The Legend of Tokyo Taoist

Chapter 807: Enemy in Honnoji Part 26 ()

Qian Xiaoyi knew that Jingde must have understood the fighting style of Ashiya Yoshisuke and his five companions and formulated a strategy, and then defeated them while he was well rested. However, this could not change the fact that they lost, and the consequences of their loss were very serious.

"So, how did he defeat you?" Qian Xiaoyi asked.

"It's the same as you know." Ashiya Jisuke said, "He destroyed our seal and caused the Slit-mouthed Woman to go berserk. Only Liuliyuan and I managed to escape from the ghost realm, but Liuliyuan died not long after returning. I was also injured and was unconscious for several days after returning home."

Qian Xiaoyi asked: "Since there is such a deep hatred between you and that person, why don't you retaliate?"

"Of course I thought about revenge." Ashiya Jisuke sneered: "After waking up, the first thing I did was to take revenge. I wanted to use the secret techniques of the Ashiya family to torture him and make him live a life worse than death, but I suddenly found out... at that time, I lost my spiritual ability, just like an ordinary person, I had nothing, I could no longer feel that feeling."

Qian Xiaoyi said: "Because you know the theory of cognition, all the previous methods of 'refining spiritual power' are no longer effective, and the spiritual power and inspiration will naturally dissipate."

"Yes, so I fell into panic, which means that the theory he told us is true." Ashiya Yoshisuke said: "After losing my psychic ability, I was like crazy looking up information at home, trying to get my power back. For an exorcist, without this power, it's like being disabled."

Qian Xiaoyi could understand Ashiya Yoshisuke's feelings. Generally speaking, after the classical school lost its power due to cognitive theory, it would be difficult to recall previous feelings without anyone to guide them. They would forget them abruptly, just like waking up from a dream. The memories in the dream were flushed away like flushing a toilet, leaving nothing behind.

The so-called "cultivation" of the classical school is based on various metaphysics and empirical sciences. Once this framework is broken, all those practices will become ineffective for the classical school.

Ashiya Jisuke said: "Just then, the man appeared again. He appeared in front of me and asked me if I wanted to regain my power and if I wanted to... see my relatives again."

"Xiao Ju?" Qian Xiaoyi asked, "Although it's rude to ask this, what happened to Xiao Ju? Where are her parents?"

"That happened a few years before the Slit-mouthed Woman incident." Ashiya Yoshisuke was silent for a while, poured himself another glass of wine, and said, "My son... he is a typical Ashiya family Yin-Yang master. He... was bewitched by power and peeked at some of the family's secret techniques. He wanted to use evil methods to gain greater power. This beast, he even sacrificed his own wife. Just when he wanted to sacrifice even Kiku, I arrived and... killed him with my own hands."

Qian Xiaoyi shook his head. Many secret techniques of ancient evil sects were used to harm others and benefit themselves. Those techniques would affect the mind of practitioners. They might not feel anything at first, but once they did it too many times and tasted the sweetness, they would not be able to turn back and practice hard anymore. They could only go all the way down this path until the end.

Ashiya Yoshisuke said: "But I was still too late. Xiaoju had been affected by the ritual and her life was almost over. I could only accompany her for the last few days..."

A painful look appeared on his face, and then as if he had thought of something, his frown immediately relaxed. He murmured, "But now... she's back again. This time I will make sure she won't suffer that kind of unwarranted suffering again..." Qian Xiaoyi reminded, "So you accepted Jingde's proposal and became a cognitiveist... Since you are already a cognitiveist, have you ever thought that this [Xiaoju] is just a phantom you constructed? She is the Xiaoju in your cognition, not the real one."

Ashiya Jisuke raised his old face and said, "It doesn't matter. Everything in the world comes from people's cognition, right? In this case, what does it matter whether it is true or false? As long as I can see Xiaoju with my own eyes and be with her, it will be fine."

"Brain in a jar..." Qian Xiaoyi said, "Is it fun to deceive yourself like this?"

"Self-deception?" Ashiya Kichisuke laughed: "Aren't humans a race that deceives themselves? We are all human, but we divide ourselves into classes. The lower class looks up to the upper class, tries to please and fawn on them, while the upper class regards the lower class as grass. We are obviously the same species, but we live in different environments and receive different educations, which creates such a big difference... Why can everyone deceive themselves, but I can't?"

Qian Xiaoyi sighed, "I never thought that you, the descendant of the great Yin-Yang Master, turned out to be just a self-destructive guy. You should know why Jingde gathered you together and his purpose for coming to Japan, right?"

"Of course." Ashiya Yoshisuke said, "He gathered us together to extinguish the possibility of the cognitive school sprouting in Japan. In this way, no one can compete with him. His purpose is naturally for strength, power, interests and the like, to become a king or something like that."

"You don't plan to resist?" Qian Xiaoyi asked, "After learning about cognitive theory, you should know what will happen to this country if you let him do whatever he wants, right?"

"What will it become?" Ashiya Yoshisuke laughed strangely: "One Hundred Demons Night Parade? All places are within the range where ghosts may appear? But if that's the case, wouldn't it be a good thing for us exorcists? Everyone will look for exorcists to solve their problems, everyone will become superstitious and ignorant, living in lies, and most importantly... by then, Xiaoju will be able to grow up like a normal child, and she won't have to stay in the Yellow Spring House and be unable to go out..."

Qian Xiaoyi snorted coldly: "Just for this? Just so that your poor granddaughter can move freely, you put aside your dignity and work for Baigui? Cover up the news for them, and eliminate those talented exorcists who may discover the existence of Baigui?"

"What else can I do!" Ashiya Yoshisuke exploded. He slammed the table and stood up like an old tiger. He stared at Qian Xiaoyi and asked, "If that man doesn't come to Japan, will the environment in Japan be better? If the five of us discovered cognitive theory, can we use cognitive theory to benefit the people like the cognitive school in China? No, Qian Xiaoyi, I tell you, even if he didn't come, he couldn't change anything. He just accelerated the process."

Then, Ashiya Yoshisuke came to the conclusion: "Even if there was no Hundred Demons he established, there would be another Hundred Demons... No, it should be said that the Hundred Demons have always existed from the beginning to the end, in this country! As a foreigner, you don't understand this place at all!"

"The appearance of the Hundred Ghosts..." Ashiya Yoshisuke stared at Qian Xiaoyi and said, "——It is inevitable!"

Faced with Ashiya Yoshisuke's answer, Qian Xiaoyi remained silent.

(End of this chapter)