That light, airy sentence was like an ice-cold needle, piercing through her last and most fragile shred of dignity.
She had just given up her power, entrusting the National Luck to this man.
And he, without even giving her a moment to breathe, was already demanding his "recompense."
Humiliation, rage… countless emotions surged in her already withered heart, yet she didn't even have the strength to stir a ripple.
She looked up, her eyes, devoid of all light, fixated on Lu Cheng, and with all her might, she squeezed a few words through gritted teeth.
"You… shameless!"
"Shameless?"
Lu Cheng smiled. He reached out and gently lifted her delicate chin with his fingertips, forcing her to meet his gaze.
There was no desire in his eyes, only a pure, playful amusement, like someone admiring a work of art.
"No, Hinata, you're mistaken."
"I'm not in any hurry for your fragile body…"
"Right now, what I'm more interested in is the other thing hidden within your magnificent birdcage."
Ise Hinata's pupils contracted slightly.
Birdcage… was he referring to the Ise Grand Shrine?
Lu Cheng released her, leaning back casually in his seat, and spoke to Ruzuki Rin, who was driving, in a relaxed tone.
"To the Grand Shrine."
"Yes, Master."
The Rolls-Royce silently started and turned around.
Ise Hinata's heart, however, sank deeper and deeper into the abyss.
She knew what this man was going to do.
Not only was he going to plunder her power, but he was also going to… the Grand Shrine, to take that item… the item that only successive Amaterasu Shrine Maidens were qualified to guard!
Once, she was its mistress.
But now, she was to be taken back to this man's "home" like a war trophy.
The car soon pulled to a smooth stop in front of the Ise Grand Shrine.
Without the suppression of the National Luck's core, the massive barrier enveloping the Grand Shrine, like a flickering candle in the wind, silently and completely dissipated the moment Lu Cheng appeared.
Lu Cheng pushed open the car door, ignoring the surrounding shrine priests.
He simply turned around and extended his hand to the distraught girl inside the car.
"Let's go, Shrine Maiden."
"Take me to see your collection."
Ise Hinata didn't move; she just looked at him with eyes full of resentment.
Lu Cheng wasn't annoyed. He simply leaned down and gently lifted her small, weak body into his arms.
"Ah!"
Ise Hinata let out a soft gasp and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
This scene, to the shrine priests in the distance, was nothing short of a deity being abducted by a demon in public!
Today, it took them a long time to realize that the Shrine Maiden was not in the Grand Shrine… they hadn't expected her to be taken away by this fellow!
And this moment, even more, crushed their faith, trampling it underfoot!
Lu Cheng held her, step by step, ascending the stone stairs leading to the main hall of the Grand Shrine.
His steps were slow, yet they felt like they were treading on Ise Hinata's heart.
Each step made her feel a strange sense of humiliation!
Every blade of grass, every brick and tile here, was connected to her bloodline.
And now, their owner had changed.
Finally, Lu Cheng carried her through numerous halls, arriving at the deepest part of the Grand Shrine, in front of the palace that no one but her was allowed to enter.
He set her down and looked at the tightly shut ancient door.
"Open it."
Ise Hinata's lips trembled, and she shook her head.
That was her last, and most powerless, resistance.
"Is that so?"
Lu Cheng smiled.
He didn't even look at her again; he just raised his hand and casually pushed forward.
Boom—!
That grand door, blessed by countless generations of Shrine Maidens and reinforced with various barriers, burst open inwards with a thunderous sound, as if made of paper!
Behind the door was pure darkness.
But in the very center of the darkness, a simple, ancient bronze mirror, its edges inlaid with complex divine patterns, floated.
The yata mirror!
The divine artifact of Dongying, rumored to be the supreme divine artifact that had reflected the true face of Amaterasu Omikami!
It was also the true core of the Ise Grand Shrine… a hint of satisfaction flashed in Lu Cheng's eyes.
What he wanted was never just the energy of the National Luck; what he wanted was to uproot the "root" of this land as well!
The yata mirror? Didn't it originate from the Dragon Kingdom?
Ultimately, it was just a mirror, merely reflected by some so-called great deity.
He took a step, about to walk into that darkness.
And at this moment!
"Stop!"
A roar, suppressed with boundless anger and pain, came from behind!
Two figures stumbled and rushed over from a distance; it was Ise Ryuichi and Kamiya Makoto, who had just awakened!
Their injuries, under the effect of Lu Cheng's elixir, had mostly recovered.
But when they saw this scene before them, those superficial wounds were nothing compared to the intense pain in their hearts!
What did they see?
The sacred inner palace door, violently broken open!
That blasphemous man was about to step into the forbidden ground!
And his sister, his Shrine Maiden… was standing there, pale and weak?
"Sister!"
Ise Ryuichi's eyes instantly turned blood red!
"Lu Cheng—!!!"
Kamiya Makoto was even more furious, his eyes splitting with rage. He had just been saved by the Shrine Maiden, and he had just sworn an oath in his heart to protect her with his life!
But in the blink of an eye, the god he worshipped was abducted by this demon!
"I'll kill you!!"
Kamiya Makoto completely lost his mind. His spiritual power, his system, at this moment, began to burn wildly, recklessly!
He wanted to self-detonate!
He knew he couldn't defeat Lu Cheng, so this was the only way he could repay the Shrine Maiden… he would use everything he had to perish with this demon!
However, just as he was about to detonate all his power.
"Stop…"
A weak voice sounded.
It was Ise Hinata.
She stood in front of Kamiya Makoto and Ise Ryuichi, her back to Lu Cheng, stopping their actions.
She looked at her younger brother, and at the fervent young man, forcing a smile.
"Go back…"
"Ryuichi, Makoto-kun…"
"It's all over."
"From now on, you two… just live as ordinary people."
"At least you can finally enjoy a normal life, can't you?"
These few words, like the sharpest blades, completely severed the last trace of fighting spirit in Ise Ryuichi and Kamiya Makoto!
Ordinary people?
Everything they had done, everything they had endured, in the end, was exchanged for a single phrase: "Go be ordinary people"?
"No…"
"Shrine Maiden, wake up!"
Kamiya Makoto roared in despair.
Lu Cheng watched this farce with interest, and then entered the dark inner palace… when he emerged again, he held the ancient yata mirror in his hand.
He walked behind Ise Hinata, and with one hand, very naturally, wrapped around her slender waist, pulling her into his embrace.
Then, he looked at the two nearly broken "Children of Destiny," the mockery on his lips reaching its peak.
"I'll keep this for you two for now."
"The cost of the medicine just now, we'll put it on your sister's tab."
"I gave her freedom, and I gave you two freedom."
"You two, you should be thanking me, shouldn't you?"