21st Century Necromancer

The Jingu is not only the residence of the deities, but also their palace, and due to the different personalities and preferences of the deities, the Jingu also presents different appearances.

Some deities prefer grand and majestic buildings, and thus their Jingus often look like towering structures high in the clouds, filled with tall columns and expansive halls. Others like to nest in caves, and their Jingus are often dark dens. There are even those who prefer living underwater...

But no matter what, the scale and size of a Jingu are more or less linked to the strength of a deity. A weak deity is already fortunate to have a palace to dwell in, while a powerful one can even build their Jingu into an entire city, after all, for deities who control divine domains, it is merely a matter of thought.

However, as the Inari, a being second only to the Three Precious Children in the entire Japanese Deity system, His Jingu, though not shabby or cramped, looked merely like an enlarged and expanded version of the Inari Taisha on the outside, which seemed somewhat undeserving of His status.

When Yu Chen first glimpsed Amaterasu's divine domain, Gao Tianyuan, he had seen her Jingu—a vast expanse of palaces stretching endlessly, one building after another as far as the eye could see.

Compared to that, wasn't the Inari God's Jingu a bit too modest? Although it looked impressive, he felt it wasn't even as big as his own Necromantic Space's castle.

A blasphemous thought flashed through his mind, but Yu Chen kept a straight face as he entered the grand hall of the Jingu with Hiromi Jounouchi.

Although it didn't seem large from the outside, the Inari God's Jingu was still grand and majestic.

Upon entering the grand hall, Yu Chen only had to look up slightly to feel the tallest part of the hall was more than a hundred meters high, and the entire hall's area was no smaller than a football field. The red carpet laid in the center of the grand hall alone was almost as big as a basketball court.

But in contrast to this magnificent and grand hall, the seemingly insignificant woman sitting in the main seat appeared even grander than the entire hall itself. She leaned lazily against the giant White Fox behind her, and with just a sweeping glance, Yu Chen still felt a sting in his eyes.

This was already when he was a demigod, his body a Divine Body; otherwise, his eyes would probably have gone blind just like when he spied on Gao Tianyuan the last time.

It's forbidden to look directly at a god, and Yu Chen certainly knew this, so experiencing such a situation now, how could he not know that this inconspicuous woman before him was the Inari God?

"Lord Miketsu, Mr. Yu Chen and Madam Jounouchi have arrived," reported Suzuhime, leading Yu Chen and Hiromi Jounouchi across the grand hall to the presence of the Inari God, bowing as she did.

For deities controlling divine domains, the Inari God knew of their arrival from the moment Yu Chen entered the divine domain. However, deities must maintain their dignity, and why would they stand up to greet a mere mortal, even if this mortal was invited by themselves?

But looking at Yu Chen and Hiromi Jounouchi standing before Him, Lord Miketsu actually opened His sleepy eyes and, with interest, said with a smile, "I didn't expect Mr. Yu Chen to be a demigod; no wonder he could offer Divine Power to the Little Rice Princess. That girl really is blessed."

"I have seen Lord Miketsu," replied Yu Chen, avoiding direct eye contact to prevent his eyes from suffering again, after feeling the deity's interested gaze on him. He and Hiromi Jounouchi both saluted the deity before them.

"Mr. Yu Chen, you need not be so formal. Please, take your seat," said the Inari God, receiving Yu Chen's salute with a smile, and then gesturing for him to be seated.

Yu Chen saw this and took a seat next to Hiromi Jounouchi at the spot that had already been prepared for him.

As Yu Chen took his place, the Inari deity then instructed Suzuhime, who stood by, "Now that our guest has arrived, let the banquet begin."

Following the words of the Inari deity, Suzuhime clapped her hands twice, and immediately a group of shrine maidens with fox ears carrying a variety of delicacies entered the great hall.

The initial divine duty of the Inari deity was grain and food; it was only later that it evolved to include harvest and wealth. One could only imagine the lavishness of the banquet that a deity with such a duty could provide.

A whole ox in a kneeling position, placed on a huge red lacquered tray, was carried by four fox-eared shrine maidens to a corner of the red carpet in the grand hall.

Although it was a very sturdy ox that required four fox-eared shrine maidens to lift, and its perfectly roasted body exuded a golden sheen and an intoxicating fragrance, adorned with various rare fruits, which could whet anyone's appetite, it was clearly just a side dish at the Inari deity's banquet.

The real main course was a ship, a large boat carried in by sixteen fox-eared shrine maidens, packed with all kinds of fish.

Yu Chen had seen sushi boats or sashimi boats before, but those made by mortals, adorned with about a dozen types of fish, were already considered the height of luxury. Compared to the sashimi boat that required sixteen people to lift, it was like the difference between a small boat and an aircraft carrier.

The assortment of fresh fish on this large boat had already been prepared, the transparent slices of fish displayed in stunning pale pink, much like the beauty of soft pink cherry blossoms; the vibrant red fish was thickly cut, adorned with white fat resembling blooming roses; there was no shortage of orange fish, rolled into blossoms that looked like a sea of orange flowers; and the white fish was like patches of white snow, scattered throughout...

The colorful fish, artfully arranged by the chefs, made the entire boat look less like it was loaded with fish and more like a flower boat blanketed by a thin layer of snow.

This great boat was stationed in the center of the red carpet, with the tempting aroma of the whole ox roast resting on one side of the boat, substantial yet seeming somewhat monotonous in comparison.

But how could the Inari deity's banquet be limited to just these items? Soon, other various delicacies were also brought in.

Bubbling broth filled a pot as large as a bathtub; lobster, larger than a big dog, lay atop a long platter that required two shrine maidens to carry; steamed, bright red crabs with the shortest leg still longer than Yu Chen's arm...

Soon, the floor of the great hall, as large as a basketball court, was filled with food. At first glance, it seemed that all one could see was a sea of delicacies, making one unsure of what to eat first.

Yet more varied dishes kept arriving like flowing water, and even the long table in front of Yu Chen and the Inari deity was quickly filled with dishes.

Looking at the exquisite containers that seemed to ricochet light off jewels, not even "culinary jewels cooked in gold" could describe the opulence of the dishes, and Yu Chen became more concerned with the roasted whole sheep brought to the table and positioned in front of the Inari deity. Among the countless dishes that could fill a basketball court, only this dish was placed before the deity.

However, watching Suzuhime personally use a small knife to cut open the spice-wrapped whole sheep's belly, revealing a goose inside the sheep, Yu Chen remembered why this dish was positioned before the Inari deity—it was called Whole Sheep Roast.