A Pawn’s Passage

Sixty years was a very long time ago, around the end of the fourth-generation Grand Master's reign and the beginning of the fifth-generation Grand Master's tenure. Sage Qingwei, now a candidate for the position of the seventh-generation Grand Master, was separated from that time by three full generations. Such a lengthy passage of time was more than enough for many secrets to be buried deep in forgotten documents.

Even the current Great Sage of the Fenglin Daoist Mansion would not have been aware of these investigation results, as there had been 12 changes of this position. The Chief Deputy and Second Deputy were likewise frequently rotated. This was a deliberate strategy to prevent the Fenglin Daoist Mansion from growing too powerful and forming an uncontrollable splinter regime overseas.

However, such frequent rotation inevitably led to many omissions. The records might still exist somewhere, but those qualified to read them seldom took the initiative. As all direct participants from back then passed away, the matter became a secret known to no one.

Sage Qingwei asked, "Please elaborate."

Aobozu replied, "Neither the Daoist Order nor the Holy Court found a way to truly resolve the matter. They could only reinforce the seal. The specific sealing methods were controlled by the Ise-jingu and the royal family. Chancellor Toyotomi's Office rose too late and was never deeply involved in this issue."

Sage Qingwei was not surprised by this answer. Given the Daoist Order's usual conduct, if they could handle something themselves, they would never involve outsiders. Of course, other objective factors played a role. For instance, relations between the Daoist Order and the Holy Court were on the rise at that time, and interactions were relatively frequent.

"What exactly is this 'demonic fire' you speak of?" Sage Qingwei pressed on.

Aobozu replied, "In truth, both the Daoist term of yin fire and the Holy Court's term of frenzied flame are inadequate. They each emphasize a certain aspect of this flame, but neither captures the full picture.

"Yin fire is an old term from Daoist classics. It refers specifically to the second heavenly tribulation that Immortals face—a fire trial that begins from the Yongquan acupoint and burns through to the Niwan Palace, reducing the five viscera to ash and rotting all limbs, rendering a hundred years of cultivation utterly void. However, when the Fenglin Daoist Mansion used the term yin fire, they didn't mean it was literally that. If the fire beneath Mount Fuyo could truly kill Immortals, who would dare speak of sealing it? They used the term to point out that this fire contains immense yin energy, but it was unlike ghostly fire or nether fire. This fire is only yin in essence.

"The Holy Court's term of frenzied flame highlights the fire's behavior. Anyone tainted by it descends into madness, often transforming into a demon, with a completely altered disposition—sometimes to the point of denying even their closest kin. According to the Holy Court, those infected by frenzied flame develop extreme, destructive, and self-destructive tendencies, and the flame can hide in the human heart like an ember, appearing extinguished but ready to reignite when the time is right. It's very difficult to purge. The Cardinal Bishop involved in the investigation once said that despair and madness summon the frenzied flame.

"The reason I call it demonic fire is that it incorporates both the essence and characteristics emphasized by the Daoist Order and the Holy Court. More importantly, after becoming a demon myself, I discovered certain anomalies that neither the Daoists nor the Holy Court cardinals could detect."

Yagyu Sosei interrupted, "Master, you were already a demon when you participated in this investigation?"

Aobozu pressed his palms together and replied, "Exactly. But at that time, I had only recently become a demon, so my demonic intent was still weak. I could suppress my nature with Buddhist practice and maintain a human appearance. Thus, I was not yet considered a Buddhist demon and was allowed to participate in the investigation."

"I see." Yagyu Sosei nodded. "Please continue, Master."

Aobozu continued, "This anomaly that only monsters can perceive is called intent—a very faint presence hidden deep within this fire. It's almost imperceptible to the living, but to demons, it's like whispers by the ear, eroding the heart, luring one into utter madness and destruction. At first, this whispering seems harmless. But like water eroding stone, its subtle influence is frightening. As you can see, before that, I could still maintain my human form. Now, I can only preserve half of it. Perhaps in another ten years, I'll fully transform and lose the ability to communicate like a human.

"That is precisely why I call it the fire of an evil god. The intent hidden in the fire resembles Mara the Evil One, the demon king who opposes the Buddha. It is an evil god that can't be compared to any ordinary Immortal. It resides beneath Mount Fuyo and releases demonic fire at intervals, corrupting the world. The yin energy in its flames lingers in the mortal realm, which is why all of Fenglin has become what it is today."

Sage Qingwei and Yagyu Sosei's expressions both turned grim.

If such a being truly existed beneath Fenglin, then neither the Daoist Order, the Chancellor's Office, the Tenmon Sect, nor the Fenglin Buddhist Sect could remain uninvolved.

Sage Qingwei fell silent for a moment before musing, "Fire needs fuel. The evil god merely planted the spark. The incense power generated from obsession, despair, and resentment becomes the kindling for the demonic fire, and the fire endlessly amplifies the effect of those emotions."

Aobozu nodded. "Exactly. Sekishusai mentioned that each volcanic eruption is followed by ash blanketing the land like snow. Those ashes are the evil god's scattered seeds of fire. They fall upon people, merge with them, and are passed down through generations, never extinguishing. War, in particular, greatly accelerates the spread of the demonic fire. That's why demons now run rampant throughout Fenglin."

Sage Qingwei chuckled. "Is this your way of persuading me to cease the war?"

Aobozu merely pressed his palms together and lowered his head, acquiescing to it.

Sage Qingwei said, "This war was not initiated by us. On that point, Sekishusai has more authority to speak."

Yagyu Sosei sighed. "For nearly two centuries, the Toyotomi government has ruled Fenglin. But the Sonno-joi faction, for their own selfish ends, sought to seize power and replace the Chancellor's Office, even at the cost of starting a major war. That is why the Chancellor's Office began suppressing the rebellion and why the Daoist Order was invited to assist."

Although Yagyu Sosei was nominally just a swordsmanship instructor for the Chancellor's Office, he was a renowned Kengo with countless disciples in high positions. The current Kampaku, Toyotomi Hidemochi, could also be considered one of his students. Yagyu Sosei also had close ties with influential figures like the late elder Ii Naosada, and his sway within the Chancellor's Office was immense. He could represent the Chancellor's Office, which was why Sage Qingwei treated him with such respect.

Sage Qingwei took over the conversation. "If there is to be a truce or peace, it should be the Sonno-joi faction that initiates it, not us. Moreover, the Daoist Order's stance is not dictated by me alone. All decisions are made through deliberation by the Golden Tower Council, and I merely carry them out. Even if I wished to stop the war, I would have to report it to the Golden Tower Council for them to decide whether or not to cease hostilities."

Aobozu raised his head and looked at Sage Qingwei. "What do you mean by this?"

Sage Qingwei replied calmly, "To end war with war, to still weapons with weapons."

......

In the Xiujing field camp, Zhang Yuelu brought out a map of Fenglin and began marking the regions that were covered in ash based on the records of the four great fires.

She found that the ashes from the four fires just happened to blanket the entire expanse of Fenglin.

The most extreme case was when the ashes were carried by the seasonal monsoon all the way to the far north, reaching Mutsu Province and Emishi Province.

Zhang Yuelu did not believe this to be a mere coincidence but something with profound significance.

From the map, Mount Fuyo was situated between Kai Province and Suruga Province, neighboring Musashi Province, and not far from Ise Province, separated only by the Totomi and Mikawa Provinces. All of these regions were severely affected by the ash. However, unlike the others, Musashi, Mikawa, and Totomi Provinces had not seen large-scale battles. In contrast, the Toyotomi army and the Sonno-joi faction's rebels had clashed multiple times in Ise Province, where blood flowed like rivers and fields littered with bones. Thus, Ise Province was now shrouded in yin energy, swarming with demons and spirits.

Even though the Daoist army had already begun to enter Ise Province, they could only use hundreds of large Yin Halberd Formations to redirect the yin energy. The principle was similar to diverting floodwaters, merely channeling the flow rather than truly eliminating the yin energy.

Zhang Yuelu had a hunch that this yin energy had long existed and was merely lying dormant underground or in other places, within the mountains, rivers, and the geomantic currents. Then, under specific conditions, such as large-scale warfare or massive deaths, the yin energy would surface, merging with the deathly qi and resentment to form a special environment akin to the Ghost Kingdom.

Normally, under the pressure of the vast yang energy of the mortal realm, yin energy could not linger for long. It would quickly evaporate like a puddle on the ground. But if it were a lake, its existence would be prolonged significantly and not easily dissipated.

Ise Province now resembled a lake with an enormous accumulation of yin energy that could even resist yang energy. Only through human effort could the concentrated yin energy be forcefully diverted or dissipated.

Humans exuded yang energy. Thus, densely populated cities could resist the invasion of yin energy.

Zhang Yuelu looked up from the map and murmured to herself, "No wonder the Golden Tower Council back then refused to take full control over Fenglin. This place is like a swamp. Step into it, and you'll sink. Trying to pull yourself out again becomes extremely difficult."

"Superintendent Mu," Zhang Yuelu called out.

Mu Jin entered immediately and replied, "Yes, Deputy Hall Master."

Zhang Yuelu instructed, "Please ask Deputy Palace Master Shen what time the Sage Commander is returning to camp."

Mu Jin replied, "I asked earlier. At the latest, the Sage Commander will return to the camp before midnight. Deputy Hall Master Tian Yuan should also be back around then as well."

Zhang Yuelu nodded. "Alright. Notify me as soon as they return."