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Chapter 587 Night Banquet
Zhou You tilted his head.

"Izanami? But wait, I remember this is Yomizu-no-Okami, there's no 'Machikami' in her name, right?"

Ashikaga Hikaru nodded.

"If we're only talking about normal mythology, is that right?"

"Normal mythology? You mean there are abnormal ones too?"

“There are indeed abnormal accounts. According to the myths we are familiar with, Izanami should have emerged from the underworld and performed the purifying ceremony at Apokihara. The impurities washed from her body transformed into the goddess of misfortune, and then she gave birth to the three noble children. However, there are such records in some remote areas.”

Ashikaga Hikaru paused for a moment before continuing.

"The Three Noble Ones were actually born of Izanami before her. After entering the underworld, they were trapped there and never came out again. The God of Calamity is another aspect of Izanami. He has always been at the bottom of the underworld, appearing as a rotting, maggot-covered creature."

Zhou You wasn't really interested in this mythology—his family studied folklore, but they couldn't possibly study anything about Japan—so he simply stated his opinion concisely.

"so what?"

Ashikaga Hikaru's expression was somewhat helpless, as if he had anticipated his reaction.

"This is the key point I want to make. In the name of the Great Goddess of the Underworld, Izanami developed another belief—a rather negative one. They believed that after death, no matter where a person is, they will immediately return to Izanami's embrace and suffer eternal torment under this goddess. To be freed from this, the goddess must first be released from the Underworld."

"It sounds a lot like a cult?"

Ashikaga Hikari smiled bitterly.

"That's right, it's a cult. Since the birth of this belief, it has been suppressed by those in power—but in recent years, something unexpected has happened."

"What accident?"

"I don't know where the rumor came from, but it says that as long as this god can be saved from the underworld, after He escapes, He will bestow blessings upon all those who save Him, guaranteeing that everyone will remain young and immortal."

Zhou You was taken aback.

Are you all idiots? People actually believe this kind of nonsense you tell children?

Ashikaga Hikaru, however, seemed to take it all in stride, his words devoid of even the slightest inflection.

“Mr. Mori, you are wrong. When people are about to die, they will grasp at anything as a lifeline, especially those old men in high positions of power. For them, most things in this world are readily available, except for lifespan, which cannot be forced. So as long as they can live forever, they are willing to do anything.”

"That doesn't mean you should believe that."

Zhou You's words came to an abrupt end.

Thinking of the beasts he had seen in the script, he could only go along with it.

"Okay, I have to admit, there are indeed idiots like that. But what do you mean by what you're saying? What do those guys who framed me have to do with it?"

Ashikaga Hikaru pointed to the wreckage and debris scattered all over the ground.

"It's very simple, because our newly appointed governor is a fanatical believer in this sect."

Zhou You was speechless.

So, after all that wandering around, I've come all the way to Japan, and I still managed to run into this cult thing?

No, let's look at it another way. Cults are a specialty of Japan and South Korea, so it's normal that we've run into one now, isn't it?
So all he could do was sigh and say, in a bachelor's tone.

"So all I need to do is find this governor, force him to reveal the evidence of his crimes, and then kill him, and I'll be done with it?"

Unexpectedly, Ashikaga Hikaru shook his head at this win-win solution.

“No, although I don’t know why they’re tracking Aida Maki, judging from your description, Mr. Mori, they must have reached a critical point. Their defenses must be very tight. Moreover, as the governor, if this drags on, he’ll have to face both the police and the military at the same time. Even if you’re the best, you can’t handle a full mobilization of the entire Kyoto area, can you?”

Zhou You looked at the other person and suddenly spoke.

"So, team leader, what suggestions do you have?"

Upon hearing this, Ashikaga Hikaru burst out laughing.

"I actually have a win-win solution here, but I don't know if Mr. Mori would agree to it."
-
A few more days passed.

The outskirts of Kyoto.

It seems that the monk of Long'an Temple who was killed was indeed a big shot. After searching for Zhou You for several days without success, those guys not only did not relax, but became even more ruthless.

According to recent tourist reports, he woke up early one morning to find two crows standing in front of his bed, staring at him like ghosts.

That was bad enough, but one of the crows even spoke in human language, asking the other, "Is this it?" The other shook its head and said, "No," before the two crows flapped their wings and flew away.

Fortunately, because this guy was an American with a serious history of drug use, he was just hallucinating from taking too much drugs on the spot, and nothing serious happened.

This shows just how desperate the Onmyoji in Kyoto are.

The person at the heart of the storm, Zhou You, simply loosened his tie with difficulty and asked with a worried expression.

"I said, do we really have to get this whole outfit together? I think my old casual clothes and flip-flops were just fine."

However, Ashikaga Hikaru was exceptionally resolute at this moment.

“Mr. Mori, you probably don’t understand. Although this meeting is informal, it is also a place where various forces are vying for power. Therefore, the first thing to pay attention to is one’s appearance. If you were dressed like before, you probably wouldn’t even be able to get through the door.”

"But."

Zhou You tugged at his collar, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

"I'm just a guest in your house right now, there's no need to be so formal, and besides, I look too good in suits."

This time, Ashikaga Hikaru didn't say anything. Instead, the makeup artist from the Ashikaga group next to him squinted and laughed.

“Mr. Mori, you don’t need to be so reserved. Have some confidence in yourself—you have good natural features, it’s just that you’re a little neglectful of taking care of them.”

After saying that, she straightened Zhou You's tie and then turned up the vanity mirror in the car.

—Among them, a prim and proper young man was tilting his head, seemingly somewhat bewildered. Unlike his own disguise as a member of a motley crew, the makeup artist hadn't actually altered his appearance; he'd only made some minor adjustments, yet he looked like a completely different person—unless someone he knew every day was there, probably no one would recognize him.

But in the end, Zhou You still sighed.

"Fine, whatever you say goes. It's just for tonight anyway. By the way, Ashikaga, the preparations are almost complete. Tell me your requirements again."

Ashikaga Hikaru first waved his hand, dismissing the makeup artist who was giving him flirtatious glances, before speaking.

"It's actually quite simple. Today is a gathering hosted by the governor, and he has invited quite a few people, including me. His idea is probably to balance the various forces and give a warning to those who don't obey. However, because of this, the defenses in his villa must be very weak. Mr. Mori, you can find an opening to sneak in and find evidence of his crimes. As for me..."

He pointed to himself.

"As you know, I don't have a single one of my men I can trust right now, and this time several of my mortal enemies are also present. So I hope you can guarantee my safety in the next few hours and prevent any possible accidents. Is that alright?"

Zhou You stared at Ashikaga Hikaru until he felt a little uneasy, then he laughed.

"Sure, it's just a small favor—but I have to tell you, Ashikaga, I've been a bodyguard quite a few times, but very few of my clients have had a good ending. Are you sure you want me to do this job, Ashikaga?"

Ashikaga Hikaru simply smiled, but his attitude had already given his answer.

So Zhou You could only sigh, then open the car door and jump out.

Looking up, I saw a brightly lit mountain villa.

Where the mountains are like ink splashes and white sand is like a silver river, the villa appears to be Japanese in style, with a unique Japanese sense of simplicity and poignant beauty. However, upon closer inspection, one can also feel an air of opulent wealth and nobility. Zhou You doesn't know much about Japanese architecture, but he can tell from the exquisite dry landscape garden and the numerous ancient stone formations.

The cost of building this villa was far beyond my wildest imagination.

Zhou You watched in amazement and couldn't help but ask the person next to him.

"Hey Ashikaga, if I remember correctly, the governor is a public official, right? Won't the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) cause him trouble?"

"Independent Commission Against Corruption?" Ashikaga Hikaru chewed on the unfamiliar term for a few moments, then chuckled. "Mr. Mori is probably referring to the Special Investigation Department, right? But there's no need to worry about that. This governor's ancestors were nobles from Kyoto, and they've accumulated a considerable fortune over generations. The Special Investigation Department won't cause him any trouble."

"Could the wealth accumulated over generations really be used to create such an outrageous contraption?"

Ashikaga Hikaru's expression was very bitter.

“Indeed, the governor’s wealth is absolutely insufficient to support such expenses. But the problem is, you have no evidence to accuse him, do you? Moreover, people of Japanese descent like the governor have long since infiltrated every aspect of Japanese society—to be precise, they are similar to the chaebols in South Korea, but not as ruthless and blatant.”

At this point, he added with a wry smile.

"That's why I advised you to be cautious, Mr. Mori—the government agencies in Kyoto, those so-called anti-corruption special agents, even the army and police, are ultimately nothing more than dogs they keep. They reward them with a couple of bones when they're happy, and slaughter them for meat when they're not."

He was sighing and lamenting, but Zhou You didn't listen to a word he said—he wasn't planning to take a job in Japan, so why should he care? He quickly turned his attention elsewhere.

Ashikaga didn't pay any attention. Soon, he shook his head and led Zhou You to the venue of today's banquet.

He took out his family's calling card and respectfully handed it over—but who would have thought that the gatekeeper would only glance at it and suddenly reveal a mocking smile on his face.

"Hikaru Ashikaga?"

"It's down."

The young gatekeeper casually tossed the name card aside and then sneered.

"So it's the head of the Ashikaga guild—our master invited you several times before, but you never came. Why do you suddenly have time to visit our master today?"

Despite the barbed words, Ashikaga Hikaru maintained his humble demeanor.

"I had some urgent business to attend to before, so I had to decline the governor's offer for the time being. However, I finally managed to free up some time today, which is why I was able to come over. I will definitely apologize to the governor in person when I see him."

The young man snorted dismissively with a nasal tone.

"You've freed up some time? Ha, it must be because you suffered heavy losses, Boss, that you had no choice but to come and apologize to our Master?"

This was blatantly reopening old wounds, yet Ashikaga Hikaru still didn't offer any rebuttal.

On the contrary, Zhou You next to him seemed eager to try.

He nudged Ashikaga and spoke using telepathy.

"Hey Ashikaga, was this an accident? Can I beat him up?"

Ashikaga Hikaru's eyebrows twitched, and even the emotions he had just prepared turned into a wry smile.

He stood there, but had already quickly written a few words in Zhou You's palm.

"This is just the beginning, please bear with me for now, sir."

Seeing that Ashikaga Hikaru hadn't responded, the gatekeeper seemed to have lost interest and casually waved his hand.

"Alright, I can't stop you. Go in—but I have to tell you something nice: my master has given you an ultimatum. In this world, if you want to live peacefully, you have to learn to be a dog first."

In the shadows of the lamplight, Ashikaga Hikaru's expression darkened slightly—but when he looked up, his smile remained unchanged.

Compared to the outside, the reception of guests here is clearly in a Western style.

In the center was a large, standard dance floor, while rows of long tables lined the sides—already laden with various foods: steaks, lobsters, fragrant roasted lamb, and freshly deboned, steaming hot king crabs.
Although it's not a particularly rare ingredient, it's still quite a sincere effort.

After entering the house, Ashikaga Hikaru first apologized, and then went to find his master on his own—seemingly wanting to make a final effort for a peaceful ending.

As for Zhou You himself...
In this gathering of many high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen, although he wasn't exactly out of place, he was still quite bored. After looking around and finding nothing of interest, he simply found a corner, picked up a plate of food, and began to enjoy the party on his own. Oh, no, I mean, he started to enjoy the party for free.

He never paid any attention to etiquette while eating, and his manner of eating drew the attention of many people—of course, there were also many disgusted looks among them—but he ignored all those looks and just kept swallowing his food.

—Damn it, you have to pretend to eat a meal, and you have to go through the etiquette of swallowing soup seven or eight times. Aren't you afraid of getting indigestion?

But just as he picked up a bottle of red wine, uncorked it with one hand, and gulped it down like a cow chewing on a peony, a surprised and familiar voice suddenly came from beside him.

"Mr. Zhou? What are you doing here?"

(End of this chapter)