Mini World Game Console

"Next stop, Asakusa. Asakusa. Please exit on the right side."

When Ren Suo exited the Ginza Line Asakusa Station, he could already understand the subway announcements. This wasn't by matching the sounds to his native language, but by subconsciously knowing the meaning behind the words. His comprehension in Japanese wasn't much different from his English proficiency.

The most crucial step in learning a foreign language is to bypass the 'native language comparison' stage. Ren Suo had studied English for eleven years (three years in primary school, three in middle school, three in high school, and two in college) but still couldn't manage this. It wasn't until he was forced to spend a total of eight hours in the little black room that his Comprehension, enhanced by props and a Bond, allowed him to finally cross this threshold.

Now, to reach an elementary level in Japanese, he had only spent… 100 minutes.

And that included at least a dozen minutes when he was distracted by sneaking glances at Qiao Muyi.

The Seeker's Ornament and the ability "Demon King's Decree: One Day's Journey" had enhanced his Comprehension to an unimaginable level in a short time.

Although 'Comprehension' isn't the same as 'Wisdom,' when he went full throttle, completely focused on Qiao Muyi's teachings and the courseware on his phone, Ren Suo's perception of the written Japanese transformed. Initially, the characters seemed like incomprehensible Talisman Drawings. Then, they appeared as complex traditional characters requiring careful discernment. Finally, he could recognize Japanese characters as fluently as he read simplified Chinese.

This wonderful sense of learning achievement made Ren Suo study even harder, so much so that Qiao Muyi was surprised and said, "Xiao Suo, you said you don't know Japanese? You've studied it before, haven't you?"

"Not at all," Ren Suo said, clarifying he wasn't one to study on the sly; he was openly and unashamedly lazy. "It's because of you, Young Master, that I learned so fast."

If it weren't for "Demon King's Decree: One Day's Journey," Ren Suo might not have been able to enhance his Comprehension to the point of 'understanding at a glance and becoming proficient as soon as he understood.' This Bond Ability was given to him by Qiao Muyi, as were the Japanese lessons. In many ways, it really was all thanks to her.

Qiao Muyi didn't press further. Instead, she explained vocabulary and grammar to him with increased seriousness.

After learning Japanese, Ren Suo was eager for real-life practice. Following Qiao Muyi out of the subway station, he saw a shop selling Japanese sweets on the roadside and excitedly went in, then hurried back to find Qiao Muyi. "I have no money."

Before learning Japanese, money was useless to Ren Suo, so Qiao Muyi naturally carried it herself. She leisurely brushed away Ren Suo's hand and said, "Did you forget we don't have much money? Don't waste it on snacks."

"Alright." Ren Suo wasn't particularly averse to sweets; buying them was just an excuse to chat with the clerk and test his spoken Japanese. However, he was then taken aback when he realized Qiao Muyi had just spoken to him in Japanese.

"If you want to practice speaking, just chat with me," Qiao Muyi glanced at him. "If you want to practice, don't get distracted. Listen to me carefully."

"Okay," Ren Suo nodded. Just then, he was bumped by a passerby. Knowing he was in the way, he quickly stepped aside, complaining, "It's so~~~~ crowded here!"

Seeing Ren Suo almost pressing up against her, Qiao Muyi raised her eyebrows slightly and then suddenly asked, "Do you know the way?"

Ren Suo replied, "…How would I know the way if it's my first time here?"

"Then give me your phone."

Ren Suo obediently handed his phone to Qiao Muyi. She glanced at the map on it, then back at him. "It's crowded here. Won't you get lost?"

"I should... probably not?" Ren Suo wasn't very sure—he rarely went out, and this was his first time abroad; he had no sense of direction.

At that moment, Ren Suo felt his hand being grabbed and was pulled forward by Qiao Muyi. He was slightly surprised. Qiao Muyi turned her head to look at him and said, "Then hold my hand so you don't get lost. I have the phone."

She paused. "Aren't you supposed to be practicing your spoken Japanese by chatting with me? It's crowded and noisy here, so come closer. I don't want to speak loudly."

"Oh... oh."

Ren Suo instinctively squeezed Qiao Muyi's hand. So soft... so this is what a girl's hand feels like...

CRACK!

Ren Suo felt as if he could hear his own hand bones wailing. The soft, warm, and fragrant hand he had just squeezed instantly turned into Soul Burning Steel, gripping his hand so tightly his bones ached. Why are they all so much stronger than me!?

Qiao Muyi glared at him and pulled him across the street, her head held high. Ren Suo didn't dare make any more trouble and walked with his head drooping like a freshly neutered kitten, woefully led by Qiao Muyi.

They walked about a hundred meters from the Ginza Line Subway Station to the entrance of Omotesando: the Thunder Gate. Above the Thunder Gate, a sign read 'Golden Dragon Mountain.' In the center of the gate hung a red lantern with 'Thunder Gate' written on it against a black and white background. The lantern was enormous, taking up almost 80% of the entrance space—thankfully, the gate itself was wide enough.

It was nearing noon, but Sensoji Temple still had many visitors. The entrance was bustling with people coming and going, and many were taking photos below the 'Thunder Gate' lantern, causing a blockage.

As Qiao Muyi passed by, she glanced curiously at the lantern and was about to leave, but Ren Suo stopped her. He pointed to the golden base of the lantern and said, "The founder of Matsushita Electric came here to pray when he was sick. After he recovered, he donated this big red lantern to Sensoji Temple."

Qiao Muyi took a closer look and indeed saw the words 'Matsushita Electric' engraved at the base of the lantern. She looked at Ren Suo with a hint of surprise. "How do you know this anecdote?"

Ren Suo blinked, tilted his head, and said evasively, "Isn't that to be expected?"

Then the two of them entered Nakamise Shopping Street. Just as temples in Mysterious Country often housed fortune-telling and talisman-selling businesses, Sensoji Temple in Tokyo, a famous tourist spot, had also become commercialized. In fact, it was even more thorough than its counterparts in Mysterious Country. From the Thunder Gate to the main hall, Omotesando had transformed purely into a commercial street. Besides the usual souvenirs, you could eat and drink to your heart's content and even find an abundance of anime merchandise and figures.

However, Ren Suo wondered if anyone actually came here to buy action figures. Perhaps Zhao Huo would. Could an action figure bought in Sensoji Temple really exorcise evil spirits when brought home?

Qiao Muyi, seeing the bustling commercial street within the temple for the first time, was momentarily dazzled by the streams of people and various shops. However, Ren Suo soon pulled her to a shop exuding the scent of eggs.

Qiao Muyi glanced at the shop sign. To the left, it read 'Sensoji Temple Officially Appointed,' and to the right, 'Ningyo-yaki.' Ren Suo very naturally ordered in Japanese from the server, "One of each of the Five-story Pagoda, Lantern, Pigeon, and Raijin, thank you."

Then Ren Suo extended his hand to Qiao Muyi and said, "This Kimura Ningyo-yaki is the most authentic at Sensoji Temple. You must try it when you visit. Plus, it's noon now, so let's have some snacks here to fill our stomachs."

Hearing this, the server also smiled and said, "Yes, Kimura's four specialty Ningyo-yaki will absolutely not disappoint our customers."

Qiao Muyi glanced at Ren Suo and took out money from her wallet. She quickly received a white box filled with Ningyo-yaki. The lid was adorned with a landmark pattern of Sensoji Temple; housewives could wash it after eating and reuse it as a bento box.

Ren Suo took the box and looked at Qiao Muyi. Feeling that she didn't seem inclined to let go of his right hand (they were still holding hands), he handed the box to her, signaling her to open it.

Qiao Muyi opened the lid and saw four pieces of deep red Ningyo-yaki inside. True to their names, their shapes were that of a Five-story Pagoda, a Lantern, a Pigeon, and Raijin, looking quite exquisite.

She tried the Lantern-shaped Ningyo-yaki and found it was an egg cake with sweet bean filling; it was sweet and not bad.

Ren Suo watched her eagerly from the side, shaking her hand to prompt her to let go quickly so he too could grab some Ningyo-yaki to taste.

However, Qiao Muyi squeezed his hand even tighter, preventing him from pulling away. Then, she picked up a Pigeon-shaped Ningyo-yaki and said, "Open your mouth."

"Ah—MM-MM-MM."

"How's that?"

"The pigeon doesn't taste very good."

Qiao Muyi fed the Raijin-shaped Ningyo-yaki to Ren Suo, but he still found it unpalatable. Qiao Muyi immediately realized, "You don't like this kind of sweet food, do you? The filling inside is all sweet."

"Yeah," Ren Suo nodded. "I prefer something saltier."

Qiao Muyi said, "Oh," and suddenly leaned close to Ren Suo. "You don't like sweets, so how come you're so familiar with Ningyo-yaki? Why did you even go out of your way to buy the ones from Kimura's old store?"

Qiao Muyi's face was just inches away, her trembling eyelashes clearly visible. Ren Suo immediately turned his head to the side with a laugh. "Well... do you like them?"

Qiao Muyi glanced at him, drew back, and ate the last piece of the Five-story Pagoda Ningyo-yaki. As she ate, she said, "It's okay. If I had to choose between liking and disliking, I like it."

"That's good then."

Ren Suo tried to change the subject, but Qiao Muyi wasn't so easily fooled. "You still haven't answered why you're so familiar with Ningyo-yaki."

Ren Suo's eyes shifted, his gaze avoiding hers as he spoke nonchalantly, "Isn't it obvious... Hey, there's a cat over here!"

Ren Suo led Qiao Muyi down a small alley between shops, where a little orange cat was curled up in a corner, seemingly asleep. But as soon as Ren Suo and Qiao Muyi approached, it stood up with newfound energy, without any intention to flee. It looked at Ren Suo with a silly gaze, meowing a few times.

Qiao Muyi, reminded of Xiao Suo back home, crouched down to pet it. But as she neared, the orange cat shivered and meowed before obediently lying down and turning over, exposing its white, fluffy belly. It resigned itself to its fate with eyes closed, like a helpless maiden conceding to a powerful brute.

Ren Suo laughed. "When it lies down and shows its belly, it's because it's afraid of you, hehe."

Qiao Muyi was not convinced. She petted the little orange cat a few times and said, "How could it be afraid of me? It's clearly afraid of you, right?"

Ren Suo arched an eyebrow, his mischievous smile practically begging for a punch. "I'm very popular with cats... Come on, paw."

Ren Suo held out his hand, and the little orange cat promptly placed its right front paw on it. Ren Suo then looked at Qiao Muyi with a proud smile, as if he had won the favor of a wealthy and beautiful woman, chuckling to himself.

Qiao Muyi's eyes cooled as she commanded the orange cat, "Lie down!"

Sensing the terrifying Pressure emitted by this giant, the trembling orange cat quickly rolled over and lay down. It closed its eyes without making a sound. Come on, then. Life has finally decided to rough me up, this little kitty. Make it quick; I'll just pretend it's a dog bite.

Qiao Muyi looked at Ren Suo and snorted, her lips curling into a disdainful smile. So what if you won its heart? If I want it to lie down, it has to lie down! If I want to pet it, I can!

A disgruntled Ren Suo pulled Qiao Muyi up and headed towards another commercial street, nimbly joining the queue outside a dessert shop.

"Let's try the Asakusa Lantern. It's ice cream sandwiched between cookies. We can choose from eight different flavors of ice cream, and there are seasonal specials too, but matcha is a must... Which one do you want?"

Hearing Ren Suo introduce the local delicacies as if they were family treasures, Qiao Muyi wanted to say something, but she held back.

Next, they tried Turtle-shaped Ningyo-yaki and Asakusa Nine-layer Fried Buns. After wandering around for about fifteen minutes, they arrived at the Treasure Gate.

Like the Thunder Gate, the Treasure Gate also had a large red lantern hanging from it, though it was slightly smaller. The lantern had "Kobuna-cho" written in black on a white background, and on both sides stood statues of the Benevolent Kings.

After passing through the Treasure Gate, Ren Suo excitedly pulled Qiao Muyi to look back. "There are two giant straw sandals over there! Each one is two meters long, one meter wide, and weighs 150 kilograms. They say they're handmade over three years, symbolizing the crystallization of faith."

Qiao Muyi asked, "Won't the straw sandals fall apart from being out in the wind and rain?"

"Maybe? But these straw sandals are replaced every ten years, and there's a whole giant straw sandal offering ceremony when they do..."

As Ren Suo explained, he continued to pull Qiao Muyi forward. Straight ahead was a giant incense burner. He led her specifically around it and said, "Everyone who comes here circles it once to pray for health and longevity."

Then he led Qiao Muyi to the Water Hut. It was essentially a huge water basin with a Martial Deity statue in the middle, holding a staff and entwined with dragon serpents. At the statue's feet, the platform featured six Stone-carved Small Dragons, from whose mouths spurted clear water—in simple terms, it was a very ostentatious fountain.

Next to the basin were several Water Ladles, with travelers scooping water to wash their hands. This time, Qiao Muyi finally let go of his hand. Ren Suo stepped forward, picked up a ladle, and as he washed his hands, he explained, "There's a particular way to do this. First, pour some water to wash your left hand. Then, take the ladle with your left hand to wash your right hand. Switch the ladle to your right hand and pour some water into your left palm. Take a sip from your left hand to rinse your mouth, then spit the water back into your left hand and discard it. If you still feel it's not clean, you can wash your left hand again..."

Qiao Muyi obediently cleaned her hands following Ren Suo's instructions. But she could no longer hold back and grabbed Ren Suo after finishing, asking, "How come you know even the steps for washing hands so clearly?"

"Well, about that..." Ren Suo's gaze drifted again.

Suddenly, he exclaimed, pointing ahead, "Over there you can draw lots to see your fortune, Young Master! How about we go and test our luck? If we have luck's protection, maybe this trip will go smoothly."

Qiao Muyi looked and saw, not far off, a house with an 'Omikuji' (Fortune Slip) sign—that is, the place to draw fortunes. It was 100 yen for one Divination attempt.

Ren Suo pulled Qiao Muyi over to where the Fortune Telling Tubes were and signaled for her to shake one. But after Qiao Muyi picked up a tube with one hand, she handed it to Ren Suo.

Can't she just let go and shake it herself? Ren Suo thought. But still, he dutifully extended his left hand and shook the Fortune Telling Tube with Qiao Muyi.

Unlike the tubes seen in period dramas that resemble chopstick holders, the Fortune Telling Tube at Sensoji Temple was fully enclosed, with just a small opening from which the stick could fall out. Travelers had to shake it vigorously several times to get a fortune stick.

Suddenly, Qiao Muyi said, "In activities that depend on luck, I've always lacked talent."

Ren Suo wondered, "Luck involves talent?"

"Yes. I've re-shared hundreds of sweepstakes on Weibo but never won," Qiao Muyi said. "Ever since I was young, I've never had much good luck. It's not like I'm jinxed, but luck just doesn't favor me... But with the way things are now, I feel like I'll draw 'Great Misfortune.'"

Ren Suo suddenly burst into laughter. It was a very joyous laugh; his eyes crinkled up like crescent moons. This left Qiao Muyi bewildered. Is my bad luck really that funny?

"Don't worry." Ren Suo's tone was full of laughter, yet it also held a convincing confidence. "Even if you've had thirty-three unlucky streaks, you'll definitely get a 'Great Blessing' this time. I guarantee it."

"Why?" Qiao Muyi looked at Ren Suo in confusion. Drawing lots is a matter of chance, so how can he be so sure? And why can he pinpoint the number of unlucky times so precisely to thirty-three?

"Because..."

THUMP THUMP. A wooden fortune stick fell from the Fortune Telling Tube they were shaking together, landing on the table with a clear sound.

"It's only natural."