Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

If it weren't for this unexpected meeting, she might have...

But was it really an accident? Knowing that the young master was looking for the peerless warrior of the West, she immediately signed up to team up with Tatiana... Was their meeting really accidental?

"Something on your mind?" Shen Liang lifted her shoulder strap and tilted his head.

“No, no.” Lyudmila smiled and gently shook her head.

Chapter 241 So you're practicing swordsmanship in the middle of the night instead of sleeping, huh!

At that very moment, in another guest room, two men from the Winter Kingdom were lying on tatami mats, intently staring at the ceiling.

“Inazuma’s tatami mats are so uncomfortable,” Yegor said, scratching his back. “It’s just a quilt on the floor. Our big bed is much warmer and more comfortable in winter.”

"There's a match tomorrow, and you're the striker, so you should get some rest," the young master said calmly.

"I never expected to have the opportunity to enjoy myself with you, young master, and even share a room with you. It is truly an honor," Yegor said. "Speaking of which, I saw Tatiana and Lyudmila returning to their room after taking a bath at the bathhouse earlier. Hmm, they are truly beauties."

Because he was so bored, Yegor was trying to find something to talk about. It would be too awkward not to find something to talk about while he was sitting in a room with his boss.

The conversations between the two young men were basically about these things. Although the young master was a powerful executor of the Fatui, he was still a young man after all.

"I wonder what those two are doing right now?" Yegor stared blankly at the ceiling.

"Shen Liang," the young master said briefly.

"Huh? What?" Yegor was taken aback. "Young Master, are you so concerned about Shen Liang? If they defeat the Raven Feather Team, they will naturally run into us."

"I'm just answering your question." The young master stared intently at the ceiling.

Yegor pondered his superior's words, his expression gradually turning pale.

“No, no… Young Master, you don’t understand girls,” Yegor murmured softly. “They’re just a little excited to be reunited with Shen Liang after so long, it’s nothing…”

"I had them wear down Shen Liang's physical and mental strength, to see if he'd be forced to pull out more of his best moves on the stage tomorrow," the young master said calmly. "They happily accepted the task."

Yegor stared at the ceiling and remained silent.

The young master also fell silent.

The two men finally went to sleep.

--------------

The first day of the main competition was, as is customary, chosen to be Monday of the month of Minazuki, which is June 20th.

Early in the morning, the mountain path leading to Yingxiang Mountain was already packed with people, who crowded all the way to the entrance of Shenying Dojo. Editors and reporters from various newspapers and publishing houses occupied various first-hand positions, excitedly recording the people from all walks of life who came to pay their respects.

"The Left Capital Physician has arrived! This year's uprising of one hundred men has actually attracted the attention of the cabinet officials. Look over there, look over there!"

"It's the Vice Minister of War!"

"The commanders of the Okuzawa clan have also arrived. It is said that they are all elite soldiers of the army, directly transferred from the Tenryo Magistrate to guard the castle tower."

"There are also people from the business community. That's the head of the World Trade Center. Are there enough VIP seats?"

"Lord Kansei! But why does he look so gloomy... Could it be because his team is the weakest of the four?"

"It seems like there are more and more people watching the matches this year. All eight thousand seats at the Shenying Dojo are completely full. Look at that mountain over there. It's packed with people. Every spot with a view of the arena is overflowing with people... I estimate there are at least 100,000 citizens here at Yingxiang Mountain today!" Someone in the stands looked into the distance and noticed that there were indeed quite a few people on the other mountains.

The main Shinsakura Dojo is an open-air platform, originally built so that all Inatsuma people could see the performances during the grand festival.

“After all, it’s a revolt of a hundred people, held once every five years,” the person next to him replied.

"When has the Hundred-Man Uprising ever attracted so many spectators? And the so-called 'Peerless Warriors of the East' is, in essence, just an internal competition among the top talents cultivated by the major powers. It's the same every year, so what's so interesting about it?"

"But this year is different. This year, foreigners are all favorites to win. Remember that blond guy from the Winter Kingdom? He fought against General Kujo Sara in the preliminary rounds, and even General Sara seemed to be having trouble holding on! Damn it, if the Jade Dragon Flag really gets taken by a foreigner, it'll be such a disgrace. The three magistrates can just die!"

Both of them swore a few times in the Inazuma dialect, then one of them paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered something.

"No, it seems like it wasn't just the three great magistrates who won. I remember it was over twenty years ago... that year, the Jade Dragon Flag was also snatched away by a dark horse, a little girl from Haiqi Island, who thoroughly humiliated the three great magistrates at the time." The man lowered his head, thinking for a moment, "I think her name was... something like... Coral Palace..."

A vague image of a dashing, black-haired girl appeared in Miyazaki's mind, wielding a long sword, effortlessly defeating the top contenders nurtured by the three powerful factions on the arena, which was under intense scrutiny from countless malicious eyes. Back then, the rules of the Jade Dragon Flag weren't as detailed as they are now; anyone could challenge the champion, and she accepted each challenge, achieving the feat of fighting ten opponents in a row! She stood proudly amidst the despairing gazes of the Narukami Island people, surrounded by defeated and crippled warriors who couldn't even get up.

Many years later, that domineering and spoiled figure still stands in the hearts of countless women.

"Coral Palace Ryuka." Someone passed by him and said casually.

"Yes! It's Sangomiya Rika!" Miyazaki clapped his hands and immediately turned around to see which old man remembered it better than him. Then he saw a pink-haired figure in a red and white shrine maiden dress gracefully walking from the aisle of the audience towards the ring.

"Palace...Palace Master!"

"What? Lord Miyaji is here to watch the match too?" A new exclamation immediately arose from the audience!

"Has the Palace Attendant arrived?"

"The matriarch of the magistrate's wife has arrived as well?"

The pink-haired goddess was followed by a pure white woman with flowing silver hair, and the two walked towards the arena one after the other. Countless spectators noticed them and immediately stood up in surprise, causing waves of excitement to surge through the stands.

"How could I forget Miss Ryuka? She served as the head priest of Coral Palace for over twenty years and was my greatest rival," Yae no Miko said with a sneer as she walked.

"What can the Coral Palace Master influence the Yae Palace Master in?" Kamisato Kayo asked gently.

"Fighting for faith, you wouldn't understand the war among priestesses." Yae no Miko curled her lip. "That guy is just as good-looking as me. I'm the Thunder God Priestess, she's the Serpent God Priestess. I raise a bunch of beautiful girls, and she raises a bunch of beautiful girls too. I have followers, and she has followers... We're rivals in the same trade. You don't know how dangerous this is. It means that the unique identity of 'Beautiful Priestess' actually exists in two places! No woman can tolerate such humiliation. Luckily, she wisely abdicated, letting Coral Palace go to the sea... Hmph."

Kayo Kamisato didn't quite understand why Ruka Sangomiya was a threat to her, but Shinkai Sangomiya wasn't.

“Because I’m going for a mature, older sister style, while that little mermaid is still young and can only go for a girlish style. Our career paths don’t conflict. But Ryuka and I have the same character design, so only one of us can survive!” Yae no Miko clenched her fist and said coldly, “It’s good that she’s smart enough to sense my killing intent of ‘two tigers cannot share one mountain’.”

Kazuyo Kamisato paused for a moment, unsure how to respond.

The fox looked down at the crowd below. All the spectators were eagerly awaiting the contestants' entrance, some excited to see the fighter named Tartaglia defeated. This was Inazuma Narukami Island, their home turf, and they held high hopes for their nation's fighter.

“But the reason I remember her so well is because… Miss Ryuka is so cool, isn’t she?” Yae no Miko suddenly said.

“Yes, it was incredibly cool.” Kazuyo Kamisato smiled slightly. “She was only sixteen years old then, a year younger than me. I watched from the audience as she, a girl, entered Narukami alone with her sword. Before the Umi and Narukami had become completely on good terms, she stepped onto the stage despite everyone’s disgust. Almost no one in the audience was willing to cheer for her victory, but she was not affected at all, and she didn’t even know what fear was. I only remember her expression after each victory.”

“She just laughs, and the more she laughs, the more humiliated everyone feels,” Yae no Miko said softly. “The more malice everyone harbors, the more disdainful she becomes, standing on the stage, unmoved.”

"A young man of chivalry, befriending heroes from five capitals. Hearts and souls intertwined. Hair standing on end. In a single conversation, life and death are shared. That's the kind of person Shan Gong Liu Ge is." Kanazawa Hanayo looked at the slowly opening doors to the contestants' tunnel below the audience seats.

“Inazuma is so pitiful, we are so pitiful, always encountering people like this.” Yae Miko laughed. “It seems that our hatred for Sangokyuu is irreconcilable. The moment Sangokyuu Ruka was buried in the sea, her shadow emerged from the sea.”

"Twenty years ago, sixteen-year-old Coral Palace Ruka humiliated everyone. Twenty years later, her shadow has come to humiliate us again, still at sixteen."

The two ascended the platform of the dojo. At the same time, the doors to the contestants' passage opened, and the boy with the black ponytail yawned as he stepped out. Seeing the pink-haired fox and the silver-haired woman on the platform, he waved and greeted them politely.

"Being a host like this is no easy task," the fox sighed deeply.

……

Ten minutes later, after most of the audience at the Shinsakura Dojo had entered and the noise had subsided, Yae no Miko, who had been playing with her braids on the platform, finally lazily reached out and shook a bell on the table.

"Please be quiet." A lazy voice.

The audience was still whispering excitedly about seeing all sorts of important figures when suddenly they found themselves silenced. An inexplicable force instantly silenced the entire Divine Cherry Dojo! All that could be heard was Yae no Miko's languid voice.

"The main competition for the Jade Dragon Flag has begun. Loud noises are prohibited. I will lift the restrictions later, but for now, please listen carefully to every word I am about to say."

"I am Yae no Miko, the chief priestess of Narukami Taisha Shrine, who possesses both wisdom and beauty. This time, I will co-host the main tournament of the Hyakunin Ikki with this lady in the kimono next to me."

Kazuyo Kamisato touched her face with her fan and smiled slightly. "Kazuyo Kamisato, from the magistrate of the shrine."

The two stunningly beautiful and mature women instantly brought glory to the Divine Sakura Dojo, while the ordinary citizens, who were not very knowledgeable, were stunned after Yae no Miko and Kamisato Hanayo introduced themselves! The chief priest and matriarch of Narukami Taisha Shrine, a person who was almost at the top of Inatsume, was actually sitting on the stage as the host!

This competition has actually piqued the interest of someone of this caliber!

"Of course, everyone can rest assured. Although I am the host and bear the responsibility of the referee, you don't need to worry that Miss Huadai will give her daughter special treatment. In a sense, Miss Huadai doesn't understand the intricacies of the competition; she's just here as a mascot." Yae no Miko took over, saying listlessly, "Most of the decisions will be made by me."

Kayo Kamisato gave an awkward but polite smile.

"The final four teams in this 100-person selection are from the frigid Winter Country, led by the young martial arts fanatic D'Artagnan..."

Shen Liang sat in the contestants' area, watching Yae no Miko read her prepared remarks on the podium, despite her impatience. In public, Yae no Miko maintained the demeanor of a high priestess; at least she didn't leave a clone behind and slip away, but instead diligently carried out her duties.

However, Shen Liang was not quite sure why Kagami Kayo had also become a host. Kagami Kayo was not a Genshin Impact, and her eyesight probably couldn't even see the details of the battle between the martial artists on the field, so what was she doing up there?

Did he really act as referee himself just so his daughter could win?

“Maybe she was worried that Ayaka would get hurt,” Ayaka Kamisato whispered. “The referee has the power to stop the match directly. Mom was probably afraid that I would force myself to play and hurt myself, so she decided to be the host and referee herself.”

"Good mother." Xiaogong yawned sleepily beside her.

Ayaka Kamisato frowned slightly as she looked at her two sleepy teammates. "Didn't you two sleep well last night?"

At the mention of this, Xiaogong was furious. He turned around and grabbed Shen Liang's face, saying angrily, "Linghua, you don't know, Liangzi practiced swordsmanship upstairs in my building all night yesterday. The floor was pounding and slapping until almost dawn before he stopped! This morning I asked him and he said he was a little excited about his first competition and couldn't sleep. He couldn't sleep, but did he forget that I live downstairs from him? If I underperform today, it will definitely be Liangzi's fault!"

"Practicing swordsmanship?" Ayaka Kamisato was a little confused. Ryoko... wasn't she using a gun? Her Raikiri was still with her.

"It's alright, I'm fine... Ah." Shen Liang quickly rubbed his eyes, using the power of the Sea Moon to keep himself awake. He was a little embarrassed to see Ayaka's puzzled expression, so he could only thank Xiaogong in his heart. Xiaogong really is a good kid; he believes everything he's told. If Xiaobailu lived downstairs, he might have been exposed.

Meanwhile, in the Northern team's seating area, the young master was holding his forehead, and the two empty seats next to him looked particularly conspicuous.

"Young Master? Where are Tatiana and Lyudmila?" Yegor also looked at the two empty seats. Although he had already accepted the facts of last night and was no longer particularly sad, seeing this scene gave him a vague sense of unease.

"Still sleeping," the young master said softly.

"Sleeping?" Yegor frowned. "They're absent from a match today?"

"When I went to check, they couldn't get up anymore, and even if they did, they wouldn't be able to fight." The young master pinched the bridge of his nose, somewhat annoyed. "Oh well, this time it was my fault. Who would have thought that child... tsk, in the end, we were the ones who suffered."

"What do you mean by that, young master..." Yegor's question was suddenly cut short as he realized the answer, his face turning pale as he looked at the paper.

The young master looked at his subordinate with a somber expression, "So I advise you not to ask any further questions."