Tokyo Sword Saint Online Dealing

"I couldn't bear to see him suffer, so I took him in at Daitoku-ji Temple, hoping he could live out the rest of his life in peace, which would be a way of doing right by my old friend."

"."

“I do not wish to exonerate him. He deserves to die for such a crime.”

"But Mingkong is also a pitiful person. He was possessed by evil spirits and his soul was invaded by the thoughts of ghosts and gods. Even if I were to suffer, my fate might not be much better than his. It seems that he was already affected when his master was in trouble, but no one noticed."

"There's probably something fishy going on here."

"I bear the responsibility for this oversight, and I cannot shirk my duty. Fortunately, a young lay Buddhist stepped in with his sword, preventing the disaster from escalating. This is truly a blessing for all living beings."

The old monk spoke in a pretentious, literary style, which Uesugi Kiyoshi found somewhat unpleasant. However, he was a reasonable man and did not argue unnecessarily.

Uesugi nodded, not caring much about these things. What he wanted to know was why Akira had become like this.

Why would a monk possess the "divine child" power of Shuten-dōji and master the secret method of sacrificing human lives?

“I’m not interested in his moral decline. I don’t know if he’s pitiful or not, but I think he’s not as pitiful as those wronged souls who died.”

"I just want to know why he became like this."

"The master spends every day with him, he should know something, right?"

Looking into the old monk's somewhat unfathomable eyes, Uesugi Kiyoshi hit the nail on the head.

"Or rather, did the master really not know about his abnormality?"

Chapter 358 Evil Spirit

Shan Qing's words were already laced with hidden barbs.

Although he felt that the old monk in front of him was probably not a bad person, judging from his words, he was also a highly respected figure, yet he could not see anything unusual about Mingkong.

How careless can this be?

Ikkyu Yoshiya remained silent for a moment, then sighed and stood up.

“I think I know something, but I can’t say.”

"I am sorry about what happened to Mingkong, but Daitokuji also had its own unavoidable difficulties."

After glancing at Uesugi Kiyoshi, Ikkyu Yoshiya knew that this answer would not satisfy the boy.

He then suddenly stood up, patted his simple gray-black monk's robe, and put his hands together in prayer.

“I understand why you have come, young layperson. Since this has happened, Daitoku-ji Temple bears responsibility. Please come with me.”

He chanted a Buddhist prayer and then led the way without hesitation.

Uesugi Kiyoshi raised an eyebrow and, without hesitation, took Kyoko's hand and followed behind the old monk.

Daitoku-ji Temple covers a fairly large area, but only about four courtyards are open to the public. Soon, they arrived at a sign that read "No Entry for Visitors".

This courtyard is not open to the public. Outside the tightly closed small gate, two monks who look rather imposing stand guard.

Upon seeing Ikkyu Yoshiya arrive, they all raised their hands in greeting, their eyes filled with reverence.

With a slight nod in return, Ikkyu Yoshiya pushed open the door, and Uesugi Kiyoshi frowned, somewhat surprised.

As soon as he entered Daitoku-ji Temple, he felt a sense of clarity in his mind, and this feeling intensified more than three times after the door in front of him was opened.

There might be some kind of formation or restriction preventing this extraordinary aura from leaking out.

Further in, there is a more traditional Japanese dry landscape garden with Buddhist scenery. The overall tone is desolate, which also shows a sense of solemnity of Buddhism.

Five minutes later, Ikkyu Yoshiya finally stopped.

Before everyone stood a "pagoda".

Pagodas are traditional Buddhist buildings, originally used to bury Buddha's relics. They are decorated with seven kinds of precious materials, hence the name pagoda.

In Buddhist temples, pagodas are not uncommon. They are wooden structures, not very tall, with layers upon layers, decorated with banners, necklaces, and bells. Inside, they usually contain the ashes and relics of the temple's predecessors.

Yoshiya Ikkyu's eyes were somewhat downcast. He looked up at the pagoda in front of him and sighed softly.

"Daitoku-ji Temple has a long history of Buddhist teachings. The Daitoku-ji school is one of the fourteen schools of the Rinzai sect in Japan, and it is also the most prosperous school."

"The Linji school originated in China and is one of the five major schools of the Southern School of Chan Buddhism. Its main tenet is to advocate 'no-mind'."

"The one without mind has no mind at all. The essence of suchness is like wood or stone inside, unmoving and unshakable; and like empty space outside, unobstructed and unimpeded. It has no location, no appearance, and no gain or loss."

“We who come after us should remember the teachings of our ancestors. Young layman, this place is called Wuxin-in, which is the pagoda of Daitoku-ji Temple, where the ashes and relics of countless eminent monks of Daitoku-ji Temple are enshrined.”

"However, this place is no longer just a simple pagoda."

The old monk used a lot of Buddhist terminology, which Uesugi Kiyoshi couldn't understand.

But he understood "Heartless Courtyard".

What a coincidence! When Mingkong was dying, he mentioned the same name to him. He thought the evil monk was lying to him, but unexpectedly, there really was a "Wushin-in" in Daitoku-ji Temple.

Although it was different from the Buddhist temple he had imagined, it seemed he had found the right place.

Mingkong once said that everything he had gained came from this place.

Uesugi Kiyoshi looked around at the pagoda in front of him and sensed that it was somewhat unusual.

A subtle, yet undeniably present, evil aura emanated from the pagoda.

It might not be noticeable outside, but inside the Daitoku-ji Temple, where Buddhist light is abundant, this ominous aura is particularly jarring.

Before Uesugi Kiyoshi could ask any questions, the old monk began to speak on his own.

"The current Wuxin Courtyard has suppressed an evil spirit."

His head was bowed, and his gray eyebrows trembled slightly, which made Uesugi Kiyoshi see a hint of grief and resentment.

"The name of this evil spirit is too shameful to be spoken. We, the younger generation, are truly ashamed. With the current strength of the entire Daitoku Temple, we are unable to destroy this evil spirit."

"Its reputation has spread so widely and so loudly in this country that in dreams, it is almost immortal."

"To prevent evil spirits from causing havoc in the region and bringing disaster to Kyoto, our ancestors began hundreds of years ago to seal evil spirits into this pagoda, suppress their souls, imprison them in the Dream Mirror, and instructed their successors to guard it carefully and not let it escape."

"."

"This humble monk is incompetent. By the time it was passed down to the present day, the seal has become increasingly weak. There is no other way but to invest more manpower and resources in Dadeji Temple to nip the problem in the bud and eliminate the possibility of evil spirits escaping."

"It's alright during the day, but between the two demonic moments each day, evil spirits will intermittently attack the seal. To prevent any accidents, I will arrange for monks from the temple who are well-versed in Buddhist teachings to come and guard it."

“Mingkong. Mingkong’s Sanskrit skills are superb. I once entrusted him with an important task and he served as the guardian of this place for the longest time.”

"I'm afraid he was controlled by an evil spirit, and that's how he ended up..."

"Most of the time, I personally guard this place, but there are times when I am not able to do it. When I need to rest, Mingkong leads his fellow disciples to take over."

That's the whole story.

"I am ashamed of the disaster that has occurred, but Daitoku-ji Temple is too busy to care about anything else at this time."

“Young layman, to be honest, if no miracle occurs, Wuxin Temple will surely fall within three years, and then it will be another disaster.”

Uesugi Kiyoshi twitched his nose, sniffed the scent emanating from Mushin-in, and frowned.

A very unpleasant stench, like rotting flesh, though faint, did not escape his nose.

"Given such a dire situation, how dare the master still open Daitoku-ji Temple to tourists?"

He asked a question casually, but he was actually pondering the source of the smell, which he felt was somewhat familiar.

Ikkyu Yoshiya gave a helpless, bitter smile.

“Monks are human beings too, and they need to eat, wear clothes and use their necessities. To be honest, if Dade Temple were to close its doors to visitors, the monks would probably starve to death in just a few days.”

"Because of the existence of Mushin-in Temple, Daitoku-ji Temple, unlike other temples, cannot hold religious ceremonies or preside over funerals, so its income is extremely meager."

"When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken; if it really comes to that, there is no way to salvage the situation."

Uesugi Kiyoshi thought it was a bit outrageous; Japanese monks were all incredibly wealthy.

But he didn't bother.

"If that's the case, why doesn't the master ask for help?"

"As far as I know, there are more than a handful of respectable superhuman organizations in Kyoto. They don't care about this kind of thing?"

Yoshiya Ikkyu's smile became even more bitter.

"Everyone should just mind their own business. Besides, it's not that I'm being arrogant, but if Dade Temple can't solve it, they can't either."

“You should know this, young layperson.”

"The most famous ghosts and gods in the world are all immortal."

“This evil spirit is even worse than the others.”

Uesugi Kiyoshi nodded noncommittally and took a deep breath.

"Are ghosts and gods immortal?"

He suddenly broke into a smile.

"That's not necessarily true."

Chapter 359 In the Pagoda

A subtle, almost imperceptible attraction emanated from the "pagoda" before us.

This feeling was all too familiar to Uesugi Kiyoshi.

This is the singularity that connects reality and dreams. The so-called pagoda that suppresses evil spirits is sealed not in reality, but in dreams.

Now, the master here—no, perhaps "prisoner" would be a more appropriate word.

This prisoner is extending an invitation to Uesugi Kiyoshi.

It's likely that Monk Mingkong accepted this invitation, which led him to learn that evil technique and put it into practice.

Uesugi Kiyoshi narrowed his fox-like eyes, his steps slow yet firm.

He is moving forward.

"Master, I'm a rather stubborn person."

"If someone shows me respect, I will show him respect."