"Do you have to tie her like that?" Sakumo asked Ebara.
Ebara admired his handiwork with a grin. Flower Princess, already stunning, looked even more striking bound tightly with ropes, her curves accentuated in a way that made pulses race.
Even Sakumo, calm as still water, struggled to meet her gaze.
"You don't get it. I'm a pro at this," Ebara said, circling behind her.
Her hands were bound behind her back, a rope trailing for control.
"Move," Ebara tugged the rope like a horse's reins. "Didn't you say the Jashin cult's hideout is nearby?"
Flower Princess seethed inwardly.
Her hatred for Ebara surpassed even her loathing for the cult's followers.
As a core Jashin member, second only to the High Priest, she commanded respect from other priests. Now, humiliated, how could she not burn with rage?
But she swallowed her fury, leading them toward Birdsong Mountain for survival.
Birdsong Mountain, a vast range straddling the Fire-Hot Springs border, was a maze of jagged peaks.
Without a guide, one could easily get lost.
It was no surprise the Jashin cult hid here.
Five hours later, they reached the deep mountains.
"You said we'd be there soon," Ebara warned Flower Princess. "No tricks."
The rugged terrain could hide countless dangers, especially in the cult's stronghold.
Ebara wasn't ready to lose his life, so he stayed vigilant.
"My life's in your hands. What tricks could I pull?" Flower Princess snapped, suppressing her anger.
"Hmph. They say the prettier the woman, the better she lies," Ebara said, eyeing her. "Though, looking at you, I might believe you."
Crunch.
Flower Princess ground her teeth, furious.
He insulted her looks and took advantage of her. Despicable!
Swish, swish, swish!
Faint sounds echoed.
Ebara grabbed Flower Princess, pulling her into a crouch.
"It's me," Sakumo's voice came. He'd returned from scouting.
Ebara stood, relieved. "Find anything?"
Sakumo nodded. "Three hundred meters ahead, there's a hidden stone cave. Likely the cult's base."
Ebara's eyes lit up, but he stayed cautious. "Any traps or enemies?"
"Two genin-level sentries," Sakumo said casually. "Dealt with."
Ebara gave a thumbs-up. "Let's check it out."
They reached the cave. A massive stone bore a blood-red Jashin symbol.
"The entrance seems sealed with a jutsu," Sakumo said. "Opening it wrong could trigger an alarm."
"These guys are paranoid," Ebara muttered, turning to Flower Princess.
Her face blank, she said, "I can unseal it, but untie me first."
"You think I'm stupid? You'd run," Ebara scoffed.
"Not my ropes—your arm on my chest!" she growled through gritted teeth.
Since he'd pulled her down, his arm had lingered there, and she'd endured it long enough.
Sakumo glanced at Ebara, unimpressed.
This guy was too shameless.
Ebara didn't flinch. "This is called controlling her vital points. Any move, and I take her down. You wouldn't get it, single guy."
He slowly removed his arm, not without a final squeeze.
Nice. Springy.
Flower Princess's rage boiled over.
She wanted to scream, Have you no shame? But she held back.
Revenge could wait.
"Loosen some ropes. I need to form seals," she said.
"Stay honest," Ebara warned, freeing only her hands, keeping the rest bound.
Flower Princess's hands moved swiftly: Boar–Rabbit–Dog–Hare.
She bit her tongue, spitting a blood arrow at the Jashin symbol.
A crimson glow flared.
Rumble…
The stone door opened.
"You first," Ebara said, shoving her.
Rushing in risked traps. He wasn't about to get careless.
They entered the rugged, dim cave.
After two hundred meters, it opened into a vast space.
Though brightly lit, Ebara and Sakumo's faces darkened.
The journey had been too smooth—no enemies, no traps.
Unnatural.
They scanned the football-field-sized hall.
At its center stood a towering statue, thirty meters tall, awe-inspiring.
Robed, its head bowed, face hidden.
Its left hand held a death scythe; its right, a treasure shaped like the Jashin symbol—a circle and triangle, not flat but three-dimensional, with only the triangle's apex and base touching the circle.
Eerie yet harmonious.
Below, countless pristine stone seats.
"Is this Jashin?" Ebara asked.
"Yes, the great Lord Jashin, leading us to immortal eternity!" a voice answered.
A figure emerged from the hall's side, wearing a robe identical to the statue's.
About fifty, with white hair and beard, his voice carried a youthful madness.
"You lied," Ebara said, eyes glinting coldly, his arm locking around Flower Princess's neck.
One wrong move, and he'd end her.
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