The Fox Spirit with an Aching Back / At the Yokai Night Market

"Yes, the Yokai Night Market. At that time, many people will come here to set up stalls," the proprietress said with a smile.

"I want to go see it!!!" Mashiro said, her eyes shining.

"Why? There's nothing here?" Mashiro asked, looking at the barren land with a puzzled expression.

"Hehehe, little girl, are you here for the Night Market? It's not time yet, come back at eleven o'clock." A hunchbacked old woman dressed as a scavenger said in a high-pitched voice as she passed by.

"Good evening, Granny Budai." The proprietress greeted the old woman with a smile, but the tone was somewhat distant, as if she were restraining herself while maintaining a certain distance.

"Isn't this the proprietress of the beef soup shop? What are you doing here? It's not time yet, are you finally getting senile?" the old woman carrying a cloth bag asked sarcastically.

"Hehehe... Actually, I met a rare and adorable child who was so interested in Kamakura, so I accompanied her for a walk," the proprietress said with a smile.

"Is that so? Is that so? She is indeed a rare child. But she has a very reliable guardian, tsk..." The old woman holding the cloth bag looked at Mashiro, seemingly quite pleased with Mashiro's aura. Then, when her gaze fell on Shirou, she clicked her tongue in displeasure.

"..." Shirou looked at the old woman in surprise. Why was the discrimination so blatant?

The proprietress pulled Mashiro along and continued walking forward. After they had created some distance between themselves and the old woman with the cloth bag, she stopped.

"Hehe, Mashiro, remember this place! Also, that old woman has a bad habit of bringing bad luck to those she likes, so be careful and don't get too close. Otherwise, you'll be stuck in poverty for the rest of your life," the proprietress warned.

"If you keep gossiping, proprietress, I'll come and stay at your shop for a while longer!" The old woman with the cloth bag, who had very sharp ears, said fiercely.

Chapter 857 The fox spirit with a Sore Back

"Oh dear, please be lenient. Last time, my husband and I were exhausted trying to kick you out. We almost broke our bones and had to rest for a week before we could even get back to work and open the shop," the proprietress said hastily, her face changing upon hearing the old woman's words.

"Let's go, let's go! We should go back now!" The proprietress grabbed Mashiro and Shirou and ran off quickly, only daring to stop when they returned to the inn. She was so tired she could barely bend over, panting heavily.

"That damn old woman, and she even has hell ears! Ugh, looks like I'll have to go to that massage parlor I booked for treatment again. My bones are so stiff, I can't even run anymore," the proprietress said helplessly, rubbing her back. Although she looked like a woman in her twenties, she actually looked like a grandmother approaching sixty.

"Even the proprietress has problems like spinal problems or tendon strain, right? She looks so young." Shirou asked in surprise.

The proprietress waved her hand and explained, "Well, even strong lions and tigers get sick. If there are no medicines to cure them, they will die. That's the rule of nature. Even monsters need to take care of their bodies. Whether human or monster, if you're always in a sub-healthy state, you'll age faster than a healthy person. You'll lose your hair and have backaches."

These are chronic ailments accumulated over time, and they are actually more severe on the demon side. Even though their lifespan is longer than that of ordinary humans, they still suffer from more physical problems. Therefore, it is important for skilled doctors to treat them. Acupuncture and massage are very popular nowadays.

"Is that so? No, no... the bodies of monsters and humans are different, and their acupoints are different too, right? How exactly do you perform acupuncture?" Shirou almost believed him.

The proprietress shrugged, with an expression that said, "Believe it or not, I believe it anyway," and said, "Let the massage therapist take care of that."

"Haha... Speaking of which, who was that person just now? Was he that amazing?" Shirou asked, changing the subject.

"Don't worry if it's a bad person, proprietress. Shirou is very strong. Let Shirou help you fight her off," Mashiro kindly reassured the proprietress.

"No, no, it's not a matter of whether we can win or not, but once she comes, we can't continue doing business. It's almost peak tourist season, and our annual income depends on those few months, but we can't get rid of her no matter what we do, so we resorted to extreme measures," the proprietress said helplessly.

"Huh? Are they collecting protection money?" Mashiro suddenly remembered the Yakuza thugs she had encountered before, and mentally combined their images, conjuring up a picture of an old yakuza woman wearing sunglasses and covered in various tattoos under tattered clothes!

"That's Goddess, albeit Goddess of Poverty... No one in this world would welcome her, but she's still a god. Driving her away is the limit; if we go too far, we'll face collective retaliation from all the gods."

"Ah..." Shirou understood. In this era of faith-based economy, there are more people who worship the God of Wealth than anyone else. Even those who worship Buddha or Daoism are mostly seeking wealth. The most devout believers are still high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants.

If that's the case, then the eight million gods of Japan and the chaotic and numerous divine positions can be explained. Each god has their own duties, from a grain of rice to delicacies, from toilets to the Imperial Palace, involving everything in the lives of all Japanese people. When they come together, they do form a huge force that is absolutely not to be offended. However, this is just too realistic.

But... if that's really the case, then wouldn't the Japanese gods become a large-scale Yakuza group?

"Is that old woman Goddess? I want to interview her and ask her about deities." At this moment, Mashiro took out a small notebook and pen and walked outside.

"Wait! Wait! Mashiro, we just finished talking, what are you talking about?" Shirou quickly grabbed Mashiro by the back of her collar and said.

"Yes, Mashiro- chan, don't be impulsive! That's the Goddess of Poverty, he'll be so poor he won't have a single penny left," the proprietress said, hugging Mashiro.

"It's okay! I've never carried any money with me!" Mashiro said Mashiro, with a hint of smugness in his voice.

"That won't work either. Even if you hand over all your savings to me to manage, all your good fortune will disappear, and even the manuscripts you send to magazines won't be accepted," Shirou advised.

"This will bother me a lot... but I'm not spending money on comics, I'd even be willing to give them to the magazine for free," Mashiro said after considering for a moment.

"No, no, that would be chaos. If a magazine can't make money according to its own rules, then it's meaningless. It's precisely because of this interest that magazines can influence cartoonists' creations. If cartoonists are allowed to do whatever they want, problems will inevitably arise sooner or later."

"Think of Yoshiki Takaya from Guyver! Think of Yoshihiro Togashi from Hunter x Hunter! They're all so rich that they're too lazy to even draw manga! Magazines would rather give them high-paying contracts so they can finish their works properly," Shirou said.

"Then let's serialize it on the website. I just need to draw interesting works," Mashiro said.

"No, no, even on a website, you need someone behind the scenes to help you. If you don't have the money to operate the channels and do promotional activities, even if it's free, no one will see it," Shirou said.

"Shirou... didn't you promise to go wherever I go? I already agreed to go to the mixed bath with you." Mashiro puffed out her cheeks angrily, looking at Shirou with a wronged expression.

Shirou blushed immediately and hurriedly explained, "No! No! These two things are different."

Mashiro argued, "What's the difference? During the day, Shirou accompanies me on my paranormal adventures, but at night, don't I also Shirou with you in doing exciting things?"

The proprietress tactfully withdrew at this point, smiling and saying, "Hehehe, well, it seems you've had a tough time, young man. Alright, you two rest here for now. When the Night Market opens tonight, I'll have the shopkeeper take you Night Market; he needs to go buy some ingredients too. Hehehe, then I'll get back to work!"

"Wait! Proprietress, that's not it! I was just doing it for your safety." Shirou tried to explain further.

"No need to explain, no need to explain. Young people, I understand. Oh, by the way, neither of your rooms is occupied right now, so do as you please and enjoy yourselves." The proprietress chuckled and hurried away.

Chapter 858 The Monster Night Market

"Shirou, if I become poor and can't continue working as a manga artist, will you still like me?" Mashiro asked Shirou.

"Of course, whether in poverty or wealth, I'm willing to be with you." Shirou smiled, surprised that the girl had thought so much, and simply nodded in agreement.

"Then it's a promise, Shirou. You will be loyal to me for the rest of your life, whether I am poor, sick, or disabled, until death do us part." Mashiro placed her hand on Shirou's head and said very seriously.

"Yes, it's a date." Shirou looked into the girl's eyes and chuckled as he agreed.

Although the sentence felt somewhat familiar, and something seemed off, upon closer inspection, it didn't seem wrong. So Shirou naturally agreed.

Shirou had to coax and coax the sulking Mashiro until she calmed down and stopped mentioning going to find the old woman with the bag who was the god of poverty.

I came to Kamakura specifically to find yokai, but I haven't seen a single real yokai yet, and instead I've run into a god first. That's really something.

At 11 p. m., the innkeeper, Uncle Ox, carrying a large bamboo basket, called Shirou and Mashiro to go out. The Yokai Night Market had begun. On this barren land that had been deserted during the day, tents had been erected and braziers had been set up, forming a bustling flea market. Shouts and hawkers could be heard from inside, and in the distance, one could see some strange and unusual creatures.

Tiny little monsters, like a one-eyed monk and an umbrella with eyes, were hopping and running across the ground.

Over at the butcher's stall, a ferocious-looking Pig Head People was selling whole pigs with a large cleaver. Whoever wanted a particular cut, he would chop it off, wrap it in leaves, and hand it to a dog-headed customer.

"..." Shirou thought to himself, 'Thank goodness it wasn't human flesh...'

Meanwhile, in a snack shop, an elderly woman with silver hair and a wrinkled face, wearing a black conical hat, was cooking frogs in a cauldron. She was stirring with a spoon while muttering incantations, it was unclear whether she was offering blessings to make the food taste better or casting a curse that would bring bad luck if it were consumed.

There are also pet shops selling pets from the Demon Realm. There are three-eyed, multi-headed monster birds, two-headed dogs, fire-breathing lizards, and fluffy chicks with three legs. They are all magical creatures that only appear in human fantasy stories.

"The baby animals are all very cute, but I don't recommend you buy them because they grow to be huge. You have to scoop up several pounds of poop every day. You simply can't keep them in the city. The smallest pets here can grow to the size of a horse, and they might even be taller than a person when they're on all fours."

The two-tailed cat, like a drunkard, held a black porcelain wine pot with its two front paws outstretched, and swayed as it walked along the road.

"Come and see! Matsutake mushrooms! Matsutake mushrooms! Selling at a rock-bottom price, 100 yen each! Hey cute ladies and handsome gentlemen over there! Come and see, I'll give you a discount, 300 yen for five! How about it!"

At that moment, at a roadside stall, a shopkeeper with a rat-like face spoke to Mashiro and Shirou. He was actually a humanoid rat monster, but his transformation was incomplete. He had rat-like features all over his body, was less than 1.5 meters tall, had protruding front teeth, sharp nails, and a long, thin tail that dragged on the ground.

"Cheap, right? Super cheap! Look at this~!" The rat-faced shopkeeper held up a package of matsutake mushrooms and handed it to Mashiro, strongly recommending it.

"So cheap! Everything here is so cheap!" Mashiro exclaimed, her eyes wide. Even she understood the prices here; after all, these were high-end ingredients, practically like foie gras, sold for the price of goose meat. It was much cheaper than in the human market.

"How about it? It's a super deal! Buy it, buy it!" the rat-man shopkeeper said to Mashiro repeatedly.

"Yeah, it's pretty cheap, but I feel like there must be some side effects." Shirou sighed. Although he wouldn't stop Mashiro from buying it, whether or not she ate it was up to him.

Uncle Niu glanced at it and said, "Well, it's cheap, but it probably contains matsutake mushrooms from the Demon Realm that cause humans to have their souls leave their bodies."

"Wh... what! What! I have no idea what you're talking about!" The rat-man's eyes widened when he heard Uncle Ox's words, and he stammered, shaking his head.

Uncle Niu snatched the small paper packet from the rat-man's hand, preserving the evidence of the crime. His two-meter height and strong physique, like a water buffalo, contrasted sharply with the short rat-man.

Uncle Ox has absolute confidence in his strength. If he were ten years younger, he could definitely defeat most monsters. Even if he encountered a bull demon, it might not be his match. After all, it's not something an ordinary monster can do to produce offspring with a human. Even if his bloodline is very diluted, his ancestor must have been a powerful demon.

"What do you want to do! Are you trying to steal it by force?!" The rat-man jumped up, trying to snatch back the matsutake mushrooms from the paper package.

"Hmph! Rat! If you don't want me to call the city management officers and permanently kick you out of the Night Market, then sell me all your mountain produce at half price!" Uncle Niu slammed his hands on the table, pressed his head against the rat monster's forehead, and snorted.

"Waaah... I know, I'll sell it to you! I'll sell it all to you, okay? Please let me go!" the rat-man finally pleaded. If the Guan Zhong were to intervene, he would definitely not come out on top.

"Hmph, someone with a criminal record like you, if you don't want to be kicked out, you'd better behave yourself from now on." Uncle Niu collected the mountain goods from the rat-man's side, sorted them one by one, put them into bamboo baskets and boxes, then carried them on his back, and said warningly.

"Yes, yes, I know, boohoo." The rat-man lowered his head and said, on the verge of tears.

"Here you go! Here's your money." Uncle Niu handed over half the market price to the rat man, completing a very profitable transaction.

"Wow, amazing! Boss, you're even stronger than a monster! A Mashiro exclaimed in admiration.

"Hahaha, oh dear, I've shown the guests an unsightly side of things." After putting away the fish, Uncle Niu said apologetically to Shirou and his companion with a smile.

"That guy deserved it! Thanks, Uncle Niu, for telling us about the dangers here," Shirou said with a smile.

"Well, you're my customers, so of course I have to take good care of you. The rules here are unclear, and there are quite a few unscrupulous merchants like that rat spirit, as well as those who make fun of people who have wandered in here by mistake. You'll understand once you take a look around," Uncle Niu said with a smile.

Chapter 859 Strange Guest at the Hotel

Uncle Ox led Shirou and Mashiro to each cheap stall, and he told them to wait while he squeezed in to join the frenzy of grabbing things from a bunch of Shirou and Mashiro. It was just like a supermarket sale where a group of middle-aged women swarmed in for a shopping spree. Except here, the people grabbing things were all sorts of bizarre yokai.

The scene left both Mashiro and Shirou wide-eyed; it was utter chaos, a veritable free-for-all.

A few minutes later, Uncle Niu returned carrying a large bunch of garlic and other cilantro seasonings. He said to Shirou and Mashiro, who had been waiting for a long time, "What's wrong? You were really bored waiting with me, weren't you? Next time, let this old woman take you around."

"No, it still looks quite novel. I just didn't expect you, Boss Niu, to be willing to do these things." Shirou sighed. It was hard to imagine that a two-meter-tall, muscular man would haggle with a vendor for several minutes over a few cents, just like an old lady buying vegetables.

Boss Niu gave a simple, honest smile and said, "Well! What's there to be willing or unwilling about? These are things that only I can do. When I was younger, I was indeed a little embarrassed, but I had to do them for the sake of the shop's operation. After getting used to it, I've been doing it for over thirty years. As the head of the family, what can't I do for my family?"

Moreover, my Ushi-gyū Inn was actually passed down from my grandfather's generation. I only met the proprietress because I was trying to inherit the business, so I have to do my best to make this inn a success."

"I see, that makes sense." Shirou nodded. When he buys groceries, he also picks discounted ones, trying to make a hearty and affordable meal with limited funds. Boss Niu, who runs a hotel, naturally has to put more effort into this aspect.

"Yeah, I also think a responsible boss is more handsome. Do you have Demon Realm dishes that humans can eat? Can I eat those matsutake mushrooms that can make people's souls leave their bodies?" Mashiro asked curiously.

"Mashiro, didn't they say it causes your soul to leave your body? So don't eat it!" Shirou grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her closer to him, complaining.

"I think that kind of special experience will definitely be good for creative work," Mashiro said earnestly, looking at Shirou.

"If your soul leaves your body, your body won't be able to move!" Shirou said irritably.

"Well, even though it's called an out-of-body experience, you can still use a broom to knock it back into your body. But afterwards, you have to be careful not to fall or sneeze, or your soul might get flung out," Uncle Niu said with a laugh.

"Don't talk like it's something that could dislocate your jaw by accident. Please at least recommend some dishes that aren't dangerous enough to cause diarrhea," Shirou retorted helplessly.

"Yes, let me think... If we're talking about delicious food that humans can eat, there are some. For example, how about this? Hellfish from the edge of the deep sea's hellish crevices!" Uncle Niu said, leading the two to a regular fish stall.

A lobster-headed monster used its pincers to grab a large-headed fish from the basin. The fish had rough, protruding scales, a gaping maw, a ferocious face, and a light bulb-like object on its head. The fish's eyes were pure white, a sign of degeneration, but this only made it look more terrifying.

The lobster-head vendor explained, "Yes, there are also hidden realms inhabited by monsters in the crevices of the deep sea. These fish are creatures that live in those crevices. Because they absorb the demonic energy flowing out from the crevices, they have also acquired some demonic characteristics. However, compared to other demons, they are not poisonous to humans, and they taste quite delicious. I specialize in developing Demon Realm seafood ingredients that humans can eat. Young man, elegant young lady, if you like, please come and patronize my business often."

"I see." Mashiro nodded.

"Alright, I've bought this fish! Tie it up for me! I'll cook it for my customers when I get back," Uncle Niu said generously.

"Okay~! 1000 yen Cheng Hui." The lobster head vendor happily agreed.

"Well? We've finished our rounds, so let's head back." Uncle Niu was already carrying over 200 pounds of ingredients on his back, with a wooden chopping board tucked under his arms, shoulders, and armpits.

Although Shirou had offered to help, Uncle Ushi wouldn't allow it, so he had no choice but to accept. However, this kind of toughness is probably something he has to do to survive in his shop.

"Yes, we had a great time, and we really learned a lot," Shirou replied with a smile.

"The Night Market is really interesting. I'm going to draw everything I see here." Mashiro nodded.

"That goldfish with a human face, that was really too much." Shirou recalled the goldfish scooping stall he had seen before, and it was simply horrifying.

"Yes, hahaha." Mashiro leaned towards Shirou and laughed.

"Chirp chirp chirp..." Shirou and Mashiro hadn't expected that, in the darkness, the rat-man was hiding to the side, grinning sinisterly. Behind him were several blood-red eyes, also grinning maliciously.

When I went back, I saw the proprietress ushering a man into a guest room to rest.

The other person had sunken eyes with heavy dark circles, dry lips, and a deathly pale complexion, looking lifeless. The way they walked was also strange; one arm was bent and half-raised at their side, as if they were holding onto something, making them appear to occupy the space of one and a half people, even though there was nothing there.

"Welcome back, shopkeeper. Did you have a good date with Shirou-kun- Mashiro?" The proprietress turned around and greeted Shirou and the others with a smile as they entered.

"Ah, I've bought so many good things! Tomorrow I can make a delicious local dish." Uncle Niu replied with a smile.

The man next to him also turned around, Shirou nodded to him. The man turned his head to look at Nana beside him and muttered a few words to himself. He ignored Shirou and, maintaining his strange posture, went into the guest room to rest, as if everything that was happening outside had nothing to do with him.

"Ah, I'll see the guests to their rooms first, then we'll chat when I get back, hehehe!" The proprietress waved to Mashiro and followed, but her fox spirit smile remained unchanged.

When only two people remained.

"Shirou, is that person a yokai? He didn't seem surprised at all when he saw the proprietress call him Uncle Ox." Mashiro finally asked the question that had been bothering her. Although she herself didn't show it at the time, she was quite surprised inside.

"No, it's human, isn't it? It just has the aura of a ghost about it," Shirou said.

Chapter 860 Mashiro is targeted by the Demon King

The night in Kamakura was bustling with activity. Inside the full moon, a humanoid figure with a long nose like Pinocchio, who always lies, flapped a pair of enormous black wings and flew past the center of the moon. He was in a hurry to get to the Inari Ōkami on the mountain to attend a banquet hosted by a great yokai.

On the way up the mountain, flower fairies emerged from the grass, each carrying a firefly lantern. They stood on either side of a step, forming a winding path of light that stretched all the way to the summit.