dmims Chapter 25 Two Areas with Dragon Servants
Chapter 25 Two Areas with Dragon Servants
"It's good that you have this awareness." Professor He gave him a deep look. "Your conjecture is feasible within the theoretical framework, but it is extremely dangerous in practice."
"Because dragon servants are not pure monsters; they have brains and don't act recklessly based solely on instinct."
"One more thing, I don't know if you searched for any information or fragments related to Dragon Servants last night. What I want to tell you is that the 'Dragon Servants' of today are not the same as the 'Dragon Servants' of ancient times."
Li Jiu nodded. According to the information sent by He Rouyi, before the White Snake Lady ascended to heaven, the Dragon Servant and the villagers of Fulong Mountain had a period of harmonious coexistence.
The real turning point came after the second-generation White Snake failed to ascend and turned to the dark side.
From then until now, although the underlying principle is unclear, it seems that there is an evil undertone in the underlying logic of the Dragon Servant.
Seeing Li Jiu's expression, Professor He naturally guessed that Li Jiu had obtained some information about the Dragon Servants, so he continued, "From a historical perspective, the earliest Dragon Servants can be traced back to the Wei, Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties, while the key point when they began to turn into something that was both righteous and evil, or even malevolent, was during the Sui and Tang Dynasties."
"According to ancient texts, the Buddha of Tranquility was a great practitioner during the Sui Dynasty. He eliminated two evils on Mount Fulong (or rather, Mount Bailong) and then attained Buddhahood on the spot."
"From that time onward, the dragon servants gradually distanced themselves from people and became solitary and secretive. However, it is worth noting that, according to records, even in that period, they were far less hostile towards humans than they are now."
"It seems that everything changes with the times..." Li Jiu sighed thoughtfully.
"No," Professor He refuted Li Jiu's words, "The real animosity didn't fester over time; it began more than 50 years ago after that massive flash flood..."
His voice lowered, and his eyes became distant and profound, as if his thoughts had traveled through time and space back to that terrifying night more than 50 years ago when the rain poured down and the mountains collapsed.
Seeing this, Tang Mubai and Li Jiu tacitly refrained from disturbing them and quietly began eating their breakfast.
Professor He came to his senses and also ate a few bites.
Seeing this, Tang Mubai interjected, "Hey Professor, I have a question. If I leave Fulong Mountain, am I safe? Surely the Dragon Servant won't be chasing me all over the world?"
"Yes." Professor He nodded affirmatively. "According to historical records and our observations, the Dragon Servant's activity range is highly geographically restricted, mainly concentrated in two specific areas, and their actions are extremely secretive."
"Situations like yesterday are extremely rare... and over the years, I've never seen many dragon servants with such a strong obsession to enter the Mushroom House."
"Two activity areas? One is on our side, right?" Li Jiu asked curiously.
"That's right," Professor He nodded, "The first core activity area is right here—Fulong Mountain and its surrounding area."
"The second place is the area around Toshodai-ji Temple in Nara City."
Tang Mubai paused for a moment, looking blank, and said, "Nara City is in which province of our country? I'll avoid it. After I escape from Fulong Mountain, I'll stay far away from it. I don't think I've ever heard of it?"
Li Jiu paused for a moment, then looked at him speechlessly: "It wouldn't be... Nara, the place in Japan famous for its deer, would it?"
Tang Mubai suddenly realized, slapping his thigh: "Oh! I get it! You mean Nara City in our sacred and inseparable Fusang Province? Hey, you should have said so earlier!"
Professor He was both amused and exasperated by these two clowns: "...So, you'd better not travel to Japan anymore, and even if you do, don't go to Nara."
Li Jiu hesitated and said, "That's not right, Professor He. Isn't the origin of the Dragon Servant from the legend of the White Snake Lady? How did they come to exist in Japan?"
Professor He said, "Based on my research on folk culture and local and Japanese mythology, I have found that there may be some connection between the Yamata no Orochi recorded in Japan and the Dragon Servant."
Li Jiu pondered, "This doesn't make sense, does it? The story of Susanoo slaying the Yamata no Orochi is recorded in the Kojiki and Fusang Shoki, which corresponds to the Qin and Han dynasties in China... not the Sui and Tang dynasties, right?"
Tang Mubai immediately nodded vigorously, adding, "Yes, yes, I know that too. During the Qin Dynasty, Xu Fu sailed east, taking a group of young boys and girls to Japan to become the ancestors of the Japanese! Xu Fu is called the 'ancestral god' by the Japanese, and his statue is still standing there!"
Li Jiu looked at Tang Mubai with surprise: "How do you know all this so clearly?"
Tang Mubai said, "My dad always tells me that we should take the girl group business to Japan, to revive Japan's sexual culture and stuff... Anyway, what's going on here, Professor?"
Professor He nodded approvingly: "Indeed, Yamata no Orochi is a very ancient mythical creature native to Japan."
"However, I did not say that the Dragon Servant is the origin of the Yamata no Orochi legend. Rather, I said that the legend and characteristics of the Dragon Servant, after being introduced to Japan during the Tang Dynasty, underwent a profound fusion and evolution with the existing Yamata no Orochi legend in Japan..."
"The mythology from Japan was gradually pieced together."
"During the Tang Dynasty, when the monk Jianzhen traveled eastward, the vast majority of his core team and entourage came from the Jiangnan region, including Long Shi."
"If you've studied Japanese, you'll find that some of its pronunciations are similar to the dialects spoken in the Jiangzhe region, especially in S city..."
Tang Mubai suddenly felt a surge of passion: "No wonder we suppress the bloodline of those living in Fusang... It's only natural for ancestors to punish their unworthy descendants, how could we not suppress them?"
Professor He ignored Tang Mubai's rambling remarks and continued, "After the dragon servants arrived in Fusang, they merged with the local mythology and became evidence of the authenticity of their 'historical myths'."
Tang Mubai said, "So, if I go to Japan, I'd better avoid places associated with temples that have been passed down through generations? No, those things are so long-lived?! They've been alive since the Sui and Tang dynasties?"
He still longed to go to Japan.
"It's not 'living,' it's 'continuation.' All indications suggest that Dragon Servants aren't immortal beings; they just live slightly longer than ordinary people, and... there seem to be some unknown secrets about their lives." Professor He corrected him, then continued, "Besides, I'm just offering some advice; perhaps you won't even encounter them when you go?"
"In fact, I see that there are almost no reliable records from Japan in modern times. Perhaps their dragon servants have already become extinct."
"Huh? Then what you said earlier was so scary!" Tang Mubai's eyes widened, feeling like he'd been fooled.
Professor He chuckled: "I'm just telling you what I've thought of. If you actually go to the vicinity of Toshodai-ji Temple in Nara and run into something on a dark and windy night, don't blame me for not warning you."
Tang Mubai gritted his teeth: "A disclaimer, right?"
You old rascal, you're really wicked!