Tokyo Fall Guys beats up the supernatural

Page 159

"It's been over three months since Taira no Masakado was resurrected, and it's been three months since Kubinashi Tsuneo was disrupting order in Tokyo. What are you doing?"

Everyone understood that these words, which sounded almost like an accusation, but understanding didn't mean they could be spoken, much less spoken by such a young newcomer.

Suiten Keisaburo closed his eyes and sighed, saying, "There are many hidden details in this matter, Mr. Ren. It's not something we can just do on a whim. You should understand very well what Taira no Masakado means to the whole of Japan. He is not just a vengeful spirit or a monster; he is a living myth."

"If he dies, it signifies the demise of a culture, the complete end of a historical period..."

Shui Tianjing Sanlang wanted to explain, but Dou Tang said directly, "So you just pretend you didn't see him harming people and don't care, is that it?"

The atmosphere suddenly cooled down.

Shui Tianjing Sanlang slightly opened his eyes and looked helplessly at Dou Tang.

Dou Tang shrugged, leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and raised his voice a little.

“Look, here’s the problem, folks.” He said with a mocking expression, “You are the ones who have stood out among humankind to fight against evil, yet you are afraid of evil.”

"Evil spirits are born from people's obsessions, and you use your own obsessions to exorcise them. In other words, we are the ones who clean up the garbage, but now you think you're being delicate." Dou Tang continued to mock, completely ignoring the ugly expressions on the faces of everyone at the table.

"They've become spoiled! They think the trash is dirty and refuse to do it! They even start picking through it, thinking it's difficult and refusing to do anything at all, each just sweeping the snow from their own doorstep!"

Dou Tang slammed his hand on the table, his eyes wide, and looked at Shui Tianjing Sanlang: "So now, Mr. Shui Tianjing, what else do you want to talk to me about?"

"Talk about cooperation? Talk about temporarily avoiding the limelight? Talk about me not provoking him, or you leading the way for me to step down? Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to fight Taira no Masakado for the sake of exorcists' reputation. It's you who care about those things!"

Such direct insults would have caused an ordinary person to flip the table in anger, but Shui Tianjing Sanlang simply took a sip of tea before calmly saying, "What Mr. Ren said... makes a lot of sense."

He coughed twice and continued, "We are observing, but we are by no means doing nothing. On the contrary, it is precisely because of our deterrence that Taira no Masakado does not dare to break ties with us. Everything he does is done in secret, and doing it in secret is, in a sense, compromise and retreat."

"As for starting a war or so-called instigation, that's utter nonsense. Our previous view was that if we went to war with Taira no Masakado, it would most likely end in mutual destruction."

"But with the powerful Mr. Ren here now, I think the situation will be turned around quite a bit."

Dou Tang narrowed his eyes slightly, cursing the old fox in his heart.

Wasn't what he said before just to put these exorcists on the spot? Accusing them of failing in their duties, blaming them for forgetting their original mission...

If they get angry, it would be tantamount to confirming the things Dou Tang said.

Then everyone present would lose face.

However, Suiten Keisaburo directly changed the subject, interpreting the so-called indifference as something else, thus rendering the so-called indifference completely invalid.

As for claims of superior strength and turning the tide of battle, those are just empty praise.

The subtext is probably something like, "Since you're so capable, it's reasonable for you to do more work by yourself, right?"

Chapter 61 Intrigue

Dou Tang leaned back in his chair, resting his chin on one hand, looking as if he were the true organizer of the meeting, and said, "Since you say I am strong, then it is only natural that I should be the leader in the battle against Taira no Masakado, right?"

Dou Tang raised one hand slightly, as if supporting something, and said, "After all, everyone here is still 'observing'. Those who are observing only need to follow behind me."

Upon hearing this, Shui Tianjing Sanlang bowed slightly, his face showing reluctance.

“Mr. Ren, no matter what, you are still a newcomer. It is somewhat inappropriate for you to lead the action against Taira no Masakado based on your status as a newcomer.”

Dou Tang clapped his hands, looking relaxed: "That's good. Then don't talk to me about joining forces to fight against Taira no Masakado. I'm not on the same side as you at all. I don't need your help to fight against Taira no Masakado. Let's go our separate ways. It's very simple."

"Of course, once I completely eliminate Taira no Masakado, all the credit and fame will belong to me, and have nothing to do with you." Dou Tang waved his hand, his eyes full of contempt.

This was, of course, a provocation. If Toudou really defeated Taira no Masakado all by himself without the help of any exorcists, then all the exorcists in Tokyo would lose face.

This was a calculated move to force them to take action, and everyone present understood the meaning behind Dou Tang's words.

After thinking for a moment, Shui Tianjing Sanlang slowly said, "Since Mr. Ren thinks so, then I think... it's not impossible."

"Since you are so confident, then how about this: we will not join forces, and I will not restrict exorcists from forming alliances. Whoever wants to oppose Taira no Masakado is welcome to do so."

"As for who will take Taira no Masakado's life and become famous as a result, I will not ask. Let nature take its course."

Dou Tang nodded upon hearing this.

"That makes sense."

Would any of those exorcists want to oppose Taira no Masakado? Certainly, but those people wouldn't tolerate someone like them taking all the credit. If there were many exorcist groups competing with them, even if they eventually killed Taira no Masakado, the credit would be divided among others, and they would definitely have all sorts of excuses to glorify themselves.

But none of that matters. Dou Tang's purpose for this trip is actually only one thing: to force them to take action without affecting him.

Dou Tang spread his hands and finally smiled, saying, "Then I think we can talk about something else."

The subsequent meeting was relatively simple, mostly consisting of wrangling between Suiten Keizaburo and Tou-Tang. However, it seemed that Suiten Keizaburo was intentionally preventing Tou-Tang's reputation from spreading, and those around him who had heard of or knew Tou-Tang had no chance to speak. People like Aida Gaku and Jinzen Ryu-Yong could only watch from the sidelines.

The people sitting at the long table are probably the most powerful exorcists in Tokyo recently. Besides Jiko Sada, there are a total of ten others.

These people didn't have much malice towards Dou Tang; they were more curious and wary. After all, a year ago, Lu Zizhen had also stormed into the Tokyo exorcist circle with a similar demeanor to Dou Tang.

After a pointless chat, Shui Tianjingsaburo suddenly realized that the whole meeting seemed unnecessary. Dou Tang's bluntness had caused the entire meeting to be over in the first ten minutes.

The opinionated young man in front of them could not be considered to have joined forces with them from the beginning. Unlike Lu Zizhen, who had just arrived, this Mr. Ren was not only extremely familiar with evil spirits, but also seemed to have unique insights into the group of exorcists.

After the meeting ended, Dou Tang stood up, looked around, and said calmly, "I hope that when I kill Taira no Masakado, I will still see all of you."

After saying that, he left the meeting room without waiting for everyone to stand up and scold him.

Shui Tianjing Sanlang gently pressed his hand down, and everyone slowly sat back down.

"Since he has no intention of contacting us, then let's not contact him. He's just ignorant and arrogant... If he wants to deal with Taira no Masakado, then let him be." Shui Tian Jingsaburo stroked his beard, his gaze fixed on the direction Dou Tang had left in.

"As for any of you who want to get involved or give them a hard time, I will ignore you."

………………

Stepping out of the building, Dou Tang felt a surge of rage coursing through his body.

Lu Zizhen has told herself many times that times have changed. Exorcism in this era is a business, and exorcists are business people, no different from practitioners in other industries.

Dou Tang understood, and knew in his heart that this place was different from his original world. It was a place where evil spirits and monsters could coexist with humans as long as they were good-hearted. Jiangdao Yizai and Kuroki Keizaki were examples of this.

In such a world, exorcists would be gentle in nature, he understood.

However, when faced with a cunning demon like Taira no Masakado who was slowly corrupting the ordinary people around him, this group of people still acted as if they would only do anything for personal gain, which Tou-Tang found unbearable.

He even had a kind of directness in the conference room

The desire to start killing, to slaughter all these guys who don't even know who they are.

Dou Tang looked up at the sky and let out a long breath, forcing himself to suppress his killing intent. Since those people were clearly not on his side, he might as well let them be; there was no need for him to continue worrying about them.

It would be good to kill Taira no Masakado, continue with my life, and end my dealings with exorcists there.

Dou Tang walked onto the street and it was noon, so he randomly found a place to eat.

After carrying his ramen to the second floor of the restaurant, a burly man in a monk's robe sat down opposite Dou Tang not long after.

Dou Tang looked up and saw that it was Aida Yue with a big bald head. Aida Yue was also holding a bowl of ramen, grinning, his silver teeth shining brightly.

Dou Tang ignored him, picked up the spoon and took a sip of soup.

“Mr. Ren, we meet again!” Aida Yue greeted him with a smile.

Dou Tang squinted, as if he hadn't woken up yet, and asked with a hint of helplessness, "Are you really okay eating meat while wearing a monk's robe?"

“You already asked this question last time. We can eat meat at our temple!” Aida Gaku picked up a piece of char siu, took a bite, and chewed it with satisfaction.

He was extremely tall, and with his wide monk's robe, he looked as if he could fit two Dou Tangs in his body when he sat opposite Dou Tang. Coupled with his unrestrained sitting posture, he immediately became the most eye-catching person in the shop.

Dou Tang sighed and said, "Just tell me what you need me for."

“Let’s form an alliance,” Aida Gaku said solemnly.

“I refuse.” Dou Tang fiddled with the noodles in his bowl.

Aida Gaku asked in surprise, "Why? At this point, are you still planning to fight alone?"

Dou Tang shook his head and said, "I am not fighting alone, nor do I need any help. It's that simple."

Seeing this, Aida Gaku became somewhat anxious and explained, "This situation is not something you can resolve on your own, Mr. Ren. Although you are very powerful, those exorcists who are dissatisfied with you will definitely try to trip you up. They will never be your help but will instead be your hindrance. You might as well ally with us, who are determined to eliminate Taira no Masakado. At least our interests are aligned!"

Chapter 62 Cooperation and the Swordsman

Dou Tang said with a sense of helplessness, "I'm sorry, no matter what you say, I still think it's better to take action. However, since everyone's goal is to pacify Masakado, I have a suggestion: let's share the battle plan."

Aida Gaku frowned and said, "Sharing intelligence? In other words, we act at the same time, but we're not considered a team?"

Dou Tang nodded.

Aida Yue felt quite troubled and sighed, "Mr. Ren... you really are... sigh, this is really difficult."

Dou Tang put down his chopsticks, leaned back, and said, "Mr. Hui Tian, ​​you must understand that my attitude towards evil spirits is fundamentally different from yours."

"So, the paths we take are inherently different, why force us to come together?"

Aida Gaku nodded and said, "Okay, I understand. I will convey your message to our people over there."

Just as the two finished talking, another person came up from the second floor. Dou Tang looked and saw that it was Shen Qianlongyong.

Shenqian Longyong approached Dou Tang and said with a smile, "Mr. Ren, you've really made a name for yourself today."

Dou Tang nodded slightly as a greeting, and then said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Shenqian helped me invite me to the meeting before, but it seems that it didn't go well."

“It’s alright, rather, I expected it.” Ryuichi Shinzen said, then looked at Gaku Aida beside him and said, “You must be Mr. Gaku Aida, the monk from Kamogawa City. I heard that you also had a confrontation with Mr. Ren. If it were only me who invited you, I probably wouldn’t have been able to hold such a large-scale meeting. I haven’t thanked you yet.”

Aida Gaku laughed and said, "Stop with the pleasantries. In the end, isn't it just that we want to take this opportunity to bring Taira no Masakado's matter to the forefront and have a proper discussion?"

He then looked at Dou Tang and said, "I just didn't expect Mr. Ren to be so tough, completely disrupting our previous plans."

Dou Tang shrugged: "Is it my fault?"

The three of them looked at each other and smiled.

Aida Gaku and Kōzen Ryūyū are clearly the same kind of people. They certainly understand the business of taking money to solve problems for others, but they also have a little bit of responsibility as exorcists. They understand that if Taira no Masakado's matter is left unattended, it will become a disaster sooner or later.

"I heard that Mr. Ryuyuu Shinzen is acquainted with the great demon Kokutengu who stirred up the celestial phenomena before?" Aida Gaku suddenly looked at Ryuyuu Shinzen.

Ryuuichi Shinzen first glanced at Toudou, then looked at Aida Gaku and said, "That's right. That Bone Tengu was actually my close friend in life. After his death, he became a great yokai. Although he caused some trouble in Tokyo before, things have stabilized now. He is one of the great yokai that I can communicate with and that is safe to be with."

"I see, what a wonderful coincidence... So, will that great demon participate in this campaign to subdue Taira no Masakado?" Aida Gaku asked curiously.

“Of course.” Ryuichi Kamiya nodded.

Aida Gakubo

The Buddha understood something and smiled, "No wonder Mr. Ren is so confident; it seems he was prepared in advance."

Dou Tang remained noncommittal, only pursing his lips.

Afterwards, the three chatted for a while. Aida Gaku represented a small group led by young exorcists. These groups, in groups of three or five, had long harbored grievances against the actions of the Kujira-no-Kami, because the expansion of the Kujira-no-Kami actually first affected the communities of young people.

After receiving a positive reply from Tou-tang, Aida Gaku returned to report with satisfaction, believing that soon those small groups would establish contact with Tou-tang and exchange information about Taira no Masakado.

Meanwhile, Ryuichi Kamichi stayed behind and chatted with Toudou for a while about Izayoi Ejima.

After a while, Ryuichi Shinzen also left.

Dou Tang, having eaten and drunk his fill, sat in his seat looking at the sunlight outside the window. It was only early afternoon, and he wasn't really in the mood to go home; he wanted to wander around the neighborhood instead.

But soon, he keenly sensed that another guest had come upstairs.

The guest was still looking for him.

Dou Tang looked towards the stairwell and spotted a mysterious person wearing a hoodie, mask, and sunglasses, completely covering his skin. Even from nearly ten meters away, Dou Tang, with his extraordinary senses, quickly realized that this guy was not a normal person.

Not to mention he was carrying a long box on his back, which was obviously filled with weapons.

Dou Tang became wary, already guessing who it was.

The hooded man approached Dou Tang, took off the box from behind him, knelt down on one knee, and respectfully presented the box to Dou Tang.

"Mr. Ren, your sword."

My sword...

Dou Tang's face turned ashen. He reached out and opened the box, revealing a thick Warring States period longsword with a single-handed spiral hilt and a beast-head hilt inlaid with gemstones on a blue surface. Everything about it was the same as the one Dou Tang had broken a couple of days ago.

The few remaining guests on the second floor, seeing this scene, seemed to think that some kind of video was being filmed, but some of them also showed a somewhat frightened expression, not understanding what was going on.

Dou Tang picked up the longsword but didn't draw it to check it, because he could already tell that the sword was brand new.

Who exactly is it... who keeps sending me swords?

Did someone know about Mr. Ren's past and therefore do this?

A terrifying thought suddenly popped into Dou Tang's mind.

Did I really... travel through time? If I did travel through time, why would anyone in this world know that I... or that someone else traveled through time like me?

How can this be……