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

Chapter 444 Tokyo Grand Shrine

"You are leading this new AFO group very well. Very good."

On the other end of the phone, Matsudaira Jenny's voice was so calm that no emotion could be heard.

"No, President, I let Xia Fan participate in that variety show just to hide him. Who knows that he..."

Iijima Yozo suddenly felt as if he had fallen into an icy cave, as if he saw the management rights of the boy band at the beginning of next year being further and further away from him.

"I have reminded you before that Xia Fan is not like those little idols you easily pinned down and surrendered to."

"The anger that Akimoto Manjiro has caused has not yet been extinguished, which is the best proof..."

"Also, didn't I arrange for Wenchun's peripheral news agency to cooperate with you? How come up to now, I have only seen trending searches and not any scandals?"

Matsudaira Jenny cursed coldly, feeling very disappointed with his friend.

"That outsourced news agency... Yeah, it's all because of those useless paparazzi!"

"I just contacted them today. Because Xia Fan's schedule was so monotonous that he didn't even go out for entertainment, the Burning Department also arranged security for him on the road, so they didn't get anything!"

"President, rest assured. After the theme song, until the entire group disbands, I promise not to arrange any more schedules and activities for Xia Fan!"

Putting the blame on a certain "paparazzi", Iijima Yozo made a series of statements as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw.

"You can't use the conventional refrigeration method to deal with Xia Fan. Who knows what trouble he might cause you somewhere else?"

"Besides, if you just cover it up, you won't be able to find out..."

Matsudaira Jenny's voice became lower and lower, and he seemed to be lost in some kind of thought.

"President? What do you mean by testing?"

"Anyway, after the theme song is released at the Kanda Festival, the headquarters will arrange a new schedule for Xia Fan. Just follow the instructions and don't worry about anything else... My children will treat him well."

"Wait, President..."

After a few seconds of long, dead silence, Matsudaira Jenny said this and hung up the phone.

……

Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.

The ancient shrine with white roof and black beams stands quietly in the fiery dusk.

The two circular emblems on the wide door curtains on the eaves of the temple are like a pair of giant eyes, quietly watching the bustling crowd below.

[Faith +10... Faith +10... Cumulative faith value 254857...]

"'The Secret of the Immortal' is indeed a TBS TV evergreen variety show. It has only been two episodes and the belief value has increased by more than 20,000. Unfortunately, the management team asked us to focus on preparing the theme song, so we can't record it for the time being."

Xia Fan, wrapped tightly in a mask, a baseball cap, sunglasses and sportswear, was standing on the road outside the shrine's torii gate.

After the special episode "Immortals' Battle" was broadcast, Xia Fan, who held three Chickens certificates, became popular on the Internet as the "Replica Immortal". Even ordinary people who don't watch boy band idols have come to know him as "a handsome guy with great action talent who beats old men to a pulp"...

Originally being put on ice, it has been making great strides in the past two weeks thanks to the slowly growing faith value from the "Midsummer Shrine" die-hard fans who contribute "worship faith" every week.

"By the way, the Tokyo Grand Shrine we agreed to meet at should be here, right?"

Taking his attention away from the faith value, Xia Fan looked at the shrine in front of him.

Inside and outside the old-style shrine, pairs of young men and women were coming in and out.

"It's past dinner time, but there are still so many pilgrims? Moreover, they all look like young couples..." "It seems a bit inconsistent with the usual saying of Jingu Temple that 'people's hearts are no longer the same, faith is declining, and Amaterasu's glory is no longer there'?"

If the words "Tokyo Grand Shrine" hadn't been engraved on the torii, Xia Fan would have thought he had gone to the wrong place.

"Mr. Xia Fan, is this your first time here?"

Aoi Jinguji walked out from the inside of the torii and bowed to him with a smile.

"Tokyo Daijingu is the most effective 'matchmaking shrine' in the Kanto region. With Tanabata coming up, couples or singles come here to pray for love luck and get a love charm. It's normal to have more people than usual."

She was still wearing the red and white shrine maiden's costume today, which contrasted beautifully with the setting sun at the shrine behind her, and there was no sense of incongruity.

"Tokyo Daijingu Shrine, both its name and shape are quite solemn and sacred. It turns out that it is used to pray for love luck?"

Following Jinguji Aoi across the torii, Xia Fan looked around curiously.

"The Tokyo Grand Shrine was built in the 13th year of the Meiji era and is one of the 'Five Shrines of Tokyo'. Formerly known as the Hibiya Grand Shrine, it enshrines Amaterasu Omikami and is the remote worship hall of the Ise Grand Shrine where I practiced."

"In the 33rd year of the Meiji era, Emperor Taisho and Princess Kujo Setsuko held the first modern Shinto wedding here. Later, many royal families, dignitaries, and celebrities followed suit. This place gradually became a sacred place for 'Shinto weddings' and a shrine for praying for love."

"Since Mr. Xia Fan is here, would you like to try to pay homage and pray?"

When they arrived in front of the main hall, Jinguji Aoi looked at him meaningfully.

"Well, worshipping or something like that won't work unless you are sincere, so I'll give it a try."

Feeling a cold gaze coming from nowhere, Xia Fan waved his hands repeatedly.

If I remember correctly, the "Ama-god" in my body seems to be very disgusted with "Amaterasu".

If he, as a "divine body", dared to pay homage, Xia Fan had no doubt that the divine god Tian Yu would immediately descend and smash the main hall to pieces.

"That's true. Mr. Xia Fan has always had good luck with women, so you don't need to pray to the gods."

Aoi Jinguji's long sleeves were like a waterfall, and she covered her mouth with her hands and laughed softly.

"Don't make fun of me...After that incident, I changed all my chorus singing to 'online practice' recently."

Recalling the experience of "Sunflower's offense" that day, Xia Fan subconsciously began to grip the ground with his toes.

Ever since he was subjected to Hoshina Hanami's "strong offensive" during the last chorus practice, he has been trying his best to avoid meeting her recently.

"The reason I asked you to come here today is precisely because of the matter of 'Yunwaijing'."

"Oh? Could it be that there is a breakthrough in the clues we found last time?"

"Yes, and no... There are too many people here, let's go inside and talk about the details."

Led by Aoi Jinguji, the two walked along the path beside the main hall and entered the back hall which was not open to pilgrims.

Unlike other shrines Xia Fan had seen, the rear hall of Tokyo Daijingu Shrine had many buildings and an exaggerated area, which was five times that of the main hall.

Jinguji Aoi seemed to have a very high status here. The shrine maidens and priests they met along the way all bowed respectfully and made way for her, not daring to say a word.

"I am the chief priestess of the main shrine of Ise Grand Shrine. As the 'remote worship hall' of Tokyo Grand Shrine, it is normal for them to be more polite."

Seeing Xia Fan's expression of wanting to ask but not daring to, Jinguji Aoi took the initiative to explain.

(End of this chapter)