The afterlife blew up Gensokyo

Perhaps intimidated by the imposing aura emanating from Tsukiyo, who had long held a high position, Nazrin subconsciously shrank back and spoke softly.

"Lord Bishamonten went out on business after obtaining the [Treasure Hammer]... I... I don't know where Lord Bishamonten is now..."

"........."

Upon hearing Nazrin's reply, Tsukiyo's expression immediately turned cold.

The fact that they could recognize the [Treasure Hammer], a treasure that only existed in the previous era, so early on speaks volumes, because the gods newly born in this era would never recognize something like the [Treasure Hammer].

In other words, Bishamonten, like her, is an existence that has survived from the previous era to the present!

Thinking of this, Yueyejian no longer hesitated and turned around to speak to the person behind her.

"You have a way to locate..."

"Master, would you like some orange juice? The finest orange juice."

"This humble monk does not drink alcohol. Please feel free to speak your mind, benefactor."

"This is juice, even monks can drink it, it's alright, it's alright."

"Then this humble monk will..."

"By the way, Master Minglian, I heard you have an older sister, right?"

"Uh... that is true."

"Then, Master, could you please help me... what are you doing?"

Looking at Tsukiyo, who suddenly slammed her hand on the table, blocking his view, Shi Bai was completely bewildered.

"I'm currently discussing something quite important with Master Myoren, can't you..."

"Let's get down to business first."

Yueye saw a blank expression on her face.

"I am now certain that the demon that was once sealed away is about to reappear in the world, and we must stop it from happening."

P.S.: Good afternoon everyone! ╰（‵□′）╯

Chapter Fourteen: Mountains and Seas Cannot Be Crossed; One Thought Can Lead to Demonhood, Another to Buddhahood

One lotus, two ghosts, three big eights, and six aunties in the fantasy land.

After the three great Yagokoro Eirin, Yasaka Kanako, and Yakumo Yukari, Shibai finally met Renma.

Although she is called Ren's mother, Sei Byakuren is only around twenty years old. Unlike her respected younger brother Sei Myōren, who is a monk with great magical power, Sei Byakuren is clearly just an ordinary person.

When Byakuren and the preoccupied Hijiri returned to the temple, they happened to see Kosanagi Tatara and Byakuren seemingly arguing fiercely about something.

Watching a spectacle is human nature, so a large crowd had already gathered around the two of them. The monks in the temple seemed to be quite familiar with Saint Byakuren, the elder sister of Master Myōren, so they could only stand by and smile helplessly.

Upon seeing Saint Minglian return, the monks visibly breathed a sigh of relief and then hurriedly came forward to report the matters that had occurred there to Saint Minglian.

Although Shengminglian is still young, due to his great strength, he is already the recognized abbot of this temple, but he has been declining the position.

"……What are you doing?"

Seeing someone furtively taking out their phone to film the other side, Tsukiyo's eyes twitched almost imperceptibly.

"Could it be that she was also chosen by you? This should be your first meeting, right?"

Having lived together for a hundred years, Tsukiyo was naturally familiar with the behavior of the guy beside her. After all, when Shiro took time to make cards, he had no intention of hiding it. So, Tsukiyo naturally had some understanding of the complete card collection plan that the guy kept talking about.

In general, it's like someone would occasionally go on a whim to secretly photograph certain people, then collect their information and images to make cards. As for the patterns among those chosen, she couldn't find any common ground at all.

Among those half-finished products that had already been made, she saw her sister, Shinki, as well as the Oni King of the Oni Clan. While this was somewhat understandable, there were also incredibly weak humans among them, and their level ratings were quite high.

She originally thought there would be characters in the story, but they weren't there; conversely, she thought there would be characters that were absolutely impossible in the story.

She didn't really understand what someone meant by the kind of fun that collecting and raising games offers, but that didn't stop her from holding a grudge about it.

...So why is Kaguya Houraisan, the Moon Princess, rated UR, while I'm only rated SR?

Even at the very beginning, someone was prepared to rate her as the lowest level, an R card...

"It's fate, you know, things like destiny and cause and effect, do you understand?"

Looking at the captured photos, Shi Bai casually answered the questions posed by the moonlit night, nodding with satisfaction.

"Even if I explained it, you wouldn't understand..."

"Don't understand? I think you're just lusting after her body."

Turning her head, Yueye snorted coldly.

"I haven't seen a single man in any of your illustrations. Your intentions are highly questionable."

"Who said there aren't any men? Isn't Saint Lotus, this hidden character, one?"

Rolling his eyes, Shi Bai casually put the phone back.

"And there's Grandpa Yunshan, Grandpa Yaoji, the village head...aren't they all like that? It's just that I haven't met them yet."

"...What's your rating of her?"

Knowing she couldn't win an argument, Tsukiyo silently turned her head and looked at Sei Byakuren over there, but she had already memorized those three names in her heart.

Those beings that can be recorded by someone must all have some unique characteristics. Although she still hasn't found the common ground between herself and Tatara Kogasa... perhaps she can find the answer in Hijiri Byakuren?

But no matter how she looked at it, she felt that the other party was just an ordinary, unremarkable human being, and could not compare to the Holy Lotus who had surprised her slightly earlier.

"Lotus Mom must be an SSR!!"

Shi Bai answered without hesitation.

"...Why did you only give me an R rating at the beginning?"

"Didn't it get upgraded to SR later?"

"But the initial rating you were prepared to give me was only R."

"Well... the reason is simple, there's only one truth."

Shi Bai held up a finger and shook it in front of him, his face serious.

"Because you're not a loli. If you were a little loli with a cold face all day long, your level would definitely be SSR."

Moonlit Night: "???"

?…………………………………………………?

The reason for the conflict between Tatara Kogasa and Hijiri Byakuren is quite simple. It's just that a certain tsukumogami suddenly had the idea to scare people here, but was accidentally caught by the righteous Hijiri Byakuren who came to visit his younger brother, which led to a series of events.

Perhaps influenced by Saint Minglian, the two siblings, Saint Bailian and Saint Minglian, who had relied on each other since childhood, also began to believe in Buddhism. However, she clearly did not have Saint Minglian's talent. Although she was working hard to cultivate, she had not yet developed any magical power.

However, thanks to Seimei Ren, Seimei Byakuren's life, which was originally impoverished and forced to wander, has improved. In fact, Seimei Byakuren also wanted to become a nun like her younger brother, but Seimei Ren refused.

Compared to spending her life with a solitary lamp and ancient Buddha, Shengminglian would much rather her older sister live an ordinary yet happy life in the mortal world.

“If it weren’t for my sister, I would have starved to death when I was very young. It was my sister who carried me through the snow and begged her way to survive. My sister used to protect me, and now it’s my turn to protect her.”

Looking at her older sister, who was still arguing with Tatara Kogasa in the courtyard, Seimei Ren showed a gentle smile.

"So could you please keep my sister out of this? If she finds out, she'll definitely stay by my side out of concern."

"That's no problem. I never intended to involve ordinary people in this."

Shi Bai glanced at the Holy White Lotus over there and nodded.

"But after something like this happened, are you sure your faith is okay?"

"Actually, I don't believe in Vaishravana, because there is only one Buddha in my heart, and that is an old monk whose name I still don't know."

Saint Lotus had a calm expression on her face.

"That was more than ten years ago. At that time, my sister and I were still homeless and living on the margins of society. Finding food every day was the greatest happiness. Then a famine and a heavy snowfall came. The cold was secondary; hunger was the hardest thing to endure. I was so hungry that I almost fainted. My sister carried me around begging for food, but at the end of the day, she not only didn't get any food, but if she was unlucky, she would also be beaten. At that time, when I saw my sister throwing herself on top of me to shield me from the whips that were being swung down, I made a decision in my heart: one day I would kill all those who hurt my sister."

"But now you have become a highly respected monk."

"Yes, but if what happened afterward hadn't happened, I might really have become a demon."

Saint Lotus's tone remained calm throughout, as still as a tranquil lake.

"At that time, my sister was already covered in wounds, while I was so hungry that I couldn't even stand up. In that moment of despair, an old monk in a dilapidated temple took us in. It was during a famine, and all the other monks in that temple had run away, leaving only the old monk. Actually, the old monk himself was also starving, after all, in those days, there was hardly any extra food. But the old monk still gave all the food to my sister and me, taught us to chant Buddhist scriptures, and taught us the principles of doing good deeds and being a good person. In the end, my sister and I survived that cold winter, but the old monk remained in that winter forever."

"So that old monk whose name you don't know is the 'Buddha' you truly believe in, right?"

For some reason, Shi Bai recalled the man who, after finally obtaining food and clothing, rushed back only to find his family had frozen to death and chose to commit suicide. He sighed softly.

"That's right, so my faith has never changed from beginning to end."

Saint Lotus nodded calmly.

“But my sister is different from me. She is much kinder and her faith is more sincere. She worships Vaishravana, so I followed her and worshipped him. But now, I don’t think Vaishravana is qualified to accept my faith.”

"You don't want your sister's faith to collapse, right? After all, it's something she's held onto for a long time. If the ugliness hidden beneath the surface is suddenly exposed, it could very well cause a major blow to your sister's spirit."

Shi Bai reached out and gently pressed his forehead.

"Then I have another question: what became of those who hurt you and your sister?"

"...This humble monk has already guided them to the Western Paradise."

After a moment of silent silence, Saint Lotus clasped her hands together, her face filled with compassion.

"Forgiving them is Buddha's business; what I need to do is send them to see Buddha."

"As the saying goes, one thought can make you a Buddha, and another can make you a demon. A highly respected monk? I think you are a demon monk through and through."

Rolling his eyes, Shi Bai leaned back against the Bodhi tree.

"Isn't Buddhism all about compassion? To be honest, your behavior is quite inappropriate, or is this just your true nature? You were referring to yourself as 'this humble monk' and 'benefactor' all before... Shouldn't a high-ranking monk be helping all sentient beings?"

"This is my sister's idea. She is the truly virtuous and respected monk, while I am merely a demonic monk in disguise."

Saint Lotus whispered a Buddhist chant.

"My sister wishes to save all living beings in the world, but this humble monk only wishes to save one person in his life. If she is well, then I will become the Tathagata."

"Hmm... what would you do if this hadn't happened today?"

After thinking for a moment, Shi Bai asked the question to the Holy Lotus in front of him, who seemed somewhat different from what he had imagined, with great interest.

"In everyone's heart, you have always been a highly respected monk, so have you always been wearing a mask all along?"

"What people do and what people desire are not mutually exclusive. Although I, this humble monk, long to settle scores and punish evil and promote good, I cannot force what people do and what they desire."

Saint Lotus smiled slightly.

"My sister is too innocent and kind. If she didn't have my protection, she would have been harmed maliciously. It's good that things are as they are now. I have become the person my sister hoped I would be. I haven't thought too far ahead about the future, but if something unexpected happens to me in the future, according to my previous plan, all my magical power will be transferred to my sister. If I can no longer protect her, then let the power I have gained through cultivation protect her."

"Okay, I've finished asking my questions."

After thinking for a moment, Shi Bai nodded.

"Don't worry, I will ensure your safety. Even if all the gods in Takamagahara come, I can defeat them all."

"Then thank you very much, benefactor."

Saint Lotus gave him a slight bow.

"Putting that aside for now, as a follower of Bishamonten, do you have a way to pinpoint his current location?"

Shi Bai sat up straight and tapped the table with his hand.

"He has something very dangerous that he stole from me, and I need to get it back as soon as possible."

According to Tsukuyomi, Bishamonten is likely a deity left over from the previous era. Although most of the deities went to the moon with Tsukuyomi to create the Lunar Capital, a considerable number of deities remained on Earth. Shinki and Matara Okina are examples of such deities.

So here's the question: which company... I mean, Bishamonten, is trying to do this?

As a god who survived from the previous era to this one, he far surpasses all the gods in Takamagahara in terms of strength. According to his ambition, after Shinki ran away from home, he should have quickly taken Shinki's place.

However, there's no use in speculating; we need to find the other party first to find out the truth.

To be honest, Shi Bai was quite interested in the so-called monster that Tsukiyo had mentioned...

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P.S.: Voting equals extra chapters, freeloading equals being a couch potato.