This is a story that has been circulating locally for a long time, but it is not well known and is only circulated among a small number of people.
Legend has it that at the end of the Heian period, society was in turmoil, and local daimyo gathered their samurai in an attempt to seize power from the nobles, thus igniting war.
One of the samurai was named Yoshinobu Takeda, who was loyal to the Taira regime. Although he came from a humble background, he was highly regarded by his lord because of his martial prowess.
During a battle, Yoshinobu Takeda was wounded while protecting his lord. He fought with all his might to escape the battlefield and hid in the weeds by the stream.
At this time, a monk passed by and wanted to help Takeda Yoshinobu, but was mistaken for an enemy and killed by him.
After the monk breathed his last, a voice, like that of a demon from hell, echoed eerily from his mouth:
“You have wrongly killed a good man, and you shall be cursed by me: from this day forward, you will be able to hear the evil thoughts and desires of the world. Their voices will follow you like a shadow, never ceasing.”
Yoshinobu Takeda survived by the skin of his teeth, but ever since then, he has discovered that he can hear the thoughts of others—limited to those intense malice and desires.
He was deeply troubled, but this also gave him a keen understanding of human nature. Rebellion, treason, scheming... nothing could escape his eyes, and he used this knowledge to relieve his lord's worries and difficulties, thus gaining great fame.
"This is not a curse, but a blessing from heaven. I should be grateful to that high monk."
Yoshinobu Takeda once said this with a smile.
One day, after another meritorious service, his lord held a grand banquet for him and personally handed a wine cup to Takeda Yoshinobu.
However, the instant his lips touched the rim of the cup, he heard the voice of his lord—
"If I do not take your life today, you will surely take mine another day."
"If criticism is necessary, criticize their selfless act of kindness!"
Takeda Yoshinobu was jolted awake, and at that moment, he suddenly remembered the scene of the day he killed the monk.
The monk who was trying to save him was killed by him, and he, who was loyal to his lord, was also poisoned by his lord.
So that's why—
This is the true meaning of a curse.
Under his lord's smiling gaze, Takeda Yoshinobu bowed deeply in the direction of the other party and drank the poisoned wine in one gulp.
However, although he died, the curse did not dissipate and continued to linger in the town of Fukuoka Prefecture.
If someone harbors deep malice and desire towards others, they should be careful. Because at any time, those thoughts might be controlled by a demon, echoing in the ears of others, like a shadow.
This is the origin of the strange tale of "the echo of a ghost's voice".
But who among us would happen to be in this world and, by chance, harbor such profound and extreme feelings for the people around them?
That's probably why this ghost story is so little known.
Perhaps even Nian Gui himself didn't expect that he would encounter four such people in one day.
As a supernatural entity, the Nen Ghost's abilities are actually not very useful in combat, but as an auxiliary force, it can be quite useful in assisting in detecting malice and warning of danger.
After finishing the entire story, Masashi Yukimura habitually weighed it in his mind, then looked at Willy, who had also finished reading, and said gently:
"Wei Li, do you want to form a contract with this demonic entity?"
No.
Unexpectedly, the boy replied in a light tone, as if he had already thought of the answer to the question.
Masashi Yukimura was slightly taken aback: "Why?"
"I don't even like it, so why should I make a contract with it?"
"But this..."
Isn't this what all the Yumishi (飲見師) hoped for?
Before he could finish speaking, Masashi Yukimura stopped talking and stood silently in place.
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and as time passed, the sun rose higher, its golden rays piercing through the thin mist and shining upon the two of them.
For a moment, Masashi Yukimura couldn't see Vili's expression clearly.
"Leading the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons is the highest honor for a Night Watcher, and the one who does it will be granted the title of 'Ruler'. The last time such a magnificent scene appeared was fifty-seven years ago."
In the silence, he suddenly spoke.
Typically, every ten years, a new ruler emerges in the world of supernatural tales. But since that ruler, no one else has received this honor, to the point that it has almost become a distant legend.
After Ju Huang read the story, he turned to the two middle school students and said—
"In that case, let the three of us have a contest to see who will be the first to become the ruler."
His tone was so certain that he had never even considered the possibility of failure.
The two reacted very calmly.
"I will win." That's Masashi Yukimura.
"What are the benefits of doing this?" This is Kii Kanade's question.
Tachibana first slapped Yukimura Masashi's shoulder hard with a strong fighting spirit, then glared at Kii Kanade who was not interested.
"If you only care about the benefits in everything you do, how meaningless is your life?"
Seeing that Kii Kanade was about to refuse, Tachibana quickly flipped through the book again and pointed out the text to them.
"It says that, as of now, the youngest ruler is twenty-one years old."
"How about we set the date for our bet in the future, on the night of the Strange Tales Academy graduation ceremony, and break this record?"
"Don't you want your name to be recorded in history books?"
"It doesn't sound very appealing."
Kii Kanade touched the beauty mark at the corner of her eye and lazily looked away.
Ju Huang racked her brains trying to get the other person to join her game.
"If the two of us succeed, don't regret it!"
However, the attempt to provoke them was completely ineffective.
Masashi Yukimura suddenly spoke up: "After we inherit the family business, we probably won't have the chance to play like this anymore."
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