My personal opinion on Gensokyo

Looking at the cave beside the valley in front of her, Grandma Feng sighed.

Why did that always gentle and tolerant young man with gray hair allow the monsters to devour the remains of the wild thief spider? Why did that young man with gray hair, who seemed to have regained the indifferent nature of a great monster, kill Sister Kikyo after that?

Although I had previously been influenced by Sister Kikyo and believed that the gentle and tolerant young man with gray and shaggy hair, Lord Shangyang, was just a hypocritical disguise of that ancient monster, but now, I have more and more doubts worth discussing...

Thinking of the strange behavior of the ancient monster that appeared fifty years later, Grandma Feng fell into deep doubts.

That guy actually wanted to resurrect Kikyo-sister...

"One day, I will return to you everything you have lost..."

Grandma Feng frowned as she repeated to herself the words that the big monster with gray and shaggy hair had told her repeatedly fifty years ago and fifty years later.

In fact, fifty years ago, when she first took over the duties of the shrine maiden and led the people of Maple Village to live their lives with great difficulty, Grandma Maple also had expectations for these words. However, as decades passed, the aging Grandma Maple gradually forgot these words and just tried her best to lead the people of Maple Village to live their lives to the best of her ability.

However, ever since that girl, Higurashi Kagome, came to this era from the Bone-Eating Well, the Four Souls Jade, which had disappeared for fifty years, has reappeared, and even the young man with gray hair from fifty years ago has reappeared in Maple Village...

The elderly Grandma Feng even has an unrealistic and weird idea.

That was what Lord Shang Yang had said fifty years ago: he was merely a half-demon, a wisp of consciousness incarnated from a great ancient demon. Was this story not a false cover-up, but the truth?

If so, then he, who was a faint ancient monster with a trace of consciousness, was discovered and devoured by the real ancient monster because of the influence of the evil aura of the monsters devouring each other.

Everything that happened afterwards was nothing more than a cruel mockery by that indifferent ancient monster...

Ultimately, this led to the tragic fate suffered by Lord Shang Yang and Sister Platycodon.

And now, fifty years later, Lord Shang Yang was devoured by the ancient monster, but his longing for the monster still lingered, affecting the indifferent ancient monster.

So, now, that ancient monster wants to make some compensation...

Such an unrealistic and weird idea came to her mind, which made the elderly Grandma Feng sigh again.

It seemed as if he had also fallen into the illusion of the past, actually being obsessed with such a weak thought and defending that cold and cruel ancient monster...

"I am really too old..."

The elderly Grandma Feng, who was talking to herself, was distracted by the serious question asked by Master Maitreya.

"Master Feng, was it in this cave that you witnessed the terrifying scene you told us about, of countless monsters devouring each other?"

“…Ah, that’s right.”

Hearing the serious question from Master Maitreya, Granny Feng gathered her chaotic thoughts and looked at the serious Master Maitreya.

"Although you may find it unbelievable, that unbelievable scene did happen here."

"That horrific scene, even when I think about it now, still makes me feel extremely frightened and terrified."

"is it?"

Hearing this, Inuyasha dropped his usual carefree attitude and spoke in a serious tone.

"It seems that we have no choice but to go inside and take a look."

Inuyasha, Miroku, and Granny Kaede, a group of eight people, slowly walked into the deep valley cave.

As they walked deeper into the cave, a strange smell made the three of them immediately raise their sleeves to cover their mouths and noses.

"What is this?! The evil aura of an evil creature!"

Covering his mouth and nose, Master Maitreya felt a palpitation in his heart as he smelled the thick evil aura in the cave.

"Such a strong evil spirit!"

PS1: My cold is better today, so I’ll write a chapter first.

Volume 6: Thoughts Across Time and Space: Chapter 399: The Rumored Ancient Book

"That's right, these are all evil spirits left over from fifty years ago."

Covering her mouth and nose, the elderly Grandma Feng slowly walked into the cave, glanced inside the dim cave, and spoke slowly.

"There's no need to be surprised. Fifty years ago, countless evil monsters swarmed into this cave. The dense evil energy left behind by those monsters hasn't completely dissipated even now, fifty years later."

Slowly stepping into a piece of barren ground that was neither too big nor too small in the cave, the elderly Grandma Kaede sighed, raised her hand and pointed here, and spoke to the solemn-looking Inuyasha and Master Miroku.

"This is where the wild ghost spider lay."

Hearing what Grandma Kaede said, Inuyasha and Master Miroku, who were covering their mouths and noses, came forward together and looked seriously at this gloomy land where no grass had grown for decades due to the pollution of strong evil energy.

"That wild ghost spider's body was burned by the fire, and then he fell from the cliff. He can no longer move, and can only lie here and wait for death."

Looking at the dark surface that was contaminated by filth and evil spirits and where no grass grew, the elderly Grandma Feng recalled the memories of that time.

"However, even so, that despicable bandit who couldn't change his nature, was clearly about to die, but he still had the delusion to obtain the power of the Four Souls Jade, and he even had a filthy greed for Sister Kikyo..."

"Oh? This kind of thing actually happened fifty years ago."

Covering his mouth and nose, Inuyasha didn't find it strange and tutted.

"But if that's the case, then it's not surprising that Shang Yang came here fifty years ago to get rid of this despicable bandit, right?"

"After all, no matter what he wants to do with that shrine maiden and the Four Souls Jade, Shang Yang pretends to care about her. It's only natural for him to come here and eliminate that dying human bandit just in case."

"If it was just a dying man, there wouldn't be any need for Lord Shang Yang to go to such great lengths to sneak in and kill this bandit called Ghost Spider."

"Unless there is something else strange about that wild ghost spider."

After taking a quick look at the ground where the paralyzed ghost spider that was burned fifty years ago was lying and which was polluted by terrible and thick evil energy, Master Maitreya, who came from a well-educated family and often dealt with demons and ghosts, muttered with a serious expression.

"What a terrifying evil aura! A human body can condense such a dense and terrifying evil aura. Is this Wild Thief Spider...really still human?"

Hearing this, Inuyasha fell silent as he smelled the foul evil aura in the cave.

After a brief silence, Inuyasha turned sideways and asked seriously.

"Hey, Old Lady Feng, did you really see with your own eyes countless monsters pouring into this cave, greedily devouring the remains of the dead ghost spiders while cruelly devouring each other? Were those monsters summoned by Shang Yang?"

"...Ah, for fifty years, I've also considered this extremely suspicious."

Hearing Inuyasha's question, the elderly grandmother Kaede also looked solemn and confused.

"If Shang Yang was the one who came here to kill Ghost Spider, that would explain it. But why did he summon countless evil spirits to devour Ghost Spider's remains after his death? If he did it simply to vent his anger or to destroy the body, that doesn't make sense."

"That's right. Whether it's to vent anger or to destroy the body, it's too unreasonable..."

Hearing the confused remarks of the elderly Maple Granny, Master Maitreya, holding a Zen staff, muttered to himself.

……and many more.

Master Maitreya, who was also in deep doubt, suddenly had a flash of inspiration in his mind.

When I was young, I seemed to be urged by my father to read carefully an ancient book with missing pages at home.

It was a precious fragment of a handwritten manuscript that my grandfather had accidentally obtained from the home of a nobleman in Kyoto. It was a thank-you gift from that nobleman to thank my grandfather for defeating the monster that had been plaguing their clan.

"...Perhaps, those evil monsters overflowing with evil spirits were attracted here by the spider demon himself?"

The young mage muttered to himself.

"Ok?"

Hearing the young wizard talking to himself, Grandma Feng looked at him with some confusion.

"What did you say……?"

Hearing the strange and doubtful question from the elderly Grandma Feng, Master Maitreya turned sideways, looked at the elderly Grandma Feng, and spoke slowly.

"Master Feng, please tell me, do you know the Yoshino Mountain Chronicle?"

"...'Yoshino Mountain Chronicle'?"

Upon hearing this, the elderly Grandma Feng frowned.

"Of course, as a shrine maiden, I've certainly heard of the name of this ancient book... Does this ancient book have anything to do with the matter of the spider demon?"

"Yes, it is very likely related to this matter."

Still gazing at this piece of land polluted by filthy evil spirits, Master Maitreya spoke in a solemn tone.

"Hey, Miroku, what are you and old lady Feng talking about?"

Inuyasha asked in confusion after hearing the strange conversation between Master Miroku and Grandma Kaede.

"Yoshino Mountain Chronicle? What is that?"

"That is an ancient book that has been coveted by onmyojis, priests, miko, exorcists, and monks since ancient times, who have fought against demons and ghosts. It records the countless stories of demons and evil spirits in this land."

In response to Inuyasha's doubtful questions, the elderly grandmother Kaede slowly explained to him.

"The date of this ancient book's writing and its author are long lost to history. We only know that handwritten copies of portions of it circulated throughout this land during the Heian period. Legend has it that the author of this ancient book was a highly skilled monk who lived in seclusion deep within Mount Yoshino, near Nara, possessing immense magical powers and having vanquished countless demons and evil spirits."

"This eminent monk recorded his lifelong experiences in exorcising demons and ghosts, passing them down to those who later dedicated themselves to exorcising them. This precious ancient book encompasses the characteristics of countless demons and the methods for exorcising them."

"Unfortunately, although there are many volumes of Yoshino Mountain Record, both the original and the handwritten copies of the original content are extremely valuable and difficult to obtain. Maple Village is located in the remote countryside of the eastern part of the country, and Sister Kikyo and I have never obtained a single volume of Yoshino Mountain Record."

"Indeed, what Master Feng said is extremely accurate."

Hearing Grandma Feng's slightly regretful explanation, Master Maitreya nodded and continued slowly.

"Since the Heian Period over 700 years ago, the Yoshino Mountain Chronicle has been a coveted ancient text by onmyojis, priests, shrine maidens, exorcists, and monks. Even more astonishing is that the Yoshino Mountain Chronicle doesn't just record demons and ghosts from the Heian Period. For hundreds of years thereafter, copies of the Yoshino Mountain Chronicle have been circulating throughout this land, documenting demons and ghosts born hundreds of years later. It's as if the eminent monk who lived in seclusion on Mount Yoshino has been living there for centuries, writing volume after volume of the Yoshino Mountain Chronicle."

"It wasn't until two hundred years ago, after the Ashikaga Shogunate established its shogunate in Kyoto, that the Yoshinoyama Chronicle, which recorded demons and ghosts in the world, gradually ceased to circulate."

"However, the idea that the great monk who lived in seclusion on Mount Yoshino for hundreds of years is implausible. Human life is simply not possible. For centuries, onmyoji, priests, miko, exorcists, and monks have generally believed that the great monk of the Heian period left behind disciples and descendants. For centuries, the Yoshino Mountain Chronicle was written and passed down by the great monk's remaining disciples and descendants."

"During the Nanboku-cho period, when the Ashikaga clan established their shogunate in Kyoto, the Nara region, where Mount Yoshino is located, became the scene of frequent wars between the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Perhaps the descendants and disciples of the great Heian-era monk were affected by the war and were forced to give up compiling the Yoshinosanki."

Having said that, Master Miroku seemed to remember something and looked at Inuyasha with some amusement.

"By the way, Inuyasha, I've heard other eminent monks mention a volume of 'Yoshino Mountain Chronicle' that was circulated hundreds of years ago. It records the deeds of your father, the great demon dog general Toga. You were also born hundreds of years ago. Perhaps there is also a volume of 'Yoshino Mountain Chronicle' that records your deeds."

"...Tsk, can humans persist in doing such boring things for hundreds of years?"

Hearing this, Inuyasha snorted, feeling a little unhappy.

"Perhaps the monk who originally wrote these nonsense books is actually a monster. His purpose in writing these books is to use you mages to eliminate other monsters that threaten him. That way, he can rest easy, right?"

“…Alas, this is true.”

Upon hearing that the great monk who was dedicated to making it easier for people who later exterminated monsters to do so, was actually described by Inuyasha as an evil monster with ulterior motives who took advantage of the people who exterminated monsters, Master Miroku couldn't help but smile bitterly and continued.

"Fortunately, during his travels, my grandfather, while fighting monsters, once helped a nobleman in Kyoto defeat a difficult monster that had plagued his family for decades. As a gift of gratitude, the nobleman gave my grandfather a long-cherished fragment of a handwritten copy of 'Yoshino Sanki' from the late Heian period."

"That torn manuscript of 'Yoshino Mountain Chronicle' records a rare and strange phenomenon."

"A rare and bizarre event in which a living human voluntarily degenerates into a monster."

PS1: "Yoshino Mountain Record" is of course a book written by the owner of Yoshino Mountain who does not want to reveal his name, so that Shang Yangjun can also experience the difficulty of typing.

PS2: This book "Yoshino Mountain Record" written by Shang Yang is very important. It is the main premise of the modern Japan chapter.

Volume 6: Longing Across Time and Space: Chapter 400: The Attack of the Monster Wolfygan

"Will a living...human being voluntarily degenerate into a monster?"

Inuyasha frowned deeply when he heard what Master Miroku said.

"It's hard to believe that such a thing could happen..."

For Inuyasha, who has been trying to give up half of his human blood for two hundred years, it is not difficult to imagine how difficult this is.

Even if he, a half-demon, wanted to abandon the other half of his human body, there has been no progress in the past two hundred years. It is easy to imagine how difficult it is to transform from a weak ordinary human into a pure monster out of thin air.

"Of course there will be."

Upon hearing this, Master Maitreya replied in a deep voice.

"According to my grandfather's ancient and incomplete volume of the Yoshino Mountain Chronicle, there are many ways in this world for humans to transform into monsters. Humans' voluntary degeneration into monsters is just one of these methods."

"That volume of the Yoshinoyama Chronicle records a story. It's said that seven hundred years ago during the Heian Period, a princess of a noble family in Kyoto, for some unknown reason, gained the power and form of a demon. She then vanished without a trace, causing great concern and anxiety among the nobles of Kyoto at the time."

"The Yoshinoyama Chronicle also records the degeneration of humans into monsters. It is said that some people are inherently evil and despicable, and even if they convert to Buddhism, they cannot return to the right path. If the minds of these evil and despicable people are polluted by evil greed and desire, they may be targeted by evil monsters, eager to devour their evil souls. If the evil greed is too deep, the dark and evil thoughts in the heart will even pollute the soul, causing it to degenerate, losing its human form and gradually transforming into a wicked and dark monster."

After explaining this, Master Maitreya, who was leaning on a Zen stick, paused for a moment, looked at the elderly Grandma Feng who was in deep thought, and asked in a deep voice.

"Lord Feng, in your opinion, do you think that the despicable wild thief spider, who was close to death but still had filthy desires for your sister, Lady Kikyo, could have actively corrupted his own soul and attracted countless evil monsters?"

"This explains why that bandit was able to gather such a dense and terrifying evil aura in the form of a human."

Hearing the young wizard's deep question, the elderly Grandma Feng seemed to be thinking about something.

Will humans voluntarily degenerate into evil monsters? (IX)