Tokyo Gods Only Want Beautiful Priestesses

"So let's stop with all that other stuff. Can't we do it? You can have anyone you want. I just want to switch people with you."

Fujiwara Chiyo truly held a special meaning for Kaguya; no matter what, she would find a way to get her, even if...

Kaguya had already prepared herself to secretly kidnap Chiyo if nothing else worked.

"Anyone is fine? Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Jingu laughed loudly, slammed his hand on the table, and pointed at Kaguya.

"Then it's naturally you, Princess Kaguya. If it's you, I'm willing to switch places."

Nonsense, you're mine, what's yours is mine, and by all accounts, it's all mine.

From the very beginning, Jingu had the intention of having it all; how could he possibly make an exchange? He wanted it all, leaving none behind. He wanted to see all the people Kaguya had mentioned earlier and challenge his weaknesses.

However, it seems that all of these people have been married in history... Who cares, married women can also have a taste!

This leads to another question: Does someone like Chiyo, who doesn't die, get repaired every time? Wouldn't that mean she'd feel pain every time?

What if we don't pull it out? Will it still be repaired?

Jingu felt his thoughts enter a strange realm, a chaotic one, which he couldn't delve into, or he would become strange.

As the shrine maiden's thoughts drifted, Princess Kaguya's expression changed rapidly, eventually settling into a somewhat reserved and polite smile.

"Is Lord Jingu's proposal considered a marriage proposal? Although Lord Jingu is exceptionally handsome and talented,..."

I am not such a vulgar person; what I value more is the sincerity of a person's heart.

Lies—Princess Kaguya once used this excuse to trick suitors into searching for rare treasures that were practically impossible to find.

As for sincerity, although Kaguya did look forward to that kind of thing, it was just an added bonus. Sincerity can make someone love you more, but it won't make someone who doesn't love you in the first place love you.

"Then how will you prove your sincerity? Will you, like in the legends, give me a difficult problem?"

"I am," said the priest calmly.

"But aren't your challenges just pure contrition? You just want to see those people being played like fools."

Princess Kaguya's five difficult questions were pure traps, using five things that were highly unlikely to exist, or even if they existed, they would be impossible for them to obtain, to fool her.

"How can you say that? How can you prove you have a sincere heart if you don't go through hardships?"

Kaguya smiled, but in her heart she was thinking about how to deal with the shrine.

In fact, she didn't care if the five challenges from before continued. From the beginning, Kaguya was invincible because the five treasures were in her own hands from the start.

Moreover, of the five treasures, only the Fire Rat Robe actually existed; the others are all rumors, or even names that Kaguya herself made up. Only Kaguya herself knows what the real treasures actually look like.

Kaguya pondered for a long time. Rather than creating a new one, it was better to be conservative and avoid causing any trouble for the shrine. And of the five treasures, the rarest one...

"Since Lord Shrine has said so, then I will not make things difficult for you. As long as Lord Shrine can pluck the jade branch of Penglai, that will prove your sincerity, how about that?"

Where is Penglai? It's just the wild talk of living people.

During the Heian period, there were still rumors about Hourai, but nowadays, it has long since disappeared. Moreover, the wonders of the Hourai Jade Branch are the most difficult to replicate. If the shrine manages to make a mere imitation, Kaguya can pull out the real thing and slap them in the face.

With a calm and composed mind, Kaguya said slowly:

"If Lord Jingu brings it, I will certainly not delay any longer, but perhaps it would be better to bring Chiyo first..."

Kaguya stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening suddenly, her cherry lips parting slightly as she stared incredulously at the object in Jingu's hand.

Its branches are like jade, its leaves like gold and silver, and it bears seven treasures, making it incomparably beautiful. It is exactly the jade branch of Penglai that Kaguya mentioned.

Oh no! They came prepared. Kaguya's heart sank. How could the Shrine have prepared this in advance? Had her existence been exposed? Did they know from the beginning that they would come looking for her?

Is this a conspiracy?

"Princess, don't think too much about it. It was just something I got by chance before. I thought it was useless except as an ornament, but I didn't expect it to come in handy today. Perhaps it is fate that you and I are destined to meet."

The shrine maiden swaggered around with the Hourai Jade Branch in his hand, his expression making Kaguya want to punch him—he was too smug.

System, as expected, you're a true expert! Your brilliant strategies are unparalleled.

Every system reward was so perfectly timed. If the system weren't so cold and never said a word beyond the mission, Shen Gong would almost suspect that he had a system girl secretly manipulating things for him.

Kaguya suppressed her chaotic thoughts, shook her head, and retorted:

"Why is Lord Jingu in such a hurry? Whether it is real or fake is still unknown. Perhaps what Lord Jingu has obtained is a counterfeit made by Fujiwara no Fuhito back then?"

Nonsense, the real one is with her. How could there be another treasure exactly the same? The Penglai Jade Branch isn't actually a tree on Penglai Mountain, with every section being a Penglai Jade Branch.

Kaguya has absolute confidence that she will not repeat the same mistake she made back then. She has already obtained the real Hourai Jade Branch, and is just waiting to slap them in the face before condemning the shrine's piracy.

Chapter 83 Pure

"The genuine article? Is that what the princess meant?"

With a flick of his finger, Jingu tore through Murasaki Shikibu's clothes, leaving a bloody mark. He then drew out a small amount of blood, which gathered on the Hourai Jade Branch in his hand.

As the blood dripped, the Penglai Jade Branch, which was no different from an inanimate object, came to life, stretching its branches like a real tree. The Seven Treasures Fruit fell down, and new fruits were formed again.

Does this phenomenon prove that it is genuine?

The shrine maiden casually picked up a fruit that had fallen to the ground and showed it to Kaguya. Shippo refers to a few precious metals such as gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and crystal.

"Huh? This shouldn't be happening!" Kaguya rubbed her eyes in disbelief. If the one in the shrine was genuine, then what was in hers?

However, this characteristic cannot be replicated. The Penglai Jade Branch absorbs human desires and filth and grows, producing precious seven treasures from human desires.

Kaguya was just like the Gold and Silver Brothers at this moment, her mind was a little confused, could it be that hers had been stolen?

Kaguya quickly took out her own Hourai Jade Branch and then smeared it with Murasaki Shikibu's blood, achieving the same effect as the Hourai Jade Branch from the Shrine.

Kaguya stared in disbelief at the two jade branches of Hourai before her, while the shrine maiden clapped her hands and laughed heartily beside her.

"It seems it really is fate that you and I both have the Jade Branch of Penglai. What a coincidence!"

Jingu was also a little surprised. He thought Kaguya had just made up the Penglai Jade Branch on the spot. However, it was reasonable. Rather than Kaguya just making up a treasure, Jingu was more inclined to believe that it had already fallen into her own hands.

Unfortunately, the shrine was cheating; it immediately went off with a "ding," saying, "What? There's only one of these?"

"this..."

Kaguya's brain went blank. It was all true, so what should she do? Putting aside why there were two, could she start making up new settings for the Hourai Jade Branch?

"Does the princess have any other questions? It's getting late, why don't you come back with me now?"

Jingu stood up and approached Kaguya. Underneath his outer garment were the perfect muscle lines of a young man. He had a somewhat childish feel, yet he already looked like an adult. He also seemed to have some strange smells, like sweat, yet also a woman's fragrance.

But the smell made Kaguya very uncomfortable. Had this brat just gotten off a woman?

But what's more important now is how to deal with the shrine; she has no intention of actually marrying herself off.

"Lord Jingu, this is far too fast. How can a marriage be so trivial? Could you please give me a little more time to prepare?"

Kaguya leaned back, trying to get as far away from the shrine as possible, her mind racing to come up with an excuse to appease the shrine.

"Has the princess misunderstood something?"

Jingu's smile gave Kaguya a very bad feeling.

"From the very beginning, I said I would exchange Chiyo for you, Princess, but I never said I would marry you."

Huh? Kaguya was a little confused, not quite understanding what the Shrine meant.

"So, Chiyo sold herself to me as a maid, and if we switched places..."

Kaguya was stunned for a moment, then exploded, her forced smile vanished, and her expression turned completely cold.

"Lord Jingu, is this an insult to me?"

Whether she wants to get married is one thing, but...

Using her as a prostitute is another matter entirely. To leave such a beautiful woman unused as a wife and instead use her as an ordinary maid is an insult to her beauty.

"What do you mean by humiliation? Don't you treat others the same way?"

Jingu countered, "How is what he did any different from what Princess Kaguya did?"

"Just like you said, the greatest pleasure is to hold those famous and admired people in your hands, and Princess Kaguya, don't you fit that description perfectly?"

"In this respect, you and I are indeed like-minded, but being like-minded does not necessarily mean being friends."

Jingu reached out to pinch Kaguya's chin, but found something hard pressing against his chest.

Kaguya held the Hourai Jade Branch in her hand, pressing its golden branches against the shrine maiden's body, her peerless beauty now utterly cold.

"Since that's the case, why bring up those things to humiliate me? Since we both know the truth, let's just speak frankly."

"What exactly do you want in return for giving Fujiwara Chiyo to me? I will grant you any request, except for the joke we just discussed."

"A joke?" Shen Gong brushed aside the jade branch, his smile somewhat amused.

"Why would it be a joke? I have no desire for power or authority, and as for treasures, isn't the most precious treasure here you, Princess?"

Kaguya's delicate eyebrows relaxed slightly, but her expression remained cold as she shook her head.

"But you know that's impossible. Don't try to take advantage of me again. Please say something that is possible. To you, Fujiwara Chiyo is nothing but a pretty face."

"The elixir of immortality is meaningless to you; it will only bring trouble. You are nothing but an empty shell."

The shrine maiden was fiddling with his Hourai Jade Branch when he suddenly tossed it directly to Kaguya. Kaguya was somewhat bewildered by his action.

"Does something that seems meaningless and worthless to others really mean it's something you don't need to do? You're also someone who acts for pleasure or desire, so why would you say that?"

The shrine maiden's gaze was fixed directly on Kaguya, making her feel somewhat intimidated.

"Is fun and hobbies something that matters, while physical appearance is meaningless? Is pursuing a beautiful body considered base and vulgar? True beauty lies in the inner self?"

"But so what? I just like it. So what if I'm lustful? I think I'm being egalitarian and loving. Everyone's beauty is different, so there's no such thing as an exchange. People are always greedy and want everything."

After saying this, Jingu clicked his tongue again and changed the subject.

"And Kaguya, aren't you the strange one? On one hand, you're proud of your beauty and like to use your beauty to fool others, but on the other hand, you say you want to pursue sincerity. You're just saying contradictory things."

"Let's just admit it simply: you and I, or rather, the vast majority of people in this world, are the same. We are all trying to satisfy our own desires, greedily wanting to obtain all the things we like. The only difference is whether we can or cannot. Mortals always have to make choices, and you and I can satisfy this greed most of the time."

"And now, you have to make a choice before me, giving up some things that were once precious to you in exchange for something even more precious, and for me..."

"I want them all: you and Chiyo, Murasaki Shikibu who you're sitting on, and all those beauties you just mentioned. I don't want to miss any of them."

The shrine's intense gaze made Kaguya pale in comparison, and being stared at by that gaze felt like being roasted alive.

Those were truly irrefutable words, Kaguya thought, closing her eyes.