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

At this moment, Shen Liang looked at the distant island and asked curiously, "Shouldn't we be heading northwest? Liyue is in the northwest, why are we heading due north?"

Fa Nan glanced into the distance and explained, "Oh, that island over there is Lone Cloud Pavilion. Once we get there, Liyue Harbor won't be far away. Because I have some missions to complete on this trip, I need to get here first before I can take you back. Don't worry, it'll only take one night."

"Military mission?" Shen Liang blinked. "Isn't it a bit inappropriate for me to know about Liyue's military mission?"

"It's just a small task like clearing out pirates, nothing to keep secret. Besides, the pirates wouldn't have gotten the information from you anyway," Fanan said softly. "There might be cannon fire and battle sounds tonight. If you can't sleep, you can come to the island and witness the Liyue people's annihilation battle."

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Incident at Guyun Pavilion

Because it was at sea, there was no shortage of fresh meat, only various kinds of fish. The sailors were all skilled fishermen, and they would add firewood to heat the hot pot while fishing and eating on the spot, which was very well received.

But even a hot pot that can eat anything can't rely solely on fish; it also needs some real meat. However, the other meats stored on the ship were mostly dried or salted meat, which didn't taste good in hot pot. So they treated it as a late-night snack after dinner. Afterward, the officers and soldiers dispersed and went back to the lower decks to rest and chat. As night fell, the deck became deserted with hardly anyone left.

But actually everyone was still awake; many people were just taking a short nap because of the annihilation mission that night.

As the moon rose to its zenith, around 8 p.m., Shen Liang could already see the Guyun Pavilion Islands in his field of vision. The shadowy villages dotted the islands, clearly indicating that this was not some isolated island, but rather an overseas village inhabited by many people.

"The Lone Cloud Archipelago is a remnant that once belonged to the people of the Whirlpool Demon God. After the Demon God War, a large number of people moved inland, and now the permanent population is only over 100,000, which are under the jurisdiction of the Governor-General of the Yunlai Naval Fleet, which is the present-day Kaiyang Star. However, due to its geographical location, it is nominally Liyue territory, but in reality, the seven stars of Liyue rarely have access to this place. If it weren't for the presence of Fanan's navy suppressing the Lone Cloud Archipelago, this place might often be a place of trouble," Fanan explained.

"Kaiyang Star?"

"The Liyue Seven Stars are seven prominent merchants of Liyue. From a purely administrative standpoint, they do not interfere with our immortal clans, each taking on a different role – one civil, one military. We, the Liyue immortals, are responsible for eliminating petty villains, while these human leaders are in charge of people's livelihoods and administrative affairs. However, on the surface, all seven stars are leaders," Fanan explained with a smile. "For example, Kaiyang is nominally the governor of Yunlai Sea, while I am merely an admiral under her."

"Since Sister Fanan said nominally, then in reality..."

"In reality, Kaiyang Star has no authority to mobilize Fanan, because the Liyue Navy is actually under the control of three admirals. The most elite force is naturally Fanan, and the admiral only has the ability to command the other two forces. Everyone in Liyue knows that Fanan's navy is the head of the Liyue Navy, and all three naval forces usually train with Fanan."

She stopped there, giving a slightly self-satisfied, gentle smile.

[This means that while the nominal Navy Governor is human, she is actually the de facto leader of the Liyue Navy, and all the naval forces obey her.] Mistelin explained to Shen Liang, [In terms of military power, it seems the Liyue Seven Stars cannot compete with the Celestials. The Celestials hold onto military power while humans occupy political power... well, similar to Inazuma.]

The same applies to Inatsuma. The "Hyakki Army" of Torachiyo, representing the pinnacle of military power, the "Onmyōryō" under Kitsuzai-gū, which gathers all the Onmyōji (yin-yang masters) of Inatsuma, and the "Kageshō Tengu-shū," a special forces unit trained by Reisenbō in a family-like manner. These military forces are all controlled by "non-human" races, while humans often cannot obtain the highest power in this regard and can only serve as civil servants.

This doesn't mean that monsters and humans are mutually exclusive, but rather that humans and other races are inherently different.

Humans are born weak, unlike the naturally fierce fighting power of other races. Therefore, both the Liyue Asuras and the Inazuma Youkai prefer to "join the army" and "learn martial arts" when it comes to serving their country. However, other races often cannot truly understand the hearts and feelings of the human people, and are not as good as humans in terms of people's livelihood, economy, culture and other political aspects.

Separating civil and military affairs can also help avoid power struggles. Of course, this isn't always the case; brave human warriors can still rise to the highest ranks in the military, like the famous general "Sea God" of Haizhi Island. And non-human races can also hold extremely high public positions. For example, which of the seven rulers of the mortal world wasn't a demon god, and which wasn't a leader who devoted himself to governing during the founding of their nation?

As Shen Liang was pondering, Fa Nan noticed his silence and seemed to have misunderstood something, so he stood up and pointed in the direction of Gu Yun Pavilion, saying, "Does Your Highness feel that Li Yue is meddling too much? Why not allow Gu Yun Pavilion to have autonomy over the islands? Why lead an army to annihilate Gu Yun Pavilion?"

Shen Liang thought to herself, "I didn't. What do I care about the affairs of Liyue? Let them fight whoever they want. I'm here to study, not to get involved in politics."

"The Lonely Cloud Pavilion Islands are far from the mainland and do not engage in production. What do you think of their source of income, Princess?" Fa Nan asked. "One hundred thousand people means one hundred thousand mouths to feed, which inevitably breeds bandits. Liyue is a maritime power, attracting merchants from all over the world, but at least one-third of the shipping routes pass through the Lonely Cloud Pavilion Islands, which is their source of income. You should know that no matter how strong the Liyue navy is, it is impossible to escort all the merchant ships in the entire sea area, because this would cause Liyue huge losses every year... and it is only to feed those one hundred thousand people."

Shen Liang shrugged.

“Fanan is not saying that those 100,000 people don’t need to survive, but rather… whenever the Seven Stars of Liyue want them to relocate, or to develop the fishing industry according to Liyue’s plans, they always disagree.” Fanan’s tone was somewhat cold. “Liyue has given them more than one chance, but Guyun Pavilion failed to seize it. The Princess may not understand our predicament, but this annihilation campaign was by no means a senseless killing.”

Shen Liang shrugged again.

He actually understood... although he himself didn't know why he understood it so easily, after all, Raiden Shin didn't seem to have taught him.

It's quite simple. Because of path dependence, some people rise to prominence through this path. If you ask them to change their lives now, it will affect many people. It's not that just because you offer a better path, people have to live by it. Some people have lived their whole lives by robbery; even the highest-ranking officials rose to power through robbery. How can they possibly whitewash their ways? If they tried to whitewash themselves, everyone under their command would kill them.

This is what is meant by the livelihood of millions of grain transport workers.

"It seems the Princess doesn't believe Fanan's explanation. Oh well," Fanan sighed softly.

Shen Liang looked completely bewildered. "I didn't, I didn't, what did you say?"

But perhaps because Shen Liang's attitude was too casual, Fa Nan looked at the moon to confirm the time, then reached out to Shen Liang and said softly, "How about this, Princess Chang, would you like to accompany Fa Nan to explore Guyun Pavilion? See why this place was wiped out. Seeing it firsthand will prevent Your Highness from having any misunderstandings about the Liyue people's way of governing."

Shen Liang's eyes lit up. Go and scout out the enemy's headquarters? Fa Nan actually dared to do that? And take such a "distinguished guest" like him to a dangerous place!

Shen Liang decisively grasped Fa Nan's hand, "How do we get there?"

“Princess, your courage is commendable. In fact, this is also our plan. After all, there are countless women, girls and ordinary people in Guyun Pavilion. It is unlikely that the navy will kill everyone they see. We have to go and explore first.” Fa Nan laughed. “Of course, we can’t go like this. We have to change our appearance.”

--------

A gentle breeze swept across the sea, and a small speedboat arrived at a dilapidated dock.

On the pier, a dockworker was fishing, fast asleep with his face covered by a straw hat. Nearby, children were playing and laughing, and women were washing clothes in a small pond next to the pier. Seawater cannot be used directly to wash clothes, so the clever people living by the sea dug a ditch to bring in the water, filtered it through several layers of sand and gravel, and then stored it in the pond as relatively clear freshwater.

The pier is next to a small fishing village. In short, it is a peaceful and tranquil rural scene, far away from the hustle and bustle of the world. The snoring of the elderly, the laughter of children playing, and the sounds of women washing clothes are all mixed together.

Several people jumped off the small boat.

A delicate, literary-minded young woman, dressed in a dark blue high-necked cheongsam, stepped onto the dock with the help of a servant. She seemed to be the older sister, holding the hand of a pretty "little girl" who was a head shorter than her, with white hair reaching her waist, and curiously looking around.

It was obvious that these stunningly beautiful sisters came from a wealthy family. They were slender with fair skin, and their hands were clearly untouched by manual labor, lacking even calluses. The servants behind them were obviously martial artists from Liyue, strong and carrying weapons... How could a noble lady come to a place like Lonely Cloud Pavilion without a few martial artists with her?

The old man, lying on the chair with his face covered by a straw hat, glanced discreetly at the seven or eight people who had come down from the small boat. He noticed that the martial arts master behind the two young ladies even possessed the Divine Eye, and paid a slight attention to him, but still remained silent.

At this moment, the "younger sister" with long white hair jumped over and shouted, "Where's the boatman? We finally made this trip, why isn't the boatman here?"

The old man with the straw hat covering his face slowly lifted his fishing rod, calmly picking his ear: "Stop arguing, stop arguing, the little kid is just so impatient, I'm here." He then glanced around at the group, his eyes landing on the elegant young woman in the cheongsam, whom he assumed was the leader of the group, and continued: "Gentlemen, you've come all this way to Lonely Cloud Pavilion, and you've even brought a martial arts instructor with you. You must be no respectable people."

"Hey, how dare you talk about my sister like that! Everyone's a decent person!" The white-haired, half-grown girl suddenly became agitated. "Who are you insulting? Who are you insulting! Be careful, or I'll smash up this lousy dock. Do you even know who my sister and I are?"

The girl in the cheongsam covered her sister's mouth, then looked at the boat captain and said softly, "After all, this is Lonely Cloud Pavilion. Without some guards, who would dare to come to Lonely Cloud Pavilion?"

"Old fox," the boatman chuckled. "But what you're talking about are the bandits of Lonely Cloud Pavilion. We're just fishermen making a living. As you can see, this place is full of children and women; it's not a big stronghold. We wouldn't dare to cause any trouble with such imposing guests as you. Judging from your appearance, I know you're not someone to mess with. So, just say what's on your mind. If it's something I can handle, I can help you. If not, you'll have to go around to a few islands and find someone else."

The girl in the cheongsam smiled slightly: "Of course I have a request, but it's not a big favor. I've heard that the Lonely Cloud Pavilion often deals in human trafficking?"

"You wouldn't dare say such a thing." The boat captain waved his hands repeatedly. "I'm not a pirate, I'm a law-abiding citizen."

"I am aware of that, but the sea route from Liyue to Kanria has been closed. If you want to cross the border, the only place that can still provide smuggling services is Lone Cloud Pavilion."

"Kanria is not peaceful lately. Not many people dare to go there. All the air routes between the seven kingdoms are closed. Why don't you go to Mondstadt by land first, passing through Jingfu Port? I've heard there are a lot of illegal immigrants at Jingfu Port. As you know, the Knights of Mondstadt can't do anything about it, unlike in Liyue. Anyone who dares to do this kind of business has to risk being beheaded."

"money is not a problem."

The boat captain squinted at the girl in the cheongsam, then suddenly smiled and said, "You're very rich?"

"I will pay a reasonable price; if it's unreasonable, you should consider the consequences." The girl in the cheongsam said softly yet calmly. The six or seven warriors behind her stepped forward slightly, intentionally or unintentionally revealing the Divine Eyes at their waists.

"Alright! I'll take it, old man!" The boatman pondered for a while before decisively saying.

At this moment, the children nearby put down their mud and ran to the shore. After a while, a dilapidated old wooden boat came along. The boat was not big, and could only seat a dozen or twenty people at most, but the sails, oars and other equipment were still there, and the oil looked new.

"Don't let my old boat fool you, crossing the sea is no problem, it's just a bit slow. From Guyun Pavilion to Kanria, it'll take at least half a month." The boatman laboriously climbed onto the deck, took the pole from the children, and laughed heartily, "Don't worry, we're not pirates. We'll get things done if you pay us enough. There are no bandits on this boat, just kids from our village. So, are you at ease now?"

The group of guests looked around and found that it was indeed true; there was no place to hide anyone on the boat, and the only people who would be rowing the boat to Kanriya were the old man and three or five children around eight or nine years old.

"Come on, come on board! It's two million Mora per person," the captain shouted. "You are all important guests, so we won't provide food and lodging. You wouldn't be used to the food on board anyway, and you're probably worried I might poison you, right? Hahaha."

"Two million Mora per person?" the martial artists couldn't help but exclaim. "Even robbery isn't this outrageous! Back when Hainan Airlines was still operating, chartering a luxurious red ship with a dedicated crew would only cost twenty million Mora per trip, enough for over a hundred people! This crappy ship of yours..."

The boat captain didn't tolerate him and sneered, "I was worried you'd wipe us all out when you got there. I'm willing to gamble on this deal. If you're so capable, then swim across."

The girl in the cheongsam stopped her men and said with a smile, "The price is fair. Captain, don't worry about us abandoning you after we've served our purpose. A few million Mora isn't a big deal for us. With the seas turbulent and the situation in Kanria unstable, war seems imminent, so this price is understandable."

"Your young lady is so knowledgeable. They're all seasoned travelers, yet none of them are as sensible as a noble lady!"

"Alright, pay up and get on board!" The group carried their luggage onto the boat. In this situation, in this place, finding a reliable boat captain was the best thing that could happen. For these wealthy people, they weren't afraid of high prices, but rather of encountering powerful bandits... However, given their fighting prowess, they wouldn't be afraid of anything, not just a few elderly people and children on board, but even if the entire fishing village were full of villains.

The ship, carrying a dozen or so people, began to sail around the archipelago, preparing to head towards Kanria.

The girl in the cheongsam and the white-haired girl entered the cabin hand in hand. After confirming that no one was around, the pretty white-haired "sister" lazily found a place to lie down and said, "It doesn't seem like there's any problem. Human trafficking exists everywhere, and even Inazuma can't stop it."

“If that’s all my sister thinks, of course I wouldn’t have sent Fanan out.” The girl in the cheongsam, or rather, Fanan dressed as a rich young lady, smiled gently.

"So there's a 'but'?" Shen Liang laughed. "Also, don't call me 'little sister'."

It's hard to know whether "she" is actually male, since she likes the general to call her "brother".

“But… you’ll find out soon enough.” Fa Nan lifted her legs, rubbed her ankles, and complained softly, “The long skirt of the cheongsam is so uncomfortable, I can’t even take a big step when I walk, and with the embroidered shoes on top of that… it hurts a bit.”

"Let me see." Shen Liang took Fanan's feet without any hesitation, took off her shoes, and pressed her small ankles. Although Fanan was a soldier, she was petite and delicate due to personal reasons. She didn't exercise much, so her body was soft and her feet were not big.

"Oh, Your Highness, please... um... it feels quite comfortable. Does the Princess actually have such skills?"

“Massage, that’s a skill that Liyue excels at,” Shen Liang said casually. “I’ll learn it to help my mother relieve some of her burden.”

Although he said that, Shen Liang actually learned this knowledge on his own. He could learn many skills and techniques with just a glance. For example, cooking, tailoring, massage... It was as if he already knew these things, and was just picking them up again.

Her purpose in learning massage was quite simple; it was solely for Raiden Shin's sake from the beginning. Despite being a demon god, Raiden Shin's physical condition wasn't particularly good, and compared to her sister Raiden, she was practically weak and vulnerable. Moreover, she spent far more time in power than Raiden, making it impossible for her to find time to exercise... To put it bluntly, she didn't even know swordsmanship; the sword she carried, Dream Soul, was merely a ceremonial weapon.

Therefore, she often worked until late at night and felt sore and tired all over. Although this was a minor matter for a demon god, Shen Liang felt sorry for his mother and would often force her to go to the hot springs. After soaking, her body would be warm and suitable for recuperation, so Shen Liang would force her to obediently accept massage.

Lei Dianzhen had tried to object, but seeing the child's unhappy expression, she couldn't bear it, and it gradually became a habit. In fact, she felt something was missing if she didn't stretch her muscles every few nights. Sometimes, Shen Liang would forget about it during the day when he was playing, and when he went to the hot spring to bathe and go to bed at night, he would see his mother, who had long since finished bathing and was waiting for him, sitting on the tatami in the dressing room with a resentful look on her face. She looked aggrieved but didn't want to say anything.

Of course, because Raiden Shin often "accidentally" revealed her son's massage to her best friend, Shen Liang soon had more than one person to take care of. Later, Raiden Shin simply forbade her best friend from coming to her private hot spring, which caused the great monsters of the castle tower to complain and protest that Raiden Shin should not be allowed to go to the hot spring either.

Ray Movie:?

However, beneath the cheongsam, Shen Liang pressed on the acupoints of Fanan's right foot, somewhat dissatisfied.

"The princess's expression is very strange..." Fa Nan asked in a low voice.

"Although I'm glad you're wearing knee-high socks under your cheongsams, they're so cute, I'm not satisfied with the quality," Shen Liang said seriously. "Sister Fanan is a young girl, so she should wear velvet, which would feel softer and have the best texture."

Chapter Twenty-Five: Fire and Artillery Barrage! Wind! Wind! Wind! Wind!

"Does the Princess... like girls?" Fa Nan was actually somewhat prepared.

"Of course, do you mean you prefer men?" Shen Liang countered.

His overly confident demeanor caught Fa Nan off guard; perhaps this was due to the cultural differences between Inazuma and Liyue.

Beneath the cheongsam, her soft, delicate feet were massaged with their socks removed, the massage feeling incredibly comfortable. Although Fanan felt somewhat embarrassed to have Princess Daozuma serve her, she figured she couldn't refuse, so she enjoyed it for a while with a little peace of mind. After massaging for several minutes, she hesitated and asked, "Um... doesn't it smell bad?"