Female Swordsman Training Dojo

Amaterasu stared at Harunobu, her thin lips slightly pursed.

Harunobu's intentions were completely undisguised: to use this opportunity to gain fame and spread his faith. Since ancient times, providing porridge and relief to those in distress has been the best way to win people's hearts, especially a large-scale nationwide disaster relief effort that even included the expulsion of foreign invaders.

It's conceivable that if Harunobu were to undertake this task, his reputation in Japan would soar to unprecedented heights. Perhaps even a successful war plan wouldn't be able to wrest faith and prestige back from him.

But Amaterasu asked herself honestly, did she really have a choice?

Government relief efforts are insufficient; without those government bureaucrats and wealthy Chinese merchants, there might not have been so many rebellions! But excluding government bureaucrats, how could she possibly oversee more than a dozen large and small rebellion sites across the country by herself? Of course, she could mobilize the army to handle it, but the discipline of the Japanese army... let's talk about the bureaucrats instead.

Direct suppression or indifference would have played into the hands of the Westerners. Amaterasu would rather lose to Taira no Harunobu than let the Westerners succeed!

Finally, even if she disagreed, couldn't Harunobu go to provide disaster relief? However, if he did that, Harunobu would have to put in some effort to deal with the local government—but the locals would definitely be no match for Harunobu's disciples, so in the end, the government would lose face.

Amaterasu grew increasingly distressed. When she woke up, the situation was perfectly fine, but suddenly it had turned into this ghastly state? Not long ago, her plans had been going smoothly. She was just waiting for the supplies and weapons to arrive before launching an attack on Korea, hoping to win big while Harunobu was delayed by the traitorous god!

Then, together with the defeated Harunobu, they conquered Izanagi, united the faiths of the entire nation, and ascended to immortality in one fell swoop—

Amaterasu took two deep breaths and calmly said, "Alright, then I'll leave it to you, Taira no Harunobu."

"At your service, Your Majesty."

Harunobu responded humorously, while casually grabbing the soft flesh of another queen on his body.

Amaterasu turned and left.

Chapter 504: You don't want to be ranked after Amaterasu, do you...? (4th update)

Harunobu went straight to the Ame-no-Tama-no-Mikoto Shrine after leaving the palace, making Amaterasu, who was secretly watching, grit her teeth in frustration. Damn it, that woman is so lucky; how did she manage to find such a loyal follower—ugh, she must be using her looks to amuse him!

As Harunobu entered Ame-no-Tsuki-onna-no-Mikoto Shrine, Amaterasu's spying was forced to stop.

Regardless of what the increasingly frustrated Great Sun Goddess was thinking, Harunobu arrived at the shrine maiden's hut without any trouble. The shrine maiden was, as always, rushing to finish making Zanpakuto. With the disciples of the Azure Sky Pavilion spreading their teachings more smoothly, the production of Zanpakuto was gradually falling behind the demand.

The shrine maiden began to consider whether to pass on the recipe to some trustworthy deities, allowing them to participate in the process. However, she thought she should first tell Harunobu, since it was Harunobu who gave her the inspiration and helped her escape her gradual decline and near-death experience.

But... never mind.

The shrine maiden poured hot tea for Harunobu: "Why are you in such a hurry? Has something happened?"

Harunobu picked up his teacup and drank it all in one gulp: "Have you heard about the Ikko-ikki in Nara?"

“Of course.” The shrine maiden gestured with her smooth chin toward the newspaper on the table, then withdrew the teapot from her hand. “You’re planning to go and save these unfortunate farmers? But with Sachiko there, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”

“It is indeed similar to this, but…” Qingxin revealed a smug smile and began to talk about his glorious achievement of forcing the lonely, thousand-year-old virgin.

Finally, he picked up the teacup that had been refilled and laughed, "In this way, let alone whether Amaterasu can still launch a war, even if it does launch one and actually defeats the North Koreans, it will not be able to shake our victory."

The priestess smiled faintly, her fair and delicate face blooming like a snow lotus, but it was fleeting, vanishing in an instant: "Dealing with those monks and foreigners is easy; Izanami could handle it. But what about all those starving people? Do we have that much food?"

In terms of money alone, Harunobu and Ame-no-Mikoto certainly had enough. But Japan's total grain production was limited, and even if Harunobu could get military rations from Amaterasu, it wouldn't be enough to feed them, let alone buy them from the market.

As for imports, the same logic applies. Japan only has a handful of countries around it that can import food, and at that time, even they didn't have enough to eat. So even if Harunobu was wealthy, he couldn't solve the food problem simply by throwing money around.

However, Qingxin naturally had already come up with a plan, and immediately said, "Don't we have so many Harvest Gods under our command? Let them handle some of them. It's better to damage the soil's fertility than to let the farmers starve to death. Let Amaterasu also release some, and the Qingkong Group can buy some from North Korea and Russia."

The Simple Witch

Chapter 544

After doing the math, he was still not optimistic: "It's still not enough. If the information from Misuruhime is true, this gap is not small."

"Then let's rob the foreigners of their food too. They must have food to organize so many people, otherwise no one would follow them." Qingxin's first instinct was to seek food from the enemy, but then he felt it was inappropriate.

The foreigners may not actually have much food now, because their goal has never been to truly overthrow Amaterasu. Rather, they want the peasants to die at Amaterasu's hands. This is to create chaos within Japan, forcing Amaterasu to expend her energy and ultimately compromise with these external threats.

So all they needed to do was provide a little food initially to make the poor farmers believe they had more food in their hands. After all, according to their plan, once Amaterasu made her move, they wouldn't need to spend any more food.

—How can I put it? Commissioner Smith must have made a huge profit from this, or wouldn't that be incredibly stupid?

Therefore, it is best to prepare enough food yourself and not expect to get anything from Commissioner Smith.

But where else could he get food? Japan is such a small place, and even less land is suitable for farming. The harvest gods are not omnipotent; they only use magic to accelerate growth. Their magic is not unlimited, and such a wasteful and resource-intensive method cannot be used indefinitely.

Wait, land?

Qingxin's eyes lit up as he thought of the new territory he had recently acquired: "That's right, I have another place where I can get food!"

"Hmm?" The shrine maiden, who was about to make a suggestion to Harunobu, paused. "Where else?"

How could I not know?

The priestess swallowed those words, but Izanami's smiling expression made her feel a little guilty.

“Oh right, I don’t think I’ve told you yet, but that’s perfect timing…”

However, Qingxin didn't pay much attention. He simply opened the system panel and glanced at it to confirm that Shenyin Village had completed the upgrade. Then he explained to the shrine maiden, "I discovered a hidden world near Qingkongguan. It seems that the environment and resources inside can change according to the needs of the residents. I think humans must need food, right?"

"Seclusion?"

The priestess's gaze subtly swept over Artoria and Izanami, receiving a response from them that tinged with a bittersweet feeling. These two had clearly known about this for a long time—no, it should be said that everyone at the Blue Sky Pavilion had known for a long time; only she had found out now.

This makes perfect sense, as Qingxin has a telepathic connection with them all, and a little excitement would make everyone aware of it. She only talks about her recent situation when Qingxin comes to her, so there should naturally be a time lag… It's not that Qingxin is deliberately hiding it from her!

The shrine maiden deliberately avoided thinking about something as important as seclusion, wondering if Harunobu was intentionally withholding it from her. After all, Harunobu had already told her! So it was probably just that he hadn't had time to come before and that's why he hadn't told her!

Izanami raised an eyebrow at the priestess, and a barely perceptible wisp of black mist drifted to the fool's side, disappearing into her ear: "If you keep going so slowly, you might end up behind Amaterasu in line."

“How could Amaterasu possibly be like that—” The priestess instinctively refuted Izanami’s seduction, but before she could finish her stubborn rebuttal, Izanami couldn’t wait to retort: ​​“Of course Amaterasu wouldn’t think that way, but I will make her do it—once you take Amaterasu’s place and she loses her ability to die in her place, she will be at my mercy.”

"Harunobu won't let you do that!"

The priestess's counterattack appeared weak.

Izanami couldn't help but laugh: "Hehe, you don't think Harunobu is some kind of old-fashioned idiot, do you? If he wasn't interested in Amaterasu, I wouldn't bother to bother with this troublesome daughter of mine."

This wasn't exactly a lie. The problem was that while Harunobu somewhat admired Amaterasu's appearance, he had no interest in actually beating her to her knees and dragging her home as a star slave. After all, Amaterasu was a proud and arrogant person who would never admit defeat. Harunobu didn't want to be on edge and have to outwit her every time he had sex; he preferred the pleasant enjoyment of clearing his mind.

Therefore, he strongly condemned Izanami's private slander in his heart! Then he received Izanami's reply: "Hehe."

The shrine maiden didn't know how Harunobu intended to train Izanami. She only felt that what Izanami said made sense, and Harunobu seemed likely to actually do such a thing? No, it should be said that if Izanami really tied up Amaterasu and sent her to his bed, he would indeed do it... And given his possessiveness, any woman he touched would definitely not escape, and he would never let her out, even if she was locked up in the basement as a vase.

Izanami noticed the priestess's wavering and pressed her advantage: "Honestly, I really don't know what you're hesitating about. You can't possibly still be dreaming of living with Harunobu alone, can you? Even if Harunobu agrees, I still won't agree!"

"Moreover, you'd better use your restless mind to think carefully about what it means to use seclusion to produce food and help you gain reputation and faith."

Izanami began her classic act of turning black into white. Harunobu hadn't even confirmed whether the Hidden Village would be of any use, yet she acted as if he had already accomplished everything. Harunobu could only inwardly express his admiration, while simultaneously stopping Izanami from conjuring a tiny head from his crotch.

This isn't Amaterasu; I still need to maintain some semblance of decorum.

As for anything else, Harunobu can only say... I'm sorry, I'm a harem scumbag.

The author says:

Author's Note: Update progress: 46/30 - 0/30. Okay, okay, I'll give you a 10,000-word update right on time for the extra chapter! Consider it a month-end bonus. Four chapters today, 10,000 words, only 46 updates for the update progress! That'll just be reset to zero~ I'm currently working on my next slightly risqué chapter, so I need to come up with something new. It should be tomorrow's update. Hope everyone will give me some votes and rewards to encourage me Ψ(￣?￣)Ψ

Chapter 505: The Red Dragon Queen's Appetite

Even the most seductive whispers of Izanami don't work instantly. So, after consuming the tea and snacks prepared by the priestess, Harunobu returned to the Aozora-kan. This time, the priestess was present, in her true form, not as a ribbon clone descended by her Zanpakuto, Manjou no Tsurugi.

Harunobu paid 100 study points and summoned a rift leading directly to Gensokyo amidst the ordinary torii gates. The shrine maiden looked around in surprise. Before this rift appeared, she hadn't felt anything at all and hadn't discovered that there was a portal connecting the hidden world and the real world here.

No, it should be said that there really wasn't one before; the portal only appeared after Harunobu did something.

"Let's go in and take a look." Harunobu took the lead and entered the Gensokyo, which was already at level three. "It will be isolated from the real world here, so it might feel a little strange. Remember to tell me."

Harunobu can set the treatment of the residents of Gensokyo, including whether they are isolated from the real world, but Harunobu prefers isolation. Because that gives him a very relaxed feeling, as if a huge burden has been lifted, and his whole spirit is refreshed.

However, this might not be so pleasant for the gods, as it would sever their connection with their believers, leading to a decline in their power, which cannot be offset by mere mental pleasure.

The group filed in and entered the shrine, which Harunobu had named Gensokyo. Blue skies, white clouds, green hills and clear waters, and a gentle breeze rustled the wind chimes under the eaves of the shrine, cheerfully welcoming the host and guests.

"So beautiful—" The shrine maiden, who had lived in Tokyo shrines for a long time and had not seen such a beautiful sight for a long time, couldn't help but exclaim softly. She then straightened her face and forced herself to calm down.

Izanami looked at the priestess with amusement, but did not launch any further attacks; she knew the principle of moderation.

But the priestess still shyly avoided Izanagi's gaze and brought up the serious matter: "Harunobu, what do you plan to do?"

"That depends on whether my Lily is hungry enough." Qingxin looked at the Red Dragon Queen. He had only remembered this on the way there; a human's meal could...

Chapter 545

How much food could one possibly have? It couldn't compare to the Red Dragon Queen's. If it were an ordinary dragon, he'd have to worry about extreme terrain like volcanoes or swamps, but Artoria... more like a paradise of wine and meat.

The Red Dragon Queen wrinkled her delicate little nose and revealed her clean, white teeth to Qingxin, which gleamed with a sharp edge.

Qingxin stretched out two fingers and broke them open, saying like a seasoned livestock merchant, "Hmm, even teeth, a good fertile."

The Red Dragon Queen held Harunobu's finger in her mouth, spitting out sparks of fire, seemingly quite displeased. But in Harunobu's mind, the Red Dragon Queen's soft voice echoed: "In that case, Master will have to pamper the little dragon tonight~"

Well, in this battlefield alone, Harunobu's only rivals right now are Artoria and Izanami. However, compared to the increasingly weak Izanami, Artoria is at her peak; unless circumstances prevent it, she has never stepped down from Harunobu, as if she intends to vent all the desires accumulated over the years on him.

Harunobu withdrew his fingers from the dragon's kiss and smeared the slippery mucus on Artoria's face: "Let's get down to business first, we'll talk after we've eaten."

Artoria licked her lips unsatisfied, gave Harunobu a flirtatious wink, and then walked out of the shrine and returned to her original form.

The enormous red dragon blotted out the sun in an instant, and the shrine at its feet looked like a child's simple block house. But as Harunobu captured her and brought her into Gensokyo, a magnificent castle unfolded on the spot, greatly expanding the area of ​​Gensokyo.

Pure white as jade, with thick and towering city walls; a smooth and wide avenue that could accommodate four carriages side by side—this was Camelot, the perfect city that King Arthur longed for!

"Well, it seems we can't count on that..." Qingxin shrugged helplessly, and then saw the Red Dragon Queen sweep open the door of a building inside the castle with her tail, revealing an almost endless... uh, potatoes inside.

“Castles and food don’t have to go hand in hand, Harunobu.” Artoria transformed back into human form, and the sprawling castle remained unchanged, so much so that Harunobu couldn’t immediately spot his beloved wife in its vastness. However, he quickly followed the fragrant aroma of dragon breath roasted meat to find the Red Dragon Queen, who was already feasting. In this large restaurant, which could easily hold at least 1000 people, he discovered a variety of meat dishes, including but not limited to braised pork, Dongpo pork, stir-fried pork with green peppers, and sweet and sour pork.

—It filled the entire hall.

“Just how greedy are you…” Harunobu sighed, covering his head. “I’m starting to doubt whether I can afford to support you, Lily.”

Artoria puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction—or perhaps it was the mouthful of grilled meat in her mouth—and said, “This is strategic reserves! Even I couldn’t finish it all in one meal!”

"How long can it last?"

"Hmm, about ten days?"

"..."

Harunobu seriously began to consider how he would feed the dragons at home if Gensokyo didn't exist; he couldn't rely solely on white milk.

"You two, can't you wait until you get home to do your flirting? There are outsiders here." Izanami emerged from Harunobu's body, the black mist making Harunobu look like some kind of great demon king.

The shrine maiden, who was being subtly labeled as an outsider, visibly stiffened for a moment before saying, "No, there's no need to worry about me..."

Harunobu and Izanami exchanged a glance, seeing the same question in each other's eyes—something seemed off about the shrine maiden.

However, seeing that the priestess didn't intend to say anything, Harunobu and the others tacitly refrained from exposing her and returned to their business. Harunobu led Artoria on a tour of her castle. Beneath the magnificent exterior lay abundant provisions, and apart from the dragon's lair, which was clearly reserved for dragons, almost every room contained different kinds of food.

Potatoes were the most abundant food, a result of Artoria's disastrous experience during her long dragon life; followed by some British vegetables, such as lettuce; then came various meats, with seafood being the most plentiful. Harunobu even saw an octopus larger than himself—of course, it was dead.

Finally, there were the various Chinese dishes that appeared under Qingxin's influence. It can only be said that Artoria's memory of gourmet food hadn't overshadowed her memory of food. But that's normal, after all, she's British. The fact that she didn't look up at the stars here already impressed Qingxin.

The final inventory results were enough to excite Qingxin: "It seems that Lily alone is enough. We don't even need to transport everything. Just transporting the potatoes, vegetables, seafood, and some meat will make up for the shortfall."

Artoria proudly puffed out her chest and let out a burp.

Amidst the joyful merriment, the shrine maiden suddenly spoke cautiously: "Harunobu, how much of your power did this consume?"

Chapter 506: The Bird's Original Intention

Harunobu and the others were somewhat surprised by the shrine maiden's question. Well, it was the shrine maiden's tone that surprised them. Although the shrine maiden was always gentle and polite, she would never use such a cautious tone; it was as if she was deliberately concealing or pretending to be something, which was really strange.

While Harunobu and the others were still in shock, the shrine maiden also realized the problem, but it was too late to change her story. Moreover, she was in an abnormal state—a state that Harunobu and the others perceived as abnormal.

Upon entering Gensokyo, the shrine maiden was severed from the land and lost contact with the believers outside. Naturally, she also lost contact with the half of her soul that remained outside, carrying the faith. However, the shrine maiden was not alarmed and did not ask Harunobu to release her suppression—because the feeling of complete relaxation was truly wonderful, and she didn't need to worry about danger with Harunobu.

However, as time went on, the priestess gradually discovered a problem.

The faith accumulated over the long years was stripped away, and the half-soul that carried and perceived the prayers of countless believers no longer felt the heavy pressure... In this sense of comfort, the priestess suddenly felt a little melancholy.

"What was I thinking? Did I really think I was some kind of born deity?"

The shrine maiden—no, Miss Asuka—seriously questioned herself, completely baffled by her own actions. What on earth was she agonizing over with such a wonderful man right in front of her?

Well, she did know. The weight of her faith unconsciously made her maintain the image of a deity that conformed to the expectations of believers. It wasn't some direct contamination by supernatural power, but simply a result of listening to too many prayers and praises over the long years.

It's like a commoner becoming a bureaucrat; their state before and after success is always completely opposite, but they are still the same person, and their mind has not been altered by any force.

However, with Gensokyo's indiscriminate blocking of everything, the bird, having lost its divine status, once again spread its wings and looked towards the sun in the sky from its ancient nest, its fierce fighting spirit and curiosity rekindled.

Then I saw a red dragon that blotted out the sky and the dark, mysterious Mother of the Underworld.

Can you beat it?

The bird simply rediscovered its original nature; it didn't revert to being the same little bird it was at the beginning. Its intelligence wasn't diminished either, and it easily came up with the answer: it couldn't win.