Lay Down the Butcher's Knife, Become a Buddha on the Spot

As Yamauchi Kazutoyo finished speaking, the atmosphere inside the residence began to grow oppressive.

Chubei had no idea what Yamauchi Kazutoyo meant, but the cold severity on his face made panic rise in Chubei's heart for no reason. Almost instinctively, he blurted out, "Lord Yamauchi, if it truly won't do, this humble one can forgo those ten kan of money, all right?"

"Can ten kan buy a life?" Yamauchi Kazutoyo abruptly rose to his feet and kicked Nehei, who still had not grasped the situation, to the ground.

Before Chubei and his son could react, Hachisuka Masakatsu and Horio Yoshiharu had each placed a tachi against their necks.

"Nehei, was it? Shall I remind you about the early hours of the third day of last month...?"

"It was you!" Nehei finally remembered what he had done last month. Trembling from head to toe with terror, he no longer possessed even a trace of his former arrogance and tyranny.

"It's good that you remember. Remember this face of mine, and stay far away in your next life!"

Just as Yamauchi Kazutoyo was about to swing his blade, Kichibē's voice rang out from the doorway. "My lord!"

"May I avenge my mother myself?" Kichibē strode in with resolute steps, gripping a wakizashi tightly in his hand.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo nodded. "Leave it to you."

"Ha!" Kichibē excitedly drew his wakizashi and advanced on Nehei, gripping the blade with both hands.

Nehei had been scared senseless by then. He had even forgotten to beg for mercy.

Meanwhile, Chubei kept knocking his head against the floor, pleading for Yamauchi Kazutoyo's forgiveness. "Lord Yamauchi, I don't want the money anymore. I only beg you to spare us!"

Yamauchi Kazutoyo said coldly, "If a mere ten kan could buy a life, then I have already paid you that money."

"If it cannot, then shut your mouth and wait to die!"

"Kichibē, if you're going to do it, then do it quickly. Stop dithering." Yamauchi Kazutoyo urged him on. Villains died from talking too much—this ironclad rule never went out of fashion anywhere.

Hearing that, Kichibē let out a roar and drove the wakizashi in before Nehei's despairing eyes.

One stab did not satisfy his hatred; two still did not quell his rage. He stabbed again and again, seven or eight times in all, until Nehei finally collapsed into a pool of blood. Only then did Yamauchi Kazutoyo seize Kichibē's hand.

"That's enough. He's completely dead."

The wakizashi slipped from Kichibē's hand and fell to the ground. He stared blankly at his own blood-soaked hands.

Beside him, Chubei wept bitter tears. Hachisuka Masakatsu then asked, "Iemon, what should be done with the others?"

Yamauchi Kazutoyo did not answer. He simply swung his blade and cut Chubei down, blood splattering all over his face.

At that moment, silence spoke louder than words.

Hachisuka Masakatsu nodded and immediately went outside to drag out the female members of the household who had been huddling in the inner room.

Seeing the two corpses lying in pools of blood, Nehei's mother and wife trembled all over and began begging for mercy again.

"Isn't this a little too cruel?" Horio Yoshiharu showed a look of reluctance. A Buddha statue still stood before the main hall, and he found it difficult to act in front of it.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo smiled. "No matter. Recite the Lotus Sutra while you do it. If there is Buddha in your heart, then Buddha is with you."

"Afterward, lay down the butcher's knife, and you may become a Buddha on the spot!"

Thinking it over, Horio Yoshiharu found that it really made sense. He muttered something to the two women about "being reborn in the Pure Land of Bliss," then raised his blade and brought it down. Clean and decisive.

The Lotus Sect was Nichiren Buddhism. The threshold for becoming a follower of this sect was very low—so long as one could recite "Homage to the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Sutra," one could cultivate.

Of course, Jodo Shinshu, the Ikkō Sect, had an even better method in this regard. Their main point was that one could cultivate so long as there was Buddha in one's heart. Even if one could not recite scriptures, it was enough to shout "Amitabha"...

The development of Japanese Buddhist sects mainly followed the growing demand, with requirements continually lowered in order to compete.

It was like taking professional certification exams.

The Hosso Sect, led by Kōfuku-ji in Yamato Province, set certain thresholds in this regard. One needed relevant qualifications to "register," and the passing rate was very low.

The Tendai Sect, led by Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei, relaxed the conditions. Anyone could "register," but the difficulty of the examination remained.

In order to draw followers, the Lotus Sect, or Nichiren Buddhism, directly declared that joining their sect was an "open-book exam"—one only needed to memorize Buddhist scriptures.

Jodo Shinshu took one look and saw that there were so many illiterate people in the country that memorizing Buddhist scriptures was still too difficult. So they said, fine, as long as you paid, you could "buy a certificate," and they would even help erase your sins.

Thus, believers in those days did not actually need to believe in Buddha at all. They were merely crops cultivated for harvesting by the Buddhist masters. And Jodo Shinshu was the strongest among them, its temples spread throughout Japan.

Even the Buddhist masters in the temples killed without the slightest softness of heart, so the warriors naturally bore even less psychological burden.

A couple of shouted slogans would do. Who knew whether the venerable Buddha could even hear them?

"Now you're the only one left. Tell me, where have you hidden the valuables in this house?" Yamauchi Kazutoyo crouched before Nehei's wife, his bloodied fingers gently brushing through her hair.

The woman said fearfully, "If I tell you, will you spare me?"

"Take us to the money first. We'll talk after we find it." Yamauchi Kazutoyo patted her cheek.

Half-believing and half-doubting, the woman walked stiffly into the courtyard. After moving aside a pile of grass, she revealed a wooden board.

"I don't know whether it's here either. I only saw Nehei sneak down there mysteriously before."

Yamauchi Kazutoyo beckoned to Sobue Kan'emon at the doorway, and the latter immediately pulled open the board and crawled inside.

"My lord! There's quite a lot of good stuff!"

Sobue Kan'emon's cry of surprise soon rose from below. Then he poked his head out. "Two piles of Yongle Tongbao, probably seven or eight kan in all."

"One spear, two bows with arrows, three sets of ashigaru dōmaru armor, seven or eight jingasa and kote pieces, three barrels of sake, and probably more than twenty koku of grain."

A koku bag referred to a sack for holding rice, usually woven from straw or reeds. One bag could hold five to of rice, meaning two bags of rice equaled one koku.

"There are also some soybeans and dried persimmons. There's too much miscellaneous stuff to count in time."

An immense wave of delight washed over Yamauchi Kazutoyo. Though he had been prepared, this windfall still stunned him.

No wonder they said murder and arson earned one a golden belt—without unexpected wealth, a man could never grow rich.

"My lord, now that you have found the things, may I leave?" the woman asked in a trembling voice.

"Don't stand there foolishly. I don't kill women." Yamauchi Kazutoyo said it casually, while the corner of his eye glanced at Hachisuka Masakatsu.

As if granted a pardon, the woman immediately rose and tried to run outside.

Hachisuka Masakatsu reached out to block her. Then he stepped in close and drove his tachi into her body.

"Iemon's money cannot be taken for nothing. It would be hard to justify without getting a little blood on our hands." Hachisuka Masakatsu sheathed his blade in one fluid motion.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo shrugged. Everyone saw that, right? Hachisuka Koroku killed her. It had nothing to do with me.

"Kichisuke, have Horio bring the horses in. Everyone else, start moving the goods."

"Right!"

Everyone cheered in unison and rushed forward.

Standing beside the cellar, Hachisuka Masakatsu said in a grave tone, "Keep your hands clean. Don't let them wander."

"Understood."

In about a quarter of an hour, the dazzling assortment of goods in the cellar had all been carried out and arranged neatly across half the courtyard.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo took twenty Koshu ichibukin from a box and stuffed them into Hachisuka Masakatsu's hand. "Koroku, you've gone to a great deal of trouble. Here are twenty kan, a token of my gratitude."

"Didn't you say ten kan?" Hachisuka Masakatsu weighed the Koshu gold in his hand. Who would not love gold?

Yamauchi Kazutoyo replied, "Ten kan is my gift of thanks to Koroku. The other ten kan is the goodwill of Maeno Shikibu-no-jō of Matsukura Castle. There is no conflict."

Hachisuka Masakatsu said nothing and obediently tucked the gold into his robe.

Then Yamauchi Kazutoyo pointed at the pile of copper coins on the ground. "As for this money, divide it among the men Koroku brought."

"Good!" Hachisuka Masakatsu waved his hand. "What are you standing around for? Divide the money!"

"Remember to thank Lord Yamauchi!"

"Yes! Many thanks, Lord Yamauchi!"

"Lord Yamauchi is truly generous!"

Money stirred men's hearts; he had no choice but to be generous. The gold and goods together were worth at least one hundred and twenty kan.

It was uncertain whether invoking the Maeno family of Matsukura Castle would be enough to keep Hachisuka Masakatsu in check. Yamauchi Kazutoyo naturally had to share more benefits, lest someone feel dissatisfied.

At the same time, Hachisuka Masakatsu took several extra looks at Yamauchi Kazutoyo.

Though the two had known each other for only a few days, after this incident, he felt that this young man truly had something to him.

He was meticulous in his planning and ruthless when necessary. More importantly, he was generous and willing to share the benefits.

Perhaps... going to Matsukura Castle really was not a bad choice?