[You quietly approach the group of young won. You see their faces are sallow, their clothes tattered. Though they had clearly tried to dress themselves up and were more attractive than ordinary won, it was obvious at a glance that their families were impoverished.]
[The sound of their hushed conversation gradually drifts over…]
[The won are discussing the recruitnt conditions posted on the notice. The two most basic requirents were as you already knew: first, one must be of noble birth; second, one must be unmarried.]
[In addition, there were supplentary requirents such as having a coly appearance and being literate.]
[It was evident that none of these won t both of the main requirents. However, from the way they talked, it seed there was still so leeway…]
[The incense offerings at Ishiyama Shrine had been sparse for a long ti, and its previous recruitnt conditions had been rather strict. It had been ages since they recruited a suitable shrine maiden.]
[This ti, they might relax the requirents. After all, Fukoka Castle was remote and backward, where the customs of ‘Yoruza’ were prevalent, and many commoner won did not et those two criteria.]
[Their discussion gradually strayed off-topic, drifting into gossip about things like a naless onmyoji who claid he could restore a prospective shrine maiden’s purity. A woman believed him, only to be swindled of her wealth and her body…]
[You eavesdrop for a long while without hearing anything useful. Then you pass through the torii gate and continue along the mountain path…]
[The mont you step beyond the torii, you feel an imnse power sweep across your Shell.]
[Your heart tightens. You realize this is a sign you have entered a divine domain.]
[The divine domain’s power has functions of defense, surveillance, and unveiling concealnt, preventing evil spirits or petty thieves from trespassing. If the Shell you were possessing now were the Knowledge-Seeking Primordial Hermit, you would likely have been discovered already.]
Lin Xun frowned.
Even this wilderness shrine possessed such ans. Clearly, the influence of the new god it served could not be underestimated.
“Let’s see how deep the water runs in this shrine.”
[You move swiftly, soon climbing the stone steps to the mountain summit.]
[Here, the divine domain’s power still lingers, making you wary of letting down your guard.]
[Ishiyama Shrine was a small shrine in the wilderness, unqualified to enshrine the statue of the Ancient Heavenly Enma. The god statues within belonged to a lesser new god called Amateru Sakiina, a deity governing harvests.]
[Two of the lowest-ranking shrine attendants stood by the entrance, greeting and seeing off visitors.]
[You discover a Fire-Worshipping Ishiyama Shrine Attendant!]
[The attendant takes one look at you and imdiately perceives that you are no ordinary person. He steps forward with a respectful expression and asks whether you have co to offer incense.]
[Your hand rests lightly on the sword at your waist, your back straight as a spear, and you slowly nod.]
[The attendant gestures for you to wait a mont, then hurries into the shrine…]
[Soon after, a man in splendid ceremonial robes cos striding out. The mont he sees you, a reverent smile spreads across his face.]
[He introduces himself as the shrine’s Gon-negi, responsible for day-to-day affairs, honored to guide the Master Instructor of the Heartless Flow Dojo.]
[From the Fire-Worshipping Ishiyama Shrine Gon-negi emanates a subtle ripple of divine power. Though not as vast as the force you felt when crossing the torii, it is still formidable.]
[As a Master Instructor, you are well-inford and know that within the shrine, such personnel can borrow divine domain power to greatly enhance themselves.]
[Outside the shrine’s torii, you are confident you could cut this man down in a single stroke, but inside, the outco would be far less certain.]
[After all, the Gon-negi was not even the highest-ranking figure in the shrine.]
[You follow the Gon-negi into the shrine…]
[Inside, the worship halls were far fewer than in the great shrines. Before you, this wilderness shrine had only three halls dedicated to the gods.]
[The first two halls had interlocking dougong brackets and high-peaked eaves. Though the buildings were not large, they conveyed a solemn and dignified atmosphere.]
[The third hall, deeper within the shrine, appeared shabby in comparison. Its structure was a size smaller and looked plain and unadorned, as if its incense offerings had long declined…]
[According to the Gon-negi’s introduction, the first two halls each enshrined one of Amateru Sakiina’s worldly incarnations.]
[You follow the Gon-negi into the first worship hall…]
[Upon entering, the divine domain’s oppressive power vanishes, replaced by a hint of comfort.]
[There are only a handful of mountain pilgrims inside, along with an attendant distributing incense offerings.]
[On the altar stands a statue of a young girl. Her face is indistinct beneath a straw hat, and she grips a hoe, frozen mid-till.]
[The Gon-negi explains that this is one of Amateru Sakiina’s incarnations. The youthful goddess symbolizes the return of spring and the rebirth of all things. People often co here to worship at the start of the planting season.]
[You watch as several pilgrims carefully take out coin and Spirit Essence, placing them into the offertory box before receiving incense from the attendant to make their offerings.]
[The Gon-negi, knowing your distinguished status, felt it would be beneath you to worship alongside common pilgrims and instead leads you on to view the next worship hall.]
[As before, stepping inside makes the surrounding divine domain energy dissipate.]
[This hall holds a few more worshippers than the previous.]
[The statue on the altar here is different: a mature woman of ample form, her hair wrapped in a sweat cloth, bending low to swing a small sickle in the act of harvest.]
[This incarnation of the goddess represents bountiful yields and harvests. In autumn, many co here to pray for prosperity.]
[After showing you both halls, the Gon-negi prepares to guide you to a guesthouse to rest. Once the other pilgrims have finished their offerings, the attendants would clean the hall so you could worship in private…]
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