The world I hear is completely different from yours.

Amidst the holy monk's chanting, Tian Qing swiftly formed hand seals and unleashed several illusions. For these people and beasts who didn't know how to dispel illusions, illusions were simply an all-purpose tool, essential for both home and travel, and for killing.

To those around them, as the holy monk's hands moved in ever-changing "Buddha mudras," beams of sacred Buddha light descended from the sky, enveloping the rapidly charging Wind Demon Prince. However, these beams of Buddha light did not affect the Wind Demon Prince's speed at all, as if they had no effect on him whatsoever.

"Hahahaha! This so-called holy monk is nothing special. His so-called Buddhist teachings are completely useless against Prince Fengmo!" The bandit leader was initially startled, but then immediately grinned smugly, already imagining how much wealth he could plunder next. His previous successful robbery of the caravan had not only brought him a great deal of money, but also allowed him to wantonly humiliate the captured women, giving him a real thrill. Therefore, he naturally had a taste for it and was quite interested in the business of robbery!

However, no one noticed that the Wind Demon Prince's eyes were now completely blank, deeply trapped in Tian Qing's illusion. Moreover, its target had subtly shifted, and it was now charging straight towards the group of bandits!

"Ah!! Your Highness, what are you doing? Have you forgotten the offerings we made to you?!" The bandit leader finally realized something was wrong and screamed in terror. But the Wind Demon Lord ignored the bandits' screams and charged forward mercilessly, trampling them madly. Then, it even opened its blood-red maw and bit off the bandit leader's head!

"This...is this the power of the Holy Monk's Buddhist teachings? Just a few rays of Buddhist light are enough to subdue these demons?" Yagyu Kojiro stared dumbfounded at the demon horse busy devouring the corpses of the bandits, a voice echoing in his mind, "As expected of the Holy Monk of the East! With the power of Buddhism, we will definitely be able to defeat Princess Kaguya!!"

Looking at the monstrous horse, Tian Qing revealed a cold smile: "Buddhist teachings that can convert demons, this should make those daimyo pay more attention to the holy monk, right?"

....................

P.S. Sorry for the late update, I went to participate in a quiz competition organized by the school today.

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PS: The first prize is a flashlight supposedly worth 500 yuan, the second prize is a Xiaomi Mi Band 3, and the third prize is a Huawei smart speaker. Can you believe this prize setup? Did the school officials lose their minds? What the hell do I need a flashlight for now? Am I supposed to use a flashlight to catch couples at night?! — The top student who answered more than a dozen questions correctly and won the first prize was just cursing in his room.

As for me, the one who randomly answered three questions correctly and won third prize, I quietly typed, trembling with fear, and dared not speak.

I need to take leave today for the closing ceremony.

The two-day quiz competition is closing today. I'm currently at the competition venue eating a boxed lunch without eggs or chicken legs, so I'm sorry there won't be any updates today.

This month has been so busy, with exams and competitions. I'll catch up on the chapters I missed next month.

I am so sorry.

Chapter Six: The Profound Meaning of Buddhist Salvation * The True Brainwashing Technique of Brain Surgery

Under the blazing sun, at the hottest time of day, not a single pedestrian was on the dilapidated road. As far as the eye could see, there was only a vast expanse of flat wasteland, and even the low shrubs along the roadside, covered with withered yellow leaves, drooped their heads in the heat.

However, even in this extremely unfavorable weather for travel, a carriage continued to creak and groan along the rugged road, seemingly oblivious to the severe damage that such strenuous activity in the extreme weather would inflict on the animals pulling it.

"Giddy up! Giddy up!" After taking a sip of water from his jug, the coachman continued to shout the commands loudly to the demon horse "Lord Wind Demon" pulling the carriage in front. At the same time, he glanced with admiration at the carriage behind him, where the holy monk who could use Buddhist teachings to subdue demons was sitting.

"Truly worthy of being called a holy monk! Perhaps only a Buddhist monk like him could make these ferocious demons submit to his will?" the coachman thought to himself, skillfully wielding his whip. As a coachman with many years of experience, he knew very well that in this sweltering heat, ordinary horses would die from the heat and exhaustion after only a few miles. Only these powerful, bloodthirsty demon horses could handle such arduous work.

Therefore, after the weather cleared up and "converted" the demon prince, the group's progress toward the Yagyu Dojo was much faster.

Suddenly, probably because it had been whipped too many times by the coachman and its anger level had reached its limit, the demonic horse that had been working as a free laborer for several days began to twitch restlessly, its face full of rage. Its eyes, which had been deeply trapped in the illusion, began to faintly emit a bloodthirsty red again, clearly showing signs of going berserk!

Upon seeing this, the coachman immediately shouted, "Holy Monk! Holy Monk! Something terrible has happened! This demonic horse's inner demons have struck again!!"

"Inner demons my ass! That was the roar of the suffering proletariat, okay?" Tian Qing muttered to herself, speechless, after hearing the coachman's cry for help.

Ever since this unfortunate demon horse became the main puller of the cart, the coachman freed up the other horses that were originally used for pulling the cart, making them walk behind. Not only did the demon horse have to pull the cart hard every day, but it also ate the leftover feed from the other horses, and it would be whipped if it was even slightly slow. No horse could endure that, right?

Tian Qing was fully aware of the groom's ulterior motives. The horses were his own property, so they deserved to be well-fed and cared for. As for the demon horse, an outsider, it was to be exploited mercilessly—after all, it had been given free of charge by the holy monk, so why not take advantage of it? As a result, under the cruel capitalist exploitation of this unscrupulous groom, the demon horse, which had previously been indulging in illusions and spiritual nourishment, began to show signs of breaking free from the illusions.

Despite his inner grumbling, Tian Qing, disguised as a handsome holy monk, still emerged solemnly from the carriage and rebuked the restless demonic horse, "You beast! Why don't you quickly suppress your inner demons and return to the Buddhist path?!" He then unleashed a Buddhist illusion spell on the horse's head!

Regardless, the image of this holy monk must be maintained until Tian Qing gains enough prestige. After all, this demon horse was a bloodthirsty creature who ate countless people before, so his current suffering can be considered retribution.

However, perhaps because it had been subjected to too many illusions before, this demonic horse had developed a certain resistance to illusions. Therefore, this time, the demonic horse not only did not continue to pull the cart quietly, but became more and more restless in the face of Tian Qing's scolding. Its head with a single horn kept shaking, and its fangs clenched and squeaked, looking like it might break free from the illusion and go berserk and hurt people at any time!

Seeing the demon horse's appearance, Tian Qing frowned in displeasure, but then relaxed. Since illusion magic wasn't working well, it would be a good time to try out this monk's new method!

During these days of travel, Tian Qing, who had been hiding in the carriage all day, was not idle. She had been busy studying the main god rune in her consciousness, and now she had finally made some progress!

After Tian Qing obtained the God Rune, all the previous deduction data within it had been lost, leaving only the most basic time travel function. A certain number of samples were needed to reactivate the deduction and exchange function. Coincidentally, at that time, Tian Qing happened to have a Noble Phantasm belonging to the Heroic Spirit Rong Momo, the "Needle," nearby! Therefore, Tian Qing directly had the God Rune scan and analyze the Needle, and only today was all the deduction truly completed, allowing it to be generated and exchanged using reputation energy.

"Divine Runes! Consume all the reputation energy gained earlier to begin exchanging it for the items that were previously deduced!"

With Tian Qing's command, the reputation energy within the divine rune in her consciousness was instantly swept away, leaving it dim and lifeless once more. In Tian Qing's hand, a sharp, tiny needle-shaped artifact appeared, subtly connected to her will. As soon as Tian Qing had a thought, this needle would fly out silently and swiftly, piercing the enemy's throat!

Meanwhile, a number appeared in Tian Qing's field of vision, counting down continuously: 30, 29, 28...

"So the result is that it can only generate this temporary Noble Phantasm? And the duration of its existence is determined by the amount of reputation energy consumed!" Tian Qing carefully examined the needle in her hand, a wry smile on her face: "It seems that because of the previous damage, this God Rune can only generate temporary items and abilities. Fortunately, I tested it in advance, otherwise I would have suffered a great loss later!"

Then, with a thought, Tian Qing silently sent the fine needle flying out of the carriage and piercing deep into the demon horse's head. Even the demon horse's hard scales and skull could not stop the needle in the slightest! With just a gentle twist, the needle directly destroyed a small part of the demon horse's brain, turning it into a mindless horse driven only by instinct. After that, the needle disappeared completely when its time limit was reached.

Only one idiotic horse, now back to its former calm and never again to suffer from "inner demons," stood there blankly, waiting for the groom's command.

"This is the Buddhist art of salvation* True Brainwashing Brain Surgery! Although it's not as good as the legendary Buddha's Divine Skill, it's still quite effective against these beasts who think about eating people all day long!" Tian Qing thought to herself, then climbed back into the carriage amidst the admiring gazes of the coachman and Yagyu Kojiro.

With the coachman's shouts, the group set off again, heading towards a large city in the distance, the great city where the Yagyu Dojo was located: Heian-kyo.

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PS First update

Chapter Seven: The Duel of Magic Between the Witch and the Holy Monk!

Heian-kyo, the location of the Yagyu Dojo, is widely recognized as the most prosperous place for martial arts in the world. In this chaotic world, having power meant having a stable life. Therefore, amidst the continuous warfare, more and more refugees flocked to live near this city. As a result, not only was Heian-kyo itself densely populated, but hundreds of small villages and settlements also formed outside the city, making it a very lively place.

“Holy monk, it’s getting late. Why don’t we stay in the village outside for the night and enter the city tomorrow? It’s still at least half a day’s journey from the village we’ve reached to Heian-kyo!” Yagyu Kojiro said to the carriage window, a hint of nervousness in his heart, fearing that Tian Qing might have some objections.

After the holy monk demonstrated his powerful ability to subdue demons using Buddhist teachings, Yagyu Kojiro realized that the holy monk was not only a highly accomplished Buddhist monk who was well-versed in Buddhist principles, but also a powerful figure with formidable strength!

The handsome monk, disguised as a monk, remained inside the carriage, chanting sutras with his eyes closed. Upon hearing Yagyu Kojiro's suggestion, he merely nodded in agreement without saying anything further. However, a cold smile played on Tianqing's lips: "Rest? We were moving so slowly before because of the poor roads, but now that we're near a major city, with the good road conditions around the city, we probably won't reach our destination in an hour, right?"

"The reason he deliberately stopped to rest for one night is simply because Yagyu Kojiro wanted to inform the city's daimyo before bringing the holy monk into the city, so that the daimyo could prepare!" Ameyoshi understood perfectly. "Yagyu Kojiro didn't expect the holy monk to have such great power before, so he's in such a hurry to inform the city's daimyo to prevent any accidents!"

Sure enough, after leading the carriage into an inn and watching the holy monk enter his room, Yagyu Kojiro made an excuse and left alone.

........................

In the lord's mansion in Heian-kyo, the daimyo Tokugawa Masao frowned deeply, staring at the document in his hand without uttering a word.

"Your Highness, what happened?" After waiting for a long time, a trusted aide cautiously asked, seeing Tokugawa Masao's gloomy face.

Tokugawa Masao casually handed the document to his trusted aide and said indifferently, "Yagyu Kojiro went traveling outside and discovered a holy monk who could subdue demons. It is said that he could even convert demons to his own use. So now he has brought that holy monk back to a small village outside the city and wants to enter Heian-kyo tomorrow."

"A high-ranking monk who can convert demons?" The trusted advisor skimmed through the document and said thoughtfully, "Isn't this...isn't this a good thing? At least we've found another way to fight against Princess Kaguya."

"Perhaps it seems like a good thing to us, but the shrine doesn't see it that way. Shintoism has never been on good terms with Buddhism!" Tokugawa Masao replied. "Especially now that a powerful priestess has appeared at the shrine, and suddenly a so-called holy monk appears in Buddhism, it's easy for Shintoism to think that this monk is someone Buddhism specifically sent to deal with them!"

Religious conflicts have always been irreconcilable. Buddhism, as a foreign religion, had fierce conflicts with the local Shintoism. However, because Buddhism had not produced any outstanding figures or possessed any supernatural powers, while Shintoism had a group of Onmyoji and shrine maidens who possessed some supernatural abilities, Shintoism had always held the upper hand in the conflicts between the two sides.

But now, this holy monk, who claims to have the ability to subdue demons, has appeared. His appearance will inevitably exacerbate the conflict between the two religions and may even trigger further conflict!

If it were merely the appearance of this holy monk, it wouldn't have been so bad. If he had simply proven the power of Buddhism to subdue demons, then Tokugawa Masao, as the ruler, would have gladly accepted the power of Buddhism. However, at this very moment, a shrine maiden from Shintoism, claiming to be able to ward off demons, has appeared. She has already arrived in Heian-kyo and is scheduled to invite all the nobles in the city to the shrine for a Shinto ceremony tomorrow!

This put Tokugawa Masao in a dilemma: should he choose the Buddhist monk or the Shinto priestess?

"Why don't we let Buddhism and Taoism have a contest to see which side is better at dealing with demons?" A trusted advisor suggested in a low voice after considering for a while.

Tokugawa Masao thought for a moment and nodded: "Alright, pass on my order. Tomorrow at noon, have Yagyu Kojiro take the holy monk to participate in the Shinto ceremony at the shrine. Publicly declare that they are my special guests! Let them have a good competition of exorcism magic!"

However, Tokugawa Masao did not notice that while he was discussing with his subordinates, a small bird was perched on the trunk of a large tree outside, listening to every word of the conversation inside. Then, it closed its eyes and fell to the ground, dying.

"Mind Transfer Jutsu* Dispelled!!" Just as the little bird collapsed, in the shrine's basement, a man lying on the ground got up, panting, and knelt down to report: "Your Highness, I just heard that the Daimyo plans to have you duel a monk tomorrow! He's said to be a holy monk from the East, to see who is more suitable to fight against Princess Kaguya!"

In the darkness, the beautiful woman dressed as a shrine maiden revealed a contemptuous sneer: "A holy monk from the East? A mere mortal dares to oppose Princess Kaguya? It seems the daimyo has been driven to desperation and is willing to use any power at his disposal!"

"Wouldn't that affect our plans? Perhaps I could just lead a group out of the city tonight and deal with that so-called 'holy monk'?" the man suggested, his face filled with a thirst for bloodshed. Since receiving the chakra power from Kaguya, the man had become increasingly addicted to killing, which was why he had actively applied to Kaguya to participate in this mission.

"Hmph! Make sure you do things neatly and don't leave any hidden dangers! And don't let this affect our planned schedule," the beautiful woman in the shrine maiden's outfit said with a cold snort.

The man grinned, got up and walked out, quickly changing into Shintoist attire with a few people, and sped off towards the outskirts of the city.

Chapter Eight: There will surely be many demons and monsters on the journey west!

At night, there were hardly any pedestrians on the roads of the small village. The surroundings were quiet, and only the lights of the surrounding houses could be seen in the distance, with the occasional bark of a dog.

Carrying a bag of beef and a jug of sake, along with a dim lantern, Yagyu Kojiro slowly made his way back to the inn in the faint light of the lantern. Earlier, he had used the excuse of running errands to secretly pass on information about the holy monk to his superiors in Heian-kyo. Afterwards, he waited anxiously at the liaison point for a long time before receiving the daimyo's next orders.

However, it was indeed a bit late to go back now, so after thinking about it for a moment, Yagyu Kojiro decided to pretend that he had met some friends outside and had drunk too much, which was why he was going back so late, so as not to arouse any suspicion from the holy monk.

Suddenly, Yagyu Kojiro stopped abruptly, put down the lantern in his hand, and quickly placed his left hand on the hilt of the long sword at his waist. He coldly looked at the people blocking his way and said, "Judging from your clothes, are you members of the Shinto Church? What are you doing here so late?"

The leader grinned, looking at Yagyu Kojiro with delight: "Looks like my luck is really good today. I found the target I was looking for after only a short wait! Tell me, where is that monk you brought?!"

"Monk? What monk? I don't understand what you're saying," Yagyu Kojiro replied blankly, as if he had never seen any holy monk before. Even though he was a samurai belonging to the privileged class, he dared not rashly clash with the Shinto sect, which had been entrenched in the area for many years. Therefore, he immediately began to feign ignorance, hoping to deceive the other party.

Upon hearing Yagyu Kojiro's reply, the man sneered sarcastically and made a gesture to his subordinates, indicating that they could proceed. Subsequently, the men around him drew their swords with malicious intent and surrounded Yagyu Kojiro.

"Could it be that news has leaked from Heian-kyo?" Yagyu Kojiro suddenly realized, and knowing the conflict between Buddhism and Shintoism, he knew that these Shinto members would never let him go. Therefore, he gritted his teeth, quickly dropped the wine and meat he was carrying, fiercely drew his sword, and charged towards the enemy!

"Flying Sword Style: Draw Sword Slash!"

Because the enemy outnumbered him, Yagyu Kojiro used a sure-kill move from the start, aiming to seize the initiative and strike first to gain the upper hand!

Swish! Yagyu Kojiro's long sword swiftly sliced ​​through an opponent's defenses, severing his neck! A column of blood shot into the sky! Yagyu Kojiro then followed up with an upward slash, ripping open the stomach of another opponent, his internal organs and intestines splattering everywhere! A scream shattered the tranquility of the night!

"Success!" Amidst the screams of his opponents, Yagyu Kojiro took a step forward and charged towards their leader, raising his long sword high: "One strike is enough. Now, if we can use this momentum to kill their leader, they'll scatter like birds and beasts!"

"Arrogant and ignorant mortal!" The leading man coldly watched as Yagyu Kojiro's blade flashed towards him, then reached out his left hand and grabbed it!

Clang! Clang! The man's left hand grasped the sharp blade, yet he wasn't injured or bleeding. Instead, a sound like metal clashing rang out! A faint spark flashed!

"What happened to your hand?!" Yagyu Kojiro's expression changed drastically. Looking at the man's completely mutated left hand, which resembled that of a wild beast, he suddenly recalled a legendary demon that could transform into a human, and couldn't help but tremble all over: "You're Shuten-dōji?!"

The next moment, another huge claw crushed Yagyu Kojiro's head.

The man known as "Shuten-dōji" released his completely mutated hands, causing Yagyu Kojirō's limp corpse to collapse to the ground. He then looked at Yagyu Kojirō's body with contempt and spat: "Demon? That's just a malicious accusation by a foolish mortal! This is a power bestowed by Princess Kaguya, known as the Sage Art Seal!"

Since ancient times, some people have been able to instinctively absorb natural energy, causing them to go berserk, mutate, and gain immense power. However, because these people cannot control the natural energy within their bodies, they begin to kill indiscriminately after the mutation, and thus they are referred to as the "Demon Clan" by those unaware of the truth. Jugo in the original work is also a descendant of the Demon Clan, and Orochimaru developed the Cursed Seal by studying Jugo's bodily fluids.

What Orochimaru could do, Kaguya, the "ancestor of chakra," could naturally do as well. Moreover, those who were marked with the cursed seal would gain power, but would also be completely controlled by Kaguya because of the seal, becoming her lackeys. For Kaguya, who needed a large number of subordinates to maintain her rule, this was simply the best cannon fodder.

Therefore, after Shintoism submitted to Princess Kaguya's power, Princess Kaguya bestowed upon them something called "Sage Art Seals," allowing these cannon fodder to conquer territories for her! When these Sage Art Seals are activated, these cannon fodder will quickly transform into bizarre monsters, possessing bodies impervious to blades and spears and unparalleled superhuman strength, which is why the people call them demons!

Shuten-dōji shook his head, which was covered in demon horns, and flicked his newly grown tail in annoyance. Under the awe-inspiring gazes of his subordinates, he barked, "What are you all standing there for?! Go investigate every inn in the village right now! Find that monk!!"

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In the small room of the inn, Tian Qing's mind raced, and she sat up on the bed: "The mark I left on Yagyu Kojiro has disappeared? It seems he was killed by someone else! Was it just an ordinary samurai duel, or did he encounter some kind of enemy? Oh well, as long as Kaguya-hime doesn't personally fight, I should be able to handle it with my strength! At worst, I can just abandon my identity as a holy monk and run away!"

Back then, Tianqing repeatedly used his listening ability to gather intelligence and confirmed that during this period, Princess Kaguya herself seemed to have not personally taken action for some reason, and only the demons participated in the battle. Therefore, Tianqing decided to come in the name of a holy monk to promote Buddhism and gain prestige. Otherwise, how could Tianqing have dared to come in such a high-profile manner?

Suddenly, the holy monk, disguised as a sage, donned a robe, leaned on a magnificent Buddhist staff, and slowly walked out of the room. He solemnly addressed the bewildered travelers in the inn, saying, "Amitabha! This humble monk has discovered demonic energy tonight, and has therefore decided to come out to subdue the evil spirits!"

The reputation-grinding battle begins now!!

Chapter Nine: The Buddha said: After the founding of the nation, no spirits are allowed!

At first, after hearing the holy monk's warning, the travelers in the inn were not alarmed at all. Instead, they looked at the holy monk with expressions of "Where did this idiot come from?" This was Heian-kyo, the Heian-kyo guarded by the Yagyu Dojo, which was said to have the strongest swordsman in the world. How could there be any demonic energy causing trouble here?

Before the passengers could even utter a word of mockery, screams of agony erupted from outside! This immediately changed the expressions of all the passengers!

"Ah! Help! A demon is eating people!!" "Help! Help!" Almost simultaneously, cries for help from villagers echoed from all directions of the small village, shattering the tranquility of the night.

"What a bunch of useless trash! They don't even know what it means to keep a low profile!" Amidst the screams, Shuten-dōji smacked his tail in annoyance, clearly dissatisfied with the commotion his subordinates had caused. "These useless guys don't have enough power to control the Sage Art Seals. As soon as they transform, they immediately go berserk. That's why I told them before not to transform unless absolutely necessary!!"