I'm a thankful fox in Tokyo

Chapter 54: Worship, Good Luck

Ayase-zaka is a small hill. It is estimated that it will take less than ten minutes to walk from the bottom to the top. If you walk fast, you can finish it in a few minutes.

The mountain is covered with lush vegetation, mainly red maple trees, as well as some cherry trees, wild cherry trees, etc.

It is early spring now, and from a distance it looks like a sea of ​​pale yellow trees with pink flowers blooming.

The scale of Inari Shrine is not small, but it is definitely dwarfed by the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine.

Apart from anything else, the majestic Thousand Torii Gates are the most impressive one.

The highway is just a few steps outside the Torii Gate, and there is a bus stop not far away, with many vehicles coming and going.

Higashino Yu stood in front of the torii and looked inside. A staircase paved with bluestone slabs went straight up the hill. He could feel that the entire Ayase-zaka was filled with an atmosphere as majestic as a mountain and as deep as the ocean. That was the majesty of the abode of the gods.

Iori Miko stood at the bottom of the stairs and sniffed, her delicate and cute little nose twitching slightly. She gently pulled Higashino Yu's hand and walked up the stairs.

The girl said softly, "Hiya, grandma is making lunch. Today we have tempura and deep-fried pork cutlet."

Why is your nose as sensitive as mine?

Dong Ye Yu was stunned for a second, and was caught off guard when the girl grabbed his hand.

Because he was afraid of pulling the girl down, he walked forward a few steps, stepped into the torii gate, and entered the "divine realm".

The trees on both sides of the stairs swayed in the midday breeze, making rustling sounds, and mottled light and shadows flickered on the bluestone slabs.

Nothing happened. The divine power emanating from the shrine did not bring any effect to him.

It was as if it was just an illusion, a mirage.

If there were no gods in this world, Higashino Yu would even think that he was hysterical.

Is this the air in the shrine?

It seems no different from the outside.

Higashino Yu followed Iori Miko and slowly walked up the stairs. He was a little nervous at the beginning, his body tense, and he was ready to escape at any time.

But after thinking about it for a while, I decided to relax a little.

If Inari God really wanted to do something bad to me, he would have done it long ago when I was training in the apartment. Why would he wait until now?
Higashino Yu then began to observe the scenery inside the shrine with peace of mind.

There are red maple trees planted on both sides of the stairs. The leaves of the red maple trees are light yellow in spring and are not particularly lush, but the branches are dense, which makes people imagine the magnificent scenery in autumn.

At regular intervals, there are stone lanterns donated by believers, with electric lights inside and people's names and other information engraved on the base.

Occasionally, another path would extend from the stairs, ending at a small shrine with a tablet of some god inside, but no statue.

In this island country, Shinto gods generally do not have statues. In the worship hall, there is often just an exquisite mirror placed to symbolize the gods.

This is related to the fact that Shintoism is mainly based on nature worship. It is itself a pantheistic polytheistic belief that regards all kinds of animals and plants in nature as gods, and some foreign gods are also accepted.

Accompanied by the sound of footsteps and the tapping of canes on the stone slabs, a car occasionally passed by on the road below the mountain.

The sound of a whistle coming from afar made Dong Ye Yu, who was walking on the stairs at this time, feel even more quiet.

At this time, Iori Miko was holding Higashino Yu's hand, feeling inexplicably happy, and began to introduce the interior of the shrine in a calm, soft and ethereal voice.

She had only intended to give a brief introduction.

But as we talked, it turned into sharing my past with friends.

The girl was leaning on a cane, but somehow her steps seemed brisk.

This is the first friend she has been waiting for for a long time, and she can't wait to share her own world with her friend.

So Miko wanted to tell Higashino Yu everything she knew, including the years she had spent in this hill, both boring and not-so-boring.

"Tono Nisan, that's the Town Guard Forest. In the fall, their leaves turn red, which is very beautiful. We can play hide-and-seek in it."

"What if I can't find Miko?"

Higashino Yu answered as if he was teasing a child, but his tone was very serious, making people think that he was really troubled by this.

Iori Miko held his hand and shook it slightly: "It's okay, I'll let you go."

After walking up for a distance, the girl pointed to the forest on the left and said.

"There's a stream over here with fish in it. It's very comfortable to put your feet in the water in the summer, but be careful not to get your skirt wet."

Higashino Yu imagined putting his feet in the stream and felt that this seemed a bit immoral.

"Will fish hate this? I heard that water flow is the wind for fish. If the wind smells like stinky feet, they probably won't like it."

Iori Miko blinked and was stunned for a moment, thought about it, and then spoke seriously.

"No, grandma said that Miko is fragrant, so the bad monsters will come to bite me, so she asked me to stay in Ayase Town when I am not in school."

After she said that, she seemed to have realized something and pursed her lips slightly. Dongquan stared at Dong Yeyu with her misty eyes, without looking at him, and began to introduce other places.

Fragrant?

Haha, I have been a doctor for ten years. You don’t need to tell me whether it is a sweet little foot or not. I can tell just by licking it. That’s called professionalism.

Of course, Dongye Yu was not so perverted. He just remembered the jokes from his previous life and felt quite nostalgic for a moment.

How about buying a smart phone?
The old man has served two generations of masters, and it is time for him to retire and enjoy his old age.

Anyway, I have a lot more savings now. When I make more money, I will send some to the orphanage, and buy an Apple phone to see if I can go online when I return to China.

I haven't surfed the Internet for more than ten years. Even in the men's restroom of Tieba, I feel like I want to see if 8U has changed.

Just as she was about to walk up the main approach to the shrine, she met a few old ladies coming down the mountain. They probably knew Miko, so they greeted her with a smile when they saw her.

"Isn't this Miko? Good afternoon, Tomoko is waiting for you to come home for dinner. Look, this child is getting cuter and cuter."

Iori Miko responded very obediently, "Good afternoon, Grandma Yoshiko, Grandma Mari, Grandma Miho. I'm just about to go home."

Several old ladies nodded happily, then turned their eyes to Dong Yeyu who was standing beside them. Their eyes lit up and they looked him up and down for a moment, "Who is this?"

"This is Dongye Nissan, yes."

Iori Miko was stunned and stuck when she said this. She suddenly didn't know how to introduce Higashino Yu.

Your own friends?
Your own brother?
still?

"I am Miko's brother."

Dong Ye Yu took over and said with a smile, seeing that several old ladies looked puzzled, and even looked at them with a scrutinizing look.

They probably thought of themselves as men seducing little girls.

He explained, "My name is Higashino Yu, and I am a junior of Mr. Iori's good friend. I am currently studying in Tokyo. Thanks to Mr. Iori's care, I have become like a brother and sister to Miko. I was hired by the old man to be Miko's tutor on weekends."

Hearing this, several old ladies nodded suddenly and then started talking about their relatives and friends.

"Are you still studying? Where are you studying?"

".Tachibana High School."

"Tachibana High School?! Okay, okay, you have a girlfriend? Young man, our family--"

Seeing that the situation seemed to be turning into a blind date meeting, Higashino Yu was about to make some excuses to get out of it. Iori Miko stood between them calmly, pursed her lips, bowed slightly to the old lady, and spoke in a childish voice without any emotion.

"Grandma Shuzi, Yuzi is hungry and needs to go home to eat. Please talk to me next time. Bye."

As he said this, he pulled Dong Yeyu towards the shrine, leaving the old ladies looking at each other in bewilderment.

After walking a little further away, Iori Miko said softly.

"Grandma often knits with them and chats with them. Grandma Shuzi and the others talk a lot. If I don't interrupt them, I'll miss lunch."

"Correct and sensible."

Dong Yeyu agreed, he was really hungry, and he had had enough of this kind of scene with many relatives and friends in his previous life.

The two quickly climbed to the last step of the stairs.

When you step onto the approach to the shrine, you will see some open spaces on both sides of the outer approach, with signs of use and trash cans provided.

“During the festival, vendors will come in and set up stalls.”

Iori Miko pointed to the empty spaces on both sides of the main approach and said, "They sell teppanyaki, octopus balls, and the like. I like taiyaki. What does Higashino Nissan like to eat? Takoyaki?"

"There are too few octopus tentacles in the takoyaki. I still prefer to eat a whole piece of squid teppanyaki."

Dongye Yu recalled the snack street outside the university in his previous life. The ten-yuan octopus balls had almost no octopus in them, only flour balls.

Simply a profiteer!
"Auntie Kumakura will be selling squid teppanyaki, Miko will bring you over to eat then."

Miko Iori imagined the grand occasion of the Yoshinomiya Festival, with a wide variety of snacks lining the approach to the shrine, tourists in yukatas, beautiful lanterns, and fireworks.

By then, I should be able to go shopping at the snack street with Dongye Nissan, and I can share the money I have saved since I was a child with my friends!

The corners of the girl's mouth curled up slightly, and she suddenly remembered something and pointed to the other end of the shrine: "That's the worship hall, are you going to worship the god, Nissan Tono?"

Higashino Yu looked in the direction pointed by Iori Miko, and first saw the hand water house, which was used to clean the hands and mouths of believers.

Behind the hand-water building is the second torii gate, on which hangs a plaque with the words "Inari-no-Okami" written in gold-painted Chinese characters.

There are two bronze statues of foxes standing beside the approach to the shrine behind the torii gate. Further in, you can see the Tamagashi and the shrine gate - which are somewhat similar to the gates and walls of domestic temples.

However, Yuyuan has some special meaning. Entering Yuyuan means entering the real divine realm.

"Well, when you visit for the first time, you always have to greet the host."

Dong Ye Yu nodded seriously. This was just like paying a visit to the gods. As a monster, it would be very rude not to pay homage to the gods when coming to their residence. He might even offend the gods.

Iori Miko then brought Higashino Yu to the water fountain: "If you want to worship the gods, you must wash your hands here first!"

She picked up the wooden ladle from the sink, scooped some water to wash her hands, and then scooped some water for Dong Ye Yu.

"Thank you."

After washing his hands, Dong Ye Yu found the words "Xi Xin" engraved in regular Chinese characters on the wall of the pool. Thinking of the torii gate and the stone carvings along the way, he sighed that the island country is full of traces of Chinese culture.

After washing my hands, I followed Iori Miko to the front of the worship hall and imitated her, bowing twice, clapping my hands twice, and finally putting my palms together.

"Inari-sama, I want to know if my transformation can be seen through by the demon exorcists."

He prayed to the Inari God, put a five-yen coin into the cash box, and pulled the bell - the island country also likes to use homophones to express auspicious meanings, and five yen means good fate.

The rattle is a large bell hung above the cash box, tied down with a thick rope. Believers can pull the bell to attract the attention of the gods.

Ding ding.

A clear bell sounded, but Dong Ye Yu did not notice any changes.

I did feel the presence of a god in the temple, but He did not seem to respond to me.

"Higashino Nissan, we need to draw lots." Iori Miko on the side reminded in a low voice.

Uh, I thought the gods would send messages directly to me.

Higashino Yu feels that he is not as favored by the gods as Miko. What happened to the saying that Inari God likes foxes?

But if you think about it, there is a big difference between the wild foxes from the countryside and the fox fairies who have achieved success in cultivation.

Thinking of this, he picked up the lot holder beside him, shook it, and drew a lot from it.

The fortune stick reads: Good luck.

The main text below reads, "If you follow the way of Inari, you will have nothing to fear." The last part is the conventional blessing for believers to receive the protection of the Inari god.

What is the way of Inari?
Higashino Yu thought about it and realized that Inari is the god of prosperity, the god of harvest, and the god of rice.

In other words, as long as I don't waste food, everything will go my way?
Or is it that his transformation skills are so advanced that he would not be discovered, and the Way of Inari is just a common term?

Dong Ye Yu didn't expect the answer, but he never wasted a grain of rice, worked and studied diligently every day, which seemed to be in line with the fortune.

He breathed a sigh of relief and felt much more at ease.

Now that I have the guarantee of the gods, I can try to join the ranks of demon hunters and make some money in the future - as a well-known god in the island country, Inari God will not be so idle as to amuse himself.

Higashino Yu decided to go to the appointment with Asuna Sanae in the evening, and see if he could repay Mrs. Sakurada's kindness.

After all, if I break the promise, I will have to return the 50,000 yen to Miss Witch.

"It's a good luck!" Iori Miko's eyes, which were misty in winter, lit up slightly, and she was happy for Higashino Yu's good luck.

She brought Higashino Yu to a big tree with Shuren God and imperial coins hanging on it, and the tree was full of fortune sticks.

The girl pointed at the string that tied the fortune sticks and said, "Dongye Nissan, tie the fortune sticks here, and you will establish a bond with the gods."

Uh, if this was in the previous life, Miko would be a perfect shaman, she is so skilled
Higashino Yu tied the lot with a rope according to Yuko's instructions.

As soon as he tied it, the divine aura as vast as the sea suddenly expanded, and a feeling of panic overwhelmed Dong Ye Yu.

In just a moment, the surrounding scene changed instantly. The sky became hazy and bright to the point of being dazzling, giving people a feeling of purity and holiness.

The surrounding cherry trees are in full bloom, the pale yellow red maple leaves have turned orange-red, and the fragrant breeze occasionally shakes down a few fallen leaves, laying an orange-red carpet on the shrine.

Dongye Yu turned around and looked up with some caution, and suddenly found a person standing on the approach road not far away.

It was a woman, her face was blurry, her figure was tall and plump, she was wearing a shrine maiden's costume, a white dress and red hakama, and she was holding an exquisite large pipe.

Dong Ye Yu could feel her gaze on him, and just when he was about to ask, she just nodded. In the blink of an eye, the scene in front of her changed back.

"Hitsuno-kun, Hitsuno-kun?"

Higashino Yu came back to his senses, looked around with a somewhat rapid breathing, and when he turned his head, he found that Iori Miko's eyes were fixed on the place where the shrine maiden was just now, and Iori Tadamichi was standing next to her.

The old man's expression was calm, and he smiled when he saw that he had returned to normal.

"Higashino-kun, I thought you would come back in the afternoon, but it's just in time. Tomoko prepared a sumptuous lunch. Let's eat together."

There is no time to divide it into chapters today, so I will just post one big chapter.

Thank you for your monthly ticket recommendation. Please vote for me, please collect me, and please read me.

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(End of this chapter)