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

"Can I get the land for 10 million?"

"You can see the Kanda River from the second floor, and it's right at the border of Akihabara and Kanda-cho. This price sounds like it's free..."

Looking around this overgrown, half-collapsed shrine, Xia Fan couldn't help but feel tempted.

Due to the aging population, population decline, high property and land taxes and other reasons, many people are unwilling to pay the high holding costs and repair fees to inherit the "dilapidated houses" left by their parents, resulting in at least nine million vacant houses in District 11 that no one has taken over.

In the past few years, in order to maintain tax revenue, the government even issued fines to legal heirs who did not come to register and pay back taxes...

After such measures proved ineffective, and seeing that most of these vacant houses were dilapidated and not only damaged the cityscape but also posed a risk of collapse, the government had no choice but to issue a decree giving heirs the right to choose not to inherit the old houses and return them to the public.

Of course, most of these old houses that no one cares about exist in rural and suburban areas...

This plot of land is adjacent to the Kanda River, facing the popular Akihabara shopping district, and backed by Kanda-cho, which is full of modern atmosphere and fireworks. It can be said to be a prime location among prime locations...

You know, the price of a newer single-family house in this area is around 200 million yen.

According to Xia Fan's estimation, if it weren't for the sensitive nature of its former "shrine", this piece of land would have long been acquired by a real estate developer who welcomes haunted houses and evil spirits, and renovated and sold.

If Aoi Jinguji had not used certain official privileges, he would not have been eligible to buy the land.

"This place is really nice, but if we want to renovate it, we have to take down this statue as well. Is that okay?"

Looking at the strange and pitiful stone statue of the "God of Poverty", Xia Fan asked with some concern.

This thing is a statue of the god of poverty, and it's blocking the entrance. No one can live here unless it's removed.

"If there is no god in a shrine, the so-called statue is just a piece of stone and can be demolished."

"If Mr. Xia Fan thinks it's okay, I will contact the Ministry of Education and can handle the land transfer procedures at any time."

Anyway, it’s not the shrine of Amaterasu that is going to be demolished, so Jinguji Aoi naturally acts indifferent.

"Without God, the statue is just stone..."

Staring at this stone statue that was not even allowed to enter the house, and had been exposed to the wind and rain for who knows how many years, and was covered with fine moss, Xia Fan's consciousness suddenly became fuzzy...

……

"Poverty, go away!"

"Poverty, get out!"

"Poverty, go away!"

In the chaotic scene, countless figures of men, women, old and young appeared in front of Xia Fan.

They shouted and beat themselves, kicked themselves, and threw beans at themselves...

The usually gentle and elegant gentlemen, virtuous ladies, and kind old people would all reveal ferocious and hateful expressions when doing all this.

After the torture, people went to the temple behind them with satisfied expressions, never looking at the statue in front of them again.

"As long as I am believed in by others, it doesn't matter whether I am hated or respected, kneeled down to or whipped."

An old voice sounded quietly beside my ear.

Just like a video played multiple times, the number of people who came to "pay homage" in front of Xia Fan went from being packed with people to just a few, and then to complete silence.

This stone statue has been facing the closed gate for countless springs, summers, autumns and winters, watching the shrine decay over the years.

"Why don't those people come..."

"Is it because, after the retreat ceremony, you found yourself still poor, so you no longer believe in me?"

"But don't they know that poverty's retreat means they can get something for nothing?"

Sighing sadly, the voice of vicissitudes gradually faded away...

“When humans come into this world and when they leave, they are all alone, just like me now, but they are obsessed with wealth.”

"May those who come to this shrine in the future be blessed with poverty forever..."

……

"Mr. Xia Fan?"

"I...accidentally became psychic again?"

With the gentle call of Jinguji Aoi, the dilapidated shrine returned to Xia Fan's eyes.

"What did you just see..."

“Is there still a god in this shrine?”

His hand, at some point, had already touched the moss-covered head of the stone statue.

"The God of Poverty fell because he was forgotten and his faith was cut off..."

A young but deep female voice came from above my head.

"As a divine body, you resonated with the remains of this divine body and saw some of its 'memories before death'."

Tian Yushen was sitting on the eaves, holding his chin with one hand, staring at the stone statue.

"Mr. Xia Fan, what did you just communicate with?"

Unable to see the "evil god" on the roof, Jinguji Aoi was relieved that Xia Fan had returned to normal.

Just now, the other person suddenly stepped forward and touched the stone statue, and the whole person seemed to be frozen, which scared her.

Not daring to disturb Xia Fan who was in spiritual communication, she could only guard him silently.

"Nothing, I just sensed some fragmentary scenes from my past visits..."

Xia Fan shook his head, indicating that she didn't need to worry.

"Today, I had planned to look at several shrines that were closed and for sale, but I didn't expect the first one to be so suitable."

"Then I will contact the Ministry of Education and handle the formalities?"

Aoi Jinguji nodded and continued the previous topic.

"Well... this shrine is indeed suitable in every way, but the god of poverty enshrined here always feels unlucky..."

Thinking of the God of Poverty's last "blessing" before his consciousness faded, Xia Fan couldn't help but shudder.

Chapter 306 Toothache

2024-07-13

"It's still early today, why don't we go check out a few other places first and then make a decision?"

Xia Fan grabbed Jinguji Aoi and walked out of the house as if he was avoiding the plague.

He works hard in the entertainment industry to earn money for medical expenses, but he doesn't want to be accidentally infected by "poverty".

"Okay...Okay, the car is waiting right next to us..."

Suddenly, Xia Fan grabbed her sleeve, and Jinguji Aoi's face turned red as if it was burning. She walked out with a dull expression.

The torii gate closed with a creaky sound, and time inside the shrine seemed to freeze along with the air.

"..."

Tian Yushen got a huge lotus leaf from somewhere and inserted it into the stone statue's hand, covering its head like an umbrella.

As her petite figure disappeared, only the lonely stone statue remained in the dusty shrine.

……

Half an hour later, Banqiao District.

"We're here. The second shrine we're going to visit today...Hachi-jinja Shrine."

Aoi Jinguji and Xia Fan got out of the black business car that belonged to Section 9 and came to an open green space.

"Originally, the 'Tooth God' was enshrined here. It is said that if you touch the huge stone-like body of the deity in the temple, the pain in your teeth will be relieved."

"According to historical records, when the shrine was prosperous, the 'Tooth God Festival' was held every June. Believers would hand in toothbrushes that they had prayed and brushed their teeth for a year in succession to the gods, and then exchange them for blessed toothbrushes."

After looking around and confirming that this was the place, Aoi Jinguji gave a detailed introduction.

"However, the shrine closed down a hundred years ago, and the walls and buildings were all demolished during the city's renovation. It is currently used as a green landscape for the nearby community."

"The land transfer fee for this plot of land is only about 8 million. It is the closest to Ikebukuro among the places we are going to see today."

"There are residential areas nearby, and the living facilities are very comprehensive. There are also many schools, so it is very convenient for children to study..."

When introducing some unclear content, Jinguji Aoi's voice became weak again.

"If you didn't tell me, I wouldn't have known there was a shrine here before..."

"This stone that looks a bit like a tooth, is it the former divine body?"

Walking to the center of the green space, Xia Fan looked at the eye-catching boulder with curiosity.

"The god who relieves toothache and encourages people to brush their teeth carefully is a very clear and specific god. Why did he decline?"

Muttering to himself, he touched the boulder curiously.

……

The scenery in front of him changed, and Xia Fan suddenly found himself in a very majestic red shrine.

"I don't know when it happened, but it seems that a human with a toothache, after touching me, the pain was gone, and he even claimed that a god had saved him?"

"Although I am just a stone that has done nothing, these foolish guys want to build a house or provide faith, so I will accept it without any burden."

"In return, I will remind them to brush their teeth properly. Those who still have toothaches after visiting the shrine can only blame themselves for not persisting in the daily 'brushing and praying' ritual."

An old voice, in a proud tone, muttered something to itself in his ear.

The tooth-shaped boulder in front of Xia Fan is covered with prayer notes for "healthy teeth", "no tooth pain", "teeth grow back", and "smooth tooth replacement". It looks like an old man wearing a straw raincoat.

People like phantoms passed by him from time to time, kneeling down devoutly and touching this "giant tooth", then handing over their toothbrushes to the witch next to them and receiving new ones.

"Why? Lately, fewer and fewer people are coming to worship. There are basically only old men and women with almost no teeth left. Where are the children and young people? Where have they gone?"

"Foolish human, it's not too late for you to believe in the 'Tooth God' now. Otherwise, a fatal toothache may come upon you at any time!"

"You know, toothache is a very fatal disease. When it hurts, you can't even eat or sleep. It may also induce pneumonia and myocarditis..."

But just like the "Poverty God", fewer and fewer people came to worship, and the shrine declined.

"What, what are they talking about 'dentist'? What is that? No one can protect your fragile teeth except me, the God of Tooth..."

"No, my faith is not enough, my consciousness can no longer hold on..."

"Humans who have abandoned God have 365 sunrises a year. Before I leave, I will give you 365 blessings..."

"May every living thing on this land have a tooth that hurts three hundred and sixty-five days a year!"

Until finally, the roaring excavator took away the collapsed house, leaving only the huge rock in the middle of the grass, which was exposed to the wind and sun and became no different from an ordinary stone.

……

"Hey, hey, you didn't cure the toothache at all, you just told me to go back and brush my teeth. Does this count as 'faith fraud'?"

Coming back to his senses from the memory of the resonance with the divine body, Xia Fan was a little amused.

"If it were me, I would still choose to go to the clinic to get a quick fix for my toothache instead of praying to an illusory god."

In ancient times when medicine was not well developed, toothache was indeed a horrible disease that could cause people to suffer from severe pain until they died.

No matter how many primitive methods the ancients used, such as filling tooth cavities with linen, gargling with herbs, wearing amulets, praying to gods and Buddhas, they could not solve toothaches immediately.

As for tooth extraction, a "radical cure", it is very easy to cause serious infection, stroke, scurvy and other serious illnesses when the anesthesia and sterile conditions are not met. It is an ultimate solution that may end the patient and his teeth at any time.

In modern times, with the development of dentistry, it is naturally impossible for people to be so foolish as to pray to God because of toothache, and then go home and wait in agony for "recovery" that may come at an unknown time.

The shrines in District 11 are "corporate entities", which means they are individual religious businesses. If they are poorly managed and have no income, the clergy will not go hungry while serving the gods, so it is reasonable for them to resign from their positions and run away.

"Ahem, Jinguji, this plot of land is indeed in very good condition, but..."

"It seems that before his death, this Lord Tooth God had cast a vicious curse on this land that 'every tooth will ache for 365 days a year'..."

"Is it okay?"

Xia Fan turned around and asked Jinguji nervously.

"Although I can't sense any abnormality in this land, I would rather believe in the existence of gods when it comes to matters involving them..."

"After all, the curse before the fall of the gods should contain quite terrifying 'will power'."

"To be safe, let's look at a few more places."