I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

Leopard said this with an air of seriousness. Upon hearing this, the witch picked up the plate and placed the rather simple food in front of Leopard.

Leopard picked up the cutlery and glanced at the dinner, which was so large that it could easily feed three people.

The meal includes a variety of meats, including fish and chicken, as well as vegetables, fruits, and soups, making it a rich and delicious feast with an enticing aroma.

"so much?"

Leopard had previously complained that this wasn't worshipping a divine child, but rather raising pigs.

Putting aside the fact that she didn't need to eat to get nutrition, even as a form of enjoyment, such a diet was luxurious in this era.

"This is according to royal standards... I've already told the kitchen to make it as little as possible, as subtle as possible, but they're worried that His Highness the Divine Child won't be satisfied, so..."

The witch's voice was soft and gentle, with a hint of timidity.

"Those emperors probably only ate one bite of each dish."

Lu Ban explained.

"It's said to be to prevent poisoning. If a dish is eaten twice, it will definitely not be seen the next day."

"That's quite pitiful."

Leopard sighed and glanced at the witch again.

Have you eaten?

"...Reporting to the Divine Child, not yet."

The priestess bowed her head and answered tremblingly.

"Let's eat together then, I can't finish it all anyway."

"Leopard said, placing the bowl in her hands.

"This, this is against etiquette..."

The priestess appeared terrified and quickly refused.

"You're disobeying my orders?"

Leopard immediately lowered his voice.

No, I wouldn't dare.

The priestess quickly bowed her head and apologized.

"Bring two more sets of bowls and chopsticks, so the three of us can eat together."

"Leopard gave the order."

The priestess could only fetch two more sets of bowls and chopsticks and sit between Leopard and Lu Ban, feeling somewhat awkward.

Eat whatever you like.

"Leopard said."

The shrine maiden picked up a leaf of green vegetable, put it in her mouth, and chewed it carefully, glancing at the leopard every now and then, as if afraid she had done something wrong.

"Eat more meat, look at your body."

Leopard immediately picked up a piece of fish and put it in her bowl.

The shrine maiden looked at Lu Ban, somewhat at a loss.

"Eat."

Lu Ban avoided the other person's amber eyes and said in a deep voice.

The priestess then picked up the fish from the bowl, put it in her mouth, and her eyes immediately lit up.

"good to eat……"

"I remember you were just a commoner before?"

Lu Ban asked.

"Yes, my parents are farmers, but because I was different from others since I was little, so..."

The priestess quickly put down her chopsticks and recounted her origins.

From a young age, she possessed extraordinary powers. She could not only see the flow of wind in the atmosphere, but also predict the harvest of farmland. As she grew older, she was even able to control the weather within a certain range. So when the filth caused chaos, she was sent to the island god. After being selected, she became one of the priestesses and served the leopard.

After dinner, the shrine maiden cleared away the dishes, but before she left, she was stopped by the leopard.

"Come over later, I want to ask you more about this place. You can sleep here tonight."

Hearing the leopard's words, the priestess became frightened again. She dared not refuse and could only nervously agree.

After the priestess left, Lu Ban glanced at the leopard that had collapsed on the ground again.

"You treat her very specially."

"of course."

"I can't breathe," Leopard said lazily.

"She was exposed to the corruption of another world from a young age and possesses extraordinary talent. If she were in another world, she would definitely be a genius who changes the times."

"Of course, this foreign land is not bad either. I like her very much, so I want to get to know this girl better, cultivate a relationship with her, tell her about the beauty and hope of this world, and ideally we can become friends who can talk about anything, or even closer soulmates. Ideally, I can feel pity, regret, and love for her, and feel sincere regret for what I have done."

"Only in this way..."

She turned her head to look at Lu Ban.

“Only when I choose her as the next Divine Child and turn those most fervent hopes into despair can I taste the most intimate pain. I have said that I like this feeling of being there.”

Leopard's lips curled up, seemingly very excited about what was about to happen.

Chapter 836 The Listener

"...In the blink of an eye, the Divine Child darted forward, instantly halting the monster's advance with a single palm strike. The contrast between the pure white, jade-like hand and the ferocious, terrifying monster left everyone utterly dumbfounded..."

In the bustling marketplace, a man holding a folding fan was vividly recounting the story of the shrine maiden of the Wajima Shrine who vanquished evil spirits. After finishing a section, he picked up his tea and took a sip.

As He Island prospered, it is now home to more than one-tenth of the world's population. Many more refugees live on the surrounding islands. Whether it was due to the actions of the leopard or tectonic shifts caused by the presence of filth, many islands of varying sizes appeared near He Island. These became places for refugees to live, and various houses were quickly built, where they lived in cramped and humble conditions.

After listening to the storyteller's tale, many people cheered, and some even tossed a few copper coins onto his table. He thanked them and collected the coins one by one.

"Master, did you see it with your own eyes?"

At that moment, a woman with long hair combed back suddenly asked.

"No, that's not true. The divine child's heroic figure is beyond the reach of mortals like us. But I believe that if I were to see the divine child in person, I would remember her face for the rest of my life."

The storyteller took a sip of tea and continued.

"Although I didn't witness this story myself, I believe that the Divine Child is certainly full of martial virtue and may be even more wise and powerful than I described. He could probably smash a dozen monsters with one punch without any problem."

The woman frowned slightly upon hearing the storyteller's description.

Beside her, another young woman couldn't help but cover her face and chuckle, while the man seemed to be deep in thought.

“But I think the Divine Child shouldn’t be… violent. Since she’s a priestess, she should at least be a little elegant.”

The woman spoke again.

"Elegance? How can someone so delicate and weak fight against those monsters? Miss, you seem to have little exposure to the world. In life-or-death situations, only strength can solve problems."

The storyteller chuckled.

"Besides, I heard this description from an acquaintance of the Kazushima Shrine. Does she understand the Divine Child better, or do you understand the Divine Child better?"

He didn't explain further, took the money, and left to tell stories at the next place.

The woman's lips twitched as she glanced at the two people beside her.

What are you laughing at?

Leopard looked at the little witch who couldn't help but laugh and asked.

"No, it's nothing..."

The little witch immediately stopped smiling and put on a serious expression.

“These storytellers are all making things up and ruining my image.”

"Leopard muttered."

"After all, they've never seen real filth."

Lu Ban explained.

"Why are you, a god, arguing with ordinary people?"

"I do not care."

"Leopard!" the leopard cried.

"I want to let these people who spread rumors know how many eyes their divine child has!"

"Alright, Lady God, don't be angry. I'll go buy you some dumplings, okay?"

The little witch quickly reassured her.

"Great!"

Leopard immediately forgot the storyteller's words and swung his little feet while waiting for the little witch to buy the dumplings.

Watching the little witch leave, Lu Ban sighed.

You don't need to do that.

For the past few days, Leopard and the little witch have been very close. They not only eat and sleep together often, but he also took her on a secret trip on a whim.

Their relationship evolved from initial awe and fear to a bond as close as sisters.

She acts cute and throws tantrums all the time.

In Lu Ban's eyes, the little witch was like the leopard's guardian, worrying about all sorts of things.

All of this was just the prelude.

Lu Ban understood perfectly.

This shrine maiden will be the first true chief priestess of the Kazushima Shrine. When everything is ready, she will be sacrificed to the sacred cherry blossoms and to Sia. Her soul will be merged into this giant tree, becoming fuel for the purification fire.