Chapter 561: 561

Chapter 561 Kiyomizu-dera

When Zhang Heng returned, he found Akane squatting by a wooden basin preparing nigiri sushi .

Nigiri sushi, hand-pressed sushi rice topped with sliced fresh fish, was considered a more luxurious dish . Legend had it that Tokugawa Ienari, the Tokugawa shogunate’s eleventh shogun, was a greedy and lustful man . His favorite concubine’s adopted father was a man named Sekio Nakano . Thanks to too many people wanting to become high-ranking officials through Sekio, many luxury shops were set up nearby his residence . A sushi restaurant owner had the idea of setting up a business selling nigiri sushi next door to Sekio . (Frankly, it was not really that high-end, but the trend soon caught on, and stalls were being set up on the streets) .

“Is that tonight’s dinner?” Zhang Heng asked, placing the soba noodles and roasted glutinous rice balls on the table . He had already finished the oden on the way back .

“No . I’ll be visiting Kiyomizu-dera tomorrow . This is for tomorrow,” answered Akane .

Zhang Heng heard of the famous temple located in the Otowa Mountain in the east of Kyoto before . Built in 778 AD, it was the oldest temple in Kyoto . Although the building had withstood fires and reconstructions, the scenery from there was no less stunning . Visitors ascended the mountainside to admire cherry blossoms in spring and maple leaves in autumn . In later generations, Kiyomizu-dera was included in the World Heritage site and has since been one of Kyoto’s must-see attractions .

“Are you going to see the cherry blossoms? Can I come along?”

“Um, something like that . ” Akane nodded slowly . Somehow, the question made her blush a little . “Don’t you need to do your translation work?”

“It’s fine . My employer usually doesn’t get up until midday . If you’re going to be there for a while, I’ll just leave first . ”

“Oh, okay . Then help me make more nigiri . ”

“Thank you . ”

Zhang Heng had been touring Kyoto with Gabriel a lot later, but the French merchant had a preference for places that offered food, drink, and play-he was not interested in shrines and temples at all . In contrast, Zhang Heng, who had never been to Kyoto, was very interested to see what the centuries-old Kiyomizu-dera looked like . Since Koyama Akane was going, he thought he might as well tag along

The next morning, before the sun rose, Akane knocked on the door to Zhang Heng’s room .

When he opened the door, Akane was carrying a lantern and the nigiri sushi box they prepared the night before .

Since they were going to the temple, she was in a formal kimono with red, blue, yellow, and white, held together with a sash . On her feet, she wore white tabi* and zori* .

Because she spent most of her time in the dojo, she was always dressed in dogi* and hakama* . This was the first time Zhang Heng had seen Akane out of her uniform . She actually looked feminine, and he couldn’t help but stare a little .

The gawking made Akane a little uneasy . “What?!”

She lowered the lantern, trying to hide her face in the darkness, and said sternly, “Hurry up and get ready . We’ll leave soon . ” “Alright . I’ll get changed . ”

Zhang Heng disappeared into his room again . Akane began to exhale, but Zhang Heng suddenly turned around again and asked, “Er… what should I wear to the temple?”

“Anything you like . Just don’t bring your sword . ”

“Okay . ”

Akane watched Zhang Heng enter the roomhe had forgotten to close the door behind him, and for a minute, she did not know what to do . Even though she could not see anything from where she was, she could hear the rustling of the fabric as he put on his clothes . Her face flushed, and she wanted to get away from the door, but she was worried that doing so would make her look suspicious .

In fact, she was a little strange . Her mother had died young, so Akane grew up in the dojo; Apart from her father, she had always been surrounded by trainees in the dojo-most of them men . She trained together with them, inevitably, there had to be some physical contact, yet she was never bothered by it . But why would standing here at the door make her feel so nervous?

Was her outfit today a little too unusual?

But back when her father was still alive, when they visited Kiyomizu-dera together for the last time, she had the same outfit on, and she developed the habit of visiting Kiyomizu Temple at this time year .

This year, though, was different because someone else would be going with her .

Zhang Heng quickly changed into his clothes and washed his face with the cold well water . Compared to well-dressed Akane, he looked no different from what he usually did, really doing what she said and putting on his everyday clothes .

“Let’s go . ”

Akane led the way, and Zhang Heng followed closely behind .

Since they were both martial artists, they were light on their feet, and before long, they were already at Niomon . Zhang Heng looked up and saw the vermilion lacquered gate . The first ray of sunlight in the morning fell on the corner of the gate’s tower, and it gave off a solemn yet divine look .

From here, the winding stone path stretched upward to the west gate . Behind it was the three-storied pagoda and kaisan-do, and through a corridor, was the famous Kiyomizu Stage built on a cliff .

From there, one had a breathtaking view of the blooming cherry blossoms . Although there was one in the place Zhang Heng was living in, nothing could compare to the sight of the trees when grouped . From this point, Kyoto’s imperial city with the hall behind it supported by 139 huge wooden pillars was clearly visible, making it an extraordinary sight . “The view here is spectacular,” Zhang Heng said . “I’ve heard people talking about the cherry blossoms in Kiyomizu temple, and now that I’ve seen it, I have to say that it certainly lives up to its reputation . ”

Akane muttered an agreement, but her body still seemed slightly stiff .

Their journey there had been an annoying one . Whenever both of them were walking side by side, she would feel awkward, and whenever she sped up her pace, she would wonder if Zhang Heng was watching her . When she turned around and saw him admiring the view, she would feel a little disappointed . She felt like she was going mad the whole way there .

Fortunately, they quickly arrived at the main hall where she could pray to Guan Yin, sorting out her chaotic emotions . Akane wondered what was wrong with herself today, even attempting to meditate to quieten the distracting thoughts in her mind .

After that, the two strolled across the stage, walked down the forest path to the valley below . Trudging through a maple forest, the two soon arrived at Otowa-no-taki, which literally translates to Sound of Feathers .

Although it was called a ‘taki,’ it was actually not a waterfall . Instead, there were only three small streams of water flowing down the rocks . It was only dawn, but a few people were already there, getting the water .

Translator’s footnote:

Tabi: Japanese socks worn with thonged footwear

Zori: a traditional Japanese style of flip-flops, originally made with a straw sole .

Dogi: uniform for training in Japanese martial arts

Hakama: a type of traditional Japanese clothing

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