117 Renting a Haunted House

According to Kongsan, Japan has long been said to be home to eight million gods.

Their concept of "gods" differs from that of China; all manner of spirits, demons, and monsters fall under the category of gods. For example, the boar enshrined in this shrine is commonly known as Yamanaka Yataro. It is the strongest yokai within a hundred li radius and serves as the guardian deity of the area. Under its jurisdiction, there are no fewer than a hundred smaller spirits and monsters, among which thirty or forty even reside within human households.

Due to Japan’s peculiar natural conditions, with abundant yin energy and spiritual aura, it is easy for living beings and objects to awaken their consciousness. However, this also means there are many malevolent yin spirits. Although there are powerful exorcists such as onmyoji, demon hunters, and great monks who purify evil and uphold the way, these spirits proliferate endlessly, like harvesting chives only to see them grow back again.

Hence, shrines are ubiquitous in Japan, reflecting the inevitable needs of the people: with so many evil spirits beyond human control, they are forced to show weakness and kindness, respectfully enshrining these beings as guardian deities to control demons with demons. Over time, this has created Japan’s distinctive “ecological environment.”

Luo Yu inquired about some basic information and asked which regions had richer spiritual energy before letting three little yokai go.

After leaving the shrine, the three traveled leisurely like tourists, moving northward in step with the blooming cherry blossoms. Indeed, Japan’s yokai were as numerous as cattle and sheep, but their magical power was generally weak, roughly equivalent to a cultivator at Qi Refining stage one or two. They only knew minor illusions to scare people, with the more advanced ones capable of mental control magic. Occasionally, they encountered slightly stronger yokai reaching Qi Refining stage **, such as kappa or temple bells, which were significantly more powerful than ordinary little yokai.

These small yokai’s illusions could deceive ordinary people, but never the three siblings, whose magical power was relatively strong. Thus, they often saw red-clad zashiki-warashi playing among children; bone women disguised as beauties lurking in hot springs with a predatory gaze; and poisonous mole crickets crawling along eaves—a veritable modern fantasy world. Almost every hundred meters they walked, they would spot a yokai.

Once, while strolling along a cherry blossom path, they saw some small yokai of unknown species come out to appreciate the blossoms. Each was about the size of a fist, resembling a fluffy plush doll—round, with big eyes and big mouths, utterly adorable. They marched in neat lines, chirping and hopping forward. Luo Yu couldn’t resist and lunged to touch them, only to scare them all away, who then abandoned the cherry blossoms entirely.

This caused Luo Yu great frustration. Throughout the journey, the yokai treated them as if they were plague carriers—either spying from afar or fleeing at first sight. This was a heavy blow to Luo Yu, who finally had to suppress all his magical power and disguise himself as an ordinary human.

At Luo Yu’s strong insistence, the three paused in Iwate Prefecture and decided to rent a house to get closer to the local yokai and build friendly relations. They ultimately chose an old, remote Japanese-style house and resolved to rent it.

The elderly landlady was initially reluctant to rent out the old house, saying there were many yokai nearby and the house was haunted, fearing for the safety of tenants. Later, under Qin Yue’s spiritual manipulation, the three easily achieved their goal.

The old house was originally a mountain villa with a history of over a hundred years. The owners were wealthy, and the house had two attic floors with a tiled roof, far more luxurious than the usual thatched peasant homes, with a large, elegant courtyard in the center. It stood alone on a mountainside with no human neighbors nearby, a fact that delighted the three.

When the siblings entered the courtyard and scanned with their spiritual perception, they immediately discovered the culprits behind the “haunting”—three harmless little yokai sleeping deeply in the innermost part of the house.

Luo Yu showed interest and said, “Don’t chase them away; we’ll do what we need to do.”

Qin Yue nodded, took off her bracelet, and ordered the little ghost children to clean up, replacing the sliding door’s paper with fresh white sheets.

After the cleaning, the courtyard’s spring greenery was vibrant; a massive cherry blossom tree was in full bloom. A gentle breeze occasionally carried drifting petals, which floated down into the nearby clear pond. The rhythmic tapping of bamboo water hitting stones made a resonant "bang… bang…" sound, adding a touch of Zen serenity to the courtyard.

Luo Yu lay on the corridor floor with his head resting on Qin Yue’s lap, listening to the hypnotic sound, his eyelids growing heavy. Rarely able to empty his mind and relax, he let himself fall asleep. When he opened his eyes again, the bright moon hung high in the sky, flower shadows swayed all around, and for a moment, he was unsure of his location.

Qin Yue touched Luo Yu’s lips and said, “If you don’t wake up soon, I’m going to have to shake you.”

Luo Yu’s heart stirred slightly as he whispered, “How long has it been there?”

“Half an hour,” Qin Yue replied.

“And the cat?” Luo Yu asked.

Before Qin Yue could answer, a girl suddenly appeared around the corridor corner—it was Luo Li.

She walked up to the two and said coquettishly, “Brother, let’s tell stories together!”

Qin Yue replied calmly, “What do you want to hear?”

Luo Li was excited, “I want to hear ghost stories! Don’t you think the nighttime atmosphere is perfect for telling ghost stories?”

Qin Yue said, “Alright.”

Luo Li happily waved at them, “I’ve already prepared the storytelling area. Please follow me!”

Luo Yu and Qin Yue exchanged glances and eagerly followed.

Luo Li led them winding through the dark hallway before opening a sliding door. It was an empty room in the attic, already filled with numerous candles arranged in three concentric circles on the floor, with three cushions stuffed with wicking straw placed in the center.

Luo Li invited Luo Yu and Qin Yue to sit and joked, “I know a legend: after telling each story, you blow out a candle. By the last one, the gates of hell open. Hehe, Brother, if you’re scared, you still have time to run away.”

Qin Yue examined the candle flames and said coolly, “If you, as the little sister, aren’t afraid, how could we be timid?”

Luo Li grew even happier, a strange blue light flickering in her eyes. She clapped and laughed, “Then let’s start with Brother, okay?”

After thinking for a while, Qin Yue, urged by Luo Li, began, “Once upon a time, there was an Eastern ghost mistaken for a firefly by a Western ghost and burned to death.”

Luo Li waited a long time and asked, “And then?”

Qin Yue kept a straight face, “That’s the end.”

Luo Li quietly blew out a candle, paused, and then quickly recovered. She turned to Luo Yu and said, “Brother, please go ahead. Make your story as long as possible.”

Luo Yu pondered and said, “Once there was a ghost who lived from ancient times through the prehistoric era, then through the Xia dynasty…” He recited all the dynasties in order: “Then all the way from the Republic era to the modern day, finally becoming the emperor of the underworld… Uh, is that long enough?”

Qin Yue immediately voiced her dissatisfaction, “Why do you always mention that tyrant?”

Luo Yu said innocently, “His story is just the longest.”

Qin Yue asked, “Do you like him?”

Luo Yu said, “Don’t question my integrity—I’m a normal person.”

Luo Li blew out another candle, frowned, and suddenly asked, “Are you guys talking about… King Enma?”

Qin Yue stared at Luo Li coldly, “Exactly. We were talking about Yi Qi Jing Jia.”

A blue glow suddenly flashed in Luo Li’s eyes. She locked gazes with Qin Yue for a long moment, her expression gradually darkening. “Who exactly are you? How dare you utter the name of King Enma so freely!”

Qin Yue replied calmly, “Not pretending anymore?”

“Luo Li” hissed, “So that’s it… You two aren’t ordinary humans, which is why my flames have no effect on you, right?”

Luo Yu said, “Yeah, we can withstand that level of mental attack… Why don’t you change back? Our cat isn’t as polite as you and I’m a bit not used to it.”

“Luo Li” said coldly, “Fine, then let me show you what kind of powers someone who dares invade my domain possesses!” Her form began to blur and suddenly, “Luo Li” transformed into a kiwi-shaped Japanese lantern.

With the lantern’s appearance, the candles’ flames floated upward and turned into chilling blue fire, dimming the room. Moonlight slanted through the skylight, shining faintly on the lantern. On the white paper covering were two large calligraphy characters: “Ghost Guard.” It dragged a furry tail that touched the ground like feet, with a blue ghostly flame glowing inside, giving it a very eerie appearance.

Luo Yu had grown accustomed to such sights and felt no fear, finding the lantern’s shape rather cute. He put on his signature smile, gentle and kind, saying, “Hey, wait a moment. When we moved in, we signed a contract with the landlady, so technically we’re the owners here… We haven’t asked you to leave, so why attack? Don’t be angry—maybe we can talk it out!”

The lantern emitted a sinister, chilling laugh, “Angry? Ah, there’s no helping it! You two guests misunderstand me—I only wanted to…” Its voice instantly turned fierce: “I only wanted to devour your souls!”

The floating blue flames suddenly spun wildly, forming a barrier-like net around Luo Yu and Qin Yue, tightly enclosing them.

Qin Yue remained expressionless, standing calmly without moving; Luo Yu was furious, muttering repeatedly in Chinese, “Damn it! What the hell! Demon monster, don’t be so rude! Just because I’m patient doesn’t mean I’m easy to bully! You’ll regret this… Ha, waiting for the tragedy!”

The lantern didn’t understand Luo Yu’s words and let out a high-pitched, eerie laugh. Blue smoke billowed from its top, rolling toward them excitedly. “Ah! Such strong psychic power... must be delicious! I’ll eat the small one first and save the big one for later…”

“Baka yarou!” Suddenly, a crisp, childlike voice rang out in the room, followed by a crash of breaking things.

Luo Li, rubbing her eyes and looking sleepy, walked to a cupboard that had been smashed to bits. She bent down, picked up a pink pillow from the debris, and complained, “Nii-san, why didn’t you stop it? It’s so noisy! Kids need good sleep for healthy development!”

Luo Yu said, “Uh, we were trying to tell stories, but who knew it would… flip out like flipping a book…”

At that moment, the lantern crawled out from the cupboard corner. Seeing Luo Li, it trembled uncontrollably and screamed, “Great yokai!” before fleeing desperately.

Qin Yue snorted coldly and released her magical power, pulling the lantern back and tossing it to the ground. “Did we agree to let you go?”

The lantern was stunned: how was this human so strong? It hadn’t noticed before... This was bad, very bad!

Its tail went limp as it repeatedly bowed, the paper folds on its body contracting like an accordion. “I deeply apologize! Please forgive me, noble one!” Then it turned to Luo Li and pleaded, “Sorry to disturb your rest, my lord. I humbly request permission to withdraw!”

After all the commotion, Luo Li was fully awake. Curious, she asked, “What kind of yokai are you?”

The lantern was dumbfounded: how could this noble one not even know what kind of yokai it was?

Still, it answered obediently, “I am an Aoandon.”

“Oh~~~!” Luo Li exclaimed happily, “The kind that lures humans at night to play Hyakumonogatari and then devours their souls?”

[End of chapter 117: Renting a Haunted House — Complete!]