Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes.

Chapter 231, Page 229: The Purple Qi Draws East

A gloomy, rainy day.

The Komagome subway station was packed with people, more crowded than usual, and felt unusually hot and stuffy.

Higashiyama Shin opened his umbrella, half-embracing Chiba's shoulder to protect her, and quietly pushed his way through the throng of people exiting the station.

The two of them supported each other as they walked along the road. Chiba's gaze slid past a slightly old-fashioned little hotel on a street corner.

A weary-looking staff member pulled out a piece of paper with the words "Mandoku" written in large characters.
He slammed his hand against the door with a loud thud, the movement revealing obvious numbness and frustration; it seemed many people had come to repeatedly ask if there were any rooms available.

It's not just these small hotels; even in well-decorated large hotels, almost all of them have signs at the front desk indicating that rooms are full.

Every now and then you can see people dragging suitcases, carrying large and small bags, and bringing their families out of the hotel, standing on the edge of the street with blank and helpless expressions on their faces.

At times like these, there are always a few shrewd individuals who approach and offer accommodation to these homeless people at prices that are significantly higher than usual, but still reasonable by current market rates.

The whole of Tokyo seems to be overflowing.

“The authorities are already neglecting the order in Tokyo,” Chiba said softly. “It seems the problem at Mount Fuji is much more serious than they have revealed.”

Higashiyama Shin casually replied, his tone indifferent: "It's definitely not as the news says, that everything is under control."

"Why don't they go somewhere further away?" Chiba frowned slightly, puzzled. "If Mount Fuji were to erupt, Tokyo would inevitably be one of the hardest-hit areas, wouldn't it? They have many other places to choose from, such as Hokkaido?"

It's at least more reasonable than Tokyo.

"I can guess a bit of what they're thinking."

Higashiyama Shinichi said it was just a guess, but in reality, he had been paying attention to that area these past few days and had heard what the locals were saying.

"In their view, this is not a natural disaster, but an extraordinary calamity. Only Tokyo is the last bastion that the government will defend to the death no matter what."

“Those resettlement sites outside, Saitama, Gunma, and Kanagawa, are nominally resettlement sites, but in the eyes of many people, they are more like buffer zones protecting Tokyo, ready to be abandoned at any time. It’s hard not to feel uneasy living there.”

"It's not just real disaster victims who are flooding in. There are also residents from surrounding counties and cities who have no plans to relocate and are simply driven by panic. They come here just to seek a little bit of safety."

Chiba nodded thoughtfully, then changed the subject.

"Uncle Dongshan, did you say when you'd be back?"

“He said he wanted to take me and Du to Rio.” Shinichi Higashiyama glanced at her. “I refused. But I still agreed to take Du to Hokkaido. We’ll come back after this storm passes.”

Today, the school officially switched to online classes, so it doesn't matter where you study. And his family's decision to flee north is actually in line with their situation.

As for why Hokkaido...
Chiba's lips curved into a very subtle smile. She subconsciously raised her hand and gently tucked a strand of hair that had been blown against her cheek behind her ear: "Really? That's quite a coincidence. My mother also said she'd take me to Hokkaido to stay for a while."

Ah, a coincidence?

Her words had already hinted at Hokkaido. It didn't really matter where Higashiyama Shin went; his save points were already set up, and he could return at any time.

Even without save points, the spider lilies planted in secret can still be used for teleportation, which is quite convenient.

The claim that spider lilies are only randomly released with the permission of the Extraordinary Countermeasures Department is impossible; it's just a perfunctory excuse, although there is indeed a limit on the number that can be released.

"Oh? What a coincidence." Higashiyama Shinichi looked like he had just realized something, but it was all an act.

"..." Chiba lowered her eyelids slightly, her gaze falling on the damp ground, her voice even softer: "Which city are you planning to go to?"

"Still thinking about it," Higashiyama Shin immediately kicked the ball back lightly, "What about you?"

"I heard that the lavender fields in Furano are almost in bloom," she hinted.

“A lavender field,” he said, feigning ignorance.

He had remained silent all along, trailing a few steps behind the two of them, like a superfluous figure, but Dongshan Du could no longer hold back.

Yes, he remained an uninvolved background figure, listening to their conversation.

You two are going to keep arguing forever, aren't you?
"Since we're going to Hokkaido anyway, let's just go together and follow Aunt Chiba's arrangements!" Higashiyama Doku interrupted the two loudly, unable to bear it any longer.

Swish.

As soon as he finished speaking, the footsteps in front of him stopped, and two pairs of eyes instantly fixed on him. The silent gaze made the hairs on the back of Dongshan Du stand up.

“Yes, Du is right,” Higashiyama Shin said with a smile, turning to Chiba. “It is a good suggestion, but I’m afraid it would be too much trouble for you and Auntie.”

“No,” Chiba shook her head, feeling somewhat elated, and she didn’t dislike Higashiyama Doku as much anymore. “Mom will be very happy.” Including her.

Only then did Dongshan realize the consequences of his actions.

Finished!

He has trapped himself in his own web of problems!

They were both comfortable.

And what about him? In the days to come, he will be constantly shrouded in the invisible force field of this love war between the two, a life of intense struggle!
Just like my last trip to Osaka.

Unfortunately, as a mere middle school student, he had no say at home. He could only accept his fate and obediently follow all arrangements.

Back home, Higashiyama was completely dejected and slumped into his room.

Although the departure date has not been finalized yet, judging from the current situation, it will be within the next day or two, and he needs to start packing his luggage.

With a gentle shake, the remaining rainwater on the umbrella evaporated instantly, leaving no trace.

Entering his room, he hung the Soul-Gathering Umbrella by the window and sat down on the edge of the bed.

The sound of rain outside sounded muffled through the glass, and he stared blankly at the wall.

The white-clad mask that appeared on the sandbar that day was none other than him.

His presence there served two purposes: firstly, to provide Kurosaki with a clue that would allow him to successfully deduce and locate the core of the formation.

More importantly, we need to study the formation left behind by the mysterious Taoist priest.

Tracing the timeline revealed by the game, one cannot find the mysterious Taoist priest, or even much trace of the existence of Taoism.

Since the Taoist priest added the sealing formation later, and Dao Manxiaoche should have already passed away by then, it is unlikely that he will appear in the game "The Pact of the Underworld".

Unfortunately, his understanding of formations is limited; he only has a superficial understanding from the "Soul Nourishing Classic."

But it wasn't all for naught.

At least he was certain of one thing: the Taoist priest who set up the formation was definitely not Japanese.

Because when he sensed the formation, he could see clear writing.

The Four Symbols are in chaos / The Earth's veins are depleted / The Demon Seal remains intact / Purple Qi is drawn eastward
Yunshuizi / Gengyin Frost's Descent / A Verse Left Behind

This line confirms two things:
First, it shows that at that time, there were still a few extraordinary beings active in the world, but it may have just been the last glimmer of the extraordinary era.

Secondly, the remaining inscription is not difficult to analyze. This Taoist priest may have come here to search for spiritual veins or blessed lands. The phrase "the four elements are in disarray, and the earth's veins are withered" indicates that the spiritual energy here is scarce, and there is no suitable place.

"The Demon Seal Has Not Been Destroyed" refers to the broken seal left by Dao Man Xiao Che that was discovered by accident. So the Taoist priest reinforced it, but perhaps to preserve his strength or not to waste time, he did not remove the demons inside.

"Purple Qi Leading East" means that purple qi was discovered coming from the east, and the next step should have been to set off to explore it.

Yunshuizi is a Taoist name. Gengyin Shuangjiang indicates that this mark was left during the Frost's Descent season in a Gengyin year after the river changed course in 1708. It also carries a hidden message: he may not have been the only Taoist searching for blessed lands, and he left this mark to warn other potential followers.

It's only because Dongshan Shen has spiritual power that he can see this information.

Only purple aura came from the east.
To the east of Japan lies a seemingly vast expanse, with virtually no islands, extending all the way to the west coast of America.

What kind of bizarre thing is this purple aura that can travel across the Pacific Ocean?!
Moreover, in those days, crossing the Pacific Ocean to North America was quite difficult, even for extraordinary individuals with magical abilities.

Or does "east" here refer to something not far away, but still within the Honshu Island region?
He rubbed his temples, temporarily putting aside the matter of the mysterious Taoist priest.

The most urgent task is to clear "The Pact with the Underworld".

Let's see what exactly is sealed inside Mount Fuji.

Although he already had a general idea, it would be best to have confirmation of the game.

Like other players, he was also stuck on the snake demon.

However, reality provided a clue.

That's the snake, Weak Thunder.

What the player needs to do is to make a reasonable guess about this matter and then tell Master Youchan.

These two are truly a hidden dragon and a phoenix chick; one would rather die than kill, and the other would rather die than use Yin-Yang techniques.

Fortunately, Youchan does have a move that can summon lightning, but the cost is quite high.

With his life.

In the game, Youchan sits cross-legged facing a giant snake, raising his staff high to attract heavenly lightning.

The majestic power of the heavens poured down.

In the blink of an eye, the arrogant giant snake's health bar was greatly reduced, and it froze on the spot, its body emitting burnt black smoke, before crashing to the ground with a loud thud and remaining motionless.

Youchan was completely charred, his clothes turned to ashes, and wisps of smoke rose from his body.

"Master? Master!"

After the battle, Doman Akatsuki knelt before Yuzen, at a loss for what to do.

“Amitabha Buddha, Bubu, do you know why I haven’t performed the ordination ceremony for you yet?”

A murmured sound emanated from the charred body; though faint, it was still quite clear.

"Because... I am deeply sinful." Xiao Che lowered his head.

"No one can be forgiven for any wrongdoing. But as long as you dwell on the past, you will never be free and will be forever tormented."

"Remember, power is neither right nor wrong, it's all about how it's used. The wicked wield knives to rob and plunder, while the virtuous wield swords to protect the peace of the land. That's all."

Youchan laboriously pulled two notebooks from his pocket and placed them on the ground.

"Not killing is a restriction for me, not a shackle for you. I hope you understand that. This snake demon is yours to deal with. You can use these two books yourself, or you can take them back to the nursing home."

His head drooped limply, and he fell silent. His body turned to dust, leaving a handful of ash in the spot.

Daoman Xiaoche stood there, stunned, his eyes glazed over, as if he didn't know what to do next.

But now was not the time to be in a daze. He picked up the two books, took off his clothes to cover Youchan's ashes to prevent them from being blown away, and stood up.

Dao Manxiaoche obtained the "Three Nine Secrets of the Abode" and the "Soul Nourishing Scripture".

Higashiyama Shin was starting to lose his composure.

So, this is where this thing came from?!
That's true. Shingon Buddhism is a type of Tantric Buddhism, so the existence of the Three Nine Secret Mansions is reasonable. It's just that the content of the Soul Nourishing Sutra isn't exactly orthodox. But that can be explained, after all, who can say for sure about Tantric matters?

It's estimated that Mutou in "Soul Exchange" received these two books.

Moreover, he found them in an abandoned temple in the wilderness, so according to the historical trajectory, Daoman Xiaoche should have returned the two books to the nursing home that Youchan mentioned in the end.

Xiao Che stood up and went to the dying serpent. He looked at the knife in his hand, then at the serpent, and was caught in a mental struggle.

"Since it was left by my master, I will not kill it. But to prevent it from doing evil again, I need to take it in as a shikigami." Touyama Shin tentatively entered the command, preparing to start over.

Previously, whenever Yin-Yang techniques were mentioned, suspicion would skyrocket. I wonder if things will change after hearing Youchan's last words.

The level of suspicion has increased slightly, but it's still vastly different from before.

It seems he has almost figured it out.

There is no need to run away from or fear power; what is needed is to learn where to use that power.

It's somewhat like the saying, "With great power comes great responsibility."

Spider-Man exclaimed that he was an expert.

"Either hand over your true name and become my shikigami, or die." He took a deep breath, pointing his sword at the giant serpent.

The serpent looked both fearful and puzzled, sensing the Onmyoji aura emanating from its opponent, wondering why the opponent hadn't used Onmyoji techniques in the previous battle.

It cautiously glanced at Youchan's gray cat, fearing that the other party might attack in a fit of anger, so it quickly struggled and spoke:
"My real name is He Ye, please don't kill me! Please don't kill me! Onmyoji, I am willing to become your shikigami and serve you at your command!"

The giant snake threw the arrow decisively.

This was so straightforward that Daoman Xiaoche was taken aback; he had never seen a monster so utterly devoid of any spirit of resistance.

Even a kappa might say a few polite words.

But this is good, it saves us from having to talk.

Dao Manxiao cut blood into a wine cup, poured it into the snake's mouth, and then took out a needle and drove it into the snake's seventh inch.

The giant snake trembled, and a trace of resentment flashed deep within its vertical pupils, but it quickly disappeared.

Xiao Che took out the Spirit Protection Mirror, used snake blood to carve the giant snake's true name on the back, completed the ritual, and took it as a shikigami.

[Dōman Akatsuki obtained the shikigami, Kagura.]

"call"

Perhaps because he hadn't used Yin-Yang techniques for too long, he was a little rusty. However, he had an excellent talent for Yin-Yang techniques and would soon be able to regain his familiarity with them.

Fortunately, although he didn't carry other shikigami, the Crimson Demon Slayer, or the Snake Bone Amulet, he did have some items commonly used in Buddhism with him. Otherwise, he would have had to put the shikigami into his body, which would have been very risky.

"Next, take all your things and head to the nursing home."

Higashiyama Shinichi didn't know where Doman Akatsuchi had put all the Yin-Yang magic items, so he could only give vague instructions.

Daoman Xiaoche put the giant snake into the mirror, picked up his master's ashes, and set off alone.

　Thank you to "Li Qiliang" for the 222 coins reward.

　　Thank you to "天下一敌" for the 100-coin reward.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)