Chapter 134: The True History of Tamamo-no-Mae

Seeing this, the heroic-looking man cupped his fists in salute, thanking them for the life-saving grace, then promptly explained the reason why Tamamo-no-Mae had erupted into a great war with Japan.

As the account unfolded, countless people were stunned, and the history professor Beishan nearly lost his mind.

The historical records state that Tamamo-no-Mae entered the imperial palace, won the favor and trust of Emperor Toba, who later fell ill with a strange disease and was bedridden. The ministers thus began to suspect her and invited Abe no Yasuchika to divine her. The result was that Tamamo-no-Mae's identity as a yokai was exposed, and Emperor Toba ordered her extermination.

Yet the heroic-looking man was none other than Abe no Yasuchika, and the reason he gave did not match the records.

Tamamo-no-Mae had not bewitched Emperor Toba, nor had she entered the palace on her own.

The truth was that Tamamo-no-Mae appeared during the Heian era. Because of her breathtakingly beautiful, world-toppling looks, Emperor Toba, greedy for her beauty, at first used the pretext of a guest to invite Tamamo-no-Mae into the palace, treating her as an honored guest.

After some days had passed.

Emperor Toba, thinking the time was ripe, proposed to Tamamo-no-Mae that she become his consort. Tamamo-no-Mae refused and left the palace. Because Emperor Toba was obsessed with her beauty and refused to let it rest, when soft measures failed he turned to hard ones, dispatching a hundred thousand troops to forcibly seize Tamamo-no-Mae and bring her back.

Who could have known that Tamamo-no-Mae's strength was overwhelming—she annihilated the hundred thousand troops. Emperor Toba was furious, his lust clouding his judgment, and he subsequently sent out three hundred thousand troops. The outcome was obvious: the three hundred thousand were nearly wiped out. Only then did Emperor Toba realize how terrifying Tamamo-no-Mae was.

Unfortunately, by then there was no way to pull back, because Tamamo-no-Mae had already been enraged and would not rest until she killed Emperor Toba.

Emperor Toba could only request aid from the various great shrines and temples, calling upon ancient transcendent beings to help.

One must understand that Japan had always been centered on the imperial house, so the shrines and temples all owed the imperial family favors to some degree. Emperor Toba's reasoning was straightforward: in repayment of past favors, he asked them for help. Adding to that, he had inadvertently angered Tamamo-no-Mae, and now that she was furious, she might bring a great catastrophe upon Japan—there was no turning back. He hoped the shrines and temples would lend a hand.

Considering the favors, and the fact that Tamamo-no-Mae was indeed as powerful as Emperor Toba claimed, the shrines and temples had no choice but to brace themselves and step in.

"Damn it!!"

Some netizens could not help cursing out loud.

The truth was mortifying. Emperor Toba, for his own selfish desires, had stirred up a catastrophe of cosmic proportions. No wonder the imperial house was later abolished and the shogunate rose to power—the sins he committed were beyond measure.

It could be confirmed that history had been tampered with; the history concerning Tamamo-no-Mae had been altered.

And not only was the outcome of Tamamo-no-Mae's great war altered, even her experiences before the war in Japan had been tampered with.

Who was it!

Who had altered history?

Countless people cried out in their hearts, their attention all fixed on Abe no Nakamaro.

If anyone had the ability to alter Tamamo-no-Mae's history, it could only be Abe no Nakamaro. Among the ancient transcendent beings who had appeared so far, only he could exchange blows with Tamamo-no-Mae.

At this moment.

Abe no Nakamaro's brows knit.

From his look, anyone with eyes could tell he was deeply displeased, wishing he could slap Emperor Toba to death with one palm.

In the end, he sighed.

"Emperor Toba's matter, I am very sorry. If you wish to kill him, do as you please, but please spare the others."

What answered him was Tamamo-no-Mae's indifferent voice.

"If I wished to kill them, you could not stop me."

A simple sentence, yet it chilled flesh, bone, and gallbladder to the marrow, carrying an invincible will that could awe gods and demons, a sovereign, world-scornful majesty.

Countless people's pupils contracted sharply.

The chill and meaning conveyed were plain as day. If Abe no Nakamaro merely tried to talk her out of it, it was impossible—some things always required a price to pay. Moreover, people could vaguely sense from those words that if it really came to a fight, Abe no Nakamaro might not necessarily be able to stop her.

Abe no Nakamaro might not be Tamamo-no-Mae's match.

Such a thought surfaced in everyone's heart, impossible to shake off, chilling the soul.

If Abe no Nakamaro was not her opponent, then who had altered Tamamo-no-Mae's history?

And what was the final outcome of Tamamo-no-Mae's battle—how had it ended?

With boundless curiosity, people gazed toward this stretch of heaven and earth.

"I know I cannot stop you." Abe no Nakamaro smiled calmly, without a ripple, unsure whether it was humility or an admission that he could not win: "Speak, the price."

Quite direct.

He cut straight to the point, understanding that without giving Tamamo-no-Mae a satisfactory answer, she would not let it rest.

Tamamo-no-Mae did not dawdle either, and spoke calmly.

"Emperor Toba must die."

"Agreed."

"The imperial house." Tamamo-no-Mae lightly uttered two words—the imperial house must also pay a price.

Abe no Nakamaro was taken aback for a moment, but he did not mind. Emperor Toba's lust-clouded judgment could not be separated from the imperial house.

The imperial house had ruled Japan for too long, so long that it had grown rotten, breeding arrogance, breeding a lofty contempt for all others.

And at this moment.

From a distant place, from the suspended Heian-kyo, an apologetic voice came.

"From this day forth, the imperial house shall withdraw from the center of political power for three eras. We beg the supreme… Su Daji to spare the imperial clan."

The imperial house's posture was very low.

When the supreme one is angered, heaven and earth fall silent—this was no idle talk. If the imperial house did not show its stance, it would have to bear Tamamo-no-Mae's endless wrath, and then it would not be a withdrawal from power but the extermination of the clan.

The internet fell silent.

The netizens finally understood.

The Kamakura era, the shogunate that lasted three eras—everything was truly caused by Tamamo-no-Mae. This was the imperial house's atonement to her.

Professor Beishan said nothing, his gaze complex—filled with emotion, horror, shock, and more, a tangle of feelings.

The imperial house, the center of power in Japan; the Emperor, the symbol of the imperial house, and even more the symbol and faith of Japan.

Yet Tamamo-no-Mae had caused that faith to die and the center of power to shift. Looking across all of Japan's past and present, only Tamamo-no-Mae had accomplished this.

Although this could not be separated from Emperor Toba's lust-clouded judgment, if Tamamo-no-Mae had not been powerful, she could not have forced the imperial house to compromise and take the humiliating measure of withdrawing for three eras. This stain would accompany the imperial house throughout its ancient history, impossible to erase—an eternal pain for the imperial house.

Perhaps feeling the punishment was not enough, perhaps fearing Tamamo-no-Mae would not be satisfied.

From the suspended Heian-kyo, that voice spoke again.

"Heian-kyō is the symbol of the imperial house in this era, but the imperial house has brought disgrace upon itself and shamed the realm, and is unworthy of possessing it. The imperial house is willing to offer Heian-kyō to Su Daji the Supreme, so that the descendants of the imperial house may use it to whip themselves and never err again."

The truth came out, and the internet boiled over.

Why did Heian-kyō appear in Yun Lake? The truth turned out to be this.

For a moment, people sighed with emotion.

Just at this moment.

Tamamo-no-Mae drew her gaze back from Heian-kyō. The price the imperial house had paid, fully expressing their apology, had already conceded beyond the bottom line; any further concession would be no different from exterminating the clan.

She cast her gaze toward the heroic-looking man and Monk Saichō.

"For one era to come, the ancient transcendent beings of the shrine shall not emerge into the world, and shall shut themselves away to reflect upon their faults."

The heroic-looking man, that is, Abe no Yasuchika, cupped his hands in salute.

"Amitābha, sins, sins, sins. The temple shall shut its doors for one era, permitting only the younger generation to emerge into the world. This poor monk knows his sins run deep and is willing to go to the original battlefield, never to return for eternity."

Monk Saichō pressed his palms together, his face full of apology, displaying a thoroughly resolute air of repentance.

……