Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 597 is Coming
After that, Zhou You and Asakura Masashi climbed to the rooftop.

Perhaps because it had rained not long ago, the temperature was a bit low, and with the strong winds at higher levels, even though it was still summer, it felt like being scraped by a knife.

The world seemed to be divided into two sides here. On one side, the rooftops were pitch black, with only traffic lights flashing their predetermined lights, while on the other side, the streets had already turned into a sea of ​​celebration.

Crowds, floats, palanquins, music—all these elements combine to create a magnificent spectacle that can easily captivate anyone.

"How peaceful it is."

Standing on the side of the suspended platform, completely unconcerned about the risk of falling—and after a sigh, Zhou You, seeing that the target wouldn't be reached anytime soon, casually lit a cigarette.

To be honest, he hadn't smoked in a long time since he entered the Black Book. He found this pack in Domoto Shinichi's wallet. The pungent smoke made him cough involuntarily.

Masaki Asakura, who was standing in the same spot, seemed to want to find something to talk about in the silence, and suddenly spoke up.

"Mr. Zhou, I didn't know you liked to smoke."

Zhou You looked at the firelight on his fingertips, thought for a while, and then chuckled to himself.

"I wouldn't say I like it, in fact, I quite dislike it."

Masaki Asakura seemed to have taken a liking to it and said...

"Then why do you still smoke?"

"My grandfather was a rather strict and rigid person. I was probably going through a rebellious phase in middle school, and in order to rebel against him, I started smoking. But after a while, I got used to it."

“Hmm~” Masaki Asakura began to speak, then suddenly said, “Mr. Zhou, I have another question.”

"Anyway, we still have some time, so let's talk."

"Just like smoking, you clearly don't like these things, so why do you still do them?"

She didn't specify, but Zhou You understood what she was talking about.

And so, a soft sigh escaped her lips.

"At first, it was just because my life was coming to an end and I had no other choice, but now..."

I looked up at the bustling scene of traffic.

"I'm a busybody. When I encounter monsters and demons, even if I have no interest in them, I always want to get involved. Besides, I've seen so much filth that I feel we should cherish things like this in everyday life."

"It's that simple?"

"It's that simple."

And so, in the night breeze, the two fell silent once more.

After a while, just as the cigarette was about to burn out, a slight disturbance suddenly broke out where the lights were converging.

Logically, at such a distance, the crowd should look like ants. However, Zhou You was no ordinary person. He simply used a spell to look in that direction.

This was not the main procession, and the families carrying the palanquin were all small, unknown households—yet suddenly, as if a river had been cut off, the crowd was instantly pushed to both sides.

Then, a long procession emerged from it.

Unlike the almost dazzling scenery elsewhere, the procession was simply dressed in black and white.

One person was dressed in pure white mourning clothes, wearing a straw hat, with a black veil hanging down from above, covering the upper half of their head; while the other person was completely the opposite, wearing a black robe, with a white scarf tied around their face, only their pale and lifeless eyes were exposed.

At the very end of the procession was a palanquin pulled by dozens of people.

Zhou You didn't really know much about Japanese folk customs, but he still recognized the decorations at a glance.

"The array of underworld officials of the Lord of Mount Tai? Wow, I didn't expect to see this thing in a foreign land—no, these guys may have ascended to godhood, but why are they bringing this out?"

Masaki Asakura explained from the side.

"Japanese Yin-Yang arts originated from China, and the Taishan Fujun Festival is one of its fundamental rituals. It was originally a life-for-life exchange to bring the dead back to life, but those remnants are themselves from the underworld, so it is not surprising that they are returned to the living world in this way."

"I see." Zhou You nodded, then threw away the burning cigarette butt and prepared to put on the Guan Gong mask.

However, he was stopped by Masaki Asakura before he could take it out.

"Master, your mask is really too conspicuous. Besides, this is a Japanese festival, so why are you wearing Guan Yu? Although the Romance of the Three Kingdoms is deeply rooted in people's hearts, and there have been many revival efforts in recent years, it still feels a bit out of place."

Zhou You shrugged.

"Then what do you suggest? They have ways to break ordinary disguises, but I'm not familiar with elaborate makeup, and besides, the two makeup artists I know aren't here."

Without any hesitation, Masaki Asakura deftly removed the mask from his face.

The next moment, it was as if moonlight was blooming in this place.

Just as Zhou You had predicted, the other party was indeed stunningly beautiful—no, to be more precise, it would be more appropriate to describe her as a calamity that could bring ruin to a country. She simply stood there, like the moonlight, silently parting the deep night.

However, as the mask was removed, a strange smell began to waft through the air.

The taste was so faint that it could be easily missed if one wasn't paying attention, yet Zhou You still managed to distinguish it accurately.

That's demonic energy.

He raised his eyes and looked at the other person with great interest.

Masaki Asakura stood there confidently, her smile unchanged—but she still offered an explanation.

“Unlike China, Japan used to be a place where humans and demons lived together. For example, the three major families still have some demon blood. But in the end, we are still human.”

Zhou You rubbed his chin, while Duan Xie was already eager to try it out.

But in the end, he pressed down on the sword beside him, put it back into his Diancang Ring, and then reached out his hand.

"Bring it here."

Masaki Asakura handed over the mask with a slight smile.

Once placed on my head, the mask, which was initially uncomfortable, instantly clung tightly to my skin—besides, I could feel a slight lingering warmth, and that alluring touch.
—Someone curled their lip.

Under the influence of the Heavenly Dragon bloodline and the spirit of a straight man, that little bit of excitement quickly dissipated. Looking at the approaching team, he bent down and bowed.

Then, it rushed straight down the building!
The wind howled past; for an ordinary person, this would undoubtedly be an act of suicide.

But who is Zhou You?
He was someone who had killed gods and Buddhas, and even crushed Empress Dowager Cixi.

Therefore, Newton's coffin lid, at least for him, was something he could truly open and show to others!
With the help of gravity, Zhou You's speed increased—but just before he reached the ground, he stomped his foot backward.

As the glass shattered like a spiderweb, his body was already in mid-air. Then, with two lightness talismans, his falling speed suddenly slowed down, and finally, he flipped over on the balcony.

When I looked again, he was already as if he had no weight, floating lightly to the ground. And in front of me, the crowd was still watching the strange procession.

No one noticed his whereabouts, but no one felt any fear towards the group. Under the influence of modern society, most ordinary people no longer believed in such supernatural things.

So for them, it was just an unusual parade, probably a special event put on by the government or that shrine—many people were laughing and raising their phones, wanting to film it and show it off to their friends and family.

Zhou You watched the lively crowd without any sense of tension, and shook his head with a smile.

He took a step forward.

In an instant, within the divine chariot, a gaze as deep and murky as a swamp fell upon them.

—The other party has already discovered him.

But to be honest, it doesn't really matter.

Choosing this high-rise building as the raiding point was simply to prevent the enemy from resorting to desperate measures and causing any additional trouble—and now that time has come...
Whether it's discovered or not, it doesn't really matter anymore.

Zhou You didn't take out the Duanxie sword, and even Wan Ren was only tucked into his waistband. With that carefree smile, he squeezed through the dense crowd.

Finally, one person stood in front of the marching crowd.

The other party stopped.

There was no driving away or stopping, nor any negotiation like before. The people dressed in black and white, dressed as underworld officials, simply raised their heads and looked at that humorous and mocking face.

Seeing this scene, the crowd became somewhat agitated.

Of course, most people are just confused.

"Who is that person? Aren't we supposed to not stop the marching crowd?"

"How would I know if you ask me? This is my first time in Kyoto too. I just wanted to join in the fun."

"Where are the police? Isn't this a disturbance? Aren't they going to do anything about it?"

"His fox mask is quite nice, where did he buy it?"

However, amidst the chaotic noise, a loud voice suddenly rang out.

"Please don't panic, everyone. This is a program specially arranged by the governor to drive away the plague and vanquish the Aragami. Since we've invited professionals and used a lot of modern technology, you might see some... well, rather realistic scenes. If you're prone to seeing such things, or if you have children with you, please leave temporarily. Our Metropolitan Police Department is maintaining order on the perimeter. If you feel unwell, please feel free to ask us for help."

Look up.

Sure enough, with the help of his colleagues, Shinichi Domoto was standing on a makeshift platform, holding a megaphone, and shouting at the top of his lungs.

Seemingly sensing Zhou You's gaze, he also glanced over with a pitiful look.

"He forged orders from superiors without authorization and acted arbitrarily. If he doesn't achieve some great merit this time, his career as a public servant is over."

Shaking his head, Zhou You turned his gaze back to the divine chariot.

"I'm telling you—didn't you all want me to stay away? You went to so much trouble, even using your own high priest to frame me, and now that I'm here, don't you have anything to say?"

The chariot remained silent.

But soon, a muffled, murmured sound, like bubbles, came from within.

The language was quite simple.

"The enemy needs to be eliminated."

Then, all the underworld officials sprang into action.

Feeling the familiar stench of corpses, Zhou You laughed.

"Is this the legendary Night Parade of One Hundred Demons? It was definitely worth the trip, to actually see this famous spectacle."

Before the words were even finished, the figure had already moved.

The foremost underworld official had just extended his claws—but Zhou You simply turned his body to the right, lunged forward, and swung his arm, half of his arm already grazing the ghastly green nails, before slamming it into the other's body.

Of course, these are obviously corpses that have come back to life. They can move freely even if they are missing half a body, let alone being punched.

Otherwise.

—But the other party stopped moving instantly.

In that brief instant, the Hunyuan energy had already entered through the meridians, and in the blink of an eye, it had twisted the inside into a knot.

This is also why Zhou You didn't want to make a bloody scene in public; otherwise, with his punching power, this thing would probably burst like a balloon on the spot.

This is also why he temporarily abandoned his sword and focused solely on his fists—after all, even if you exaggerate the special effects when using a sword, you can't explain why someone could claim to be unharmed after having their head chopped off.

In the blink of an eye, the next underworld official pounced on them.

He turned to the side and delivered another hook punch.

This time, his body flew straight back like a cannonball, knocking over several of his accomplices who couldn't avoid him.

More people surged forward, but Zhou You remained calm and unhurried, walking among them as if he were strolling leisurely. Every time a fist struck, one or even several underworld officials would fall to the ground.

He moved slowly, yet with unstoppable force, toward the divine chariot, like a blade drawn from its sheath.

Seeing this scene, the crowd, who had initially been feeling a little bored, became excited.

All the phones were pointed at Zhou You, and in an instant, the sound of flashes was deafening.

"Hey, this performance seems pretty interesting?"

"Yes, the feeling of each punch landing is quite realistic. This acting is much better than those young idols."

"The special effects are a bit over the top. How can such a light punch send someone flying so high? That's too exaggerated."

"By the way, where are the wires? I don't think I saw any wires. What props are they using for their performance?"

"I do recognize this as the Taishan Fujun Festival, but which deity is participating? And who is the one slaying evil? I've never heard of them before."

"Soft drinks, ice-cold soft drinks, cheap and affordable, and freshly squeezed juice too—"

Zhou You ignored all the noise.

As he watched his opponent draw ever closer, a wide smile suddenly appeared on his lips.

— Sure enough, the next second, the opponent also revealed their trump card!
(End of this chapter)