Tokyo: The life of a literary giant begins with home self-defense!

Chapter 436: The Dragon and the Elephant
When Longchuan Che and his wife walked out of the Jizang Pavilion, they saw two girls waiting there.

Akane Takeda wore a light blue dress, while the young lady wore a plain white dress.

Even without makeup, a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl standing in the rain is a beautiful sight.

Longchuan Che watched as the splashing water wet his fair legs, while his wife happily went to greet him.

"Xiaoqian".

The lady's face lit up with joy; Akane Takeda would never normally come to Kyoō-ji Temple.

The person who placed the memorial tablet here does not acknowledge her as a daughter. If she weren't his wife, she might not even have the surname Takeda.

"Mother."

The mother and daughter greeted each other from the side, and Long Chuanche felt something was off after learning the truth.

"Why did you come together?"

Longchuan looked at the young lady holding the transparent umbrella.

The girl wore a light white midi skirt, the hem of which was wet from the rain. Her delicate face looked like a blooming lotus flower in the rain.

"I think she's too bored being home alone."

The young lady smiled at Long Chuanche.

"So I invited her to come along."

Akane Takeda arrived, and the wife ran over to share an umbrella with her daughter.

Ryukawa Tetsu held up an oil-paper umbrella like an ancient person, while the young lady held up an ordinary umbrella that cost 400 yen at a convenience store.

"Your relationship has improved?"

On the way to the small main hall, Tatsukawa Tetsu made a surprised expression.

The young lady said the day before yesterday that the two of them wanted to see each other but now they've become friends as soon as they step out the door?
"Girls' friendships can be strange sometimes."

The young lady gave Long Chuanche a charming smile, and Long Chuanche shrugged in confusion.

Pass through the five-story pagoda of To-ji Temple from Jizo Pavilion.

Although Akane Takeda came, she did not intend to pay her respects.

The group arrived at the small main hall of To-ji, also known as Kyo-o-go-koku-ji.

"We made an appointment with Teacher Hongping."

The one speaking was the young lady. She exchanged a few words with a monk outside the small main hall, and the monk welcomed them inside.

Kyo-o-go-koku-ji Temple was a national temple during the Heian period, built by the monk Kūkai, and is also the head temple of the Shingon sect.

Unlike that small Zen temple, even a small main hall appears magnificent.

Five large seated statues of Akasagarbha were enshrined there, with a Buddha seated on the back of a lion, an elephant, a horse, a peacock, and a Garuda.

"This looks like an antique."

The lady glanced at the five statues of Ksitigarbha.

"Central Dharma Realm, Eastern Vajra, Southern Precious Light, Western Lotus."

Long Chuanche knew the origin of these Buddha statues at a glance.

"This is a statue that the monk Huiyun brought back after returning from his mission to Tang China."

The Buddha statues were antiques from the Heian period, and the lady couldn't help but show them more respect.

The group sat down in a tea room inside the small main hall, where guests were entertained, and the monk who had led the way left.

"When did this monk become so extravagant?"

Several people were taking shelter from the rain inside the teahouse, while outside, maple leaves swayed in the wind.

Ryukawa Tetsu had met Hirohira a few times, but this was the first time he realized how troublesome it was to see the other person.

"After all, the teacher is a follower of the Shingon sect and also a leading figure in the Japanese literary world."

The young lady brewed tea for them at the tea table, smiling gently at them.

"Isn't it normal to have a bigger entourage?"

Buddhism holds a significant position in Japan, not to mention that the monk Kohei is also known as the founder of class literature.

The two influences have a huge impact in Japan, and Tatsukawa Tetsuya knows that there is no other way to deal with this kind of person except to reason with him.

"What exactly does he want to bet with me on?"

Ono Taro's original words to Ireland were: if he wins, Ryukawa Tetsu can take all of his sixty years of accumulated wealth; if he loses, he has to grant him one request. It was this combination that led Ryukawa Tetsu to decide to bring the young lady over; sometimes, a girl's abilities are like a bug in the system.

"Who knows?"

Apart from Tatsukawa Toru, the others seemed indifferent to what was happening today, even though it could be a major event that would change the landscape of the Japanese literary world.

"This is for you, Miss Takeda."

The three women chatted and drank tea like wealthy ladies on an outing, while Longchuan Che turned his head to look out the window.

The rain was falling softly, and the five-story pagoda looked majestic and imposing in the distance.

The mandala murals of the Vajradhatu and Garbhadhatu mandalas create a strong sense of oppression. If it were a discussion about Buddhism, even Tatsukawa Tetsu wouldn't be sure he could easily defeat his opponent.

What did she give you?

The young lady gave the lady a gift, and the woman immediately became furtive.

Long Chuanche leaned over to take a look, and the woman quickly hid the things.

Long Chuanche was in a hurry and could only see words like "Ye Suan" (叶酸).

"Do you want some medication to prevent miscarriage?"

The young lady covered her mouth and laughed, while Long Chuanche curled his lip in disdain.

The wait seemed to be a little longer than expected.

It was almost noon when Miyako Seiichitaro, dressed in a monk's robe, finally arrived late.

Alone, she didn't put on any airs like the young lady described.

"Come with me to the Guanzhi Temple next door."

The old monk glanced at the three young ladies, but showed no intention of holding their conversation there.

"Can she come along?"

Long Chuanche pointed to the young lady; he had brought her here specifically.

"you guess."

Hongping's indifferent attitude almost made Longchuan Che's nose crooked with anger.

Having just entered the small main hall, we then entered the Guanzhi Academy.

Long Chuanche suspected that the old monk had come to show off on purpose.

Kyo-o-go-koku-ji Temple covers thirteen hectares and is filled with artifacts from the Heian period.

Thirty Chapters by Kukai, a treasured collection of secret teachings.

Many things were even more exaggerated than what Tatsukawa Tetsu had seen in his own room at the Kujo family's house.

"Is this a three-dimensional mandala image that Kukai brought back?"

Long Chuan stopped in his tracks as he passed the fifteen golden lacquered statues.

The golden Buddha statues are solemn and dignified; in some ways, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them Buddha treasures.

"Only the five Buddhas in the center of the Sumeru Altar are relics from the Heian period, and were rebuilt fifty years ago."

A three-dimensional mandala image refers to the image of the Five Buddhas with Vairocana as the main deity, the Five Great Bodhisattvas centered on Vajrapani Bodhisattva, and the Five Great Vidyarajas centered on Acala.

A three-dimensional mandala composed of a total of fifteen Buddha statues.

Long Chuanche examined them carefully and found that, apart from the five Buddhas in the center, the gold paint on the other Buddha statues was indeed relatively new.

"Just tell me what's on your mind."

Long Chuanche sighed. Monk Hongping had been showing him antiques and Buddhist artifacts, but he didn't understand what the other party wanted to do by bringing him to Guanzhi Temple.

"Three three-dimensional mandala statues were lost; all three were destroyed by natural disasters."

The old monk stood in the golden hall.

"Guess why the remaining four disappeared."

The first thing he said was a question that ordinary people wouldn't care about, and Long Chuanche frowned.

"what?"

If it were a conversation about the origins of ancient artifacts, Tatsukawa Tetsu would feel like he could concede defeat right now.

However, the old monk merely glanced at him coldly and uttered the words "man-made disaster."

(End of this chapter)