Great, we're doomed now!

“If I were to ask my elders in the family for help, there might be a chance that the government would make an exception… but I would never do such a thing.”

Ye Shou shook his head: "I don't want to put my family in a difficult position."

"Then..." the boss sighed. "Is nothing going to work?"

"Perhaps it's possible if one is prepared to give away all their wealth."

—JKs all turned their heads.

Ye Shou remained unfazed, ignoring their strange looks.

"That won't do!" The boss shook his head. He didn't think that just a casual chat could make Ye Shou go to such lengths.

"I'll figure it out myself."

"...Actually, I came here with some realization."

"Huh?" The boss was drawn in by this seemingly nonsensical remark. "What do you mean, young man?"

"Boss, to be honest, the New World Heavy Industry that contracted to develop the village's land—that's my family's business!"

"Ah...ah?!"

The boss was startled and instinctively stood up, accidentally bumping into the roof of the car.

"Ouch... hiss, who did you say you were?"

"Please don't misunderstand, we also have our own difficulties."

Ye Shou sighed: "Land contracting is a very complicated business. It's not just a simple buy-and-sell transaction. When large tracts of land are sold, the government will impose certain requirements that must be met in order to smooth things over."

Take this village for example. We actually have projects that are far more profitable than the waste incineration plant, but the local councilor, in order to boost employment, changed the requirements after we contracted the land, so we had no choice but to...

I came here to assess the local situation... To be honest, I don't want to damage the environment, but if we terminate the contract, we'll have to pay a huge sum in compensation... We might even go bankrupt.

Upon hearing this, the three women tensed up, lowered their heads, and continued eating their noodles.

"Huh? Such a thing actually happened? The daimyo and the feudal lord are truly despicable!"

Although the boss was out of touch with the times, he quickly understood the meaning behind Ye Shou's words, because similar things were not uncommon in ancient times.

During the Edo period in Japan, the status of the nobility and samurai was far higher than that of merchants. Many of them were not good at business and sometimes even went bankrupt and became destitute. There were many who cheated merchants and forced them to sign unfair contracts for their own benefit.

This phenomenon only began to rise in the status of merchants after the arrival of the "Black Ships," which later gave rise to real conglomerates—though these were also jointly run with the Chinese.

The boss's true form is a great demon with an ancient lifespan; he doesn't understand modern economics, but he does have some knowledge of ancient economics.

"So, young man, are you here to save this village, to save my hometown?" the shop owner exclaimed excitedly.

Ye Shou nodded slowly and seriously: "Although this will take a great risk, my conscience prevents me from remaining silent!"

What a wonderful person! The boss was moved by the boy's noble character.

"Of course, it would be best to avoid direct conflict with the government."

Our primary option remains to establish a nature reserve, which will naturally halt the project and absolve everyone of responsibility.

Ye Shou pondered for a moment and said, "My family can also contribute some money to repair the damaged land."

"Thank you so much! Thank you so much!"

The boss grabbed Ye Shou's hand and shook it vigorously: "You're actually willing to do so much for a strange place and a group of strangers, that's truly amazing!"

"Oh, you flatter me!"

Under the subtle gazes of the three JKs, Ye Shou and the boss shook hands warmly, seemingly about to drink a toast to become sworn brothers.

"However, it would be best if we had a gimmick, so that it would be more convenient no matter what we do."

"A gimmick?"

The boss has learned a new word.

Ye Shou thought for a moment: "For example, UMA (Unidentified Life Forms) or something like that."

"...Wild Tsuchigumo?" the boss asked blankly.

"This is indeed a classic folk tale... but that's probably not enough. It would be best if it had a touch of the supernatural and ghostly, and could be connected to folk customs. Then we could hype it up a bit and make the government think there's a chance of it being nominated for World Heritage status—the Japanese love this kind of thing!"

East Asian countries love this!

However, the difference is that the neighbor's house has so many good things that sometimes people don't realize how valuable their own things are.

Japan, on the other hand, racked its brains to bring out even the most obscure items to prove they were national treasures, even bestowing the title of "immortal" upon the old man who cooked rice.

The peninsula region brought out what it considered to be its best things, only to be rejected. In a fit of madness, it grabbed the jars and pots next door and insisted they were its own.

The West is enjoying the spectacle now, but they won't be laughing when the people of the peninsula try to get Yacob and the cross listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

"A ghost?"

The boss's tone was intriguing: "I do have an idea... How about a raccoon dog?"

"The legend of the tanuki exists all over Japan, it's not surprising at all." Ye Shou shook his head, "No, no."

"That……"

The boss suddenly revealed a strange smile, and the streetlights flickered, reflecting an indescribable terror in his expression.

"Young Master Ayan - how is it?"

"That sounds quite novel."

Ye Shou remained unmoved, not at all frightened by the strange atmosphere, and instead smiled slightly.

Could you explain in more detail?

The boy narrowed his eyes:

Obik, it really was you!

I saw it in chapter 104, Obik!

Ye Shoucong had already guessed the boss's true identity when he sat down and saw the silver wig, and had felt extremely uneasy until now.

Young Master Ayan, or Obik, is a demon-god type monster from the Ultraman Tiga universe, just like Sukuna. However, compared to Sukuna, the "defeated samurai," Obik is much less dangerous.

As it says: Born here, raised here.

It's a local monster, without any pent-up resentment. It's more like a mountain spirit, a tanuki, or a fox. Maybe it even served as a mountain god at some point!

It loves darkness and hates sunlight. It is good at all kinds of pranks and often appears at night, bringing "surprises" to those who like to go out at night.

Obik doesn't eat people or intentionally hurt them; he simply enjoys playing with his friends.

...But that was then. With the changing times, everything that Obik was familiar with has vanished, and all he sees and hears are strange and cold new things.

It's as if it was abandoned in the 21st century by the dead villagers, and only by going to the cemetery can it find the familiar darkness and tranquility.

—Most of the cemeteries have also been moved, and now only one remains at the foot of the mountain.

In this world illuminated by electric lights and neon signs, it has gradually lost its place.

It had actually thought about leaving this place and finding another forest to live in, but it would always get upset, just like it did with Chika just now.

Unable to let go, unable to forget... Time is truly a cruel thing for immortals.

Ye Shou wasn't worried about Obik going out of control, because without external intervention, it would at most cause a ruckus for a while, leave behind urban legends, and then quietly leave, returning to the darkness of the earth.

—But that would be such a shame!

Although its combat power is not as good as Sukuna Oni, fortunately it has never been sealed. Obik is a great monster in its prime and should be the strongest single creature that Ye Shou has ever seen.

(Aside from being a demon, the winged lion is essentially the "Black Grail," so it's hard to say whether it can be considered a living being.)

The Ultraman universe has many advanced technologies that allow you to control monsters or simply borrow their power, but Ye Shou doesn't plan to develop in that direction—the risks are too great!

It is difficult for humans to control life forms of a higher level with their strength and spirit. Cases of losing control, turning evil, and self-destruction are common. Although Ye Shou is confident in himself, there is no need to gamble.

Without Ultraman or a power of equal strength to back things up, relying on the power of monsters is too risky.

However, the good thing about Obik is that you can communicate with him!

I helped you protect the village and restore its former peace. If some ignorant alien bumpkins invade Earth in the future, even if we don't consider this friendship, just to protect your homeland, you should at least breathe fire or something, right?

It may not be the most powerful monster (after all, it's not the type that excels at combat), but it's definitely worth the investment!

"I already know about Young Master Ayan's story."

After listening to Obik's story, which was clearly embellished, Ye Shou nodded: "However, one story alone is not enough; it would be best to collect some supporting evidence."

"Do you mean eyewitnesses?" Obik asked earnestly.

"No, only testimonies can be considered deliberately fabricated urban legends; the most convincing evidence comes from shrines and artifacts."

“A shrine…” Obik scratched his bald head. “This is going to be difficult… It’s a problem whether we can even find it, and even if we do, we probably won’t be able to tell it’s a shrine.”

“We can build a traditional shrine directly. It’s not a problem. The so-called ‘cultural heritage’ is not just about how old it is, but also about the stories behind it.”

"story?"

"It's just a gimmick!"

After thinking for a moment, Ye Shou's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had come up with a good idea.

“I know of a very large and prosperous shrine that enshrines a demon-exorcising ronin named Nishikida Keiryu. Let’s collaborate with it!”

"A collaboration?"

"Just add the Jintian Jinglong element to the legend of Young Master Ayan, then invite a few priests and monks to endorse it, and add some cultural relics, and wouldn't that immediately make it seem high-class?"

"Oh, that sounds feasible! But... will Nishikida Shrine agree to this?"

"Leave it to me, I'll try my best to win over their manager!"

—Liuli pressed even closer, her full breasts rubbing against Ye Shou's arm.

Alas, it seems I have no choice but to sell my body for the great cause of saving the world!

"Oh dear! I really don't know what to say!"

Obik was as happy as a child, and the gloomy and eerie atmosphere from before was completely swept away.

"So now we can apply?"

"...Of course, if Young Master Ayan could show up in front of everyone and cause a stir, the effect would be even better—the Loch Ness Monster became famous with just one photo back then."

After saying this, Ye Shou shook his head and sighed regretfully: "But in the end, it's just a folk tale. Young Master Ayan is just a fictional character, isn't he?"