I was afraid that something like this would happen. Borrowing on the land seemed very risky considering that they wouldn't have a way to pay the money back if the situation changed. And they already knew that a powerful businessman wanted the land, and therefore would have an incentive to make sure that they wouldn't be able to pay the loan back. Even if he hadn't been able to buy the loan, he could still have torched the rebuilt shrine and put them back on square zero. Minus one, considering they'd have the debts too.

Now their only hope is to purify Mr Wakabayashi before he can escape!