I'm a demon in Tokyo!

Chapter 180 All Demons Gather Together, Buddha's Kindness Cannot Be Repaid! Does the Legendary Demon King Really Exist?

Sanhe Country, Xiwei City.

In the afternoon, the chanting of Amitabha Buddha by believers echoed throughout the Jodo Shinshu sect.

In front of the golden statue of Amitabha Buddha in this hall.

Although all the wooden doors of the main hall were open to the outside, the monks and soldiers coming and going could only see the Venerable Lianguang sitting cross-legged in front of the golden statue, his eyes half-closed, exuding an imposing aura without anger.

The monks who commanded tens of thousands of Jodo Shinshu monks throughout Mikawa Province sat on worn-out prayer cushions.

The Dharma Master, known as Lotus Light, had bulging muscles all over his body, resembling a bear. He wore thick oak-colored prayer beads around his neck and a worn-out gray robe. He chanted Buddhist scriptures, and his face was both dignified and compassionate.

On the other side of the main hall, the dull sound of the mallet striking the wooden fish echoed evenly, as if it would never stop.

Beside Master Lianguang, a fair-skinned young novice monk was pouring tea for him with a smile, holding up a teapot with peeling lacquer.

Drip...

Snapped.

The flow of the tea suddenly stopped.

The Dharma Master Lian Guang's chanting also paused for a moment.

He extended his rough, calloused fingers, picked up the half-full teacup, took a sip of the scalding tea, and asked casually,
"What has happened, my afflicted benefactor?"

After blinking, the fair-skinned young novice monk replied, "Somewhere on the edge of the Three Rivers, all contact between my family and me was suddenly severed."

"And all of it was gone in an instant, not a single bit left."

The young novice monk gestured in surprise.

As he spoke, a look of worry appeared on the young novice's innocent face. He took a half step back, put down the teapot, and gestured as if to say goodbye.

"Lotus Light Dharma Master, I have been fortunate to receive your care recently..."

Lian Guang raised her hand and gently placed it on the novice monk's shoulder, then turned to look at him expressionlessly.

"There is no need to worry, benefactor. That old sword saint was taken to the southernmost part of the South China Sea ten days ago to cultivate."

"Now, there is absolutely no way we can get to Sanhe."

Lian Guang loosened her fingers and said coldly.

So the young novice sat down again, a happy smile on his face.

"The loss of your subordinates and their families this time may be due to the arrival of Imagawa Yoshimoto."

Bang bang, bang.

The sound of the mallet and the wooden fish suddenly stopped.

Instead, a hoarse voice, like two rough pieces of wood rubbing together, said: "Imagawa Jibu Daisuke Yoshimoto... Since arriving in Mikawa territory, I have often heard this name from conversations among people by the roadside."

It seems that the ruler of this region was also called a daimyo.

Before the smooth, round wooden fish, the monk, his body entirely made of wood, put down the mallet in his hand, clasped his hands together, and spoke stiffly.

"Bodhidharma is wrong."

Lian Guang turned her head and corrected her seriously.

"—He is a great lord who can restore peace and stability to the entire Mikawa Province, and prevent any incidents from happening."

This is a scene that no one wants to see.

It took a long time and many people working together to transform Sanhe into the ideal place it is today.

Now that Imagawa Yoshimoto has arrived, he wants to turn him back?
Where would you find such a good thing?

Bodhidharma remained silent and began striking the wooden fish again.

The young novice, or rather, the one suffering from illness, blinked after hearing this, and thoughtfully stroked his chin.

A few seconds later, Bingku took out an extremely detailed map from the lining of his clothes and placed it in front of Lianguang, then pointed upwards: "Here."

The place where the illness was directed was none other than the first village where Uesugi Tetsu and Imagawa Yoshimoto encountered a large number of corrupt scholars!
Before Lian Guang could speak, Da Mo jumped to his feet and spoke in a hoarse voice,
"Let this humble monk deal with this person."

Just then, a white dove fluttering its wings flew in into the warm afternoon sunlight, passed through the wide-open door, and landed on Lian Guang's broad shoulders.

Lian Guang opened the small wooden tube beside its paw, took out the roll of paper inside, and couldn't help but laugh heartily after glancing at it.
"Gentlemen, the Imagawa army only set off this morning; this is merely the vanguard."

Therefore, there's no rush.

As he lifted the teapot and poured the scalding tea into his mouth, the patient, suffering from illness, smiled.

Army?

He loves this the most...

Just as Bodhidharma was about to sit down and continue striking the wooden fish while reciting Buddhist scriptures in his mind, he heard the sound of a bell outside the door.

The slow, resounding chimes made Lian Guang's smile even brighter.

A moment later, a young novice monk rushed in from outside and respectfully bowed to the Venerable Lian Guang, who was sitting alone in the empty main hall, to remind him...
"Your Majesty, the daily 'Repaying Kindness' sermon is about to begin. Today, there are even more donors coming to pray and make wishes than in the past few days. We hope that you will..."

"This humble monk understands."

Lian Guang pulled himself off the prayer mat, dragging his tattered robe, and walked to the young novice's side. He clasped his hands together, bowed kindly, and said...
"Thank you for the timely reminder."

"No...no, I was just doing my duty..."

The young novice monk in gray robes, who had only recently joined the monastic community, waved his hands in a flustered manner. In his nervousness, he even mispronounced his own name.

Lian Guang didn't say much, but walked directly towards the huge square.

The young novice monk standing there first looked at the Amitabha statue, which seemed to be radiating dazzling golden light under the sunlight.

Then he looked at Lian Guang, whose cloth shoes and cassock were worn out, yet he still couldn't bear to change them.

"Your Majesty... you are so frugal in your daily life."

As the young novice was marveling at this, he suddenly noticed two monks, one tall and one short, standing beside Lian Guang.

"Huh? Am I seeing things?"

"I've already planted the seed in that novice monk. Who told you not to let him go first and see me and Bodhidharma suddenly appear?"

He pretended to be a timid, sickly young monk and muttered to himself.

“It’s alright, benefactor suffering from illness.” Lian Guang smiled warmly. “That is the fate he deserves.”

"Uh……"

Humans are so hypocritical.

Even though he was suffering from illness, he couldn't help but feel disgusted by these words, so he cursed them in his heart and then stopped talking.

Soon after, Lian Guang walked unhurriedly into the vast square, then stepped up the stairs and onto the high platform built in the square.

Lian Guang shifted her gaze away from the Buddha statue behind her, which was already filled with half of its vow power.

He turned to face the plaza and temple gate, and beyond that, the hundreds of steps leading down to the foot of the mountain.

Similarly, they were looking towards the square, outside the temple gate, and the steps where countless believers had crowded together.

Lian Guang listened with a smile to the dense, beautiful sounds of prayers.

Sickness followed behind him, casting its gaze downwards—

Regardless of age, gender, or disease, everyone was kneeling before him, the instigator, with utmost devotion.

He whispered softly,
"Humans are truly a foolish creature."

"Yes, these unenlightened fools are no different from pigs. Only when you have sick and suffering benefactors can you squeeze every last drop of value out of them."

Lian Guang replied calmly, then raised her hands, ensuring her voice echoed throughout the temple the moment the bell stopped ringing.
"quiet!"

After the crowd fell silent, he revealed a compassionate smile and continued speaking loudly.

"Because of the patrons' unwavering faith, Amitabha Buddha was moved and today bestowed the grace of Buddha that can heal 152 people!"

A warm Buddhist light emanated from Lian Guang's body, complementing the Buddha statue with its raised palm behind her, making her seem like a compassionate Buddha incarnate.

Lian Guang clasped her hands together.

"Namo Amitabha."

Immediately, a deafening chorus of prayers erupted.
"Namo Amitabha!"

Next, Lian Guang stepped back a few steps, letting Bing Ku, the "pure little novice monk who received the Buddha's grace," stand in front, and "earnestly" pointed out the healed person from the crowd.

The patient pointed randomly: "This benefactor, please come forward!"

Below, the woman who was holding the boy who had been unconscious and feverish for several days immediately showed a look of wild joy, and scrambled up the steps to the sick man.

The woman held the boy high in her arms, kowtowed heavily, and couldn't help but shed tears of relief.

"Please, Master, bestow upon me the Buddha's grace!"

"Don't worry, benefactor." The ailing child extended a finger that emitted a fluorescent glow and smiled reassuringly, "With the grace of Amitabha Buddha, your child will surely be safe and sound."

The illness gently touched the boy's forehead, absorbing all the disease and its aftereffects.

Immediately, the boy, who was on the verge of death from a high fever, opened his eyes, sat up on his own, and mumbled to the woman, "Mother..."

The woman covered her mouth in disbelief, pulled the boy into her arms, and wept while bowing her head.

"Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!"

Suffering from illness: "The benefactor should not thank me, but should thank Amitabha Buddha."

The woman immediately changed her address, saying, "Amitabha! Amitabha!"

Suffering from illness, he nodded.

"Alright, next one..."

Those randomly selected were overjoyed, either alone or with their families, and walked up the steps to kneel before their suffering bodies to receive "Buddha's grace."

—He can easily cure the diseases that originated from him, and then completely heal these ordinary people.

However, at the same time, he will also turn everyone who steps forward into a new potential pathogen, and then spread the seeds so that a few ordinary people gradually become reserve members of the family.

As Lian Guang listened to the expressions of gratitude coming from below and felt the increasingly pure and profound power of the Buddha's vows, her smile became even more genuine.

By evening, the healing session for all 152 participants had finally come to an end.

Even when suffering from illness, one cannot help but show signs of fatigue.

The lotus light, which had been continuously illuminating his rising willpower from behind, supported his body, and with a wave of its sleeve,
"That concludes today's story of repaying kindness. Please descend the mountain in an orderly manner! Do not harm yourselves or others!"

No one complained.

Only those who have personally witnessed the Buddha's grace can utter the increasingly devout chant of Amitabha Buddha.

Looking down at the receding tide of people, Lian Guang recalled the greater amount of vows she had accumulated over the past week than in the previous hundred years, and sighed, "How easy it is."

“How easy it is,” Bingku smiled and repeated. “It seems that choosing to cooperate with His Majesty the Dharma Lord was indeed the right decision. These humans, under His Majesty the Dharma Lord’s manipulation, are simply like garbage that appears and disappears on a schedule.”

Having stood by and watched for almost the entire afternoon, listening to their conversation and recalling the scenes he had witnessed, Bodhidharma took out the smooth wooden fish from his robes and said in a hoarse voice,

"Master, I don't quite understand."

Bodhidharma asked, "Why did I follow your advice to 'act uprightly and honestly' and 'leave room for maneuver' last time, and even though I informed that family in advance that I was going to kill them, I still spared that sensible child?"

But in the end, he hated me terribly.

Why is it that Lian Guang and Lord Bingku, by deceiving people and sparing no one, with only a little disguise, can garner such sincere gratitude and aspirations?

The wooden fish moved slightly, and a deep, mature voice came from it: "Haha! That's because you haven't realized it yet, Bodhidharma!"

Loud laughter came from the wooden fish.

"Why this is, why that is, you won't understand even if I explain it now—you'll understand when you've seen more of the world!"

Watching the crowd disperse, Lian Guang waved to him and asked, "Damo, would you like to eat vegetarian food tonight?"

"Eat, eat!"

The pain of illness whistles.

Human food is quite interesting; in comparison, the food made by his retinue is worse than garbage!
Bodhidharma clasped his hands together and bowed slightly.
"Then today, we will also trouble the Dharma Master."

sunset.

The Buddhas within the Pure Land True Sect have disappeared.

……

……

……

"Mountain Whale Village".

Imagawa Yoshimoto repeated it again.

She pondered for two seconds, then her expression suddenly dawned on her.

The "divine craftsmanship" mentioned by the blacksmith in Junpu Castle earlier seems to be related to it.

This is something that Chejun has been thinking about for a long time.

“In that case,” Yoshimoto Imagawa suggested, “Tetsu-kun, let’s go to that village and ask.”

"it is good."

Having finally found a clue, Uesugi Tetsuya wasn't about to let it slip away.

However, due vigilance is essential.

He took out a plain spear from his storage backpack, spurred his horse, and rode up to Imagawa Yoshimoto: "Lord Yoshimoto, please follow closely behind me for the rest of the journey."

Originally dressed in the most fashionable clothes, Imagawa Yoshimoto wanted to say that it was unnecessary, but hesitated for a moment after seeing Uesugi Tetsu's serious expression.

Finally, she nodded and said, "Okay."

The brief conversation ended there, and only the sound of horses' hooves hitting the ground echoed in the night.

The village wasn't far from the mountains, maybe two or three kilometers away, so even though we made the horses slow down, we arrived near the village in just a few minutes.

Upon getting closer, Imagawa Yoshimoto exclaimed inwardly, "Why... does this village have such elaborate towers and barricades?"

Just as she was about to warn Uesugi Tetsuya, who was approaching, several arrows were immediately shot out from the village's tower.

shhhhhh!
But these arrows, though of ordinary force, were no different from feathers drifting slowly down to Uesugi Tetsuya.

He wielded his plain spear, knocking down all the incoming arrows.

Instead of getting angry, Yoshimoto Imagawa, who was targeted, showed a slight smile: "Tetsu-kun, there are still quite a few living people in this village."

—Given the current dire situation in Mikawa, she understands the act of attacking an unidentified target in the darkness.

—If those monsters were released into the village, it would be more than just a tragedy.

"stop!"

Amidst the taut sound of the bowstring, a powerful voice rang out.

Immediately afterwards, a bright torch appeared on the tower, illuminating a weathered, wary face and several young people whose faces were pale with tension.

The man holding the torch glanced at Uesugi Tetsuya, then abruptly stopped at Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was dressed in full protective gear behind him.

The man immediately shouted, "They are not demons! Open the door..."

"No! I'll go down and open the door myself to check if they've been infected by demons!"

After saying that, the man went down the tower, first crawling out through the gap in the thick wooden door, and then walking out through the barricades.

Uesugi Tetsu shifted his gaze from the large "Mountain Whale Village" signboard to a man holding a torch in one hand and warily drawing his katana in the other.

"I am the village chief of Yamagi Village, Goro Kujira."

With a slight inhalation of internal energy, Goro Kujira spoke, "May I ask who you two gentlemen are...?"

"Onmyoji, Che."

Uesugi Tetsu flicked a tiny bolt of lightning at Kujiro's face, startling the latter into immediately tensing up.

He said calmly, "I have a big shot from the Imagawa family behind me... This lightning can prove my identity. Let us go in first, so that demons won't take advantage of the situation, okay?"

Onmyoji... Che!?
Goro Kujira stared at the constantly leaping lightning in Tetsuo Uesugi's hand, recalling the rumors that had been discussed countless times in recent days, and thus had no doubts.

After all, how could demons possibly control heavenly lightning?
If he refuses to obey, he will probably be turned into a piece of charcoal by this thunderbolt in the next moment.

Goro immediately bowed and beckoned for his men to come down and remove the barricades.
"Please come in, gentlemen."

Under the village chief's orders, the young villagers didn't utter a single complaint or question. Instead, they efficiently moved the barriers and opened the gate, allowing Uesugi Tetsuya and his companion to lead their horses into the village.

Naturally, no dramatic incidents occurred where someone disapproved and jumped out to provoke them.

Upon entering the village, Yoshimoto Imagawa discovered that the buildings and furnishings of Yamagi Village were almost unaffected, and the villagers were actually already planning to leave the village.

Goro had already vaguely guessed the identity of this gentleman dressed in the most prestigious robes of the time, so upon noticing where Imagawa Yoshimoto's gaze was fixed, he immediately began to explain.
“Recently, bad news about the appearance of demons has been coming from Mikawa Province... Our situation is relatively mild.”

At this point, Goro Kujira, who was about to be forced to leave his home and become a refugee, clenched his fists, revealing a resentful expression.

"If it had been any later, they might not have been able to escape."

Imagawa Yoshimoto stopped and spoke: "That's Goro Kujira."

"The villain is here!"

Goro swallowed hard, hearing the armored woman say in a soft voice that left no room for argument: "If you ever see any other refugees from Mikawa Province, tell them..."

She deliberately omitted the common name, which represents "etiquette," and revealed the name that she would normally consider extremely disrespectful, even to the point of being dragged out and beheaded if uttered just once.

"—Imagawa Yoshimoto, the head of the Imagawa family, has arrived."

Goro was struck dumb, and immediately knelt on the ground after regaining his senses.
"You are..."

"Yes, I'm here to salvage the situation in Sanhe and to kill all these troublesome demons."

Imagawa Yoshimoto bowed his head and solemnly promised, word by word, to the kneeling Goro Kujira.
"Everything will be alright."

Goro bowed his head deeply to the ground, uttering the myriad words in his heart into three simple syllables.
"Thanks you."

After Goro Kujira and Yoshimoto Imagawa finished their conversation, Tetsuya Uesugi turned to the man who had led them to the empty house and asked,
Why is this place named such a strange village as Mountain Whale Village? Is there a reason?

Goro Kujira: "In order to ensure that future generations do not forget the story of the mountain whales—there is a mountain not far away where there are many large mountain whales that dare to harm people."

There was even a legend about the existence of a 'Mountain Whale Demon King'.

Upon hearing this, Uesugi Tetsu couldn't help but show a momentary look of joy.

Right!
Everything is right!
That's really something, it came to me without any effort at all!

As Goro Kujira entered the long-abandoned house, which seemed to have been unoccupied for a long time, Tetsuya Uesugi heard him say...
"My lords, this is all we have right now, and it's rather meager..."

“No need for explanation.” Imagawa Yoshimoto waved his hand. “Kujiro, you just need to tell us everything you know about the current situation, and then bring us a map.”

Since the samurai Sakata whom they met in Tōtōmi Province had escaped a week earlier, much of the information he spoke of was likely outdated.

"Yes, my lord."

As the village chief, Goro Kujira didn't hesitate. He immediately pulled a young man on night patrol from the roadside and asked him to fetch the map.

Then, he began to explain the current situation of the Dongsanhe area to the two of them, bit by bit.

A strange plague is spreading rapidly throughout the city.

— Demons that only exist in legends keep appearing.

—The mountain whales, which were usually very active, are now completely silent.

After listening, Uesugi Tetsu summarized it in his mind.

Then, to his astonishment, he discovered that the situation in the Three Rivers Kingdom, or at least in the eastern Three Rivers, was much better than he had anticipated.

Because although all sorts of strange epidemics were rampant in the city, sick and suffering relatives were also frequently seen.

—But there were almost no instances of the horrific scenes of entire villages being wiped out, as they had seen before.

But this doesn't make sense.

It's understandable that sick and suffering families can't make it through a city with many samurai... but is it really that difficult to wipe out a village?

In his opinion, absolutely not!
"What tricks is illness playing at..."

Uesugi Tetsu clicked his tongue, and then saw Kujira Goro take a map from the doorway, place the torch aside, and spread it out.

He was startled.

This map was surprisingly exquisite and detailed.

Uesugi Tetsu squatted down and asked, "Where is that mountain where mountain whales often appear?"

Without asking any further questions, Goro drew a circle next to the clearly marked village with his finger.

"From here, it would only take about twenty minutes to walk on horseback."

The village chief hesitated for a moment, but still reminded them, "Although there have been fewer mountain whales appearing recently, for the safety of the two of you, it's best not to go inside."

Meeting their gazes, Goro took a deep breath before speaking in a slightly trembling voice,
"Because, when I was a child, I saw with my own eyes the legendary Mountain Whale Demon King, which almost no one believed in... It was almost as big as a small mountain, and it was a true 'mountain whale'."

Does the Mountain Whale Demon King really exist?
Could legends really be true?

Combined with the recent phenomenon of those mountain whales suddenly disappearing...

Uesugi Tetsu pondered for a moment, thinking that if the mountain whale demon king possessed intelligence and could communicate, there might still be a chance to transform it into a temporary helper.
That’s very good.

Now that the existence of the Heavenly Craftsman and the Demon King has been confirmed.

—Then let's set off first thing tomorrow morning!
(End of this chapter)