novelraw Chapter 232-1: Rescuing the Nurarihyon, Fleeing Dharma-Aspect Temple (1)
Chapter 232-1: Rescuing the Nurarihyon, Fleeing Dharma-Aspect Temple (1)
There were three options: leave, sneak in, or bribe.
If you wished to enter Dharma-Aspect Temple, the sneaking option could be ruled out.
The temple was protected by the Absolute Barrier Seal of the Ten Directions. According to the game records you had seen, only a Jonin could learn the art of breaking barriers.
And as for a top-grade barrier like the Absolute Barrier Seal of the Ten Directions, it would require an even higher-level ninja to have any chance of dispelling it.
Lin Xun pressed the third option, ‘bribe.’
[You took out 5,000 Spirit Essence, discreetly slipped it into the hand of the samurai guarding the temple, and softly asked if he could be flexible.]
[The samurai weighed the Spirit Essence, his expression easing a little. He hesitated and said Dharma-Aspect Temple could only be toured by daylight. Once the sun set, it was closed to the public.]
[If you wished to visit, you could come early tomorrow, and he would reserve you a spot near the front of the line.]
[Hearing this, you felt somewhat disappointed and were about to leave to think of another way. But the samurai squinted at you and quietly held out a hand.]
[You were momentarily puzzled, then suddenly understood. You took out another 5,000 Spirit Essence and slipped it to him.][He revealed a satisfied smile and said that, as a ninja whose duties kept you hiding by day and active by night, having no time to visit Dharma-Aspect Temple in the daytime was understandable.]
[Considering that everyone in Thousand Orchid City should have the chance to scorn the ‘demonic remnants,’ he would allow you special access tonight…]
[Saying this, he produced a small token from his robes and handed it to you, speaking softly, “This is a pass to enter the barrier. When you finish your visit, you need to return it.”]
[“This matter is to stay between the two of us, do not spread it around.”]
[You have obtained the Absolute Barrier Token (Key).]
[The samurai glanced about, and seeing no one else nearby, gave you a shove into the barrier. He waved for you to hurry into the temple before anyone noticed.]
[You moved swiftly ahead, pushed open the heavy temple doors, and stepped inside…]
[Just beyond the entrance lay a vast corridor encircling a grand hall, and behind the hall rose a pointed pagoda roof.]
[You stepped into the corridor, where a prominent signboard stood. You moved closer to read it carefully.]
[The sign bore warnings and a map of the temple grounds.]
[Among the warnings was a notice reminding visitors to keep their distance from the demonic remnants in the cages. It strictly forbade crossing the guardrails to approach the cages, should any misfortune occur, you would bear the consequences alone.]
[Other prohibitions included poisoning, feeding, or privately assaulting the demonic remnants.]
Lin Xun’s expression was like that of an old man on the subway staring at his phone.
So this was a zoo now?
[Beneath the sign was the map, outlining the routes within the temple…]
[The temple layout did not follow the usual pagoda in front, main hall in back, but rather main hall in front, pagoda behind.]
[The hall was the temple’s primary Golden Hall, while the pagoda was a Five-Story Treasure Pagoda. Both buildings were ringed by the corridor.]
[After touring those two structures, beyond the Golden Hall and pagoda were the lecture hall and the training quarters…]
[You carefully memorized the map, then continued through the corridor to stand before the ‘grand’ Golden Hall…]
[Once ablaze with incense offerings, the Golden Hall was now decrepit. Where once the statue of the Evil God had been venerated, it now housed numerous demonic remnants, imprisoned for the public to spit on and revile.]
[You strode forward and slowly pushed open the hall doors…]
[The wooden doors creaked hideously. A shaft of moonlight spilled through the crack, and dozens of ghostly green eyes lit up in the darkness.]
[Muted, guttural snarls rumbled in the throats of the beasts inside, but none dared raise their voices in a true roar.]
[You swung the doors fully open, letting the cold moonlight illuminate the hall’s contents…]
[Rows of iron cages stood along both sides, stretching all the way to the back.]
[The cages varied in size. In front of each was a guardrail, and by each guardrail hung bloodstained whips.]
[By moonlight, you focused your gaze. Inside were yokai of many forms, each emaciated, covered in scars.]
[Your arrival stirred the half-sleeping creatures. All at once, countless eyes turned on you, filled with anger, hatred, terror, dread…]
[You have discovered an Origin-Tracing Yama Child…]
[You have discovered an Origin-Tracing Heike Crab…]
[You have discovered an Origin-Tracing Wata Yokai…]
[You have discovered an Origin-Tracing Five-Virtue Cat…]
[You have discovered…]
[Ignoring the caged monsters’ stifled howls, you stepped up to the guardrail…]
[From the guardrail hung rows of bloodstained whips. A nearby sign warned, Payment required before using the disciplinary whips. Do not wield them without supervision!]
[While you were staring at the whips and the sign, a girl’s voice came from the cage before you…]
[“Human! Get out! It’s nighttime, you’re not allowed to torment us yet!”]
[You turned to look into the cage and saw a raggedly dressed ‘little girl.’]
[The bare limbs sticking out from her tattered clothes were crisscrossed with lash marks, some fresh, others festering and oozing pus…]
[You have discovered an Origin-Tracing Zashiki-warashi!]
[The Zashiki-warashi glared at you, her eyes full of fury, but you soon caught a trace of fear she could not conceal.]
[Will you kill this yokai?]
[You ignored the Zashiki-warashi and continued toward the back of the Golden Hall…]
[The cages along both sides contained only low-tier yokai, most had not even mastered the Art of Transformation. Some could not even speak, only roar like beasts.]
[Disregarding their snarls and curses, you stepped up before the altar.]
[Before you, the statue of the Chaotic Origin Dragon was caked with grease and filth, smeared with rotting vegetables and spittle. Even the horns crowning its dragon head had been snapped off.]
[When the yokai saw you approaching the statue, their curses grew louder, clearly, they thought you were about to defile it somehow.]
[Will you offer incense power to the statue of the Chaotic Origin Dragon?]
Lin Xun still had seven sticks of high-grade incense in his pack, but with his Oath God imprisoned by malice, offering incense would be nothing short of courting death.
Better not to draw the attention of the Extreme Delusion Fruit.
Lin Xun searched the Golden Hall carefully.
Aside from the single statue and the cages full of yokai, there was nothing else to investigate.
He frowned.
“Is the Golden Hall just a simple grinding spot?”
All the creatures imprisoned here were minor yokai, offering little in the way of experience or rewards.
Then again, it made sense. If any of them had been powerful great yokai, they would have been subdued by the Onmyoji long ago and forced into servitude as shikigami. No one would bother keeping them here just for people to spit on.
According to the Calamity Mage, as a descendant of the Dragon God, he could draw Dragon Embryo Power from other yokai, but only from stronger ones.
In game terms, you could only loot a ‘Yokai Heart’ to gain special attributes if the yokai you defeated had more stacks of Calamitous Fallen Dragon Embryo than you.
The little yokai locked in the Golden Hall were obviously worthless for that purpose, at best they could offer a bit of experience and Spirit Essence.
Yet Lin Xun had a feeling this place wasn’t so simple.
As a Dragon God descendant, he might be able to trigger some hidden event here.
Narrowing his eyes, he decisively switched Shells.