Tokyo, the shady intelligence of private detectives

Chapter 167 Fudo Kongo Temple

Shirakawa Manchun explicitly stated on the phone that someone was assisting in the investigation of the traitors, but he did not reveal the identity of the person assisting. He only told him that once he arrived at Fudo Kongo-ji Temple on Mount Kumotori, he should give his name, and someone would naturally contact him.

This instruction clearly indicates that Masahiro Hanyu did not want to know who the assistant was beforehand, presumably for reasons of confidentiality.

But now, Toyotomi Kazusuke has taken the initiative to inform him over the phone, which should be a violation of the rules of the Fuseikai.

When Masahiro Hanyu remained silent, Kazusuke Toyotomi seemed to guess what he was thinking.

"Mr. Yamamoto, although you asked me to assist you, I am not from the Ministry of Intelligence; I am under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance."

"Shirakawa Manharu asked me for help, so I don't have to listen to everything he says. Actually, I didn't want to agree at first, but when I heard that the person asking for my help was Yamamoto-kun, I agreed and then immediately informed you."

At this point, Toyotomi Kazusuke chuckled on the phone, "I'm very happy right now because I don't have to worry about completing the body statue anymore. After all, we'll be seeing each other often in the future, so there will be plenty of opportunities, won't there?"

Masahiro Yuzuru felt somewhat helpless; perhaps it was true, and he couldn't escape it even if he wanted to.

Although Toyotomi Kazusuke was a woman, the thought of her face with the small mustache made him really not want to strip naked in front of her as a model.

He gave a perfunctory reply, "Okay, is that so? Let's talk about it when we meet."

After hanging up the phone, Masahiro Hanyu pondered why Kazusuke Toyotomi had called to inform him. Was it simply to express her joy?

However, her actions seemed to bring the two of them closer.

Masahiro Yuzuru went back to bed and took another nap before getting up.

At noon, he went out, ate a bowl of ramen, and then got into a taxi belonging to the investigation department.

The driver looked at him in the rearview mirror. "Mr. Yamamoto, are we going to Fudo Kongo-ji Temple?"

Masahiro Hanyu nodded. "Yes, you've already been notified?"

The driver started the taxi. "Not only did I get notified, but my colleagues at Fudōjō-ji Temple also got notified."

"We still can't get close to the manor to listen in, so we can't know the situation of Naoko Yonemura. We need to set up a contact method in advance so that we can provide timely assistance if there is any danger."

The taxi drove away from the bustling city center and onto a winding mountain road, lined with lush fir and maple trees, offering a pleasant view.

As the altitude gradually increases and we enter the mountainous area of ​​Mount Ungarashi, human habitation completely disappears, leaving only continuous mountain ranges and dense ancient forests.

The taxi traveled to the middle of Yunqu Mountain, where the main road ended.

Masahiro Hanyu got out of the car and walked up the stone steps, passing through a cedar forest shrouded in thick fog. Before him stood the Fudo Kongo-ji Temple on Mount Kumotori.

This ancient mountain temple, built against the cliff and backed by the rock face of Mount Uncho, is shrouded in mountain mists year-round and is a sacred site dedicated to Fudo Myoo.

There are no commercial streets or tourists outside the temple, only a stone staircase covered with moss.

The mountain gate is an ancient stone gate with a simple and rough style. On the left and right stand stone pillars engraved with Shingon Buddhist Sanskrit characters, which have been weathered by the wind and rain over the years and are now mottled. Above the gate hangs a dark wooden plaque with the words "Fudō Kongō-ji" in large characters.

Masahiro Hanyu stepped onto the moss-covered stone steps and entered the open mountain gate.

The courtyard was extremely quiet, with almost no visitors. The ground was paved with rocks, and several ancient cedars stood straight, casting deep shadows.

A young novice monk approached and said, "Esteemed benefactor, only the main courtyard of this temple is open to the public. The rest of the temple is not open to the public. If you wish to offer incense, please go to the main hall."

Masahiro Hanyu looked around. "I am Ryuji Yamamoto. I'm here—"

Before he could finish speaking, the young novice suddenly realized, "Oh, it's Mr. Yamamoto. Please come with me."

Yuzuru Masahiro followed the young novice monk along the bluestone path.

The front courtyard of Jingang Temple is a quiet retreat open to the public for worshippers to pay their respects and pray for blessings. However, the area on the back mountain closest to the cliff is a forbidden area for craftsmen to carve Buddha statues and repair ancient stone sculptures. There are rules in the temple that forbid outsiders from entering.

The young novice monk, with his gentle features, introduced the place along the way. He had been informed that if Mr. Yamamoto came, he could go there.

The two walked to a separate side hall at the deepest part of the temple, where the young novice stopped.

This is an independent statue hall, backed by a steep mountain wall, far away from all the main halls and meditation rooms, standing alone on the edge of the mountain forest.

The main hall is constructed of simple, dark wood. The wooden walls, weathered by years of mountain mist, have a deep, matte brown sheen. The black tiles on the roof are covered with a thin layer of moss, making it appear more aged than the other halls in the temple.

The palace doors were tightly shut, and all around was silent. Faint, intermittent chiseling sounds could be heard from the cracks in the doors, indicating that someone was working inside.

"Esteemed benefactor, this is a forbidden area for statue making; no one else may proceed further." The young novice bowed his head, his tone respectful and obedient to the rules. "The master craftsman is working inside the hall and has strictly forbidden us from entering to disturb him. Please knock on the door yourself."

After speaking, he bowed slightly, turned around, and slowly walked away along the path he had come from.

Yuzuru Masahiro first looked around. The place was unusually quiet, and no one was approaching. He then raised his hand and gently knocked on the door.

The short, sharp chiseling sounds suddenly stopped.

After a few seconds, the heavy wooden door was slowly pulled open a crack from the inside, and a pair of eyes looked out before the door was pushed open completely.

Standing behind the door was Toyotomi Kazusuke.

She wore a clean, solid-color short-sleeved shirt on top and neat light-colored shorts on the bottom, revealing her shapely, compass-like legs that were surprisingly fair.

Her face and the skin on her upper body were slightly dark, but her legs were so fair. The two completely different skin tones created a strong contrast.

As Yuzuru Masahiro looked him up and down, Toyotomi Kazusuke smiled and said, "Mr. Yamamoto, I had a feeling you were here. Please come in."

Masahiro Hanyu bowed slightly and said, "Excuse me!"

He stepped into the hall, and Toyotomi Kazusuke closed the door and casually bolted it shut.

The interior of the hall was dimly lit, with sunlight only filtering in through two long, vertical wooden windows at the top.

Several unfinished wooden Buddha statues stood against the wall inside the hall, exuding the faint, cool smell of newly chiseled stone, as well as a slightly bitter fragrance of raw wood being cut by a knife.

The workbench was neatly arranged with a complete set of carving tools, various carving knives and chisels of different lengths—the tools were arranged in an extremely orderly manner, showing that Toyotomi Kazusuke did indeed have some obsessive-compulsive habits.

"Please come to the inner room, Mr. Yamamoto!"

Toyotomi Kazusuke pointed to a side room inside the palace and then went in first.

The interior is simply furnished with tables, chairs, and beds; it's just a temporary resting space.

After Masahiro Hanyu sat down, Kazusuke Toyotomi poured him a cup of tea and sat opposite him.

"According to Shirakawa Manchun, some of the people copying the scriptures betrayed the Fusho Society. My job was to help Mr. Yamamoto infiltrate among the women copying the scriptures without leaving a trace."

"My method is this: for each woman who copies scriptures, I will carve a human face for her. Mr. Yamamoto will accompany me and be my assistant. This way, you will have the opportunity to get close to those women without arousing their suspicion."

Masahiro Yuzuru nodded slightly. "Okay, I will follow all the arrangements made by the association."

Toyotomi Kazusuke looked at him with a half-smile, "Before we go to the manor, there's one task we need to complete beforehand."

She emphasized, "It's about completing your physical sculpture."