Chapter 431
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Chapter 431: Amaterasu
Bai Wei, naturally, could see and hear everything. Intrigued by the situation, he decided to take a closer look.
He never saw himself as a deity and didn’t care about how many followers or how much belief he had. He compared it to an emperor who never understood the struggles of his officials — an entire empire could collapse in an instant without the right balance.
Of course, being noticed by others in this way didn’t bother him. But Bai Wei didn’t want people elevating their beliefs too much. As for gods, they should be worshipped when needed, shown respect during times of prayer, but left aside on normal days. There was no need to make things overly metaphysical. Why should one get caught up in lifelong vows like remaining unmarried or disregarding immortal teachers? Even the gods themselves would find that tedious. It was unnecessary.
As for the Chao family’s situation, Bai Wei thought it was their own loss. A few respectful bows to the deceased wouldn’t hurt, especially since they were deities. It wasn’t embarrassing at all.
“Those who bow are emperors,” he mused. “What does it have to do with me, a person from the Ming Country? I don’t care if they bow or not.”
After all, bowing was simple. If one wanted to see a bowing ceremony, just take a stroll through the Summoner’s Rift. A Minotaur would bow to him every day.
Igarashi Shimizu had called for those involved to attend. What was lost wasn’t just the face of a congressman but a more practical apology.
Rina Asakura, always arrogant and defiant, was forced to bow before the shrine. But she resisted, hiding behind her father and showing disrespect, ignoring the increasingly solemn atmosphere. It was rare to see someone so carefree, especially someone who often caused trouble.
The Asakura family was in a tough spot. With a daughter like Rina, their reputation had already suffered. Despite her abilities, there were few high hopes for the Asakura family’s future. The Yingzhou congressman was an inherited position, often serving local families. The educational standards were high, though, as seen with Haruno Yuki, who had been mocked by her parents.
It wasn’t that families like the Asakuras were rare, but their way of living was. One of the parents surely bore most of the responsibility for this.
Bai Wei glanced at Hokusinn Kichyō in the distance, then at Hokusinn Xuanma, and sighed softly, “Your situation is not easy…”
Hokusinn Xuanma’s mouth twitched. “Don’t compare my daughter to that person… That’s insulting.”
Bai Wei nodded in understanding. “I get it… But how do you think this will end?”
Hokusinn Xuanma didn’t know either. “Unless there’s a direct prophecy.”
Bai Wei chuckled. “Which idiotic god would say, ‘Although you’ve destroyed my blessed amulet, I forgive you generously…’ Wouldn’t that make my daughter lose face? If you find such a loving god, please introduce me to them. Maybe if I burn down their shrine, they’ll still thank me.”
Hokusinn Xuanma remained silent, hearing some noise in the crowd. He turned around and saw the people parting like the Red Sea, as a woman wearing a white kimono and a golden sun crown walked towards them.
“What a grand display,” Bai Wei remarked. “Even the Canyon Vanguard doesn’t have such a show.”
“Be careful with your words,” Hokusinn Xuanma cautioned. “That’s the royal family.”
“Oh?” Bai Wei remembered the royal family was considered living gods. He focused more closely and saw words floating above her head:
[Living Gods] [Amaterasu]
The Yingzhou Emperor was a created god. The Kojiki, an ancient chronicle, was compiled in the 7th century. The idea of divine right for emperors was a myth. The royal family claimed to descend from Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. In reality, Amaterasu, too, was a fictional figure. The Yingzhou royal family had tied themselves to the divine status of Yingzhou’s main deity, intertwining their family’s fortune with that of the nation. Even with the change of shogunates, the royal family remained in a superior position. This is why Shintoism is the national religion of Yingzhou.
Each Yingzhou Emperor was considered a living god, with their children inheriting this divine bloodline. The royal family had no surnames, only names, and technically didn’t even belong to Yingzhou, as they were seen as gods.
As Amaterasu was a female deity, the female heirs of the emperor were called Amaterasus, and the male heirs were called Tsukuyomi.
The woman before them now was Amaterasu, the royal family’s princess and eldest daughter of the current emperor. Her kimono bore the royal crest — a sixteen-petaled double-layered Chrysanthemum pattern.
In Yingzhou today, the influence of the imperial family was stronger than ever before. Similar to the real history of the Tokugawa Shogunate’s decline and the rise of the emperor’s power, the same modernization wave was sweeping Yingzhou. But this time, the driving force was not the Shogunate. It was the emperor’s cabinet, which was made up of parliament members.
Historically, the Tokugawa Shogunate had kept the imperial family suppressed, focusing them on “scholarly matters” and consolidating power. But the current shogun, a legendary warrior, chose to relinquish power voluntarily, which allowed the cabinet to expand and the imperial family to regain political influence. This shift had limited the power of the Shogunate.
A country cannot have two central governments: the emperor and the shogun. If one grows too strong, the other weakens. The emperor is the rightful ruler of Yingzhou, and if their power grows, the shogun’s will collapse. But this generation’s shogun, a martial hero, is a guardian spirit whose position is unchallenged, making the situation unique — a “dual-sun” in the sky.
The shogun didn’t mind, but the Shogunate could not tolerate this. They could not allow the cabinet to gain more power. Originally beneath the Shogunate, the cabinet had risen to equal standing, putting tremendous pressure on the senior members of the Shogunate.
Now, Amaterasu was visiting the shrine for a meeting and worship — an unprecedented event.
How could a living god worship another? If she visited Inari’s shrine, Inari Okami should be considered her equal. Even if she wished to worship, she should visit the shrine of past emperors, not this unnamed shrine dedicated to a foreign god.
But it seemed that Amaterasu had a different purpose in mind.
Despite her divine status, Amaterasu’s power was tied to the fate of Yingzhou. While her divine strength was questionable, as the country’s power grew, it was clear that Amaterasu had gained much.
Amaterasu walked into the scene, and everyone bowed their heads in reverence.
“Greetings, Amaterasu!” they chanted.
Her official title was Princess Kaoru Komiya, but most called her Amaterasu out of respect.
As everyone bowed, Bai Wei stood tall and straight. His height made him stand out in the crowd, catching everyone’s attention.
Amaterasu couldn’t help but glance at him. The two guards beside her noticed him as well. Some people observed the tall man standing with arms crossed, yawning, and immediately thought: Not bowing in public, who does he think he is? Does he think he can ignore the customs of Yingzhou?
Bai Wei spoke in the language of the Ming Country. “I am from the Ming Country and do not worship the gods of Yingzhou.”
We’re not like Stickland’s president, who salutes the flag of America.
One of Amaterasu’s guards whispered something to her. Her expression shifted, and she smiled, saying, “Ah, it’s Mr. White. Please, everyone, stand.”
Her simple words had a profound effect on those paying attention.
Bai Wei thought, Not only the Shogunate, but even the higher-ups have noticed me. Was it because I defeated the Shogunate’s sword hunters directly?
Amaterasu approached the sword witch and smiled. “But what’s happening here? I didn’t notice anything just now.”
Senator Tojikura explained the situation, admitting his failure in handling his daughter. He then pulled Rina Tojikura forward to apologize to Amaterasu.
“No need,” Amaterasu said softly, shaking her head. “Why apologize to me? Shouldn’t you apologize to the shrine?”
Senator Tojikura looked pained. Rina, trembling, lowered her head, acknowledging her insignificance before Amaterasu. She had been arrogant in the past, but now felt utterly small.
“Please go to the shrine and apologize,” Amaterasu added. “I will also pray for the shrine’s owner to forgive you.”
Rina hesitated but followed Amaterasu to the shrine, kneeling and bowing nine times.
Afterward, Amaterasu stood in front of the shrine, her hands clasped in prayer. A halo of light rose from her.
Bai Wei could hear her prayer echo in his mind:
Please forgive the impoliteness of this girl. I will take her away and apologize for any trouble caused.
Her tone was sincere, without arrogance. Bai Wei couldn’t fault her and released his Golden Power.
The sword witches stared at the shrine, anxiously awaiting the god’s response. Would there be no sign this time?
Suddenly, golden light appeared above the shrine. It was heavy and majestic, not blinding like the sun, but powerful enough to make even the proudest bow their heads.
The golden light twisted and formed letters, but only one word was visible, written in an ancient European font that the people of Yingzhou couldn’t understand.
The sword witches, filled with excitement, knelt before the shrine. The guests couldn’t decipher the word, but the golden light soared into Amaterasu’s palm. She smiled, saying, “He said ‘okay.’”
Relieved sighs filled the room. At that moment, the golden light trembled, and it turned toward Cang Lina. She, feeling the divine pressure, bowed deeply to the shrine and the sword witches, relieved that the gods had seen everything.
But the golden light shifted again, landing on Xia Shu.
Xia Shu blinked, enveloped in the golden glow. She became nervous but quickly realized the light wasn’t for her. She remembered something and pulled out a broken amulet from her pocket. As the golden light gathered around it, the amulet transformed — from a simple hand-carved artifact into a solidified shape of clear golden liquid.
Everyone watched in suspense, wondering what it would become.
