Tokyo: The life of a literary giant begins with home self-defense!

Chapter 204: Self-Growing Wings

"Thirteenth Night? Is this novel included in the Akutagawa Prize this time?"

Ryukawa Toru's only two works shortlisted for the Akutagawa Prize are "Slit Tongue" and "Almost Infinitely Transparent Blue".
Biting the half cucumber handed to him by his girlfriend, Longchuan Che said with a little curiosity.

"Well... it's the winner of the Murasaki Shikibu Literary Award last year. It's a novel that describes the bad habits of the old aristocracy and the division between the upper and lower classes from a female perspective."

The young lady in kimono looked pretty and spoke in a very understanding tone.

"Murasaki Shikibu? An old noble?"

Ryukawa Tetsu was stunned. He knew that the Murasaki Shikibu Literature Award was designed to commemorate Murasaki Shikibu, who wrote The Tale of Genji, but the content of this book...

"According to what you said, Monk Hongping may indeed recommend it."

Japan is one of the countries that attaches great importance to the "theory of bloodline". The powerful class is composed of blood relatives, which are derived from the emperor's "eternal lineage".

This kind of power and privilege is regarded by many as one of the cancers of modern society. Monk Hongping hopes to "protect the country and lives" and guide social progress. It would be great if he could make people pay attention to the issue of "class power and privilege".

"But you really are not afraid of death."

At this time, the seats in the pavilion were full. Longchuan Che looked at Monk Hongping sitting in the position above where monks usually preached with a strange expression on his face.

Nowadays, although the old aristocrats seem to have faded from the public eye, they have not disappeared.

They are still the ones in power, just in a different way.

Behind the Restoration Party is the Takagi family. This was what Ryuukawa Toru told him last time when he was the executive director.

Once Monk Hongping guides the public to pay attention to the behavior of the old aristocracy, it is difficult to guarantee that he will not be chewed and smashed by others.

"He's old, Ryukawa Tetsu."

The girl and Longchuan Che sat in the corner, looking at the old monk on the pulpit and smiling.

Born in the 1930s and 1940s, he is knowledgeable about literature and Buddhism.

It calms people's emotions when society is at its most depressed, and it also stands up boldly when the government does not pay attention to social issues.

"I'm old and dying, and I always want to do something shocking."

The girl sighed a little, and Longchuan Che thought about it and realized that the old monk on the stage had already started speaking.

"This is my eighteenth time as chief judge for the Akutagawa Prize."

There was no small talk, no humor, and the old monk in monk's robes spoke plainly to the 78 invited guests below the stage.

Among these people are literature professors who have many students all over the world, and creators who are still active in the front line of creation.

Most of them have read Master Hongping's books and his ideas.

The old man has a short article that was included in the textbook by the Ministry of Education. It says:
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We are all beast tamers, and the beast is our personal temperament.
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There are a few hours every day when the human nature in my heart is restored. I can speak and think as before, and I can also recite scriptures. When I look back at my fate with my human heart, I feel ashamed, panicked, and angry at the cruel acts I committed when I was a tiger.
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There are many people in this world who are far inferior to me in talent, but are willing to devote themselves to honing their writing and poetry and eventually become great writers.

He created the current Japanese literary world with his ideas, and also led those who were willing to follow him to "protect the country and its people."

"This is also my last time as the chief judge for the Akutagawa Prize."

Looking at the people in the audience, Monk Hongping smiled for the first time, glanced at Longchuan Tetsu from the corner of his eye, and then continued:

“This is also the most satisfying experience I’ve had as a judge for the Akutagawa Prize.”

The meaning of the old monk's words made everyone a little stunned.

The Akutagawa Prize is the highest literary award in the country. The person who can serve as its chief judge is undoubtedly the person with the highest authority in literature, but the other party said that he will no longer serve in this position in the future.

"He wants to quit?"

Long Chuan Che was stunned, then frowned.

"No, he has to leave room."

Monk Hongping said that he would no longer serve as the chief critic of Akutagawa Prize, implying that he would withdraw from the literary world, no longer select and evaluate newcomers, and no longer care about the social impact caused by the annual Akutagawa Prize.

Social reflection, government reform. The other side doesn't care anymore.

"What does he want to do?"

Longchuan Toru bit his nails. What Monk Hongping did had no effect on him, but he suddenly stepped back to express his opinion.

"It should be that among the authors who won the Akutagawa Prize this time, there is someone who can be his successor."

Natsuko Imamura, wearing a gilded furisode, explained.

The legacy of Monk Hongping and class literature influence the government and politics through writing.

It is also necessary to achieve the uniqueness of class literature, similar to the elegance and sincerity of Matsuo Basho in the literary world at that time.

"Where did this person come from? The author of "Thirteenth Night"?"

Ryukawa Toru frowned. The "most satisfying Akutagawa Prize" that Hirohei mentioned meant that a work that made him very happy was born.

Stronger than "The Tongue" and possibly not weaker than "The Golden Pavilion".

"How can it be."

When the old monk was explaining the shortlisted works for the Akutagawa Prize on the stage, Ryukawa Toru took out his cell phone and asked Ono Taro to send him a few words about "Thirteenth Night".
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Blow, please blow away the dark clouds in my heart. The sound of the harp that is being played again, please become my lifelong friend and take away the sadness in my heart forever. From now on, Jinwu will stroll in this world full of flowers.
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There was no wind in the courtyard, and the fallen cherry blossoms on the eaves were swaying. In the afterglow of the setting sun, the evening bell rang.
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Tomorrow, I will say sorry to you again.

The brushstrokes are delicate, yet they imply sadness and despair.

Longchuan Che's eyes widened and he looked at the young lady beside him.

"you…"

Longchuan Tetsu wanted to speak, but the girl gently stopped him with a finger.

At this moment, the girl had a pretty face and a bright and proud smile on her lips.

She glanced at her best friend who slipped away quietly because she didn't understand, and took out a hairpin from her sleeve.

"Can you help me put my hair in a bun? I might need to go upstairs later."

The hairpin was a most common wooden one. Longchuan Che glanced at the girl who looked unformal with only black hair and raised his hand.

"Why did you hide it from us?"

The girl's hair was cold and smooth. Long Chuan Che did not ask if it was not taboo for men and women to have physical contact at this time. Instead, he sighed and asked.

The author of "Thirteenth Night" is Matsueda Natsuko. Matsueda can't write, but Natsuko is right in front of him.

"Because we are rivals, Ryukawa Tetsu, although you never seem to take me seriously."

The girl had a gentle temperament and was sitting in the corner of the cabinet, letting Ryukawa Tetsu help her tie her hair into a bun.

The soft black hair was tied up, revealing the beautiful face.

The gilded kimono floats with a dazzling glow in the light, which is the color of winning the highest literary award.

"I thought we were friends."

Longchuan Che interlaced his fingers and smiled with his lips pursed.

He was chosen by Monk Hongping as the successor of class literature and is very likely to be the next leader of the literary world.

The girl got enough chips for herself in the acquisition of the pot.

"are friends."

The girl smiled and nodded.

“But they are also rivals.”