From Earthbound Spirit to Tokyo Evil

It can’t be such a coincidence… No, it should be just something similar, right?

However, this immediately piqued Xia Chuan's interest.

Anyway, he can abandon this clone and leave at any time. If he just goes to take a look, there shouldn't be any problem, right?

"Akai, find the monster that entered the cave with you. I want to hear his story." Xiachuan said.

"Yes! They have been prepared for a long time. I will call them over right away!" Mitsuharu Akai immediately took out his cell phone and said.

Before the monsters arrived, Natsukawa began to ask Akai Mitsuharu in detail about the cave, leaving out almost every detail he could think of.

Although Mitsuharu Akai was afraid that Kaisui would abandon him after knowing all the details, he was more afraid of the consequences of hiding something from Kaisui. He also knew that the more details he provided, the more it would help Kaisui understand the truth of the cave, and the greater their hope of being rescued.

So, he started from the beginning again and told Xia Chuan in detail the whole process from the discovery of the cave to entering, being attacked, and escaping.

His subordinates had already arrived during this process, so Xia Chuan asked them to wait in the distance. After he finished speaking, Xia Chuan called the monster who entered the cave with Akai Mitsuharu and asked him to describe every detail from the beginning again.

They probably didn't lie.

On the one hand, although the two people's descriptions were different, they were just different perspectives and there was no logical conflict. On the other hand, Xia Chuan did not believe that the lies they made up could be detailed to every detail. Of course, more importantly, he did not detect any fear of their lies being exposed. What they had was only the uneasiness of the pattern that kept spreading on their bodies.

Xiachuan carefully examined the patterns on each monster. They were all the same. The only difference was the size of the patterns and the extent to which they extended upwards.

The pattern on Akai Mitsuharu's body is exactly the same as the one on the subordinate who escaped after entering the cave with him, and even the degree of spread is exactly the same. However, the pattern on Akai Mitsuharu's body is slightly lighter, while the pattern on the monster is so thick that it seems to have been engraved into the skin. This is probably due to the difference in their abilities, and it is also one of the reasons why they believe that this is a curse.

"Have all members of the Clear Sky Club been cursed?" Xia Chuan then asked a question that he was very concerned about and which would determine whether he would intervene in the matter.

"No, it was just the four of us who arrived at the cave, but the patterns on the two of them didn't appear until seven days later."

"What time did you return to Toyama?" Xia Chuan suddenly asked. "Answer me together."

"Nine o'clock at night."

"Nine ten at night."

"Around nine o'clock at night."

There are several answers, but it should be fine.

"Then there are still a few hours until the fourteenth day, let's wait together." Xia Chuan said. "By the way, if you have studied the historical materials about that place, you might as well show them to me."

"This place doesn't seem very convenient?"

"Then let's go to your place." Xia Chuan said.

As expected, Mitsuharu Akai and others have already obtained a lot of information about that mountainous area, the Ikko sect, and even the nearby unofficial history and folk legends. The first missing monster himself was active as a folklorist, so it should not be difficult for them to find these things, but this should be all they can find in this place.

Xia Chuan finished reading them quickly, but to be honest, although he had a certain understanding of these things, without personally going to see the stone tablet in the cave, these things had no practical value.

"The time has come." Mitsuharu Akai said cautiously.

"Wait another half an hour." Xia Chuan finished reading the last bit of analysis by Akai Mitsuharu and others, and then began to check those members of the Clear Sky Club who did not participate in the action.

There were no such patterns on their bodies, and Xia Chuan did not find anything suspicious on them.

Although it is not 100% safe, under the current circumstances, it can be roughly determined that the curse will not be transmitted through contact.

If it was really transmitted in this way, he should have been tricked by now, but he himself did not feel anything was wrong.

Should be fine?

"I have to go back to Tokyo first." Xia Chuan said. "Don't worry, I will be back as soon as possible."

Chapter 251 I Want to Go in and Take a Look Anyway

It might involve things from the past, and Xia Chuan certainly wouldn't forget that he had an "old" monster who had lived for two hundred years by his side who could serve as an advisor.

"Western Toyama, the Ikko sect? That should be close to Kaga, right?" It turned out that Kamio Hitomi knew something about that place.

"From the map, we are indeed very close."

"There is a stone statue of the Ikko sect at the entrance of the cave. Could it be a great demon sealed by the Ikko sect's Buddha?"

"Lord Buddha?" This title made Xia Chuan a little confused.

"The power of the Ikko sect was once very strong. It possessed powerful forces in Kinki, Hokuriku, Tokai and other places. The power of the monks and temples even far exceeded that of the lords. At that time, the chief monk of the Ikko sect who ruled a region was called the Buddha Lord." Kamio Hitomi had long been accustomed to his ignorance of Neon history, and explained casually.

"At that time, the Buddhist leaders of the Ikko sect eliminated and sealed many great demons who were called gods, especially in Kaga. They even killed the guardian daimyo and established their so-called Buddhist kingdom on earth in this place. However, because they were too arrogant and powerful, their ambitions eventually forced Shinto, demons, other Buddhist sects and even missionaries who had just come from the West to unite and suppress them with the help of Oda Nobunaga, who called himself the Sixth Heaven Demon King. However, it was not until modern times that they were completely eliminated with the defeat of Japan. In Japan, they were considered a very terrifying force."

Does this tone mean you already know that I'm not a native of Japan?

However, the history she told was much more interesting than that collected by Mitsuharu Akai and others.

"Why is the Ikko sect so powerful here? Do you know the reason?"

"It is said that they have mastered the method of becoming a god through the flesh. Every Buddha is a living god, and their teachings are particularly able to attract poor people to become their fanatics, providing them with inexhaustible willpower. With an endless supply of willpower and many living gods, who can defeat them?"

"Becoming a god in the flesh?" This information made Xia Chuan couldn't help but feel a little excited.

If that cave was where the monsters were sealed, then it naturally couldn't possibly contain these secrets.

Even if there were any written words left at the place where the monsters were suppressed, at most they would be a description of the monsters sealed here, warning later comers not to release them, or telling them how to strengthen the seal to prevent them from breaking the seal and escaping.

However, according to Mitsuharu Akai, there are a large number of stone tablets there. If you think about it this way, Kamio Hitomi's guess seems a bit untenable.

"What if that's the tomb of a certain... Buddha?"

In this case, those inscriptions may record the knowledge and secrets related to the tomb owner, which means that there may be knowledge hidden there that is very useful to Xia Chuan!

"The Ikko clan is so powerful, why would they bury such a noble deceased in a cave?"

"Didn't you say that they were attacked by other forces? Maybe the Buddha died during that time, so they could only bury him secretly in that cave? Moreover, considering that the Ikko sect was in a very critical situation at that time, they might have engraved important knowledge and hidden it in that place to leave it to future generations?"

"It's not that there is no such possibility, but don't you think this assumption is too wishful thinking?" Kamio Hitomi said. "Why do I feel that you are assuming this very extreme possibility just because you want to obtain that knowledge?"

"You also said there was such a possibility, right?"

"Yes, but the Ikko sect was not destroyed. After reaching a reconciliation with other Buddhist sects, why didn't their descendants find the things in the cave? Why did they leave those things in the cave without anyone to protect them?"

"Maybe it's because everyone who knew about this is dead." Xia Chuan felt more and more that his guess was correct. "Besides, the cave is not unprotected. Didn't the guys from the Qingkong Society encounter an attack by the grave keeper and were cursed? Maybe it was a restriction left by the people who built that place to prevent outsiders from entering."

"It's possible, but it's just a possibility." Kamio Hitomi said. "Even if that's true, how are you going to break the ban?"

"If the things in that cave are left for the descendants of the Ikko clan, then there must be some way to identify them. Otherwise, if the descendants really lost their inheritance and magical powers and needed this knowledge to revive the power of the Ikko clan, they would not be able to enter the cave."

"Are you planning to find a descendant of the Ikko sect to break the taboo?"

"Do you have a better idea?" Xia Chuan asked.

"It's worth a try. It shouldn't be dangerous to you anyway." Kamio Hitomi said. "But one may not be enough. The Ikko sect has already split into the East and West factions. Maybe you need to find a legitimate descendant from both factions. Besides, Akasaka has been in power for so many years. Are there any authentic descendants of the Ikko sect left?"

"We have to give it a try." Xia Chuan said.

"Who are you going to ask to help you? Crows and mice can't complete such a complicated operation, right?"

Xia Chuan was not worried at all: "Akai Mitsuharu and the others may only have seven days to live. In order to survive, they will definitely be able to complete any complicated task."

"Can you make it?"

"We have to try it no matter if we're in time or not." Xia Chuan said.

He immediately asked Asakawa Manabu to take action. At the same time, he also asked the three Nomiya sisters and Kiyokawa Yuriko if they knew anything about the Ikko sect.

Unfortunately, what Kamio Hitomi said became a reality. No one associated with the Ikko sect could be found in the Nomiya family of the Shinto system, the raccoon cats, or the police records.

It is said that the original surname of the head of the Ikko clan was Otani, but whether it is the Eastern or Western clan, the original name of the so-called head of the clan today is not Otani.

Obviously, they are just counterfeits pushed out by Akasaka.

"Actually, there is another way." Looking at the anxious Natsukawa, Kamio Hitomi said.

"What method?" Xia Chuan asked immediately.

"You told Akasaka this news on purpose." Kamio Hitomi laughed again. "If there are still orthodox members of the Ikko sect in this world, then Akasaka must know where they are. Then, you can kidnap them. Or you can wait for Akasaka to lead them to lift the restrictions on the cave, and then find a way to steal the secrets from them."

This suggestion actually made Xia Chuan, who had reached a dead end, a little tempted, but he soon thought of another possibility.

Akasaka did not have the same strong desire to acquire that knowledge as he did.

When they learned the news, the most likely thing they would do was not to take the descendants of the Ikko clan to open the ban, but to simply get rid of them in order to eliminate future troubles. Then, they would use a large amount of concrete to completely bury the cave.

Even simpler, just blow up the mountain, let the dirt and rocks from high above fall down and bury the entire area.

"You can't tell Akasaka." He said to Kamio Hitomi.

Chapter 252: Into the Tiger's Den

Mitsuharu Akai and others waited patiently for two days, but on the third day, he finally couldn't help but sent another email.

There is no sense of urging throughout the article, but the words are full of the hope that Xia Chuan can return as soon as possible.

It's really difficult for them to write such an email.

After all, if it really was a curse, they only had four days to live.

"Try to find out whether the Ikko sect left any successors in Hokuriku." Natsukawa told them roughly what he and Kamio Hitomi had guessed, and the Clear Sky Society immediately took frantic action.

During that period, there was only one person who died in Hokuriku and could be called a Buddha. He was Shimomama Yoritsu, the general commander of the Echizen Ikko Ikki, who was known as one of the "Shimomama Sanboguan" of the Ikko sect.

The historical records of him are quite brief, only recording that he was appointed as the general of the Echizen Ikki to eliminate the forces of Maeba Yoshitsugu, Asakura Kageken and others, and then suppressed the rebellion of the local forces in Echizen to become the guardian of Echizen, and was defeated and died in the subsequent confrontation with the Oda army for three years.

In fact, because of Akasaka's tampering with Neon history, it is questionable whether this person really existed.

But they no longer have time to verify this, so they can only grasp the existing information and try to find possible clues.

The Shimoma clan is the most prominent branch of the Ikko clan, and the secret to entering the cave may be passed down in their bloodline.

At the same time, Xia Chuan finally decided to go into the cave first to take a look.

The worst that could happen is just giving up a stream of spiritual energy. If luck is good, perhaps one could figure out the information that Akai Mitsuharu and the others didn't understand in their panic, and find a way to lift the curse and restrictions directly in the cave.

Just do it.

In order to figure out the principle of the curse, Xia Chuan dispersed most of the crows to places far away from the cave, leaving only one near the cave entrance, while he controlled the other one and carefully entered the cave.

Most of the details are the same as described by Akai Mitsuharu and others.

From the outside, it is almost impossible to tell that there is a cave here. If it weren’t for the mudslide caused by a rainstorm, the cave would have been completely covered by plants and would not be visible at all.

Xia Chuan found a small number of Buddha statues nearby, but because they were too old, they were covered with a thick layer of moss or something like that, and the surface was severely eroded, making it almost impossible to see any clues.

The interior of the cave is relatively well preserved.

As soon as you enter the cave, you can see two rows of Buddha statues, but they are not the ones that can be seen in the Japanese Buddhist temples today. In Xiachuan's opinion, they are more like the guardians of the caves.

However, he examined them carefully and did not find any divine power, spiritual power, or demonic power left inside them, nor did he find any hidden divine power channels or secret spaces. They were just ordinary stone statues.

It is worth mentioning that the carving of the stone statue is a bit rough and it does not look like it has been carefully polished. It seems more like it was hastily carved in a hurry.

No inscriptions or secret mechanisms were found nearby. Xia Chuan put himself in their shoes and thought that even if the descendants of the Ikko sect came to this place, the most they would do was to say "Namo Amitabha" to these Buddha statues.

There shouldn't be anything suspicious.

So he continued forward.

The cave seemed to be rebuilt on the basis of a natural cave in the mountain. There were various stalactites along the way. The strange thing was that the area near the cave entrance was still wet, but it gradually became drier as you went deeper.

After walking about forty meters in the dark, we arrived at the hall that Mitsuharu Akai mentioned.

The cave suddenly becomes wider here. In the darkness, one can indeed see that on one side of the cave, a worship hall has been carved out of the original stone. The side has even been carved with stalactites to accommodate some stone lanterns and small Buddha statues. There should have been wooden objects in some places before, but because so much time has passed, only the rotten remains of wood can be seen now.

There were indeed a large number of inscriptions on the stone walls on both sides. Xia Chuan took a rough look and found that there should be no less than forty stone tablets with words engraved on them. But just as he was about to go over to take a look at the words on them, a cold chill suddenly came over him, and a moment later, the shadow of a huge monster appeared in front of him.

"Namo Amitabha!" Natsukawa immediately chanted the Buddha's name. It is said that one of the important reasons why the Ikko sect was able to develop and grow was because it preached that there was no need to understand Buddhist scriptures or participate in complicated temple rituals. One only needed to join the Ikko sect and recite the slogan "Namo Amitabha" from time to time, and one would be able to enter the Western Paradise after death.

Although I think it's unlikely that I can pass the test with just this one sentence, there's no harm in trying, right?

As expected, the shadow rushed towards him without stopping. Xia Chuan just came in to test it out. There was not much spiritual energy attached to the crow, so he turned around and ran away without hesitation.

But as a spiritual body, the opponent's speed was not slower than his, and the opponent did not even need to consider the influence of the attached object like the crow. In just a dozen seconds, the ball of spiritual energy was completely swallowed up along with the crow. Xia Chuan immediately cut back to the cave entrance, but found that the crow and spiritual energy he had deliberately left at the cave entrance had been killed at some point.

It's strange, that thing should obviously be too late.

Xia Chuan immediately controlled the third crow to land at the entrance of the cave. The shadow in the cave before did not chase to this place, and he did not feel any danger.

He checked the surroundings again, but still found nothing, so he entered the cave again, but just like before, nothing happened. It was not until he entered that space that the shadow appeared again and killed the crow he was attached to.

It doesn’t emerge from the same place.

The first time it seemed to emerge from deep within the cave, but the second time, it suddenly appeared closest to the entrance, blocking Xia Chuan's escape route.