Book 7: Chapter 46: Painting In The Cave
Book 7: Chapter 46: Painting In The Cave
Bishamonten…
Lily was a little confused after reading the inscription on the wall. Bishamonten, wasn’t that God worshiped in Yamagami Temple?
In Kanto’s Echigo Province, Uesugi Rei’s grandfather, Uesugi Aokage, was lauded as the incarnation of Bishamonten. Of course, that was only a metaphor. Uesugi Aokage was exceptional back then and incited terror among all clans in Kanto. He was akin to a divine being, and that was why he received this title.
Why was the Celestial Battle Maiden, whom the miner hopelessly fell in love with, named Bishamonten? Lily was still a little perplexed.
However, this senior’s obsession, loyalty, determination, and having the strength of a Throned Sovereign with his body alone was enough to receive Lily’s admiration. She knelt down and kowtowed three times.
“His obsession makes me feel like if I am able in the future, I’ll definitely return to this place and erect a shrine in his reverence.”
Lily stood up and looked around the place.
That Celestial Maiden most likely never returned, not to mention ever knowing that she had such an admirer.
Lily herself was obsessed with love. Encountering things like this would always make her especially sad.
She continued along the tunnel, and two paths appeared in front of her. One was flat and led upwards, while the other was especially narrow and led downwards.
Even if there were mineral veins on the spacious path, they would most likely be excavated already. That was what Lily assumed. Hence, any remaining mineral veins would most likely be found in this narrow tunnel.
Lily headed down the narrow tunnel. The place seemed like it was still under construction. Some places had large protruding boulders which only allowed a single person to pass at any given moment. This seemed like the tunnel that was carved simply to scout for potential veins.
However, a faint glimmer of light was seen in front of that narrow tunnel.
It was incredible.
“That’s it!” The vague pulse that had been attracting Lily seemed to be that light in front of her.
Lily retracted her parasol and passed the narrow spot. She saw a somewhat spacious cave that was about 6 square meters in front of her, with slightly glowing rocks scattered around.
These rocks seemed to contain a lot of impurities and had many variations. Yet, their glowing spots were always crystals that seemed translucent and smooth.
Those crystals emanated a faint and chilling white glow, as if fragments of the moon had landed on this world.
Tamahagane? Magatama? Diamonds?
None of those minerals that Lily had seen before could ever compare to this crystal that seemed like the moon itself! Perhaps only the pulse of the Blood Spirit Magatama could compare to it.
However, this crystal emitted a chilling moonlight that had a presence that was starkly different from the Blood Spirit Magatama. Lily could even vaguely feel the incredible amount of Lunar Power within those crystals.
Lily raised her head, only to see trace amounts of these glowing minerals exposed on the stone walls at the end of this cave.
These crystals were most likely the reason why the Celestial Battle Maidens established this mine all those years ago!
Those Celestial Battle Maidens left for an unknown reason. Yet, Lily had searched everywhere. Aside from this place, there were no other places with mineral veins still left intact.
Lily opened Sakura Parasol and illuminated the cave slightly.
“Kagura, these crystals should be the precious minerals produced from this mine. Can you identify it?”
“I don’t know much about minerals, so I’m not sure. However, I seem to remember that the weapons used by the Celestial Battle Maidens have similar pulses to these crystals. However, these minerals are simply much stronger and purer.”
“That’s natural, these are raw minerals.”
“Huh?” Lily looked around the cave with Sakura Parasol, only to catch a glimpse of a painting of a woman on a flat wall by the side of the cave.
Lily used Sakura Parasol to light up this painting of a woman.
She couldn’t help but be startled!
“Sister Uesugi?”
Lily came closer and used a fire spell to light up the cave completely. She carefully inspected the painting. She was in disbelief.
Although the paint itself has already faded and the painting technique was quite simple, it still illustrated a woman with flowing silver hair. She held a narrow Tachi in hand and wore white Celestial Maiden garbs, just like a Celestial Battle Maiden doing a lade dance in the air.
White ribbons floated around her body. A hint of chilling flames could almost be felt from those discolored blue eyes.
This woman was so similar to Uesugi Rei. Although the painting technique wasn’t the best and was primitive, she could see that this woman was painted with overwhelming affection. Her characteristics and uniqueness were perfectly translated into the painting.
And her posture when blade dancing was graceful but domineering. Lily had a hunch that she saw it somewhere before…
At this moment, Lily remembered the statue of the divine being waving her sword in rage outside of Cherry Blossom Valley.
“Bishamonten!”
Lily suddenly came to a realization!
Due to its ancient origins, Lily had misunderstood the final sentence of the inscription left behind by that miner countless years ago.
How could a miner who came from lowly origins had such a name?
The last word ‘Bishamonten’ wasn’t his own name. It was him calling out to the woman he loved.
Bishamonten was the name of the Celestial Battle Maiden painted on this wall!
After all the miners were evacuated and the cave was sealed, he quietly excavated these minerals while his heart was filled with affection towards that Celestial Battle Maiden, Bishamonten.
Until… He wasted his life away…
“Senior…”
A mere mortal fell in love with God. The only thing binding them were these minerals. Perhaps in his heart, he felt this was the only thing that could appease her.
However, it seemed like Bishamonten during that period was not an actual God, in every sense of the word. She was only a Celestial Battle Maiden. Otherwise, she wouldn’t personally come to the mine to serve as a supervisor.
However, why would this picture of Bishamonten resemble Uesugi Rei so much?
This was something that Lily couldn’t comprehend.
Lily looked at the mineral vein. Although it wasn’t much, some of it wasn’t excavated yet. She pulled out that heavy grade-nine machete and invested all her strength, hacking at the edge of the mineral vein.
Clang!
Feeling a terrible vibration that even shook her eardrums, Lily bounced back and tumbled onto the ground. The echo resounding through the cave gave her a headache.
“Ouch… It hurts…” Lily covered her ears, her hands were also numbed.
She slowly stood up, only to see an obvious notch on her grade-nine machete. Yet, the mineral vein that was struck was completely unscathed. Only the stone wall beside it had faint scratch marks.
“My goodness!”
This mineral, and even this cave wall itself, was impossibly tough!
At this moment, Lily discovered an ancient pickaxe in the corner of the cave. Exactly the ones that were meant to excavate minerals.
Lily picked up and swung again.
Clang! Sparks flew everywhere.
Lily’s arms were numb again. This time around, there was only a barely noticeable dent on the stone wall.
Lily was dazzled.
It seemed that even with the current strength, she’d never ever excavate any minerals from this place.
Despite that, she somehow realized that if she took this pickaxe and the already excavated minerals away, Shuten Doji would fail to excavate this mineral vein even if she left it behind.
Lily turned towards the painting of Bishamonten and prayed silently. She wondered how this Celestial Battle Maiden from the past was doing now?
She somehow felt a hint of sorrow, that things were no longer the same.
This Bishamonten seemed exceptionally pretty based on the painting alone. But why was she so similar to Uesugi?
Uesugi was now entangled in Tanba. Just like this Celestial Maiden, her whereabouts were unknown. Lily couldn’t help but feel more flustered by that thought.
At this moment, a noise was heard from far away.
“Oh no! It must be those demons who came to find a treasure, they are near.”
Lily deduced that Ibaraki wouldn’t arrive so soon, hence Lord Hiei would definitely be guarding the entrance. Yet, they would still most likely dispatch other demons to seek the treasure.
Lily waved her hand and took all the minerals inside the cave into her mirror. Those minerals were exceptionally heavy. Yet, their volume alone could only fill three large crates.
Then, she also retrieved that pickaxe that was tougher than a grade-nine machete. If she left this tool behind, Shuten might be able to excavate this mineral vein himself due to his strength.
Although Lily couldn’t mine the vein, she refused to let Shuten have it.
However, if Shuten Doji had other methods to excavate it, then she could do nothing about it.
At last, Lily glanced at Bishamonten for the last time and said, “Goddess, please… Bless Sister Uesugi so that she’s safe.”
With that said, Lily rushed out of the cave and left.
In the darkness, the mineral veins in the cave still glowed a dim moonlight.
Meanwhile, tears actually flowed out of the eyes of the painted Bishamonten.
The moment Lily rushed out of the cave, she encountered a group of demons who were seeking the treasure with torches in their hands.
Lily could have just gone past them but she didn’t wish for that cave and the painting inside it to be discovered.
Although it may eventually be discovered by Shuten’s subordinates, Lily still wanted to try to stop it.
“It’s that female samurai!”
Spotting Lily, those demons were also startled. They unsheathed their weapons and charged at her.
The strongest among them was on the middle Permanence Stage.
Lily’s eyes were grim. Schwing! She turned into a flash of red light. In an instant, she penetrated the demons and reached behind them.
Lily raised the glowing Yasutsuna and slowly sheathed it.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
The demons behind her exploded into gore one by one.
Although she didn’t know what minerals she had, she knew that they were incredibly precious. If that senior didn’t remain behind to excavate them, she knew that she’d never get her hands on them. After all, she never found any scattered minerals along the way, as they were all taken by the Celestial Battle Maidens when they left.
“Not much time left.” Lily knew that she shouldn’t be too greedy. The wage of avarice was death.
She should have quit while she was ahead.
Lily started to go up and traveled at full speed towards the cave entrance.
Fortunately, Lily had an excellent sense of orientation. She practically remembered every single step that she took. So instead of being lost in the cave, she rushed to the entrance without a hitch.
She then saw the entrance and the torchlight beaming in from outside. Yet, Lily suddenly stopped. She felt some sort of energy being gathered outside.
“A formation!” Lily suddenly remembered that the Masters who broke the seal were all proficient in formations. They had definitely prepared a trap, waiting for her to step in.
Yet, she had no choice but to rush out either way! Ibaraki Doji was almost here. She had no time left!