(Agreed!) x32
As expected, a total of thirty-two Kawakami Tomies accepted Amamiya Rin's proposal simultaneously.
(It is currently 10:00 AM. Starting from 3:00 PM tomorrow, I will make a judgment via the [Tomie Network] and select the one with the worst performance for synchronization.)
Only after announcing this decision did Amamiya Rin restrain his state of mind, weakening the emotional fluctuations and the connection. An imperceptible trace of rejoicing flashed past his eyes.
Fortunately, Kawakami Tomie was not very bright. They focused all their thoughts on how to thoroughly kill other Tomies or how to seduce men; otherwise, this stratagem of his would not have succeeded.
"Has the Benefactor succeeded?"
Amamiya Rin opened his eyes. The Abbot sitting opposite him stopped the fingers that were turning the prayer beads.
"For the time being, it can be considered a success."
Amamiya Rin gently exhaled and nodded.
"Tomie's demonic power is indeed terrifying; it can imperceptibly distort a man's mind and memories. The most terrifying thing is their patience... but they also have obvious weaknesses."
"I would like to hear the details."
The Abbot poured him a cup of fresh tea, the steam curling upward.
"Their attachment to the self is too severe; I'm afraid no one in this world can compare. Even if I can share my state of realization with them, I cannot break their attachment to the self."
Amamiya Rin lifted the teacup, smelling the clear fragrance of the tea, and spoke faintly.
"As long as they cannot break their attachment to the self for a single day, they will fear the Six Wonderful Gates I share with them. Once they break their attachment to the self, they will no longer have evil thoughts."
"Is this the Benefactor's overt conspiracy? Perhaps only the Benefactor could use such a method to restrain Kawakami Tomie."
The Abbot nodded thoughtfully, pressed his palms together, and performed a Buddhist greeting to Amamiya Rin.
"Excellent, excellent. If the Benefactor can contain Kawakami Tomie and convert Kawakami Tomie with his own strength, it will surely be an act of boundless merit."
"You praise me too much; my original intention was merely self-preservation."
Amamiya Rin put down the teacup, also pressed his palms together, and spoke humbly.
"What are the Benefactor's plans for what comes next?" the Abbot asked.
"I plan to return to the hospital first."
Amamiya Rin took the cane placed aside, stood up, and exercised his sore and weak legs.
"Although I want to hide in this deep old forest and cultivate in silence for a period of time, acting as the Sword God of the Ten-Mile Slope, I am still a patient after all. I must go back for a check-up and recuperate for a while."
He sighed lightly.
To be a recluse and use the synchronization of the [Tomie Network] to control Kawakami Tomie's body to learn and interact with society was the safest plan. However, his body did not support him doing so.
The Abbot also stood up and nodded slightly. "It is only right. Shall this poor monk see the Benefactor down the mountain?"
The two walked out of the meditation room one after the other, crossed the tranquil front courtyard, and arrived at the temple's mountain gate.
"If the Benefactor has leisure time in the future, please come to visit the temple often. Although Kikoku Temple is small, it is quiet and is a good place for spiritual practice."
The Abbot stood still in front of the mountain gate, his face gentle, and exhorted Amamiya Rin.
"I certainly will. Thank you, Abbot, for pointing out the way this time."
Amamiya Rin pressed his palms together and bowed slightly to the Abbot before turning around and stepping onto the stone stairs leading down the mountain.
The air in the mountain forest in the morning was cool and clear, carrying the scent of soil and plants. Because the stone stairs were perennially damp, a thin layer of moss grew on the edges. On the silent mountain path, there were only occasional bird calls.
Amamiya Rin walked under the lush shade of the trees. His speed was very slow, and he could feel the soreness and weakness of his muscles with every step, but every step was steady and powerful.
With a thought, his legs and feet could keep up; that sense of stagnation between consciousness and body had lessened considerably.
Walking from shortly after 10:00 AM until 11:30 AM, Amamiya Rin finally stepped onto the edge of the highway.
When he finally set foot on the flat concrete at the foot of the mountain, he breathed a sigh of relief, and a sense of accomplishment arose spontaneously.
Coming here yesterday, it took him nearly three hours to climb from the highway to Kikoku Temple; today it took only one-third of the time.
He stood by the roadside, checked the direction, and walked along the highway for half an hour until he reached a nearby bus stop.
After waiting there for a while, the bus arrived at the station around 13:00. Amamiya Rin struggled to get on the bus, put in the coins, and found a seat by the window to sit down.
The scenery outside the window moved slowly backward. Amamiya Rin took out his mobile phone and dialed Dr. Kuroda's number.
"Moshi moshi, Dr. Kuroda? It's me, Amamiya Rin."
"Amamiya-kun?!"
Dr. Kuroda's raised voice came from the other end of the phone, carrying obvious worry and dissatisfaction.
"What on earth did you go do? Don't you know your own physical condition? You're being too reckless!"
"Sorry, I had some private matters to deal with. I am currently on a bus returning to the city area."
Amamiya Rin looked at the scenery outside the window and spoke apologetically.
"Private matters? What matter could be more important than your recovery?"
Dr. Kuroda complained unhappily for a few sentences, then sighed and continued.
"Forget it, it's good that you're coming back. I have something to tell you. Didn't Morita Hospital have a serious fire and homicide incident? It won't be able to receive patients for a short time. Your batch of patients is all being transferred to Toto General Hospital; you are the only one left."
"Thank you very much."
Amamiya Rin thanked him sincerely. He had called Dr. Kuroda precisely for the matter of his upcoming hospitalization.
"In short, don't run around wildly anymore. Once you arrive, go directly to the reception desk on the first floor of the inpatient department at Toto General Hospital. Report my name and your information. I have already faxed your medical records and transfer procedures over; a nurse will be there to receive you."
Dr. Kuroda's tone softened a bit, but he still exhorted Amamiya Rin with an unquestionable tone for a few more sentences. Only after receiving an affirmative response did he hang up the phone.
By the time the bus returned to the urban area, more than an hour had passed.
The familiar noise and crowds came into view. Amamiya Rin took a breath of the urban air mixed with vehicle exhaust; he felt it was starkly different from the cool clarity of the mountains. For his acute five senses, it counted as a kind of torture.
"The outside world suits me better after all."
Shaking his head with a slight sense of speechlessness, Amamiya Rin got off the bus. His first priority was to fill his stomach.
Having walked on the mountain road for over an hour, his stomach had long been growling with hunger.
After eating a large bowl of the signature beef bowl at the famous Yoshinoya, Amamiya Rin made a trip to the courthouse. He didn't have much money on him; his current primary task was to withdraw the compensation fee from the trust account as soon as possible.
However, after arriving at the courthouse, Amamiya Rin learned just how cumbersome the procedures were to take out that sum of money. He could only use living expenses as a reason to draw an advance of 100,000 yen.
When Amamiya Rin walked out of the courthouse, it was already 5:00 PM in the evening, the so-called Hour of Meeting Demons.
Day and night intertwined at this moment. The sun's embers had not yet scattered, but the night colors were already quietly flooding in from the east. The sky was pulled into an uneven hue; the light became extremely subtle, and all things seemed to be covered with a thin layer of gray gauze.
Looking from a distance, the streetlights had not yet lit up, but the outlines of the buildings had already begun to blur. Long shadows crept out from the feet of buildings and trees, resembling huge demonic monsters.
____
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