National Tide 1980.

The funeral proceeded quite smoothly, without any loud wailing, only orderly procedures and a deep sorrow hidden within the formalities.

The younger generation of artists arrived a little later. They were all wrapped in heavy coats, with small white flowers pinned to their collars with fine pins. Their young faces would usually linger for a while when they arrived at the altar.

The only major setback during the entire funeral process was probably the unexpected arrival of Seicho Matsumoto.

It was an accident because almost everyone in the Japanese literary world knew that Matsumoto Seichō and Inoue Yasushi had a strained relationship.

This is not only because when Seicho Matsumoto debuted at the age of forty, he visited Yasushi Inoue with his own work, only to be met with a rather cold and dismissive attitude from the other party, which left a deep-seated grudge from then on.

Furthermore, after Matsumoto Seichō became famous, he and Inoue Yasushi were long-term adversaries and frequently argued in various media due to their different literary creation philosophies.

Furthermore, with Matsumoto Seicho's recent resurgence in literary fame due to his new work "Squid Game," Inoue Yasushi's later years appear even more tragic, fueling speculation that Matsumoto Seicho would not attend the funeral.

After all, given Matsumoto Seicho's current status and achievements in the Japanese literary world, he no longer needs to give face to anyone or make way for his old rival who has already met his demise. Even if he didn't come, no one would dare to make any comments about it.

In fact, the invitation sent to him by the literary society was just a formality, following established customs.

Many people share the same opinion: they believe that Seicho Matsumoto has no need to come, nor is it possible for him to come, and that he would make excuses to decline even when questioned by the media.

However, the result was completely unexpected; no one expected him to actually come.

Although he arrived a little late, his arrival was ultimately of great significance.

It not only reflects his magnanimity and recognition of Inoue Yasushi, but also carries the special meaning of reconciliation and forgiveness.

Moreover, it also meant that he gave the Japanese literary PEN Club a great deal of face, allowing the Japanese literary community to truly achieve a complete emotional cohesion.

Therefore, both Inoue Yasushi's family and the host, Shiba Ryotaro, treated Matsumoto Seichō as their most important guest and were extremely excited.

The other guests were also deeply moved, feeling fortunate to have witnessed an important moment that would be recorded in literary history.

However, since the seating arrangements had not reserved a place for Seicho Matsumoto, adjustments had to be made on-site.

Therefore, some chaos inevitably occurred at the scene, forcing the entire funeral procession to be suspended.

But that's not all. What's most troublesome are the Japanese media reporters who come attracted by the smell and then cause trouble.

No one knows how they got the news, but they all rushed over at once, even the media reporters who were originally invited to rest in the side room by the young monk came.

Moreover, many reporters took advantage of the lapse in attention at the scene to sneak close to the families of Seicho Matsumoto and Yasushi Inoue, and many of them took out their cameras and started snapping pictures.

This sudden change not only exacerbated the chaos at the scene, but also left the monks at Jingxin Temple who were in charge of maintaining order at the venue completely bewildered.

No one expected that these media reporters would be so bold in their quest for news, daring to act so recklessly even inside an ancient temple.

Fortunately, Abbot Tianyue was on the scene. After realizing that something was wrong, he decisively instructed the monks to take forceful action.

So those who shouldn't have been there were forcibly removed by the monks one by one, which at least made up for the lack of order in the venue in a timely manner.

Even so, it left Monk Tianyue terrified and furious.

For no other reason than that these ungrateful reporters' spy-like behavior went too far.

Such reckless and unruly behavior almost ruined the funeral he had painstakingly prepared, causing all his efforts to go to waste.

If the family members and the literary society were to criticize him for this, not only would the reputation of Jingxin Temple be completely ruined, but he would also be implicated and punished by the abbot, which he absolutely could not tolerate.

Therefore, when Monk Yue walked out of the hall that day, he was filled with anger that was about to erupt, and he had no intention of giving these reporters any more pleasantries.

However, what happened next was equally unpredictable.

"Master, Jingxin Temple must have put a lot of thought into preparing this funeral, right? We noticed that many of the funeral items are very luxurious and stylish, quite unique. Was this requested by the deceased's family or the literary association? Was it prepared specifically for this funeral? Could you please disclose the specific budget?"

"Master, you are the main person in charge of this funeral, right? I would like to know if the coffin was prepared in advance? The patterns on those coffins cannot be made in a short time. Was it specially made for Master Inoue by skilled craftsmen commissioned by Jingxin Temple? Could it be that Master Inoue had already made corresponding arrangements for his afterlife at Jingxin Temple before his death?"

"Is Master Inoue also a follower of Joshin-ji Temple? Why have we never heard of this? Master, you are incredibly good at keeping secrets. Please tell us about the connection between Joshin-ji Temple and Master Inoue..."

Who would have thought that when these reporters walked out of the hall and saw Monk Tianyue, they were not afraid at all, but instead surrounded him as if he were some kind of celebrity.

Moreover, each question was one that could enhance Jingxin Temple's reputation, which happened to hit a nerve with him, catching Tianyue off guard.

Even with his intense anger, Monk Tianyue's words of rebuke, which had been rising in his throat, suddenly caught in his throat, leaving him completely unable to express his rage to the reporters in front of him.

After a moment of stunned silence, a standard monk's smile appeared on his face.

"Amitabha Buddha, everyone... everyone, please don't be impatient. I will answer all your questions one by one. Please take turns asking your questions..."

And so, while Monk Tianyue verbally complied, his anger subsided.

The final result was one that made him feel a little guilty – he had to be extremely patient and amiable to these reporters in order to cooperate with their interviews.

After all, Japan also has a proverb like "Don't hit a dog that's wagging its tail," which is basically equivalent to the Chinese saying "Don't hit a smiling face."

Since these reporters are willing to promote Jingxin Temple, there's something to be gained from this. He can't afford to lose his composure and dwell on what just happened.

That's not all; by the same logic, the same applies to Nakamura Go.

Monk Tianyue may have forgotten something, but he couldn't possibly forget who provided him with those funeral items that had attracted the attention of the guests.

He never expected that Nakamura Go's exquisite funeral items would have such a good effect at this celebrity's funeral, greatly enhancing the reputation and prestige of Jingxin Temple today.

As a result, his lingering hatred for Nakamura was like a flame doused with cold water, naturally diminishing considerably.

Honestly, if he had known this would happen, why would he have used Nakamura Go to coerce him in the first place?
Even if he were the one to actively seek cooperation from the other party, it would be perfectly reasonable for him to do so.

Now it seems that it's not a bad thing at all, but a good thing. Who would have thought?

As Monk Tianyue dealt with reporters and inwardly lamented the impermanence of life, the main funeral venue gradually returned to quiet and order.

In the mourning hall, Ryotaro Shiba, dressed in a crisp black kimono, stood before Yasushi Inoue's coffin and began to read the eulogy he had written himself.

His voice was steady and powerful, mixed with the faint chanting from the inner room, permeating every inch of the wooden beams and pillars.

Inoue Yasushi's family members stood beside him, their hands clasped together.

The elderly scholars in the front row bowed with their backs straight, their manners impeccable to the point of restraint.

Seicho Matsumoto was among them; his hair was neatly combed, and he bowed deeply to the portrait.

His face no longer held its usual arrogance and pride, but instead displayed a solemnity and grief befitting the funeral.

This scene, witnessed by the family members, caused them to bend over even deeper. In particular, Inoue Yasushi's widow, as she stood up, her Adam's apple bobbed slightly, as if a sob was stuck in her throat.

But no matter what, there is one detail that must be emphasized.

That is because Inoue Yasushi's coffin and other funeral items were simply too gorgeous and too stylish.

So much so that many people's gazes at the funeral hall's decorations, and their private whispers, were filled with undisguised admiration.

If Monk Tianyue could see this scene, he would surely stand up straighter and even all his fatigue would be relieved.

…………

The wind gradually subsided in the afternoon, but it started to snow.

The path to the temple was still crowded with people, their black umbrellas moving among the white plum blossoms like a somber cloud.

The candles in the mourning hall were replaced with new ones, which burned more steadily.

The light and shadow fell on the ebony coffin, making the lotus patterns even clearer.

The incense smoke still rose straight, mingling with the plum blossom fragrance drifting in from outside, enveloping the entire hall in a lingering, sweet glow.

After the ceremony, Inoue Yasushi's family and Shiba Ryotaro walked last among all the guests, and the abbots of Ten-gaku and Jōshin-ji Temple personally saw them off.

"Thank you so much, masters."

Inoue Yasushi's son held Tian Yue's hand, his eyes red-rimmed. "My father loved exquisite objects, and he especially loved Chinese artifacts. Your temple has prepared such a fine coffin and funeral items for him in just a few days, which is worthy of his status."

Ryotaro Shiba nodded as well. He wore round-framed glasses, and his gaze was gentle yet weighty.

"The funeral arrangements at Jingxin Temple were very well done. The decorations were both solemn and elegant, showing great care. If Mr. Inoue could know this from beyond the grave, he would surely be pleased."

He paused, then looked at the abbot beside him.

“Master Abbot, it is a blessing for Buddhism to have a talent like Tianyue at Jingxin Temple. I believe that your Jingxin Temple has the potential to become a truly renowned temple.”

The host smiled so hard his eyes narrowed into slits, and he repeatedly clasped his hands together, saying, "Amitabha, not at all, it's just our duty."

Even so, after seeing the guests off, the abbot patted Tianyue on the shoulder, his tone full of praise.

“Tianyue, you have worked diligently and made great contributions this time! I have already spoken with the Buddhist Academy. After your son graduates, he can come directly to Jingxin Temple. With proper training, I think he can take over your position and carry on your legacy in the future.”

Tianyue's heart pounded, and his blood rushed to his head.

It's important to know that Japanese monks don't adhere to the "Five Precepts" and are free to marry and have children; it can be considered a unique profession.

But not all monks can live a wealthy life.

Only the abbot of a large monastery and senior monks like him who handle the monastery's worldly affairs can be considered to live a life of abundance.

If it is a small temple and it has no temple property, sometimes even the abbot is poor and has to work in the secular world in order to barely maintain the temple's legacy.

What Tianyue actually lacked most and longed for most was the inability to pass down his position from generation to generation like the abbot of a temple. His position as the chief monk was merely a personal post.

His son has been studying at the Buddhist academy for five years and has been worried about not being able to find a good place to go after graduation. Now, with the secular world making it difficult to find a job, even he is worried about his son who is about to graduate.

Now that the host has personally agreed to let his son follow in his footsteps, it's like a godsend.

This means that their family will also become "hereditary" monks of Jingxin Temple.

Barring any major problems, they've secured wealth for at least several generations.

He was so excited that his voice trembled, “Thank you, Abbot! Thank you, Abbot! I have no way to repay your kindness. I will definitely serve the temple more diligently in the future.”

At this moment, when he thought of Nakamura Go, the hatred in Tianyue's heart had long since vanished, replaced by a strange sense of gratitude.

If Nakamura hadn't forced him to accept the funeral supplies with those photos, he might not have been able to host this funeral, let alone gain such exposure and receive such a generous reward from the officiant.

Nakamura was not a bad person who tried to extort him; he was clearly his benefactor!

Heaven has been kind to him! He really misunderstood Nakamura before.

So when he returned to his meditation room, Tianyue immediately closed the door and took out Nakamura's business card from the drawer.

Moreover, even though the phone rang for a long time before being answered, Tianyue didn't mind at all.

Nakamura Gou's voice, with its usual boldness, rang out, "Master Tianyue? What brings you here? Don't tell me there's been a problem with the funeral arrangements?"

“No, no,” Tianyue’s voice was gentler than ever before. “Nakamura-kun, thank you so much this time. The funeral was a great success, and the guests all praised your funeral supplies. Especially the coffin, your carving skills were superb.”

He paused, and even took the initiative to show goodwill.

"As for the three million yen payment for this item, you don't need to wait until the end of the month. I'll have someone deliver it to you tomorrow. Your shop has just opened, so you must really need cash flow. Also, I think we should give the project of re-gilding the Buddha statue at Jingxin Temple a try. We can discuss it in detail sometime. However, you must guarantee that the final result of the Buddha statue can only be better than it is now, not worse. Is that alright?"

Nakamura on the other end of the phone was visibly taken aback for a moment, then laughed. "Sure, sure, I absolutely promise. Master, why are you suddenly so easy to talk to? I'm really not used to it. Oh, by the way, a few new brothels have recently opened in Kabukicho, with lots of novelties. If you'd like, Master, I can take you to see them sometime?"

Tianyue's heart raced instantly, but he maintained a serious expression. "Amitabha, Nakamura-kun, please don't joke with me. How could I dare to make such a mistake now?"

“Don’t worry, Master,” Nakamura’s voice was tinged with amusement. “It’s not that this can’t be done. It’s just a matter of how it’s done. I’ll arrange everything for you. It’s absolutely safe, and I guarantee you’ll have a great time. And I assure you, it’ll be all things you’ve never experienced before.”

Tianyue's Adam's apple bobbed as images of the dazzling lights of Kabukicho flashed through his mind, and his palms began to sweat.

He was actually tempted, but pretended to decline, saying, "This... isn't a good idea. Someone like me is afraid that I'll be recognized as soon as I show up."

“Master, I never promise things I can’t do. We’re on the same side now, so you can trust me completely.”

Nakamura's tone left no room for refusal: "The day after tomorrow, I'll wait for you at the entrance of your clubhouse at seven o'clock. Just wear casual clothes. You must be very busy these two days, so take a good rest so you can enjoy yourself to the fullest."

After hanging up the phone, Tianyue looked at himself in the mirror. He hadn't changed out of his monk's robe yet, but his face was full of an uncontrollable smile.

The creases at the corners of her eyes finally filled with genuine joy.

Needless to say, at this point, he no longer had any negative thoughts about Nakamura Go.

He was simply thinking that Nakamura, despite his rough appearance, was quite efficient and worth trying to win over.

If he can really have a good time, then this Nakamura is much more considerate than the suppliers he's dealt with in the past.

Those guys will only offer a meal and drinks, a little cash, and some gifts. (End of Chapter)