"Everyone, there's only one lucky card left. It's first come, first served, so seize this opportunity. It won't be available after this!"
The Yae Publishing House staff member breathed a quiet sigh of relief as Feng Yi's retreating back disappeared from view. If Feng Yi had drawn the last card, they would have lost hundreds of thousands of Mora.
Fortunately, the customer had left. The Yae Publishing House employee seized the moment to stir up a sense of urgency, amplifying the crisis to stimulate last-minute purchases.
The subsequent events were no longer Feng Yi's concern; he had already arrived at the Grand Narukami Shrine.
"Mr. Feng Yi, the Guuji Yae is resting in the side hall..."
The on-duty shrine maiden, Nanami Kanno, stepped forward with a smile.
Before the other party could speak, Feng Yi had already responded.
"Thank you."
Feng Yi gave her an approving look, thinking this shrine maiden was becoming increasingly sensible.
"Miko, I'm coming in~"
Feng Yi knocked on the door of the side hall and said softly.
"Come in."
Receiving the reply, Feng Yi pushed the door open and entered.
In the soft daylight, Yae Miko was facing away from the door, lying on the floor, engrossed in flipping through a newly published novel from Yae Publishing House. To her right sat her favorite oily tofu and milk tea, as she quietly savored the leisure and tranquility of life.
A white blouse and red skirt, the scent of her hair.
Yae Miko was still wearing her familiar shrine maiden attire, pure and elegant, yet unable to conceal her shapely, proud figure.
"What a rare visitor. I thought you'd forgotten about me now that you have that little one from Watatsumi Island."
After Feng Yi entered, Yae Miko sat up cross-legged and looked at him with a smile, though her words were full of complaint.
"How could I? Didn't I come to see you as soon as I returned?"
Feng Yi wiped the sweat from his brow, the situation exceeding his expectations.
"Pfft... Don't overthink it. I'm just asking casually. These shrine maidens these days are all cuter than the last. I wonder what it would be like if this child danced the divine ritual of Kitsune Saiguu? Perhaps the fish would even swirl around her. If only she'd call me Sister Miko... Heh heh... I might be willing to share some of my experience."
Yae Miko tossed the novel aside and crawled towards Feng Yi with hands and feet.
Although Yae Miko claimed not to care, Feng Yi knew she was quite sensitive about it.
Feng Yi took Yae Miko's small hand, pulled her into his embrace, and hugged her tightly.
He used actions to replace words, letting Yae Miko feel his affection.
"Miko, I... I want..."
"Want what? To pull a radish?"
Feng Yi smiled slightly. He had already read her desire from her eyes.
"Hmm? Okay!"
Yae Miko was momentarily stunned by the novel word, but then immediately reacted. With a gentle wave of her hand, she closed the doors and windows of the room. Pulling a radish is a delicate physical task that cannot be rushed. Pull a radish, yo! Pull a radish! A warm and enthusiastic display of chivalry is far better than baseless self-comfort...
After a profound exchange, their desires flowed like a gentle stream, nourishing silently.
"Miko, the lottery event at Yae Publishing House, you planned that, didn't you?"
After the important matters were concluded, Feng Yi lay on the floor, feeling weak, and asked Yae Miko, who was breathing softly in his arms.
"Mmm, the shrine needs money lately, so I thought of holding a promotional event."
Yae Miko stretched lazily in Feng Yi's arms. She had been truly tired just now. Yae Publishing House needed to expand further, planning to recruit more authors and editors, which required money. The shrine also needed funds for repairs and maintenance. With the war in Inazuma over, future religious ceremonies would also be a major expense. How could the Grand Narukami Shrine possibly have so much money at once? As for requesting funds from the Shogunate? Yae Miko considered it for a moment and decided against it. The Shogunate was currently adjusting its policies to vigorously develop the people's livelihood, requiring more financial support. Forget about aiding the Grand Narukami Shrine; the Shogunate itself was like a bodhisattva crossing the river. After much thought, Yae Miko came up with this idea. Actually, if it weren't for the fact that the 'Fire Suppression Festival' was still a long way off, why would she bother? Thinking of the 'Fire Suppression Festival,' Yae Miko couldn't help but curve her lips upwards. In previous years, Kujo Takayori of the Tenryou Commission would always come to nag during the 'Fire Suppression Festival.' This year's 'Fire Suppression Festival' would finally be peaceful. The 'Fire Suppression Festival' was a ritual ceremony previously initiated by the Tenryou Commission and managed by the Grand Narukami Shrine, aiming to pray for blessings and protection against fires in the coming year. In the beginning, due to the prevalence of wooden buildings in Inazuma, a slight carelessness with fire could easily lead to disaster. The Tenryou Commission, on behalf of the Shogun, established the fire brigades for rescue, and invited the Grand Narukami Shrine to perform the 'Fire Suppression Festival' to appease the frightened populace. For the next hundred years, fire safety became ingrained in people's minds, and major fires no longer occurred frequently, but the annual 'Fire Suppression Festival' remained. During the event, shrine maidens would dance gracefully, and the people would generously contribute... The collected donations would then be split between the Tenryou Commission and the shrine in a 40-60 ratio. When Yae Miko conceived the idea of establishing 'Yae Publishing House,' she was short on funds. After reviewing all the existing shrine rituals, she set her sights on the ancient tradition of the 'Fire Suppression Festival.' "Clearly, only the Grand Narukami Shrine is working tirelessly, so why should the Tenryou Commission also take a cut? Besides, all the money raised went into Old Man Kujo's pockets, and the fire brigades never even received a year-end bonus." Thus, after some maneuvering, the 'Fire Suppression Festival' of that year was reformed. The form of entertainment and prayer for the gods was no longer a shrine maiden's dance, but a grand light novel writing contest. The specialized agency responsible for operating the competition and publishing works, 'Yae Publishing House,' was also naturally established with the funds from the 'Fire Suppression Festival.' The publication revenue, of course, went entirely into the shrine's coffers. "Now that fires are no longer frequent, yet the fundraising increases year after year, this measure is to prevent the waste of labor and resources, harming the people's livelihood. Furthermore, tracing back to the origin, poetry and calligraphy are inherently forms of entertainment for the gods – do you really think you understand rituals better than I do?" Yae Miko stated solemnly when faced with Kujo Takayori, who had suddenly appeared. Helpless, Kujo Takayori could only lead his subordinates down Mount Yougou with grim expressions. What they didn't know was that the moment they stepped out of the shrine, the Guuji behind them, who had a solemn expression, had already taken out a half-annotated manuscript of a novel from beneath the offering box. Kujo Takayori had been killed by the Raiden Shogun's sword not long ago, so this year's 'Fire Suppression Festival' would finally be free of her annoyance. Thinking of this, Yae Miko's mood brightened considerably. She flipped over and decided to pull another radish. This time, it was her turn to play the role of the farmer...