Chapter 1: Buried Beneath the Cherry Blossom Tree

Tokyo, Suginami Ward, Japan.

In a public park.

The bright moon hung high, the night sky tranquil, broken only by the chorus of insects, making the park seem especially deep and secluded.

Qiao Qiao walked along a winding path, pulling a suitcase behind him, the road illuminated solely by moonlight.

Ahead, a massive cherry tree appeared within his sight.

"This vengeful spirit has troubled us for over a month now," said the man beside Qiao Qiao, dressed in a dark blue uniform. He was the head of park security, named Saburo Fujisawa.

As they walked, Fujisawa explained the situation. The vengeful spirit had haunted the park for more than a month, injuring several security guards, and almost causing a homeless man to drown in the lake.

Had the budget allowed, Fujisawa would have sought help from the Grand Shrine to exorcise the spirit. Yet, the young man before him, Qiao Qiao, was rumored to be an efficient exorcist, charging reasonable fees and offering excellent service—far more cost-effective than any shrine or temple.

Still...

Fujisawa studied Qiao Qiao from head to toe. The boy seemed barely twenty, still clad in a high school uniform. He dragged a large black suitcase whose contents were unknown.

Fujisawa had once witnessed a renowned monk from Asakusa Temple exorcise a spirit. With a single strike, radiant Buddhist light washed over the area, and even two streets away, Fujisawa felt his soul cleansed.

He wondered which school of exorcism this young man belonged to. He didn’t seem like a monk. Perhaps a shrine priest? Or a master from the Onmyoji Bureau? Would he witness a miracle tonight?

And that suitcase looked heavy—could it be filled with ritual implements?

While he mulled over these questions, Qiao Qiao stopped him with an outstretched hand.

"Is something wrong, Qiao-san?" Fujisawa asked, puzzled.

But soon, he understood why.

Beneath the cherry tree, a woman seemed to stand.

A crimson dress, black hair veiling her face, skin deathly pale.

Slowly, slowly, she raised her head, revealing eyes without whites, fixed upon Qiao Qiao and Fujisawa with a chilling, unwavering stare.

"Give it back, give it back..." The woman's voice did not emerge from her throat, but from deep within her body—hoarse, low, piercing.

"...Give me back my child!"

She suddenly lunged forward, red liquid dripping from her dress’s abdomen. Through the torn fabric, Fujisawa could see her empty abdominal cavity—a horrifying sight.

"M-master!" Fujisawa scrambled behind Qiao Qiao in terror.

It was his first time seeing a ghost in the flesh.

Qiao Qiao stood unmoving.

"Mr. Fujisawa, in my country, there is a proverb," he said, ignoring the approaching ghost and placing his suitcase on the ground.

"The best way to dispel fear is to confront it. If you cannot face it, you will fear it forever."

Hearing this, Fujisawa seemed to regain some confidence.

Yes, he thought, an exorcist is at my side.

There is no reason for the two of us to fear one ghost.

Fujisawa peeked out.

The ghost’s face was mere inches from his.

"Oh my god! Namu Amida Butsu, Lord protect us, Tokugawa’s divine guardian shelter us..." Fujisawa collapsed to the ground, hastily invoking every deity he knew.

Then—

He realized the ghost was no longer advancing.

No, not unmoving, but unable to move forward—as if blocked by an invisible barrier.

Could this be the master’s spiritual shield?

Fujisawa recalled online tales of powerful exorcists, whose spiritual force kept a hundred ghosts at bay and could sanctify a whole region.

"Master?" he asked.

Qiao Qiao pulled a notebook from his pocket.

"The area of effect is one hundred eighty meters. Estimated half-demonization at thirty percent. Good, seems my preparations weren’t wasted."

Ignoring the struggling ghost, Qiao Qiao closed his notebook.

"Just in case, Mr. Fujisawa, a question—has insurance been purchased for that cherry tree?"

Fujisawa nodded, bewildered.

"Then let’s begin."

With that, Qiao Qiao’s suitcase clicked open.

He pulled out a long, black cylindrical object.

A rocket launcher.

He checked behind him, disengaged the safety, and fired—his actions swift and decisive.

Whoosh—

The rocket surged out, trailing a vapor, passing over the woman in red and heading for the cherry tree.

Just as it was about to strike, it exploded.

The warhead split apart, dispersing its fuel into a dense aerosol cloud, blanketing the tree like thick fog.

The ghost seemed to sense something—her struggle paused.

The next instant, the detonator triggered.

In a flash, flames swept through the mist. Centered on the cherry tree, the intense heat vaporized all flora and fauna. The sudden loss of air created a pressure wave that rushed toward Qiao Qiao, ruffling his hair and clothes.

Fujisawa squinted—this explosion far exceeded his expectations.

A mushroom cloud rose from the ground, lighting up the entire park.

After the blast, all was silent—even the summer insects fell quiet.

The night wind blew, clearing the smoke.

Where the cherry tree once stood, nothing remained.

Cherry tree, grass, the woman in red—

All gone.

Only the earth, plowed dozens of times, reeking of burnt flesh.

"...Master, what—what is that?" Fujisawa stared in disbelief.

His gaze could not leave the rocket launcher.

"It’s a rocket launcher," Qiao Qiao answered seriously.

Fujisawa knew of exorcising spirits with Buddhist rites, with shikigami, even with garlic and crosses.

But a rocket launcher???

"This is the Type 11, 93mm man-portable rocket launcher. Minimum range twenty-five meters, maximum direct fire range two hundred meters, mechanical sights, can fire smoke rounds, incendiaries, fuel-air explosives. I just used a spirit-cleansing fuel-air round, which eliminates all vengeful spirits within fifty square meters."

Seeing Fujisawa’s confusion, Qiao Qiao explained further.

"No, I mean..." Fujisawa glanced at the scorched remains of the cherry tree.

It seemed not only the spirit, but everything else had been wiped out.

"The vengeful spirit is purified just like that?" he asked.

This was a purely physical method—could it really affect a spiritual entity?

"Yes, actually, the ghost was only an apparition. The real culprit was the cherry tree, which absorbed spiritual energy and dark aura, becoming a half-demon and controlling nearby spirits for its own use."

Qiao Qiao scratched his head in explanation.

"So I destroyed the tree’s main body. The spirits naturally dispersed."

Suddenly remembering something, Qiao Qiao turned.

"By the way, Mr. Fujisawa, payment: appearance fee is one hundred thousand yen, plus cost of exorcism tools—total six hundred thousand yen."

Yen was Japan’s currency.

Converted to Chinese RMB, one hundred yen was about six yuan.

Six hundred thousand yen was a little over thirty thousand yuan.

"Six—six hundred thousand yen?" The price surprised Fujisawa, and though he meant to protest, he glanced at the rocket launcher pointed in his direction.

He obediently produced his wallet.

"Thank you for your patronage."

Qiao Qiao smiled.