I will Follow You

I woke up to the sound of the giant bell. It was 6 AM. When I opened my eyes, I realized I had slept through the night, probably due to exhaustion from the chase the day before. I sighed; my body was somewhat tired, but my spirit was much more weary.

There was an integrated bathroom inside the room the monk had arranged for me. I rinsed my body, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and then stepped outside. The air was cool. The sky was completely bright and clear, but the sun had not yet taken the place of the moon. Monk Li Huang was already waiting for me at the doorstep.

"The young master has arrived. He is practicing puja in the Main Hall. Allow me to lead you to the young master."

"Thank you, please."

We walked along a rough stone path, with jade stones on either side. I took a deep breath of the fresh air, shivering slightly but feeling quite refreshed. Mixed in was the fragrant scent of incense.

We stopped in front of a grand structure with a high roof. Three doors led inside, the middle one three times larger than the other two. In the center of the room stood a statue of Buddha. Yang was sitting in front of it, wearing a robe. The sound of steady reading of scriptures echoed from within.

"Please wait for the young master outside. He will finish soon. I will take my leave."

With that, the monk walked away.

Outside the main hall was a small garden filled with frangipani, guava trees, and jasmine. The scent of jasmine mingled with the intoxicating scent of incense, making me feel strangely calm. Next to the garden was a stone table set with a teapot and cups that smelled of green tea. I sat down on a chair but did not touch the teapot.

Fifteen minutes later, Yang finished chanting. He stepped outside.

"Hello, Takehito. I hope you're feeling better. I'm sure you have your answers now, right?"

"I would like to ask you about a few issues first if you don't mind."

Yang also sat down on a stone chair opposite me, pouring tea into two small cups. He offered one cup to me and placed one in front of himself.

"I'm all ears."

"What you wrote in the note yesterday about Kyou. How do you know about her? And what do you mean when you say her death is related to the Entity of Chaos?"

Yang took a sip of tea. He looked calm, as if he had anticipated my question.

"When my family located you in Japan, I was sent here to seek your help. Before coming, I researched your family and learned about the recent death of Kyou Kurogane. When I found out about this information, I was a bit surprised. That evening, our informant here reported a sudden surge of youkai surrounding the Innovational factory, Shinjuku branch."

"The Shinjuku branch... That was where Kyou worked!" I was taken aback. A surge of hot blood rushed to my neck.

"That's right. Coincidentally, beneath the floor tiles of that factory lies one of the ten Special ranked Relics, called the Resurrection Rune, which can be used to revive deceased beings. We believe the youkai went there to collect this relic in order to resurrect the Entity of Chaos. Or should I say, to resurrect his power, since he isn't a living being after all, but an idea."

"Resurrect him...?"

Yang nodded.

"Unfortunately, they succeeded. He has now returned with all his strength. So, confronting and eliminating him this time will be a million times harder than when he was sealed."

I sat in silence.

"Did those monsters kill Kyou?"

"We couldn't be certain about that, as there were too many parties involved when the incident occurred. The monsters, factory workers, local residents, and even the police and military were present at the scene."

My ears buzzed slightly. To keep calm, I chugged in the whole cup of tea. The tea was strong, bitter, and yet had a slightly sweet aftertaste. Yang poured more tea for me.

Although I still didn't know the reason for Kyou's death, I felt I was getting one step closer to the truth. Closer than ever before. I would have to uncover this myself. And I would make anyone responsible for this pay with blood and endless suffering. I will make them regret living.

"Are you okay?" Yang asked me. I jolted, realizing my hand was shaking, and spilled tea from the cup. I was extremely flustered and quickly apologized. Fortunately, Yang didn't seem angry at all.

"But I have to let you know this. While the Entity was still imprisoned, although we continuously sought help from the descendants of Psyrenthia, we were never able to eliminate him completely. Now that he has regained his strength, diving into this is almost suicidal. Even the finest warriors of us have succumbed under his doings. So whether you join or not, it's entirely your choice."

I smiled brightly, sipping tea under Yang's surprised gaze.

"There's one more question I want to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Do I get paid monthly if I work with you guys?"

Yang hesitated slightly but then smiled. Unlike the gentle and calm smile of the monk from earlier, this was the smile of a warrior who had incinerated the fierce spider monster.

"No salary. But you will become a top partner of our clan. This means everything we have is yours. You will have your own house, servants, food, and all other expenses will be covered by the clan. Then, is working for free good enough?"

"Damn yes. So, Yang Chen, I accept your partnership proposal."

I extended my right hand. Yang immediately took my hand, gripping it tightly.

"Hell yeah."