Chapter 81 Moon Goddess, Jingu Yaezakura If this continues, big problems will arise sooner or later. After listening to Jingu Yaezakura's story, Hiramiya Chiya became keenly aware of the problems existing in the Shinto sect. They enfeoffed powerful demons and monsters as guardian gods, and there was nothing right or wrong about this behavior itself. But now this world is more suitable for demons and monsters to practice, and their strength is likely to be far greater than the strength of the Shinto sect itself. The Shinto sect cannot suppress the demons and monsters that are becoming increasingly powerful, even if they are given the name of gods. In this way, the real masters of a Shinto sect are most likely those powerful gods. A small clue can be glimpsed from what happened last night. The two priests of the Golden Light Sect are simply unable to control and suppress the Moon-Swallowing Toad. Instead, they have become servants providing services to the Moon-Swallowing Toad. This obviously violated what Yaezakura Jingu had said before, that the qualification for enthroning a god is strength, otherwise the god that cannot be suppressed will still be a demon and monster, unable to protect the peace of an area. Sectarian Shinto is forcibly consecrating gods that are far beyond their capabilities. No wonder I have rarely encountered truly powerful monsters and demons in all these years in Tokyo. It turns out that they have been incorporated into the gods' business units.
Hiramiya Chiya asked Jingu Yaezakura about her guess, and it was finally confirmed. "It's not just the Shinto sect that has this problem, the entire Shinto religion has this tendency." Jingu Yaezakura's expression also became serious. "The powerful shrines and shrines are fine, but the really bad ones are the small shrines. For their own desires and needs, they forcibly confer the gods beyond their capabilities." "If this continues, it will lead to disaster." "When a toad god dies, other gods will be born." Pinggong Qianye thought for a moment with a serious expression, and felt something was strange. Shouldn't these matters be handled by the Shinto practitioners themselves? As a Buddhist practitioner, I shouldn't interfere too much in these matters. Unless the guardian gods of those sects do something against the will of heaven and earth and harm innocent lives, I can only intervene. "He who can do it should work harder." Faced with such doubts from Hiramiya Chiye, Jingu Yae Sakura looked a little uncomfortable and murmured softly. "Are you having any problems?" Pinggong Qianye chose his words carefully and did not mention the gods directly. "Have you really seen Buddha with your own eyes?" Jingu Yaezakura's tone was a little strange. Hiramiya Chiye was silent for a moment. Jingu Yaezakura had asked him this question before, and he had given a positive answer at that time. Because Buddha is everywhere. But now, the problem is a little different. What Jingu Yaezakura wanted to ask was the Buddha and Bodhisattva who really existed in this world, not just the one who lived in the mouths or minds of Buddhists. Just as Sakyamuni is real, does Amitabha Buddha really exist? Is it definitely there? I have never seen it with my own eyes.
This creates the possibility of falsification. This is not a problem unique to Buddhism; it exists in almost every religion in the world. For those who do not believe in gods and Buddhas, human power is limited, so they need to invent a god or Buddha whose existence is unknown, whose authenticity cannot be verified or falsified, to become the founder of a religion and spiritual leader. To put it simply, only virtual stars will not have their reputations ruined. “You see, it’s hard to answer.” Yaezakura Jingu gently waved the golden fan in her hand, and a soft breeze blew on her face, dispelling the stuffiness of the summer night. In the following conversation, the two of them tacitly discussed the topic. When Hiramiya Chiye mentioned the colorless and almost transparent tail, Jingu Yaezakura opened her mouth slightly, her eyes slightly widened, and she did not hide the shock on her face. She thought that Pinggong Qianye had failed in his attempt to find a nest last night and came back empty-handed. I didn’t expect to actually catch a big fish? He also cut off the tail of the big fish. "You can only appear at night?" Pinggong Qianye guessed. With Yaezakura Jingu's ability, she can observe what happens on the barren mountain. Logically, she should know clearly what happens on the barren mountain. But it was very strange that she knew nothing about the big monster hiding in the void. "That's it for now." Jingu Yae Sakura nodded, turned sideways, her soft hair fell on her shoulders, her expression was a little gloomy, and her happy mood gradually disappeared. Because she has not yet fully descended, and has not yet fully recovered, the sun in the daytime is a natural existence that she cannot overcome. Appearing in the daytime will only waste her strength in vain. Only when the bright moon rises at night can she come with the moon. Pinggong Qianye didn't say anything else. He looked up at the moon and felt it was really magical. He was sure that the Jingu Yaezakura in front of him was real and not a fictional figure. He originally thought that she should live in the Tsukimi Shrine during the daytime, but he didn't expect that she really lived in the Moon Palace. Moon Goddess? Luna? She should not be a shrine maiden, nor the spokesperson of Tsukuyomi. She is the moon goddess worshipped by the Tsukimi Shrine. Just like the Toad God of the Golden Light Religion, he is a being that holds the priesthood of the Moon God. Hiramiya Chiye had some understanding in her mind. When she asked Jingu Yaezakura before, she replied that she had seen God. Now that she thought about it, she had certainly seen God, because she herself was a god. The Moon Goddess of Tsukimi Shrine! The two were speechless for a moment, looking up at the moon in silence. In the main hall, Daijoguji paid homage to the statue of Tsukuyomi-son, walked to the door, gently opened it, and looked towards the osmanthus tree not far away. Unexpectedly, the little monk came again tonight. Not only did he get close to the osmanthus tree that the goddess loved, he also sat next to the goddess.
The key point is that the goddess' attitude towards him is a little unusual. This is not possible. The goddess has not yet fully descended and her mind is still a little immature. If she is seduced away by that little monk, their Tsukimi Shrine will have to change its name completely. There are precedents for this kind of thing in history. In the past, the natural god enthroned by the Kashima Shrine was originally an elk in the deep mountains and dense forests that cultivated into a spirit. It was innocent and ignorant of worldly affairs. The Kashima Shrine has high hopes for this natural god. After all, he is a mountain elk spirit, which fits in perfectly with their Kashima Shrine. But one year, a monk who was eloquent and good at debate came to Kashima Shrine. He was just 28 years old at that time, and by chance he met the natural god. The two sides had a very pleasant conversation, developed a good impression of each other, and finally fell in love with each other. Some unpleasant things happened during this period. At the end of the story, the monk returned to secular life, and the goddess left the society, eloped and went into seclusion, and their whereabouts have been unknown to this day. The lessons of the past are still fresh in our minds. This little monk must not be allowed to have too much contact with the goddess. But, can my old arms and legs help me defeat him? He seemed to be very extraordinary, and even the terrible Moon Eater on the desolate mountain was killed by him. The Grand Master fell into deep silence. On the osmanthus tree, Jingu Yaezakura spoke to break the atmosphere, and her tone returned to its previous indifference. "The half tail you fished for was most likely from a Void Dragon Salamander. It is very good at hiding in the void, appearing and disappearing mysteriously, and difficult to guard against." "You were able to cut off one of its tails, which is already extremely extraordinary." "As for wanting to kill its true form, it's very difficult because no one knows where it is hiding." Pinggong Qianye listened quietly, finally sighed, stood up and jumped off the osmanthus tree. Although the moonlight is beautiful tonight, the atmosphere of relaxed conversation has been lost. Jingu Yaezakura sat on the osmanthus tree and watched Heimiya Chiya go to the main hall. The mission to kill the toad was indeed issued by the Tsukimi Shrine, in order to use the power of Buddhism to eradicate the Moon Eater who intended to infringe on their authority. Now that Pinggong Qianye has killed the Moon Eater, it is time for him to get the spoils he deserves. When Omaeji saw Hiramiya Chiye walking towards him, he subconsciously straightened his old back, with a stern face and no expression. In response to Pinggong Qianye's greeting, he just nodded slightly. "Come with me." Omaeji understood the purpose of Hiramiya Chiye's visit and led him to where he lived.
The mission to kill the Moon-Swallower was something he entrusted to his old friend after obtaining the goddess's consent, asking him to help him carry out the mission in the capacity of a Buddhist practitioner. Only by using a knife to kill the god can you avoid leaving any handle for others to use. Whether in the secular world or in the cultivation world, the legitimacy of superficial procedures is always maintained. (End of this chapter)