The Sorceress' Revolt - Ko Biji's Story - Part 4 Chapter 4 by Translations by Ainikki / Anime Blog Tracker

The Sorceress' Revolt - Ko Biji's Story - Part 4 Chapter 4

The Sorceress' Revolt Author: Toriumi Jinzō Translator: Ainikki the ArchivistKo Biji's StoryPart Four: The Heavenly BookChapter 4 Ko Biji's mother, Ko, spent Ko Biji's childhood wandering with her daughter in tow. She said she was a Daoist priestess, but that was a self-proclaimed title; she belonged to no temple and possessed no real credentials. She created charms to keep away evil spirits, practiced divination, and made elixirs that lessened hunger. It was unclear where she'd acquired such knowledge. Camping out in the wilderness was normal for Ko Biji and her mother. It was during this time of travel that Ko Biji's wild nature awakened.*** In those days, people would go to Daoist temples to ward off evil spirits, diseases, and disasters, or they would go to monks or Daoists that were near to where they lived. Daoist priests performed exorcisms and received prayers. There were many kinds of Daoist organizations. Some Daoists lived in sects that practiced specific rituals and taught a set of beliefs: some sects were large, some small. Other Daoists preferred independence to sect life and traveled widely. And of course, there were false Daoists--people who took up the trappings of Daoism to sell dubious amulets and trinkets, or who performed fake ceremonies and exorcisms. Ko Biji and her mother were false Daoists. Daoist monks of this period tied their hair into a topknot worn high on the crown of the head. Their standard uniform was blue and sleeveless, and their legs were protected by socks as thick as shin guards. Their shoes were made of cloth, if they wore them. Daoists could be male or female, and the uniform was much the same for each gender. Because the hair was gathered on top of the head for men and women, the female hairstyle was called a "woman's crown." There were Daoists that drank heavily and took wives, but this was becoming less common due to the comparative strictness of Buddhism. Buddhism influenced Daoism, and vice versa. Ko Biji didn't know her father. She'd never met him. Once, when she was eight years old, she asked her mother who her father was. "Your father is a fox," her mother answered. She said nothing else. Ko Biji's mother rarely spoke of the past, even after her daughter grew up. Ko Biji sensed a darkness in her mother's history and didn't press her on it. She'd spent her life at her mother's side, watching her struggles. She had no desire to add to them. Ko taught her daughter to fight, though her practice of fighting techniques was primitive at best. Her knowledge, however, was second to none. She had to have practiced elsewhere to gain her proficiency, but not even Ko Biji knew where her mother could have done this. Ko's mastery over sacred texts and her ability to learn awed Ko Biji. Last spring, Ko was asked to move to Mt. Hua in Shaanxi Province to transcribe Sanskrit characters for a wealthy patron, Yan Shun. Mt. Hua was one of the Five Sacred Mountains of the Daoists. Ko changed her name to Sei Koko and lived in the western part of Yan Shun's estate. That was when she'd ordered Ko Biji to remain near Yunmeng Mountain, and when their plan to take the Heavenly Book began to take shape. Every Daoist had some desire for divine knowledge; the Heavenly Book would be a temptation for any one of them. Sei Koko's desire for it went beyond the ordinary. She sent her daughter to Yunmeng Mountain, even though demons were said to live there. She was not the first to seek the Heavenly Book by any means; people had come in search of it for over thirteen hundred years. Tanshi considered Ko Biji's mother arrogant and unfeeling for putting her child in danger for her own ambitions. The mother and her child living in the wilderness had his compassion, but when Ko became Sei Koko, his compassion and understanding ended. He felt sorry for Ko Biji, who had followed her mother's orders and come to Yunmeng Mountain despite knowing the risks. "Ko Biji... do you believe that your mother can read the Heavenly Book?" Tanshi asked. "I do not know for certain, but she is familiar with many ancient scripts," Ko Biji said. Sei Koko had never seen the Heavenly Book, so she wouldn't know that it was written in strange characters. Was it even possible to decipher the Heavenly Book? Tanshi had his doubts... though what purpose did the Heavenly Book have, if not to be read? Why start rumors and encourage people to find it if it was essentially useless? Tanshi was desperate for understanding. "I'm going to Mt. Hua." He was out of other options. "What?" "I can't just sit here and expect things to work out. I have to do something." "I'm scared for you if you do." "Scared?" Ko Biji should take the Heavenly Book and return home to her mother, but she hadn't and likely wouldn't. She was off-script, uncertain of what to do herself. "What are you afraid of?" Tanshi asked. She didn't answer. "We can bring the Heavenly Book to your mother," Tanshi said. "I'm sure she won't be mad at you, as long as you have the book." Ko Biji hesitated, her mouth setting in a grim line. "I don't want you to meet my mother." "You don't want to go to your mother, and you don't want me to go to Mt. Hua. Are you telling me to give up, then?" "I sense something ominous in your path. I cannot explain it." Tanshi smiled. Ko Biji had a tendency to overthink things. "The Heavenly Book isn't a bad thing. It's knowledge. Knowledge is good or bad depending on how it's used." "It doesn't matter to me anymore. I'm just happy that you're here, and alive." "It still matters to me," Tanshi said. "I risked my life for it. I gave up being a monk." Ko Biji regarded him with a curious stare. "Ever since I was a kid, I was bullied for saying that I was born from an egg. And it doesn't really matter at this point, whether I was born from an egg or not. When I was young, I wanted to be stronger than everyone else to stop the bullying. That's still what I want." Ko Biji said nothing. "I no longer believe that the poor and the meek will be saved by the gods or the Buddha. I have no choice but to survive by relying on my own strength. I believe in the power of the Way of Shattering Earth. I think that if I master it, I'll be saved from a painful and meaningless death." Ko Biji shook her head violently. "You have no need for such hideous strength. It is fine to stay as you are, as long as we can remain together." "We'll be together forever anyway." "We will?" "I'll go wherever you go," Tanshi said. "So don't worry, Ko Biji." He sounded earnest, and also like he was trying to persuade her against her better judgment. Ko Biji realized that there would be no changing Tanshi's mind on this. Deciphering the Heavenly Book was now Tanshi's primary goal, and there was nothing more important than that.

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