Chapter 31: Heaven’s Great Mandate

The Hakone main hall was silent. Even the Kosen-level Date Masamune and the Suitengu Miko were dumbfounded.

Not to mention the others, like Amamiya Noa, who were so shocked that they couldn’t move.

“Hahaha!” Minamoto Kiyomoto laughed loudly. “As expected of Shakyamuni, amazing! Even if I lose to such a person, I will be convinced!”

Hearing his voice, the crowd came back to their senses.

Looking at the tall and spirited Minamoto Kiyomoto, the female cultivators’ hearts pounded, wishing they could lean into his arms.

In the shadows, someone showed a greedy expression.

“You must show respect to your seniors,” Kamibayashi Miko reprimanded softly.

“Yes, yes, yes.”

Compared to the perfunctory Minamoto Kiyomoto, her voice was like a clap of thunder to those with ulterior motives. These people quickly lowered their heads, not daring to expose their expressions and gazes.

“Your Excellency Minamoto—”

“Master, wait a moment,” Minamoto Kiyomoto interrupted the pale-faced Venerable Manjuan, turned to face the crowd, and said in a loud voice, “Gentlemen!”

Everyone looked at him.

Minamoto Kiyomoto, who had cultivated for a month, had transformed from a nobody to the center of attention.

“Yokai are appearing frequently all over the world, and the situation is grim. Mere manpower is but a leaf fluttering in the autumn wind. Even the successive Divine Miko have not lived past the age of 25, and ordinary people live in constant peril.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked around at the crowd, his eyes burning, and said loudly:

“In this situation, it is even more important for us to be united and overcome the difficulties together. I am willing to make the ‘Mahavairocana Sutra’ public and share this supreme dharma curse with all of you!”

It was as if the Milky Way had collapsed and crashed on everyone’s heads. No one could believe what they had heard.

Exclamations of surprise rose and fell. The people present felt as if they had become a small boat, their thoughts rising and falling, but they could not think of anything.

Kamibayashi Miko’s eyes flickered, and Himemiya Izayoi smiled, looking at Minamoto Kiyomoto thoughtfully.

“No!”

“Absolutely not!”

The monks of Mount Koya were all weak, but they still spoke out to stop him.

“Nonsense, what’s wrong with it!”

“Hey, just now when His Excellency Minamoto wanted to enter the ‘swastika’ wheel of light, you didn’t let him. Now that His Excellency Minamoto is teaching the ‘Mahavairocana Sutra’ himself, you don’t let him either. You’ve taken all the selfishness in the world for yourselves!”

“Your Excellency Minamoto, don’t mind these baldies!”

“His Excellency Minamoto is right. We should have worked together long ago!”

Faced with the criticism of the crowd, the monks of Mount Koya were not to be outdone. Although their divine power was exhausted, they still engaged in a war of words.

The scene of Minamoto Kiyomoto arguing with them just now was replayed in the main hall in a blink of an eye.

“Quiet down!” Date Masamune roared angrily, and his metallic silver divine power was extremely fierce. The main hall trembled.

A rumbling sound echoed in everyone’s ears, and they subconsciously closed their mouths.

Date Masamune turned his head to look at Minamoto Kiyomoto:
“Your Excellency Minamoto, I admire your capacity, but the human heart is unpredictable. You are acting out of kindness, to save the world by announcing the ‘Mahavairocana Sutra,’ but in the end, you will harm the world.”

“That’s right!” a monk from Mount Koya replied loudly.

Minamoto Kiyomoto was not concerned at all and said loudly, “Afraid of this, afraid of that. Worrying about this today, worrying about that tomorrow. When will this first step be taken! When will the world ever be at peace!”

He sat cross-legged on the ground, preparing to transmit the dharma.

Date Masamune was stunned for a moment, then said with surprise and admiration, “Good boy!”

Ignoring the desperately dissuading monks of Mount Koya, Minamoto Kiyomoto opened his mouth and recited:

“What I see, what I hear, what I touch, what I think, is the experience, knowledge, laws, and theorems of all sentient beings, called: the Tathagatagarbha.”

A great light shone between heaven and earth, and the divine breath rose and fell like a tidal wave. The entire main hall shot out a golden light that reached the sky.

Whether they were trying to stop him or not, they couldn’t help but quiet down, their hearts beating wildly, and they pricked up their ears to listen to this supreme great curse, which had never been heard before.

“The Tathagatagarbha is everywhere, in every sutra. The sun in the world cannot be used as an analogy. Taking a small part of its similarity, the character ‘great’ is added, and it is called the Great Vairocana Tathagata.”

“Those who understand this law can reach any path and exhaust any extreme.”

The people present were ecstatic and became even more serious, wishing they could not even make a sound with their heartbeats.

“All sentient and non-sentient beings in the world and beyond, on the day when all virtues are perfected, the light of wisdom will illuminate all places, without distinction between day and night, and they will achieve incredible accomplishments, called: the Dharma Body of the Great Vairocana Tathagata.”

“Illuminating all things in the world without obstruction—”

“Great Vairocana Tathagata,” suddenly, at the back of the main hall, a male cultivator smiled while holding a flower, his face gradually blurring and vaguely turning into Shakyamuni.

“Great Vairocana Tathagata,” the cultivator next to this person also smiled and chanted the Buddha’s name.

“Great Vairocana Tathagata.”

“Great Vairocana Tathagata.”

One by one, Amamiya Noa was no exception. They all smiled while holding a flower, their faces turning into Shakyamuni.

The Venerable Manjuan’s face changed, and he shouted, “Namu Da-hossu Henjo Kongo!”

“Pfft!” Everyone spat out a mouthful of golden blood and quickly blocked their ears with their divine power, their faces full of terror and fear.

When they listened to the ‘Mahavairocana Sutra,’ it was as if they had seen all the mysteries of the world, but the more they listened, the more lost they became, and in the end, they couldn’t tell if they were themselves or Shakyamuni.

Minamoto Kiyomoto glanced at these people, “By meeting a Buddha and killing a Buddha, one can become a Buddha. All sentient beings learn from me and become Shakyamuni Buddha.”

If one’s capacity was insufficient, one could not even meet a Buddha.

After a reminder, he continued to recite the ‘Mahavairocana Sutra’.

“If it manifests in the true suchness, what is done will turn into pure gold. If it does not manifest in the true suchness, what is done will be fruitless and only result in sighs.”

Hearing this, the monks of Mount Koya, who had been chanting mantras and buddhas all year round, also showed a smile and immersed themselves in Shakyamuni’s state of mind.

After being reminded by the Venerable Manjuan, they quickly blocked their ears and closed their eyes to recite the “Diamond Sutra.”

Listening further, when Minamoto Kiyomoto spoke of the specific dharma gates, the Twelve Miko, Date Masamune, and even the Venerable Manjuan all spat out golden blood and did not dare to listen anymore.

“All sentient beings have a storehouse of worthlessness. Establishing the dharma body and the world of dual cultivation of wisdom, the first… “

Of all the people in the main hall, only Kamibayashi Miko and Himemiya Izayoi could still maintain their sense of self.

Kamibayashi Miko was fully concentrated, listening quietly, her beautiful face sometimes smiling, sometimes frowning.

At first, Himemiya Izayoi was listening with great interest, but after a while, she stared at Minamoto Kiyomoto’s profile with a smile.

Minamoto Kiyomoto would occasionally look over and see her tilting her head and smiling at him, her eyes and eyebrows full of charm, and he couldn’t help but his heart beat faster.

She didn’t even listen to the ‘Mahavairocana Sutra.’ This woman had gone to great lengths to make him fall in love with her.

The supreme dharma curse was right in front of them. The others were scratching their heads and trying constantly, but without hearing half a sentence, they were immediately assimilated by Shakyamuni.

After spitting out golden blood, the sutras they had desperately tried to remember disappeared from their minds along with the golden blood.

After speaking for a long time, Kamibayashi Miko’s face showed pain, and Minamoto Kiyomoto stopped.

Although they clearly couldn’t listen, the crowd was still regretful and urged him to continue.

Minamoto Kiyomoto did not continue and said, “From now on, at every pre-battle meeting, I will recite the ‘Mahavairocana Sutra’ once. Anyone can listen.”

“Really?!” The crowd was ecstatic.

“Of course!” Minamoto Kiyomoto said in a loud voice. “I have only cultivated for a month, and I have already seen a newlywed couple commit suicide by jumping into a river when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. I have seen cultivators bully the weak and cause the death of a happy family. I have also seen the Divine Miko disregard her own safety and rise to the challenge. Although I am not Shakyamuni, I also have a heart to save all sentient beings!”

The crowd came back to their senses from the surprise of being able to continue hearing the ‘Mahavairocana Sutra’ in the future. They looked at him blankly, surprised, admiring, disdainful, and ashamed, with mixed feelings in their hearts.

“Namu Da-hossu Henjo Kongo!” The Venerable Manjuan put his hands together and bowed to Minamoto Kiyomoto.

“Namu Da-hossu Henjo Kongo!” the monks of Mount Koya replied in unison.

“No wonder he was able to receive the direct transmission from the World-Honored One. He doesn’t even care about the ‘Mahavairocana Sutra.’ Your Excellency Minamoto’s capacity is unmatched,” the Suitengu Miko said softly.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

It was not just his magnanimity, but also the profound and obscure ‘Mahavairocana Sutra.’ There were many experts present, and even the Divine Miko was there, but only Minamoto Kiyomoto could remember the full text. This was the best proof.

After the meeting was dismissed, the Venerable Manjuan and the other monks of Mount Koya had exhausted their divine power, so the matter of the ‘swastika’ wheel of light had to wait until tomorrow.

Minamoto Kiyomoto, Kamibayashi Miko, and Himemiya Izayoi walked out of the main hall.

The stars were dim, and only a bright moon hung in the sky, shining brightly.

Minamoto Kiyomoto felt refreshed and his mind was open. His whole person seemed to have melted into the moonlight, wandering among the thousands of waters and mountains.

Lake Ashi’s waves glittered, Owakudani’s volcanic heat erupted, flocks of birds flew through the dense forest, and Sengokuhara’s pampas grass was everywhere. The night wind blew, like rippling water.

The overwhelming moonlight, the breath of the gods, surged forward, scrambling to enter Minamoto Kiyomoto’s body.

“Heaven and man as one!” The crowd walking behind, who had not yet recovered from what had just happened, looked at the scene before them in disbelief.

Minamoto Kiyomoto opened his eyes, his heart full of heroic spirit and boiling with hot blood.

On the way back to the inn, the cedar trees were towering. A lamp was lit at every certain distance. The scene that had been bustling with people just now seemed like a dream.

“You have some of the air of a king today,” Himemiya Izayoi fanned herself lightly, with an old-fashioned air.

“What air of a king?” Minamoto Kiyomoto asked amusedly.

“You used to only think about honing yourself, but even if you become the number one in the world in the end, that’s just strength. What you should be pursuing is not this kind of thing, but a grander ideal.”

“You’ve misunderstood,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said in a low voice. “What world? I’m doing this for Miss Kamibayashi. I don’t want her to die at such a young age.”

Kamibayashi Miko looked at his profile. In the moonlight, the spirited look he had in the main hall was gone. He had a smile on his face, like a prodigal son.

Her thoughts were in a mess. She couldn’t tell which of Minamoto Kiyomoto’s words were true.

“Useless,” Himemiya Izayoi said in annoyance.

“Don’t scold me yet,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said. “What was with you just now? I thought we would just chat privately, and if it didn’t work out, it would be fine. But you made me talk about this in front of so many people.”

“I told you to talk, but I didn’t tell you to argue with that group of monks.”

“How can it be called arguing when it’s about monks? It’s discussing Zen.”

“Whether it’s arguing or discussing Zen, you’ve passed this miko’s test,” Himemiya Izayoi sighed with satisfaction, stretched her arms, and stretched her body, as if she had let go of a heavy burden.

“Test?” Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at her with confusion.

“I’ve been cultivating at Ise Shrine since I was young, and I keep hearing about people being killed by yokai. So when I was learning curses, I asked the people in the shrine, ‘Yokai are so powerful, why don’t you let everyone learn to protect themselves?’ They replied, ‘There’s no reason. It’s absolutely not allowed to be passed on to outsiders. This is the rule.’ When I asked for a long time, they told me, ‘Because in this world, not everyone is a good child like Izayoi’.”

The night was quiet, and one could vaguely hear the sound of Lake Ashi’s water lapping against the shore.

Minamoto Kiyomoto and Kamibayashi Miko said nothing, listening to Himemiya Izayoi continue.

“When I grew up, I knew why everyone couldn’t learn powerful curses to protect themselves. It wasn’t a rule, it was selfishness. But I also understood that not everyone in this world is a good child.

“I came to Kanto this time to find a good child, to break the selfishness, and to exchange curses with each other.”

“I am indeed a good person,” Minamoto Kiyomoto nodded.

“Pah!” Himemiya Izayoi said with a laugh and a curse. “I was talking about Miko.”

“Oh, her. She’s barely one, I guess,” Minamoto Kiyomoto agreed.

“Unfortunately, she’s a good child. She could have lived on her own, but she chose to go to her death. But she’s also very pedantic, sticking to the rules of the successive Divine Miko and not daring to pass on the curses. But at this time, I discovered you.”

“Is that why you taught me ‘Fire Thunder’?”

“‘Fire Thunder’ is because I like you, so I taught it to you,” Himemiya Izayoi’s charming eyes were full of affection.

“As soon as you say that, I’m not sure if what you said before was true.”

“Then why did you make the ‘Mahavairocana Sutra’ public? Tell me the truth, big sister,” Himemiya Izayoi’s clear eyes looked at Minamoto Kiyomoto brightly in the night.

Minamoto Kiyomoto looked at the sky, which was blocked by the cedar trees. He couldn’t see anything, only a patch of darkness.

“When I said it,” he recalled, “it was actually to kill the Shakyamuni in my heart. If I even treat the ‘Mahavairocana Sutra’ he gave me as a treasure, how can I surpass him?”

“That sounds like the truth,” Himemiya Izayoi nodded.

“But as I was speaking, the image of the soaked wedding dress appeared before my eyes. I thought of Mansaku, who was avenging his wife and daughter, and I thought of Kikukawa, who had defected out of fear on the train. They could have lived happier lives.”

After a pause, Minamoto Kiyomoto turned his head to look at the two miko beside him.

“At that time, I thought of a sentence you said to me, Izayoi.”

“What?”

“‘Heaven’s great mandate’,” Minamoto Kiyomoto said. “I came to this world with all the talent. Is it just to hone myself? No, I should go and save those who have no talent.”

The moon revolved around the earth. In a patch of darkness, between the gaps of the cedar trees, the moonlight shone on the three of them.

“In Professor Ueno Chizuko’s class,” Kamibayashi Miko suddenly said, “she always likes to repeat a sentence, ‘Your ability is not just for striving for personal gain and victory, but should also be used to help others’.”

“I’ve also taken her class,” Minamoto Kiyomoto nodded in agreement. “She said that to conquer a woman, you can’t use your status. You should rely on your own personality charm.”

Kamibayashi Miko’s snow-white, beautiful face was stern as she looked at him coldly.

“Maybe I remembered it wrong,” Minamoto Kiyomoto cleared his throat with an “ahem,” and turned to look at Himemiya Izayoi. “I’ve told the truth. It’s your turn to tell the truth.”

“Annoying!” Himemiya Izayoi shyly covered her face with her round fan. “I like you a little. Are you satisfied?”

“Thank you, but the one I like is Miss Kamibayashi. What I want to ask is: I can understand that you want to break the selfishness between people, but what is the reason for you to demand that I be above ten thousand people?”

“I didn’t expect you to remember,” Himemiya Izayoi fanned herself with her round fan and said with a half-smile, “The selfishness between people has been broken, and Japan is unified. The person sitting in that position, I think it should be me.”

Minamoto Kiyomoto was stunned for a moment, then clapped his hands and laughed:
“Miss Kamibayashi wants to save people and live past the age of 25; I want to save people and become the number one in the world along the way; Izayoi, you want to save people and then become the master of Japan. We can be considered like-minded.”

After a pause, he said as if he had remembered something:

“By the way, why don’t the three of us learn from Shintoism, form a secret society, and form a ‘Rokuro likes beautiful women’s yogurt’ group, and debut as idols?”

Kamibayashi Miko stepped on Minamoto Kiyomoto’s foot, and Himemiya Izayoi pinched his ear.

“It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! I was joking! I don’t like yogurt! I like pure milk!”

(End of Chapter)