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

"Masahito is still an honest man. He said something about cute little children in front of the Regent."

"Haha, that kid is definitely angry, but he is really cute. I guess boys hate being called cute."

"That depends on who he's talking to. If a pretty girl said that, he definitely wouldn't care. But if a tough guy like Zhengren said it, it would be a bit too insulting, hahaha, after all, he's not even up to Zhengren's chest."

Shen Liang heard the audience's laughter, and what was even worse was that Hu Qiandai was laughing so hard right next to him that he felt even worse.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. After all, I was quite surprised when I first learned that Mr. Shen, who won the title of Peerless Warrior of the West, was such a delicate-looking child." Kujo Masahito apologized while laughing. "Heroes emerge from among the young. No wonder Sara admires you so much. Hahaha, that's right. Next up is the battle of you young people."

"It's only because I'm in a better mood now. Back when I first came to Narugami Island, if you talked to me like that, I would have taken it as mockery and gotten beaten up," Shen Liang said with a sigh of relief.

“Mr. Shen, there’s no need to take everyone’s affection for you as malice. After all, we’re not bad people.” Kujo Masahito waved his hand, preparing to leave the stage.

Shen Liang watched his retreating figure and suddenly said, "You deliberately admitted defeat, didn't you? You didn't want to waste my energy and wanted a completely fair match?"

Kujo Masahito paused as he disappeared into the crowd, smiling and remarking, "Mr. Shen is truly exceptionally intelligent."

"Don't praise people if you're uncultured; 'smart and intelligent' is a term used to describe girls."

Just as Kujo Masahito was leaving the stage, black wings appeared behind Kujo Sara, who was sitting in the general's seat of the Karasu-no-Kara team, and he took flight!

Because the sun was so intense, the figure of the celestial dog, suspended high in the sky, was backlit by the blazing light, and only its tall silhouette could be seen.

She carried a jet-black longbow on her back and held a naginata in her left hand. Although her face was not visible due to the backlighting, Shen Liang could clearly hear her resounding voice.

"Mr. Shen! It's been since we parted ways at Nashiidai that we haven't even had a chance to fight! The Tenryo Magistrate was defeated without even fighting you, and Sara has been very resentful about it all year!"

Shen Liang smiled.

“I want you to be completely convinced too,” he said, looking up at the tengu in the sky, “but what you’re thinking about isn’t a one-on-one contest of skill where nobody cares. What you want is to defeat me honorably in front of everyone, to tell everyone that the soldiers of Inazuma still have a future! Right!”

Kujo Sara took a deep breath, her cold and aloof face now breaking into a radiant smile. "Yes! Mr. Shen, you're absolutely right! So, you must also want to accept the challenge, right!"

"You celestial dog, you know you have no chance of winning but you still dare to challenge me!" Shen Liang shouted. "Of course! I'm also looking forward to fighting you, and I'll give it my all!"

"Then please, Mr. Shen, dance with Saro! This year's Hundred Leaders' Coup has been rife with filth, and Saro has long wanted to regroup and clean up this mess! Come on, if you don't give it your all, you'll be disrespecting me! Let's sever all our past ties and grudges right here today!"

Shen Liang originally wanted to confirm with her how she was going to fight, but upon hearing this, he suddenly understood Kujo Sara's determination.

The reason she chose to wait at the rank of general was so that she could fight him in his entirety. There would be no need for tactical maneuvering, no need for intrigue, and no need to use cruel methods to weaken the opponent in order to achieve victory.

All she wanted was the purest form of combat; all she wanted was the original purpose of this martial arts tournament.

Shen Liang knew that Kujo Sara was not a pure warrior; she was a soldier and a fighter who prioritized national interests. But the reason she was so passionate today was that what she sought was not victory in the Hyakunin-Ikkuri competition, but the dignity that the Inazuma nation had once lost in front of him.

In the Battle of Nashiina, Shen Liang nearly broke the backbone of the Shogunate army. The aggressive, brutal, ugly, and incompetent Shogunate army was perhaps Shen Liang's first impression of Inatsume's stupidity.

But this impression is wrong. No country should be summed up with a few simple malicious words. Kujo Sara wanted to challenge him to show him that the Inatsume people could also be upright and spirited! He wanted to show that this country wasn't just about the ugly side of scheming, corruption, and intrigue, but also about the countless righteous people who bravely sacrificed themselves for their country!

I'll prove it to you with my bow and sword!

Shen Liang laughed out loud; his desire to fight this celestial dog was burning intensely within him.

He knew that Kujo Sara was the same.

At this moment, fighting with all one's might, allowing Kujo Sara to fight with all her might without regret, would be the greatest praise for this young general!

"Using only martial arts, right?" Shen Liang's eyes were fixed on Kujo Sara.

“Just what I wanted.” Kujo Sara also stared at him.

The two of them shouted at the same time!

"Blizzard Team! General, Shen Liang!"

"The Crow Feather Corps! Admiral, Kujo Sara!"

The two shot out like two shooting stars, one above and one below! Their black wings and white robes fluttered in the wind as the last descendant of the Tengu clan and the strongest human in Inazuma roared as they collided in the sky.

"Enter the battle!"

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

It was around 7 p.m. when it got dark. The lights of thousands of homes were already lit, and most of the shogunate officials who worked at the castle tower had gone home by this time. The lights on many of the tower's buildings had gradually gone out.

After get off work, the officials had one of the most enjoyable things to do: they could go to the Imperial Bath House inside the castle tower every weekend for a bath.

The Imperial Hot Springs Office, also known as the "Imperial Hot Springs" by officials of the shogunate, was built with funds from the Tenryō Magistrate. High-ranking officials of the shogunate would often come here to soak in the hot springs. Because it was a place exclusively for the shogunate and highly confidential, many important figures would often discuss important matters while bathing here, making it almost impossible for outsiders to enter.

However, many officials were turned away today. Ms. Mikawa Akane, the person in charge of the Imperial Hot Spring, politely declined everyone's requests. Even the most distinguished nobleman of Inazuma, the dignified Kansei-bu-kai, was not allowed to enter.

"The head of the Kujo family has booked the entire place for the time being? There are so many private rooms at the Imperial Onsen, and she wants them all by herself? Can she even manage to use them all?" Some civil officials who had been looking forward to relaxing for a whole week were dumbfounded and said with dissatisfaction, "Damn it! I'm going to impeach the head of the Kujo family at the regular court session tomorrow!"

“The Imperial Hot Spring is a property managed entirely by the Tenryo Magistrate. Today, the Kujo family head has invited many guests, so it is inconvenient for him to entertain you all. Please forgive him.” Mikawa Akane said with a smile.

"Many guests? We just finished fighting the Hundred-Man Rebellion, and instead of recuperating and resting, the head of the Kujo family is here soaking in a hot spring?"

"I don't know then. As you know, the head of the Kujo family is a woman, and most of those who have come are women. Gentlemen, please leave."

The guests were turned away and had no choice but to leave. Inside the Royal Hot Spring, separated by thick walls, past several private rooms, a meticulously constructed hot spring pool sat in a small white stone courtyard.

That was the best courtyard in the Imperial Bathing Bureau, and one of the few pools where many people bathed together. Inside the white stone walls was a refreshing and clear hot spring pond, with lush bamboo and beautifully arranged flowers and plants arranged in a pleasing manner. The craggy rocks in the pool were built into small hills and streams, giving the whole courtyard a warm white steam.

In the warm and pleasant mist, a porcelain bottle of sake and a few snacks can be vaguely seen on a wooden table by the pond. Then, a slender and fair female arm picked up a tricolor dumpling, casually raised it in front of her, and then a beautiful little girl with long black hair nestled in her arms took a bite out of it.

Kujo Sara didn't mind. While leaning against the wall of the hot spring pool and resting with her eyes closed, she picked up a piece of snack and fed it to Shen Liang.

She was soaking in a hot spring, which was obvious. Because it was a communal bath, she was wrapped in a large towel, although her extremely tall and slender figure was still visible even after the towel was soaked in water.

Shen Liang, dressed in men's bath shorts, lazily enjoyed the warmth of the pool, but unlike Kujo Sara who could only lean against the rocks, his back was much softer. Kujo Sara had the boy on her lap, so that he could maintain a sitting position without being too low and having his nose submerged in the water.

After all, he was only 1.59 meters tall, while Kujo Sara was nearly 1.8 meters tall. Naturally, the consequence of this was that Shen Liang was lazily leaning against the embrace of this tall, curvaceous female tengu, his little head almost sinking into Sara's proud softness.

But Kujo Sara didn't seem to mind. She casually ran her fingers through Shen Liang's smooth black hair, twirling a few strands as she stroked the boy's soft hair in her arms, feeling quite at peace.

"The hot springs provided for important figures are so comfortable," Shen Liang said happily, taking another bite of the wagashi (Japanese sweets) that Kujo Sara had fed him. This scene made Kujo Sara feel like she was holding a greedy and playful cat, even though this cat was a bit heavy.

“Unlike other hot springs, the water at the Imperial Hot Spring is infused with precious minerals and plants collected from various countries. Even the blast furnaces that supply the hot water are imported from the Kingdom of Winter. The temperature is just right, which is very nourishing. In a way, this is actually one of the important benefits of serving as an official in the castle tower,” Kujo Sara said.

"Hehe, if we so forcefully book the entire Royal Hot Spring, won't people be talking about you for days?" Shen Liang laughed.

“Let Sara indulge herself this once. After all, Sara fought with Mr. Shen this time for Inazuma’s sake… She’s so tired that she doesn’t even feel like stopping Mr. Shen from taking advantage of her. Heh, what’s wrong with indulging herself this once?” Kujo Sara chuckled. “The Shogun won’t say anything, let alone them.”

"Is this why you wouldn't even let Shinsuke Hiiragi come in to take his daughter back, and why you kept him outside, making that old man so angry he was blowing his beard and glaring at you?"

"Anyway, Mr. Shen doesn't like the Commissioner of Investigation, does he?" Kujo Sara and Shen Liang laughed together.

The final round of the 100-person uprising ended without any suspense.

It wasn't until the finals that the competition returned to its true essence. Shen Liang and Kujo Sara were sweating profusely on the stage. No one flew with wings, no one jumped using teleportation screens, no one used elemental power, and no one used firearms.

Even in a duel involving melee weapons, Kujo Sara threw his naginata to him, and the two engaged in the purest form of hand-to-hand combat, a contest of pure skill.

In the end, Shen Liang emerged slightly superior. While their physical attributes were similar, Shen Liang, despite his smaller stature, ultimately had the upper hand in martial arts. Earth's systematic martial arts, developed through the information explosion, surpassed Teyvat's martial arts tradition. Even Torachiyo, with a thousand years of combat experience, marveled at the maturity and sophistication of Earth's martial arts, let alone Kujo Sara.

However, such a pure battle was exhilarating enough that victory or defeat was no longer important. Afterwards, General Raiden bestowed the Jade Dragon Banner upon the victor, followed by Ayaka Kamisato offering advice to the General as a victor.

However, despite offering his advice, Shen Liang didn't seem to notice that the general had taken it to heart. In fact, when Ayaka Kamisato was giving her advice, Shen Liang noticed that General Raiden was staring intently at him from beginning to end, his gaze seeming to say something like, "Damn it, it's you who corrupted my people."

After that, we went to the hot springs to relax.

Although Kujo Sara was not seriously injured after the battle, the intense pleasure he had enjoyed for almost an entire afternoon left his body feeling as if it were being torn apart once he stopped.

So even though she knew that Shen Liang was a healthy teenager with a normal sexual orientation during puberty, she still hugged Shen Liang and soaked in the hot spring together without any hesitation, trying to increase the contact area between their bodies as much as possible, and enjoying the relaxation and blood circulation brought by the Huahaiyue Secret Technique.

Chapter 156 Ryoko-san's Drowning Incident in the Hot Spring

"I never expected Mr. Shen to be so skilled in martial arts. It's strange, back in Meizui Beach I felt that you didn't have any martial arts foundation in your movements. I really don't know how I misjudged you back then."

Shen Liang knew his own situation well and felt guilty. "Don't say that. It was very difficult for me to beat you, you know."

“Mr. Shen is much younger than Sara. Sara is confident that his martial arts talent is already quite strong, but Mr. Shen is simply indescribable… Sigh, it really makes Sara jealous.” Kujo Sara sighed as she reached out and pinched his delicate little face, which was slippery from being soaked in the hot spring water. “But it’s good that Mr. Shen is finally going to Liyue. Without Mr. Shen, Sara will once again be the leader of the younger generation in Inazuma.”

"Are you so eager for me to leave?" Shen Liang reached for the sake.

“Perhaps when Mr. Shen returns in a few years, he will see that Inazuma has been transformed.” Kujo Sara said softly, “We lost this war. Mr. Shen made us see many outdated things. But Mr. Shen, the new generation will eventually replace the old generation. Even in eternity, there will be new variables.”

"Are the Tenryō Magistrate, the Shrine Magistrate, and the Narukami Taisha going to make some new moves?"

"Yes, of course, Mr. Shen is also going to make some big moves."

"Me?" Shen Liang asked, puzzled.

"Mr. Shen took away dozens of daughters from noble families in Inazuma. Perhaps their thinking hasn't changed yet, or perhaps they still adhere to the traditional aristocratic ways... But by traveling the world with Mr. Shen, they should have learned some new things through exposure." Kujo Sara hugged the boy from behind, pressed her face against the back of his neck, and closed her eyes deeply. "When they return to Inazuma, perhaps a new world will have arrived."

"How enviable... If only Sara could also give up this business and follow Mr. Shen to see the world without a care in the world, how wonderful that would be."

The soft sigh of the female tengu behind him made Shen Liang feel a little regretful. Kujo Sara's progress with him had reached 51% since the final battle. Although it was not high, this level of progress could be considered a good match.

He also had a strong liking for this cold and capable young general, despite her striking height which was visually intimidating. However, Kujo Sara was different from people like Kamisato Ayaka; she was the magistrate of the shogunate, a very important retainer. She certainly didn't have the means to follow him around, nor could she become part of his faction.

Like now, the two of them are snuggling together in the hot spring pool and chatting, which is the last bit of tenderness between friends before parting ways.

"Speaking of which, I've known you for much longer than I've known Aya and Sou-gyo, right?" Shen Liang relaxed and lay down in her arms, tilting his head up to look at her, only able to see her small, round chin. "But we're still so distant, you even call me Mr. Shen."

Kujo Sara looked down at the boy's questioning eyes and shrugged. "Because you said that the name 'Ryoko' sounds like how Inatsume would address a girl, right? You don't like it."

"I can't help it if you don't like it. Everyone calls me that. If I corrected everyone, I'd have nothing else to do all day. You get used to it after a while. Besides, if everyone else can call me that, and I'm the only one who doesn't let you, wouldn't it seem like I'm targeting you?"

Kujo Sara smiled helplessly.

Shen Liang looked at her cold and beautiful face and saw her smile as beautiful as a thawing stream, and couldn't help but smile as well.

“Ryoko?” Kujo Sara said.

"Ah."