Japanese Terrorist: What? I'll fight Hellstar!

Tomie and the others never stopped chattering like a flock of crows, sometimes mocking his futility, sometimes tempting him to give up, and sometimes hypocritically promising peaceful coexistence.

"Lin-jun, you're working so hard. Don't go to those dilapidated temples anymore, come keep me company."

"What's the point of chanting scriptures with monks? Don't be foolish."

"With such abundant resources, wouldn't becoming a monk be too much of a torment for you?"

"Lin Jun, why are you so wary of us? We mean you no harm."

"Let's have a proper talk. We're on the same page, there's no need to make things so tense."

"Let's all live in peace."

……

Amamiya Rin gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the noise and focus on the road beneath his feet and the cane in his hand, trying not to think and making it impossible for Tomie and the others to catch his thoughts.

Tomie is not trustworthy.

The thought flashed through my mind.

He did not deny that Tomie might not have any ill intentions towards him.

If the intention was simply to make him succumb to Tomie's charm, then it wouldn't really be considered malicious.

However, once he truly succumbs to Tomie's charm, he will naturally fall into the abyss of despair, regardless of Tomie's will.

Finally, as the sky began to turn yellow, Amamiya Rin stepped onto the stone steps in front of the Onikiri Temple.

He was so exhausted that he was almost completely drained, sweat was streaming down his chin, and his lungs were burning with pain.

The temple before him was smaller and more dilapidated than he had imagined. The courtyard walls were mottled, and the wooden temple gate was open, its paint peeling away to reveal the wood grain beneath. The courtyard was quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the chirping of unknown insects.

The temple gate was open, and the courtyard was quiet. Only an old monk, dressed in an old robe, thin and kind-faced, was slowly sweeping the fallen leaves on the ground.

Yu Gonglin took a few breaths to adjust his breathing before entering the temple and respectfully bowing to the old monk.

"Excuse me, are you the host here?"

The old monk stopped sweeping, raised his head, squinted at Yu Gonglin, his gaze lingering on Yu Gonglin's pale face and cane for a moment, then slowly nodded: "This humble monk is you. What urgent matter brings you to Guiku Temple despite your illness?"

Amamiya Rin said, "I was introduced to this place by Inudou, the police history editorial officer."

"Lanzi? Come in and have a cup of tea."

A look of surprise appeared on the abbot's face. He put the broom aside, led Yu Gonglin to a simple tea room next to the side hall, and poured him a cup of hot tea.

Yu Gonglin picked up his teacup, and after drinking the hot tea, he felt his cold hands and feet regain some warmth.

"That girl Lanzi is far more capable than this humble monk. She can handle ordinary demons and monsters on her own. The fact that she sent you to the temple suggests that she has encountered a problem related to her mind and spirit, right?"

The abbot, holding a cup of tea, sat down opposite Amamiya Rin, a peaceful smile on his wrinkled face.

Amamiya Rin put down his teacup and got straight to the point: "Abbot, have you heard of Tomie?"

Upon hearing this, the abbot's expression hardened slightly: "I have heard of it. This is a kind of demonic obsession with a very deep-seated attachment, which can be called the Desire Realm Demoness."

"Since you know Tomie, Master, you must understand why I've come."

Amamiya Rin took out the "Secret Essentials of Zen" from her bag and placed it on the low table between the two of them.

"Officer Inudou instructed me to come and consult the master to study this sutra."

"The Secret Essentials of Zen"?

Upon seeing the name of the Buddhist scripture, the abbot shook his head slightly, his tone conveying disapproval.

"Lanzi is still as reckless as ever."

He looked up at Yu Gonglin and asked, "Does the benefactor know what the White Bone Temple is?"

"I know a little. It's roughly about gradually visualizing the vibrant, fragrant flesh as a skeleton in order to eliminate lust. I've come across the Nine Phases Diagram and related teachings about the Clavicle Guanyin."

Amamiya Rin nodded. If he didn't know about the White Bone Temple, he wouldn't have asked Miss Yuko to help him buy a book explaining the White Bone Temple this morning.

Although it was a futile effort.

Without guidance from a renowned teacher, he simply couldn't understand it.

What is meant by focusing the mind thus, observing the five joints, and not letting it wander? If the mind wanders, bring it back. As before, recite half a joint; when the thought is complete, the whole body feels warm and the heart feels hot. When this thought is attained, it is called focusing the mind.

Within the realm of life, there reside eighty billion tiny insects. Each insect arises from various veins, produced through the production of milk, totaling three hundred million, their mouths containing the essence of life. Each insect has forty-nine heads, their heads and tails as fine as needles.

He's rambling and doesn't understand the words. He knows every single one of them, but he can't comprehend the sentences they form.

"Yes and no, it's too superficial. The so-called contemplation of the white bones is fundamentally about breaking free from attachment and craving for this physical body, and contemplating the impermanence and impurity of all phenomena."

The abbot nodded, then shook his head, and slowly said.

"Buddha Shakyamuni instructed his disciple Ananda: 'When you teach people to cultivate samadhi, first sever lustful thoughts. This is the first and definitive pure and clear instruction of the Tathagata, the Buddha, the World Honored One. Therefore, Ananda, if one does not sever lustful thoughts and cultivates meditation, it is like trying to cook rice by steaming sand and stones. Even after hundreds of thousands of kalpas, it will only be hot sand.'"

"To attain liberation through meditation, one must first eliminate lust and greed. However, among various meditation methods, the contemplation of the skeleton is one of the most radical. If one is not careful, one can easily go astray and develop aversion to all beings. This method originated from Indian ascetic monks who chose to live in charnel grounds and observe the process of corpses decaying and turning into dust to realize the impermanence of the world and the brevity of life. This is not the practice advocated by the Buddha."

Amamiya Rin resolutely stated, "I don't have time to gradually cultivate a gentler method. Although the White Bone Contemplation is radical, it's my only option right now."

The abbot said, "The contemplation of the white bones cannot be mastered overnight. Even using the most extreme method, finding a corpse to contemplate, it would still take a year."

Yu Gonglin immediately responded, "The length of time doesn't matter. What I value is that its practice method is relatively simple and does not require an extremely profound foundation in Buddhism."

"It is precisely because it is easy to learn that it is more dangerous."

The abbot's wrinkles gathered on his forehead, indicating his disapproval of Amamiya Rin's words.

"During the process of contemplation, practitioners need to confront the most essential and cruel aspects of life. Without the meditative foundation of renunciation and Bodhicitta, practitioners are prone to fall into the misconception of excessive aversion to life, deviating from the original intention of breaking through attachments and becoming another kind of obstacle."

Amamiya Rin listened quietly, and only after the abbot finished speaking did he calmly say, "Abbot, I understand everything you've said. However, you seem to have misunderstood my purpose. I don't seek to understand the true meaning of Buddhism, nor do I seek enlightenment or liberation. What I want is simply to use the practice of the White Bone Contemplation to counteract Tomie's demonic power. Radical? Obsessive? That's exactly what I want. Ordinary Buddhism cannot defeat Tomie; otherwise, Tomie wouldn't have remained at large for so many years, would she?"