Seek out the enigmatic kitsune, a fox able to transform into a woman. She is in a secret area that doesn't have an obvious exit leading into it. She asks you to cleanse a temple in the mountains nearby that has been corrupted by a mahotsukai. If you accept the task she will give you a blessed loincloth to use to cleanse the statue of Buddha in the temple.
Journey northwest into the mountains carefully and seek out the place "By a Thunderous Waterfall" (not far from a view of Mount Shirouma) where two tall guardian statues loom large with an angry and fearsome presence, despite being poorly maintained. Examine them and you might find them informative.
Enter the temple... If you're a create mage you'll quickly discover that the rooms are too small for more than about two charmed helpers so choose wisely. Your first opponents are baleful monks that fight well and also cast evil "maho" magic.