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“Administrator Kagami! After such an incident, what qualifications does Kiyoko have to become the Shrine Master? You are the Miko Administrator and have the right to veto, but since the matter has come to this point, we must wait until we report to the Chancellor. This is not something that you alone can decide!” Shigeyuki retorted.

“This matter is purely a deliberate slander by someone. Even if you want to report it to the imperial court, it should be to report the crime of this person’s slander. Would Lord Chief Advisor Ayaka do such a thing? Shigeyuki, you have repeatedly obstructed the succession on this basis, could it be that you are unwilling to give up your position? Or do you also believe that Lady Ayaka has done something to violate the beliefs of mikos? Are you accusing Lady Ayaka?”

“This…old man wouldn’t dare.” Shigeyuki glanced at Kagura for a moment, worried that Lily would order her to attack him for the crime of slandering the chief advisor.

“Shigeyuki, you said you want to report to the court, well, I don’t think there is a need to wait for you to report to the Chancellor. I will report to the Lord Chief Advisor, how about it?” Lily said, and a sound transmission pearl appeared in her hand.

Shigeyuki was shocked when he saw the sound transmission pearl. He didn’t expect that Lily even had a sound transmission pearl!

As a knowledgeable person, Shigeyuki naturally recognized the sound transmission pearl, but the shrine didn’t have any. This was a very rare and precious treasure, the main reason being that this thing couldn’t be made by humans. The secret method to create sound transmission pearls had never been found, so they could only be obtained by chance when adepts venture into various ancient ruins, ancient battlefields, and dangerous areas.

Even the Martial Saint, Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, only had two, and one was given to his son, Tamurakonoe, back then.

As Lily was about to activate the sound transmission pearl, she said, “By the way, even your blatant spreading of false rumors about the Lord Chief Advisor, malicious slandering, and your attempt to bribe me with a huge amount of treasures a few days ago will also be reported.”

“What—” As soon as Lily said these words, the crowd below started to whisper. Only a few of the upper echelons knew about this, and most people were unaware.

“Wait—wait!” Shigeyuki began to panic now. He looked at Kagura again, thinking that if he instructed his men to ambush Lily at this time, his odds of victory would be low. Moreover, once Lily activated the sound transmission pearl and the chief advisor found out, he would really be finished, so he hurriedly said, “Please, I beg the Miko Administrator not to report to the chief advisor! This matter is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding¹! How can I trouble the chief advisor because of this trivial matter? I was originally thinking of treating this matter with great solemnity, and I didn’t want to trust Teacher Kiyoko. However, if Administrator Kagami is willing to take responsibility for this matter, then, just as you said, we will resume the succession ceremony.”

“Hmph, that’s more like it.” Lily gave a sweet and arrogant snort.

She was still worried that these people would play some tricks, so she said, “Kagura, stand in the sky above the shrine and supervise the entire succession ceremony. Whoever dares to come forward to spread rumors and cause trouble, kill them!”

As Lily said that, a long scroll appeared in her hand. The spiritual energy in the scroll began to surge, and a powerful light shone into the sky. A huge koi fish dozens of meters long stretched across the sky, its figure blocking half of the sunlight that illuminated the shrine.

Everyone was astonished.

Kagura then jumped on top of the carp’s head, which promptly began to swim at low altitude beside the shrine.

Kagura said, “Although I have no reason to appease you lowly beings, my master has good morals and doesn’t want to kill people, so I’ll just show you my skills.”

The shikigami suddenly stared at the distant mountain peaks, slightly spread her legs apart, and crouched—

Bzzzt!

The Brocade-Patterned Koi in her hand was unsheathed, releasing a bright and poignant pink sword light that flew into the distance, which grew larger and larger. By the time it reached the distance, it almost spanned the entire mountain peak.

Rumble!!!

The sword light cleaved the top of the mountain, and the mountain peak which was hundreds of meters high was actually destroyed!

Smoke and dust billowed and the earth trembled.

The priests, mikos, and onmyoji students were struck with fear when they witnessed this scene.

The gang of onmyoji students who were knocked over by Lily two days ago were also watching from the back row, and they were all scared in their hearts. Although they had learned that Lily was a powerful woman, they didn’t expect her methods to be so powerful!

Just the carp spirit she conjured was so huge and terrifying, not to mention the shikigami by her side who could sever a mountain with a single slash!

Even the delinquent onmyoji students were scared and their legs were trembling.

Inanoji’s face also twisted in surprise and he couldn’t help but sigh in his heart, I… I actually challenged such a woman? Isn’t it lucky that I managed to keep my life? This, who is this woman? Really…hateful!

Shigeyuki looked at the resulting devastation and couldn’t close his mouth for a long time. He couldn’t help but feel thankful in his heart, “Fortunately, I didn’t dispatch those people to ambush her…otherwise, it’s not the mountain that would’ve been broken just now, but my neck…”

Under the deterrence of Kagura’s superb slash, everyone obediently and silently continued the succession ceremony.

Shigeyuki reluctantly handed over the sword that symbolized the authority of the Shrine Master to Kiyoko. Only, in the face of all this, Kiyoko was still hesitant.

She looked at Lily, “Miss Lily…”

“Why haven’t you taken it yet? Are you so ignorant?” Lily got a little angry.

Their eyes met, and Kiyoko immediately understood the reason for Lily’s anxiety, so she no longer refused and took the sword of the Shrine Master.

After such an incident, the various later scheduled ceremonies and performances were all cut short. After all, even the chief priest, who was in charge of officiating the rituals and ceremonies, couldn’t recover from Kagura’s kick.

Kiyoko ascended the position of Shrine Master while Shigeyuki resigned unwillingly.

Kiyoko gripped the sword and said to the crowd, “Everyone, although such a thing happened, Kiyoko is also deeply distressed, but since this responsibility is in Kiyoko’s hands, I will definitely do my best for everyone so as to live up to the expectations of the imperial court and the Lord Chief Advisor. But I also implore everyone to work hard together!”

Kiyoko bowed deeply to the crowd. It was rare to see such a modest Shrine Master like her.

But Lily looked at her and felt worried. Soon, she would travel far away, but the intertwined forces in the shrine hadn’t changed at all. The pending battle would definitely not be easy for Kiyoko.

After the succession ceremony, Lily accepted Kiyoko’s invitation to not leave immediately, and planned to stay here for a few more days. She was also a little worried about Kiyoko.

That night, Lily returned to the mountain hut that she stayed in, accompanied by Kiyoko. When they arrived outside the hut, the two looked at the moon in the night sky.

Lily said, “Miss Kiyoko, I have a question, but I don’t know…how to ask.”

“Miss Lily, if you have something to say, please just say it directly.”

Lily’s face was also a little red and she felt a trace of discomfort in her heart. She wanted to know the answer, but she wasn’t quite bold enough to ask.

“Miss Kiyoko, you, you and Lady Ayaka, actually…”

Kiyoko looked at Lily, and her face that exuded the beauty of a mature woman also showed an intellectual and charming smile, “Miss Lily, here, the night is sultry and the surroundings are quiet. You and I are the only two women who share a deep love for Ayaka. I have nothing to hide from you.”

Kiyoko gazed at the bright moon, her eyes flooded with its silver luster.

“Eh? Actually, I’m not…” Lily was about to defend herself shyly.

But Kiyoko said to her, “I have spent countless times entwined with Ayaka in this hut.”

“Eh??!” Lily’s face turned scarlet all of a sudden.

Kiyoko, however, seemed a little lonely and looked at Lily with a sorrowful smile, “It’s just that it was in a dream.”

“Eh????!” Lily felt a strong pang in her heart for a short time, but for some reason, she was relieved when she heard the last sentence.

Kiyoko’s eyes were a bit teary and she wore a bitter smile.

“I love Ayaka very much, so much that I can give up everything for her, but this love is one-sided.” Kiyoko still had that distinctive shallow smile, but a tear couldn’t help but roll down her cheek.

“Miss Kiyoko…”

“I have always been unrequitedly in love with Ayaka, no, or maybe I was just one of the many girls who had a crush on her at that time.” Kiyoko said somewhat reluctantly, “To tell you the truth, the most intimate thing I have ever done with her was to hug her once.”

Looking at Kiyoko at this time, Lily was no longer in a happy or relieved mood, but felt deep, deep, deep pity for this lonely woman who hardly ever saw Ayaka again. Even so, this woman still maintained her passion for this shrine.

“So, those guys’ rumors about you and Ayaka were really fabricated?”

“It’s normal. At that time, Lady Ayaka was so talented and so beautiful, always shining with an enchanting brilliance, and as for me, I was satisfied just by silently watching her from afar.”

“Perhaps, because of my character and performance, Ayaka became close with me, often coming and going with me, and entrusting me with some things to do. With such an atmosphere and so many girls who liked Ayaka seeing me get closer to her than all of them, many rumors were spread because of jealousy.

“However, Ayaka, as you know, doesn’t care about these kinds of things. But one day, in front of many girls and even in front of the teacher, we were questioned about such rumors. They were obviously malicious and slanderous rumors, but Lady Ayaka didn’t deny them at all, and instead deliberately hugged me in public²…”

Lily could imagine Ayaka’s aggressive and reckless appearance at that time, as she herself had experienced it more than once.

After saying that, Kiyoko seemed to tremble all over, “The feeling of being hugged by her, although I know that it was just her flamboyant performance when she was still in her rebellious stage, even when I think about it now, my body gets hot and it’s forever unforgettable….”

“It’s a shame to say, but perhaps Miss Lily and I share the same illness… With Lady Ayaka’s talent, she learned everything here early and her capabilities far surpassed that of the teachers, so she left and went to Heian-kyō, while I, on the other hand, stayed behind. I knew that my small qualifications were not enough to follow in her footsteps and I am not even qualified to be her retainer, but I can at least treasure the memories of when she was a young girl in this cabin. I’m often…in this cabin alone, thinking of her…even…”

The chest of Kiyoko, who was wearing a white shrine outfit, was visibly heaving up and down. Her mature and intellectual face was also flushed red, and white air diffused from between her exquisite nose and cherry lips.

“Even those that don’t exist and are completely imagined by me…those sweet but indescribable memories, already make me satisfied.” The crystalline tears on Kiyoko’s face couldn’t stop flowing down.

A silky white cloud brushed over Kiyoko’s tear stains. Lily subconsciously took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears.

“Miss Lily…”

1. Robinxen: Wow this guy changed his tune fast.
2. Robinxen: So this entire thing is her fault?!