Demon Capital Slayer

Chapter 58 The Court of Purifying Fire

While the countermeasures department was busy preparing for the mission, Yu Jian was flipping through a book.

He wasn't just a reckless brute who only knew how to brandish swords; when necessary, he could also calm down and delve into old documents to find useful information.

At this moment, two items were placed next to Mitsurugi: a painting he received as a gift from Akane Isshiki and a scroll titled "Chōjū-giga" (Birds and Animals Playing).

He had just confirmed again that, for unknown reasons, Akane Isshiki's painting connected to a small, enclosed garden within the walls, which stretched out into a vast expanse of white mist.

The way to enter the courtyard is to touch the cluster of flames held by Mikami in the painting.

Visitors will first appear outside the gate, which is both the entrance and the only place not enclosed by the courtyard wall. The way to leave is the opposite: simply step out of the gate from the inside of the courtyard to return to the present world.

Standing under the gate, you can see a wooden plaque with the name of the place written on it.

—The Garden of Pure Fire.

Fire... it does match the red maple leaves in the courtyard quite well.

Although its area is limited, the layout of the Pure Fire Garden is a very standard palace-style garden.

The two sides are porches connecting to the courtyard wall, with a side hall on each side. In the center is a more spacious sleeping hall. All the buildings show a very obvious oriental style, with standard roof tile and flying eaves structure.

There is an open area in front of the sleeping quarters, surrounded by trees and flowers. The ground in the center is covered with white sand to create a dry landscape. Due to the limited area of ​​the courtyard, there is no pond or central island. There is a well in the corner, and the deep well water is sweet and cold, which is of excellent quality. However, it is unknown where the source is.
Furthermore, the maple trees in the garden gave people a different feeling. Not only were they full of red maple leaves, but they were also adorned with many crystal pendants. Yu Jian raised his hand and gently touched them, and immediately heard a faint, dreamlike murmur of "My Lord".

What is the spiritual essence of the inhabitants of the White Country?
Yujian was surprised by this, but then realized that there was nothing he could do. He could only silently remember it and continue to wander around the courtyard.

He felt that the garden looked somewhat familiar.

Upon closer reflection, it does resemble a scene from a game I played in my previous life. To be precise, the game scene imitates the design of a real-life courtyard, which is why it gives people a sense of déjà vu.

Yes, he made a lot of money off that fat bandit leader and his henchmen in the central courtyard, enough to make even the stern-faced ninja burst out laughing, so it left a particularly deep impression on me.

Besides the buildings, the courtyard also houses the sword and armor that Yujian once used. Although they are damaged, they are still of great value.

Mikken tried to bring it into reality, but felt resistance just as he was about to pass through the doorway. To avoid further damage to the fragments, he didn't force it. However, through the experiment of bringing real-world items in and taking them out, Mikken confirmed that he had obtained a secret warehouse of considerable size.

Given the fragility of paper, carrying the entire painting with you is not a wise move.

In reality, Miken vaguely sensed that the connection between the Tokoyomi Garden and reality was that small spark. But he didn't try it randomly. Perhaps when his inspiration improved further, he could try to pinpoint the connection point accurately, or even separate it and transfer it to a more portable object.

For now, let's just consider it a secret base hidden in the painting. Real-life replicas of Doraemon gadgets—how romantic!
Ever since seeing Yuriko's train base, Yuken felt that part of his mentality had regressed to before he was ten years old. It wasn't just envy; it was extreme envy.

He also wanted such a secret base.

Okay, now I have it, I'm completely satisfied.

Once the painting is some distance away from you, the strange feeling of being connected to the mortal world disappears. Perhaps only those who have entered the world within the painting can perceive the existence of the courtyard.

Therefore, he planned to store valuable items like the "Birds and Beasts Playing" scroll there to prevent them from being stolen.

It should work in the Dream of Asura, but in that place, Yujian doesn't completely trust him.

As for tonight, he suspected he would probably not be able to sleep, so he retrieved various materials from his father's study, intending to study them carefully.

Recalling the phantom images of gods and Buddhas that emerged behind the swordsman in the dream of Asura, Yu Jian couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

At first, he suspected it was a special kind of Yin meaning, but the phantom that appeared after the Bird and Beast Play Painting was activated made Yu Jian guess that it might be related to the cultivation methods of this world.

To find out the specifics, I'll have to ask a professional. But I don't know anyone like that. The only great painter who has any connection with the other world has already taken his family and rushed out of the country tonight.

Wait, the Paranormal Society...

Yu Jian suddenly remembered that old notebook.

Another idea came to mind.

Speaking of which, if the phantom is related to a spiritual practice, perhaps we should first check if it has a real-world counterpart. Its appearance has a very obvious Buddhist style, and it shouldn't be difficult to find by comparing it with relevant materials.

Furthermore, he was also curious about the statue of Myō-ō placed in the shrine.

Unfolding the drawing paper, two meticulously detailed sketches soon appeared before Yujian. One was an image of an unnamed Myō-ō with three faces and six arms.

The other is a mysterious phantom figure clad in armor and wielding a vajra pestle.

Because her mother was a folklorist, the Miken family also possessed many books related to Buddhism. No relevant information was found for the Myō-ō statue, but the answer to the phantom figure clad in Sanskrit armor was quickly found.

"Weituotian..."

Looking at the statue photo in the book's illustrations, Yujian murmured the name.

Skanda is a guardian deity in Buddhism, one of the Twenty-Four Devas. His name can be directly translated as "Yin Tian" (阴天), and his Sanskrit name is Skanda Zuntian Bodhisattva, also known as Sekhen Tuo Tian, ​​Sikhen Tuo Tian, ​​or Jian Tuo Tian.

It is said that when the Buddha entered Nirvana, he was cremated, and several relics were found in the ashes. However, no sooner had the relics appeared than a swift demon stole a pair of Buddha tooth relics.

Since this demon is named Swift Demon, it naturally possesses extraordinary speed, so fast that even the Arhats could not catch up with it.

At this moment, the guardian deity named Weituotian took the lead in chasing after the evil spirit. After running for three days and three nights, traversing the nine heavens and ten earths, he finally caught up with the evil spirit and fought it off to retrieve the Buddha's tooth relic.

Because of this story in the classic text, people's impression of Weituotian is associated with superhuman speed.

Yu Jian subconsciously touched his throat, still remembering the unidentified swordsman's lightning-fast thrust that pierced three holes with three strikes. The opponent's swordsmanship was extraordinary, and his speed was as fast as lightning, even he, who was bathed in dragon blood, could not catch up.

But now that he has Hawkeye, perhaps he can try to fight him again.

Speaking of dragon blood enhancement...

Yu Jian took a fruit knife and carefully sliced ​​it along the skin. Sure enough, it didn't leave any mark. Even with 30% more force, it was still the same. Only when he used several more points of force did he finally manage to cut a white mark.

Stop the sword-wielding experiment. There's no need to draw blood in reality. It's not like in the Dream of Asura where death immediately refreshes your status.

The above behavior has proven that the real body has also been altered by dragon blood.

The Netherworld, the Mortal World, and the Present World—I always feel that the relationship between the three is not so absolute; perhaps there is some kind of inherent, unifying law.

Both sides of a coin are ultimately the same coin.

Furthermore, how exactly is this scroll practiced? Do I have to raise one of each of the animals depicted on it?
Putting aside whether the house can accommodate so many animals, including not only large species like lions, tigers, and elephants, but also many rare species protected by law, the kind that can be kept in the house for three years or for thirty years after eating a single bite.

Mikasa sighed, glanced at the peregrine falcon Valkyrie disguised as a free-range chicken in the cardboard box, and suddenly an idea popped into his head.

In places where many animals are kept, aren't there readily available options?
zoo!
But isn't going to the zoo alone a bit too much...?

Thinking of this, the image of a certain person immediately appeared in Yu Jian's mind.

Yes, I'm no longer the complete loneliest person I was when I discovered the mystery of my birth. I do have two or three friends now.

Well, there are at least two or three now.

After tidying up his belongings, Yu Jian deliberately hung the painting in a conspicuous place.

Given the content of this picture, even if an outsider sneaks in, unless they sense the aura of the mortal world, they would most likely just regard it as a product of a young person's delusional disorder and laugh at it, and would hardly realize its true value.

Speaking of which, I could add something to the paintings in my room.

As he was thinking this, Yujian had already sketched the rough outline of a ferocious black dragon on the white paper with his pencil.

Afterwards, while brushing his teeth, Yujian listed the things he needed to do next.

First, he needed to get the contact information of the senior members of the Paranormal Society from Nogizaka46. He needed to contact real people in the industry to avoid wandering around aimlessly like a headless fly.

Secondly, continue searching for information related to the special statue of the Wisdom King. The dream of the Asura is my biggest secret besides time travel, and I must delve deeper into it.

The third thing… let's go to the zoo together, Lily. Wait, how should I bring this up? Will it be too abrupt?

Ugh, this is such a headache, so troublesome, so annoying!!!
Noticing that the white-haired boy suddenly started scratching his hair, Valkyrie, who was lying in a cardboard box labeled 'Perfectly Ripe Mango', first tilted her head cutely, then gave him a look of disbelief.

Humans experience different joys and sorrows, and this is even more true for the relationship between humans and birds.
(End of this chapter)