What a Shrine Maiden Is Supposed to Do

This is actually quite normal. A great swordsman serving you as your servant for ten years during his peak years is an unbeatable condition. Of course, for Hokushin Mei, this is still negotiable, after all, it's a great favor. If she's not satisfied, Hokushin Mei thinks that although selling her life for twenty years is a bit painful, it's not unacceptable.

But after meeting Liu Bai...

Well, Hokushin Mei has to clarify that she was absolutely not lustful at first sight... well, it was a bit shameless, Hokushin Mei mainly didn't expect this family head to be so young.

She looked to be in her early twenties, probably only a tiny bit older than herself. Even though she knew the pink-haired girl was called "brother," she had imagined him as a deep-thinking, middle-aged man in his late thirties or late forties—it wasn't unusual for siblings in large families to have an age gap of ten years or more.

Furthermore, the two people in the room and the pink-haired girl next to him clearly looked like sisters.

So Hokushin Mei suddenly understood. Regardless of whether these people were biological siblings or romantic siblings, they were clearly not a couple.

Offering oneself in marriage is a classic way to repay a debt of gratitude. However, if she were to become a concubine to a gloomy middle-aged man, Hokushin Mei would rather die than do it. But if the other party is unmarried and has excellent looks and good character... well, when it comes to a life-saving debt, character is not a factor.

There's nothing shameful about offering yourself in this situation. Besides, for her, serving as a servant for ten or twenty years is not much different from offering herself in marriage. After all, she will definitely start to decline after ten or twenty years.

Moreover, if she were to ask herself honestly, Hokushin Mei felt that if she only considered herself a swordsman, she might not be able to lose money when facing these two women. But if she were to become a woman... Although it might sound a bit boastful and shameless, Hokushin Mei could confidently say that she was definitely not a loser when it came to women!

As for self-restriction and cutting off the path of challenges... just kidding. That long-eared guy, I'm afraid I'll never even see his back in this lifetime. That person is enough for me to chase. As for the others... sorry, Hokushin Mei can say that in this regard, the so-called others in the Far East have basically all been beaten down by her.

She did want to go to Shenzhou to continue honing her skills, but she... gets seasick. Well, it's funny, islanders get seasick, but it's true, and she gets very severe seasickness.

So now, becoming someone's wife is a win-win situation—it allows her to repay a debt of gratitude, find a new goal for herself, and the other person can also gain a beautiful... cough, wife. In Hokushin Mei's view, this is a win-win situation—except for the two people holding her shoulders.

Sure enough, her hair color was completely different; it was Qingmei.

But their reactions clearly showed they hadn't actually taken the person down... This patriarch is a true gentleman.

As a wandering ronin with no one to rely on and having to make a living on her own, Hokushin Mei has taken on quite a few requests and met quite a few people.

Do you really think she's never been hired to catch a mistress before? But these kinds of things are really hard to explain, and she used to be too lazy to use her brain—if I can just brute force it, why should I use my brain?

Sakura and Yae Sakura's faces had turned completely black.

You bastard, you actually repeated it when I told you to!

However... well, no one dared to make a move in front of Liu Bai.

That's why Hokushin Mei was certain that the patriarch in front of her was a high-quality unmarried young man! A normal wife would start making sarcastic remarks even if she didn't take action in this situation, unlike these two who could only threaten each other openly and subtly.

"... Um, I think we can put this matter aside for now."

Liu Bai really didn't expect that Hokushin Mei's first words upon entering would be this.

"Sakura, Sakura, you two let him go."

Although Liu Bai didn't understand Hokushin Mei's thought process for a while, with Hokushin Mei's aggressive playstyle, she could directly kill Sakura and Yae Sakura.

Although the two men are currently furious, they will not resort to underhanded tactics.

Yeah, an honest girl.

Or rather, the really good fighters don't usually resort to violence; putting someone in a sack is mostly a joke. It's the noobs who are always yelling about beating people up.

During Rita's trial, only three people in the militant faction really wanted to take action: Cheng Lingshuang, who didn't care about anything; Li Sushang, a young woman who was easily swayed; and Shibao. The others were just watching the show and condemning her. The researchers were actually the ones who made the loudest noise.

Even in the later mutual sabotage, did you really think that Mei could knock Rita down and punch Rita twice? At most, she could tie Rita up like a work of art and hang her up.

In a sense, for those of them who are truly capable and skilled, the one who strikes first loses face—of course, being tricked and trapped in a sack by the PhDs is even more humiliating.

However, reality may be different, these people are not going to back down verbally.

Hearing Liu Bai's words, the two reluctantly let go of each other's hands, feeling very unhappy, but there was really nothing they could do.

"However, the matter of offering myself in marriage... let's think about it carefully."

"I understand, it's based on feelings, right?" Hokushin Mei wasn't surprised. After all, this guy seemed like a gentleman, and he had sisters around him, so it was normal for her not to understand him at first. "Well... um..."

Wait a minute, Hokushin Mei suddenly realized with an embarrassed expression that she didn't know this person's name.

Ah... doesn't this make me look like someone who's lustful at first sight?

I'm just repaying a debt of gratitude! If someone's good-looking, they'll repay you with their body; if they're ugly, they'll be your slave in the next life—isn't that the normal practice? I still have morals, you know. Even if I were ugly, I could be your slave for ten or twenty years right now!

This is how you repay a debt of gratitude!

"My name is Liu Bai. These two, the one with ears is called Sakura, and the one without ears is called Yae Sakura. You can also call her Sakura, but don't get them mixed up. The one who brought you here is Sakura's younger sister, Yae Rin." Liu Bai also noticed Hokushin Mei's embarrassment.

If this person intends to stay, Liu Bai is naturally happy to welcome them. Anyway, once he gets the required stats, everyone can find a place to lie down and clear the game directly.

But it's really a pain in the ass. From the time the original Stasis Pod was barely repaired until now, it's been about two or three years. That's 31,536,000 seconds a year, and over three or four years, that's over 100 million seconds. Even if it's not running non-stop every day, it's still about 20 to 30 million times. Anyway, possessing someone is just a matter of going in and out.

Even so, Liu Bai truly understands how low the probability is of adding attributes to high-tech equipment. He might even sacrifice Elysia, the most powerful being from the Previous Era who had the ability to modify the underlying logic of the Honkai, and still not get anything...

Given this situation, if there are no shipments for another two or three years, Liu Bai will have to settle down.

Anyway, the probability of Herrscher retaining humanity is definitely higher than one in tens of millions... and it's a bottomless pit, and there's still no output yet, so "one in tens of millions" can be omitted.

Although it's not the best way to put it, it seems that the probability of this happening on a "miracle" level might actually be higher than the birth of Elysia...

"Yes... I am Hokushin Mei. Please guide me, my husband." Taking a deep breath, Hokushin Mei changed from kneeling on one knee to sitting on her knees and bowed to Liu Bai with her head touching the ground.

Ah...

Mei is no longer a nobody, so why would I have such a dream?

Sakura's lips twitched slightly.

And you're clearly just lustful! You didn't even know her name before this! Who repays a debt of gratitude like this?!

Chapter 537 What a Shrine Maiden Should Do

"Lady Sakura, are we still having a match tonight?"

Hokushin Mei asked Sakura excitedly.

"... No, no, I'll rest today."

Sakura sighed.

Hokushin Mei has been here for a week now, and well... Sakura is speechless; she can't handle Hokushin Mei.

This guy is a real brute; he can't read the room but is incredibly resilient.

Sakura didn't say anything at first, Hokushin Mei took the initiative to ask for a spar. Sakura naturally agreed to this request, since it's two different things to take the initiative to beat someone up and to beg for a beating.

But Sakura soon regretted it— Hokushin Mei was the kind of person who got stronger the more she fought.

Being knocked to the ground doesn't bother them at all; instead, they'll sincerely say that they've learned something new.

Sakura had always considered herself a relatively pure martial artist, but now she had truly met someone even purer than herself, pure like a masochist, and who also respected her greatly, addressing her as "Sakura-sama" at every turn.

Sakura truly has strength but nowhere to use it.

Normally, Hokushin Mei is even more exasperating, always hovering around Liu Bai, calling him "husband" repeatedly, as if she really thinks she's married.

Sakura really didn't know if this person was persistent or just shameless.

"Ah... what a pity." Hokushin Mei sighed with disappointment upon hearing this.

"I think your injury healed way too fast. Is it really healed?"

"Okay, uh... I've always healed very quickly, it's probably a talent?" Hokushin Mei smoothed her hair. "But if there aren't any matches tonight..."

Hokushin Mei looked at Liu Bai beside her with a somewhat embarrassed expression.

Does this mean I have to fulfill some of my responsibilities as a wife?

Ah... how embarrassing.

"Um... my lord, tonight I..."

"Wait, I remember now, I have time. Come on, let's continue practicing."

Upon hearing the words "this concubine" and "tonight," Sakura shuddered and decisively used her teleportation ability to grab two wooden swords in a split second, shoving one of them into Hokushin Mei's hand.

You bastard, you don't want to fast forward to the scene of them getting into bed, do you?

"Do you... do you have time?" Hokushin Mei didn't know whether to breathe a sigh of relief or feel disappointed.

Go to bed? Of course we go to bed, but to put it more elegantly, we call it "serving the emperor in bed."

Although she firmly denied that she was lustful at first sight, she was somewhat aware that she had been a bit rash at the time.

She... she wasn't ready to dedicate herself, let alone bear children for Liu Bai.

Okay, to be more realistic, with ten months of pregnancy and no surgery, Hokushin Mei felt that she might become depressed if she continued like this.

Moreover, there's the postpartum period and breastfeeding afterwards. If it's a girl, then you have to keep having more, since you have to give someone the eldest son.

This was still a bit too exciting for her; it was completely outside her life plan.

However, Hokushin Mei isn't the kind of person who's fickle. Besides, running away is out of the question; Hokushin Mei herself has experienced the loss of both her parents, and she simply can't be an irresponsible mother.

Besides, she was just not mentally prepared, not that she really regretted her relationship with Liu Bai. On the contrary, she felt that even though she had been so devoted to him, Liu Bai hadn't asked for anything all week, so he was a really good person.

So when Sakura suddenly interrupted her, Hokushin Mei breathed a sigh of relief but was also somewhat disappointed.

However, the reason why Hokushin Mei was so conflicted about still bringing up the matter of serving the emperor was only one thing—besides verbally repaying the debt of gratitude, she hadn't done anything else and had just eaten and drunk for free for a week.

Although no one said anything, Hokushin Mei felt incredibly ashamed, as if she were one of those hypocritical women who only knew how to talk the talk.

Okay, she admits that she might have had a little bit of lust at first sight, but the real reason was to repay a debt of gratitude! As a result, a week has passed, and the progress of repaying the debt of gratitude is 0.

She really can't get over this herself.

"I have time. I have as much time as you need."

Sakura's face was cold. Was she exhausted? No, no, no, I'm full of fighting spirit right now!

It's true that I'm a mistress, but cutting in line like this is just too immoral!

"... I'll leave Beichen aside, but has Ying forgotten that I'm a mud man now?" Liu Bai didn't bother to hide his voice, taking a cup of tea from Rin and speaking openly.

You guys, use your brains when you're trying to steal people! The way you're doing this, even I, the looter, can't stand it anymore.

"Mud, mud man?" Hokushin Mei seemed to be shocked.

"Ah, Sister Beichen doesn't know yet, does she? The real god in our shrine is Brother~ Sister Ying is a fake god."

Rin really doesn't hold back when speaking in front of her family.

"My brother's body is made of mud."

After hearing Rin's words, Hokushin Mei's expression lit up. "Does my husband have anything to do tonight? If not, I can warm your bed for you."

"Hey, didn't you understand? The one in charge is the god!"

Sakura realized that her previous reaction was problematic, but after hearing Hokushin Mei's unrepentant words, she was too lazy to reflect on her actions and started to mock her directly.

"It's okay, I can be a shrine maiden too." Hokushin Mei was very calm now. She felt that she could get some progress in repaying her debt of gratitude for free.

Shrine maidens, in some places aren't they nominally the wives of gods? Isn't that perfect?

Snap!

Yae Sakura, who was returning from grocery shopping, overheard Hokushin Mei saying, "I can be a shrine maiden too." Her basket fell to the ground, and the sound of eggs cracking echoed from inside.

"Miss Beichen, do you seem to look down on the profession of shrine maiden?"

First you shamelessly tried to get close to the Lord God, and now you're trying to take my place. You're really pushing your luck!

Yae Sakura her best to appear kind—although to outsiders, her smile looked stiff.

"Hmm... I don't really know much about the profession of shrine maiden. I only know that in some places, shrine maidens are equated with the wives of gods." Hokushin Mei nodded honestly.

Yae Sakura, who had been forcing a smile, suddenly blushed. "Eh? Well, it's not that bad..."

To retract my previous statement, this person does have some redeeming qualities.

Yae Sakura is very practical. She's not like Otto or Aponia, who are both believers and lustful. Instead, she's a very honest lustful person. Calling her Lord God is just a matter of context.

So when Hokushin Mei said that, Yae Sakura began to waver.

To be honest, Yae Sakura doesn't have a strong sense of ownership, after all, she knows that she is coveting someone else's man.

However, it seems that our own teacher is not very reliable at the moment.

On the contrary, Bei Chen seems reliable and honest. His only flaw is that he arrived a little late, but that's not a big deal.

Moreover, doesn't Bei Chen's words essentially mean he's admitting that he's her senior?

At that moment Yae Sakura felt as if she had a phantom knife in her hand, and a demon's whisper seemed to urge her to plunge that knife viciously into her teacher's heart.

Hmm... it seems like it's not that you can't poke it.

Respect is one thing, but that doesn't stop Yae Sakura from being very unhappy to see Sakura, who looks exactly like her, monopolizing Liu Bai's attention.