Demon Capital Slayer

Chapter 98 The New Dog God Messenger
What a wonderful day it is today.

At least that's what Toshio Sakurai thought before he opened the door and went downstairs.

I just finished a case. It was just a regular infidelity investigation, but the client was very generous with the money. Holding up the photos, he exclaimed that he could finally get rid of that "mother Yokozuka" (the highest rank in Japanese sumo wrestling).

Despite a minor incident later on, it turned out that like attracts like, as the client's wife also happened to hire another detective to follow him. As a result, the two had a showdown at the entrance of the agency, and it seemed that something unspeakable was about to happen.

Fortunately, Toshio Sakurai provided timely after-sales service, successfully averting a potential tragedy.

Mr. Tanaka, you should at least give something in return, right? Giving seventy or eighty thousand yen wouldn't be too much, would it?

He happily walked downstairs, still in his insane dog-god form.

Then they bumped head-on into a strange cultivator who exuded a terrifying aura.

The feeling is hard to describe, like a rabbit seeing the fleeting shadow of an eagle on the ground, like a mouse seeing a cat's ears peeking out from behind a wall, even if it could be Batman, like...

In short, the dog's spirit in Sakurai Toshio's body barked loudly in his ear, its barks all screaming "retreat, retreat, retreat!"

"Don't come any closer!" Sakurai Toshio lost his footing and instead of retreating back to the second floor of the office, he tumbled down the stairs to the bottom.

Looking up, I saw a pair of cold (subjective judgment) emerald green eyes looking down at me.

At that moment, Toshio Sakurai felt as if his soul was about to leave his body.

Yu Jian frowned as he looked at the detective lying on the ground. He hadn't seen him so enthusiastic when they first met, not even before.

Then, a dog jumped out from the man.

Are you a human or a dog?!

Yu Jian squinted and quickly noticed that the dog had no shadow.

Spirits...

They are not living beings, but rather beings from the underworld who have entered the mortal realm.

According to the popular science knowledge I just read yesterday—no, perhaps it should be called mystical knowledge—dead beings occasionally appear in the Netherworld in a spiritual form, but they are quickly devoured by the original Netherworld beings or dissipate on their own, because pure undead are very weak and unstable.

An existence capable of becoming a stable spiritual entity must possess unique qualities.

It could be deep resentment, a stubborn obsession, some unfulfilled regrets, or simply being strong enough—not the kind of strength that comes from well-developed muscles, but rather a will as firm as steel and an indomitable spirit.

Ultimately, it comes down to having an extremely strong belief.

The Netherworld is a spiritual dimension; a sufficiently firm belief can potentially activate various forces within it, leading to unimaginable miracles.

So, what's going on with this dog?

Yu Jian carefully examined the canine creature in front of him.

It is a Samoyed breed, and looks like a big, round, white ball of fur, but it has a very subtle bitter smile on its face, like a middle-aged man who is tired of working overtime, only missing a limp cigarette in his mouth.

"Dog God Messenger?" Miken asked slowly, his hand already reaching into his jacket and touching the hilt of the [Demon-Slaying Blade].

He has been reading in his spare time recently, and since his mother is a folklorist, there are books on the subject at home.

The term "dog god messenger" literally means someone who commands a special spirit called "dog god," and can also be considered a type of shikigami (spirit spirit).

According to legend, the process of creating a dog god is extremely cruel. It requires burying a beloved dog that has been raised for more than ten years alive in the ground, with only its head exposed. Then, food is placed in front of it but out of its reach, and it is not allowed to eat it.

When a dog is starved to the point of collapse, it is beheaded, its body is burned, and its head is offered as a sacrifice, thus creating a dog god.

These spirits, which were originally loyal and loved their masters but are now filled with resentment, are more dangerous than ordinary evil spirits. They can possess people and directly harm or kill them. It is said that a small number of them also possess the ability to curse and even more powerful forces.

Those possessed by the dog god will fall into a coma, high fever, hallucinations or mental instability. When they die, there may even be dog bite marks on their bodies. The souls of children bitten to death by the dog god will be bound and transformed into a monster called "Bai'er", which often appears as a child crawling on the ground copying.

Due to the underground world's blockade of related information, the data only records rumor versions, which are theoretically a collection of folk legends and are likely to differ from the truth.

However, the legend of the Inugami was popular in the Shikoku and Kyushu regions for many years, and it once made the locals tremble with fear. Later, it gradually disappeared with the progress of the times.

There are likely many dark secrets behind this.

According to rumors, some local families still maintain the relevant rituals and regularly worship the dog god.

This kind of thing...

Yu Jian slowly gripped the hilt of the sword, his eyes becoming wary.

He is certainly not an extreme animal rights activist, and he wouldn't do anything excessive just because someone else is abusing dogs.

He prefers cats to dogs, but as long as they aren't stupid dogs that bark and howl, he won't dislike these furry creatures. After all, dogs are sometimes friendlier than people.

But it's hard not to doubt the moral character of someone who can commit such vicious acts of torment against life.

"STOP!"

The dog spoke!

Yu Jian's eyes widened, and he even subconsciously wanted to rub them, because he heard the Samoyed open its mouth and speak in a very standard London accent.

The large white plush dog walked up behind Toshio Sakurai, nudged its owner with its head, and then sat down between the two of them.

The dog moved with remarkable composure; Yujian had never imagined he would use the word 'composure' to describe a dog.

“Toshio isn’t that kind of cruel guy.” The dog spoke again, this time not in English, but in a strangely funny Kansai dialect!
Since the person involved (the dog) said so, Yujian withdrew his hand again.

"I stayed by his side voluntarily. This guy is too reckless sometimes. After all, he's still a young puppy."

“Grandpa Milo, don’t say that. I’ve been working for over a year now,” Sakurai Toshio said with an embarrassed smile, looking like a junior being lectured by an elder. “What are you saying, you who graduated just a year ago? What are you saying, you who didn’t even get into university? You idiot (aho).” The Samoyed named Milo started cursing without holding back.

The word "あほ" is roughly equivalent to "二货" in Chinese. Although it can be an insult, it is more like a term of endearment for a silly boy when used by close friends.

"Would it be convenient to come up and talk?" Yu Jian asked bluntly.

“Yes, yes, of course.” Toshio Sakurai nodded quickly.

After chatting with Mr. Tanaka over there for a couple of minutes, he took Mitsurugi to the detective agency on the second floor.

"I'm sorry, the room is a bit messy, please bear with me." With very polite words, Sakurai Toshio smiled and invited Mitsurugi to sit down on the sofa, then went to settle the dozen or so dogs.

Yu Jian noticed that his dogs were all healthy. Although some of them had scars, it was clear that they were from the past and had now fully recovered.

“Those dogs were originally stray dogs, but Toshio picked them up from the street and took care of them for a long time before they became so healthy.” The dog god Milo lay down on the sofa and began to explain the origins of the other dogs.

"So, what happened just now?" Yu Jian asked.

"Uh, young man, haven't you noticed you smell?"

"Huh?" Yu Jian was taken aback and subconsciously raised his hand to smell it.

Surely not? He just checked it before leaving.

"No, no, no, it's not body odor, it's some kind of scary smell."

"Ah, it's that scent that comes naturally from wild beasts like lions and tigers, the kind that makes ordinary animals want to run away as soon as they smell it," Milo wagged his tail and continued.

"Actually, I was also startled just now. I've never smelled such a strong odor before, which is why Toshio panicked so much when he was leaning over."

"What you're saying makes me feel like I should take a shower." Although it was a dog, the calmness and composure characteristic of the elderly made Yu Jian subconsciously treat it like an elder.

“I already said it’s not body odor.” Milo lay on the ground shaking his head repeatedly, his ears twitching, and his face wore the angelic smile unique to Samoyeds.

"Didn't you just finish a battle a few days ago? You haven't fully recovered yet, have you? It's actually a feeling that the person involved can easily overlook, but as long as someone points it out to them, they can immediately notice it."

"Alright, I'll teach you..." Milo got up and went to the side of the sword, earnestly pointing out the methods for adjusting one's aura and presence.

"I see." Yu Jian nodded, carefully listening to the old dog's teachings, and began to sense his own aura.

As the saying goes, "One becomes so accustomed to the fragrance of orchids that one no longer notices it." Some things are so commonplace that it's difficult for the person experiencing them to even realize them.

Yu Jian realized that although he had learned the method of concealing his aura from the swordsmanship notes two days ago, his entire being and spirit were like a huge, burning torch, constantly radiating invisible pressure in all directions because of the previous battle with the nameless swordsman.

If there were any vengeful spirits, they would probably turn and run away from 800 meters away.

The main reason was the Dream of Asura. After fighting with a powerful opponent all night, coupled with the power changes brought about by the Immortal Technique's devouring of the Dragon-Slaying Image, the aura surrounding Yu Jian was soaring into the sky like a dragon ascending from the depths, almost emitting light.

Fortunately, they didn't encounter any other practitioners on the way, otherwise the other party might have called the police on the spot.

Oh, that's probably what Sakurai Toshio was thinking just now.

"Yes, yes, that's it. Keep a calm mindset. You've learned how swordsmen control their aura, right? Maintain that state, and then imagine yourself as an ordinary stone, making your presence almost imperceptible."

"Well, not bad, not bad. Young people are quick learners. Speaking of which, when I was alive, I relied on this skill to track suspects and I was never caught." Inu-gami Milo raised his two front paws and shook them, saying with great emotion.

Yu Jian wanted to complain a bit. Even if an ordinary person saw a dog, they wouldn't suspect anything, right?

He didn't mind learning from the dog at all. The tips the dog taught him were quite useful. After trying them a few times, his aura became no different from that of an ordinary person, something that the methods in his swordsmanship notes couldn't achieve.

"So, the old man isn't a dog god?" Mitsurugi suddenly asked.

"How cunning! Your aggression is like fire, swift as the wind. Are you perhaps Takeda Shingen?" Milo shook his head, and despite realizing the surprise attack, he honestly gave his answer.

"Yes and no."

“Min-fu’s family had related traditions, but he couldn’t bear to see his old man starve to death, so he took his old man and ran away from home during junior high school.”

He said at the time, if resentment can give birth to a dog god, why can't love? Maybe 'love' can give birth to a stronger and better super dog god.

So, Toshio took care of me until my natural death; it was my own decision to stay in this world and continue looking after him. After all, he's still just a little puppy who's barely reached adulthood.

"Super Inugami..." Yujian couldn't help but smile, gaining a more positive impression of the detective he had only met twice.

"So, young man, what brings you here today?" Milo launched a surprise attack as well.

"Yes, that's true." Yu Jian didn't hide anything.

"That's right. I was fortunate enough to get a business card from Detective Sakurai before. I remember that in addition to various medium requests, it also listed detective services."

"That's true. Although the medium earns a lot, this kid has neither fame nor strength. How can he compete with other well-known experts? He can only rely on unconventional methods to take on some highly targeted business."

In addition, he couldn't bear to see dogs suffer, so he would bring home any stray dogs he encountered on the street. He had no choice but to work as a detective to supplement his income. The Samoyed, now a spirit, sighed in a very human way.

"Don't say that, old man." Toshio Sakurai quickly came over after finishing his work.

"So, junior, what brings you here today?"

"Junior?" Yu Jian raised an eyebrow.

Then he remembered that he was indeed wearing his high school uniform when they first met. He couldn't help but admire his keen observation skills, thinking to himself, "No wonder he's a detective."

That being said, does that mean he also attended Shinkiin High School?
A thought suddenly arose in Yu Jian's mind.

(End of this chapter)