"I said call me Miko," Yae Miko said, folding her arms. The buoyant curves sent ripples across the water's surface, the floating cherry blossoms swaying with the waves.
"That's right, exactly what you're thinking."
"We'll team up and prank Shadow a bit."
"Eh!?"
This time, Kamisato Ayaka couldn't stay seated.
Defying the Raiden Shogun's will, scheming against her from the shadows, and making an enemy of the general!
This was tantamount to betraying Inazuma!
If the Shogun discovered their intentions and unleashed divine punishment, the entire Kamisato Clan could be branded with eternal infamy!
Yae Miko's brows arched with a playful glint as she pressed, "Ayaka, is the determination to have Xi really so feeble in you? If that's all you've got, I think you'd be an easy opponent to deal with."
"No, it's not!"
Kamisato Ayaka refuted without a second thought. "I truly want to be with Xi!"
Seeing the fish on the hook, Yae Miko's lips curved into a subtle smile. "Good, then show me your resolve."
"Think about it—as a human, how many years can you possibly live?
"Xi, as the Creator, must have an extraordinarily long lifespan.
"If you agree to team up with me, I'll teach you the Fox Clan's secret art to extend your life."
Kamisato Ayaka's eyes lit up.
Yae Miko was right; she had considered the issue of lifespan before.
She was just an ordinary human—how much longer could her youth last? How many more years would her beauty endure?
Yae Miko's offer was incredibly tempting.
Wrapping herself in a white bath towel, she stepped into the hot spring. A warm, soothing sensation washed over her, easing the worries in her heart. "Alright, Miko. What should we do?"
Yae Miko stretched languidly, her alluring figure on full display. Seeing this, Kamisato Ayaka couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. Yae Miko's body was just too perfect!
It made her feel a bit inferior by comparison—her own figure wasn't quite as flawless.
A sly glint flickered in Yae Miko's eyes.
Her little scheme was working again!
From the very beginning, she had been subtly influencing Kamisato Ayaka's mindset.
For instance, openly declaring her control over the Small World was a show of dominance, throwing Ayaka off balance first.
Then inviting her to bathe together to flaunt her figure.
While Ayaka was distracted...
At that moment, a little pink fox slipped into the bamboo basket holding the clothes nearby.
It quickly found the jade flute and infused it with a layer of demon power.
And Kamisato Ayaka remained completely oblivious.
This was all part of her plan.
With this demon power, whenever the jade flute sensed Ye Xi missing Ayaka, she would sense it too.
She wanted to see if Ye Xi would think of Ayaka at all—and how often.
Meanwhile, Yae Miko drawled leisurely, "Right now, the Almighty Shogun has issued the Sakoku Decree, and the Kanjou and Tenryou Commissions are suppressing the people's discontent over the Vision Hunt Decree."
"I want the Yashiro Commission to stop offering remonstrations, keeping Shadow in the dark."
"When Xi returns to Inazuma and sees that Shadow hasn't changed, he'll definitely be angry with her!"
Kamisato Ayaka had a sudden realization.
Before, when she was with Ye Xi, she had heard his inner thoughts.
He was already frustrated by the Shogun's Vision Hunt Decree.
If the Shogun remained stubborn, Ye Xi would surely be unhappy upon his return.
"So, you mean I should tell my brother to stop advising the Shogun, right?"
Yae Miko nodded. "As expected of the clever White Heron Princess."
Kamisato Ayaka blushed slightly. In truth, the Yashiro Commission had been repeatedly urging the Shogun on the matter of the Fatui.
Because of it, they had faced no small amount of rebuke from the general.
Stopping the suggestions would actually spare them a lot of trouble.
But would Inazuma suffer because of this?
She couldn't let harm come to Inazuma's people!
Sensing her concern, Yae Miko reassured her, "Don't worry. With me here, nothing will go wrong in Inazuma."
Kamisato Ayaka nodded. "I understand, Miko."
"Good. Then I'll impart the secret art to you now!"
Yae Miko's soft, seductive voice faded, and Kamisato Ayaka felt a pink glow envelop her body.
It was like receiving a sacred baptism of cherry blossoms—as if it were the power of Narukami herself!
"There, you've received my demon power. From now on, just eat more, and you'll be fine."
"Extending your lifespan requires taking in more energy, so eat your fill."
"I'll even prepare some special foods tailored to your needs."
"As long as you follow my instructions and replenish your energy, you'll gain a longer life."
Yae Miko lightly covered her red lips with a smile, perfectly masking the wicked grin at the corner of her mouth.
In truth, she had already used her demon power to extend Kamisato Ayaka's lifespan.
As for the "eat more" part? That was naturally to fatten her up!
Stuffing her with tons of delicious food every day—before long, she'd puff right up.
Then, when Ye Xi returned and saw a chubby Ayaka, he'd surely lose interest.
That would be the fox's victory!
She imagined Ye Xi cursing her in his heart over and over: [Scummy fox].
Yae Miko inwardly chuckled with delight.
The clueless Kamisato Ayaka didn't think twice about it, instead thanking her gratefully. "Thank you, Guuji! I'll make sure to replenish my energy diligently!"
Seeing how obedient she was, Yae Miko nearly burst out laughing.
Imagining a plump future Ayaka, she felt a hint of pity.
*What a shame...*
With a graceful smile, she sidled up to Kamisato Ayaka. "No need to thank me. Come, let me see what it is about you that Xi likes so much—"
"Gah—!"