suddenly became an "evil assassin" and received a silver bracelet.

"The most abominable thing is this 'Amabie' who makes people sick first and then cures them. He is no different from those witch doctors who fooled the people in ancient times..."

“Is there no way to completely eradicate this evil cult?”

When Xia Fan thought about the fact that Amabie, who claimed to cure all diseases, was actually unable to cure any disease, his back teeth began to itch.

"Based on the locations of the recent visits to the shrines given by Shibata Makoto, the information team conducted a source analysis and preliminarily determined that the enemy was moving towards the route facing the sea in the south..."

"Our mobile team has already headed to the most likely location for secret reconnaissance according to the predicted route. I believe there will be gains soon."

Seeing that Xia Fan was in a low mood, Jinguji Aoi subconsciously stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder...

"Don't worry, as long as we capture the 'Jizi' who is acting as an agent, the faith of Amabie will quickly decline just like the Red God."

Realizing that this action was somewhat intimate, she withdrew her hand as if she had been electrocuted.

"Come to think of it, Mr. Xia Fan is alone, eating Fujiwara's puffs by the river. He really has the leisure time."

Noticing the exquisite "Fujiwara Puff Specialty Shop" gift boxes placed on the ground, Jinguji Aoi's eyes lit up.

"They finished all the boxes, and didn't even leave me any..."

But when she saw that only remnants were left inside the empty box, the light in her eyes disappeared instantly and she puffed up her cheeks quietly.

"Ahahaha, I suddenly felt hungry on the way here, so I just bought some food. Don't be fooled by the size of the box, it's just over-packaged. I only bought one..."

"By the way, Jinguji, you asked me out today and said you wanted to go see some 'real estate project'. It's not really a shrine, is it?"

Xia Fan didn't know how to explain, so he could only laugh dryly and change the subject.

After seeing the Matsudaira clan's "Yinren Yangzhai" real estate project last time, Jinguji Aoi once suggested that Xia Fan "buy a shrine" and promised to take care of it himself.

Because this idea was too fantastic, Xia Fan didn't take it seriously and put it out of his mind long ago.

Unexpectedly, the witch asked him to go out and look at a "real estate project" early this morning.

"Yes, during this period, I have collected information through the Psychic Association about several shrines that are interested in selling their land."

"I will be your guide for today's 'One-Day Shrine Tour'. Please give me your guidance."

Jinguji Aoi put her hands behind her back and puffed out her chest, then turned and walked away along the riverside.

The breeze ruffled her long red hakama, and her charming smile was reflected on the sparkling river surface.

"So, we specially arranged to meet here. Is there a shrine you want to visit nearby?"

Xia Fan stuffed the boxes into the trash can and quickly followed.

"Yes, the first shrine we need to see is in Kanda-cho, across the river."

"Look, you can see the shrine sign from here."

Raising her delicate white hand, Jinguji Aoi pointed to the other side of the river...

In the small courtyard with moss-covered outer walls, above the not-so-wide main entrance, there hung a crooked wooden plaque that looked like it might collapse at any moment. "Is there a shrine hidden in a place like this?"

"According to statistics from the Ministry of Education, there are 85,000 registered shrines in the eleventh district alone. They can be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys."

"That's a lot... But when I think about eight million gods being squeezed into eighty-five thousand shrines, it suddenly seems a little too much. It should fit the population density of District 11..."

"Mr. Xia Fan is really humorous."

The two chatted all the way, crossed the river along the small bridge, and came to the building.

"Poor... God... what is that..."

The completely faded fonts on the rotten wooden plaque made it impossible for Xia Fan to recognize them.

"This is the Shrine of the God of Poverty, where the God of Poverty was once enshrined."

Taking out a key, Aoi Jinguji twisted the rusty lock with great effort, and with a harsh creaking sound, she pushed open the door that had not been opened for who knows how many years.

"P-Poverty God?!"

A damp and rotten smell blew in his face, causing Xia Fan's expression to freeze, and he subconsciously took a step back.

The God of Poverty is a deity in folklore who makes people fall into poverty. He is depicted as an old man with a thin and dirty body, a sad face, and a round fan in his hand. It is said that he likes to hide in the closet when sneaking into people's homes.

The deeds of the God of Poverty are scattered in folk tales, essays, rakugo, etc. in various places. He should be the most despicable, unlucky and unpopular god in District 11.

"This shrine closed down fifty years ago due to poor management and lack of successors."

Aoi Jinguji covered her nose and led the way into the shrine.

The plot of land enclosed by the stone wall is not large. Inside there is only an Edo-style wooden temple and open space serving as the front and back yards.

Because it is adjacent to the Kanda River and has not been taken care of for many years, the interior of the shrine is extremely damp and covered with moss and weeds. The main structure of the temple has also decayed to a great extent. It is no exaggeration to call it a "dangerous building."

"Although it has long been closed, the remaining majesty of the divine power is enough to ensure that no evil spirit is willing to approach this place over the years..."

Aoi Jinguji looked around and confirmed that she didn't find any "supernatural traces", then nodded with satisfaction.

"It seems both reasonable and ironic that a shrine dedicated to the god of poverty closed down due to poor management..."

“Perhaps losing the blessing of the God of Poverty is exactly what the descendants of the shrine want?”

Xia Fan, who followed her in, curled his lips.

"No, the original intention of building this shrine was not to worship the God of Poverty, but to help believers 'get rid of the God of Poverty that possesses their bodies.'"

Walking along the open space in front of the temple, Aoi Jinguji spoke softly.

"What... a shrine built specifically to drive the gods away..."

Xia Fan was unable to digest this logical paradox for a moment.

"That's right. For this reason, the worship process of this shrine is different from that of other shrines..."

The witch pointed to a stone statue in front of the temple...

Although the surface is covered with moss and the outline is somewhat weathered, it can be seen that the appearance is that of an old man with a sad face and holding a round fan, which completely fits the description of the "God of Poverty" in folk legends.

(End of this chapter)