The Japanese-fear sorcerer who started by taking in Tomie

"Boss! We found it! We found it, boss!"

Jack, holding an old book in his hand, darted out from deep within the bookshelf, stumbling and running.

"Where did you find it?" Shin Heng Yuan asked.

"Section C, three rows, two columns."

Jack took a breath, somewhat bewildered, wondering why his boss had specifically asked this.

Xin Hengyuan paused slightly, then turned to look at the front desk.

It really is.

"You really memorized the location of all the books?"

Fujiwara Chizuru ignored his surprise, simply extending her hand and saying in a flat, routine tone, "Would you like to borrow this book? If so, please register with your name and class."

"Boss! Boss! There's a spider crawling on your neck!"

Jack let out a scream and scrambled behind the cabinet. No one expected the tall, imposing baseball team captain to be so terrified by a spider.

"It's nothing, it's my pet," Shin Hengyuan explained casually, then looked down and realized that Jorogumo had somehow popped out of his pocket.

It was perched on his shoulder, baring its fangs at Fujiwara Chizuru.

"Sorry, my little pet crawled out." Shin Hengyuan quickly took the Jorogumo off his neck and stuffed it back into his pocket, looking at Fujiwara Chizuru with an apologetic expression.

Fujiwara Chizuru glanced deeply into his pocket and said calmly, "Keep an eye on your pets. No horseplay in the library, not even spiders."

"Will you lend it to me or not?" Fujiwara Chizuru asked again.

"Yes, of course I'll lend it to you. My name is Xin Hengyuan, and I'm in Class 3, Grade 2." Xin Hengyuan quickly gave his name and class.

"Okay, I understand."

Fujiwara Chizuru lowered her eyes and quickly wrote a few lines on an old register.

Fujiwara Chizuru's handwriting is elegant and neat, quite charming, and complements this old library perfectly.

After finishing writing, she pushed the book in front of Xinhengyuan.

"Return within two weeks. Late returns will be charged at 100 yen per day. Damage or loss will require compensation of three times the original price."

After giving her explanation, she picked up the book again and opened it, her eyes behind her frameless glasses never glancing at Xin Hengyuan again.

Shin Hengyuan picked up the book and called Jack to leave the library together. When they reached the door, he couldn't help but turn back, his gaze passing through the old wooden door and landing on Fujiwara Chizuru, who was sitting alone at the front desk.

Who exactly is this woman?

Shin Hengyuan didn't believe that this person was an ordinary person. An ordinary person would never elicit such a strong reaction from Jorogumo, especially since her actions just now clearly indicated that she recognized Jorogumo!

Only after Shin Hengyuan's footsteps completely disappeared outside the library did Fujiwara Chizuru slightly raise her head and mutter to herself.

"A human with demonic powers, and a Jorogumo without demonic powers... Interesting."

……

"Boss, if there's nothing else for me... can I go now? I still have baseball practice at my club." After walking a little further, Jack cautiously approached and asked with a fawning expression.

"Let's go." Xinhengyuan waved his hand.

Jack felt like he'd been granted a pardon and turned to run away. As expected of the eldest brother in the baseball club, he was much faster than his underlings.

Xin Hengyuan ignored him and looked down at the book in his hand.

Hanako in the toilet.

This urban legend has actually been circulating on campus for a long time, but it has suddenly become popular again recently.

It's not just Hanako; upon closer reflection, it seems that all the urban legends have suddenly become popular recently.

The more Xin Hengyuan looked at it, the more astonished he became, and the more he felt he had found a treasure.

"The Tale of Strange Tales of Fusang" is the title of this book, but rather than a suspense novel, it is more like a catalog of Japanese monsters and ghosts disguised as various suspense stories.

It provides a detailed description of the monsters or ghost stories that appear in each short story.

He casually flipped through a few pages and found familiar names such as Jorogumo, Yasakani no Daijin, Tamamo-no-Mae, and Kuchisake-onna. Even more surprisingly, he also found Tomie among them; however, she wasn't called Kawakami Tomie in the book, but rather by another name—the Immortal Woman!

But the ability described, the endless splitting and regeneration, and the maddening allure—this description is clearly of Tomie.

Turning to page 172, Shin Hengyuan finally found his target—Hanako in the toilet!

On the left side of the page is a yellowed illustration. It depicts a half-open toilet stall door, with a small hand peeking out from the pale crack.

The text on the right describes a suspense story about "Hanako".

A quick glance reveals a story set in the early Showa era about a beggar girl who, due to her exceptional beauty, was envied and bullied by her classmates. She eventually hanged herself in a toilet stall, her resentment lingering there for a long time.

It's bullying again.

Shin Hengyuan doesn't know how to complain. Has bullying become a habit for her? The Slit-Mouthed Woman was like that before, and now Hanako is too.

Xin Hengyuan sighed and turned another page.

Although Shin Hengyuan sympathized with Hanako's plight, he wouldn't let go of this "experience pack" (a metaphor for someone who provides valuable lessons).

He finally turned to the next page, which contained information about Hanako.

The story of Hanako-san in the toilet is a modern school ghost story. Its prototype is believed to have originated in the early Showa era, and similar strange tales circulate in schools across the country.

How to summon: At midnight, go alone into the women's restroom on the third floor, knock three times on the door of the third stall, and call out, "Hanako, are you there?"

Her image is often depicted as wearing a red dress, having short hair, and her face hidden in shadow.

Most of those who encountered Hanako lost consciousness on the spot and had vague memories upon waking; a few disappeared completely and their whereabouts remain unknown to this day...

That concludes the book introduction.

Xin Hengyuan closed the book, his gaze falling on the small print on the cover.

Mr. Eroko.

Five words, utterly unremarkable.

Shin Hengyuan knew that this so-called Mr. Ero was no ordinary person. To know so many ghost stories and details about monsters, he was probably a true extraordinary person, and his status was definitely not low, or he was a great demon.

But Tomie, the Slit-Mouthed Woman, Hanako... these ghost stories all originated in modern times. According to Tomie, since modern times, apart from herself, she has never seen any real Onmyoji or monks, and those she occasionally encountered were mostly charlatans.

Therefore, this book is most likely the work of a powerful demon.

Why would a novel written by a great demon be disguised as an ordinary suspense novel? And why would it circulate? Why would it even appear in the library of an ordinary school?

Xin Hengyuan felt as if he were being drawn into some kind of hidden vortex.

The mysterious Asakusa Shrine, the legendary demon king Tamamo-no-Mae, the Slit-Mouthed Woman, Tomie Kawakami, Chizuru Fujiwara...

Thinking back on everything that had happened recently, he felt as if he were being slowly drawn into some kind of hidden vortex.

It's all too complicated.

However, when soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it.

Xin Hengyuan quickly adjusted his mindset, calmed down again, and clenched his fist.

Whoever comes, bring it on!

You have mastered the first-level spell: Summon a Fel Servant.

You have mastered the first-level spell, Tracer Bullet.

New Hengyuan: ?