By the time they returned, it was already past midnight.
They had successfully purified one of the corrupted Thunder Sakura Trees.
These trees, which protected the land by absorbing miasma, had accumulated heavy impurity in their roots over time.
The "purification" meant breaking the barrier and destroying the monsters born from that corruption.
All Thunder Sakura trees were offshoots of the Sacred Sakura on Mt. Yougou. Among them, five roots were the most significant.
According to Hanachirusato, completing the Great Cleansing of the Sacred Sakura required purifying all five sites.
For Fischl and Qiqi, the actual purification was easy—the hard part was finding each location and breaking its barrier.
At one site per day, the whole task would take about five days.
Perched on Qiqi's shoulder, a finch-shaped familiar sent by Xia Zhi had witnessed their progress.
And through its eyes, Xia Zhi sensed something strange about this so-called "legendary" commission.
---
The next morning, Xia Zhi took a stroll through the shrine grounds.
When he reached the fortune-drawing area, he noticed a small fire brazier had appeared beside it.
The shrine maiden tending the fortunes greeted him with a smile. She said she'd told Lady Yae Miko about his suggestion yesterday, and the Lady had found it brilliant—so she'd immediately approved it.
Xia Zhi chuckled. "I'm glad it's useful. Hopefully it really helps the shrine."
Heading around back, he found Xia Zhen standing before the Sacred Sakura Tree.
She smiled. "Good morning."
He smiled back, then mentioned Fischl and Qiqi's legendary commission from the night before, curious if his cousin—being a local deity—knew anything about it.
"The Great Cleansing of the Sacred Sakura?"
At those words, Makoto's expression shifted slightly.
After a moment's thought, she said, "I've never heard the name Hanachirusato. But the shrine maiden wasn't wrong. Just as each smaller shrine has branches, all Thunder Sakura trees are offshoots of the Sacred Sakura on Mt. Yougou. Those five roots are the largest, and much of the miasma they absorb eventually flows back here—to this very tree."
Xia Zhi's eyes narrowed. "So purifying the five trees doesn't actually complete the ritual?"
Makoto nodded. "Exactly. The key to the Great Cleansing lies in the final step—lifting the seal on the Sacred Sakura itself and purifying centuries of accumulated corruption. That's why the ritual bears the name it does."
Xia Zhi tilted his head. "You seem familiar with it, cousin."
Makoto's eyes softened with memory. "Because this ritual was created by a dear friend of mine."
"Kitsune Saiguu?" he guessed.
Makoto's voice grew quiet. "Yes. When the darkness came, she laid down countless barriers to protect the people… but in the end, the disaster consumed her. Even so, her wards still work to this day, shielding Narukami Island."
Xia Zhi exhaled. "Then someone performing this ritual now means those barriers are reaching their limit."
Makoto nodded. "Indeed. Which also means this shrine maiden—Hanachirusato—must have some extraordinary connection to Kitsune Saiguu. Otherwise, she couldn't possibly know such details."
"You're going to find her?"
"I am."
"Then I'll come with you tonight. If this has anything to do with the Abyss, I'm interested too."
"Alright."
"By the way, where's your sister?"
"She returned to Tenshukaku. Still plenty of government affairs waiting for her."
"Tch. You're not helping her?"
"I just got back to Inazuma. I'm not yet familiar with the current state of the nation, so it's better I don't meddle."
Xia Zhi grinned. "Feels to me like you're just waiting for a chance to stage a grand entrance."
"…"
"When's the Dragon King arriving?"
"I messaged him yesterday. He said he's leaving today. At Venti's speed, he should be here by tomorrow."
"Fair enough."
---
Breakfast at the Grand Narukami Shrine was especially generous that morning—probably to accommodate their visiting guests.
Later, more worshippers arrived to offer prayers.
The little brazier beside the fortune rack saw little use, though. Most people still preferred tossing their bad fortunes onto the roof.
Seeing this, Yae Miko immediately devised a new plan.
She had a shrine maiden set up a small table beside the offering box, with a small box on top—just large enough for a hand to reach inside.
A new announcement went out: anyone who had made an offering to Narukami could draw a lottery ticket here.
First prize: an omamori charm from the shrine.
Second prize: a bestselling light novel.
Third prize: a decorative bookmark.
Then, Miko messaged their group chat, asking everyone to "volunteer as actors."
Naturally, everyone was curious and joined in.
Their role was simple—pretend to be regular visitors. After drawing a bad fortune, toss it into the brazier, then go try their luck at the lottery.
Rigged? Absolutely. Entertaining? Even more so.
It might've been a small thing, but it perfectly showcased Yae Miko's mischievous brilliance.
---
Mona livestreamed the event to the group chat.
Ningguang watched the video, eyes thoughtful.
After a while, she called Baishi over and showed her the clip.
Baishi looked it over. "You want us to replicate this?"
Ningguang nodded. "Find two of our shops to test this marketing idea. Offer better prizes."
"Understood!"
"If it works, roll it out to more stores—and buy ad space in the Daily."
"Yes, Lady Ningguang."
After Baishi left, Ningguang scrolled through the chat, amused.
Being able to watch what happened thousands of miles away without leaving her office—wasn't a bad feeling.
---
By noon, the shrine's kitchen was bustling again.
They were preparing meals not only for themselves, but also for visiting worshippers—though those came with a modest fee.
Having already freeloaded dinner and breakfast, the guests decided not to push their luck again.
Xiangling and Guoba showed up at the kitchen, offering to help.
The shrine chefs smiled politely and tried to shoo her away, saying a young girl like her shouldn't risk ruining her skin with cooking fumes.
But Xiangling stayed, smiling brightly as she washed vegetables, chopped ingredients, and tended the fire.
Her movements were smooth—too smooth.
The chefs exchanged glances, realizing this wasn't just some curious girl—she was clearly a master of the craft.
One of them, intrigued, stepped aside after finishing a stir-fry. "Why don't you try cooking something simple?" he offered.
Xiangling smiled faintly.
And that was the end of their peace.
By the time she was done, the title "little girl" had been replaced with a new one—"living god of the kitchen."
Lunch was spectacular. The aroma alone drew in a crowd, and soon the shrine's cafeteria was packed with visitors eager to taste her cooking.
Many came back for seconds, and a few even queued for a third serving before admitting their stomachs couldn't handle more.
Xiangling ran over to Xia Zhi, grinning. "Master, I didn't embarrass you, did I?"
Xia Zhi nodded with a smile. "You're a Culinary Grandmaster now. If you couldn't outshine them here, I'd have to disown you."
Across the table, Madame Ping sat chewing in silence, her food suddenly tasteless.
I was here first!
I'm her grandmaster!
How did I turn invisible all of a sudden?
Yaoyao sighed too.
Not long ago, her spear practice had been full of mistakes, and Madame Ping would guide her patiently.
But lately her progress had skyrocketed—at this rate, she might even surpass her master.
Sigh.
Ping turned toward Cloud Retainer, who was chatting cheerfully with Ganyu and Shenhe.
The three of them looked so harmonious—like a perfect family of master and disciples.
Unbelievable, Ping thought bitterly. How did I become the loser here?
I used to be the one pitying her… now I'm the one to pity.
----
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