I Became a Monk in Japan and Exorcised Demons of Other’s Housewives

Chapter 3: Magical Artifact Red Sandalwood Fish!

As the Buddha’s shadow almost solidified, the tightly shut eyes of the Buddha statue slowly opened.

The golden light, which was about to reach its peak, suddenly dimmed.

Did the enhancement… fail?

Staring at the unchanged Buddhist scripture, Lu Jin was slightly stunned.

He hadn’t expected that enhancement could actually fail.

But thinking about it, it made sense—if every enhancement succeeded, then this system would be far too overpowered.

Out of the three enhancement opportunities, two had already been used.

Only one chance remained.

What should I enhance next?

Lu Jin’s gaze swept across the hall and landed on the Medicine Buddha statue in the center. But after thinking about it, he shook his head.

If even enhancing a Buddhist scripture had failed, enhancing the Buddha statue would probably be even more dependent on luck.

“Better to enhance something simple.”

Lu Jin picked up the wooden fish* in front of him.

[*A traditional wooden percussion instrument used in Buddhist ceremonies and chanting.]

This wooden fish was an antique. According to the old master, it had existed since the Medicine Buddha Temple* was first built.

[*Yakushi Temple]

He wondered what changes would occur after enhancement.

“Please don’t fail.”

Lu Jin took a deep breath and used his final enhancement opportunity on the wooden fish.

Swish!

A flash of light passed over it, and the fine cracks on the wooden fish disappeared. Its color turned into a faint shade of purple-gold.

As sunlight hit its surface, densely packed Buddhist scriptures appeared in its reflections.

[Purple Sandalwood Wooden Fish]

[After being imbued with the spiritual essence of numerous eminent monks, it has attained Buddhist nature. It aids in meditation, cultivates Zen, and wards off evil spirits.]

A purple sandalwood wooden fish?

This thing… should be worth quite a bit, right?

Lu Jin’s expression became odd.

A wooden fish that could ward off evil and demons—this practically made it a magical artifact!

He had only ever heard of magical artifacts but had never actually seen one.

Throughout the Japan, Buddhist treasures that could be called magical artifacts were extremely rare.

Most of them came from the Dragon Kingdom* and were enshrined in famous temples.

[*China in the other world]

A small temple like the Medicine Buddha Temple had never even seen a magical artifact before.

And yet, with just one enhancement, he had obtained one. This was a massive gain.

Dong! Dong!

Lu Jin picked up the striker and lightly tapped the purple sandalwood wooden fish.

A clear and ethereal sound echoed through the hall, lingering in the air, resonating deep into the soul.

The excitement he had felt moments ago vanished the instant he heard the wooden fish’s chime.

His mind became free of distractions, and in an instant, he reached enlightenment.

It was as if a group of highly accomplished monks were chanting sutras right beside his ear, guiding him toward spiritual awakening.

As the sound gradually faded, Lu Jin felt his comprehension of Buddhist teachings had deepened significantly.

This thing… is truly a treasure.

Looking at the wooden fish before him, Lu Jin couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement.

If a single enhancement had such an effect, he couldn’t even imagine how powerful it would become if he enhanced it multiple times.

Tatatata!

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps approached from behind.

Lu Jin turned around in surprise and saw two plainly dressed men rush in, their faces filled with fear and panic as if they had witnessed something terrifying.

They ran into the temple in such a hurry that they even forgot to perform the most basic greeting rituals.

“What brings you two here?” Lu Jin asked with a frown, gently tapping the wooden fish as he spoke.

The ethereal sound of the wooden fish echoed through the hall, and the two men, who had been in a state of panic, inexplicably calmed down upon hearing it.

They exchanged glances, a hint of astonishment appearing in their eyes.

They were residents of a small town near the Medicine Buddha Temple. They had come to the temple in desperation, not expecting much help.

But to their surprise, this young monk actually seemed to have some real skill.

With that thought, the two middle-aged men knelt down at once, pressing their foreheads to the ground.

“Master, we wish to request a Buddhist ritual from you.”

A Buddhist ritual?

Lu Jin’s gaze turned suspicious. Performing rituals was a major source of income for temples. Since taking over the Medicine Buddha Temple, he had conducted quite a few himself.

Each ritual earned at least three to four hundred thousand yen.

That was about ten to twenty thousand RMB*.

[*RMB is Chinese currency like Dollars in US, 1 RMB = 0.14 USD]

However, judging by the expressions on these two men’s faces, this ritual didn’t seem to be an ordinary one.

Still, it was extra money, and he wasn’t about to turn it down.

Since he had nothing else to do anyway, Lu Jin changed into his travel robes and nodded at the two middle-aged men.

“Let’s go.”

Before leaving the temple, Lu Jin made sure to bring the handwritten Buddhist scripture and the purple sandalwood wooden fish with him.

These were his lifelines.

At this point, the most valuable things in the entire Medicine Buddha Temple were that scripture and the wooden fish.

To put it bluntly, even if he sold the entire temple, it probably wouldn’t be worth as much as these two Buddhist treasures, which were practically magical artifacts.

As they left the temple, the two middle-aged men led Lu Jin to a secluded small town.

Calling it a ‘small town’ wasn’t entirely accurate—it wasn’t backward, just remote, far from the bustling city.

Scattered two- and three-story wooden houses lined the area. The streets were narrow but well-maintained.

However, there was little sign of life.

Most of the town’s young people had left to work in the big cities, leaving behind mostly elderly residents.

As Lu Jin pondered this, the two men brought him to a three-story building.