Becoming a god in a low-key way in the supernatural world

The ninja had too many tricks up his sleeve; she had been on guard the whole time.

"Senior sister! Senior sister!"

Machiko stood up and rushed towards her with a wail, her glistening tears and snot drawing a long line in the air, making Kurumi's eyelids twitch.

She raised her hand and pressed it against Machiko's head to prevent her from lunging at her, then quickly asked, "What do you mean by 'disbanded'? How did you get to Tokyo? Weren't the trains shut down?"

Machiko, who used her scarf as a tissue, was like someone who had finally found an adult. She wiped away her tears and poured out all the hardships she had endured along the way.

More than ten days ago, Machiko's master suddenly gathered everyone together, saying that he had received a private job and had to go to the West. He also said that there was not much rice left on the mountain, so they were temporarily dismissed and would meet again in two years. Machiko, who had nowhere to go, originally planned to hold onto her savings until her master returned, but her master gave her a train ticket and told her to come to Tokyo to seek refuge with Kurumi.

So a week ago, she came to Tokyo with her bags, but after getting off the train, she realized that she had no idea where Kurumi was. When she called back, she couldn't reach her master. With no other choice, she came up with a clumsy idea: to stake out outside the Special Division headquarters. And she actually managed to catch her. She followed her all the way to this area, and just as she was about to show up and knock on the door after finally confirming that it was Kotegawa's house, Kotegawa caught her red-handed.

After listening to Machiko's intermittent complaints, Kotegawa pondered and said, "That sounds a bit far-fetched... Why did your master send you to find Kurumi?"

Because of Hattori Tomoko, he didn't have a very good impression of this faction of ninjas.

Before Machiko could speak, Kurumi stepped in to explain: "Machiko's master and my master have a very bad relationship. When I was training in Heian-kyo, her master took good care of me. Machiko and I also got along quite well. Before I came back, her master told me that if she ever went on a long trip, she hoped I could help take care of Machiko... I didn't expect that she wouldn't tell Machiko my home address and phone number."

At this point, she added, "Machiko is the child adopted by her master."

Kotegawa nodded slightly; that made sense.

Hu Tao took out a tissue from her pocket and handed it to Machiko. Looking at her trembling appearance, she couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Why are you like this? Didn't Master Sui tell you that you can go to the Special Section if something happens?"

Machiko looked down at herself. Some of the snow on her body had melted, leaving wet marks. She had taken a hard fall, and her bones still ached.

Kotegawa glanced at it and said, "I beat her up... She was loitering in front of my house, and she was invisible."

Machiko felt incredibly wronged: "Who told you to scare me? I was going to knock on the door!"

Hu Tao was silent for a moment, then thought for a moment and said, "Where are your belongings? Why don't you move into my house first? We can discuss the rest later."

Although there are still many details that are not clear, now is not the place to talk.

Machiko said softly, "It's in a hotel in the North District. The room rate is enough for one more day. I'll move it over tomorrow."

Looking at her, Hu Tao couldn't help but say, "But Master Sui is too careless. She let you come to Tokyo alone without even telling me beforehand."

Machiko lowered her head shyly and muttered, "Master seemed to be in a hurry to leave... she probably didn't have time to think about it."

"Alright..." Hu Tao nodded helplessly. Machiko didn't know much either, so she would ask around through acquaintances later.

Kotegawa, who was standing next to her, said, "That's enough for now. I have to go back. We can talk about the rest tomorrow."

"I'll see you off..." Hu Tao looked at Machiko, turned her head and called out to the little priest. After the little priest came out, she pushed Machiko to him and asked him to take her back to the house first.

The junior priest glanced at her, said nothing, and led Machiko into the shrine.

Hu Tao followed Kotekawa for a while, and when they reached the intersection, she buried her head in Kotekawa's arms and rubbed against him, whispering, "Leave the door open for me, I'll stay over tonight."

Kotegawa opened his coat and wrapped her in his arms, saying softly, "Let's find out what's going on with Machiko first. I'm not entirely at ease with her yet."

Hu Tao thought for a moment and nodded gently.

He thought for a moment and said in surprise, "But that little girl's invisibility technique is quite impressive."

“Master Sui is skilled in this kind of ninjutsu, but not many people can learn it,” Hu Tao recalled. “Before I came back, only Machiko had learned it.”

"She's quite impressive..."

Their voices gradually faded, and the two embraced, doing what all couples do. After a while, they were reluctant to part.

Chapter Thirty: Year-End Part-Time Jobs

When Kotegawa returned home, the last stewed chicken had just been served, and the whole table of dishes was still steaming.

He put the apples he bought at the supermarket on his way back on the table, washed his hands, sat down at the dining table, and carefully answered Uncle Jian'er and Aunt Qiuye's questions while picking up a large piece of stewed chicken.

After dinner, he went to the living room and watched TV with Uncle Kenji for a while. When Yuka and Qingkong came downstairs after taking a shower, and Aunt Qiuye called Uncle Kenji to take a shower, he said goodnight to Aunt Qiuye and went upstairs in his pajamas.

After taking a shower and changing his clothes, he sat cross-legged on the bedding and started chatting with Hu Tao, asking her about Machiko.

Hu Tao called several people she knew in Heian-kyo and confirmed that Machiko was not lying. Machiko's master had indeed temporarily disbanded their faction, and Machiko's trip to Tokyo was at her master's behest.

Kotegawa looked at the text message she sent and pondered for a moment. Although Machiko didn't seem to be lying, he would still use [Nightmare] to confirm it again tomorrow.

At that moment, Hu Tao sent another message, which was something she had just found out by accident.

Hattori Tomoko seems to have disappeared. She vanished from the hospital the day after she was fired.

Kotegawa paused, his expression turning serious. He stood up, transformed back into mist, and rose into the sky, circling within a three-thousand-meter radius. He also activated his [Hunting Instinct], but he still couldn't find Hattori Tomoko.

After wandering around for a while and returning to his room, he checked the time and called Ishikawa Yasuhiro.

This time, Ishikawa Yasuhiro took a little longer to answer the phone. When the call connected, the man on the other end was panting.

He casually said, "Excuse me, are you exercising?"

Ishikawa Yasuhiro, still catching his breath, said in a slightly serious voice, "I got off work early today, so my wife and I did some exercise together, something we haven't done in a long time!"

"Oh..." Kotegawa pretended not to understand and got down to business: "Ishikawa-san, is Hattori Tomoko in the Special Division?"

"Hattori?" Ishikawa Yasuhiro paused for a moment and said, "No, she's been fired and has no authority to enter or leave the Special Department. She should be at the hospital now."

Kotegawa paused for a moment and said, "She left the hospital. I suspect she might come after me for revenge, or go after people around me. You should be careful too."

The phone suddenly went silent, followed by Ishikawa Yasuhiro's serious voice: "Her legs and arms are still injured, and she's probably secretly recuperating somewhere... You're right, Hattori is extremely petty and might seek revenge on you! But she's no match for you, so it's very likely she'll target someone close to you!"

After finishing their conversation, Kotegawa decided not to disturb Ishikawa's business any longer, said goodbye, and hung up the phone.

He glanced at the time, then vanished from the spot, turning into wisps of mist that blended into the wind and snow outside.

He wouldn't feel at ease until he found Hattori Tomoko.

If this old woman comes looking for revenge, that's fine, but if she goes crazy and uses any means necessary to harm Haruka Kurumi, Takanashi, or even Uncle Kenji and Aunt Akiba, then that would be terrible.

"Once we find her, we'll use [Nightmare] for a deep hypnosis session..."

After searching around without success, he returned to his quiet room, sat on the quilt for a while, and decided not to sleep. Instead, he sat cross-legged in meditation.

There's not much to worry about at Kurumi's house. If Hattori Tomoko really dares to show her face there, even if Kurumi hesitates to speak up, the little priest will tell her immediately.

There's no need to worry too much about Takanashi; even if Hattori Tomoko is out of her mind, she wouldn't be looking for people randomly.

If she really wanted revenge, she would definitely choose Qingkong and Youjia, who lived with him.

Of course, it's also possible that he's just overthinking things.

……

Silent all night.

The next morning, Kotegawa finished practicing his boxing on the light snow in the courtyard. He looked up at the sky and suddenly turned his head, seeing the little priest walking towards him.

He called out from across the wall, "Taking a walk?"

The young priest walked over, silently watched him, then looked down and rummaged through his canvas backpack, pulled out a flat tin box, handed it to him through the wall, and said, "A souvenir."

Kotegawa held it in his hand and weighed it in his hand, unable to hide his curiosity: "Thank you, what is this?"

“There’s a Chinese food called jujube cake that’s especially delicious,” the little priest replied earnestly.

"Date cake?" Kotegawa sniffed it and could indeed smell the sweetness of dates. He said happily, "Not bad, little brother! You still remembered to bring me a gift."

The little priest had already confirmed some things with Kurumi, so this time he didn't argue with him. He just looked at the door that had been pushed open, then looked down and rummaged through his cloth bag, took out a box that was exactly the same as the one in Kotegawa's hand, and handed it to Haruka and Yuka who had come over.

"It's been a long time since I sent my greetings. This is a souvenir I brought back; please accept it..."

Qingkong and Youjia were stunned for a moment, and subconsciously replied, "Thank you, thank you for your concern."

After delivering the gifts, the young priest glanced at Kotegawa and then slightly turned his head to the other side.

Kotegawa handed the box of jujube cakes to Seisho, went around the gate, and walked a few steps forward with the silent little priest.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you talking so formally?" he muttered under his breath.

The junior priest looked at him, frowned, and said, "Being distant? Isn't this a normal way of socializing? But you, you're inviting people to dinner as soon as you meet them. That's a bit too enthusiastic."

"Really?" Kotegawa said casually, "Is there something else you wanted to see me about?"

The young priest nodded and said earnestly, "I want to find some work during this break from school. I heard you have a good relationship with the owner of the coffee shop in the shopping district. Could you help me make a connection?"

Kotegawa was somewhat puzzled: "I am indeed quite familiar with Manager Amamiya, but why don't you just go directly there? Apply for the job based on your own abilities."

The young priestess's eyes showed a hint of seriousness: "I heard that coffee shop is very strict about hiring. The number of applicants this year was countless, but in the end, only Mikazuki and Motoba were chosen..."

He hesitated for a moment before saying, "It's not that I want to use your connections, but I'm worried that because I'm a guy, the manager will just pass me over."

"Oh..." Kotegawa thought for a moment, "Manager Amamiya does prioritize female staff, and her shop isn't short of servers right now... You really want to go?"

The junior priest was silent for a moment, then his lips moved slightly: "Her family's salary is high."

Kotegawa looked him up and down: "If you're short of money, why don't you just take on bounty missions? You're not bad off now, are you? After all, you're a formal priest now."

The official priesthood is obtained by the junior priest through an examination conducted by the Onmyōryō (Bureau of Yin and Yang) in Heian-kyo (Kyoto).

The junior priest thought for a moment and said, "Last night, a friend in Heian-kyo sent me news that someone has posted a bounty on the black market... 50 million yen, for my right hand."

Chapter Thirty-One: Year-End Part-Time Jobs (Part Two)

"Fifty million for your right hand? Who posted the bounty? Is it even plausible?"

“Although there’s no evidence, I only have a grudge against one guy over there…” The junior priest glanced at him sideways: “My family’s idea is to stay in Tokyo for the time being.”

Kotegawa thought for a moment, then shook his head.

Staying in Tokyo isn't enough. Fifty million is a lot, and it's just for one right hand. It's enough to make many people red-eyed and take risks... When he was in Hokkaido a while ago, he saw many bounty hunters who would blow someone's brain out just because they paid too much for a drink.

Money is a bastard, but everyone loves it, and we really can't live without it.

Besides, how can you guard against thieves for a thousand days if you're a thief for a thousand days?

If we do nothing now, aren't we just sitting here waiting to die?

"People are fighting tooth and nail to take the bounty?"

"Pretty much, maybe some people have already flown to Tokyo."

"How naive! Don't think that only bounty hunters in Heian-kyo will make a move."