I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Along the way, they encountered many shrine maidens, some sweeping the floor, others selling ritual items such as exorcising arrows and bows.

Soon after, the two women walked to the front of the offering box in the main hall.

"Miss Sanako, do you have any change?"

"Let me look for it."

Sanako lowered her head, reached into her pocket, and groped for her purse.

Just then... a bright purple hue caught her eye out of the corner of her eye.

Drawn to the purple hue, Sanako instinctively looked up.

The moment she looked up, her pupils contracted slightly in shock.

A stunningly beautiful woman dressed in a white top and purple bottom shrine maiden's robes gracefully emerged from the main hall...

******

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Although this chapter is still a bit short, I had a lot of fun writing it.

Writing about women really piques my interest!

Chapter 409 The Reunion of Aoto and Sanako Souji [4700]

Both Sanako and Souji were stunned as they stared at the shrine maiden before them.

At that moment, the two women had the same thought in their minds: What a beautiful woman.

The beautiful witch's attire was extremely elegant, and everything about her was impeccable.

She wore a pure white short-sleeved top and long blouse, and elegant purple trousers wrapped around her slender waist all the way to her ankles. Her delicate feet were covered with a pair of lovely white socks, and her jet-black hair was tied into a low ponytail that reached her back with white sandalwood paper, and the base of the braid was tied with a red water ribbon (hair tie).

Aside from the fact that the hakama skirt is not the common scarlet hakama, this is just an ordinary shrine maiden outfit.

However, this unremarkable shrine maiden outfit looked so beautiful on this pretty shrine maiden.

Even the most discerning person in the world with the most discerning eye for "beauty" would probably stare in astonishment upon seeing this.

At that moment, the beautiful shrine maiden sensed the gazes of Sanako and Souji.

She slowly turned her head, and her eyes lit up when she saw Sanako and Souji's faces.

"Oh dear, we have two beautiful guests."

The beautiful shrine maiden smiled slightly, then bowed to Sanako and Souji from afar.

Her graceful and poised demeanor possessed a mature, elusive yet approachable charm.

"Welcome to Tsukimiya Shrine. I am Negi, Otoku."

As soon as Yu Du... that is, Tenshōin finished speaking, Sanako and Souji hurriedly bowed in return.

As she straightened up after the ceremony, Sanako couldn't help but glance at Tenshōin a few more times.

Looking at Tenshōin's young face, which appeared to be no more than twenty years old, Sanako couldn't help but sigh inwardly:

—Negi... No wonder he was wearing purple hakama... He's become the head of a shrine at such a young age... That's amazing...

In the Shinto hierarchy of Japan, Negi is ranked third, with only the Kyuji and Gon Kyuji above him.

Simply put, the top three leaders of a shrine are the chief priest, the second chief priest, and the third chief priest, respectively.

The main job of the priestess was to assist the chief priest and the chief priest, and also to manage the clergy below the priestess.

Sanako was shocked that Tenshōin had become a shrine at such a young age because Negi was not someone that just anyone could do.

Shinto shrines are basically managed in a "family-style" manner.

Most shrines are managed by a single family for generations.

In other words, the chief priests of shrines are mostly hereditary.

For example, the Sen family has been the hereditary chief priest of Izumo Taisha Shrine, the Ki family has been the hereditary chief priest of Sunrise Shrine and Kunikage Shrine, the Aso family has been the hereditary chief priest of Aso Shrine, and the Chiaki family has been the hereditary chief priest of Atsuta Shrine.

In contrast, the positions of Quan Gongsi and Ni Yi were not hereditary; they had to compete based on their actual abilities.

Becoming a clergy member requires passing certain qualifications.

The so-called qualifications are simply different ranks.

One needs to reach a certain qualification level before one can be promoted or be qualified to be called a true clergy member.

The required rank of the deity varies in different shrines.

The ranks of deities in Shintoism, from lowest to highest, are: Zhijie, Quanzhengjie, Zhengjie, Mingjie, and Jingjie.

The highest rank of Pure Rank is essentially an honorary title, and only those who have made significant contributions to the study of Shinto can be granted this rank.

To become a priestess of a shrine, one must at least attain the third rank, also known as the senior rank.

At just over twenty years old, he became a high-ranking official... This is quite an achievement.

Thinking of this, Sanako couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for the beautiful shrine maiden in front of her.

“If you two are here to pay homage, then the shrine for offering prayers is over there.”

Tianzhangyuan said with a smile.

The so-called "temizu-sha" is an essential pavilion-like structure at a shrine, a place specifically for worshippers to wash their hands and rinse their mouths.

According to Shintoism, worshippers must purify their hands and rinse their mouths with water before worshipping the gods.

There are specific rules regarding how to wash your hands and rinse your mouth, and which hand to wash first.

First, use your right hand to hold the spoon to scoop water and wash your left hand.

Then switch to using your left hand to hold the spoon and wash your right hand.

Then switch to your right hand to hold the spoon and pour water into your left palm to rinse your mouth.

After rinsing your mouth, wash your left hand with water and hold the spoon upright.

"Thank you!"

The chieftain politely thanked Tenshōin, who had kindly shown them the location of the temizuya.

"You're welcome. If you have any questions, you can ask our shrine maiden."

After saying that, Tenshōin walked slowly in the opposite direction from Sanako and Souji with light steps.

Sanako and Souji also turned their attention away from Tenshōin and prepared to focus on their worship.

Just as Tenshōin brushed past the two women—

"Ah, Miss Sanako, I found the change."

Upon hearing the name Sanako, Tenshōin's beautiful eyes widened in surprise...

……

……

Sanako and Souji respectfully washed their hands and rinsed their mouths at the water fountain before returning to the front of the main hall.

Clang! Clang!

The two women tossed copper coins into the coin box and then rang the bells on their heads.

Ring... Ring...

As the clear, melodious sound of the bells faded, Sanako and Souji clapped their hands twice, then put their hands together, closed their eyes, and bowed their heads.

As if they were telepathically connected, even though they hadn't discussed it beforehand, the two women made the exact same wish—

Gods... please protect Tachibana-kun and keep him safe...

Suddenly, the two women looked up at almost the same time.

Having prayed to the gods, there was no reason to linger at the shrine any longer.

"Okita-kun, let's go."

Sanako said.

"Ah."

The commander nodded slightly.

Just then, a voice that caught both Sanako and Souji off guard rang out behind them:

"Excuse me, are you Chiba Sanako from the Chiba Sword Hall?"

The sudden question startled Sanako.

She immediately glanced behind her with a puzzled look.

What came into view was a white sash, elegant purple trousers, and a stunningly beautiful face.

"Miss Yu Du?"

Sanako and Souji were focused on praying for Aoto, so they didn't know that Tenshōin hadn't gone far at all; she was still standing gracefully not far behind the two women.

After the two women finished their prayers, she immediately stepped forward and came to stand directly behind Sanako.

"I am Chiba Sanako from the Chiba Sword Hall."

Although she didn't know how Tenshōin recognized her, Sanako answered Tenshōin's questions truthfully.

At the same time, she cast a wary glance at Tianzhangyuan.

Suddenly, a stranger calls out your name accurately... Anyone would be surprised and become wary in such a situation.

Tenshōin immediately deciphered the meaning behind Sanako's gaze.

To avoid any misunderstanding, she quickly said:

“I just heard your companion call you ‘Sanako,’ so I thought: Could you be the famous ‘Chiba Oni Komachi’? So I couldn’t help but come to confirm. Please forgive me if I have bothered you.”

After hearing Tenshōin's explanation, Sanako's eyes and expression softened somewhat.

"You're too kind, I don't deserve such a prestigious reputation."

"Hahaha, Miss Chiba, you are too modest. Tell me, who in and out of Edo doesn't know the name 'Chiba Onikomachi'? Oh, what a wonderful day! I have long heard of the name 'Edo's Number One Beauty,' and I am truly overjoyed to meet you today."