I work as a yokai exterminator, ask me anything? Part 3

[2] Is Kitaro a rival? Or a comrade?

• [3] Thanks for starting the thread!

[5] >>2 Never met Kitaro, but if he exists, he’d be a business rival. His services are free, after all.

• [6] So he’d put you out of business lol

[7] Continuation from the previous thread. Just as I was about to enter my pet (TN: Probably means room?), a buzzer loud enough to echo through the entire place went off. Seems like we had a visitor. I figured Wang-kun would handle it, so I planned to ignore it. But after a while, downstairs (I was using a room on the second floor) got a bit noisy, and I heard what sounded like a child crying and screaming. Curiosity piqued, I changed out of my pajamas into my everyday clothes and went to see what was up. In the reception room-like place where I was guided in the morning, there were 3 or 4 local-looking men and one woman holding a crying child. One of the men was talking to Wang-kun. Wang-kun finished the conversation and left the room. I asked what happened, but he seemed to be in a hurry and ignored me. Wondering what was going on, I watched curiously. Wang-kun returned to the room holding a stethoscope.

• [8] Did they get infested with some kind of bug (蟲)?
• [9] Anticipation.
• [12] What’s next?
• [13] >>12 Wait patiently. That’s how this thread works.
• [16] By the way, these “bugs,” are they like, centipedes or obviously insect-like? Or do they have no form?
• [17] It seems they use various living things like insects, dogs, cats, etc… I think the “sin of felling beasts and performing sorcery (蠱物 – majimono)” mentioned in the Ōharae Kotoba refers to this. This thing called Kodoku (蠱毒 – venomous bug curse), its effects are said to be immense, but the backlash is also apparently brutal.
• Ōharae Kotoba is one of the important Shinto prayers (norito). It is chanted to purify sins and impurities.*
• [18] Whoa ^^;
• [20] The gap between my everyday life and this is so huge it doesn’t feel real, but this kind of world actually exists, huh.
• [29] Been waiting!!

[40] Continuing. Wang-kun, holding the stethoscope, started examining the child, like a doctor. Then, with a serious face, he began talking to the adults. I watched blankly for a while until my eyes met Wang-kun’s. He came over to me, still looking serious. I asked what was wrong. Apparently, in the town where Old Man Li and Wang-kun live, there’s no official doctor. They usually act as makeshift doctors. So today, the child of the people who came had been complaining of a stomach ache since morning. They didn’t think much of it at first, but at night, the pain suddenly became unbearable, and the child started screaming. Having no other choice, they visited Old Man Li. That’s when I kind of understood why Wang-kun and the others were so respected by the locals. They were the only ones nearby who could diagnose illnesses. So, well, even though his disciple Wang-kun was still half-fledged, he seemed to have some knowledge. Apparently, the child had acute appendicitis.

• [41] Here it comes!
• [42] Been waiting for you!

[44] It seemed pretty urgent, a condition that could get dangerous if surgery wasn’t performed immediately. Old Man Li and Wang-kun apparently had some surgical knowledge and occasionally performed minor surgeries, even having removed an appendix before. Usually, Old Man Li was the lead, with Wang-kun assisting. Of course, neither of them had a medical license. But Old Man Li was out today, and the nearest large hospital was a 30-minute walk plus a 3-hour drive away. Appendicitis in children progresses rapidly and is prone to perforation. That was definitely life-threatening. So, they wanted to perform the surgery somehow, right now, and asked for my help. I was like, “Whaaat!?” I thought there must be someone else who could help; I felt like Shinji being told to pilot the Eva for the first time. At that moment, I thought, “Why me?” But they pleaded desperately for my help, so with Wang-kun and the locals practically begging me, saying “Don’t blame me if anything goes wrong,” I ended up going to the operating room-like place. The OR-like place was at the end of the third floor of the apartment building. It certainly looked clean, but hygienically, the environment was still concerning. Also, the equipment was incredibly basic, making me think, “Seriously, is this gonna be okay?!” Then, I was made to change into something like a white coat, and using surgical tools that looked new and were still in packages, Wang-kun began the surgery. But strangely, despite asking me to help, he didn’t give me any instructions or ask me to do anything.

[45] I just stood there, watching the surgery. Wang-kun’s skill was impressive. He looked cool, like Black Jack. Without fully understanding what was happening, the surgery finished in about an hour and a half to two hours? The child was sleeping peacefully. Wang-kun looked exhausted. Then he said to me, “Follow me,” instructed me to hold the piece of flesh he’d removed – probably the appendix – and pulled on a protrusion on the operating room floor. A narrow staircase appeared beneath it. “Sorry,” he said, “You’re the only one I can ask to do this with me right now. Do you know about the Sanshi Worms?”

• [46] You mean the thing about three types of gods living in the human body…? Weren’t the ones that cause trouble called San-something worms?
• [47] Aren’t they the ones residing in the upper, middle, and lower parts, reporting bad deeds to the Heavenly Emperor while you sleep?
• [48] >>47 Looked it up, came up as Sanshi (三尸) or Sanchu (三虫). Seems you’re right, there are upper, middle, and lower ones. They appear in Daoism.

[66] Sorry. I’ll have a bit more time tomorrow night, so I’ll try my best then.

• [67] Exciting, but take your time, don’t push yourself.
• [68] We’ll be waiting.
• [70] Bump.
• [72] Where and what kind of yokai tend to appear?
• [76] Not yet?
• [77] Bump.

[78] Continuing. I was fairly familiar with the Sanshi Worms. According to Sensei, they’re one of the types you really don’t want to get involved with. Someone already did some research way back, and it’s probably mostly like that. Ancient people didn’t know why humans age, so they understood it as worms eating away at people’s lives. Sanshi Worms live inside the human body and feed on a person’s mental energy, vitality, or whatever you call it. What’s troublesome is that the more they suck, the happier they get, completely disregarding the host and sucking until they kill the person. Afterward, they pretend nothing happened and possess newborn children or something. When humans try to follow the Dao (path of cultivation), they first have to somehow kill these worms. That’s why ancient Daoists ate elixirs made from heavy metals like mercury. It was like, “Kill the Sanshi Worms and achieve immortality before I die!” but it’s not that easy. Also, even gods can supposedly be sucked dry and killed by Sanshi Worms. In short, they’re really dangerous. It might be a bad example, but in Princess Mononoke, remember those black, squirmy things coming out of the boar god at the beginning? You could maybe picture Sanshi Worms like that.

• [79] It’s started!

[80] So, that’s what Sanshi Worms are like. Just as I asked what that had to do with anything, Wang-kun, leading me down the stairs, asked again, “What about the Duan Long Hang (Dragon Vein Severing Pegs)?” The Duan Long Hang is also quite a famous story. Again, its origin is in ancient China. Zhu Yuanzhang, who founded the Ming Dynasty, feared his dynasty would be overthrown by another, so he ordered his subordinates to destroy the Dragon Veins throughout China. Dragon Veins are, well, like incredibly potent places in terms of Feng Shui. It was believed back then that you couldn’t become emperor without borrowing the power of a Dragon Vein. Well, even if you borrowed it, subsequent crustal movements could change the flow of the Dragon Veins, leading to dynastic changes, apparently. The method used to destroy all these Dragon Veins was the Duan Long Hang. However, this act by the Ming weakened their own Dragon Veins, and instead of another Han Chinese dynasty emerging, they were eventually ruled by the foreign Qing dynasty, or so the story goes. A more modern tale related to this involves Japan during World War II. The small nation of Japan occupied parts of Southeast Asia, but since the countries they ruled had vastly larger populations and landmasses, they apparently went around destroying Dragon Veins there as a precaution. Well, whether this ultimately proved futile or not, I don’t know, but they were attacked from the New World side, not Southeast Asia.

[81] As we talked about such things while descending the stairs, I suddenly felt a pull on my shoulder, tugging me backward. It was quite dark in the stairwell, but I was sure there was no one behind me. Yet, I sensed numerous breaths, or something like that, from behind. And there was a strange burnt smell. I stopped for a moment, and Wang-kun, perhaps finding it strange, said, “Hurry up.” “Sorry,” I replied, “I can’t go down any further from here.”

• [82] Here it comes!

[83] As I mentioned earlier, the weasels my grandpa burned to death weren’t exactly satisfied after getting their revenge completely. They still enjoy messing with me even now. And I, well, I kind of wanted them to mess with me. It’s not like I’m an M or anything, but I feel a sense of guilt, like my family dying was my fault, or like if only I had stopped my sister that day. So maybe I wanted some kind of punishment. Anyway, it seems they still find me quite bully-able, and occasionally they can be useful. Apparently, it would be boring for them if I died or came close to it. So, they stop me like this when I’m about to go somewhere truly dangerous. As someone with zero psychic ability, it’s helpful, but their existence itself is a nuisance. Given my job, going to such dangerous places is unavoidable. I learned it just needlessly stirs up fear, and I usually have to go anyway. But this time was different. There was no particular reason I had to go, so if it was dangerous, staying away was best. That’s why I tried to refuse helping Wang-kun.

[84] Then, Wang-kun irritably said, “There’s a Duan Long Hang stuck down here. I can’t do it alone, help me.” I was like, “Whaaaat!?” but hearing that made sense. The combination of Duan Long Hang and Sanshi Worms is pretty major. In other words, I wasn’t called to assist with surgery, but to help with a ritual called “Shushi” (祝死 – Cursed Death Ritual).

• [85] >>78 It was a boar, not a pig…
• [86] >>78 It was a boar, not a pig…

[87] >>72 Depends on the place, but I think they tend to appear where people don’t often go.

• [88] Watching.

[89] >>86 A boar that can’t fly is just a pig! (Angry retort)

• [92] Interesting.
• [105] Oh! Looking forward to the continuation.
• [172] Heard about someone called a “Walking Shrine” in another thread. Apparently, wherever they go gets purified, so psychics and such tell them, “Don’t come here (lol)”. Seems like they even purify regular spells and restructure them into different, clean spells. Curses, of course, get purified into blessings. If they go to a haunted ruin, it’s like forced exorcism or something.
• [173] Whoa, amazing. Which thread, by the way?
• [174] >>172 Awesome!

[175] Just purifying everything without question sounds like recklessly shouldering more and more karma, so I think it’s pretty dangerous.

• [176] >>175 Welcome back!
• [177] Been waiting!

[178] Continuing. “Shushi” is a custom born during China’s Qing dynasty era, created by Shamans. The Qing dynasty was established by the Manchu people, a minority ethnic group in China, and Shamans were like their oracles. And this “Shushi” is an extremely terrifying ritual. It involves planting Sanshi into severed Dragon Veins. I don’t know the detailed logic, but basically, they use the Dragon Vein’s “corpse?” to multiply at an incredible rate. This allows for the artificial cultivation of Sanshi.

[179] They used this for various purposes involving Sanshi, but the ritual had a huge drawback. The Shamans back then apparently didn’t think much about the future. The planted Sanshi would devour the Dragon Vein while multiplying rapidly, eventually overflowing. China in the 18th and early 19th centuries saw a lot of deaths from war, and some say the reason was that this “Shushi” ultimately caused the Sanshi population to explode, blowing past the Duan Long Hang which acted like manholes, and spewing forth.

• [184] >>175 It means shouldering karma? I want to hear more about shouldering karma. I heard some kind of god is attached to them, making it happen. Like, the person is the shrine? With a god dwelling inside?
• [185] >>184 I’ve heard about people like that too. From what I hear, they probably don’t need to worry about shouldering karma. Apparently, there are even people with dragons accompanying them and working together (not like shikigami or something humans command), maybe it’s something similar.
• Shikigami are spiritual entities said to be employed by Onmyoji (yin-yang masters). They follow their master’s commands to perform various tasks.*

[186] I think it’s a difference in how we perceive “karma.” It’s really complex, and I can’t explain it well myself, but you know, there’s causality (inga). There’s a cause, and an effect is born. This concept is very important. For example, let’s say someone gives you a present. That person probably has feelings like goodwill, or maybe they want something in return, and they send it with those feelings. And the receiver, no matter how they feel about it, a connection is formed between the two. This connection is what’s called something like causality. In old immortal training and stuff, it seems it was better to have as little of this causality as possible. About the purifying people, I don’t know if they really exist, but if they did, let’s say there’s some yokai by the roadside. That yokai isn’t doing anything bad, just observing humans thinking, “Humans are interesting.” Then this purifier comes along. The yokai gets purified and vanishes without a trace. However, that yokai also has friends and family. The purifier, though having no ill intent, unknowingly forms a bad relationship with the yokai’s companions. If there’s a bad cause, a good result can’t possibly be born. Sensei taught me that this bad cause is “karma” (gyō). Purifying without question, I think, is the same as going out into town and indiscriminately killing people and destroying things. So, at least to me, it feels quite dangerous.

[187] Also, let’s see. For example, suppose someone is in debt. And then, someone kills the person who owes the debt. The debtor can no longer repay the debt, right? So what happens to the debt? In the world of causality, the person who killed the debtor has to repay it. When you kill a yokai or something, the connections related to the bad things that yokai did become yours, the killer’s. That’s the killer’s responsibility, or something like that. Well, to put it simply, I think it’s like, “They were doing bad things, so isn’t it only natural they’ll face retribution eventually?” You might think, “Is purifying a bad thing?” But even if something is unclean, if it exists, there’s a certain will of heaven, or natural order, I can’t express it well, but there’s something like that. So just destroying it relentlessly isn’t good, I think.

• [188] Causality = Connection, huh. Just living normally seems to already entangle us in causality, for better or worse. As long as we interact with anything, people or things, it’s unavoidable.
• [189] >>186 Humans all have intentions, desires, meaning both good and bad causes are absolutely present. Maybe immortals aimed to escape such cycles. Listening to this, I feel like as long as we’re alive, we can’t escape either karma or virtue. If it’s the natural order for some yokai to disappear through purification, then the concept of “purification” that erases them is also part of the natural order. By exercising it, someone (or something, or somewhere) is purified and allowed to live, yet the yokai is still killed. I can’t quite put it into words, but I feel it’s always two sides of the same coin.

[213] Uh, I’d prefer if questions were limited to yokai-related stuff if possible. I’m not too knowledgeable about other areas. However, I think the idea of “It’s causing harm = so just purify it” is definitely wrong, no matter the field. I, at least, don’t believe anyone capable of doing that exists in modern society, but even if they did, it’s something they shouldn’t do. By the way, continuing the karma talk, doing bad things doesn’t necessarily mean retribution will come someday. If you bully someone, the person bullied will resent you, right? Then, there’s a “possibility” that the resentful person might suddenly snap and try to kill you. That kind of thing is what I understand karma to be. The possibility of bad things leading to good results is low, but even doing good things has a high chance of causing bad results. Maybe that’s why we’re told not to form causal links recklessly.

• [215] Want to hear the rest!
• [216] Please continue!
• [252] Yokai are a fresh topic. I’ve read plenty about spirits. Reminds me of the Tatarareya Masa series.
• [254] My understanding: Ghost -> spirit from a human, Yokai -> born as strange, mysterious beings.

[255] About karma, I think it’s scary because you can’t purify it. At least, I don’t know a way. Apparently, it doesn’t disappear even after death, though you can transfer it to others. The main difference between yokai and ghosts or psychic imprints (nen) is that yokai are alive, ghosts are dead.

[256] There’s the saying that ghosts have no feet. That means, because ghosts are dead, they don’t actually have physical force. So how do they interact with people? They show people hallucinations and stuff. Yokai are physical, maybe? For example, let’s say you hear footsteps in a room for no reason. In this case, if you look around and find nothing, it’s highly possible it’s a hallucination caused by a ghost. If there’s some physical evidence, like footprints, then it’s a yokai.

[257] As for how humans become yokai, I don’t really know much about that, but there’s a Chinese saying, “If a person doesn’t die, they become a yokai,” so I guess just live a long time.

• [258] >>256 Hmm. Maybe what I always see are ghosts then. I don’t hear footsteps when they move. But maybe I hear sound when they run around. Is that considered a yokai?

[259] I’ll jot down the story. >>258 Sound could be a hallucination, so I can’t say for sure either way. If it’s a yokai, I think there would be some kind of evidence. Like animal fur, or strange footprints.

• [260] Once, in a place where the space felt hazy and I heard noises, I left out water, salt, and offerings. Later, I found an incredible amount of dust and long, hair-like strands in them. Is it that kind of thing?

[261] >>260 In that case, it could possibly be a yokai.

• [264] You’re here! Been waiting.

[265] Continuing. Well, China was pretty much suffering the effects of Shushi due to its own actions, but actually, Japan also suffered quite a bit from this. As I mentioned before, during WWII, Japan went around severing the Dragon Veins of Southeast Asian countries. There’s a story from that time: the Japanese army forced someone knowledgeable in Feng Shui from some country to guide them. This person led the Japanese soldiers to a Dragon Vein, but apparently, he was a very powerful sorcerer. He devised various schemes, had them sever the Dragon Vein, and then killed the soldiers. Then, he buried their bodies and Sanshi into the Dragon Vein, performing Shushi. Using the soldiers’ corpses and belongings, he set up an incredibly powerful curse to semi-permanently hex Japan. That particular spell is said to be the origin, or the basis, of Koutoujutsu (降頭術 – head-lowering sorcery/Southeast Asian black magic). The basic parts are very similar to it; I thought the person who came up with it back then was truly amazing. That brings us to today’s main topic: Koutoujutsu.

• [266] This is getting interesting!
• [268] >>255 Ghosts are dead, obviously lol. Are yokai semi-spiritual matter, meaning half-physical, thus alive… something like that? Heard there are people who only see ghosts and those who only see yokai. I saw ghosts, my sister saw yokai. She had experiences like a giant face popping out of the door opening and closing its mouth, or little demons stealing her pillow – sounded like delusions, but seeing how hyper-realistic she is now, maybe it was real.
• [270] >>268 You see ghosts yourself, yet you dismiss your sister’s yokai sightings as delusions?
• [272] >>270 I also doubted my own eyes, or maybe they were just minor ghosts? (Like white shadows). Compared to that, what my sister saw was just outlandish.

[288] About Japan being cursed, apparently Japanese people are now born with one extra Sanshi compared to people from other countries. Various people tried various things, but eventually concluded it’s impossible to fix. Because of that, training like cultivation and such is pretty much impossible. That’s also one reason why using shikigami or spirit familiars is difficult. Here’s a little talk about that kind of training. It’s not good to dabble in such charms and spells without understanding them.

[289] Originally, what was the purpose of training? Apparently, it was to become a sage (聖人 – seijin). What’s a sage? For example, if this world is a shogi board, ordinary people are all just pieces.

• Shogi is a traditional Japanese board game for two players. The objective is to checkmate the opponent’s king.*

[289] But sages jump off this shogi board and become the players playing shogi. In other words, a sage becomes a being unified with heaven and earth, supposedly. So, what’s needed for that? First, you need to understand the four concepts: “Dao” (道 – Way/Path), “Fa” (法 – Method/Law), “Shu” (術 – Technique/Skill), and “Qi” (器 – Vessel/Capacity/Talent). It might sound difficult, but simply put, imagine someone driving from Aomori to Tokyo. In this case, the car is the “Qi” (Vessel). A better car has more speed and gets you there faster, right? By the way, “Qi” doesn’t mean tools used, but talent and such. And “Shu” is technique. So, with cars, there might be some difference, but if one driver has 10 years of experience and the other just got their license, even if there’s a slight difference in the “Qi” (car), the veteran will definitely arrive faster, right? What is “Fa”? This is the method. Meaning, how do you get from Aomori to Tokyo? For example, one person goes by car, but the other goes by Shinkansen (bullet train) or plane. The one going by train or plane, no matter how poor their “Qi” or technique, is using a faster method, so they’ll definitely reach Tokyo sooner. And finally, there’s “Dao.”

[290] “Dao” is essentially the direction from Aomori to Tokyo. No matter how fast the method, how good the technique, or how amazing the equipment, if you go in a completely wrong direction, you won’t reach the destination even if you circle the globe, right? People often talk about “entering the Dao” (入道 – nyūdō). This means “finding and entering the correct path.” I think you can understand it as, no matter how long it takes, since you’ve grasped the right direction, you’ll eventually get there. However, the destination isn’t like Aomori to Tokyo; it’s like a star hundreds of millions of light-years away.

[291] People nowadays called psychics or those with spiritual senses, in this framework, are humans relying on “Qi” (Vessel). And those who can supposedly use shikigami, talismans, etc. (though whether they actually can is questionable) are humans relying on “Shu” (Technique). According to my Sensei, people like us, who correctly recognize and interact with the relationship between humans and yokai, grasp the “Fa” (Method). Some simply aim for the “Dao,” but that’s impossible, so they’re just fools, he said. I think he was probably talking about serious monks and such.

• [292] Realized while reading this is something I wanted to ask about. Strange feeling.

[293] I don’t mean to mock monks or anything, but what’s wrong with simply mastering the path is that if you encounter some accident along the way, you can’t deal with it. We are human, so as long as we live in the world, we unknowingly create various karma. Because of that karma, we sometimes encounter bad things and might lose our lives. Then, all the effort put in so far becomes meaningless. But then again, just relying solely on Fa, Shu, or Qi will make you stray further from the Dao and head in a bad direction. The “walking shrine” purifier person, what they’re doing is the same as driving a car and pointlessly running over people on the roadside. So, what should be done? Even if you ask me, I can’t do anything about it. Relentlessly honing “Shu” for personal gain isn’t good either. It’s like having no particular goal but deciding, “Let’s just block other people’s paths with my car!” And about the method (Fa). No matter how mistaken it is, at least it doesn’t inconvenience others. However, Fa is determined by people, so if you bind yourself with it and the method is wrong, correcting it becomes quite difficult. Like, needing to go from Aomori to Tokyo, a plane is fastest, but you set out by car and now it’s too late to turn back.

• [296] Bump.
• [298] Bump.
• [300] Isn’t the walking shrine the heir to the shrine from that story? In his case, a god constantly resides in his body, so bad things can’t approach. Does that still create karma? I think it’s like just moving to avoid strong sunlight.
• [301] Even yokai have ‘nyūdō’ (entering the path/becoming a monk-like figure). Does that mean yokai also aim to become sages? Technique (Shu) is unavoidable, I guess. Believing in unseen things is difficult. Reminds me of ‘shin-gi-tai’ (mind-technique-body) or the three virtues. Is balance and their higher-level integration important?

[302] >>294 Typo. It’s “Qi” (器). >>300 In that case, you incur a debt to the god. Gods don’t help anyone for free; they should demand something in return, making it more troublesome. So karma still follows. >>301 For humans, entering the Dao often means aiming for sagehood, but yokai might have different goals. Maybe acting correctly towards one’s own goal is called entering the Dao.

[303] Maybe the original meaning of one’s birth, the goal of living, that kind of thing is important. I’ll write the continuation tomorrow. Good night.

• [305] >>1’s story is really interesting. I’ll keep bumping, so please continue at your own pace!
• [307] >>302 Thanks for the reply. True, I don’t think gods lend a hand for free. Rereading the story posted, his family bears a karmic burden of having to suppress something terrible even before harboring the god’s power. They say if you gain something, you lose something, but according to >>1’s thinking, is it more like, if you gain something, you shoulder something (karma)?
• [313] Buuuump.
• [316] Do beings like dragons or mizuchi exist? A part-timer at my job who can apparently see things mentioned seeing a dragon god at a small waterfall in a certain shrine… Are these different from yokai?
• Mizuchi are dragon-like, aquatic spiritual beings from Japanese folklore.*
• [317] The unseen world seems full of various beings, it’s amazing. Like mythical beasts. Why can’t I see them? Feels like I’m missing out.
• [319] Maybe being able to see is also a form of shouldering karma.
• [326] So the increase in Sanshi is because of a Chinese curse?
• [327] >>1’s story is wonderful, I think. As you say, maybe living with a pure heart leads to peace. Thinking only of oneself probably creates karma. If we could come to believe that what the Japanese people have built up over their long history wasn’t just superstition, Japan would become a good country, and people could lead spiritually happy lives…
• [328] Where are yokai found in modern times? I wish I could see yokai too.

[331] As for who cast that curse, I don’t know, and at least I don’t know the detailed method. I’m not a Koutoujutsu user. Basically, they bury the corpses of the dead Japanese soldiers around the Duan Long Hang, then use some method to trick the soldiers’ spirits and their Sanshi worms into thinking the bodies are still alive. The spirits, mistaken that the body isn’t dead, don’t completely leave the corpse. The Sanshi worms enter the corpse, realize “Oh, this is actually a corpse,” come back out, and parasitize the dead Dragon Vein. Then, when the Sanshi worms parasitizing the Dragon Vein multiply past a critical point, they emerge from the Dragon Vein again. But there, they set up a barrier-like formation to stop the Sanshi worms. As a result, what do the Sanshi worms do? The spirits within the Japanese soldiers’ bodies are filled with thoughts of Japan, and human thoughts have the power to create paths. The Sanshi worms rely solely on the path created by these thoughts, travel to Japan, and parasitize new Japanese children. Sorry if it’s hard to understand, but it’s probably something like that. And Koutoujutsu works roughly like this: using someone’s body part, or something with strong emotional attachment, they use Sanshi worms to crush a person. It’s similar to Gu sorcery (蠱 – poison/curse involving venomous creatures), but this is probably the main difference? But if it’s revealed who cast the spell, the victim will resent the caster, right? That resentment creates a bridge of thought between the victim and the caster, and when the victim dies, the caster dies next. That’s why the taboo of Koutoujutsu is never let it be known that you did it.

• [332] Here it is!!
• [333] Um, how is having more Sanshi inconvenient in daily life?

[334] Anyway, got sidetracked a lot. Since I understood the purpose, and figured it couldn’t be helped if it was Shushi, I ignored the pulling from behind and decided to follow Wang-kun. The Shushi ritual has a method to temporarily pacify the Sanshi worms. During that pacified period, the ancient Shamans used to extract them. But nowadays, most of the Shamanic culture is lost, with only parts remaining. Combining those parts with other unorthodox (左道 – sadō, literally ‘left path’, heretical) cultures led to the birth of Jinpaijutsu (金牌術 – Gold Plaque Sorcery). By the way, “sadō” is a derogatory term for those who focus solely on “Shu” (technique) without much thought for the “Dao” (way). Applying those Shamanic elements, they now stabilize Dragon Veins infested with Sanshi worms and such. At the time, I didn’t know the detailed method, but I knew of its existence. Since Wang-kun judged he needed me, I had no choice but to follow him.

[335] >>333 I don’t think there are any particular problems. You probably don’t need to worry about it.

• [336] Oh, thanks. Keep the story going, keep going.
• [337] The continuation is starting!
• [341] Assuming there’s Dao, Fa, Shu, Qi – the method, the technique to get there, the vessel to reach it – if the most important thing is the Dao (destination), and >>331 says “human thoughts have the power to create paths,” where does that lead…? If it’s 10 people, 10 colors, the interpretation itself wouldn’t hold up.

[358] >>341 The “path” there just means a bridge or something similar. Good night.

[363] Continuing. What exactly is Jinpaijutsu? It belongs to the realm of “Fa” (Method), and they inherit something called a “Jinpai” (金牌 – Gold Plaque) through generations. The successor, or whatever you call them, travels to various places, makes as many friends as possible, and interacts with many yokai and similar beings. This carries the risk of shouldering karma, though. Eventually, for example, if a yokai messes with them, they can say, “Hey, don’t you see this Jinpai? I am the disciple of the disciple of the disciple of So-and-so! I have lots of friends! Messing with me is dangerous!” Or when in trouble, “Hey, don’t you see this Jinpai? I am the disciple of the disciple of the disciple of So-and-so! I have lots of friends! Doing me a favor isn’t a bad idea!” The more generations the Jinpai has been passed down, the more its connective power increases, like a fox borrowing the tiger’s might. In some incredible cases, they can even command gods.

• [364] >>1 Is Sensei recruiting new people right now?
• [365] Interesting!

[368] >>364 Maybe if you work for free.

[369] Continuing. Once we reached the bottom of the stairs, we were in a slightly open, pitch-black space. And, though I hadn’t noticed at all until then, the whole area reeked of rotting meat. Since it was pitch black, I asked Wang-kun if we shouldn’t turn on a light, but he said it was better not to. Then, Wang-kun took the organ removed during surgery and walked into the darkness. I was instructed to stay put. It was so dark, I quickly lost sight of Wang-kun. Being left alone in the pitch black was a little scary.

[370] After a while, from deep within the space, I heard a rhythmic clapping sound, tan-tan-tan. Then Wang-kun started shouting loudly, “Sonsenlāāā–” and so on. It sounded like Chinese, so I didn’t understand the meaning. I wanted to copy parts of it if possible, but having no knowledge of Chinese was a bit disappointing. As I listened to his voice for a while, I heard the sound of something dragging its foot from the back of the space. Moreover, although very slowly, it seemed to be heading in my direction. A chill ran down my spine, but I told myself it was okay and mentally checked if I had anything useful, just in case. I hadn’t prepared anything specific, but I had a condom stashed in my pocket beforehand. I quickly spat on both hands and took out the condom. I put a single strand of my hair inside it, and though I didn’t particularly feel the urge, I peed into it. Then I tied the opening shut. Getting a little pee on my hand felt unpleasant.

• [371] Whoa >>1 found. Thanks for diligently replying despite the tough job. Reading with great interest.
• [372] >>368 (´・ω・｀) Thanks for the reply.
• [373] And then? And then?
• [374] And then… and then……
• [375] Curious about what happens next!
• [383] >>358 Thank you. It’s getting exciting, so I’ll focus on reading.

[643] Sorry for the long absence. Sensei passed away due to various circumstances, so I’ve been busy with the funeral, organizing documents, future plans, and stuff (lol)

• [644] >>643 You say it casually, but that sounds tough. Did Sensei die in the line of duty? Or from a normal illness or accident?
• [645] >>643 Really?! Why did Sensei pass away?
• [646] My condolences.

[647] Here’s the continuation. Sorry if you’ve forgotten the details. In the basement, that strange sound of a dragging foot got closer and closer, but it stopped right at the edge where my eyes could no longer adjust to the darkness. Then, the sound changed to a constant stomping in place. I knew Wang-kun was doing something related to “Shushi,” but I didn’t know specifically what he was trying to do. However, it helped me figure out what the thing beyond the darkness was. I had heard that Jinpaijutsu includes a technique called “Corpse Carrying.” The origin of Jinpaijutsu was actually an undertaker business. But the original undertakers were a bit special. Back in the old days, people buried the dead in their hometowns, right? But transportation was terrible, so if someone died far from home, the body had to be delivered back home. And without letting it decompose. These undertakers, or corpse carriers, eventually created Jinpaijutsu. Why did such a technique emerge? Because the old belief was that once a person becomes a corpse, they have no sins, and burying them in their native soil is the duty of the living. So, the job of corpse carrying was necessary, but you can easily imagine it wasn’t very popular, right? Well, it’s seen as dirty, or unlucky. So, despite traveling, they often couldn’t find lodging or food because no one would provide it. But someone had to transport the bodies. That’s why the imperial court issued “Jinpai” (Gold Plaques) to the corpse carriers, ordering people to cooperate with them absolutely. That’s when those corpse carriers started saying, “We are corpse carriers.

[648] Last two lines were a mistake. >>645 I guess you could say he died on the job?

• [650] You don’t have to force yourself to come here, prioritize your own life. This place is just a detour. If you’re not doing it because you enjoy it anymore, feel free to disappear anytime.

[651] And so, the corpse carriers would say things like, “We are corpse carriers, so cooperate,” and get free lodging and stuff. Apparently, that gradually evolved over time. And the specific method of “Corpse Carrying” was less about carrying and more about making the corpse itself move. This is also said to be the origin of the Chinese Jiangshi (hopping vampires). After some processing, they’d stand the corpse up, tie a light rope to it, and when they walked pulling the rope, the corpse would hop along behind them. Some incredibly skilled people could even make the corpse go to its own hometown by itself, while they just followed behind watching over it. However, this method of making the corpse walk itself had a slight inconvenience. That was, the corpse couldn’t pass near living humans. The reason is unclear, but that’s just how it was, apparently. And the thing in front of me at that moment was likely that kind of corpse. This underground space with only one narrow door was probably designed so that if someone stood in front of the door, the corpse wouldn’t wander off somewhere.

[652] >>650 Well, it’s good for a change of pace, or organizing my thoughts, so it’s okay (lol). I’m not pushing myself.

[654] Waiting like that in the dark for about 30 minutes. Wang-kun shouted something particularly loud, then asked me in Japanese, “Can you recite the Song of Righteousness (正気の歌 – Seiki no Uta)!?” You can probably find more details about the Song of Righteousness on Wiki, so I’ll skip that. The Song of Righteousness was a pretty major chant in our world too. There are various ways to recite it. The author, Wen Tianxiang, was an incredible person; his spirit or presence was so immense that a single shout could reportedly repel any foul thing. It’s said that even those unfamiliar with Jinpaijutsu could borrow Wen Tianxiang’s spirit, or that kind of presence, by reciting it. Sensei had drilled it into me too, so I could recite it. Wang-kun then told me to chant it together with him.

[655] That’s about it for today. Good night.

• [656] Good night. Rest well and take care of yourself.
• [657] >>655 Good night. Please take care.
• [660] Sensei… My condolences. >>1, please rest well too.

[668] Hearing that, I started reciting the Song of Righteousness with him, trying my best to stay in sync. It wasn’t that long. Strangely, as we recited it, the sound of the dragging foot gradually moved away from me. Towards the end of the song, Wang-kun’s voice slowly got closer from the back, and eventually, I could see him. When the song finished, he quickly pulled me up the stairs. As we ascended the stairs, it gradually got brighter. When Wang-kun’s face became clearly visible, I was shocked. Wang-kun’s sharp features were covered in bruises, and his entire body was coated in something like black soot. We went straight up to the operating room. Mentally and physically exhausted, we first took cold showers, changed clothes, and then started the cleanup, like burning our original clothes.

[671] During that time, I asked Wang-kun for an explanation, but he told me, “There’s no particular need to explain.” Well, asking about another school’s secrets isn’t exactly proper etiquette, or something like that. This is even more pronounced in Chinese traditions; it’s common for masters not to teach their disciples everything. I felt frustrated, like, “What the heck, I helped you,” but at the time, I just accepted it. Then, Wang-kun went to talk to the sick child’s parents who were still waiting, while I returned to my room thinking, “I don’t like this vibe at Li-san’s house, I want to leave,” and tossed and turned in bed. Too scared to sleep a wink, I greeted the morning. Feeling hungry, I went downstairs. Wang-kun was already awake, doing his morning practice of Guoshu (national arts) in the garden-like area. Guoshu is a type of Chinese martial art, similar to Korean Gyeoksul or Russian Systema, imagine something like that. Strictly speaking, Bajiquan and Baguazhang are also types of it. Wang-kun was incredibly muscular. I waited until his practice finished, then he took me out into town, and we had breakfast at a nearby food stall.

• [672] Really interesting.
• [673] >>1, Welcome back! Been waiting.

[682] As expected of the popular handsome Wang-kun, I guess. The stall owner said breakfast was on the house. Well, it’s the only makeshift hospital in town, I thought, feeling quite envious. In my line of work, I sometimes feel imposing when I help people, but I’ve rarely been respected this much. Whether I help or not, the people involved usually belong to the category of humans you never want to see again. I seriously started contemplating becoming a doctor as a side job when the incident happened. Suddenly, a man wearing thick clothes and sunglasses approached the stall, abruptly pulled out a pistol from his chest, and fired twice, bang bang, in quick succession at Wang-kun. Wang-kun saw the man pull out the gun and immediately tried to jump sideways, but he wasn’t fast enough. He took one shot in the side, and another around the thigh. But Wang-kun’s reaction after that was incredible. Despite being shot, he charged straight at the attacker. While I was frozen, having dropped to the ground in shock and unable to grasp the situation, he punched the man and knocked him unconscious.

• [684] What an intense development…
• [685] Why is Wang-kun being targeted!?

[686] I had never seen a real gun before, let alone seen someone get shot. So, partly out of fear, I had no idea how to handle Wang-kun after he took down the man. A crowd of locals gathered, but I couldn’t understand what they were saying or what I should do. Then, Wang-kun (Correction: Mr. Li?), who was still conscious, discussed something with the locals. They decided to put Wang-kun, bleeding profusely, onto something like a large tricycle cart and take him back to Mr. Li’s house for now. I dazedly followed the locals. People talked to me along the way, but I was just like, “Huh?”. As for the shooter, I don’t know what happened to him afterward. When we arrived at Mr. Li’s house, he (Mr. Li?) gave various instructions to the locals, got bandages, and temporarily stopped the bleeding. Around this point, Wang-kun lost consciousness.

[687] Good night.

• [690] >>1’s story is really interesting.
• [693] >>687 Right at the good part!! Don’t tease!! Good night. Looking forward to it.

[722] However, strangely enough, following Wang-kun’s instructions (Mistake? Mr. Li’s instructions?), the locals tried various things for the bleeding, but the blood showed no sign of stopping; it seemed to constantly ooze out. They used bandages and other things, but those too were rapidly soaking through with red. Wang-kun was the only one with medical knowledge, and he was unconscious. Just as everyone was at a loss, Sensei and Mr. Li, who had said they would return the next morning, came back. Mr. Li asked the locals about the situation, and Sensei asked me. I explained how Wang-kun had been shot for some reason at the food stall, and Sensei seemed surprised too. Then, after briefly checking on Wang-kun, Sensei, not being particularly knowledgeable about medicine himself, just commented to me, “He looks like he’s in bad shape.” Sensei smelled faintly of alcohol and perfume. “Ah, could it be they ditched me and went to a ‘good place’?” I thought, but given the circumstances, I decided not to say anything.

[723] Meanwhile, Mr. Li, having heard various things from the locals, told Sensei and me, “I’m sorry this happened. I really wanted to show you around, but we can’t do that now. Anyway, feel free to use the rooms in the house as you like, please relax.” Then, likely for treatment, he looked serious and seemed to be instructing people to carry Wang-kun towards the operating room. They took Wang-kun upstairs. I was left dumbfounded. Sensei just said, “Well, can’t be helped,” took me to our room, and we played Hanafuda with the cards he brought.

• Hanafuda is a type of Japanese playing card game with unique floral designs. Players compete by forming various combinations (yaku) to score points.*

[723] While playing, we naturally chatted, and during that time, I told Sensei about last night’s events. Sensei’s face changed color. “That’s bad. We need to tell Mr. Li quickly,” he said, and went to look for Mr. Li.

[724] Mr. Li was, perhaps predictably, in the operating room-like place, seemingly still treating Wang-kun. While waiting, Sensei explained various things to me. Well, Sensei wasn’t an expert in Jinpaijutsu either, so he didn’t know the exact details of the technique. But apparently, Wang-kun had made me help him undo a Koutoujutsu curse someone had placed on the child yesterday. Our specialty is yokai, so while we know about these kinds of curses, Koutoujutsu, as I might have explained earlier, is a curse method where common symptoms include lethargy, susceptibility to illness, and getting injured easily, gradually worsening over days until death. Sensei didn’t actually know the specific way to undo it. But, he said, undoing Koutoujutsu results in severe backlash for the caster. To avoid that backlash, the caster needs to kill the person who undid the spell. Koutoujutsu is prevalent throughout Southeast Asia, and most powerful practitioners belong to large local gangs, cursing people for large sums of money. Therefore, even if you find Koutoujutsu and know how to break it, you should never get involved. Otherwise, it becomes a life-or-death struggle with the other sorcerer, leading to an impossible situation. Well, does that mean Koutoujutsu users are untouchable? Not exactly. Those types can only curse someone once every 5 or 10 years. During the downtime, they live lavishly on the money earned from cursing.

[725] Sorry. Getting sleepy. I’ll come back tomorrow or so. Good night.

• [726] Thanks! Today was fun too. Good work. Good night.
• [728] Whoa, curious about the continuation!
• [737] Bump.
• [755] Bump.
• [758] Not showing up. Curious.
• [761] Maybe busy. I want to hear the rest, so I’ll wait patiently.
• [763] By the way, has Sensei’s seventh-day memorial service passed already?
• [765] Who will >>1 rely on from now on? Being alone must be tough in many ways.
• [772] Please take care of your health, at least.
• [797] Hope you’re okay, safe and sound.
• [870] Will keep bumping without giving up.
• [873] >>1 still not here?
• [876] Could he have died?……
• [877] Whaaat, no way…

[898] Sorry for not posting for so long, urgent message only. I can’t say much about Sensei. But his death was far from what you’d call dying of old age. Regarding this thread, I’m truly sorry, but I don’t think I’ll post anymore. I hope you enjoyed it even a little. If anyone wants a continuation, it might take time, but I’ll start a new thread. I think I’ve written a rather compelling story. Well then, see you somewhere.

• [899] >>898 Waiting for the continuation.
• [900] >>898 Considering your connection with Sensei, honestly, just knowing you’re alive is a relief. I hope you can share your stories again when the time is right.
• [901] >>898 See you again.
• [904] >>1 Thank you, good work. Looking forward to seeing you again!

[906] Ah, long time no see. Seems like an ending declaration was made. Anyway, I’ll quickly finish the current story. While waiting for Old Man Li in the operating room, 2 or 3 hours passed. When the old man came out, he looked incredibly tired. He said something like, “You waited for me,” but Sensei immediately interrupted and told him what I had said. As Old Man Li listened, his complexion grew worse and worse. After hearing the story, he said that for some reason, no matter what treatment they applied, Wang-kun’s bleeding wouldn’t stop. Of course, first aid had significantly slowed the flow, but strangely, the blood just kept oozing out – a very dangerous situation. I asked, “Is thisやっぱり because of the Koutoujutsu?” Mr. Li hesitated slightly, then looked at me and answered, “Yes.” He said he’d be right back after a quick bath.

• [907] He’s here──(ﾟ∀ﾟ)──！
• [908] He’s ba━(ﾟ∀ﾟ)━ck!
• [909] This is gonna move to the next thread today, for sure.

[910] The town, or rather slum, where Old Man Li lives is actually controlled by some kind of mafia-like organization. And Old Man Li is their retainer, making a living through Feng Shui, fortune-telling, and the like. Well, the details of the underworld stuff would get long, so I’ll skip that. Anyway, this mafia group had apparently clashed with another mafia, killing the rival boss. Then, the newly appointed boss, perhaps to assert authority over his subordinates? spent a large sum of money to hire a Koutoujutsu practitioner to curse the child of the local mafia boss. As written before, Koutoujutsu practitioners only work once every 5 or 10 years. Why? One reason is it’s too sinful; doing it too often shortens one’s lifespan. Another implication is, “Hey, I only work once a decade, so other practitioners should leave me alone.” Interfering with a spell leads to a life-or-death struggle with the interferer, so maybe it’s also to avoid that? Therefore, there’s apparently an unspoken rule that other practitioners should ignore anyone afflicted by Koutoujutsu.

[911] The child brought in the day before was that cursed gangster boss’s kid. About three days prior, the boss had apparently brought the child to Old Man Li asking for help, but of course, the old man refused, saying there was nothing he could do. He followed the unspoken rule. Something you just can’t do, even for someone very close. However, Wang-kun broke it. Well, it’s not my place to say, but he was too young. And being far more talented than someone like me also backfired a bit. He was apparently quite close to that mafia child. He had attended the birth, occasionally looked after and played with the child, and seemed to have developed an attachment. So, although he knew it was dangerous, he thought, “I’m talented, even if the opposing Koutoujutsu practitioner retaliates, I can handle it myself and won’t trouble my master.” As soon as he saw Old Man Li was away, he contacted the boss and broke the Koutoujutsu. Using clueless me in the process, too.

[912] Is this what they call karma? Even knowing, being swayed by emotion. The connection with someone you’ve become close to. The connection with someone you’ve fallen out with. These tangled thoughts and feelings. Things like this later lead to your own detriment. But even so, you can’t avoid or払う (払い – harai, brush away/exorcise) them. Wang-kun’s case is an example. The child he thought of as a younger brother was cursed. To save him, he had to shoulder karma. But even if danger approached him alone, he desperately wanted to save the child. Sensei taught me to call such situations “Gō” (劫 – Kalpa/Aeon, often used to mean karmic suffering or unavoidable hardship). I still remember it now. Wang-kun’s deathly pale face when I entered the operating room.

• [913] Wang-kun…

[914] Old Man Li and Sensei discussed things seriously. Apparently, they agreed that the opposing gang used a low-level hitman (teppoudama – cannon fodder) to severely injure Wang-kun and then curse him. Well, they probably wanted to ensure Wang-kun was finished off. Apologizing wouldn’t work. And trying to help him would mean picking a further fight with the Koutoujutsu side. Sensei told Old Man Li that while he wanted to do what he could, given the circumstances, he didn’t want to get involved. I felt a bit sorry for Wang-kun and asked Sensei if anything could be done, but Sensei said, “Discard such sentiment.” He continued, “Worry about yourself instead. You helped break the Koutoujutsu too, didn’t you?” You have to admit, Wang-kun played his hand well. By using me, he tried to drag Sensei into it as well. Well, Sensei wasn’t that much of a softie, so I still think if I had also been targeted for retaliation, he would have cut me loose without hesitation.

[915] Saw the previous reply, but I don’t think salt-ginger is something you drink daily. Ah, I thought it was shock therapy to vomit out stuff when you feel like something’s possessing you, or something nasty is attached. For yokai, maybe it’s like, “Ugh, something unpleasant suddenly came, run away!”? I don’t understand the logic myself, so I can’t say for sure, but even with my middle school education, it feels bad for the body.

[916] But Old Man Li, unlike Sensei, cared for his disciple. He still wanted to somehow save Wang-kun. When Sensei asked what he planned to do, Old Man Li just shook his head and disappeared somewhere in the room. After a while, he returned and said, “Please take this,” handing over nail clippers. I thought, “Ah, could this be ‘Engi’ (縁切り – severing ties)?”

• Engi here refers to a ritualistic act to sever ties with a specific person. Actions like cutting nails might be used.*

[916] I was taught this long ago; it’s apparently a ritual to declare that this person’s actions are no longer related to you. And just as I thought, Sensei took the nail clippers and cut his nails quite deeply. The benchmark is about enough to draw a little blood. I did it too. It hurt so much my eyes teared up. We gave the nail clippings and the clippers back to Old Man Li. The old man broke the clippers and put the clippings into a small red cloth bag. Until this bag containing the nails is burned, Sensei and I are absolutely forbidden from speaking, writing, or having any kind of interaction with Old Man Li, but his actions during that period would have no relation to us. We still had to stay at the house that day due to flight ticket arrangements, so Sensei and I killed time playing Chinese chess in the guest room Mr. Li prepared. Well, I spent the whole day trembling, worrying if the Koutoujutsu retaliation would hit me. In my case, there’s no Sensei to save me (lol). Meanwhile, Old Man Li.

[917] Seemed to be preparing something; the entrance area was quite noisy. Then, late at night. Sensei said he was going to sleep and started snoring in his room. I, having gone through so much, couldn’t sleep and was dozing off. But I was also exhausted, so just as I was about to finally fall asleep, there was a tapping sound, ton ton, on my room door. Then I faintly heard Wang-kun’s voice. I couldn’t quite understand what he was saying, maybe it was Chinese? I was half-asleep. Thinking, “What the heck, at this hour?” I considered ignoring it as a hassle. As I ignored it, I suddenly felt a strong pull on my leg. I snapped awake and sat up, but it was pitch black, and I couldn’t see anything around me, yet I felt like someone was giggling, kusu kusu kusu.

• [918] Scary…

[919] It was creepy. I had a very bad feeling, so I jumped out of bed, went to the door, and listened intently. This time, I heard nothing. But there was a strange smell. A familiar smell. My half-asleep brain took time to recognize it. I decided to check outside the room and turned the doorknob, but the door didn’t budge an inch. It felt like something incredibly heavy was blocking it. And finally, at that point, my head cleared. I recognized the smell. It was the smell of things burning, turning to charcoal. “Why is this happening again?” I vaguely thought. After pushing the door and shouting for a while, smoke started curling in from the crack under the door.

[920] For some reason, I was certain: this was a fire. No, I mean, I’ve never experienced a fire or been at the scene, but something other than myself told my own brain, “Flames are definitely approaching.” And I thought, “This is really bad. I don’t know what happened, but I might get roasted alive and die like this.” “What do I do, what do I do?” I frantically searched the room. There were no windows, no escape route, and nothing useful. In my pocket was the condom. “Ah, am I going to die a virgin?” I thought. Just then. Bang bang, something hit the door hard again. Coughing from the smoke pouring in, I approached the door and shouted, “Anyone there?” No reply. I thought it was useless, but I tackled the door trying to open it. The door flew open quite easily with a bang. Having put more force than expected, I hit my head on something and winced in pain. When the pain subsided, I looked around. The fire was quite close. And in front of my door, blocking it, were things like a bookshelf, a heavy-looking chest of drawers, that sort of stuff.

[921] These things were scattered around, clearly not moved by my tackle. If they were, I must have exhibited incredible superhuman strength in the heat of the moment, probably enough to perform a Kinniku Buster back then. “Who on earth moved them?” I didn’t have time to think. I looked for an escape route. The way to the stairs was already engulfed in flames, impossible to pass. Then I remembered, Sensei’s room had a window! I rushed to the adjacent Sensei’s room. Sensei wasn’t there. I ran to the window. I froze. For two reasons. First, inside the window, the glass reflected dimly like a mirror, and behind my reflection, there were numerous black shadow-like figures. Second, outside the window, perhaps because the house was burning, the surroundings glowed red, and countless expressionless people stood there. Were they locals? They stood there silently, orderly, just staring intently at the burning house. As the smoke rapidly increased, I had no time to think. I threw the window open with tremendous force. And just jumped.

• [922] Been following since the early days of the previous thread, first time reading it live.
• [924] >>922 Same here. Worth the wait.

[923] Of course, it wasn’t the first floor, so there was some height. But more than that, I was panicking. At that moment, I thought there was no other way. My feet hit the ground first, crack. Then I hit my body hard. My hands, raised to protect my head, also went crack. But somehow, I managed to break my fall. Strangely, there was no pain. Then, I looked around. Locals, having spotted me, ran over. When they saw my face, the previous silence vanished as if it were a lie; everyone started shouting or yelling something. Some even began to cry.

[925] After that, I lost consciousness. So I don’t remember. When I woke up, it was already morning, and I was in a cramped car. Lying down in the back, it felt like. My hands and feet hurt incredibly; looking down, I saw wooden planks, maybe splints. Peeking into the driver’s seat, I saw Sensei. The passenger seat was empty. Sensei said we’d soon reach the town with the hospital. Due to the confusion of my memory, I couldn’t understand the situation at all, and the pain was overwhelming, so I just groaned quietly during the drive. Arriving at a hospital in a large, touristy-looking town, a doctor treated me variously. Well, apparently, broken bones in my hand and foot, plus various other bruises. It was my first broken bone, but man, setting the bone, that really hurts (lol). After things settled down, the doctor, who could speak Japanese, told me to stay hospitalized for a day. I was moved to a room, and there, finally, I could talk slowly with Sensei.

[926] Simply put, Sensei sold me out. Old Man Li apparently intended to kill me in Wang-kun’s place. According to Sensei, just before performing the Engi ritual, Old Man Li used a specific hand signal unique to our industry to ask, “How about 300,000?” (Probably talking dollars here?). Sensei thought, “Ah, this is probably about the disciple,” and replied, “Okay.” (I hadn’t learned this signal back then, but I mastered it right after this incident). From then on, Sensei, adhering to the unspoken agreement, stayed with me to keep me at the house, killing time with me. Then, in the middle of the night, he secretly slipped out. Sensei apparently didn’t know the details of what Old Man Li did. But probably, it was either I die, and Old Man Li and Wang-kun survive, or I survive, and both Old Man Li and Wang-kun die. Currently, Wang-kun has disappeared, and Old Man Li is still alive but won’t last long. Old Man Li had asked Sensei to convey a message to me: “I’m sorry for involving you in this. But this was the only way. I don’t ask for forgiveness,” or something like that. Well, we probably won’t meet again. “Still, you were lucky to survive that,” Sensei concluded. I still didn’t really understand what was going on, but I punched Sensei’s face with my good hand.

[927] What kind of ritual Old Man Li performed that night, I don’t know. Maybe it was related to the Duan Long Hang in that basement. What was Wang-kun’s voice I heard then? That’s also a mystery. Wang-kun supposedly disappeared, but where did he go? Why did the house catch fire? And the crowd of locals outside then, what did they want? Were the pulling sensations and laughter I heard hallucinations? The things blocking my room door. Who on earth moved them? Too many things I can’t figure out even thinking about it. But the numerous shadows reflected in the window. That alone I know. They were undoubtedly the weasels, burned to charcoal by the fire. Well, that’s about it for this story. Sorry it felt a bit rushed.

[928] Well, the lesson learned from then on is probably never to travel abroad with Sensei again.

• [929] Finally caught up. >>1 Good work! Sensei is quite cruel too… Made me realize again what an incredible industry it is. Is >>1’s story ending here for now?

[931] >>929 Hmm, what should I do? Well, it doesn’t matter much to me either way, but gaps like this probably happen often. People are bumping the thread, but I do feel sorry for those waiting.

• [932] >>931 Thanks! I got nervous because you weren’t going. I’ll make sure to go. The experiences are interesting, but I’d like you to answer various questions too.
• [935] >>1 Good work. Even if time passes, if >>1 just drops by again when they feel like it, I don’t mind waiting at all. I mean, I want to hear more. But talk about the next thread will probably come up soon, so maybe just decide that for now?

[937] Next thread, huh. Okay, after telling one short story here, I’ll create it.

• [938] Came from a summary site. Requesting continuation.

[940] My first solo job story. It wasn’t that scary. Sensei was still alive then, maybe about 3 years ago. A man in his late 20s came to our place, saying something was wrong with the house he lived in and asked us to check it out. Listening to his story, apparently, his apartment building was quite old. The man often worked night shifts and wasn’t home much at night, but the landlord told him he often got complaints from neighbors about noise from his apartment late at night. However, the times mentioned were clearly when the man wasn’t home. When he told the landlord this, the landlord said, “That’s strange.”

[941] Some time passed. Again, complaints came from neighbors to the landlord, and the landlord complained, but the man insisted it was impossible since he was at work. That night too, the man had work, so he left home as usual. The landlord, hearing the man’s story, thought, “Could it be a burglar?” and got a little worried, deciding to stay overnight in one of the apartment rooms. Sure enough, late at night, the man’s room was indeed noisy. The landlord went to the room and called out, “Is anyone inside?” and it suddenly became quiet. But the landlord sensed someone inside watching him. The landlord used the spare key to open the door and check inside.

[942] Strangely, there was no one inside the room. The landlord got scared and told the man this story. The man and the landlord, though it’s a common cliché story, decided to place a camera in the room. They set a timer to record for one hour during the time it usually got noisy. And indeed, the house got a bit noisy that day too. The next day, checking the camera, they only heard various noises in the empty room. Of course, nothing had moved either.

[943] The landlord managed several apartments, so he had some connections regarding housing troubles, Feng Shui, and the like. The landlord couldn’t come that day due to other business, so the man came alone to consult us. Well, first, they showed me the video. Having no psychic senses, I kept quiet. Sensei was making sounds like “Hmm” and “I see,” projecting an air of impressive authority. But I sensed from long experience that this guy probably didn’t understand anything either. Then the man asked, “What do you think?” Sensei replied, “For now, I’ll send one of my people to check the situation.” At this stage, I think Sensei lost the motivation to get involved with a resident of a run-down apartment and their landlord. Probably wouldn’t be much money in it. Then, for the first time, he told me, “Go alone. You should be capable enough on your own now.”

[944] It was my first solo job, so I was a bit nervous. It seemed like a common type of case, likely a minor job with little real harm, so I wasn’t particularly scared. If it was a yokai, I thought it was probably the “Irusu” type or something similar.

• Irusu (居留守) refers to yokai or phenomena that make noise when no one is home, making it seem like someone is present (from the Japanese word for pretending to be out).

[944] Irusu, well, if written in kanji it’s 居留守 (pretending to be out), famous examples include the Azuki Arai (小豆洗い – bean washer) which is also a type of this.

• Azuki Arai is a Japanese yokai said to make the sound of washing azuki beans near riversides.

[944] Well, anyway, there was still a possibility of ghosts, so I decided to proceed cautiously. Arriving at the apartment, the room was small, about 7 tatami mats, with wooden flooring. So first, I spread a thin, even layer of a mixture of flour, salt, and old rice grains on the floor. I think I wrote about this long ago. What’s the difference between ghosts and yokai? Ghosts primarily cause mental effects, while yokai can cause physical effects too. That’s why spreading this flour + stuff mix (detailed composition is a trade secret) on the ground leaves footprints if it’s a yokai. Ghosts don’t leave them. That’s why there are common stories about ghosts having no feet.

[945] Then, again at night, the man stayed over at a friend’s house. A video camera was recording in the room. With the powder spread on the floor, you know. Later, checking the camera, nothing specific was captured, but on the floor, there was a faint trace like something string-like had been dragged across it. Irusu is a general term for things that make noise when no one is home; there are various types, but driving them out isn’t that difficult, or rather, it’s something people used to do all the time. I put on a serious face and said, “For now, I’ll perform a purification,” pulling out talismans and whatnot, doing something that looked the part, and then told the man and the landlord, “I’ll stay here overnight tonight to observe.”

[946] Late at night, I turned off the lights and opened the room window. Then, I placed a single candle near the entrance doorway and scattered beans from the entrance towards the back of the room. Like the “Fuku wa uchi, oni wa soto” (Fortune in, demons out) thing.

• “Fuku wa uchi, oni wa soto” is the chant during Setsubun (seasonal division) bean-throwing in Japan. It means “Good fortune into the house, evil demons out.”
• Mamemaki (bean-throwing) is a traditional ritual performed on Setsubun, where roasted soybeans are thrown to drive away evil spirits.

[946] However, of course, it wasn’t the commonly scattered beans, but those beans soaked overnight in my own pee and then dried. Then, I chanted a poem: “Go away, go away, there are many more comfortable homes than this, go to a better house than this. And play your pranks there. If you do, I’ll come give you beans again.” Finally, I closed the window and blew out the candle. That’s it. Well, why have them go to a better house? Because when I go to exterminate them there, I can get more money. Then I drive them away again, give them beans, and it becomes a delicious business for both sides.

[949] Going to sleep now. Feel free to ask questions in the new thread.