My new wife discovered my past

The words that Hidaka Mari said, "I will pass the throne of God to you next month," exploded in the silent study like thunder out of the blue.

Upon hearing this, Ikeguchi Gonmiyaji, who was kneeling on the ground, was shocked and a trace of disbelief and horror flashed in his eyes, but it was soon replaced by deeper fear.

She almost immediately lowered her head even lower, wishing she could shrink herself into a point, for fear of being drawn into the sudden vortex of power transfer between the Lord God and the Priestess.

And the moment Xing Jianyao heard these words, an extremely complex and indescribable light could not help but flash across her deep, calm and cold eyes.

There was surprise and astonishment, but more than that, there was a clear sense of vigilance and bottomless suspicion.

Of course, Hoshimi Miko would not be naive enough to think that her aunt, Hidaka Shrine Lord, who had controlled Hidaka Shrine for decades and was obsessed with power and ruthless, would so easily and willingly hand over the supreme position of shrine Lord to her niece, whom she had always used and guarded against.

This seemingly impassioned speech of "stepping down and letting others take over" was 100% a carefully planned test full of sinister intentions!
Xing Jianyao just sneered in his heart.

But the miko's face did not show any expression. She still had that respectful and humble attitude. She raised her head slightly and met Hidaka Mari's sharp eyes full of scrutiny and oppression. Her voice was calm, but with unquestionable firmness:
“Your Excellency the Divine Lord, your words are too serious.

"How can Xiaoyao dare to covet the position of God Lord?

“Now that the Lord Priest is in his prime, he is the most stable foundation of our Hidaka Shrine in the past hundred years.

"Xiaoyao only wishes to serve the Lord God for a long time, practice diligently, and assist you in developing the shrine. I will be satisfied and will not dare to have any unreasonable wishes."

"Oh? Really?" Hidaka Mari's lips curled up in a meaningful arc, and her tone became a little playful:

"Xiaoyao, do you know that since the establishment of our [Hidaka Shrine], the successive shrine owners have taken it as their responsibility to protect [Amenaka Town] and pass on the will of the gods.

“Now that I am very old and have not yet received the recognition of the gods, I feel that I cannot bear such a heavy responsibility.

“And you, Xiaoyao, are not only favored by the gods, but you also possess such powerful divine power at such a young age.

“I entrust the shrine to you and let you lead it to a more glorious future. This is in accordance with the will of heaven and people. It is also my greatest expectation for you as an elder.

"Why do you have to be so self-deprecating and refuse again and again?"

"Your Excellency, Lord God, are too kind." Xing Jianyao replied neither humbly nor arrogantly:
"Xiaoyao is fully aware of the heavy responsibility of being a witch. She serves the gods and guides their power every day. She has done her best and dares not slack off in the slightest.

“As for the position of God Lord… that not only requires powerful divine power as support, but also requires the wisdom to understand worldly affairs and human hearts, as well as the courage to plan and win battles thousands of miles away.

"These are far beyond Xiaoyao's current capabilities. I am still young. If I rashly take the position, I am afraid that I will betray the trust of the Lord God, and I will also be implicated by the family of the priestess, and it will also delay the century-long plan of the shrine.

"So, please take back your order, Lord God, and give Xiaoyao some more time so that she can continue to study hard and gain more experience under your wings."

"Haha...learning? Experience?" Hidaka Mari chuckled. "Xiaoyao, you don't have to pretend to be humble and submissive to paralyze me. But it's okay. It's better to accumulate strength and build up your wings in secret, waiting for the best time to completely replace me than to take over the shrine from me. You don't have to act according to my mood in the future."

When Ikeguchi Gonmiyaji, who was kneeling beside him, heard this, he was so frightened that his whole body trembled and he almost fainted on the spot.

This conversation between the Lord God and the Lady Miko is like a fight between gods, and the mortals are suffering!
Ikeguchi Gonmiyaji now only hated herself for not having a pair of ears that could penetrate the ground, and why she had to hear these words that were enough to make her die a hundred times!

Ikeguchi Gon-shrine priest understood that the conversation between the shrine chief and the shrine maiden, which seemed to be discussing "passing on the throne to the wise man", was actually using the little incident that happened in her Ikeguchi family during the day as an excuse to test each other's bottom line and true intentions!
From the beginning to the end, her Ikeguchi family was nothing more than an insignificant pawn that could be sacrificed at any time in the power game between these two top figures!

"Lord God, please understand!" Xing Jianyao heard this and immediately showed an expression of panic, as if he had suffered a great injustice, and his voice was choked with just the right amount of sobs: "Xiaoyao's loyalty to my aunt is witnessed by the sun and the moon, and the heaven and earth! I would never dare to have the slightest second thought or any evil intention!

"If my aunt doesn't believe me, Xiaoyao is willing to give up her position as a witch immediately and go to the back mountain to be confined to prove her innocence!"

"Alright, alright..." Hidaka Mari stopped talking as she looked at her sincere expression. She knew the time was right and if she pushed her any further, it would probably backfire.

Hidaka Mari waved her hand and said in a slightly slower tone: "Of course my aunt believes Xiaoyao.

"I raised you. I know your temper better than anyone else. I was just joking about the imagination of some people in the shrine."

Hidaka Mari changed the subject and returned to the original topic: "Since Xiaoyao is not willing to take over the position of the Lord of God for the time being, then this matter... let's postpone it for the time being.

“However, I am old and my energy is limited, so I am really unable to do many things.

"From now on, I'm afraid that I'll have to rely more on Xiaoyao, a miko, to take care of the many mundane affairs inside and outside the shrine."

"Sharing the worries of the Lord God and serving the shrine is Xiaoyao's job. I dare not say that I am taking any trouble." Xing Jianyao bowed his head respectfully again.

As Mari Hidaka looked at her flawless appearance, the hidden worry in her heart about not being able to fully control her niece deepened.

But her face still maintained the majesty and kindness of a god.

Hidaka Shinto Lord signaled Ikeguchi Gon-guchi that he could leave.

Ikeguchi Gon Gongshi felt as if he had been pardoned. He crawled out of the study room, and the stone in his heart finally fell to the ground temporarily.

The Ikeguchi family was saved, but her good-for-nothing cousin, Ikeguchi Kana, would probably have to stay in the confinement room in the back mountain for a long time. It was still unknown whether she could come out alive.

After Ikeguchi Gon-guchi left, only Hidaka Mari and her aunt and nephew Hoshimi Haruka were left in the study again.

They also briefly discussed the specific matters that needed to be discussed at the emergency meeting to be held tomorrow afternoon, as well as the details such as how to guide Jiu Gong Sakura to target Sakuraba Mihime without letting things get completely out of control and affecting Watanabe's core interests. They unified their views and strategies in advance.

Make sure that at tomorrow's meeting, the two of them can present a united front to the outside world, so that their differences will not make outsiders like Tsukimi Saki and Kujo Sakura laugh at them, or even give them an opportunity to take advantage of them.

After everything was discussed, Hidaka Mari waved her hand a little tiredly, indicating that Hoshimi Haruka could leave.

Xing Jianyao bowed again, then quietly left this study room full of depression and calculation, and returned to her own shrine maiden's bedroom, which was also located deep in the back hall community.

The night becomes darker and darker.

When the clock hands pointed precisely to 2:30 in the morning, Hoshimi Haruka, who had already finished bathing and changing clothes and was sitting cross-legged on the tatami in the bedroom, was waiting quietly.

In another attic bedroom, Sakuraba Mihime, who also had a hint of nervousness and anticipation, set the alarm early and woke up on time. Almost at the same time, she felt her consciousness being gently pulled by a soft but irresistible invisible force. Then her eyes went dark, and when she opened her eyes again, she was already in the familiar "private chat room" constructed by Hoshimi Haruka's divine power.

It was still those few chairs, floating in the boundless dark void filled with a mysterious atmosphere.

The familiar figure of Watanabe Tetsuya had already been sitting leisurely on a chair, looking at the two of them with gentle eyes. "Brother Tetsu."

"Teacher Watanabe."

Hoshimi Haruka and Sakuraba Miki spoke almost at the same time, and their voices were particularly clear in the space of consciousness.

"Sister Haruka, Sakuraba-san." Watanabe Toru nodded with a smile, motioning for them to sit wherever they wanted.

Hoshimi Haruka didn't hesitate to sit down on the chair next to Watanabe Tetsuya in an intimate manner.

Sakuraba seemed a little reserved and shy, but she also sat on the other side of Watanabe.

"Okay, let's stop talking nonsense." Xing Jianyao did not forget the main business. She glanced at Sakuraba Miki and spoke first:

“Fourth Miss Sakuraba, tomorrow morning, Yuejianli and my aunt will gather a few evil girls, plus Jiugongying, for a small meeting.

“The topic of the meeting is to discuss how to deal with you, the uninvited guest.

“The specific execution will be handed over to Jiugongying.

"Miss Sakuraba... you'd better be mentally prepared in advance."

When Princess Sakuraba heard this, a hint of understanding flashed across her eyes, and then she regained her composure.

She nodded slightly and said softly, "I understand, thank you for the reminder, Hoshimi Miko.

"In fact, Jiugongying has already come to see me alone tonight."

Sakuraba Miki briefly recounted the explosive conversation she had with Jiugong Sakura in the living room tonight to the two of them, and concluded: "Miss Jiugong has officially declared war on me."

After hearing this, Toru Watanabe smiled meaningfully and said, "This may not be a bad thing.

“Although Jiugongying is arrogant and willful, she is still clear-headed and ruthless enough.

"Let her come forward to stir up this muddy water and draw the attention of all parties to the jealousy between you and her. This will actually buy us more time and space to carry out the real deployment in secret."

Watanabe looked at Hoshimi Haruka with a hint of approval and encouragement in his eyes: "So, sister Sakura Haruka, at the meeting tomorrow, and when you face Jiugong Sakura's provocation later, just let go and act.

"Don't be afraid of making a big fuss. The more we can divert their attention from our real goal, the better it will be for us."

"I understand, Brother Toru." Hoshimi Haruka nodded solemnly, with a glimmer of eagerness in her eyes.

The three of them briefly discussed and deduced the various situations that might arise at tomorrow's meeting and how Sakuraba Miki should respond.

Seeing that it was getting late, Watanabe signaled that they could leave first.

Soon, Sakuraba Miki's consciousness slowly left the private chat room, leaving only Hoshimi Haruka and Watanabe Tetsuya, who did not leave immediately.

Xing Jianyao looked at her brother Che with a slightly aggrieved tone, but she also spoke up to remind him: "By the way, brother Che, after the meeting tomorrow afternoon, should the mark on your lower abdomen also be... re-engraved?"

Watanabe Toru nodded when he heard this. This was something they had agreed on before.

At the same time, Watanabe also knew that Hoshimi Haruka was reminding him that the compensation he promised her yesterday could not be ruined because of the accident of Sakuraba Miki.

Moreover, Watanabe knew that he really needed to "replenish his magic" regularly in order to maintain his ability to enter and exit this "private chat room" every day.

Watanabe Tetsuya calmly replied: “Yes, I understand.

"After the meeting tomorrow, I will find a chance to meet Xiaoyao..."

Before Watanabe Tetsuya could finish his words, he was interrupted by Hoshimi Haruka.

“There’s no time and opportunity tomorrow…” Hoshimi Haruka was thinking about Watanabe: “Brother Toru… maybe the day after tomorrow.

“The day after tomorrow afternoon, I will summon Brother Che to my bedroom.

"Xiaoyao is also waiting for Brother Tetsu's arrival."

"Okay." Watanabe Toru also agreed.

Although the conversation between the two sounded like they were discussing something serious, the undisguised ambiguity and hints in it made Sakuraba Miki, who had just left and whose consciousness had not yet fully returned to reality, feel an indescribable bitterness and loss in her heart again.

After Sakuraba Miki's consciousness completely left, Hoshimi Haruka looked at Watanabe Tetsuya again. Her cold eyes were now filled with complex and inexplicable emotions.

She was silent for a moment, then she said softly in a tone that was almost like a sigh:

“Brother Toru… Xiaoyao knows that Sakuraba Miki’s face may have a special meaning to you.

"But... she is not 'her' after all.

"Xiaoyao only hopes that... Brother Toru can distinguish between reality and illusion, and not... not make a decision that he will regret because of a moment of confusion."

Hoshimi Haruka could not forget what she saw when she opened the door of Kiko's sister's suite this afternoon.

Brother Toru was actually kissing that Sakuraba Mihime as if no one was around.

That scene, like the sharpest needle, pierced Xing Jianyao's eyes and also hurt her heart.

As Watanabe Toru listened to Hoshimi Haruka's words full of hints and admonitions, his heart was once again filled with an indescribable irritation and... a hint of embarrassment that he himself was unwilling to admit.

He was silent for a long time, and finally just closed his eyes and replied:
“…I will.

"Xiaoyao, don't worry... I will do my best." (End of this chapter)