Chapter 872: Dragon Rising (IV)
Aobozu gazed at Sage Qingwei’s expression with his only eye, but all he saw was a calm face, utterly undisturbed.
The demon monk had no choice but to ask, “Sage, are you not curious as to why I transformed into a yokai?”
Sage Qingwei replied with a question of his own, “Is your transformation into a yokai the so-called secret of Fenglin?”
Aobozu said, “That is only a very small part of it.”
“There’s more?” Sage Qingwei asked.
Aobozu explained, “There is a rule in the mortal realm that those who are too powerful—whether Immortals or divine beings—cannot remain here for long. They are limited to a hundred-year stay. Unless they use divine power to construct a divine kingdom and hide within it, they will eventually be bound to this rule. But even then, after that hundred-year term, they cannot easily leave their divine kingdom and become no different from mountain gods. However, Fenglin seems to be an exception. Many beings—humans or yokai—who have long surpassed the century mark still roam the mortal world, like the great yokai Tamamo-no-Mae and the Yamata-no-Orochi.
“With the Daoist Order’s formidable power and its nominal rule over Fenglin for nearly a century, surely you’ve encountered many bizarre and inexplicable phenomena. Fenglin seems to be a murky and obscure realm where humans and yokai coexist. Humans operate during the day, while the yokai appear at night.
“A place that appears desolate by day turns bustling at night, lanterns aglow as yokai emerge en masse. It’s as lively as Yoshiwara in Xiujing. Meanwhile, in the Heian Capital, entire streets become deserted when night falls. That’s when countless bizarre yokai parade in procession like a temple fair, what the locals call the Hyakki Yagyo, the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. It’s said that those who witness it with their own eyes will fall victim to a curse and die mysteriously.
“There’s also the mysterious Ise Province. I’ve visited recently and found yin energy blanketing the area. If there aren’t enough living humans there, the endless yin energy and resentment will corrode the land and turn people into monsters. The dead, unable to ascend to the heavens or return to the earth, are driven by this yin energy to reanimate their corpses as vengeful spirits. Even when the God of Slaughter in the Central Plains buried 400,000 surrendered soldiers alive, it didn’t generate such overwhelming yin energy and resentment. Where did all of this originate? What do Takamagahara, Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni, and Yomi-no-Kuni truly represent?
“I believe the Daoist Order must have some understanding and research into these matters, but I’m also certain there’s still much the Order does not yet grasp. Even Sekishusai, who was born and raised here, would not know more about this than I do.”
This time, Sage Qingwei truly smiled. The upward curvature was no longer just an illusion. “Very well. I’m most intrigued. As long as you can enlighten me, the Daoist Order will fulfill any reasonable request you have. Let’s find a quieter place to speak.”
Aobozu bowed with his palms together. “The Buddha speaks of Eight Sufferings: birth, aging, illness, death, meeting those we hate, parting from those we love, unfulfilled desires, and the flourishing of the five aggregates. All mortals suffer these trials. I sought to deliver the world, yet the world remains lost in earthly desires that corrode humanity. All things prove to be empty in the end. Only karma endures, cycling again and again. I often tell the world that if the heart does not waver, there is neither suffering nor pain. All phenomena are illusory, like dreams and shadows. He who saves me is the merciful Buddha. Enter the gate of Buddha, pursue virtue sincerely, know what I know, attain what I attain, and ask for nothing. Abandon anger and ignorance, shun lust and greed. Only then may you attain true bliss.”