Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner
Chapter 256 - 177

Chapter 256: Chapter 177

After Ono Ken left, Fushimi Roku claimed that Fujiwara Section Chief was fine, and he would wake up soon, at which point the evil spirit would disperse on its own.

Minamoto Tamako was skeptical. She carefully observed Fujiwara Homare for a while and saw that his breathing was steady and his complexion was normal. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

Yazaki Momo didn’t care. If Fujiwara Homare died, she could personally write the first-hand scoop; she already had the title thought out: "Wulin Temple Haunted House: Police Chief’s Son Dead from Evil Spirit Possession"...

In any case, Fujiwara Homare lay on the tatami looking very peaceful, more pleasing to the eye than when he was awake.

No one paid him further attention. After lunch, Fushimi Roku pretended to catch ghosts and led the others for a walk in the courtyard to aid digestion.

Ono Ken acted as a guide, introducing the garden ponds of Wulin Temple.

She claimed that the history of the garden’s rock formations was long, with the current ones about a hundred years old, named ’Dry Water Stone’; the pond also had a hundred years of history, named ’Water Bell Cave’; the small courtyard had a hundred years of history too, named ’Rain Moon Tea Room’... Minamoto Tamako listened for a while and felt that every plant and tree here had a hundred years of history.

Indeed, they are royalty; truly have historical depth!

"Legend has it, whenever mountain rain saturates the Water Bell Cave, if someone uses a gold-plated tea spoon to strike the Rain Moon Tea Room’s corridor pillar three times, they can hear the grinding tea sound from underground..."

Ono Ken exaggerated as she spoke, moving from historical culture to folklore tales: "At that time, the paper doors open without wind, twelve pale faces sit and sip tea, the head seat is surprisingly occupied by the vengeful spirit dressed in straight clothes and wearing a standing crow hat... The last cup drunk inside the tea room reveals one’s own drowning image at the bottom of the tea bowl!"

Yazaki Momo caught onto key information and quickly said, "Isn’t this similar to the cause of Akishino Princess’s death? Moreover, it’s said she heard water bell sounds on the night of the incident..."

Ono Ken sighed, "It’s precisely because of the resemblance to the legend that there’s the rumor that Akishino Princess was killed by an evil spirit."

Minamoto Tamako couldn’t help but turn sideways, leaning back and tilting her head closer to Fushimi Roku, whispering, "Sounds like the usual trope in detective dramas, where a murder is always linked to various legends and folk tales, but when the truth is revealed it’s found to be a human crime."

Fushimi Roku asked in return, "So you mean Akishino Princess didn’t commit suicide?"

Minamoto Tamako still had no idea; her mind was a mess, and evil knowledge lingered in her brain, coupled with Mr. Fu Jian’s constant ghostly tricks making her unable to normally deduce things.

The group wandered around once more and returned to the room to rest. Ono Ken brewed a pot of Gyokuro tea, inviting the three to taste it. From this, it seemed Prince Akihito truly loved tea during his life so much that after his death, his wife and maid still retained the habit of tea tasting.

Minamoto Tamako kneeled on the cushion, holding the teacup with both hands, took a sip, tasted for a moment, and said, "Hmm... Seems different from Nakako’s brew... Ah, I’m not saying it’s not good, just each has its merits."

"Really?" Yazaki Momo was slightly surprised, took another sip but couldn’t distinguish any difference, then turned to Fushimi Roku and asked, "What do you think?"

"I can’t taste any difference," Fushimi Roku said truthfully.

Ono Ken skillfully poured water, smiling and said, "Tamako is indeed refined; average people wouldn’t notice. Nakako used different tea leaves than I did, so naturally, the taste is different."

"Isn’t it all Gyokuro tea?" Minamoto Tamako asked.

Ono Ken explained, "The backyard of Wulin Temple is a tea garden; Prince Akihito personally selected, cultivated, and planted it during his life. Nakako picked the tea leaves herself from the garden; whereas the tea leaves I used were bought from outside."

"I see."

Minamoto Tamako took a few more sips, feeling refreshed, mind and body at ease, with the tea fragrance permeating her entire being, an absolute satisfaction, making her squint in comfort.

Having eaten and drunk tea, the group became idle. Yazaki Momo somewhat regretted coming too early wasn’t a good thing. It felt like freeloading at someone else’s house.

Luckily, Ono Ken was very hospitable. Seeing them bored, she brought a Go board to entertain the guests.

Minamoto Tamako finished the tea and followed to play Go, feeling like a hermit expert, thinking living leisurely in the mountains seemed nice, with free time to enjoy scenery and such.

Minamoto Tamako unconsciously began to fantasize: wearing a kimono, hands tucked into sleeves, standing at the threshold, watching the autumn rain, inadvertently reciting beautiful haikus, emanating a grandmaster aura...

It was just too stylish.

Fushimi Roku disrupted the mood, liking to change his moves in Go, even establishing some inexplicable rules, like putting captured stones in the lid, if they fell outside, it meant losing... Simply absurd.

Unnoticed, dusk settled in. The mountain sunset burned fiercely, devouring the forest, when Minamoto Tamako came to her senses, the bright moon was already high, she set down the piece, thinking the day had passed so quickly!

The booked time for the Oogami Spirit Medium was between eight and nine at night, but in a blink, it was already past ten o’clock; Minamoto Tamako looked at the western clock in the corner, the Spirit Medium was already an hour late.

Accompanied by a thunderclap, lightning illuminated the landscape, and a light rain began to fall outside.

The tea water on the tatami was nearly dry; Fushimi Roku, under the guise of exorcism, sent the others away, crouching by Fujiwara Homare’s ear, using a sinister tone to tell ghost stories.

"The evil spirit is chasing you... It’s terrifying, twisted, an indescribable monster... It wants to eat you, it wants to consume your soul..."

"You’re very afraid... You keep running... keep hiding... but it’s useless, it always manages to find you..."

To make it seem more real, Fushimi Roku pressed down on Fujiwara Homare, whispering, "The evil ghost has caught you... It’s pressing on you... its tentacles are constantly probing on you..."

With Fushimi Roku’s demonic whispers, the once asleep Fujiwara Homare gradually furrowed his brows, his eyeballs twitching anxiously under closed lids, cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

——Boom!!

Another thunderclap exploded; Fujiwara Homare’s heart jolted, awaking from his dream, he let out a high-pitched scream, limbs instinctively struggling.

Fushimi Roku swiftly flipped over, withdrew, leaned forward, patting his shoulder, gently comforting, "It’s okay, it’s okay, the evil spirit has left."

Fujiwara Homare gradually calmed down. He sat up feeling his head splitting and ears ringing, listening to Fushimi Roku as if through a water curtain.

"I, I... What happened? What happened?" He asked, bewildered.

"You were attacked by the evil spirit and fainted," Fushimi Roku began to exude Lv7 social charm, smiling kindly, saying, "But don’t worry, I’ve driven the evil spirit away."

Fujiwara Homare finally remembered; before his consciousness faded, the last scene he saw was the sliding door about to open. After losing consciousness, he dreamed the evil ghost was chasing him, and he was running desperately, only to be caught by it...

That feeling was so real; Fujiwara Homare could even sense a strange sensation lingering on him.

He couldn’t help but shudder.

"Are you really a Spirit Medium?"

When Fujiwara Homare asked this question, Fushimi Roku knew he already had the answer in his heart, showing a gratifying smile.

"Yes, I am a Spirit Medium."