My personal opinion on Gensokyo

After giving a brief explanation in a light tone, Yakumo Yukari turned her head and gestured to the handsome young man in fine clothes beside her.

"Please allow this Lord Shangjun to inform you of the next steps."

After receiving Yakumo Yukari's signal, Shang Yang naturally stepped forward, softened his tone, and spoke slowly.

"We invite you to our own shrine because we take your insecurities into consideration."

"Then, in accordance with your established human tradition, you, the demon exorcists of the Yokai Extermination Village, and we, the representatives of the management of Gensokyo after its establishment, will sign an oath in the presence of the miko of Hakusan Myojin, the deity worshipped by your village, and present it to the true deity."

"In this way, perhaps you all can feel more at ease."

Group + teasing 亻尔@冥贰贰依珊另.插⑵Volume 6: Thoughts Across Time and Space: Chapter 468: The Promise of the Oath

"A, an oath...?"

Hearing the method proposed by "Lord Shangjun", the people, led by the middle-aged leader, seemed a little surprised.

The people of the Monster Extermination Village, who have made a living by exterminating monsters for many years, naturally know that in this world, there are not only monsters that will harm humans, but also gods who will respond to people's prayers.

In this land, there is no clear boundary between gods and monsters. Some of today's monsters may have been mountain gods or river gods who protected a certain area in the distant past; some of today's gods who accept incense may have been monsters who abandoned people's fear of them in the past and instead accepted people's worship of them.

It is said that there are eight million gods in this land.

However, with the end of the Heian era and the arrival of the era of samurai ruling the world, wars continued, natural disasters and man-made disasters continued, and people in the world seemed to have gradually lost their faith in gods and Buddhas. Gods and Buddhas responded less and less to people's prayers, and priests, monks and shrine maidens who could use the power of gods and Buddhas to exorcise evil spirits became increasingly rare.

As the leader of the demon exorcists of the village, a clan that has been passed down through generations, the middle-aged village chief knew that centuries ago, the White Mountain Bodhisattva, worshipped by the villagers, often answered the villagers' prayers and performed miracles. Although the demon exorcists of that time also did not cultivate spiritual power, they could offer their blades and armor to the statue of the White Mountain Bodhisattva. Relying on the power of the White Mountain Daigongen's Dharma, the demon exorcists' blades and armor would possess the power to suppress demons.

Hakusan Myojin, once a mountain deity widely worshipped in eastern, northern, and western regions, is also considered the deity of marriage, wind and rain, and a link between the living and the dead. Ancient texts record Hakusan Myojin as the first shrine maiden of this land, the origin of the shrine maiden profession, and their patron saint.

After the introduction of Buddhism, Hakusan Myojin was regarded as an incarnation of the compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva in this land, an incarnation of the Eleven-faced Guanyin, and was called Hakusan Daigongen and Hakusan Daibosatsu.

However, with the turmoil in the world, the miracles of Hakusan Myojin, believed in by the people of the Monster Extermination Village, have become increasingly rare. In addition, hundreds of years ago, the demon hunters of the Monster Extermination Village fled to the mountains to avoid the wars in the world. The statue of Hakusan Myojin enshrined in the village has gradually lost its spirituality. Now it can only rely on the little faith of the villagers to have some power to dispel evil spirits near the shrine.

The village's exorcists had previously collected the fragments of the Four Souls Jade from the eastern region, and it was only with the power of faith in the statue of Hakusan Myojin and the remaining spiritual power of the shrine maiden Tsuiko that they were able to barely conceal the evil spirit of the Four Souls Jade fragments.

Yet, this mysterious monster lord, the one even the great monster Nine-Tailed Fox respectfully addressed as "Shangjun-sama," this young man who looked no different from any other mortal, actually claimed to be able to sign an oath before the god under the witness of a miko who could draw upon the power of the White Mountain God, and even offer the oath to the White Mountain God...

The middle-aged village chief was surprised, but also felt deeply uneasy and doubtful.

However, if this were truly possible, not only would the elderly village elders and trusted subordinates present at the scene feel much more at ease, but it would also likely convince the villagers to settle down here peacefully in the future...

The middle-aged village chief, who is the leader of the village, couldn't help but think so.

At the same time, after taking in the surprised and doubtful expressions of the middle-aged chief and his son Amber, as well as several elderly elders and trusted subordinates who followed the father and son to the shrine, the master of Yunzhongting did not take it seriously. He naturally turned sideways and looked behind him, softening his tone.

"...Then please begin the ceremony of signing the oath, Miko-sama."

"……Um."

Following a cool and gentle response from the shrine, a beautiful shrine maiden in white clothes and a red skirt, with long black hair tied up with a snow-white sandalwood paper ribbon, appeared in front of everyone in the Monster Extermination Village.

"Who is this miko, Her Excellency...?"

Seeing the beautiful shrine maiden with a cold expression approaching from the shrine, the middle-aged village chief was stunned and felt surprised.

...Isn't this shrine maiden the same one who previously followed Lord Shangjun who transformed into an Onmyoji... Could it be that she is not the incarnation of a monster, but a real shrine maiden?

The middle-aged village chief was also deeply puzzled before. If the witch following the Onmyoji, who was the incarnation of the Monster Lord, was also a different kind of transformation, how could she use such pure spiritual power to destroy evil and purify.

Now perhaps this doubt has been answered. This priestess is indeed a priestess with profound spiritual practice and great spiritual power.

In other words, this shrine maiden, who has profound spiritual cultivation and great spiritual power, voluntarily follows the terrifying monster lord...

Barely suppressing the surprise in his heart, the middle-aged village chief, who was the leader of the village, turned around and quietly discussed with the elders and subordinates who were also surprised.

Obviously, the villagers were also amazed by what they saw. After a brief discussion, they reluctantly agreed, or had to accept the demands of the monster lords in front of them.

Seeing that these ordinary people in the Monster Extermination Village seemed to have finished their discussion, Yakumo Aran, who was standing next to Yakumo Yukari, coughed lightly, alerting the people from the Monster Extermination Village's demon exorcist clan to pay attention.

"...Then, in accordance with the request of Lord Yakumo and Lord Shangyang, I have drafted this oath before the gods. Mr. Leader, please review it with your subordinates."

While explaining this, the dignified and solemn nine-tailed fox took out a gray scroll from its sleeve and unfolded it to show the people in the Monster Extermination Village.

"The main provisions of the oath were previously proposed by Lord Yakumo and Lord Shangjun, and they are all clearly stated in the oath. The rest are specific and detailed rules."

"If there are any doubts or objections, they can be raised. After signing the affidavit, all the principles set out in the affidavit cannot be violated."

"Yes, we all understand."

After making a steady promise, the middle-aged chief respectfully took the oath scroll from Yakumo Aoi's hand and gathered with the tribesmen to read it in detail.

After reading through it, I found that the content of the oath written on the scroll was exactly as Lord Kyuubi Yakumo said. It mainly recorded the relevant orders from Lord Yakumo Sage and Lord Shangjun, such as the demon exorcists must not easily leave the scope of the "Human Village", need to assume the relevant responsibilities of exorcising monsters for other human villages, as well as the relevant rules to be followed, and the corresponding rewards that the people in the monster exorcism village will receive.

However, in addition to these amounts, the scroll oath also states that they will regard their clan, the clan of demon hunters in the Demon Extermination Village, as the "human forces" of "Gensokyo". Based on the rules of "Gensokyo", the clan of the Demon Extermination Village will enjoy a peaceful life in the future.

This is what the monster sage Yakumo Yukari had promised before: the monster clan of Taiji Village who settled in the "human village" would have enough food and clothing for generations, without the disasters of natural disasters and wars, and without the harassment of bandits and samurai soldiers, and would enjoy a peaceful life forever.

Driven by the curiosity and yearning of the elders and subordinates about this part, the middle-aged village chief, as the leader of the village, asked Shang Yang, Yakumo Yukari and Yakumo Lan cautiously in accordance with the wishes of the villagers.

"My Lords, the meaning of 'Human Village' is well understood by our clan. It will be the area where our clan and other people's villages will live together in the future."

"Then, may I ask, what is the 'Gensokyo' that everyone has mentioned so many times?..."

Hearing the cautious question raised by the middle-aged leader, the master of the Cloud Courtyard with gray hair and splendid clothes looked at the elegant and dignified monster sage with long golden hair and laughed softly.

"—That will be a dreamland where you humans live alongside mysterious beings like demons, gods, celestial beings, and monsters, gently embracing all the incredible wonders."

"——The gods love Erba Huhu VIII's Gensokyo."