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

Chapter 15: Dharma Protector Vajra! Heng and Ha Generals!

Lu Jin glanced at the system.

The three reinforcement attempts had been refreshed.

As for what to strengthen, he already had an idea.

He got up, left the main hall, and arrived outside the temple gate.

The entrance of a Buddhist temple typically consists of three gates: a large central gate and two smaller gates on either side, symbolizing the “Three Gates of Liberation.”

These are: The Gate of Emptiness (空门), The Gate of Signlessness (无相门), and The Gate of Wishlessness (无作门).

These “three gates” are also known as “Mountain Gates” (山门).

Some temples have only a single grand gate but still follow the three-gate style, thus also being called “Mountain Gate Halls” (山门殿).

At the entrance of Buddhist temples, the famous Heng and Ha Generals (哼哈二将) stand on either side, exuding an imposing presence.

These two Vajra warrior deities have fierce and majestic expressions, their faces full of wrath.

They wear jeweled crowns, are bare-chested, and wield vajra staffs in their hands, standing with legs apart.

The warrior on the left, with an open mouth in an angry expression, is the Ha General (哈将), representing the “Ha” sound.

The warrior on the right, with lips pressed tightly together in a furious scowl, is the Heng General (哼将), representing the “Heng” sound.

The main distinction between the two guardian deities lies in whether their mouths are open or closed.

In Buddhist tradition, the Heng and Ha Generals serve as the gatekeepers of temples, protecting them from malevolent forces. They are also a form of Vajra deities.

Lu Jin gazed at the two divine statues carved into the stone walls.

He planned to strengthen them.

The Heng and Ha Generals were guardian Vajra deities, shielding the temple and the Dharma from demonic intrusions.

If the reinforcement was successful, these two guardian statues would stand watch, at the very least deterring ordinary thieves.

Moreover, since the three gates were connected as a whole, he only needed one successful reinforcement to meet his requirements.

“Hope my luck isn’t too bad,” Lu Jin muttered under his breath.

The more powerful an object, the lower the success rate of reinforcement.

Strengthening an entire Mountain Gate was second only in difficulty to reinforcing the Buddha statues inside the main hall.

Would three attempts be enough? He wasn’t sure.

Still, he had to try.

Enhance!

Silently chanting the command in his heart, he watched as a beam of light enveloped the entire gate.

As expected, the first attempt failed.

For the second attempt, Lu Jin decided to take some metaphysical precautions.

He bathed, changed clothes, and burned incense to worship the Buddha before initiating the next reinforcement.

Whoosh!

With a golden light that only he could see, the once-ordinary Mountain Gate suddenly became solemn and dignified.

On the stone walls, the two Vajra warrior deities now seemed almost alive.

Their fierce expressions, bared fangs, and menacing gazes made them appear as if they could step out from the stone at any moment— ready to strike down any evildoer with thunderous force.

[Guardian Statues – Heng and Ha Generals]

[Enlightened by Buddhist teachings, these guardian deities protect the temple. Where they stand, evil is repelled. Those with impure hearts or who slander the Buddhas will find themselves unable to pass through the Mountain Gate.]

A satisfied glint flashed in Lu Jin’s eyes as he observed the two lifelike guardian statues.

From his perspective, he could faintly see a protective barrier of Buddhist light enveloping the entire Yakushi Temple.

Anyone entering to worship would now be tested by these two guardian deities.

Those harboring malicious intent would instinctively flee, unable to even step past the gate.

Even lesser malevolent spirits would struggle to cross this threshold.

The temple had now become a semi-sacred site of cultivation—an absolute forbidden zone for demons and ghosts.

Now, he no longer had to worry about anything being stolen from the temple.

He had thought he might need all three reinforcement attempts to succeed, but surprisingly, it only took two.

Seeing that he still had one reinforcement left, Lu Jin unhesitatingly decided to use it on himself.

Right now, he had methods to subdue demons, but he lacked a way to detect evil spirits.

So, he planned to strengthen his own eyes.

The reinforcement system could enhance anything in existence—everything tangible was within its scope.

A flower, a blade of grass, a tree, a rock.

But could it strengthen his own body? That, he wasn’t sure.

After all, the system had never explicitly explained this.

However, he figured it should be possible.

If it could strengthen everything, why would he be the exception?

“Let’s give it a shot.”

Lu Jin remained composed—if he could reinforce his own body, that would be ideal.

If not, it wouldn’t be a big loss.

At worst, he would just waste a single reinforcement attempt.

He could afford it—he got three every day, after all.

“Enhance!”

Whoosh!

A dazzling light flashed before his eyes, so intense that Lu Jin had to shut them.

A moment later, he slowly reopened them.

Had it failed? Or succeeded?

The scene before him looked unchanged, filling him with slight disappointment.

He had hoped for something more noticeable.

Still, there was good news.

At least he had confirmed that the system could, in fact, reinforce his body.

Just as Lu Jin was processing this thought, the world before him suddenly transformed.

It was as if the entire world had been bathed in light and color.

Every flower, every tree, every blade of grass— even the birds soaring in the sky—each radiated a distinct, colorful glow.

“Master!”

A familiar voice called beside him.

Lu Jin turned toward the sound.

A middle-aged woman came into view.

She was a devoted Buddhist follower—Lu Jin remembered her well.

Since he had taken over Yakushi Temple, she had come to pray frequently, appearing every few days.

But now, in his eyes, something was different.

The woman’s entire body was surrounded by a shimmering silver glow.