I won’t fold so easily, I thought, squaring my shoulders. No matter how good the hot spring or the massage feels, my heart will never surrender!
After soaking in the water and receiving a thorough rubdown, however, I turned into a living block of boiled tofu. “W-Wow…” I said with a sigh. “Does life get any better than this?”
The masseuse was one of my kidnapper’s “best girls,” and she was exceptional. My entire body felt as limp as udon.
“You’re incredible at this…” I mumbled.
The beautiful massage therapist laughed. “It’s Xu Fu’s—the fangshi’s—technique.”
My abductor had booked me a two-hour massage. Partway through, I took a break to enjoy a warm cup of tea.
“This is my first time having authentic Chinese tea,” I said. “It’s amazing.”
“It’s actually from Ureshino,” the massage therapist replied.
“Seriously?”
The tea was served in a gaiwan, the bowl clearly high-end, though that was the limit of my discernment. I sipped the tea while lounging, to my slight embarrassment, in loose garments provided for the massage.
My kidnapper soon shimmied into the room. “You seem to be enjoying yourself,” he said. “So? How was it?”
“Heavenly,” I conceded.
“Right?” He sat opposite me. Grinning, he crossed his long legs and giddily clapped his hands. “You have so much excess spiritual energy. Why not work here rather than let it go to waste? Wouldn’t that be splendid?”
“Sorry, but, um, I can’t work here just because I had a pleasant experience. That would be crazy.”
“Our ayakashi clients would be delighted if you worked as a massage therapist, given your spiritual energy. Plus, I could help you earn professional certification. You’ll never have to worry about independence or advancing your career again! You’ll be able to work after having children too! Perhaps even overseas!”
“That’s an appealing offer, but I work for Shinozaki, so…!”
“How long do you intend to work for him?”
Despite his casual tone, he spoke bluntly, cutting through to my indecision. How long would I be able to work for Shinozaki? I couldn’t help but flinch since the question was already on my mind.
My abductor smiled, seeming to have read something in my expression. “Allow me to introduce myself, for I have no intention of hiding anything,” he said, recrossing his legs. “My name is Xu Fu. Or Jofuku, as you pronounce it in Japanese.”
“That sounds familiar. Isn’t there a bike path in Saga called the Jofuku Cycling Road?”
“Indeed! I applaud your memory. In other words, I was once a normal human.”
He used to be human? What is he trying to tell me, exactly?
“During my mortal life, the Emperor of China sent me to Hōrai—or rather, Japan—to seek the elixir of life,” Xu Fu said. “After gaining immortality, I traveled from place to place until becoming a denizen of Saga Prefecture.”
“A…denizen?”
“Unfortunately, I don’t have a certificate of residence.” He chuckled at his own joke.
I nodded hesitantly, uncertain whether I should laugh.
“You’re familiar with Professor M, the deity who guards Dazaifu, yes?” he asked. “Likewise, you’ve met the samurai from Mount Shioji, haven’t you?”
I didn’t respond. How much did the man know about my recent activity?
“If you spoke with those two, you must have figured it out by now,” said Xu Fu. “There are many ways for a human to become an ayakashi.”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“If you wish to stay with the shapeshifting fox, you’d be better off renouncing your humanity and becoming an ayakashi. I’ll even oversee your sadhana myself.”
I see. That’s an option, huh? I never even considered it.
“Renunciation is a blast! You’re no longer plagued by a variety of worldly concerns. Being so detached from the mortal realm does cause the occasional inconvenience, sure, but it’s a small price to pay.”
“But…I want to live a normal life.”
“You met that bigshot samurai in Dazaifu, didn’t you? The valiant warrior who waged a bloody war four hundred years ago?”
“So, you do know about that?”
“It’s a small world for us ayakashi.” Xu Fu grinned. “After dying, that samurai achieved apotheosis and continues to live an idyllic life with his wife. Wouldn’t you like to do the same with Shinozaki?”
I considered his suggestion. Perhaps I wasn’t suited for a normal life. Yet I didn’t dislike being human.
“I’m sorry, but at least for now, I don’t want to renounce my humanity,” I said. “I still have my family, and I want to cherish my human life.”
“Normalcy has always been uncomfortable for you, hasn’t it?”
I fell silent once more under his piercing gaze.
“You were born with spiritual energy powerful enough to bewitch a fox,” said Xu Fu. “That’s made life difficult in certain ways, no?”
“I…” I trailed off, unsure how to respond.
“Well, no matter,” he said, indicating that he would drop the topic. “You’re still young. By all means, continue to enjoy your human existence. I’m in no hurry. Life is long, after all.”
Xu Fu—the immortal fangshi—smiled at me, a sparkle in his amethyst eyes. Earrings swaying, he stood to leave.
🍁🍁🍁