I'm having fun in Tokyo

Date Anpei hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Shimazaki Natsuko was a priestess who served the shrine maiden and was favored by the shrine maiden. Her status was no lower than that of the heads of the family.

Since she didn't want to say more, he didn't press her further.

He walked with Nao Soma and Keito Kato toward the main hall plaza behind the worship hall.

By this time, there were already quite a few people in the plaza of the main hall.

He glanced over and recognized the heads of the families, some of whom were close to him and others of distant relationship.

The Sakurai family, the Hojo family, the Uesugi family, the Isshiki family, the Hakuba family, the Takeda family, the Kobayakawa family, the Sakuma family, the Hatoyama family, the Fuujin family, the Okuno family, the Tamaki family...

Most of the heads of large families from all over Tokyo, including those from the Kanto region, are gathered here. They are seated in the plaza according to their family’s relationship with the shrine and their social status.

Date Yasuhira and Soma Nao found their seats and sat down before beginning to observe the other family heads.

The other family heads had clearly also received the news from Shimazaki Natsuko; their expressions ranged from serious to somber, but none showed any obvious loss of composure.

Their status also prevented them from losing their composure.

Those who can sit here right now are truly important people.

In contrast, the so-called social celebrities familiar to the public, the so-called yakuza bosses and big business owners who are feared, are nothing more than dogs raised by the public, and they don't even have the right to step into a shrine to listen to a lecture.

It would be too embarrassing if they lost their composure here.

After a while, as the time for the regular meeting drew closer, the last few patriarchs arrived at the main hall square and found their seats.

Shimazaki Natsuko, who was in front of the main hall, also brought more than a dozen shrine maidens to the main hall plaza. They stood in a row in front of the main hall gate, as if to welcome the people who were about to come out.

They all looked towards the main hall, and finally saw a figure emerge from within.

The figure was tall and straight, with flowing black hair, wearing a white divine hunting robe, with a handsome and refined face and calm eyes. He was the successor they had seen in the intelligence.

The other person radiated the golden divine light that was the hallmark of the divine master, like a blazing sun.

This extinguished their last shred of hope.

It seems that the spirit tablet of Yoshiko has truly passed away and disappeared.

The lord who had protected Tokyo and overseen the various families of Kasumigawa for sixty or seventy years had now handed over his status, power, authority, and responsibilities to the new lord before him.

From this moment forward, the other party will be the master of this shrine, as well as their future protector and overseer.

Many family heads felt bad thinking about what the other party had done since he became famous, especially since two family heads had died at his hands.

The other party's style of doing things doesn't seem like that of someone who would show mercy.

But when they thought about how many more family heads had died at the hands of Yoshiko Shrine back then, their mood wasn't so bad anymore.

"Your Highness." Natsuko Shimazaki leaned towards Morikawa Haha and saluted.

Morikawa Yu nodded.

He walked out of the main hall and came to the square. Looking at the heads of various families sitting in the square, he finally stood in his seat, which was directly opposite all the heads of families, and slowly sat down.

All the heads of the families looked at him together.

But this is not pressure; given his current status, no one would dare to put pressure on him.

Their feelings were complicated, and given his current position and status, all eyes were on him.

Morikawa Yuya looked at them.

Not long ago, he and Ryoko reached an agreement.

He acts as the deity in charge, serving as the acting deity, while Ryoko secretly handles the deity's affairs.

Fourteen years later, Ryoko reappears.

For the past fourteen years, he has been the head priest of Tokyo.

Now he presided over the meeting to formally announce the news of Yoshiko's "death" to these heads of households, and at the same time, to handle her "afterlife affairs".

Ryoko, meanwhile, was hiding in the golden space of the imperial vermilion-sealed tent within his arms, communicating with him.

"You came out quite well just now, Morikawa," Ryoko said softly, her voice transmitted directly to his mind through the Goshuincho (a type of ancient Chinese incantation). "You had quite the air of a shrine lord, and you weren't intimidated at all."

Morikawa Yu shook her head inwardly: "What's there to be afraid of? Most of them are just ordinary people. Although they have power and influence, can they compare to my big fox?"

"The big fox is the master of Kansai. The whole of Kansai has to listen to her. At home, I still hold her in my arms, pinch her cheeks, and rub her ears, don't I?"

“Now I am the god, they should be afraid of me.”

Liangzi nodded and chuckled: "Although the comparison you made wasn't quite right, that's the point. They should be afraid of you."

"To the people of Tokyo, they are important figures at the top, but in your presence, they are merely 'hostages,' subject to your protection and surveillance."

“If they or their families commit wrongdoing, you can execute them directly, just like you did to the Uesugi family.”

"This is your right."

Morikawa Yu nodded.

He was about to speak when he suddenly noticed the dozens of family heads waiting for him to speak, and realized that this was not the time for idle chatter.

Finally, he slowly said to the patriarchs, "Patriarchs, Xia Zi has probably already told you all that this morning, God Lord Liang Zi passed on the position of God Lord to me through the inheritance ceremony."

"She left after the ceremony was completed..."

Then the cat waits in her shoju-in-cho (a type of Japanese seal) tent to see how you, the heads of the family, will handle her "funeral arrangements."

Morikawa Yu silently added this sentence in her mind, and continued, "Now, in my capacity as the acting God Lord and Palace Master, I will preside over this regular meeting..."

"Your Highness Morikawa."

Suddenly, an elderly man sitting in the first row leaned towards him and quietly interrupted him.

Morikawa Yu looked at the other person.

He recognized the old man.

The old man is the head of the Kondo family, Kondo Masao, and also Yoshiko's eldest son.

Although he had never met the other party before, before these family heads arrived, Shimazaki Natsuko presented him with a list of all the family heads attending the regular meeting and their identification information.

Ryoko's eldest son was also on the head of the household's list.

In addition, out of curiosity about Ryoko's family and relatives, he specifically looked through her information and learned about her situation.

Although the other party was Ryoko's eldest son, he was not close to Ryoko.

More than 20 years ago, he even lost contact with Ryoko.

Apart from the monthly meetings and the annual festival, the other party would basically not meet Yoshiko, and even if they did meet, they would not get close to her.

Looking at Kondo Masao now, he couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

Because of the position of the shrine, Yoshiko is able to remain forever young.

As a result, sixty or seventy years later, her eldest son had become an old man in his twilight years, while she was still a young and beautiful girl, only her life was coming to an end.

Now, thanks to her own medicine, she has returned to her childhood and has even temporarily solved her lifespan problem.

All I can say is that life is unpredictable and truly hard to foresee.

"May I ask, Head of the Kondo family?" he said in a deep voice.

Kondo Masao nodded: "Although it may be offensive, may I ask, is the Shrine of Yoshiko, no, my mother, truly gone?"

He stared at Morikawa Yu, his expression calm, but there seemed to be a hint of sadness in his eyes.

Morikawa Yu nodded: "Yes, Princess Ryoko has passed on the position of God Chief to me, and she has left this place."

Kondo Masao sighed, "I understand. Thank you for answering my question, Your Highness."

Morikawa Yu also sighed, feeling that the other party was not as heartless and ruthless as the intelligence indicated, and had no affection for Ryoko whatsoever.

"The child is happy, happy that I'm finally dead."

Suddenly, Ryoko thought to herself.

Morikawa Yu was suddenly startled.

He looked at Kondo Masao in disbelief, but just before his gaze fell on Kondo's face, he abruptly stopped himself and looked at the others instead.

Ryoko sighed: "Meijaku read his mind."

Morikawa Yu nodded inwardly, but couldn't help asking with a hint of confusion, "Why, Ryoko?"

Even though the other person is clearly her mother and son, and they have long since lost contact and have no relationship, shouldn't they still treat her this way?

Ryoko remained silent for a while, but did not answer directly.

After a long while, she shook her head: "It's probably because he's wanted me dead for a long time."

“This child has disliked me since he was little, and thinks I’m not even human.”

“He always thought I was a monster who ate human hearts to maintain my youth and beauty, and that I was high above, looking down on the whole of Tokyo, and never taking him and his father seriously.”

“His father was also afraid to see me.”

"Ha, although he pretends to love me deeply on the surface, he's actually terrified of me, terrified of me to death."

Liangzi shook her head, then suddenly laughed, a mocking laugh: "It's laughable, really. I used to love his father so much, and I doted on him so much."

“But he and his father never believed me.”

“They think I am a god, and although I am called the protector of them and Tokyo, I have killed many people and many monsters, so I will kill them at any time.”

“They even felt that it would be better if I died sooner and someone else became the god, because the new god would not have such a close relationship with them, would not keep a close eye on them, and would not make them feel uncomfortable all day long.”

"You might find it strange, but that's how they think."

“Mingjue can read minds. I have also asked other Jue to read minds of them, and they have always held this idea.”

"Power is a terrible thing; it can change many things and corrupt people's hearts."

“They are also in power, and they think I share the same ideas as them.”

But what can I do?

"As the head priest, I am responsible to the people of the entire Tokyo metropolitan area."

“If someone does evil, I must kill them. If a monster defies the shrine and wreaks havoc in the area, I must kill it. You could say that I have killed far more people and monsters than you have ever seen, Morikawa. My hands are stained with blood.”

“He and his father are my son and husband, my closest people.”

“I tried to assure them that I would not harm them as long as they did not do evil, but they were guilty and thought that I would kill them both sooner or later.”

"Just because they think I'm different from ordinary people, that I'm an ageless 'monster,' and their hands aren't exactly clean either."

"Fortunately, I have keen insight and have allowed many of mysteries to see their thoughts and understand what they are thinking, so I broke off my relationship with them a long time ago."

"More than 20 years ago, I completely lost contact with them."

"It doesn't matter whether it's his long-deceased father or him, I won't care anymore."

“But I still didn’t expect that he would be so happy after I ‘died’, thinking that with me ‘dead’, no one was watching him anymore, and even that you were the successor I chose, and that you would definitely take care of the Kondo family in the future.”

Liangzi shook her head and remained silent for a while.

"Morikawa, actually I envy you and Hisukatsuki, and that stinky fox Mitsuko."

"I envy them for having husbands who don't care about their monster identities, and I also envy the comfortable relationship between you two."

"Even if you become the god, you will only be more compatible with them."

“Unlike me, my husband and biological son are afraid of me, worried that I will kill them because of my duty. They have always wished that I would die before they could feel at ease. My two adopted children, Goro and Ran, also respect me more than they like me.”

"My grandson and granddaughter are better now, but they're still afraid of me and won't get close to me..."

Morikawa Yu frowned, wanting to comfort Ryoko.

But he suddenly realized that it seemed to be true, just as Ryoko had said.

This left him unsure how to comfort Ryoko.

After all, if he and Ryoko were to switch places and face a son who wished him dead, he would definitely make that brat suffer a near-death experience before trying to make him repent. He would never be as merciful as Ryoko.

"Ryoko, are you saying that Kondo Masao's hands aren't clean?" Morikawa Yu thought for a moment and said in a deep voice.

“Yes.” Liangzi nodded. “He misappropriated other families’ property in my name. Although I made him return it, it still caused losses to that family, and I made up for it.”

“I punished him, but he was always worried that I would punish him even more severely because of this.”

“I told him repeatedly that as long as he didn’t do it again, I wouldn’t pursue the matter, but he still didn’t believe me.”