Chapter 76: Master Konghai

Silence!

Deathly silence!

In the Otawara combat zone, the Metropolitan Police Department conference room, the Eastern District Army headquarters, inside the building, before the live stream, and before the televisions, everyone was utterly silent.

Heaven and earth seemed to stop turning in that instant, the air and dust ceased floating, and everything fell quiet.

Watching the arrogant Six-Eyed Demon turn into a sky full of fireflies, everyone was stunned, as if in a dream.

One move?

No!

It shouldn't count as one move.

Because the old Monk merely chanted a single Buddhist title and killed the Six-Eyed Demon.

The crowd saw clearly, saw distinctly; from start to finish, the old Monk never made a move, only uttered a single Buddhist sound, and the Six-Eyed Demon, beneath the light of that sound, extinguished into ash.

No one could immediately react to the death of the Six-Eyed Demon; all stood dumbfounded, stunned in place.

And when they came to their senses, clearly knowing the Six-Eyed Demon was dead...

Countless people erupted, the live stream exploded.

【Dead!? The Six-Eyed Demon just died like that?】

【Too strong! Is this the supernatural? I finally understand now why ancient humans and demons had contact, yet humans didn't go extinct: because we humans have power to counter demons!】

【I can't take it, I'll convert to Buddhism tomorrow; from now on, I am a Buddhist.】

【Joining Buddhism, please take me with you.】

【Here it comes! Inspiration struck! I'll draw a manga tomorrow with a monk as the protagonist, titled "I Am a Monk in Tokyo".】

The death of the Six-Eyed Demon not only made the live stream erupt, but even Japan's important locations, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and the Eastern District Army headquarters, likewise cheered and rejoiced, with not a shred of the solemnity such important national locations should have, a scene of celebration; Suzuki Kō embraced his surrounding colleagues in excitement and roared aloud, venting his joy and exhilaration.

Although the Six-Eyed Demon had destroyed only Otawara, its terror, its power, pressed down on everyone so they could barely breathe, making everyone feel despair, seeing no future.

One could imagine that if the Six-Eyed Demon did not die, what followed would not be as simple as the destruction of Otawara, but would concern the annihilation of all of Japan, concerning the safety of every Japanese person's life.

Therefore, no one did not care about the life or death of the Six-Eyed Demon, no one did not care about the combat situation in Otawara.

This point could be seen from the number of people gathering before the live stream and televisions; it nearly encompassed all of Japan.

Now that the Six-Eyed Demon was dead, representing the elimination of Japan's annihilation crisis, who could not be happy and cheer?

Also amidst the joy and celebration, countless people before the televisions and live streams looked at the old Monk, wanting to see what this old Monk with unparalleled supernatural power looked like.

At that time, they were busy focusing on the demon and did not pay much attention to the old Monk; now that the demon was dead, they finally had time to pay attention.

"Hmm??"

The head priest of Sensō-ji Temple stared at the old Monk on the screen, strangely feeling a sense of familiarity.

"Why do I feel he looks somewhat familiar, as if, as if I've seen him somewhere." Besides the head priest of Sensō-ji Temple, some other head priests present were also confused; the old Monk's appearance seemed familiar, but they could not recall who it was at that moment.

"Tsuchimikado Guji, may I ask, who is this my lord?"

In the crowd, someone asked a question.

Instantly.

Everyone turned their gaze toward Tsuchimikado Kenji.

Right, why are we here racking our brains guessing for nothing? Just ask Tsuchimikado Guji and we'll know.

"Uh..."

Feeling the burning gaze of the crowd, Tsuchimikado Kenji froze, his mouth twitching, wanting to curse.

How would I know who it is? The ones related to the supernatural aren't our Tsuchimikado family; it's my granddaughter, my granddaughter, okay?

He had no intention of revealing the truth, because with the crowd's gaze, even if he spoke the truth, he was afraid no one would believe it; after all, from the beginning of deceiving the crowd to the appearance of the supernatural, all circumstances combined pointed toward proving the Tsuchimikado family had the supernatural.

Just as he did not know how to answer, suddenly he noticed a bullet comment inside the mobile live stream.

The bullet comment was very conspicuous, writing only four characters, but filled with dozens of question marks, making it impossible not to see.

Looking at this bullet comment, he was slightly stunned and involuntarily spoke aloud.

"Master Konghai."

Instantly, it stirred up a thousand waves.

Once his words were spoken, the assembly of head priests present, especially those who felt the old Monk was familiar, froze in expression, instantly shocked into hoarse cries.

"What!! Master Konghai?!"

"It's him, it's him! I remember now, yes, that is Master Konghai!"

"Oh my Tathāgata Buddha! I remember, I finally know why I felt that my lord was familiar; it turns out that is Master Konghai!"

Tokyo, Japan, Arakawa Ward, Otawara.

"Master Konghai?" Director Takahashi looked puzzled.

Just now, Professor Nakata told Director Takahashi, Morita Takeshi, and the others that the old monk was Master Konghai, but unlike the head priest of Sensō-ji Temple and other head priests, they did not know Master Konghai clearly, only having a faint, tiny memory.

"Master Konghai?" Director Takahashi thought carefully, hesitating: "Why does this name seem like I heard it in a history textbook? Wait... Professor Nakata, you don't mean to say... Master Konghai is the one from the history textbook?"

Director Takahashi was horrified, his heart pounding violently, feeling unable to breathe.

Figures who appear in history textbooks, basically without thinking, ninety-nine percent are all dead; after all, history, history, just hearing the two words "history" tells you it refers to something long ago; of course, modern history is included, but a monk who can appear in a history book certainly is not from modern history.

Because currently, in Japan's modern history, no monk has yet been recorded in history textbooks; therefore, Director Takahashi was startled, understanding that when Professor Nakata mentioned Master Konghai, it must be a historical figure.

As for whether it could be someone sharing the same name as a historical figure? The answer is impossible, because this is not a personal name, but a monk's Dharma name!

In Buddhism, a Dharma name carries profound meaning; especially for an enlightened Gao Seng, his Dharma name not only symbolizes the person himself but also represents his achievements, earning reverence; therefore, when monks take Dharma names, they might share names, but they will definitely avoid the Dharma names of enlightened Gao Sengs; after all, taking the Dharma name of an enlightened Gao Seng is a desecration of that enlightened Gao Seng, an act of disrespect.

It is also for this reason that Director Takahashi was certain that the Master Konghai mentioned by Professor Nakata was the figure from the history textbook.

A figure with a long history, who should already be dead.

"That's right, it is the one from the history textbook, the Gao Seng of the Heian period who traveled to the Tang Dynasty with the Kentōshi to study the Dharma, stayed in Tang for over two years, and finally brought back a vast number of Buddhist scriptures, exerting a major influence on Japanese Buddhism thereafter, even affecting it to the present day, and making it a state Buddhism focused on the imperial family and the people, Master Konghai!"

Professor Zhongtian spoke with great excitement, quickly scrolling through his mobile browser to find the portrait of Master Konghai that has been passed down to the present day.

Director Takahashi, Tian Wu, and the others crowded forward to look, their eyes bulging out.

The old monk's face was nearly identical to the portrait of Master Konghai.

Suddenly!

Director Takahashi snapped his head up; he had caught the key point in Professor Zhongtian's words, and his voice involuntarily rose several decibels.

"Professor Zhongtian, did you just say Master Konghai was a high monk of the Heian period? Are you sure it was the Heian period! That was at least a thousand years ago, does this not mean... Master Konghai is at least a thousand years old now!!"