Chapter 180: Demons Gather As One, Buddha’s Favor Unrepayable! The Legendary Demon King Truly Exists?
Mikawa Province, Nishio City.
In the afternoon, echoes of the faithful chanting “Amitabha Buddha” resounded both inside and outside Jodo Shinshu.
Before the golden statue of Amitabha Buddha in the main hall.
Although all the wooden doors of the main hall were flung wide open outward, the warrior monks and priests passing back and forth could only see Lotus Light Dharma Master alone, sitting cross-legged before the golden statue, eyes half-lowered, exuding majesty without anger.
The monk commanding tens of thousands throughout Mikawa Province, from top to bottom in all of Jodo Shinshu, sat upon a worn cushion.
The Dharma Master known as Lotus Light was covered in sinewy, knotted muscles, bear-like in build, with thick oak-colored prayer beads around his neck, draped in faded and ancient kesa, chanting sutras, his face stern yet compassionate.
On the other side of the main hall, the dull sound of the mallet striking the top of the wooden fish echoed evenly, as if it would never stop.
At Lotus Light Dharma Master’s side, a fair-skinned young novice lifted a peeling teapot, smiling as he poured tea for him.
Drizzle…
Pat.
The flow of tea abruptly halted.
Lotus Light Dharma Master’s chanting paused as well.
He extended his rough five fingers, picked up the not-yet-full teacup, took a sip of the scalding tea, and asked indifferently,
“Benefactor Affliction, what has happened?”
After blinking, the fair-skinned young novice replied: “At some place on the edge of Mikawa, all contact with the kin under me suddenly cut off.”
“And it was all at once, not a single one left.”
The young novice gestured in some surprise.
As he spoke, a trace of worry appeared on the novice’s childish young face. He stepped back half a pace, set down the teapot, and made a gesture of farewell,
“Lotus Light Dharma Master, thank you for your care these past days…”
Lotus Light raised his palm, gently placing it on the novice’s shoulder, and turned his expressionless face toward him,
“No need to worry, Benefactor. That old Sword Saint was lured to the southernmost end of Nankaido for cultivation ten days ago.”
“Now, it’s absolutely impossible for him to reach Mikawa.”
Lotus Light released his fingers and said coldly.
Thus, the young novice sat back down, revealing a pleasant smile.
“This loss of kin under your command, Benefactor, might be due to the arrival of Lord Yoshimoto.”
Thunk thunk, thunk.
The sound of the mallet striking the wooden fish suddenly stopped.
In its place came a hoarse voice like two rough logs rubbing together: “Imagawa Jibu Daizen no Yoshimoto… Ever since she entered Mikawa territory, this poor monk has often heard this name from conversations of roadside folk.
She seems to be the ruler of this region, also called daimyo.”
Before the round, smooth wooden fish, the wooden-hued monk set down the mallet in his hand and stiffly spoke with hands pressed together.
“Daruma, you’re wrong.”
Lotus Light turned his head and corrected sternly,
“—She is the great daimyo who can restore stability and peace to all of Mikawa Province, with nothing amiss.”
Now that would be a sight no one wanted to see.
Long ago, everyone had joined forces, scheming for who knows how long to turn Mikawa into its current ideal state.
And now that Imagawa Yoshimoto had come, she wanted to change it back?
As if such a good thing would happen.
Daruma said nothing and resumed striking the wooden fish.
The young novice, or rather Affliction, blinked after hearing this, thoughtfully stroking his chin.
A few seconds later, Affliction pulled an exceedingly detailed map from the lining of his clothes and placed it before Lotus Light, then pointed upward: “Here.”
The place Affliction pointed to was none other than the first village where Shangshan Che and Imagawa Yoshimoto encountered a large number of rot-afflicted!
Before Lotus Light could speak, Daruma shot to his feet and rasped,
“Let this poor monk go deal with this person.”
At that moment, a white pigeon flapping its wings flew in with the warm afternoon sunlight, passing through the wide-open doors and landing on Lotus Light’s sturdy shoulder.
Lotus Light opened the small wooden tube by its claw, took out the rolled paper inside, glanced over it, and couldn’t help but laugh heartily,
“Everyone, that Imagawa army only set off this morning; this is merely the vanguard.
Thus, no need to hurry for now.”
Affliction, who had just lifted the teapot to pour scalding tea continuously into his mouth, curled up the corner of his mouth upon hearing this.
Army?
He liked that the most…
Daruma was about to sit back down to strike the wooden fish while reciting sutras in his mind when he heard a dong-dong tolling of bells from outside the door.
The slow and grand bell toll made Lotus Light’s smile widen.
In but a moment, a young novice hurried in from outside the door and respectfully bowed to Lotus Light Dharma Master, who sat alone in the empty main hall, reminding him,
“Dharma Master, the daily Gratitude Ceremony is about to begin. Today, even more benefactors have come to pray and chant than in the previous days. I hope you…”
“This poor monk knows.”
Lotus Light rose from the cushion, dragging his kesa worn through in many places to the young novice’s side, pressed his hands together toward him, and bowed amiably,
“Thank you for the timely reminder, young monk.”
“No… no no, I was just fulfilling my duty…”
The gray-robed young novice, who had just entered not long ago, waved his hands in some panic, so nervous that he even got his self-reference wrong.
Lotus Light said nothing more and headed directly toward the vast plaza.
The young novice standing in place first looked at the Amitabha statue, which seemed to glow with dazzling golden light all over under the sunlight.
Then he gazed at Lotus Light, who wouldn’t replace even his worn cloth shoes and kesa.
“Dharma Master… is really frugal in daily life.”
As the young novice sighed, he suddenly saw two monks, one tall and one short, appear beside Lotus Light.
“Huh? Did I see that wrong?”
“—I’ve already planted a seed on that novice. Who told you not to let him leave first and see me and Daruma suddenly appear.”
Affliction, disguised as the timid young novice, muttered.
“No matter, Benefactor Affliction.” Lotus Light showed a warm smile. “That is his fated lot.”
“Uh…”
These humans are too hypocritical.
Even Affliction felt a bit nauseated by this, so after inwardly cursing a couple times, he said no more.
Shortly after, Lotus Light unhurriedly walked into the incredibly spacious plaza, then stepped up the stairs onto the platform built in the plaza.
Lotus Light shifted his gaze from the Buddha statue behind him, already half-filled with wish power.
He turned, facing the plaza and temple gate, and beyond them the hundreds of steps leading down the mountain.
Likewise, facing the countless faithful already packed into the plaza, outside the temple gate, and on those steps.
Lotus Light smiled as he listened to the dense, beautiful chants of prayer.
Affliction followed behind him, casting his gaze downward—
Men and women, young and old, suffering from whatever plague, all knelt devoutly before him, the true culprit.
He murmured softly,
“Humans really are foolish creatures.”
“Indeed, these unenlightened fools are no different from stupid pigs. It’s only with you, Benefactor Affliction, that their value can be squeezed dry without waste.”
Lotus Light replied impassively, then raised his hands, letting his voice spread throughout the temple inside and out the moment the bells stopped,
“Silence!”
After the crowd instantly quieted, he revealed a compassionate smile and continued in a loud voice,
“Because of the faithful devotion of you benefactors all along, Amitabha Buddha has been moved and specially grants today Buddha’s grace sufficient to heal one hundred fifty-two people!”
Warm Buddha light bloomed around Lotus Light, complementing the statue behind him with its raised palm, making him seem like a living compassionate Buddha.
Lotus Light pressed his hands together,
“Namu Amida Butsu.”
Instantly, a tidal wave of prayer chants arose,
“Namu Amida Butsu!”
Next, Lotus Light stepped back a few paces, letting Affliction, the “pure young novice blessed by Buddha,” stand in front and “earnestly” select the healed from the crowd.
Affliction pointed randomly: “This benefactor, please come forward!”
Below, the woman holding her boy who had been unconscious with high fever for days immediately showed ecstatic joy and scrambled up the steps to stand before Affliction.
The woman raised the boy high in her arms, kowtowing heavily, tears of relief flowing uncontrollably,
“Please grant Buddha’s grace, Master!”
“No rush, Benefactor.” Affliction extended a finger glowing with fluorescent light and smiled reassuringly. “With Amitabha Buddha’s grace, your child will surely be safe.”
Affliction gently touched the boy’s forehead, absorbing all the plague and aftereffects from him.
Immediately, the boy, who had been feverish near death, opened his eyes, sat up on his own, and mumbled confusedly to the woman: “Mother…”
The woman incredulously covered her mouth, pulling the boy into her embrace, sobbing as she bowed her head,
“Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!”
Affliction: “Benefactor, you should not thank me, but Amitabha Buddha.”
The woman immediately changed her words: “Amitabha Buddha! Amitabha Buddha!”
Affliction nodded,
“Alright, next…”
Those randomly selected rushed up the steps in ecstatic joy, some alone, some with family, kneeling before Affliction to receive “Buddha’s grace.”
—Affliction could naturally easily cure these plagues originating from him, fully healing these normal people.
But at the same time, he would turn everyone who came forward into new potential pathogens, scattering seeds to gradually turn scattered normal people into kin reserves.
Lotus Light listened to the thanks rising from below, felt the ever purer and deeper wish power in the Buddha statue, and his smile became a bit more sincere.
Until evening, the healing of exactly one hundred fifty-two with Buddha’s grace finally concluded.
Affliction also “inevitably” showed signs of fatigue.
Lotus Light, who had been watching the rising wish power from behind, supported his body and swept his wide sleeve,
“Today’s Gratitude Ceremony ends here. Please descend the mountain in an orderly manner! Do not harm yourselves or others!”
No one complained.
Only voices personally witnessing Buddha’s grace, thus even more devout, chanting Amitabha Buddha echoed.
Lotus Light overlooked the receding sea of people like an ebbing tide, recalling the wish power accumulated this week—more than in the past century—and sighed: “So easy.”
“So easy.” Affliction smiled and repeated. “It seems choosing to cooperate with Your Excellency Dharma Master was indeed correct.
Under the Dharma Master’s manipulation, these humans are just like scheduled garbage receding.”
Daruma, who had watched almost the entire afternoon from the side, listened to their conversation, recalled the scenes he had seen, took out his smooth wooden fish from his bosom, and rasped,
“Master, I don’t quite understand.”
Daruma asked: “Last time, I clearly followed your teachings of ‘open and aboveboard’ and ‘leave a line in doing things,’ informing that family in advance that I would kill them and specially sparing the sensible child.
Yet in the end, he hated me immensely.
Why do Lotus Light and Your Excellency Affliction deceive people, sparing not a single one, merely disguising it a bit, yet harvest such sincere thanks and wish power?”
The wooden fish stirred slightly, and a deep, mature voice emanated from it: “Haha! You haven’t realized it yet, Daruma!”
Laughter boomed from the wooden fish,
“This is why, that is why—even if I explain now, you wouldn’t get it. You’ll understand naturally once you’ve seen more!”
Seeing off the receding crowd, Lotus Light beckoned to him: “Daruma, want monk’s meal tonight?”
“Food food!”
Affliction whistled.
Human food was quite interesting; compared to it, the food made by his various kin was worse than garbage!
Daruma pressed his hands together and bowed slightly,
“Then today, I must trouble the Dharma Master.”
The sun set in the west.
The Buddhas within Jodo Shinshu faded.
…
…
…
“Yamajira Village.”
Imagawa Yoshimoto repeated it once more.
She pondered for two seconds, then showed a look of realization.
The “master craftsman” the blacksmith in Sunpu Castle had mentioned earlier seemed related.
This was also something Tetsu-kun had been concerned about for a long time.
“In that case.” Imagawa Yoshimoto suggested, “Tetsu-kun, let’s go to that village and ask around.”
“Alright.”
Having finally encountered a clue, Shangshan Che wouldn’t let it slip away.
But necessary caution was essential.
He took a plain spear from his storage bag, urged his horse forward to Imagawa Yoshimoto’s front, and said: “Lord Yoshimoto, please stay right behind me for the road ahead.”
Imagawa Yoshimoto, clad in modern armor and about to say it was unnecessary, hesitated upon seeing Shangshan Che’s serious expression.
In the end, she nodded: “Alright.”
The brief conversation ended there; henceforth, only the sound of hooves striking the ground echoed in the night.
The distance from the mountain to the village was not far, at most two or three thousand meters, so even deliberately slowing the horses, they reached the village vicinity in just a few minutes.
Upon approaching, Imagawa Yoshimoto wondered inwardly: “This village… why does it have complete watchtowers and cheval-de-frise?”
She was about to warn the nearing Shangshan Che to be careful when several arrows shot immediately from the village watchtower.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
But these ordinary arrows were no different from feathers drifting down slowly to Shangshan Che.
He swung his plain spear, knocking down all the incoming arrows.
Imagawa Yoshimoto, made the target, not only didn’t get angry but showed slight joy: “Tetsu-kun, there are still quite a few living people in this village.”
—In Mikawa Province’s current dire situation, she understood preemptively attacking unidentified targets in the night.
—If those monsters entered the village, it would be more than a tragedy.
“Stop!”
Amid the taut bowstrings came a vigorous voice.
Immediately after, a bright torch appeared atop the watchtower, illuminating a weathered vigilant face and several youngsters pale with tension.
The man holding the torch swept his gaze over Shangshan Che, then abruptly stopped on Imagawa Yoshimoto in full armor behind.
The man immediately shouted: “They’re not demons! Open the gate…”
“No! I’ll go down personally to open the gate and check if they’ve been infected by demons!”
With that, the man descended the watchtower, first slipping out through the gap in the thick wooden gate, then emerging from among the cheval-de-frise.
Shangshan Che shifted his gaze from the large “Yamajira Village” plaque on the door to the man holding a torch in one hand and warily drawing his tachi with the other.
“I am the Village Chief of Yamajira Village, Kujira Gorō.”
Kujira Gorō, exhaling a bit of internal Qi, said: “May I ask who you two adults are…”
“Onmyoji, Che.”
Shangshan Che flicked a faint lightning toward Kujira Gorō’s face, startling him into tensing up all over.
He said flatly: “Behind me is a big shot of the Imagawa Clan… This lightning proves my identity. Let us in first, lest demons exploit the gap, alright?”
Onmyoji… Che!?
Kujira Gorō stared at the lightning dancing in Shangshan Che’s hand, recalling the rumors discussed endlessly these days, and harbored no doubts.
After all, could demons wield heavenly thunder?
And if he refused, he’d likely become a charred lump under that lightning strike next moment.
Kujira Gorō immediately bowed and called for people to come down and remove the cheval-de-frise,
“Please enter, both adults.”
The young villagers, under the village chief’s order, voiced no complaints or questions, efficiently moving the obstacles and opening the gate to let Shangshan Che and the other lead their horses into the village.
Naturally, no clichéd drama occurred of someone dissatisfied jumping out to provoke.
Entering the village, Imagawa Yoshimoto found the buildings and furnishings in Yamajira Village almost unaffected; rather, the villagers had already prepared to leave the village.
Kujira Gorō had faintly guessed this adult in modern armor’s identity, so noticing where Imagawa Yoshimoto’s gaze fell, he immediately explained,
“Lately, dire news of demons appearing keeps coming from Mikawa Province… Our situation here is relatively mild.”
At this point, Kujira Gorō, soon to be forced to flee his home as a refugee, clenched his fist, showing a furious expression,
“If we’re any later, we might not escape.”
Imagawa Yoshimoto halted and said: “Then, Kujira Gorō.”
“This one is here!”
Kujira Gorō swallowed, hearing the armored woman say unequivocally yet softly: “In the future, if you encounter other refugees from Mikawa Province, tell them…”
She deliberately abbreviated her courtesy name signifying “propriety,” uttering the given name that would normally be deemed grave disrespect, warranting immediate beheading,
“—Imagawa Clan head, Imagawa Yoshimoto, has arrived.”
Kujira Gorō was struck as if by lightning and, realizing, immediately knelt to the ground,
“You are…”
“Yes, I have come to restore order in Mikawa and slay all these rampaging great demons.”
Imagawa Yoshimoto looked down, guaranteeing word by word to the kneeling Kujira Gorō,
“Everything will be alright.”
Kujira Gorō pressed his forehead deeply to the ground, turning his myriad words into three:
“Thank you.”
After Kujira Gorō finished talking with Imagawa Yoshimoto behind, Shangshan Che asked the former, who was leading them to an empty house,
“Why name this place Yamajira Village, such a strange village name? Is there some reason?”
Kujira Gorō: “To ensure later generations don’t forget the mountain whale incident—not far away is a mountain with especially many large mountain whales that dare harm people.
There were even legends of a Mountain Whale Demon King existing before.”
Hearing this, Shangshan Che couldn’t help but show a flash of joy.
It matched!
It all matched!
This was truly effortless!
As they followed Kujira Gorō into a long-vacant house that seemed unvisited for ages, Shangshan Che heard him say,
“Both adults, this is the only place available now; it’s a bit humble…”
“No need to explain.” Imagawa Yoshimoto waved her hand. “Kujira Gorō, for now, just tell us everything you know of the current situation, then fetch a map.”
Because the samurai Sakata encountered in To-ōmi Province had fled a week ago, the information from his mouth was surely outdated in many ways.
“Yes, my lord.”
Village Chief Kujira Gorō was straightforward, immediately grabbing a young night patroller from the roadside and sending him to fetch the map.
Then, he began recounting bit by bit the situation in Eastern Mikawa to the two.
—Strange plagues rampant in the cities.
—Demons from legends appearing nonstop.
—The mountain whales usually active now eerily quiet.
Shangshan Che summed it up inwardly after listening.
Then, astonishingly, he found Mikawa Province—at least Eastern Mikawa—far better than he estimated.
Because although various strange plagues spread in cities, and Affliction Kin frequently appeared,
—Scenarios like the total village annihilation they saw before were almost nonexistent.
But that didn’t make sense.
It was understandable if Affliction Kin couldn’t chew through cities with many samurai… but destroying villages—any difficulty there?
In his view, none at all!
“Affliction, what games are you playing…”
Shangshan Che tsked, then saw Kujira Gorō fetch the map from the doorway, set the torch aside, and spread it out.
He paused.
Because this map was unexpectedly refined and detailed.
Shangshan Che crouched down and asked: “Where is that mountain frequented by mountain whales?”
Kujira Gorō didn’t ask extra, circling with his finger beside the distinctly marked village,
“Here. On horseback, about twenty minutes’ ride.”
The village chief hesitated but still cautioned: “Though mountain whales have appeared less lately, for both adults’ safety, best not enter.”
Meeting their gazes, Kujira Gorō took a deep breath, then said in a trembling voice,
“Because as a child, I personally saw that legendary Mountain Whale Demon King almost no one believes in… It was nearly as big as a small mountain, a true ‘mountain whale’ existence.”
Mountain Whale Demon King, real?
Even legends might be true.
Combined with the recent phenomenon of mountain whales suddenly vanishing…
Shangshan Che pondered a moment, thinking if the Mountain Whale Demon King had intelligence for communication, perhaps it could be turned into a temporary ally?
That would be excellent.
Since both the master craftsman and demon king’s existence were confirmed.
—Then set off at first light tomorrow!
