Yae High Priest

Sitting in front of Su Qing'an was Yae Sakura's Father, the current head priest of the Yae Shrine.

This was a kind-looking man, and unlike the Yae Sakura sisters' unique cherry blossom-colored hair, his hair was just ordinary black.

He was no longer young; his appearance, around forty years old, still hinted at his former handsome features.

But in terms of appearance, the two sisters are probably closer to their deceased mother.

When this man returned, Yae Sakura said something to him, and then things turned out the way they are now.

It is necessary to have a dialogue with the person in charge here, even if one harbors a dislike for him, temporary pretense is unavoidable.

Su Qing'an remained silent. In fact, it would have been more appropriate for Theresa to handle this situation, but given her young appearance, it would have been difficult for her to have an equal exchange with the other party.

Moreover, Theresa's presence should be kept as low as possible.

Su Qing'an had not forgotten the village's customs, so it was not surprising that Theresa could be captured and used as a sacrifice at any time.

Such things could very well happen if someone is an outsider and is then falsely accused.

In the deathly silent atmosphere, Yae High Priest took the initiative to start a conversation.

He said:

"Su-kun, what do you think of Sakura?"

This was an unexpected question, and the tone of it sounded like something a matchmaker would use to start a conversation.

Su Qing'an naturally didn't expect the other party's first words to be like this, so he chose to express his own opinion:

"Miss Yae's martial arts skills are very high; she will become an excellent Miko in the future."

This is an official, and quite straightforward, evaluation.

There's nothing particularly noteworthy about it, but there are no flaws either.

The man laughed:

"Su-kun is joking. Sakura is far from being a qualified Miko. Her swordsmanship is still somewhat rudimentary and she is far from being able to stand on her own."

"If it weren't for the Spirit Blade, I wouldn't have felt comfortable letting her go into the mountains to gather herbs."

In that instant, Su Qing'an sensed something was amiss.

Yae Sakura's swordsmanship is quite good, at least no worse than mine, and perhaps even better.

This was a judgment made by Su Qing'an, who was also a martial artist.

The other person's breathing and footsteps, as well as my own intuition, all proved that if the Miko were to draw her sword, even I would be in great danger.

However, according to the actual historical timeline, Yae Sakura shouldn't have reached this level at her age. Perhaps, as Yae High Priest said, she wasn't yet capable of standing on her own.

Based on logical reasoning, Su Qing'an deduced that the swordsmanship passed down in ordinary shrines in mountain villages might not be that advanced. The reason why Yae Sakura's current level is at least on par with his own is because she has never stopped practicing swordsmanship over the past five hundred years.

Five hundred years.

Even if it's just working in isolation, without anyone to guide you.

Reaching this level is not entirely incomprehensible.

But if Yae Sakura's memories of martial arts weren't erased, then why were her memories of Theresa erased?

This might just be proof that Hiyori didn't completely overwhelm his opponent.

Su Qing'an could accept the logic of this reason, but his intuition told him that it felt out of place.

So he didn't give up thinking, and he easily came to the completely opposite conclusion.

Is it possible that she's pretending not to know the headmistress?

Yae Sakura may not have lost her memory; she simply doesn't want to get involved with Theresa.

If this is true, what would be the reason?

In the end, only one answer remained in Su Qing'an's mind.

Kallen Kaslana.

But all of this remains unresolved. As long as Yae Sakura doesn't want to know, Su Qing'an will still find it difficult to confirm which one is the true answer.

Or perhaps he's just overthinking things.

The words of Yae High Priest interrupted his thoughts.

"Su-kun is a well-traveled and knowledgeable person. What are your thoughts on Sakura's appearance?"

Upon hearing this, the boy frowned slightly. He understood the other person's subtext, but it shouldn't be like this. It's normal to treat outsiders who come to the village in a xenophobic way.

It's even highly likely that the other party will explicitly tell you and Theresa to leave as soon as possible.

Based on the events that Yae High Priest has accomplished in the course of history, Su Qing'an is prejudiced and believes that there will be many open and covert attacks.

But their current attitude is practically like they're looking for a son-in-law.

Let's continue with this topic. Perhaps this situation is actually more conducive to them staying in the Yae family. Otherwise, given the current circumstances, they don't have a sufficient reason to linger here.

So Su Qing'an said seriously:

"Miss Yae is a rare beauty. Her hair color left a deep impression on me, and her manners and upbringing are also excellent. The stern look on her face as she held the sword made me sigh at the beauty of her posture."

Su Qing'an does hate lying, but it's actually different from what Fu Hua thought. His habitually cold expression makes his lies less convincing.

Fu Hua thought it looked good to wear it only because she was the one being lied to.

Facing the Yae High Priest, Su Qing'an naturally possessed the ability to speak to people in a way that suited them.

The man laughed loudly upon hearing this, then a shadow crossed his face, and he said:

"Hahahaha, my wife was a beauty when she was alive, and Sakura's looks are just like hers."

The expression of the Yae High Priest turned solemn, and he continued:

"I heard that Su-kun intimidated the Demonic Beast with his words in the mountains and then killed it with a single punch, which allowed Ying to retrieve some of the villagers' remains. I don't know how I can repay this kindness."

Su Qing'an suddenly understood; he realized the fundamental reason for being treated this way.

It's not the Yae High Priest speaks of.

It is power.

Indeed, even with the physical attributes of an ordinary person, Su Qing'an possesses the fighting strength to defeat a hundred men.

Against normal humans, it's difficult to kill him unless you accumulate a certain number of them.

The ability of [momentum] alone is already a magical ability, like stopping time, for ordinary people.

If the obstacle he faces next is simply villagers, then describing it as an unstoppable rampage wouldn't be an exaggeration.

At the same time, he also understood the source of the subtle feelings he had when he left. Yae Sakura was watching them nearby at the time, but deliberately concealed her presence because she did not want to come into contact with the two of them.

Su Qing'an gave an official response:

"It's alright. I've been wandering for many years and have a habit of hunting Demonic Beast. This was just a coincidence."

The Yae High Priest said:

"I have the utmost respect for Su-kun's martial arts skills, which are as if they were divine or supernatural. However, as a fellow martial artist, I cannot help but have the idea of asking him for guidance. I wonder if Su-kun would mind?"

Is this a test to see if Yae Sakura's chart is just a fabrication?

That's certainly cautious, but it's a common human trait; it's hard to have a sense of awe without witnessing things firsthand.

But that's fine too; it should keep him quiet for a while.

Su Qing'an smiled and said:

"Good."

So the boy extended a finger toward the Yae High Priest Lord.

It was a normal, even slow, pace, but the man's body seemed frozen; the oppressive feeling in that instant was like the gaze of a dragon.

Finally, her fingertip touched the man's forehead.

The concentrated force burst forth from his head, leaving a fingertip-sized mark on the wooden wall behind him.

Internal Force Projection.

"This should be enough, Mr. Yae. Please bear with me these next few days."

After saying those words, the boy turned and left.

Only the pale-faced man remained, still immersed in the lingering sensation of that finger.

In that instant, he was completely unable to move. His body and martial arts skills, which he had not neglected for many years, were utterly useless in front of this young man.

As the sacrificial ceremony approached, the Yae High Priest's gaze immediately fell upon the white-haired girl. However, the girl was very close to Su Qing'an, and her sorcery-like oppressive aura made it difficult for the man to harbor any evil thoughts.

It seems Sakura wasn't lying, he thought.

Since they're not easy targets, let's make this a real show.

Son-in-law? If the village has such fighting power, the Miko's only responsibility will be to reproduce.

"Ha..." The Yae High Priest sighed deeply, his inner shirt already soaked with cold sweat. Su Qing'an's figure had already disappeared. The other party had obviously left him a way out, so as not to completely expose his loss of composure.

Although everyone knows the truth, sometimes having a fig leaf can prevent a lot of trouble.

"Su Qing'an, a traveler from a faraway place? You seem to be a young man with a strong sense of justice. I hope you won't get involved in anything related to the rituals."

The man revealed a sinister, demonic smile, his eyes swirling with a crimson mist.

"Otherwise, no matter how strong you are, you cannot withstand the wrath of the gods."

Yes.

The gods are not to be defied.

Therefore, offering up his own daughter was the only option he had.