I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 196 Refusing to give up starts with you and him
Where am I?

Walking through the gray fog, a young man scratched his head.

Thinking back carefully, I vaguely remember: evil spirits were rampant in my hometown, and I voluntarily stood on the periphery of the refugee crowd, and then:

He's probably, maybe, or he should be dead.

"Could this be the Yellow Springs?"

Wearing tattered firefighter's uniform, the young man scanned the surrounding fog and then looked at the bare, rocky ground beneath his feet. Such desolation could only belong to the underworld.
"wrong!"

Just when the young man was feeling lost,
A delicate voice rang out from ahead.

"This is the 'Yomi Hirasaka' under the jurisdiction of my underworld."

Yomi and Yomi-hirasaka sound similar, but they are not actually the same place: Yomi is the realm of the dead, while Yomi-hirasaka is the entrance to Yomi.

"You just said...the underworld?"

The young firefighter's gaze fell on the little girl who emerged from the mist.

She was dressed in a white hunting robe, with wide sleeves, like an ancient person; but judging from her bouncy steps and lively eyes, she was completely a 'modern person'.

"Little sister, are you from the underworld?"

"What little sister? She's the real 'White Child'."

The little girl, who looked only eleven or twelve years old, put her hands on her hips and held her head high, trying to appear mature.

"Then, Lord White Child, may I ask what brings you here?"

"Well, since you've met the 'standards,' you'll be assigned to a position in our Underworld."

? ?
Faced with the little girl's "follow me" expression, the young firefighter couldn't help but scratch his head again.

"What is my job?"

"It's simple, just bring back those evil spirits that have escaped to the mortal world!"

After some interaction, which was like 'coaxing a child,' the young man finally understood.

Simply put, this is 'Yomihirasaka', where the underworld has established a city called 'Fengdu': on the one hand, to cleanse the evil spirits of Yomihirasaka; on the other hand, to capture those evil spirits who have fled and are lingering in the mortal world.

"Don't worry, I've 'checked' it."

"Big brother, your talent is more than enough to make you a 'ghost messenger'."

The little girl, pleased by the young firefighter, spilled everything she knew.

Actually, she hadn't been 'dead' for long; she had only lived here for a week. According to her, the city they were about to visit was a pure land created by the 'White Ghost Messenger', which housed many 'spirits' and was no different from the real world.

"That's not right,"

The little girl, codenamed 'White Child', thought for a moment,

"The architecture and clothing are all in an 'ancient' style, just like what I'm wearing."

As she walked, the little girl raised her arms to show off her white hunting robe.

"But the older brothers' 'ghost messenger' outfits are really cool."

I haven't agreed to be any kind of 'ghost messenger' yet.
While inwardly complaining, the young firefighter decided to first take a look at the city called 'Fengdu' and its ruler before making a decision.

Although the little girl who 'recruited' her appears innocent and naive, the existence of the person who sent her—no, the 'underworld'—does not necessarily represent justice.

"We'll be there soon,"

As the little girl finished speaking, the two walked for a few more minutes, and then golden light shone through the mist ahead.

Seeing this light suddenly in the gray, misty Yomotsu Hirasaka invigorated the young man.

Take a few quick steps, and the light grows brighter and brighter, eventually transforming into:
"What a big tree!"

As the mist dissipated, the young man looked up and muttered to himself.

Ahead, a towering tree stands tall in this dim world!

The tree trunk grows straight upwards, and its leaves spread out like a canopy, radiating a soft golden light that shines on the young firefighter, making him feel warm.

Beneath the big trees lies a city steeped in ancient charm: pavilions, towers, flying eaves, red bricks, black tiles, and white walls.
Indeed, it is just as this 'White Child' said.

"Fengdu?"

"Yes, let's go, big brother."

Led by the little girl in white, the two headed towards the central city located in 'Yomihirasaka'.

The closer he got, the more the young firefighter felt the magnificence of the tree, as if it supported the sky and touched the earth; at the same time, the warm current in his body became more active, and even his previously illusory feet became clearer.

When he stepped into the city and saw the passersby, he felt as if he had arrived in Kyoto during a festival.

The expressions and tone of voices of passersby were remarkably realistic.

Even the traditional-style outfits are filled with modern little decorations.

"Little Dove, have you found another suitable candidate?"

Outside a blacksmith's shop on the street, an old man dressed in short clothes and wearing a 'fire man mask' at his waist waved his hand, looking very energetic.

"Hello, Grandpa Tsukate,"

The little girl in white first bowed respectfully to the other person, then emphasized:

"Kobato is working. Please call me 'Shirodoji'."

"Okay, okay, Little Dove~~"

The huffy little girl led the young firefighter through the city to the building located right in the center, beneath the giant golden tree.

"After meeting Lord 'Ghost Messenger White', do not move around or speak carelessly."

Following the little girl's instructions, the two walked through the corridor and arrived at:
"Hoshino, clear out the evil spirits in this area."

When the two entered the main hall, they saw a charming man in white robes and hat, with snow-white hair, sitting behind a desk, pushing a scroll forward on the desk.

The woman who took the scroll, dressed in a black women's suit with a knife at her waist, nodded.

"Please don't worry, sir."

"Lord Shiro, Captain Hoshino."

A girl who called herself "White Child" but was actually called "Little Dove" stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"I have found another 'suitable candidate'. Please take a look, sir."

"Oh?"

'Ghost Messenger White's' gaze fell on the young man.

It's a decent horse. *cough*, logging off.

If you want to transform this 'Yomihirasaka' into your own space, you must clean up these lingering echoes of souls that have accumulated for thousands of years.

Relying solely on 'Ghostly White' himself, not to mention the efficiency: what important person would personally clean their own room?

Therefore, recruitment is essential: even when it comes to recruitment, there's no need to do it personally.

"Well done, Shiro-doji."

"That's my job."

The little girl bowed deeply again.

If it weren't for Lord 'Ghost Messenger White' bringing her here, she would still be playing hide-and-seek with countless evil spirits in the wilderness: it would be normal for her to go crazy at any time.

Moreover, Lord 'Ghost Messenger White' also granted her the ability to 'perceive spiritual power'.

In this way, she can find 'suitable individuals' in the wilderness.

It can also help you avoid those annoying evil spirits.

There are already dozens of 'White Children' like her, all scattered in the 'wilderness' of Yomotsu Hirasaka, searching for 'suitable ones'.

The so-called "suitable person" is a soul whose soul strength reaches a certain standard.

"Hoshino, he will be under your command."

With a casual gesture towards the young firefighter, 'Ghost White' made his decision.

"Yes, my lord."

After standing at attention, bowing and nodding, Hoshino Tanimura turned around and waved to the young firefighter.

"follow me."

? ?
Hey, hey, hey, I haven't even said a word yet!
In the end, the young firefighter followed the woman in the black suit who looked no older than a high school student as they left the main hall.

"Get him a team uniform."

They led the young firefighter away from the courtroom and arrived at a shop with a large amount of fabric hanging on its walls.

"Okay, Hoshino-sama."

As Hoshino pulled out two 'banknotes,' a woman in traditional clothing immediately stepped forward and used her hand as a ruler to measure the young firefighter. Then:
Snapped,

Hands clasped together

When I opened my hand again, a small 'black suit' lay in my palm.

"Come on, try it on and see if it fits."

???

"This"

The young firefighter had a thousand words to say, but didn't know where to begin.

"Take this outfit and imagine yourself wearing it," Hoshino explained. Despite her sweet high school appearance, the black women's suit, the long sword at her waist, and her inexplicable aura made the young firefighter instinctively unable to refute her.

This is the underworld; he doesn't want to experience what would happen if he 'died again'.

Holding the toy-like 'clothes' in his hand, the young man imagined himself putting them on.
Thump,

With a soft sound, smoke rose into the air.

After the smoke cleared, the young man, now dressed in a sharp black suit, couldn't help but touch himself in surprise.

"This"

"This is a way of using spiritual power,"

She waved again, signaling the young man to follow, and Tanimura Hoshino stepped forward.

"And weapons."

?

"Mr. Tsukate,"

Not long after, the two arrived at the blacksmith shop they had visited before.

Give him a knife.

"okay,"

An old man, dressed in short-sleeved craftsman's clothes and wearing a 'Fire Man' mask at his waist, returned to the blacksmith shop and soon came out with a sheathed samurai sword.

"Give."

"Don't underestimate this 'ordinary' knife; it's sharp enough to cut down evil spirits."

The old man patted his chest and assured the old man that he had forged the weapons himself, adding:
“Young man, come back here after you are promoted to squad leader, and I will tailor-make an even better weapon for you.”

"Ah good"

He took the katana with a blank expression.

Before the young man could recover from the series of unexpected events, the high school-aged girl in a suit waved again.

"Follow me, let's go out of the city to hunt evil spirits."

No.
"Big brother, you can do it!"

On the other side of the street, Kobato, the 'White Child' who was walking by, waved and cheered from afar.

its not right,
I never agreed to join.
"what happened?"

Hoshino turned around and glanced at the 'new team member'.

"You're not afraid of fighting, are you?"

"If you don't want to fight, you must have a skill: we in the underworld don't support idlers."

".terribly sorry."

The young man, a former firefighter, didn't know what to say, so he simply apologized first.

As for what happens next...
He gripped the katana in his hand.

So, this makes him a 'ghost messenger' in the underworld?
Well, he was killed by an evil spirit; if it's about hunting evil spirits, then it's not impossible.

This is Yomotsu Hirasaka, the place from which evil spirits wreak havoc in the mortal world escape; thus, my battle has meaning!
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"The target left home,"

Judging from the route, it's heading to school.

The police chief's office in the small town has been completely transformed into a 'command center'.

Several clerks from the 'Supernatural Countermeasures Department' work here, monitoring 'Higashi Takami Itsuki's' every move.

As for Fuji Seiko, she had already returned to Tokyo.

This was just one of the 'cases' she was in charge of. Although extraordinary special police officers were constantly achieving 'minor success' in their skills, able to suppress the 'radiation curse' and leave the nuclear reactor to work, personnel were still extremely scarce. Therefore, she had to rush to new scenes every day, either to disperse the evil spirits causing trouble or to bring back personnel who had awakened their 'guardian spirits'.
On the battlefield of top experts and great demons, Teng Shengzi was indeed a 'minion'.

But that was only because the enemy was too strong. After all, she was once a 'Strong Dog' superhuman, and tearing apart evil spirits was a piece of cake for her.

Now, having mastered the 'Uranium Light Wave Fist', he has accumulated his strength and leaped two stages to reach the 'Wolf Level': when facing enemies with biological attributes, he can unleash the power of a strong wolf!
They can already be considered truly 'elite'.

"Inspector Murakami, what do you think?"

The experts asked the boy behind them,

"Continue to observe, and don't alert them."

Suddenly becoming the 'boss' of a group of adults made Naoto Murakami feel extremely uncomfortable; if it weren't for his 'older brother' comforting him, he would have found it unbearable to even stay there.

He was actually quite curious about his target, 'Dong Xiaomei': because she seemed to be similar to him, both living with a spirit.

The two places were different because he and his brother were already familiar with each other, while Dong Xiaomei and Yiyue clearly did not know each other before.

Also: The opponent can become stronger by killing evil spirits!
While being secretly observed by the Extraordinary Countermeasures Department, 'Higashi Takami Itsuki's' strength, speed, reaction, and so on were constantly improving as she continued to kill other evil spirits.

This kind of improvement isn't the kind that happens in a fraction of a second like in humans; it's a significant increase in strength that's visible to the naked eye.

If we let them keep killing like this, breaking through to the 'Wolf Level' isn't impossible!
Now that he had started working, Naoto Murakami began to think:
How can I and my brother become stronger?

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Tokyo,

Metropolitan Police Department.

"The Holy Son has returned?"

Look up from the pile of documents.

Director Zhu Ya put down the documents in her hand and took a rare moment to 'relax'.

"how is the situation?"

"Not optimistic."

The mature policewoman gave a serious reply.

"As those evil spirits continued to kill and even devour their own kind, their strength grew ever greater, and even their appearance changed."

He's becoming more and more like a monster!

As he devours and grows stronger in this way, what will he eventually become? Fuji Seiko doesn't know.

Moreover, these 'new evil spirits' are quite intelligent, unlike the evil spirits in the 'Underworld Rift' disaster who just rushed in randomly, making them much more troublesome!
"Director, how about you on your end?"

Upon hearing Fujiko's question, Director Takeya sighed.

"Master Zhixiong summoned a large number of monks to hold the 'Great Assembly of Ten Thousand Dharmas'."

Given Master Zhixiong's understanding of Buddhist scriptures, he would surely be rendered speechless by refutation within three sentences.

However, Master Zhixiong also had his own unique 'Buddhist teachings'. In front of the golden fist the size of a house, all the monks present kept silent, calling him 'high monk,' and all wished to listen to Master Zhixiong preach.
In short, it's about rejoicing and praising.

"Master Zhixiong passed down the Buddhist practice methods, but there is a drawback."

At this point, Director Zhu Ya couldn't help but raise her hand and rub her temples.

The 'method of cultivation' passed down by Master Zhixiong can indeed cultivate 'spiritual power,' but it takes three years to get started and ten years to reach the highest level. For the island nation today, it is simply too far removed from its immediate needs, leaving many eminent monks greatly disappointed.

It's not fair to blame them for being impatient for quick success; it's just that...
Island nations are prone to extraordinary disasters; every second counts!
"Besides the basic methods of cultivation, Master Zhixiong also passed down the 'Immovable King Formation.' When chanting sutras, golden flowers fall from the sky and golden lotuses spring from the ground, causing evil spirits to retreat."

The problem remains the same: it requires spiritual power!
For this reason, eminent Buddhist monks have repeatedly approached the government, requesting that they allocate some of the extraordinary medicine.

If they don't agree, they'll all sit and die in front of the Metropolitan Police Department!

But who wouldn't want a supernatural potion?

The Self-Defense Forces, the Extraordinary Countermeasures Division, large financial groups, samurai families, foreign mercenaries, and other countries with which they have cooperative relationships.
With so many forces eagerly awaiting the potion, even with full-scale production, it would be a drop in the ocean.

Give some to the Buddhist community
My head hurts!
"By the way, regarding the intelligence on 'Izuki', we have identified the most likely target."

Director Zhu Ya took out a document and handed it to Fuji Seiko.

?

Scanning the file of the blonde high school girl,
It's nothing more than a drama of friends betraying each other and repaying kindness with enmity when facing evil spirits.

Perhaps for the person involved, it is an unforgettable obsession; but for the Metropolitan Police Department, they have become numb to it all.

"Should we give this information to the target?"

"No, never!"

Director Zhuya flatly rejected Fujiko's words with righteous indignation.

"These are turbulent times, and all citizens of island nations should contribute to the island nation and to humanity."

"Since Yi Yue is only hunting evil spirits, let's establish a cooperative relationship with her."

Should the documents be handed over to the other party?
How can it be!

It's obvious to anyone with a brain that if an evil spirit knew everything about its 'previous life,' it would naturally seek revenge for its grievances and vengeance for its enemies.

Then, with his wish fulfilled, his obsession dissipated, and he attained Buddhahood and ascended to heaven.

dream!

What kind of Buddha are you trying to become?!
The world has become so chaotic.

Even if it's an evil spirit, I'll make use of it.

Director Zhu Ya, who works overtime until late at night every day and only sleeps for 4 hours, said that no one is allowed to lie down!
(End of this chapter)