It was a long time. Yes, it was one hell of the time when she first established the mausoleum. Now what is it here? A temple? O gods, was this your punishment upon her for hiding your teachings for a thousand years?
Taoism, she learnt. The power of nature, the essence of the universe, she had understood. Toyosatomimi no Miko was the strongest, wisest Taoist in Japan. She had achieved the goal of all: eternal youth and immortality. She had reached further than anyone in the history to the Celestial.
A saint.
She'd start her own campaign for a better world. For that she needed this mausoleum. Now, a temple. Right over it. She'd not be this furious if it was a house, a castle or a mountain. No. It's a freaking temple.
A thousand years ago, Miko and her friends had hidden Taoism for their own benefit, and spread Buddhism so the nation would be peaceful. What they didn't expect, was the religion got so popular. In fact, her mausoleum was sealed by the monks themselves. Futo's Feng Shui couldn't stop the divine power from the Buddhas, and thus let the whole team rest in peace.
Now, after a thousand years, she's free! It's time to conquer EARTH! But again, in front of her eyes was nothing but this: a frigging temple!
She won't accept this, she won't. And she will settle this down once and for all.
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"Wh- what is this?" the mouse-earred girl shouted in surprise. "I can feel a strong power approaching... it screams danger, but at the same time so peaceful."
"That's right. Calm down Nazrin." Another girl said, she is a tall, beautiful blonde with an aura, or rather the light from her pagoda. Toramaru Shou calmly told Narzin to inform everyone and went to the main room by herself.
"Byakuren, something's coming." She spoke to a woman who was sitting quietly before a grand Buddha statue. It was Hijiri Byakuren, the mistress of Myouren Temple.
"I understand. After thousands of years, it seems the Taoists still have issues with us." She sighed, the cherry lips mumbled something unhearable. "Shou, I need you and Ichirin. Go to the backyard."
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The wind was blowing strangely that day. It was.
In the backyard of the Myouren Temple, there were six people. Face to face.
"Never thought I'd see you again like this, Hijiri."
"Oh, isn't it Toyosatomimi? My, do you always look like this? I don't know. How long was it again?" The monk, completely opposite to the cautious Shou and Ichirin, was very happy to see the other three. Or rather, Toyosatomimi no Miko.
"1084 years, to be precise. You've grown a lot, haven't you?" The shaman replied with a undoubted senior voice.
"Yes, your teachings indeed helped me grow. So did my power..." Byakuren closed her eyes, remembering something far away. "And what business do you have here, may I ask?"
"This land." Miko said directly. "My mausoleum is supposed to be here and your temple is blocking it."
"I don't care. Move it somewhere else then." Byakuren smiled.
It happened in less than a nanosecond. The fist of Miko's flew to Byakuren's face with lightning speed, and stopped by the monk's palm. The pressure caused such a strong wind that blew the other four away with a sound of thunders.
"Seven Pains Fist? Now Toyasatomimi, it's not a very warm greeting is it?" Byakuren dropped a sweat, quickly jumped back. In front of her, Toysatomimi looked even more furious, even thought she had pushed the monk back.
"Five Thunderous Palm, how dare you monks still using our skill?" She shouted at Byakuren.
"Martial arts belongs to none, Toyosatomimi. Everything grows from one seed, and make branches..."
"Disregard that, today I'll see how strong you've gotten. Come!"
The shaman jumped towards Byakuren like a storm, constantly punching her like a sandbag. This skill, Seven Pains Fist, is the skill that practices with seven vital parts of the body: heart (Fire), lungs (Metal), liver (Water), spleen (Earth), kidney (Wood) and Yin-Yang Air. This skill uses seven different chi in one punch, soft or hard, hot or cold, it's impossible to know. This skill has thirteen punches, and nobody can survive after being hit by all thirteen fists. Because of this, this skill is extremely hard to practice and could kill the user. However, if succeed, it is not only the strongest skill in fighting, but can work as a healing practice too.
Come back to Myouren Temple, the fight between Byakuren and Miko had gone too far. Shou and Ichirin could no longer follow the fight with their eyes, left alone stopping it.
"I didn't know Byakuren is this strong..." Ichirin mumbled in awe. But Shou didn't seem to share the thought.
"Of course she is strong, my concern is that girl, just... who is that?"
Shou's worry was right. Miko, despite being smaller, was being on the offensive the whole time and kept pushing Byakuren back.
"You won't get anything with those copy palms! Byakuren, use YOUR skills or I'll KILL you!" Miko shouted.
"Namo Amitabha Buddha..." Byakuren stopped and put her hands together.
Now, not only Shou and Ichirin, but the other two on Miko's side also screamed. Byakuren was being pushed back, but she still could block Miko's deadly fists, why did she stop? Too late for anything, the Seven Pains Fist reached the monk's body.
One.Hit.
Two.Hit.
Three.Hit.
Four.Hit.
Five.Hit.
Six.Hit.
Seven.Hit.
Eight.Hit.
Nine.Hit.
Ten.Hit.
Eleven.Hit.
Twelve.Hit.
Thirteen.Hit.
"Tch." Miko stepped back, looking at Byakuren. The monk was still standing and didn't look injured in the very least. "Invincible Diamond Armor Body, I should've known you better." She then raised her arms and moved them in circles. "Let's do some inner fight, shall we?"
"Tai Chi Quan..." Sweats now dripping from Byakuren like rain. She had used almost all her chi to withstand the Seven Pains Fist, now she could barely stand, how could she fight against the most annoying art of all history then?
Miko's arm flew again to Byakuren, drawing a spiral. Her finger pointed out, her whole arm looked like a drill. If it touches, Byakuren is guaranteed to have a little hole in her bosom.
"Dragon's Crawl!" Byakuren shouted. If she had no inner strength, then fight with physical strength. And Byakuren's strength was already superhuman thanks to thousand of years enhancing magically. After coming to Gensokyo, Byakuren had clashes with several people in non-danmaku battles and proud that her Dragon's Crawl is second to none. Even the Youkai Sage, Yakumo Yukari, praised it and said if there are people that can rival it, there are only two in Gensokyo. Unfortunately Byakuren hadn't the honor to meet both of them. But definitely Miko isn't one.
The Dragon's Crawl is one of the most powerful physical skills of Shaolin, imitated that crawl of the dragons. The crawl plunged down to Miko's head, strongly and deadly. The shaman startled, and had no other way but taking her arm back to block the crawl. Byakuren jumped, aimed her fingers at Miko's face. The crawls were fast. The left one aimed at the shoulder, the right one grabbed the chest, then the left one made a curve and went to the hips, while the right one rose to the neck. The shaman tried to escape, but Byakuren had covered everywhere. Crawls coming from every direction, aiming at every vital point.
"Impressive, but not enough!" Toyosatomimi no Miko shouted, two arms drew a huge spiral, took the crawls along. Byakuren's arms were like leaves getting sucked in a whirlpool, no way to pull back.
"Don't tell me...!"
"Boundaryless Heaven and Earth!" Miko grabbed both Byakuren's arms and pulled them towards her chest, the center of the spiral, then suddenly pushed them out with massive inner strength. Even though standing far away, Shou and Ichirin could hear their superior's bones getting broken.
"BYAKUREN!" In harmony, the two rushed into the field. The broken rocks and stones laying around due to the fight made it hard to approach. Ichirin tried to summon Unzan, but because of the wind, he was blocked by the other clouds.
"Dammit! I can't get close to them, what's with this field?" Ichirin shouted to Shou. The Bishamonten's disciple seemed to be deep in thoughts. This is strange. The backyard wasn't supposed to be this messy, and there was like some invisible wall between them and the fight.
"You shall not pass." For the first time, the person on the other side spoke. She was definitely a shaman, even her hat looked like one. "Mononobe no Futo is the name. I have already rearranged this yard, so if you want to rescue your monk, solve this maze with your wit."
"A... maze? How is that possible? We didn't see her doing anything."
"This... almost like the nature are in their side... No! It can't be... Yi Ching?"
"How surprising to see a disciple of a monk knows about it." Futo said sarcastically. "Now, try to figure out the art of Feng Shui, or accept defeat, Buddhists!"
How could it possible? Inside the maze, Byakuren had both her arms broken, and Miko didn't seem she want to stop. Her slow palms made the monk scream in pain everytime they touched her body, showing how much inner strength were stacked. Shou had heard about Yi Ching, the Manual of Taoism, which is not only their way to live, but also their science, their origin of everything and nothing. There is no way she could solve this maze before Byakuren lose her life, but is there any way?
"Why not using your ultimate, the Tathagata Godly Palm? Wasn't that the skill you used to defeat that infamous daiyoukai, what was her name... Kazami Yuuka? Oops, forgot your arms are gone."
"Kuh...!" Hearing the name of Kazami Yuuka, Byakuren got furious. She tried to kick Miko away, but got grabbed again.
"Or did you lose? I heard you got sealed after that fight, mind telling me what happened?" Miko obviously didn't want to listen, as she punched Byakuren again in the stomach. "You're too strong to die, eh? Maybe you can help me know how strong I am then."
Outside the maze, Ichirin nearly down on her knees. The feelings of uselessness, vain and hopelessness already covered her body. Byakuren will die here, and she couldn't do a thing. Beside her, Shou was walking restlessly around and around.
"Even the sky... no, the cloud blocks it. If I take the first step on the right..." she murmured, obviously trying to solve the maze. But it's hopeless. This thing was built marvelously in Bagua, and as a Buddhist disciple, there was no way for Shou to clear it.
"North. West. Then Southwest and 79 degree to the north."
A voice echoed. Shou suddenly saw the path. There it is. A shadow ran like a wind through the maze, to the battle inside. That person quickly grabbed Byakuren's and pull her back before Miko's surprising eyes.
"Graceful Wave Steps? Who are you?" She shouted, and unhesitantly deliver a heavy blow.
"Seven Pains Fist..." The shadow quickly turned, and faced the punch with her own. The clash blew half the stones away and when the dust had settled, the shadow had carried Byakuren back by Shou and Ichirin's side. The nun nearly cried, she took Byakuren and started treatment right away.
"That perfect Seven Pains Fist! You! Name yourself!" Toyosatomimi no Miko roared. But that person didn't care at all, she turned away and ran away.
Unlike Miko, Shou knew exactly who that was, for them had met quite a few times in the parties in Hakurei Shrine.
"Miss... Hong Meiling..."
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My afterwords:
Hi there, it's me again. Sorry if this doesn't make any sense. I've just finished Ten Desires and found this lovely background on Toyosatomimi no Miko, so I decided to write something about her. In canon, she had been sealed and the mausoleum's land was taken by Byakuren. Of course, many will think that they will just make a good neighborhood and drink tea. I agree. But I made the TD cast totally badass and kick the UFO's asses. Maybe because I read too much Journey to the West? Haha. Yeah, the Taoists were utterly useless there...
And now for something completely different.
Yuuka and Meiling. I love linking the characters together, so in my universe, Byakuren and Yuuka had a past. A dark past. But I'm too lazy to write it down in English, so forgive me if that bit was stupid to you. About Meiling, I'm a combat fan and I will never accept the "China is useless" fanon, even if China is truly useless. Haha. You get it? I said China when I actually meant China.
I used quite a lot of ancient Chinese martial arts here, from both Taoism and Buddhism. If you read wuxia, you probably catch what's going on, if not, well, you'd catch the story then. Haha.
Anyway, thank you for reading. Cheers.
Oh, and do criticise, spelling, grammar, ect. I need it.
