Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 339, A Trip to Kurosawa Shrine

P.S.: This is the second update. The third update won't be until midnight, so please read it tomorrow morning.
As the new year began, a cold wind carrying fine snowflakes lashed against the train windows, leaving a thin layer of frost on the glass. The train moved smoothly toward Gunma, the winter fields flashing past the window desolate and silent, yet failing to penetrate the warm and cozy world inside the carriage.

On the evening of January 1st, Uesugi Muneyuki and Mai-senpai secretly met at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. They had dinner at the Imperial Hotel that night, followed by a passionate and intense lovemaking session. The next morning, they boarded a train to Gunma Prefecture.

As usual, Uesugi Muneyuki doesn't like driving, so Mai-senpai always drives.

Today is the day to explore Kurosawa Shrine. Uesugi Muneyuki seems a little nervous. He doesn't know what he should prepare, but Mai-senpai's opinion is that you don't need to prepare anything.

"Don't be nervous. Just remember the secret techniques I taught you and the fighting skills you learned from that tall, fat woman... hehehe~ tall, fat woman." Senior Mai sat in the driver's seat, shaking her head with a smile: "It's just exploring the shrine, not facing the new and old gods directly. Is it really necessary?"

"Really? I have a feeling something big is going to happen." Uesugi Muneyuki shook his head. He had also changed into thick winter clothes and a scarf. Winter in Gunma Prefecture is no joke.

As for Mai-senpai, she still possessed that breathtaking beauty. Even with light makeup, her jade-colored skin appeared even whiter and more translucent in the cold air, as if it had a thin layer of snow-like luster, and you could almost see the pale blue veins under her skin.

Her signature, slightly languid shoulder-length hair cascaded smoothly, a few strands fluttering in the wind, gently clinging to her slightly reddened cheeks, adding to her captivating charm. Her clear, bright doe-like eyes appeared exceptionally deep in the pale winter sunlight, the corners drooping slightly, naturally exuding a pure innocence. Now, relaxed and joyful from being with Uesugi Muneyuki, they curved into gentle crescents, shimmering with warmth. The tip of her delicate nose was tinged with a lovely pink by the chill, and wisps of white breath escaped from her slightly parted lips.

Today she chose an oatmeal-colored down jacket that reached her calves. The jacket had a moderate loft without being overly bulky, and the smooth cut hugged her figure well, providing reliable warmth. The fabric had a delicate sheen that shimmered softly in the winter sunlight. Through the open neckline of the down jacket, one could vaguely see the warm inner layer she wore underneath: a high-necked LV cashmere sweater in a soft light gray color. The fabric was delicate and soft, clinging to her slender neck.

The lower body is fitted dark blue fleece-lined jeans that accentuate the straight and slender leg lines. The cuffs are neatly tucked into the ankles, and a pair of thick, long boots with a slight heel have furry edges that add a touch of cuteness and warmth.

This outfit wasn't really to Uesugi Muneyuki's liking, but it just so happened that Mai-senpai was completely unguarded around him. Moreover, Mai-senpai also figured that after their dual cultivation last night, Uesugi Muneyuki definitely wouldn't have any extra energy or thoughts today.

She guessed correctly; she was the only woman Uesugi Muneyuki couldn't handle right now. The man sitting in the passenger seat occasionally recalled the warm and fragrant beauty of the previous night, and his spirits were still somewhat low.

"Speaking of which, I overheard NHK complaining about the Kouhaku Uta Gassen just the other day." Mai-senpai, having mustered all her strength, smiled charmingly, her eyes as cute and playful as a doe's, her beauty breathtaking: "Last year, it was you and Fuji TV that took the top spot in Kouhaku ratings, and this year it's you, Fuji TV, and me again that took the top spot. Do you have a grudge against the National Broadcasting Corporation? But this year's Kabukicho live broadcast did earn NHK some ratings, so we'll let you off the hook for now."

NHK's declining viewership in recent years is obvious. The Kohaku Uta Gassen once reached an epic viewership of 80% in the last century, a record that is almost impossible to surpass. However, since the turn of the millennium, the Kohaku Uta Gassen's viewership has been declining. Now, it is common for the first half of the show to be 35% and the second half to barely exceed 40%.

Last year's Kohaku Uta Gassen was completely overshadowed by Fuji TV's Odaiba live broadcast. This year, the Kohaku Uta Gassen regrouped, with national goddess Mai Shirakawa as the female host and the national idol group Arashi as the male host. The result was a slight recovery with 37% in the first half and 45% in the second half, but it still couldn't beat Fuji TV's "God's Hand Special".

President Kameyama was grinning from ear to ear, while NHK held an emergency meeting overnight to discuss what to do.

However, this is the good thing about NHK, a neutral-left media outlet. If you fawn over it to the extreme, it will at most give you some face, like Sima Qian, and slightly favor the bravery of Li Guang and Xiang Yu. If you offend it too much, it will at most rearrange some historical materials, like Sima Qian, and portray Liu Bang, a chivalrous elder, as a rogue, constantly emphasizing his status as a relative of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing. But it will not change, fabricate, or conceal the facts, and its assessment of merits and demerits is relatively fair and objective.

"Pfft~" Uesugi Muneyuki was amused: "Actually, NHK talked to me about cooperation, but the National Broadcasting Corporation can't do things like commercial broadcasters like Fuji TV and go straight to the lowlifes... What they want to do with me is a serious science program, but the problem is, how am I supposed to say it? Am I supposed to tell NHK that I made the deductions by talking to dead souls?"

"Pfft~ Hahahaha, besides that, Fuji TV probably treated you very well, right?" Mai-senpai couldn't help but laugh. She was always particularly happy with Uesugi Muneyuki, and she had indeed found someone she could truly open up to and discuss the contents of the inner world with: "How many female anchors have you enjoyed in the dressing room?"

"There were only two. I recorded two shows, and Kameyama arranged two for me. One was Ebihara Yuka, and the other was Tsutsumi Reimi." Uesugi Muneyuki casually complained, "Because Tsutsumi Reimi likes to do location interviews, I asked her a few more times, and as a result, I was also suspected of having an affair with her."

"Is there a problem?" Mai-senpai laughed so hard the car was shaking. "Also, what about those tabloids that say you, the Metropolitan Police Department's pervert, turned Sakuradamon into the Ooku, and that you're only interested in raping other men's wives and daughters? And that some police officers are offering their wives and children to boost their KPIs, is that also true?"

"No, I didn't!" Uesugi Muneyuki was a little flustered. He wanted to refute that he was not some kind of lecherous pervert from the Metropolitan Police Department, but when he thought of Kashiwagi Meisa, he was speechless and could only change his tune: "I have never done any of these things on my own initiative!"

"Tsk tsk, feeling guilty?" Mai-senpai glanced at Ding Zhen, chuckling inwardly. Why does Uesugi Muneyuki always have such strong sexual desires after performing autopsies?
She did it!
Actually, before she transplanted the reproductive chakra to Uesugi Muneyuki, Uesugi Muneyuki's need was more psychological. After contact with the dead, living people would naturally feel uncomfortable (having to cross the boundary between life and death). For Uesugi Muneyuki, eating and drinking and Princess Connect were the best ways to restore his mood. Moreover, he was in his early twenties, a time when he was full of energy and had nowhere to release it.

However, after the transplant, Uesugi Muneyuki's energy circuit changed, and he now really needs Princess Connect to balance the energy in his body.

But do I need to let my junior know about this?

Mai-senpai's bright, doe-like eyes were full of cunning and amusement.

He didn't ask, so since he didn't ask, junior, you just need to trust me!
The journey from Tokyo to Gunma Prefecture wasn't very long, and Uesugi Muneyuki and Shirakawa Mai chatted and laughed all the way, enjoying the time immensely. In addition, both of them used "invisibility magic," making it difficult for passersby and gas station employees to remember their faces, so there was no commotion.

This made Uesugi Muneyuki realize that the discovery of last year's Gunma trip was purely Mai-senpai's doing.

This woman's tricks are endless. Although she meant no harm, I still need to find a way to retaliate.

As they approached Kurosawa Shrine, the Mercedes S600 did not drive directly into the village, but instead stopped in a rather secluded spot.

Stepping off the bus, Mai-senpai stood against the backdrop of the wintery mountains of Gunma. The colors of off-white, oatmeal, light gray, and dark blue were harmonious and serene, warding off the cold without exuding any ostentation of an urban celebrity. Instead, they conveyed a relaxed and warm feeling of leisure. Her fluffy down jacket and beanie made her look soft and cute, while her tight jeans and clean lines preserved her slender figure.

She stood in the desolate snow, behind her rooftops covered in snow and evergreen pines. Her breath, her reddened nose, her gently smiling eyes, and her figure wrapped in soft warmth combined to create a tranquil and beautiful scene of returning home in winter. Her natural beauty, unadorned, seemed especially pure and moving in the crisp air of the Gunma Mountains. Hearing Uesugi Muneyuki's call, she smiled and responded, turning and jogging up the stone steps. The hem of her down jacket and scarf swayed gently, leaving a warm and bright impression in the winter: "Here! Junior!"

"What a desolate place."

Deep in the heart of the mountains, an old road, long since torn apart by weeds and snow, winds its way like a frozen gray scar. At the end of the road lies Ms. Kurosawa's hometown—a village abandoned by time for more than twenty years, lying quietly in the mountain valley in the dead of winter.

Everything here seemed to have stood still in the 1980s. The January chill had long since frozen all life, the air stagnant and icy, stinging painfully when inhaled. The snow had temporarily stopped, but the sky still hung low with an iron-gray face, carrying an even deeper chill, as if it might pour out endless whiteness at any moment. Uesugi Muneyuki and Shirakawa Mai walked through the village, checking the location of Kurosawa Shrine.

In the center of the village, several wooden houses, like old men unable to bear the weight, their backs hunched and twisted, finally collapsed under the weight of the snow. Broken beams faced the falling snow sky, like withered bones in despair. On the half-tilted roofs, layers of rotten black tiles peeled away, revealing the already moldy rafters beneath. A rotten paper sliding door was pushed by the wind, opening and closing hollowly with a monotonous and dry creak. The paper on the door panel was riddled with holes, and the Showa-era newspapers on it had long since faded.

There was a rusty children's tricycle by the roadside, mostly buried in snow, with only a twisted handlebar and a rusty red wheel showing. Several bamboo poles that had long lost their support were stuck in the snow, with a piece of rotten straw rope hanging from them, frozen stiff and motionless in the cold wind.

“Now I understand why Ms. Kurosawa was so determined to leave this place.” Uesugi Muneyuki complained to Mai-senpai, “A life where you can see the end from the beginning, the unchanging cycle of the four seasons, and it’s so damn cold.”

"Times are progressing, and Shintoism, which combines the teachings of gods and Buddhas, must also change with the times. Just like how monks rock and roll and Buddhist chants have emerged in the Kansai region, our religions must also adapt to the changes brought about by the new era." Senior Mai also seemed to be thinking: "Simply relying on things like honor, faith, and duty cannot bind shrine maidens and priests."

"Let me see, the Kurosawa Shrine is right here..." Just as Uesugi Muneyuki was about to check the location, the scenery in the distance made him and Mai-senpai's expressions change.

An SUV was parked on the village road leading to Kurosawa Shrine!

anyone? !
Uesugi Muneyuki's expression changed, and he noticed the entrenching tool hanging on the back of the off-road vehicle.

There was someone there! And they were prepared!
(End of this chapter)