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

Hearing what Xia Fan said, the witch held her cheeks with some worry, silently took a step back, and stood on the roadside outside the land, which did not belong to the "Tooth God's Territory".

If I have a toothache, I won’t be able to eat fried chicken for many days.

……

Chapter 307 The World Without Hair

2024-07-13

The third "former shrine" the two visited was the "Gokaku Shrine" located in Arakawa Ward.

"This 'Goka Jinja Shrine' once enshrined the founder of the hairdressing industry, Fujiwara no Kane Ryomasa, and is famous for its distinctive amulets in the shape of small combs and small scissors."

"When the shrine was first established, it was said that all barbers would come to worship. After the hair loss rate in District 11 increased significantly, it also attracted a large number of male believers who prayed for protection against baldness..."

"But for unknown reasons, this shrine became neglected in the past fifty years and eventually fell into decline."

Outside the half-collapsed Torii gate, there is a wall full of faded ema.

"I wish you pass the barber qualification exam!"

"Pray for hair growth, hair growth, hairline return!"

"Gods above, the human hair restoration project begins today! Hair loss will stop in one month, hair will grow back in three months, and hair will be black and thick in one year. You can regain your confidence!"

“I hope my whole family will not suffer from hair loss in the future!”

“May the hairline remain as it is.”

"Please, don't go bald anymore."

Xia Fan carefully examined the contents on the ema and discovered that, as Jinguji Aoi had said, most of them were prayers for hairdressing studies and for "not being bald."

He could imagine the scene when the "Mediterranean Sea" was bustling with people and praying sincerely.

"Is the divine body this stone statue? Even though only half of it is left, it should be able to 'resonate' with it."

"I see... Suddenly a historian published a paper, which found that this ancestor of the barber industry was best at shaving 'top hair', so barbers and those followers with hair loss stopped coming..."

"Ha, haha... before this god passed away, he also made a great wish to make the world hairless."

After sensing the truth behind the "fall of gods" through the resonance of the divine body, Xia Fan left silently with Jinguji Aoi without even asking about the land price.

Although the land price was very low, I still had to pay 20 to 30 million yuan myself to build the house.

It doesn't matter that Arakawa Ward is a bit far from Ikebukuro, but he doesn't want to spend money and effort only to end up with the result of "I bought a house, but also became bald".

……

"This is the Gooufudo Shrine, where the Nara period minister Wake Kiyomaro is enshrined. It is said that he was once assassinated, but was saved by 300 wild boars that suddenly appeared. The legs and waist that were cut off by the assassin were miraculously restored. So this is a shrine that governs the health of the feet and waist, and the statue of the deity is the wild boar statue."

"This place is too remote. According to the original plan, if we are satisfied with the previous ones, we will not come here."

After another half an hour's drive, Xia Fan and Jinguji Aoi headed north and arrived at Adachi District, the northernmost part of Tokyo.

"What a far-fetched legend. Whether it's a wild boar or the regeneration of a severed limb, it has nothing to do with the health of the waist and legs..."

"In short, let's just go through the procedure and have a 'resonance' first to test the goods..."

"I see. With the development of medicine, people who have backaches and leg pains choose to have massages or go to the hospital for checkups. Naturally, no one comes to this shrine, which causes backaches and leg pains..."

"Well, although this 'Kami Kiyomaro' still gently blessed people with good health before his death, this location is indeed too remote..."

It was rare to find land that was not controlled by the "Death Wish of God", but it was in Adachi District, far away from Tokyo and with inconvenient transportation, so Xia Fan couldn't make up his mind to take the land.

"Wait a moment, let me take a look, there must be another suitable one..."

Back in the car, Jinguji Aoi took out the stack of documents and flipped through them in a panic.

"On the list provided by the Ministry of Education, there are only two places left to go."

She only considered the fact that there would be no "supernatural traces" in the shrine, but ignored the fact that the resentment of the gods when they died might be more profound than that of evil spirits.

The originally "well-prepared" list now seemed a little stretched, making her inexplicably understand President Saejima's desolate mood when his "list ran out".

"It's better not to go to the next shrine on the list!"

"Just go to the last place..."

Her little face suddenly turned red, and she proposed to Xia Fan timidly.

"If there are only two places left, shouldn't we go check them out? Is there any problem with the next shrine?"

Xia Fan was a little confused.

"Mr. Xia Fan, you should read it yourself..."

Aoi Jinguji lowered her head and handed over one of the introductory materials.

"Hine Shrine, the shrine enshrines the God of Otsu and the God of Tamahime, and is responsible for the size of men..."

After briefly reading the information, Xia Fan understood why this Amaterasu shrine maiden, who could remain calm even when facing the wild god, was in such an embarrassing situation.

Hinogen Shrine adheres to the ancient culture of life worship. Eye-catching male root stones can be seen everywhere in the shrine, and even the shapes of the amulets and charms are all in the same majestic shape.

Since ancient times, this shrine has attracted countless male believers who want to become giants, and female believers who hope that their lovers can become great men...

The Nezu Festival is held on March 3th every year, with shrine maidens and priests parading the eye-catching giant body of the deity through the streets to pray for a happy marriage and a prosperous offspring.

As for the reason why Hinene Shrine closed down twenty years ago, it was not because of a lack of believers, but because the content of the worship was too obscene and was forcibly banned by the Ministry of Education.

"Ahahaha, then, let's just skip this one and go to the last one..."

After imagining the scene of himself resonating with the "divine body" of huge size and majestic shape, Xia Fan laughed dryly, folded up the information, and agreed to the witch's suggestion.

Although I am very curious, before the god's death, whether he would make the aspiration of "the world is rootless" or "all living beings are huge".

"Speaking of which, the functions of gods are too specific. Although they can easily attract believers in a short period of time, they can also easily fall once the needs change with the times."

On the way to the last shrine, Xia Fan recalled the "fall of gods" he had seen today, and couldn't help but feel emotional.

District 11 is indeed an island with "eight million gods". In order to attract believers through "differentiated competition", the gods each perform their duties, which can be said to be the subdivision of the "business field" to the extreme.

On the way here, he even saw a "miniature shrine" with an area of ​​only three or four square meters on the street. It is said that it is dedicated to the "God of Beat", and people working in the music industry often come to pray for accurate pitch and beat.

But just when Xia Fan was about to go over to worship, Jinguji Aoi told him that it was a "money-scam shrine" that was not registered with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

"Nothing in this world is unchanging. Even Amaterasu, who rises from the east every day, will eventually fall into darkness..."

Gazing at the rapidly receding street scene outside the window, Aoi Jinguji sighed silently.

……

Chapter 308 Cat Jizo Hall

2024-07-13

An hour later, Shinjuku District, Nishi-Ochiai.

Located in the western part of Shinjuku Ward, in a residential area adjacent to Nerima Ward, there is a dilapidated Buddhist temple surrounded by thick walls and red torii gates.

"We have arrived at the last shrine of the day, the Jishoin Cat Jizo Hall..."

"This place has gone through a chaotic era from 'the integration of Shinto and Buddhism' to 'separation of Shinto and Buddhism'. It can be said to be both a Shinto shrine and a Buddhist temple."

"According to historical records, Jisho-in Temple was originally a temple of the Toyozan sect of the Shingon sect. During the Battle of Ekotawara, Toyoshima Saemon escaped the war because a black cat led him to Jisho-in Temple."

"After that, Toyoshima Saemon destroyed the original Buddha statue here and built a stone statue of 'Cat Jizo' to worship here. The belief in worshiping Cat Jizo has been passed down."

While introducing the story, Aoi Jinguji tore off the seal, turned the door lock with the key, and opened the door under the red torii.

"It's such a large piece of land. Not to mention building a single family home, it's more than enough for a large villa."

The area inside the courtyard is much larger than it appears from the outside. Although it is overgrown with weeds and the walls are decaying, the huge two-story Buddhist hall in the center still manages to maintain its original structure.

From the spacious front and back yards, the quaint wabi-sabi design style, and the grand and majestic architectural appearance, one can imagine how magnificent this place must have been in the past.

"Such a magnificent and luxurious Buddhist temple is actually dedicated to cats?"

Cats, a creature that is extremely popular in District 0, actually did not originate on this island. Instead, they are "invasive species " brought in from other countries.

But as cats spread across District 11, they quickly became part of the cultural development of District 11, giving rise to various images and legends.

It feeds on corpses and can manipulate them like puppets, making them stand up and dance, following the walking cat demon Kassa...

A "nekomata" with two forked tails, a huge body, teeth like saws, and the ability to walk upright...

A "Cat-Man" that can kill its owner and replace their body...

During the day, he is a kabuki actor, artist, and comedian. At night, he is a "transformer cat" with a human head and a cat body. He throws sake and shamisen dishes to have a wild party, and then sneaks back home before dawn to transform back into a human form...

And, round face without mouth, pink and white cute, Hello Kitty...

To this day, people still believe in various superstitious beliefs without reason, such as "a black cat passing by represents bad luck", "a cat waving can bring good luck", and "cats cannot enter the funeral hall".

Therefore, Xia Fan thought it was ridiculous to occupy a Buddhist temple to worship cats at first, but it was very reasonable after thinking about it carefully.

"This temple is located in Tokyo. It has been through several wars and no one has worshipped the 'Cat Jizo' for a long time."

"The original furniture in the temple has long been stolen, and the legendary 'Cat Ksitigarbha' Buddha statue is also missing..."

"However, it seems that the 'divinity' of the land still exists, and there are no 'supernatural traces' within the torii."

The two walked side by side, along the stone path hidden under the weeds, all the way to the door of the Buddhist temple.

"Meow……"

Amid the rustling sound, a pair of round pupils shining with golden light flashed from the dark bushes...

Then, several figures with black spots, yellow spots and white hair ran by nimbly.

"wildcat?"

In District 11, the most common creatures are not rats, but crows and wild cats.

As an invasive species, wild cats maximize their reproductive capacity on islands without natural enemies, and their population is increasing day by day.

According to incomplete official statistics, the number of pet cats is about 883 million, and the number of wild cats is conservatively estimated to be more than three times this number.

In order to maintain ecological balance, control the number of wild cats, and avoid affecting the number of birds and insects, the government of District 11 has even enacted special legislation to strictly prohibit the feeding of stray cats. It has also set up stray animal management centers in each district to be responsible for the sterilization and sheltering of stray cats.

"It makes sense that the temple that once enshrined the 'Cat Jizo' has now become a paradise for wild cats."

Xia Fan just glanced at the place where the wild cat disappeared, and his attention was focused on the building in front of him.

Just as Jinguji Aoi said, even the original doors and windows of this Buddhist temple had been removed, leaving only the empty door frames. The interior was so empty and clean that it would not be an exaggeration to describe it as "bare walls".

Without anything resembling a "divine body", he naturally had no way of exploring the story behind this Buddhist temple and the mysterious "Cat Ksitigarbha".

"This plot of land is in a good location, not far from Shinjuku and Ikebukuro, and I didn't sense anything unusual inside. It's the most suitable place I've seen today."

Xia Fan looked around and nodded with satisfaction.

Unlike other dilapidated shrines with a gloomy and sad atmosphere, this Buddhist temple, although a bit old, gives people a feeling of tranquility and peace.

"This place is indeed great, but there is an old urban legend circulating in the nearby residential areas that has not yet been confirmed by the Psychic Association."

"According to archival records from decades ago to the present, residents in the Nishi-Shinjuku area often witnessed unusual activities of cats at night, and some even witnessed a huge strange cat..."

"The authorities and the Psychic Association have also sent people to patrol the surrounding area several times, but nothing unusual was found. They can only treat it as an infestation of wild cats."

"Besides that, the Nishi-Shinjuku area is a hodgepodge of good and bad people, and the public security is not very good. Residents often report that food has been stolen from their homes, and even the stray animal management center often has animals stolen, but there have been no serious casualties..."

Jinguji Aoi quickly flipped through the documents and explained to Xia Fan in a low voice.

"The security issues like thieves and gangsters are even more serious in Ikebukuro Shopping Street, but I don't really care about them..."

"As for the land price, how much is it approximately?"

Xia Fan, who grew up in Ikebukuro, where the yakuza were rampant, shook his head indifferently and asked directly about the price.

"This place is west of Shinjuku, and the land area is not very large, so as long as you pay the 9 million house tax, you can buy it..."

"If Mr. Xia Fan likes this place, you can go through the formalities at any time."

Seeing that Xia Fan had made up his mind and thinking that today's "shrine trip" was not in vain, Jinguji Aoi narrowed her eyes into crescents.

"The price is quite attractive. Please wait a moment. I will contact President Saejima..."

Xia Fan took out his cell phone and flipped through the address book.

Although the land was introduced by the Psychic Association, a series of matters involving land purchase, loan, demolition of old house, design and construction of new house, etc., had to be entrusted to professionals like Saejima to provide "one-stop service".

"Ok?"