Chapter 79
In an instant, Hebe had named all the existing sword saints and sword masters.
"I don't have the time or inclination to go find you one by one."
Hebe's voice remained calm, but they could tell what emotions were suppressed within it.
"All of you, come to Suzaku Street— the Ritual of the Full Moon will end tonight."
120 One Defeat to the Sword Saint
The first to arrive at the Suzaku Street battlefield was Hozoin Inshun, who was closest to the location.
According to historical records, it should have been several decades before he mastered his spear skills, but for some reason he came here when he was just over ten years old.
"Amitabha."
Wearing a light blue monk's robe, Yin Shun bowed to Hebe with his palms together, saying, " With Great Manifestation before me, it is my fault that I cannot pay my respects with such formality."
"This humble monk knows that the Great Manifestation currently harboring resentment, but the Ritual of the Full Moon may have some hidden secrets. I hope that the Great Manifestation will think twice before acting."
As the monk spoke, he untied his bundle, from which a sharp claw, several Dragon Scales, and a stream of crimson-black energy leaped and flew lively toward Hebe.
He actually admitted defeat on the spot.
The Dragon Claw, Dragon Scale, Dragon Qi returned to their original positions, but Hebe's expression did not change much.
Because the little monk raised his Cross Spear once again.
"As a monk, it is only right for me to return the Dragon's Shed Skin; to protect myself is wisdom." The soft white cloth slid off the Cross Spear, its sharp edge pointing diagonally at Hebe's brow. "However, I am ultimately a warrior, and therefore I am willing to be unwise."
"Please enlighten Great Manifestation!"
The moonlight, like water, bathed the little monk, and one after another, afterimages appeared behind him.
Those phantom figures were all Hozoin Inshun of different ages, some slashing, some drawing their spears, some thrusting, and some parrying.
Then, one after another, these phantoms entered the little monk's body.
The young monk adjusted his posture, preparing to thrust out the spear in his hand.
He knew he was doomed to defeat, and might even be killed on the Tamamo-no-Mae, who was filled with anger. But as a warrior, he had no reason not to challenge the strong.
However, Hebe simply glanced at him quietly.
"Is this your wish?" The colorless sword energy bloomed beneath her lips, producing a clanging metallic sound.
The young monk swallowed hard. "Yes!"
The next instant, an invisible buzzing sound rang out from all directions, and the invisible sword, which seemed to embody the Divine Will, easily bypassed Hozoin's spear.
Hozoin Inshun was overwhelmed and couldn't hold on for even a second before an invisible sword was placed against his neck.
The young monk stood there, stunned. He knew that if he hadn't surrendered the dragon's body beforehand, he would have been instantly decapitated.
"No, perhaps it's not just for that reason." The young monk stood by the street, his mind clear as a mirror. "The Hozoin-ryu Spear Techniques originated from a secret transmission of Master Sagura. Perhaps Great Manifestation still harbors some lingering affection for the monks..."
Hebe didn't look at him, because in the moonlight someone stood on the roof, looking down at her.
It is Miyamoto Musashi.
She brandished her twin swords defiantly, a subtle smile appearing on her face.
Hebe didn't reply, but instead pointed at her.
Miyamoto Musashi's expression changed drastically, and he drew his twin swords without hesitation.
The swords clashed loudly, but no Miyamoto Musashi light was seen. Miyamoto Musashi was on high alert and unleashed twenty-nine consecutive slashes from the rooftop, carving a path through the invisible encirclement of swords.
Her body moved forward instead of backward, because Musashi knew that the range of his sword intent was not that far.
She had to get within a meter of Hebe! Just like she did with the Dragonfly Cutter when dealing with "Nioh" Honda Tadakatsu Tonbokiri!
However, Hebe remained unmoved. "What is your wish?"
My wish? Of course, it's to constantly hone my swordsmanship until I reach the state of "nothingness".
But why is Tamamo-no-Mae asking this question?
And why didn't she draw her sword, but just watched him approach rapidly?
Problems surfaced in Miyamoto Musashi's mind like raindrops, and she shouldn't have had so many problems at this time.
Miyamoto Musashi's sword remained a few meters away, his body stiff as a puppet.
Standing on the side of the long street, the young monk stared at this strange exchange, cold sweat dripping down his shiny brow.
The young monk clasped his hands together, but dared not look away for even a moment.
"Huh?" This was the question uttered by Miyamoto Musashi.
"Ah." After a brief silence, the little monk let out a knowing sigh.
This was not because he was more skilled in swordsmanship than Miyamoto Musashi, but because he had just taken a sword strike from Hebe, but survived because Hebe showed mercy.
So he vaguely understood.
The reason why even Miyamoto Musashi himself didn't know when Hebe drew her sword was because... Hebe didn't draw her sword at all.
No one saw her draw her sword because she had already finished drawing it long ago.
"Tamamo-no-Mae saw Miyamoto Musashi, and in that instant when their eyes met, that was the first hit."
"Tamamo-no-Mae pointed at Miyamoto Musashi, and an invisible sword aura locked onto her. This was the second hit;"
"Tamamo-no-Mae asked Miyamoto Musashi a question, and the instant her voice reached his ears, this was the third time she had hit him..."
See it, hear it, and be in the center.
There was nowhere to escape, nowhere to avoid.
Legend has it that when Scar Father, as the King of the Wild Hunt, traversed the wastelands, the shadow of his army was witnessed in Northern Europe. Scar Father hurled his lance like a meteor, and every time he threw it, it hit its mark.
The sword system was a secret transmission from Scar Father, hence Hebe's sword intent also possesses this characteristic.
Now all she needs to do is detonate the sword energy that emerges from the depths of her consciousness, Miyamoto Musashi will be torn to pieces.
Hebe raised her hand.
"The Dragon God is not dead; there's more to the story!"
In the distance, the figure of Mochizuki Chiyome appeared under the moonlight, but she could not reach it in time, so she could only call out.
As the most mysterious ninja throughout the entire Ritual of the Full Moon, he could no longer care about concealing his presence.
Her appeals were indeed effective.
Those sword energies that flowed deep within Miyamoto Musashi's body caused his thoughts and the sword energy in his body to stagnate, no longer displaying the sharpness of killing, but instead falling and settling down like millions of pieces that no longer move or change.
The blockage locked Miyamoto Musashi in place.
From Miyamoto Musashi's appearance to Mochizuki Chiyome's arrival, and then to Miyamoto Musashi's defeat... it was all just a blink of an eye.
In that blink of an eye, he could have died many times over. The little monk thought to himself.
If he were a pure martial artist, he would definitely lose the courage to pick up a sword again in the face of such divine swordsmanship. But fortunately, besides being a martial artist, he was also a monk.
What's wrong with monks worshipping Buddha? Hozoin Inshun was completely convinced.
Mochizuki Chiyome landed not far from Hebe.
Hebe looked calmly at the ninja, and from the ninja she could sense the presence of Miss A-Long.
According to the Inari Grand Shrine's calculations, the Mochizuki Chiyome, should be considered Miss A-Long's personal priestess.
Can the elements of Sorceress and a ninja be combined like this?
"You come from the Foothills of Mount Takachiho?"
"Yes, I am Sorceress who worships the Dragon of Takachiho," Mochizuki Chiyome replied. "The dragon god has not truly died."
"But what you are fighting over is her remains."
"To be precise, it is the remains of the Dragon God." Mochizuki Chiyome carefully considered her words. "Please allow me to tell you the whole story."
Hebe nodded, but showed no intention of taking any action.
"What is this...?"
"There's no need to go anywhere else, let's talk here."
Hebe watched the figures gradually appear at the end of the long street, his tone completely flat.
121 Two idiots
The swordsman, skilled in Godspeed Quickdraw Technique, lay sprawled on the ground, while the sword saint stood beside him like a lifeless statue.
The monk sat cross-legged, chanting incantations; the Sorceress stood beside the fox spirit, seemingly narrating something.
When Ito Ittosai and Yagyu Munenori arrived together, they were greeted by this bizarre scene.
"After your passing, the Shogun steadfastly carried out the work of purging the mysteries of the entire Higashi. But more than a hundred years ago, the great Onmyoji Ashiya Dōman in Heian-kyō and paid homage to the Shogun."
"Ashiya Dōman ..." Hebe murmured, the image of the Onmyoji, a beautiful beast, appearing before her eyes.
He had met him once before, by the river near the Heian-kyō Bridge.
Hebe also remembered that at the end of the Edo period, she was told that "the shogun found Ashiya Dōman and forced him to perform the Ritual of the Full Moon"; but at this time, Mochizuki Chiyome said that "Ashiya Dōman the initiative to visit the shogun".
This is a very serious point of contention.
"The General summoned the monk Doman at the Flower Palace and asked sentient beings if they have an afterlife."
Master Daoman replied: No. The decree of the King Yama cannot be altered; all who die are destined only to fall into the Sea of Silence.
The general was filled with sorrow.
However, Master Daoman further stated. "Few in this world die without regrets; many die unjustly. Those like the latter are not recorded by the King Yama, but rather held by various officials."
Hebe neither confirmed nor denied that the King Yama was an alternate name for the Duke of Sighs within the Cathay cultural sphere.
Ashiya Dōman's answer was indeed correct, because there were still a huge number of dead wandering between the wasteland and the border. Most of them were obsessed with something, so they would not simply fall into the Sea of Silence and perish.
Ito Ittosai and Yagyu Munenori exchanged a glance, then instinctively gripped their sword hilts, but neither of them drew their swords first.
Because they also wanted to know the secrets of this Ritual of the Full Moon.
Master Daoman replied again, "I have a wonderful technique that can be used to pray for the favor of the Mother Earth Goddess. If a close friend of the Great Lord unfortunately passes away, I can bring them back."
The Mother Earth Goddess is another name for the July Archon of the Holy Grail. She is regarded throughout the world as the prototype of the Great Mother Goddess, and is older than Pearl and the Messiah.
Without a doubt, the "wonderful technique" Ashiya Dōman of was this Ritual of the Full Moon.
"The general asked: What is the price?"
The monk Daoman replied, "All things in this world are born and must perish; prosperity must turn to decline. If you wish to bring back the dead, you must offer the living as sacrifices. If you wish to bring Tamamo-no-Mae, you must offer the entire capital of Kyoto as a sacrifice."
The general remained silent for a long time.
The monk Dōman then advised, "Please forgive my presumption. However, it is not a long-term solution for the Great Lord to indulge in past dreams and be consumed by sorrow. If we could summon Lady Tamamo-no-Mae back, we could surely establish a nation far Takama-ga-hara, creating a worry-free future for our descendants for generations to come."
"I was serving by his side at the time and heard it clearly." Mochizuki Chiyome took a deep breath. "The General said: No."
Hebe stared at Mochizuki Chiyome, his fingertips pulsating with sword energy.
Whether it was the perception of illusion or the sword intent of non-thought, both told her that this was not an exaggeration.
"Continue," Hebe said softly.
"The next day, Master Dōman advised again: 'Today, the Higashi are in a time of peace and prosperity, but if we are to move towards an even brighter future, Tamamo-no-Mae is an indispensable advisor. The decisive battle between the Emperor and the Wolf King will begin in five hundred years, and the Great Lord must make a decision soon.'"
The general said: No.
On the third day, Master Dōman bowed again and said, "If you wish to bring back the lost life and reclaim the lost dream, this is the very last chance. The longer time passes, the further you will drift from Tamamo-no-Mae. Only by bringing her back can you avoid falling into eternal regret once more."
The general did not answer.
In Kyoto, almost all the surviving swordsmen were present, but none of them spoke. They all wanted to know the inside story of this "Ritual of the Full Moon".
Only Chiyo, who was once Sorceress Chiyome the Takachiho Eighty-Eight Grand Shrine and later a ninja attendant to the shogun, could reveal these unknown secrets.
"Master Daoman then bowed again and said that even if the Ritual of the Full Moon was not activated, it could still regulate the Water and Soil and control the climate, ensuring a good harvest regardless of drought or flood. He also said that he was willing to reveal the Ritual of the Full Moon in its entirety and leave everything to the general's decision."