21st Century Necromancer
Chapter 831 - 827 Dingyuan Pavilion

The Dingyuan Pavilion originally served as the residence of Ono Ryosuke, a priest of the Fukuoka Daizaifu Tenmangu Shrine and a member of the National Diet.

After the Battle of the Yellow Sea, Ono Ryosuke wrote to the Headquarters, requesting permission to dismantle the Dingyuan. After receiving approval, he spent a year recovering parts of the Dingyuan wreckage—destroyed by the Beiyang Fleet—and brought them back to Japan to construct the Dingyuan Pavilion on his property.

As a result, the Dingyuan Pavilion became the place that preserved the most relics of the Dingyuan.

Once completed, the unique nature of the villa attracted visits from various military figures, including Japanese Navy Admiral Shimada Shigetaro, who left commemorative gifts during their visits.

However, Ono Ryosuke did not spend much time living in this villa. After his death, his family rarely stayed there either, mostly using it as a guesthouse, before eventually entrusting its management to the Daizaifu Tenmangu Shrine. The reason, it is said, was because the spirits of the Beiyang Fleet often wandered there.

According to the 1961 article "Chronicles of the Dingyuan Pavilion" by Akiyama Kouyou, a director of the Japanese Ship Model Society, those who stayed overnight in the Dingyuan Pavilion often reported seeing fleeting shadows of people dressed in Chinese sailor uniforms. On one occasion, a thief who entered the villa reportedly heard a stern voice demanding, "Shui?" (interpreted as "Who?" in a Shandong dialect of China).

"The spirits of the Beiyang Fleet have always lingered here." This is what Akiyama Kouyou recorded in his article.

Ono Ryosuke's descendants established a memorial tablet at the Dingyuan Pavilion, stating it was to "pray for the souls of those who, though enemies, relentlessly fired their cannons until the end, displaying unwavering loyalty and courage to their country." Believing that only a shrine could suppress the grudge spirits, they donated the villa to the Tenmangu Shrine.

Yet, it is said that a local priest who entered the Dingyuan Pavilion at night to retrieve items once collided with someone dressed in a Chinese sailor's uniform, scaring him into insanity on the spot.

A century later, times have changed. The Dingyuan Pavilion, once obscure, slowly regained attention. Though the smoke of the First Sino-Japanese War passed more than two sixty-year cycles ago, China commemorated it with solemn ceremonies. Meanwhile, this remote Dingyuan Pavilion in Japan once again became a focal point of interest.

China earnestly sought to bring back the relics from the Dingyuan Pavilion, hoping to return the Dingyuan's soul to its homeland.

However, hidden forces in Japan quietly hindered this effort. First, the ownership of the property suddenly changed hands, transferring it from the Tenmangu Shrine to private ownership. Then, to everyone's dismay, extensive renovations began—original materials were stripped from the house and replaced with replicas. The ancient items left behind by the Dingyuan were removed in favor of new "substitutes." Now, the Dingyuan Pavilion has been rented to a toy collector. The auxiliary buildings constructed with remnants of the Beiyang Fleet's flagship are now filled with toys from the Showa Era. Walls and decks once riddled with bullet holes have been turned into beams and pillars, plastered with Teresa Teng posters...

Nearby, the Tenmangu Shrine has in recent years become a must-visit destination for Chinese cruise tourists traveling to Fukuoka. While bustling groups of Chinese visitors throng the area, few notice the modest courtyard named Dingyuan Pavilion quietly slumbering just a dozen meters away, as it has for 120 long years.

But now, two demigods have traveled thousands of miles here, ready to awaken this century-old soldier from its slumber.

"We've arrived. What do you plan to do next?" Standing at the gates of the Dingyuan Pavilion, gazing at the massive doors made from the battleship's scarred armor plating, Monk Xinyuan asked Chen Yu in a tone heavy with reflection.

As a child, Monk Xinyuan witnessed the Dingyuan and the Beiyang Fleet sail into battle. At that time, he had yet to take his vows.

Now, 120 years later, seeing the legendary warship from his childhood memories once more, stirring emotions surged within Monk Xinyuan.

Chen Yu glanced at the nearby bustling Tenmangu Shrine before replying, "The summoning ritual requires us to inscribe runes and prepare a magic array. We'll act after nightfall. At that time, I'll need you to guard and prevent any interruptions."

"That won't be a problem. With me here, no one will step past the boundary." Monk Xinyuan exuded confidence in his ability to guard Chen Yu's endeavor. With his powers as a demigod, not even Sugawara no Michizane, enshrined in the Tenmangu Shrine, could thwart him.

"With you here, I am reassured," Chen Yu nodded, fully confident in Monk Xinyuan's strength.

It was still early. Looking at the Dingyuan Pavilion before him, Chen Yu suggested to Monk Xinyuan, "Master, shall we go inside and have a look?"

"As you wish, I dare not hope for more," Monk Xinyuan clasped his hands together and uttered a Buddhist blessing. "If we have time, I'd like to offer prayers for the heroic spirits of the Beiyang Fleet. Would that be acceptable?"

"Of course—that's only right. Does Master require any specific preparation for the ritual?" Chen Yu looked to Monk Xinyuan, eager to express his own respect for the departed souls.

As a necromancer, if Chen Yu were to act, it wouldn't be "prayer."

"I am not performing a ritual," Monk Xinyuan replied, shaking his head. "A few recitations of the Rebirth Mantra for the heroic spirits of the Beiyang Fleet will suffice. No special preparation is necessary." Though holding an extensive ceremony like a Water and Land Dojo would be more effective, Monk Xinyuan, as an ascetic monk, was not skilled in such rites. Before becoming a demigod, his master hadn't taught him; after becoming one, no one could afford the services of a demigod.

Nevertheless, as a demigod with immense power, even a simple prayer was far more effective than holding dozens of ordinary Water and Land Dojo ceremonies.

Hearing this, Chen Yu made no further suggestions, only asking, "Then, will the Master begin chanting now?"

"Naturally." Monk Xinyuan nodded, then seated himself cross-legged on the ground, facing the Dingyuan Pavilion. Hands clasped in prayer, he began to chant the Rebirth Mantra.

Clad in nothing but a tattered robe, without kasaya or hokan, Monk Xinyuan presented the humble appearance of an ascetic. Yet his focused chanting exuded an air of sacred dignity, so profound that Chen Yu couldn't help but feel moved.

Standing by Monk Xinyuan, Chen Yu also bowed his head slightly in the direction of the Dingyuan Pavilion, silently mourning the officers and sailors of the Beiyang Fleet who had perished 120 years ago in the First Sino-Japanese War.

As Monk Xinyuan chanted, heaven seemed to respond. A sudden swirl of clouds gathered above, and a gentle rain began to fall, as though the heroic spirits of the Beiyang Fleet, sacrificed 120 years ago, were acknowledging their efforts...