Zuo Dao Becomes a God Starting from American Horror

Chapter 269 Strange Tales: The Three Major Forces of Emotion
The next day.

Inside the hotel.

Shinnosuke Matsushita, dressed in a suit, was kneeling upright in front of the table, looking at Louis.

Louis sat in a chair, remaining silent for a moment. One person was kneeling while the other was sitting in a chair; the scene was rather strange. But… kneeling? He didn't really want to think about it. Oh well, whatever, let it be.

"Mr. Kano, there are so many beautiful sights to see in Japan: Mount Fuji, cherry blossoms, Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, Tokyo Skytree..."

"We guarantee you will be completely satisfied."

Louis shook his head. "Matsushita, you can take your time to enjoy the scenery. The main reason I came to Japan this time is because I am a fan of the occult and I am very interested in the supernatural and ghostly aspects of Japan, so I came here."

"But I'm not very clear about the situation in Japan..."

Hear the strings and know the elegant meaning.

Matsushita Shinnosuke's eyes immediately lit up. "Mr. Kano, I'm willing to offer some assistance, and you've come to the right person."

"We at Panasonic still have some influence in Tokyo, and we know a lot about occult matters, so it's not a problem at all!"

Whether it was true or not, Matsushita Shinnosuke patted his chest and made a guarantee.

But Louis did not give in. Carrie, who was standing next to him, had a flash in her eyes. Her powerful telekinesis had the effect of hypnosis, causing a moment of confusion to flash in Matsushita's eyes.

The amulet on his body glowed faintly, but the glow vanished in an instant, and he even became dull and lifeless.

"Mr. Matsushita, I'm talking about the real mysticism!"

"..."

The room fell silent instantly after he finished speaking.

Matsushita Shinnosuke pursed his lips, looking conflicted, but under Carrie's influence, he still made his choice.

Yes, the Japanese economy is not doing well right now, and Panasonic is also affected to some extent in Japan. If they could get investment from Kano International, it would be a major achievement and would greatly help them improve their position within the Panasonic conglomerate...

Moreover, these things are not exactly big secrets. Many people in the upper echelons of Japanese politics and business know about them, and presumably the core members of this American capitalist also know about them. So what is the point of hiding them?
What? The other party's purpose in coming here is impure?

What a joke! When have American capitalists ever had any ulterior motives towards Japan?

Greed flashed by, and then—splat!

Matsushita Shinnosuke bumped his head on the ground.

He immediately presented everything.

After a while.

Louis' eyes flashed with understanding.

Sure enough, the upper echelons of Japan, much like the upper echelons of America, have a core group that is very clear about these occult matters.

The mysterious side of neon is not quite what Louis imagined.

Aside from most of the fakes, there are quite a few truly skilled shrine maidens, onmyoji, monks, and the like among them!
It is thanks to these people, the power of modern technology, and the fact that fewer ghosts and monsters have been born since modern times, that Japan has been able to keep its mysterious events a secret.

However, due to the bursting of the bubble, a large amount of despair has nourished Japan, resulting in more monsters being born today than in the previous hundred years, and the rate of monster birth is approaching that of the Warring States period.

This is where Japan and America differ.

The origins of ghosts and monsters here are not only determined by people, but also by the emotions permeating the world.

In times of chaos and predominantly negative emotions, ghosts and monsters are more likely to be born. Conversely, in times of peace and predominantly positive emotions, fewer ghosts and monsters are likely to be born.

It can be said that it is closely related to people's emotions.

The urban legend Louis saw last night—the Slit-Mouthed Woman—is also real. It appeared after the bubble burst and is becoming stronger as despair grows and its influence spreads through word of mouth.

This is one of the core secrets of the mysterious side of Japan.

He shouldn't have said it, but he couldn't resist in front of Louis and blurted it all out.

Urban legends, or ghost stories, have emerged suddenly in recent years. They come from a variety of sources, including ghost stories passed down orally that have come true, new ghost stories created in the new era that have come true, and even negative emotions that people have accumulated...

The most common occurrences are ghost stories coming true. There's not much difference between new and old stories; it all depends on the extent of the impact and the intensity of the negative emotions.

These ghost stories possess varying abilities, some strong and some weak, but their greatest commonality is that they cannot be destroyed.

Even if you kill the opponent countless times, the opponent can always revive.

The best way to deal with them is to seal them away.

Because of the emergence of these special ghost stories, the Japanese government has increased its support for the mystical world and even intended to establish an official agency to manage it, but so far it is still dragging its feet.

Of course, the authorities are the authorities after all, and they did take some measures after realizing the special nature of ghost stories, such as gathering various monks and priestesses.

It turned out to be completely useless. The only thing that could be done was to limit the spread of its influence, such as by artificially intervening in the spread of a certain ghost story, which could indeed weaken its power.

But they still cannot be eradicated; they have become one with the despair of this land.

Unless the despair in this land diminishes below a certain threshold, which, given the current situation, is unlikely to happen within the next twenty years.

So, in the end, the group of experts came up with a solution that was hardly a solution at all—sealing.

After saying all this, Matsushita Shinnosuke was panting heavily. He was getting old and couldn't handle saying so much in one breath.

Louis, on the other hand, seemed to be deep in thought.

"The ghosts and monsters in this place seem to be influenced by emotions? I wonder what the principle behind it is."

"The appearance of special ghosts after the bubbles burst is also related to this intense negative emotion?"

"Immortality can only be sealed..."

It seems that Japan is a truly unique country, where everything is decided by emotions.

Emotions... Emotions...

He recalled that the bursting of the bubble not only lasted a long time but also affected a wide area, impacting most places except for a few rural areas, making it a time of despair.

Therefore, their negative emotions must be immense.

Thinking about this overwhelming negative emotion, and the unique nature of Japan, and recalling the array formations I had recently learned, some unusual thoughts slowly began to sprout in my mind...

However, these ideas were only in their infancy, so Louis temporarily ignored them and continued to ask Matsushita Shinnosuke.

The main questions asked this time were about the number and distribution of ghosts and monsters, and the local situation regarding divination.

Having caught his breath, Matsushita Shinnosuke spoke frankly and without reservation.

The Japanese government does not provide detailed information on the number and distribution of ghosts and monsters; they only track and restrict ghost stories.

There's no other reason than that ordinary ghosts and monsters have limited harm potential. At most, a vengeful ghost might kill its enemy and then start indiscriminately killing innocent people, which can be easily dealt with by sending out a few Onmyoji or monks.

Unlike ghost stories, the more you kill, the more you appear, and the wider your influence spreads, the stronger you become, with a significant growth rate, and relatively greater harm.

Therefore, the Japanese government has preserved information about the specific locations of the ghost stories. He doesn't know about other places, but he's certain that the Minister of State who oversees the National Public Safety Commission must have information about them.

As for the mysterious side of the neon.

They are divided into three main categories: Onmyoji, monks, and shrine maidens.

Everything else is miscellaneous.

Among them, monks are the strongest and most orthodox, which is normal, because Japan has always shared the world with Buddhism. Their power was so great that during the Warring States period, they even managed to kill Oda Nobunaga, who almost unified Japan. Although they have declined in modern times, they are still a behemoth, with each temple being like a mountain.

The shrine maidens represent the power of the Shinto shrines, a religious force that gradually rose to prominence after the Warring States period. Generally speaking, Shintoism is a religion with numerous sub-sects, each shrine acting as a separate faction. The Shinto shrines are currently the most relied-upon force by the Japanese government, and the shrine maidens are the mystical agents deployed by these shrines in battle.

Finally, there are the Onmyoji. To be precise, they are a group of sorcerers who have mixed together various elements such as Eastern Taoist arts, Buddhist teachings, Confucian etiquette, etc., and finally established a kind of unorthodox Zen profession based on the Taoist Yin-Yang and Five Elements theory.

Before modern times, this was a profession looked down upon by monks and priestesses. However, in modern times, its power has increased, becoming the third largest force. It has even joined the government and become the most frequently used mystical personnel by the government.

As for the rest, such as samurai, swordsmen, mediums, and superpower experts, they are all miscellaneous streams!

It is far from comparable to the three major powers.

……

After saying this, Matsushita Shinnosuke took a deep breath and couldn't help but drink some water from the side.

Louis' eyes flickered.

As an insider, Matsushita Shinnosuke's intelligence was naturally highly accurate.

So, we really can't underestimate the power of neon.

It may not be as strong as the United States, but it is certainly not weak either.

This is quite fitting for Japan's national status. Despite being an island nation, Japan is one of the world's largest countries in terms of land area, population, and national strength.

monks, shrine maidens, onmyoji...

"Who is the strongest mystery agent in Japan right now?"

This is to determine the upper limit of strength.

Louis had only asked the question casually, without expecting an answer, but to his surprise, Matsushita Shinnosuke actually knew the answer!
"It's Miss Higa Kotoko, the undisputed strongest, and even those monks haven't publicly refuted that."

Kotoko Higa?

"She's a witch?"

"No, she is a medium, but she has a deep connection with priestesses and is acquainted with many priestesses."

???

You just told me that the strongest mystical side in Japan consists of three major forces, and now you've suddenly introduced a powerful individual who is a medium?
Subsequently, as the other party recounted the story, information about Higa Kotoko gradually unfolded.

She comes from a family of spiritual mediums in Okinawa. The family is not powerful, but Higa Kotoko is different. From birth, she has possessed spiritual power that surpasses that of everyone in the family. Her talent is terrifying.

Later, when he was in elementary school, he began exorcising spirits and evil spirits, and made it his profession.

Now, at just thirty years old, he has reached the pinnacle of Japanese mysticism and has even expanded his business overseas, with business dealings even in the United States. It is said that he once received an invitation from the Sacrifice Bureau, but whether he ultimately joined is unknown to Matsushita Shinnosuke.

"Sounds like someone important."

"Where is she now?"

"I don't know. Miss Higa has a very high status and can go wherever she wants. She is usually busy performing exorcisms in various places and even around the world."

"Remember to let me know when she gets back."

“Okay.” Matsushita Shinnosuke immediately nodded in agreement.

Louis then gave the other party a small reward.

They agreed to invest in Japan, which will likely involve setting up a multi-faceted company with a substantial investment. They will also collaborate with Panasonic. Specific details will be discussed later.

Matsushita Shinnosuke was overjoyed and immediately reciprocated by deciding to do everything in his power to assist in the establishment of Cano International's branch in Japan, while also subtly expressing his support to Louis.

It seems they've figured something out.

That's normal, after all, he's a shrewd person and not so easily fooled.

Louis was too lazy to use magic or similar methods.

After both parties reached an agreement, Louis then instructed his team to handle the related matters.

He himself, through Matsushita Shinnosuke's connections, planned to contact the Japanese Minister of State and ask for their cooperation in his actions.

However, only a moment later.

Matsushita Shinnosuke's expression turned rather unpleasant.

"...Let him call me himself! Matsushita coward!"

Paji.

The phone hangs up.

“Mr. Louis, Kishida’s careless attitude… is not very good.” Matsushita Shinnosuke turned around and said with a grim expression.

"Ok?"

Having quickly learned about the core members of this major capitalist and knowing that the other party disliked wasting time, Matsushita Shinnosuke began to speak.

This Kishida Makoto is a member of the Kishida family, one of the leading political families in Japan. His maternal grandfather, Masaki, was a radical, and Kishida Makoto inherited his political ideals.

I don't really trust America, or more accurately, I don't trust anyone. But because of the current situation, I don't dare to provoke America. I don't know why, but this time, my attitude towards Louis is not good; it seems like I'm hostile.

Louis narrowed his eyes.

"Which forces on the mystical side does this person have good relations with?"

Matsushita Shinnosuke's heart skipped a beat, and he lowered his head even further, whispering, "They have a good relationship with the Tendai sect of Mount Hiei, and also the Koya Kannon-in temple in Atami City..."

Louis's eyelids closed slightly.

"Okay, give me his address, then you can go back and rest."

At this point, Louis abandoned his previous relatively equal stance and adopted a condescending, commanding manner, his tone carrying a sense of disdain.

At this moment, Matsushita Shinnosuke dared not utter a word, lowering his head and sticking out his buttocks as he backed away, not daring to make a sound.

After stepping outside, Matsushita Shinnosuke let out a long breath of white air, his eyes filled with fear and lingering dread, but also a hint of joy and respect.

He guessed correctly; this outsider was no ordinary person. He must have been influenced by something behind the scenes for saying so much for no apparent reason.

But that's not important. What's important is that this person is amazing!

Matsushita Shinnosuke touched the Buddha amulet, which was covered in cracks, and thought to himself.

It looks like we're about to see something interesting.

Kishida has really messed up.

Matsushita Shinnosuke wore a gloating expression.

Yes, he had a grudge against Kishida Mako, but he wasn't lying; everything he said was the truth.

I shook my head, pulling myself back to reality.

He just needs to relay these things back; now he should be thinking about his own affairs.

He really wanted to get on this guy's good side.

"No, simply starting a company and cooperating isn't enough. How can we make this gentleman happy and build a deeper, closer relationship?"

(End of this chapter)