The Offering

"Lady Uka, are you alright!"

Seeing Miketsu's sudden abnormal state, Tsuruha quickly ran forward to examine her carefully, while Miketsu stood up, comforting her divine messenger.

"I'm fine, Tsuruha."

Covering her forehead, Miketsu's mind was filled with the scene from the illusory space: the phantom images of the Buddhas, the girl who eagerly grabbed her hand, and finally, that distant, ethereal sigh.

At this moment, Byakuren walked up to the sutra scroll, and the painting of an uncanny girl identical to Miketsu caught her eye. At this moment, Byakuren's eyes were filled with astonishment.

"Dakini... it's Dakini-ten?! No... it shouldn't be. Dakini-ten's divinity and Inari Okami's are vastly different; how could they attract and merge? This..." Byakuren shook her head as she spoke, clearly, the current situation was not what she had expected.

After hearing Byakuren's words, Miketsu couldn't help but turn her gaze to her, asking with a puzzled expression.

"Dakini-ten? Is she one of the Buddhas?"

Hearing Miketsu's words, Byakuren turned around, smiling bitterly.

"Rather than saying she's one of the Buddhas... it's more accurate to say she's a fierce deity subdued by Buddhist teachings..."

"Fierce deity?"

Byakuren's words startled everyone else, while Byakuren shook her head slightly and continued to speak helplessly.

"Dakini-ten was originally a malevolent deity who knew life and death, devoured human hearts, possessed immense divine power, and was cruel and bloodthirsty. She was later subdued by Dainichi Nyorai, who manifested his dharma body, and taken in as a retainer.

"Her divinity is vastly different from that of Lady Inari Okami. There's no way she should have been attracted to you..."

After hearing Byakuren's words, everyone present fell silent for a moment, while Miketsu's thoughts churned even more intensely.

Dakini-ten, is that the girl's name? Is it because she's a fierce deity that she has such a heavy aura of bloodlust? Why did she eagerly try to merge with me? What is her purpose?

Also, the being who let out that final sigh was so grand and profound, like mountains and seas. Could he be Dainichi Nyorai, as Byakuren mentioned? Is he the legendary Buddha?

At this very moment, Miketsu suddenly discovered another serious problem: Dakini-ten actually kissed her at the end! She publicly kissed her in front of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, including the Buddha himself! This is... what on earth was that fellow thinking?!

Thinking of this, she instinctively covered her mouth. Although everything that just happened was on the spiritual plane, not reality, the sense of reality was incredibly strong.

"In this life and the last, it's the first time I've been kissed by a girl..."

"Didn't you just say this secret method wouldn't harm Lady Uka? How did it end up summoning something like this! How do you explain this!" At this moment, Tsuruha indignantly shouted at Byakuren, who replied with great helplessness.

"The current situation was not what I anticipated either. For this, I can only express my deepest apologies..."

"Lady Uka, this bhikkuni clearly has ill intentions, we should... hmm? Lady Uka?"

Although Byakuren apologized, Tsuruha clearly wasn't convinced. He turned to look at Miketsu, but saw her covering her mouth, her gaze distant, her mind wandering. Only after Tsuruha's prompt did her consciousness suddenly return.

"Hm! Ah, Tsuruha, I don't think Byakuren did it intentionally... indeed, some unexpected things happened just now." Miketsu said after organizing her thoughts.

"Unexpected things?" Hearing Miketsu's words, Byakuren also tilted her head.

Miketsu then told the others what had happened in the illusory space, naturally omitting the part where she was kissed. After hearing Miketsu's story, Byakuren was clearly deeply puzzled.

"Dakini-ten actually forcibly tried to merge with you... why would she do that?"

"I don't know either, but I feel... she has a very strong purpose. Looking into her eyes, it was as if she had seized an opportunity." Miketsu mused, believing that Dakini-ten wanted to achieve some goal through her.

"Phew... let's put that aside for now. I should be able to use Dakini-ten's power now, right? After all, she's a deity within your Buddhist sect, so she should have the ability to guide spirits." At this moment, Miketsu decided to first guide the shrine maiden's spirit, as this was her primary task and the reason she initiated the merging with the Buddha.

"That's correct, but because the entity you merged with is quite problematic, I don't recommend you actively draw out Dakini-ten's power right now. As a fierce deity, she is still too dangerous... so I plan to use a more stable method." Byakuren sighed softly at this moment, then said.

"A more stable method?"

"I will still chant the sutras for guiding spirits, but while chanting, I will request Dakini-ten's blessing to enhance the power. Since you have now merged with Dakini-ten, you share a very close connection. At such a close distance, you should be able to hear my prayer; you only need to respond and lend your power."

Byakuren explained her idea, which brought a sudden realization to Miketsu.

Isn't this just responding to a deity summoning? I'm familiar with this! Just go ahead! Does this mean I can also respond to deity summonings made in Dakini-ten's name from now on?

Miketsu nodded and agreed to Byakuren's plan. They then formally began the ritual to guide the spirit. However, when the shrine maiden's spirit learned she was about to be guided, she refused.

"No, I cannot go to reincarnation now. I still have a mission unfulfilled. If I reincarnate, I won't remember anything... and I won't be able to complete my mission..."

Seeing the shrine maiden's spirit like this, Miketsu felt a wave of embarrassment. "Aren't you already forgetting everything now? And your mission was from over a hundred years ago, right? By now, it's probably long gone, and the disaster caused by not completing it has already occurred."

Facing the shrine maiden's spirit, who was filled with obsession, Byakuren smiled faintly and began to persuade her.

"You can't accomplish anything here, and your mission will still remain unfulfilled. It would be better to be reborn into the world as a human again. If you truly have a great connection to what you need to do, then through karmic retribution, your next life will lead you down the same path. What cannot be continued in this life, let it be continued in the next."

Hearing Byakuren's words, the shrine maiden's spirit nodded silently. Miketsu, standing nearby, gave Byakuren a strange look. "Normally, other monks advise people to let go of their obsessions, don't they? You're directly advising her to extend her obsession to the next life."

However, on the other hand, it was understandable. After all, this shrine maiden's obsession was so deep that it sustained her soul for a hundred years under the spell; it wouldn't be easy to let go.

After persuading the shrine maiden, Byakuren turned back to Miketsu and slowly said.

"Please grant her a strand of hair."

"Hair? What for?"

Miketsu felt puzzled, but after thinking for a moment, she gritted her teeth and pulled a few strands of white hair from her head, handing them to Byakuren. Byakuren, wrapping her hand in her sleeve, took Miketsu's hair. This detail made Miketsu's eyes narrow slightly.

Then, Byakuren silently chanted a few words, and Miketsu's hair spontaneously ignited, turning into a wisp of fine smoke that circled the shrine maiden's spirit body.

"Reincarnation in the Underworld requires multiple steps. It's very difficult for lonely spirits without incense offerings to complete the journey smoothly. Souls lacking meritorious offerings will take a long time just to cross the Sanzu River, and might even be thrown into the river by the Shinigami.

"I gave her Lady Inari Okami's hair as an offering; this is equivalent to a divine blessing. On her journey, whether it's minor demons, Shinigami, judges, or Yama, they will all show her respect, allowing her to pass freely and reincarnate smoothly."