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

“Pandora! Bal...Zebu!”

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The castle tower, the inner palace... to be precise, the Ooku.

Shen Liang, with a towel under his head, was soaking in the water, lying on the edge of the hot spring. This hot spring was not the imperial hot spring of the castle tower, but a private hot spring that was fed from the back mountain into the inner palace, belonging to the shogun and usually only Shin and Kage could enjoy.

However, it was later opened to Shen Liang as well, because Shen Liang couldn't go to the Imperial Hot Spring every time. In order to keep his identity a secret, the Imperial Hot Spring had to be cleared out every time, which would have too much of an impact on the shogunate officials who liked to go to the hot spring after court.

At this moment, it seemed that he was the only one in the hot spring, but there were actually three people. Mistelin had already taken off her conservative pure white nun's clothes and changed into a white bikini. She was lying on her back in the hot spring, eating hot spring eggs without restraint. There was also a wet pink fox lying in Shen Liang's arms, peeking out of the water to lick his chest.

Ah, it's not a nickname, it's a real fox, the pet fox of Thor's sisters.

So it's not about being lewd.

Shen Liang turned his head to look at the pure white beauty lazily floating on the water, picked up her long hair, and asked curiously, "Why are your clothes inside also white, Sister Yu Tu?"

"White is the representative color of the Shaniat family. Whether it's you or me, we have to get used to it. The women of the Shaniat family are as beautiful as snow and as pure as white paper. They are the best women in the world." Mistelin drifted over lazily. "Open your mouth."

Shen Liang shut his mouth.

"If you don't open your mouth, I'll pounce on you. Do you want your aunts and sisters to guess what we're doing underwater? Even though they can't see me, they definitely know you're having a wet dream."

"You dare call yourself a soul as clear as a blank sheet of paper?" Shen Liang opened his mouth angrily.

Mistelin casually stuffed five egg yolks into his mouth. She did indeed like white eggs and always ate the egg whites, leaving Shen Liang to dispose of the rest each time.

Shen Liang certainly didn't like eating pure egg yolks, but if he didn't eat the yolks, he would have to eat the eggshells. Only after weighing the pros and cons could he make a wise choice.

Only then did some of the women standing on the shore begin to speak.

Lei Yingdian frowned as he looked at the boy in the pool who had already eaten five eggs: "Does he have such a good appetite?"

“Ryo’er has always had a good appetite. The reason he got into trouble this time is simply because he was hungry and wanted to eat ramen outside.” Raiden Zhenmei looked helplessly at her silly son and shook her head. “How did the interrogation go?”

“That deputy envoy was very frank. Although he didn’t say it outright, he basically admitted that he came to test Liang’er and see if she was truly a demon god. The other thugs and ruffians just followed him around, bullying others. They didn’t understand anything and couldn’t get any information out of him.” Ling Shanfang stepped forward. At this moment, she was less alluring and mature than usual and spoke calmly, “The only problem is that Liang’er’s identity was revealed in court this morning, and the Fools have already launched a targeted attack that evening.”

Reizenbo was the head of the Tengu clan and also served as the head of the Samurai Office in the shogunate. The Samurai Office was mainly responsible for commanding samurai, protecting the various administrative organs of the shogunate, and maintaining order in the streets of Inazuma Castle. In addition, treason, robbery, arson, fighting, gambling, rape, and other crimes also fell under the jurisdiction of the Samurai Office, which was essentially the police chief of Inazuma.

Of course, she was also in charge of the Heavenly Prison, since the Inazuma Great Heavenly Prison was located near Shadow Mountain and guarded by the Tengu clan. She personally interrogated cases like this one that threatened Shen Liang.

Lei Dianzhen sighed softly, "There's a traitor in the court."

Lei Ying's cold, beautiful face was filled with murderous intent; she understood the meaning of those words. Even if the Fools had infiltrated deeply, Shen Liang had only truly appeared today. How could he have devised a plan and come to test them in just over ten hours? Unless there were Fools' spies among those who attended court, and they went to find them after court!

Even worse... the information might have already been obtained by the Fatui before Ryo'er even made her real appearance... but Ryo'er made a rare public appearance today, and they seized the opportunity...

But that's almost impossible.

—If it's the latter, it means the mole is among those who knew Ryo from the beginning. Torachiyo, Kitsune-no-miya, even Reizenbo, and even myself are all possibilities. Anyone here could be the mole except my sister! After all, the Okuzume-shuku members are essentially not allowed to leave the castle tower. Anyone who can both contact Ryo and leave the castle tower can be trusted!

—How could anyone around Liang'er possibly betray him?

—These sluts are so greedy even with their older sister watching over them; without her, Liang'er's daughter might already be several years old. It's more likely they'd be so jealous of the many women around Liang'er that they turned evil, cut off her head, held it in their arms, and committed suicide by boat… It's less likely they'd betray Liang'er and more likely they'd be driven to madness by jealousy of her many women…

Lei Yingdian shook his head, quickly shaking away his inexplicable thoughts.

"Does this need to be investigated?" Ling Shanfang asked.

At the beginning of the Inatsuma Shogunate, a position called "Butler" was established as an assistant to the Shogun, whose role was to supervise all retainers and samurai. This position was generally nominal, but could only be held by the three most trusted yokai (supernatural beings) of the Shogun.

Yokai and humans are ultimately different. The three great yokai—Kitsune-no-Miya, Torachiyo, and Reizenbo—are essentially uninvolved in court politics, thus remaining aloof. Only those who are aloof can enter the oversight system. Inazuma and the others have never used this role in all these years, because using it would signify discord between ruler and subject, and the gods beginning to be wary of humans.

This could even mean a change of leadership and a change of blood in the shogunate.

Chapter Twelve: You're wearing this to treat Liang'er's illness?

Raiden stared at Shen Liang in the hot spring for a long time, then shook his head.

“Initiating surveillance will cause turmoil in the court and among the people. Besides, finding the mastermind behind this is not something that can be done through surveillance alone.” Lei Dianzhen moved lightly and knelt down by the pond, scooping up water with a ladle and pouring it over Shen Liang’s head. “In addition, this intelligence will spread sooner or later. We never intended to hide it. Liang’er is young and inexperienced. If she wants to gain experience, she cannot avoid facing crises. If she travels as an ordinary person, what crises would she face?”

Shen Liang's long hair was hanging in the water. He squeezed out a lot of shampoo to lather his hair, then shook his head, enjoying the pleasant feeling of being doused with warm water by Lei Dianzhen.

"Will Mother help me wash?" Shen Liang opened her eyes and turned her head to ask.

"Okay." Raiden smiled gently, kneeling gracefully by the water. She picked up Shen Liang's long white hair, combed it neatly with a wooden comb, and then applied bellflower essential oil to moisturize it.

Her movements were gentle. As a demon goddess, she had plenty of time, just like her son. Washing Shen Liang's hair was Lei Dianzhen's daily routine. At this moment, she could only see her child and not think about anything else, taking her time to groom him. Even if it took an afternoon or an evening, Shen Liang would not complain. He would just sit obediently in the water and wait.

One could even say that his beautiful, straight, waist-length white hair was a testament to Raiden's skill, something Raiden, as a mother, was most proud of. As for Shen Liang, his boundless lifespan was meant to be wasted; he never felt time was too long. It seemed a voice in his mind was telling him that simply sitting in Raiden's lap, being combed and bathed by his mother as a son, was something he had always dreamed of but could never attain.

Therefore, he cherishes every minute that Raiden Shin spends with him, and he never feels it's too much.

"So you're just going to let it go like this?" Lei Yingdong frowned slightly. "I don't want to let it go like this after bullying Liang'er. Sister, he's not just your son, he's also my disciple."

"Of course we won't just give up on this reckoning." Raiden Shin said as he combed his hair, his tone somewhat cold. "We will take this opportunity to wipe out the Fool Clan forces within the country, whether they are officially or covertly. We will also send a letter of protest to the Winter Kingdom, condemning their tolerance of the Fool Clan's attack on our Crown Prince, downgrading diplomatic relations, reducing trade, and making them at least give us something back."

"That's it?" Lei Movie was still not satisfied.

These aren't enough. Apart from the forceful removal of the Fools' stronghold, which can be considered retaliation, the rest were just normal measures that were going to be implemented anyway.

"That's all. As long as the Fools insist it was an accident and that Ryo wasn't seriously injured, it's unlikely they'll cause too much trouble." Raiden sighed. "Can they really use this to threaten the Fools' higher-ups? Inazuma is no match for Shifuyu. We can only make an example of them within our own territory. How far can we go in pursuing their culpability?"

"So what exactly is the purpose of the Fools' desire to confirm Liang'er's identity?" Lei Yingdong asked angrily.

"The words 'demon god' inherently encompass countless possibilities," Raiden Shin said softly.

Lei Yingdian also knew what a young demon god meant. If it weren't for Liyue's special status, Lei Yingdian wouldn't even dare to send Shen Liang to Liyue.

But compared to Inazuma, the powerful Liyue possesses the confidence to not even fear the Winter Kingdom. If a fledgling is forced to fly, the ruthless mother bird will have already arranged the most suitable path.

Lei Dianying knew that her older sister was gentle on the outside but strong on the inside. Although she was a fragile mother, like a bellflower that could be blown down by the wind, her love for Shen Liang was even more resolute. Men are the embodiment of conquest; if one stays forever by the side of their mother and sister, one will never grow up. The gentle embrace of women is the tomb of heroes.

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The bright moon hangs high in the sky; it's two in the morning.

Inside the main hall, in Shenliang's two-story building, a coffin sits quietly in the center of the room.

The entire house seemed to be covered with a thin layer of white frost, not the silvery sheen created by moonlight shining through the windows, but a genuine, thin layer of frost. The temperature inside the small building was alarmingly lower than outside, and the originally wooden coffin was now covered with a layer of icy, silvery white.

The source of the cold is the coffin.

Shen Liang's face was flushed red. He had taken off all his clothes except for his undergarments. His originally fair and healthy skin now had a reddish hue, as if he had just finished strenuous exercise, and he was steaming. He was lying face down on the frozen ice coffin, and the place where his body touched the coffin made a "hissing" sound, with white steam rising from it.

That was due to his body temperature exceeding fifty degrees Celsius, causing an evaporation reaction in the coffin.

"Sister Yu Tu..." Shen Liang tossed and turned on the coffin lid. When he turned to the front, his back felt like it was on fire. When he turned to the back, his front felt like it was on fire. He was exhausted and his throat felt dry.

This is the pain of the Holy Blood being unable to be suppressed. Before, when he took a bath, Lei Yingdian could help suppress it for a while, but every time his blood boiled after using his ability, even Lei Yingdian couldn't suppress it. "Blocking" it never worked; it had to be "unblocked." When he couldn't get relief, he could only roll around on the coffin that emitted cold air, feeling as if countless molten copper balls were rolling inside his body, suffering immense torment.

"Sister Yu Tu..." Shen Liang could hardly hold back anymore. He gripped the edge of the coffin, his body drenched in sweat, and he was so hot that he was delirious.

Mistelin turned her head away, remaining silent, unable to bear the sight of the boy's contorted form, even sticking out his tongue to lick the coffin lid for more cold air. She was always there for Shen Liang during these moments; she and Shen Liang were of one mind, and naturally understood the boy's suffering.

But she had no choice.

Because she herself is the Holy Blood, it could even be said that the reason Shen Liang often suffers from the pain of being burned is because of her. As long as she remains in Shen Liang's body, this pain will not subside.

"If I had a body, I would definitely... Damn it!" Mistelin gritted her teeth fiercely, finally unable to hold back any longer. She jumped down from the air and hugged Shen Liang, using her cool body to soothe the boy. And indeed, she was a little colder than normal. The moment she hugged Shen Liang, he suddenly pulled her down and held her in his arms, pressing her tightly against the coffin like a wild beast, as if he wanted to break Mistelin's bones.

Looking into the boy's almost irrational eyes, Mistelin felt even more heartache. She didn't care that Shen Liang had used an extraordinary amount of force, enough to crush her, since as a phantom she couldn't feel pain. On the contrary, if the pain would make Shen Liang feel better, she would rather do it herself.

“Pandora, it’s alright, it’s alright, I’m here, you’re holding me, I’m here.” Mistelin struggled to pull her arm away, stroking the boy’s burning face, and whispered, “Bear with it, all those who possess holy blood go through this. It just means you’re a genius, my darling. As a man, to have such good compatibility with me, you’re the first in history. You…”

Out of control, Shen Liang bit her shoulder!

Blood was everywhere, dripping from the wound and turning into scattered glimmers of light as it fell to the ground, intensifying Mistelin's pain.

She could only hold Shen Liang's head tightly, using her body heat to make him feel better. "Bite, bite away, bite wherever you want, as long as you feel better... Baby, you have to get through this. How could our Shaniat family's precious jewel not withstand the Holy Blood? Remember, baby? You are the child she cherishes like her own. That's what she calls you too, Pandora, baby. She's a delicate woman, but the pain of being burned is ten or a hundred times greater than yours. She can endure it all. You are her treasure, her man. How could you be inferior to her?"

Only at times like this would Mistelin abandon all her usual reserve and sharp tongue, and use the greatest possible gentleness to embrace Shen Liang. She usually always called him by his name, and she always felt awkward using intimate terms like "baby," as if the two of them were inherently an unlikely pair and this was too much of a forced romantic pairing... But when Shen Liang was caught up in excitement, she forgot all her reserve.

"who is she?"

“She is…” Misterin was about to answer, but for some inexplicable reason, she swallowed the words back. She glanced at the boy one last time, her eyes filled with guilt and heartache, and could only say, “That’s me, yes, that’s me, Misterin Shaniat. You are my precious Pandora, you are my man! Holy blood burning is nothing more than this, it’s easy for you!”

Shen Liang raised his head, his vision blurred as he looked at Misterin. Gradually, he seemed to see Misterin's face overlapping with another identical face, like fireworks, or like two separate people.

"No...no, Sister Yu Tu...you're lying..." Shen Liang was so hot she felt like she was about to explode, her mind a complete mess. Finally, she managed to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth and roared, "Where is Fox Palace...!"

A soft sigh came from outside the door. The white-haired, jade-faced, eight-tailed fairy fox pushed open the door, a helpless smile on its face.

"A demon god is still a demon god after all. He calls me 'Auntie' so affectionately every day, but when he loses his mind, he shouts, 'Where is Fox Palace?'" Fox Palace said with a faint smile. "Stop shouting, Liang'er, I'm coming, I'm coming."

Mistelin looked over and finally saw her savior.

Unlike her usual kimono attire, the white-haired fox spirit was dressed tonight in a red and white shrine maiden outfit. She was indeed a shrine maiden, and the priestess of Narukami Taisha Shrine. But this shrine maiden outfit... how to put it, was somewhat strange.

The white robe she wore underneath was thin and almost transparent, clearly revealing the neatly wrapped bodice of the Fox Palace. The bright red trousers were specially cut with slits up to the waist, connected only by hemp rope, so that her slender white thighs and waist could be clearly seen when she walked.

Most importantly, she was also wearing a layer of kimbap.

Having spent so much time in Inazuma, Mistelin roughly understood that this was an important garment worn only during festivals, Kagura dances, and... weddings. It was a small personal item belonging to Kitsune-no-miya; she rarely even wore shrine maiden attire, let alone Chihaya.

But Mistelin knew that although Fox Palace seemed easygoing, she still had a sense of ritual that belonged to a priestess. Perhaps there were some things that she could only begin to do by taking on the role of a wife.

Mistelin smiled slightly.

When she put on the shrine maiden's robes and draped herself in the Thousand-Horned Robe, she was no longer Fox Palace, no longer Aunt Palace. She became the white-haired, jade-faced fairy fox who belonged only to Shen Liang.

Hu Zhaigong took off his wooden clogs and approached Shen Liang wearing only white socks, then squatted down in front of him.

Seemingly sensing that the solution was a savior, Shen Liang struggled to suppress her torment, feeling extremely aggrieved: "Aunt Zhaigong is so slow... hurry up... use that kind of magic you learned from Liyue... Liang'er... is going to die..."

At this point, he could only beg the Fox Palace for help, and for this he even subconsciously brought out the third-person pronoun he had stopped using after the age of five.