Tokyo Sword Saint Online Dealing

The mastermind behind this heavy rain might just be an unexpected windfall.

Uesugi Kiyoshi was more than happy that this was the work of the gods.

He had a premonition that divine power would be even more beneficial to his ascension to godhood.

After greeting Li Fuyao, Uesugi Kiyoshi left.

The owner of the Hyakumonkan slightly raised her eyes, a faint blue glint flashing in them. The thoughtful smile on her face brightened as she gently turned the pages of the book in her hand, muttering to herself.

"The water level in the Arakawa River is rising, posing a danger of flooding Tokyo?"

"Heh, you're really bold to tamper with the Arakawa River basin."

"I wonder whose lackeys they are. They're so ignorant. Are they outsiders? If they were locals, they wouldn't have messed with that person."

"That hot-tempered, arrogant river king, the Lord of Arakawa, hasn't disappeared from this world yet!"

Arakawa Ward, a quiet street not far from Hyakumonkan, is lined with old apartment buildings that look rather plain but are quite secluded.

This is the current residence of Mitsuishi Ueno, located near the Arakawa River that flows through Tokyo. The apartment building is somewhat damp, but its high cost-performance ratio makes it the first choice for many people with limited funds to rent a place.

The Ueno Mitsuishi family is not the only one living here.

A young man was walking along the roadside, holding an umbrella.

The man looked to be in his early twenties and could be described as handsome, but his face was cold and even somewhat fierce. He was tall and slender, wearing a somewhat worn but very clean blue Wu-style robe, with a sword pouch hanging at his waist.

There should be a real weapon in the sword scabbard.

Generally speaking, in Tokyo, people dressed like this are easily mistaken for staff members of a kendo dojo or cosplay enthusiasts.

This young man is clearly the former.

His name is Narumi Shingo. He works as an instructor at an old-style kendo dojo in Arakawa Ward, earning a salary that is not meager, but not particularly wealthy either.

He started this job after graduating from high school and has been doing it for ten years now. He is considered one of the best in the industry and is a native of Arakawa, having hardly ever left this land.

Due to the heavy rain, there haven't been many disciples coming to the dojo to train these past few days, so he gets off work early, usually around four or five in the afternoon, when he's almost home.

Unexpectedly, he was stopped by someone halfway down the road.

As a swordsman, he instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword at his waist. Only after seeing the person approaching did he slowly release it, though his delicate brows were already tightly furrowed.

The people blocking the road were a man and a woman, both dressed in suits, though they looked cheap. They had fake, business-like smiles on their faces and weren't using umbrellas in the rain, letting the downpour soak them to the bone.

The man and woman first gave a very formal bow, then presented a brightly colored piece of paper to Narumi Shingo with both hands.

Narumi Shingo instinctively took it, his eyes sharpening as he was immediately drawn to the title.

"Please join the Arakawa Cult!"

The somewhat comical cursive script and the jarring red paint made the message deeply etched into his mind.

"."

"Are they members of a cult that recruits people?"

This was Narumi Shingo's subconscious reaction.

Japan is a country with freedom of religion, and there are many different sects. Shintoism and Buddhism once shared the same territory, but in modern times, many different sects have sprung up like mushrooms after rain, and they have been repeatedly banned but not stopped.

This sect is more of a "money-making tool" than a "religion".

They specifically target housewives with low levels of education or the elderly, using persuasive rhetoric to lure them into semi-brainwashing propaganda. Their ultimate goal is not to collect "faith" for the so-called gods, but simply to pocket the wealth of believers. Those with better qualities might even be sexually exploited. Such things are not uncommon in Japan, and many families have fallen apart because of these sects' swindling of money and sex.

Financial groups, political parties, gangs, religious sects.

These are four major obstacles that every industry in Japan cannot avoid.

This powerful religious sect, colluding with gangs, providing political donations to certain political parties, flattering superiors and sycophants, and using sweet talk to deceive the public, is thriving and growing in size. It is not a force to be underestimated.

What's most outrageous is that many of these sects are registered with the government and are "legal." Their offerings and "physical service" are also voluntary. If someone suddenly realizes their mistake and wants to take legal action to recover their losses, their chances of winning are extremely slim, given the lawyers these sects employ at great expense.

This has become a toxic industry that endangers social security.

Narumi Shingo felt that the man and woman in front of him were probably members of this kind of sect. The first step was to spread the doctrine, recruit people to join, empty their family's assets, then squeeze out the last bit of usable value, and finally discard them.

He was used to this kind of tactic; it was commonplace for him. The residents of Arakawa Ward were a diverse bunch, and Narumi Shingo had seen it all before.

He waved impatiently, trying to take a detour, but the man in the suit persisted and blocked his way again, bowing and saying loudly, "Sir, please learn about our sect. It won't take you long."

"We worship the Lord of Arakawa, the ruler and guardian of the land and rivers, the Lord of Arakawa!"

Narumi Shingo's expression changed, and he looked somewhat concerned.

Arakawa originates from Mount Kobu, flows into Mount Chichibu, passes through a basin, crosses the Nagatoro Valley, and travels north through Osato District and Yorii Town into the Kanto Plain. Downstream, it turns southeast at Kumagaya, flows into the Magawa River at Kawagoe City, passes Saitama, and then flows east again, exiting the Sumida River and finally entering Edo Bay.

Edo Bay is now Tokyo Bay.

According to local legend, during the Heian period, a water demon haunted the Arakawa River, causing it to overflow, flood farmland, and plunge the people into misery.

Then a great demon appeared out of nowhere. It was violent and powerful. It subdued the water demons of the Arakawa River by itself, preventing them from causing trouble and restoring peace to the Arakawa River basin, allowing people to live and work in peace.

There are even rumors that during drought years, the Arakawa River nearly dried up several times, and farmers were about to have no harvest. In the end, the people were saved by the magic of the Lord of the Arakawa River and were able to live in peace.

Therefore, the people who lived along the banks of the Arakawa River worshipped it as a deity and prayed for its protection.

Its name is -- Lord of Arakawa.

Legend has it that the Lord of Arakawa is violent and eccentric, acting solely on his personal whims, yet he is devoted to controlling the land and water, providing benefits to those who implement water conservancy projects and bringing prosperity to the people of Arakawa.

It doesn't sound like an evil god.

In Arakawa Ward, very few people haven't heard of the Lord of Arakawa. It's been passed down by word of mouth among the older generation and is widely known. He has even appeared in TV dramas.

However, in today's world where faith is waning, it is unknown how many people truly believe in this deity.

Seeing the change in Narumi Shingo's expression, the woman in the suit was delighted, stepped forward, and began to introduce herself in a very detailed manner.

"Sir, you must have heard the legend of Lord Arakawa. Our sect faithfully follows our Lord's beliefs and protects the Arakawa River basin."

"Human overexploitation has severely damaged the Arakawa River. The water quality has been polluted, fish and shrimp are getting sick, and excessive use has also caused the Arakawa River to show signs of drying up. In the long run, this river that has always protected us will gradually disappear!"

"Our mission is to protect the rivers, protect the Arakawa River, and protect this land that gave us birth and nurtured us!"

"Sir, you're also from Arakawa, aren't you? Are you just going to stand by and watch Arakawa continue to be destroyed like this?"

Narumi Shingo tapped his fingers on his sword sheath, his face expressionless, revealing neither his emotions nor his anger.

The woman in the suit spoke in a very high-sounding manner, sounding like she was from an environmental organization.

It is precisely these words, imbued with a strong sense of justice, that can make many people lower their guard and deeply agree with them, which is the first step in their being won over.

Narumi Shingo wasn't that stupid. He quickly glanced at the leaflet in his hand. It was mostly about the deeds and legends of the Lord of Arakawa, the recent devastation of the Arakawa River, and the serious consequences that would result if this continued. Every word was shocking.

He hesitated for a few seconds, then shoved the flyer into the woman's hand and shook his head indifferently.

"Sorry, I'm not religious."

"Get out of the way."

He shoved the man in the suit who was blocking his way with his shoulder and tried to leave.

The woman in the suit persisted, trying to persuade him: "Sir, please reconsider. We hold free lectures nearby every day. If you have time, you might want to attend. We are a legitimate religious sect recognized and registered by the government, not some unscrupulous scammer. Our official website is on our promotional materials; you can verify it there."

As she spoke, the woman in the suit stuffed the flyer into Narumi Shingo's hand again.

Narumi Shingo frowned. To prevent them from pestering him, he didn't throw away the paper but held it in his hand, without stopping.

Perhaps because he had been bumped by Narumi Shingo, the man in the suit was a little angry. He stared coldly at Narumi Shingo's back, and a strange and manic smile suddenly appeared on his face.

"You don't understand at all!"

"This rain! This rain is Lord Arakawa's warning to humanity!"

"If humanity does not stop its atrocities of abusing water resources and destroying rivers, Lord Arakawa will summon torrential rains and drive the Arakawa River to turn the entire Tokyo into a vast swamp!"

"This is karma. This is karma! Hehe. Hahaha!"

His somewhat strange and oddly accented smile made Narumi Shingo turn around and take a look.

The man in the suit's fanatical gaze and eerie smile gave him a jolt, making him realize that something was amiss.

He turned his head and hurried away.

He quickly arrived at the apartment building where he lived.

As soon as he stepped into the stairwell, a somewhat familiar figure appeared before his eyes.

Narumi Shingo's eyes flickered, and he took the initiative to greet him.

"Ueno-senpai, why are you back so early today?"

In front of him stood Ueno Mitsuishi, whom Uesugi Kiyoshi had arranged to return to rest and prepare for work the next day.

Mitsuishi Ueno was wearing a work suit. His silver hair made him look a bit old, but he was still in good spirits and didn't look like a decrepit old man.

He was bowing over and placing a plate of fruit as an offering in front of a small shrine set up at the corner of the corridor.

Japanese fruits are very expensive, so this was a very sincere offering.

Hearing someone greet him, Ueno Mitsuishi turned around, a fleeting smile appearing on his face, and replied, "Ah, it's Narumi-kun. Have you finished the work at the dojo?"

"Today is a special case, so I got off work early. Starting tomorrow, I'll be busy, and I'll have to ask Shingo-kun to take care of Little Rabbit then."

"Little Rabbit" is the granddaughter of Ueno Mitsuishi, who is very close to her. Ueno Rabbit is a little girl who just started junior high school this year.

Ueno Mitsuishi and Narumi Shingo had a good relationship. They had been neighbors for many years. Ueno Mitsuishi knew the boy's temperament and considered him a trustworthy person. Even Narumi Shingo's job at the dojo was obtained through Ueno Mitsuishi's connections.

Narumi Shingo was a very good swordsman, and the two often sparred and exchanged ideas together, making them close friends despite their age difference.

Upon seeing the deity enshrined in the shrine, Narumi Shingo's expression shifted. He subconsciously pulled out a crumpled leaflet from his hand and said softly, "Ueno-senpai, I remember you often worship Arakawa no Nushi, right? Do you also follow this sect?"

Ueno Mitsuishi glanced at Narumi Shingo with a somewhat blank expression, took the flyer and glanced through it, a hint of anger appearing between his brows.

Before long, anger turned into helplessness.

He sighed deeply and shook his head—the leaflet also contained the man in the suit's speculation about the rain, that it was a warning from the Lord of Arakawa to humanity, a harbinger of Tokyo's fall, and so on.

"It's all fake, just a scam."

“Narumi-kun, I grew up listening to the legends of the Lord of Arakawa. This deity protects the land, guards against demons, and brings blessings to all living beings. He is definitely not an evil god capable of flooding Tokyo.”

"There's something fishy about this rain. But..."

Ueno Mitsuishi sighed again, didn't continue, just gave a wry smile, shook his head, and changed the subject.

"I believe that Mr. Narumi will not be swayed by such despicable means. These people are very difficult to deal with. They are not afraid of legal channels. They collude with gangsters and bribe the government. They are like hedgehogs covered in thorns, causing a lot of harm. They are truly despicable!"