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

This hesitation struck Chang Si's teammates as odd. Their duty as members of the Qianyan Army compelled them to gather around, subtly surrounding the three of them.

"As for identification, I don't think I actually have any that allows me to freely enter and exit Liyue Harbor." The white-haired girl seemed unconcerned by the Thousand Rock Army's subtle wariness, and pondered for a moment, "What are the specific requirements?"

"For the General Affairs Department's identification documents, foreigners should present their customs clearance diploma or a business license issued by Yuehai Pavilion to merchants," Chang Si reminded.

"I really don't have any of those," the white-haired girl replied, a response that made Chang Si and the other soldiers squint.

Before they could even speak, the three of them started laughing to themselves.

The white-haired girl took off her straw hat, turned around and smiled, "Having traveled to so many countries, only the General Affairs Department of Liyue is truly conscientious and responsible. Other countries hardly ever check things like travel checkpoints."

“After all, Liyue is a place where merchants from all over the world gather, and rules are highly valued. The Seven Stars of Liyue may not have done many things in a very benevolent way, but they are still meticulous in protecting the peace of Liyue Harbor.” The blue-haired girl said softly, her voice was very doting and gentle, as if she were the white-haired older sister. “Although valuing rules can sometimes be troublesome, Young Lord, we probably have documents that can prove our identities.”

"I don't remember ever having identification documents at the General Affairs Department."

“Youjun is a student of Jigong. Although Jigong has declined, Liyue still recognizes Jigong’s student credentials.” The blue-haired girl smiled slightly.

Upon hearing this, the Thousand Rock Army guarding the North Gate were stunned. Chang Si even subconsciously took a step forward, his tone immediately becoming excited: "You are students of Jixia Academy? Students of Jixia Academy, the number one academy in Liyue ten years ago?"

The white-haired girl sighed, "Looking at everyone's appearance... as expected, the Ji Palace, which was once on par with the Order Academy, has perished."

Immediately afterwards, she pulled out a light token from her bosom. Chang Si glanced at the name and then suddenly looked up, exclaiming in shock, "Lei Dian Liang... the surname Lei Dian... the number is from ten years ago in Ji Gong..."

The goalkeepers finally realized what was happening. They looked away from the exquisite features of the white-haired beauty and began to speculate about his appearance, quickly realizing the truth. Chang Si immediately snapped out of his daze, and the goalkeepers each took a step back, clasping their hands in a fist salute: "We are in armor and cannot perform the proper greetings. Your Highness, Lord Gan Yu, Lady Alice, please forgive us!"

"After all these years, people from Liyue still habitually add 'little' before their names?" Shen Liang shook his head. "If there's nothing else, I'll head into the city."

Chang Si felt relieved. "Your Highness, please proceed."

“After all, Liang’er will look the same no matter how much time passes. The young people of Liyue probably won’t even remember your name, but the title ‘Little Princess’ will always suit you perfectly.” Iris put away her teacher’s certificate from Jigong Palace and walked away with a smile. “Don’t the people of Zhidong Kingdom also call you ‘дочькоролевы’?”

Shen Liang smiled helplessly.

"Dokoreliwa" is the affectionate nickname given to him by the people of Winter, but it's not exactly a pleasant one. Literally, it means "little princess" that has troubled him for a long time, but according to the slang of Winter, it should mean "the queen's daughter."

But no matter what, this is not a nickname a boy should have.

However, Shen Liang was given almost all feminine nicknames because of his appearance. Since he was the child of the Thunder God, people all over the world thought that the child of the Thunder Queen had to be the Thunder Princess or something like that... He didn't care to refute the rumors, and even if he did, it wouldn't make any difference. The people were happy to give nicknames to young demon gods. If you didn't like it, who were you to complain?

In comparison, the people of Liyue also had misunderstandings in the past, but after so many years they have gradually changed their tune and there is nothing to criticize them for anymore.

Watching Shen Liang and the other two's retreating figures, a teammate leaned close to Chang Si and whispered, "Is that the Fire-Chasing Demon God? The new god who spent ten years eradicating the Dark Calamity on the continent? Why does he look different from that young general my dad was talking about?"

"It's not what I expected. I thought the senior soldiers were joking. How could someone who fights every day be 'beautiful as jade and a sword as rainbow'? But it's true. Even the two people next to him pale in comparison."

"Do you think we should report this to the Imperial Censorate?"

“A notification is definitely necessary, but Princess Inazuma has returned so quietly…” Chang Si pondered, “Is she returning at this time because she has almost resolved the internal strife in other countries? It seems that the war is indeed coming to an end.”

After strolling around the city for a while, admiring the metropolis they hadn't seen in ten years, Shen Liang and his group didn't rush to Moon Sea Pavilion. Instead, they sat down at the "White Horse" inn at the port, wearing straw hats, and listened to the conversations of the traveling merchants at the surrounding tables, gradually learning about some recent developments.

"If you ask me, the Academy of Teachings really isn't qualified to compare with our Ji Palace. Look at how many people have died in that Sumeru, with all the disasters, did those students who studied the classics care? The Academy of Teachings and our Ji Palace are not the same kind of people. Our Ji Palace's chosen ones are good at studying and researching in prosperous times, and they go down the mountain to fight demons in chaotic times. They are all outstanding men! Think about it carefully, not to mention anything else, just look at our Academy of Teachings' outstanding graduate, that little demon god!" The drunken customer's face turned red, and he slammed his fist on the table.

Gan Yu glanced at Shen Liang sitting opposite her, smiling broadly, her eyes probably saying, "Someone is praising you."

Shen Liang saw this, smiled, tapped the table, and urged the restaurant to serve the dishes.

The guests at another table didn't notice the three stunningly beautiful women at this table, partly because they were wearing straw hats. At that moment, one of the drinkers laughed, "Brother, the young princess is a woman from Inari, not a child of Liyue."

"The woman from the Rice Palace is even better proof that the young prince has been well-educated by our Ji Palace! The young prince is not even twenty years old, yet he can see the injustice of the world and fly into a rage. In the Battle of the Layered Rock Abyss, he went straight in and fought. Didn't you see it? A million corpses and blood flowing for thousands of miles!" The drinker stiffened his neck, and as he spoke, he became disappointed again, "But the young prince is not a good person either!"

Shen Liang was taken aback.

"In this battle, he was so young and noble, and a foreigner, yet he fought for Liyue and almost died... He set a terrible example! How can so many young talents in Jigong stand up for themselves? Even the son of the Thunder God dared to be the first to act. If they don't step up, won't the world laugh at Jigong for having no one to rely on? This is a bad example. His young prince has caused half of Jigong's students to resign... So many young people are now heading to the army. So many young people! This is the pride of Liyue..." the drinker murmured, "and also a loss for Liyue."

After a moment of silence in the inn, someone slammed their fist on the table and stood up: "Wailing and sobbing is useless! A good man can study at the Imperial Academy or serve his country in the military! If everyone is like those filthy worms from the Sumeru Academy, is there any hope for the country?!"

"That's right! The mighty Sumeru, with its vast territory, ultimately relied on the gods themselves and the desert mercenaries, and even had our young prince step in to help! Among the seven kingdoms, we, the young heroes of Liyue, are truly the best!"

“I’ll say it again, the young prince is not ‘our’... Inazuma has disapproved of us addressing the God of Fire this way for years…”

"What does it matter to Inazuma-no-hime!"

The drinker downed another pot and finally sighed, "But the talents have all been scattered, and with years of war, even the teachers of Jigong have joined various other circles. It has been closed for so long. Our Jigong can be said to have suffered a great loss of vitality, while the Teaching Academy is completely unharmed. In the future... perhaps there is no hope for Jigong."

The people in the inn understood and sighed.

Shen Liang and Gan Yu exchanged a glance and nodded slightly.

"It seems there's no need to refuse Yun Jian anymore; Ji Gong has been disbanded."

“I’m afraid True Lord Liuyun is no longer in Jigong. I just don’t know if the True Lords are still in Jueyun or have come to Liyue Harbor to support the Seven Stars.” Gan Yu pondered, “In a few days, I will go to Yuehai Pavilion to ask some people through my connections.”

Chapter Eleven: The Death of Inazuma's Harem

Halfway through the meal, I heard people continuing to complain.

"The Kanreia have been waging war for about thirty years now."

"Hey, from the declaration of war to the subsequent invasion of various countries and sending agents to cause trouble, and now, it's been at least thirty-five years."

"With the combined strength of our seven kingdoms and so many gods, we still can't defeat a single Kanriar?" Someone looked around and slammed their hand on the table. "I think the thousands of years of order in Teyvat is doomed!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down. Whether you're done or not, it won't stop you from having tea. Watch out for Seven Stars' spies! If they arrest you, you'll be worth tens of thousands of Mora."

The sounds of sipping tea immediately subsided; some muttered "Don't talk about national affairs," while others shrugged.

Shen Liang remained silent for a moment, picked up some food, and said in a low voice, "Years of war are enough to erode an ordinary person's faith in the country and even in the gods."

"There's nothing we can do about it."

"We need a shot in the arm. If this drags on in Kanria, the living standards of the people in the seven kingdoms will only get worse and worse. Winning or losing won't matter anymore. Like now, the trading ports in Liyue won't even open until the war is over... What kind of money are the merchants making?"

Someone overheard the conversation at the table and scoffed, "What kind of stimulant? Is the Emperor going to destroy Kanria with a single rock spear right now?"

Just as Shen Liang was about to make a joke and say that it was not impossible, suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar and approached outside the inn!

Shen Liang, with his sharpest ears, was startled. Because riding horses was prohibited in Liyue Harbor, such a wild gallop within the city could easily injure someone. He subconsciously glanced out the window and saw a cavalryman in a light fur coat rushing in through the city gate, heading straight for Yujingtai. He held a riding whip in one hand and held a military dispatch aloft in the other, with three crane feathers stuck in it!

Urgent dispatch from 3,000 li away!

Liyue in this era already possesses telegraph machines. Theoretically, even urgent military matters wouldn't rely on messengers traveling thousands of miles by express courier. These messengers are now generally more symbolic than substantive, primarily serving to announce important matters more quickly throughout the city, such as—

"Urgent report! The gates of Kanria have been breached! The Emperor and the ruling officials are enraged, and the Seven Gods have joined forces to punish the evil. They will return in triumph soon!"

Upon hearing this news, Shen Liang didn't even have time to look at the astonished expressions of the others in the inn. He immediately stood up, put down a few gold Mora, and used his power of instantaneous movement to leave with Gan Yu and Alice in a flash.

At this moment, the guests realized that the three people who had just sat by the window seemed to be no ordinary people. The drinker who had said, "I think Teyvat is doomed," turned pale, but after thinking for a moment, he suddenly realized something.

"Wait, white hair, feminine features, six and a half feet tall..." More than one guest's expression changed drastically, revealing a hint of wild joy. "Holy crap! Your Highness! Are we really going to win?"

----------

The notice board at Yujingtai was already surrounded by layers upon layers of people, making it impossible to pass through.

Shen Liang glanced at the announcement, which described in impassioned words how the Seven Rulers had conquered the Kingdom of Kanria, opened its doors, and slaughtered many enemies, how rich their achievements were, and how powerful the Emperor was.

But that wasn't his focus; he had no desire to see those things. He knew that it was unlikely that the government would tell the people any specific details. The war had happened, the war had been won, and that was all the common people knew.

He now needs to know the exact details.

While he was still out there slaying demons and monsters, the Kingdom of Kanria began to be destroyed?

But asking the Seven Stars of Liyue about this is probably useless; it's more likely you'll have to ask the Celestials.

Gan Yu had already gone to Moonsea Pavilion to report on his duties, and Shen Liang stepped into Jade Capital Terrace alone. He was initially worried that the guards at Jade Capital Terrace might stop him, but it seemed that the Liyue Seven Stars' intelligence network was extremely swift. As soon as he arrived at the door, the guard immediately opened the door with a look of reverence.

Shen Liang had anticipated that no one would come to greet him.

Now that the Celestials are in charge of the army, the Liyue Septate was forced to join forces with the Celestials after the Battle of the Lava Pit. Because they lacked legitimacy in terms of the greater good, many members of the Liyue Septate had to relinquish some of their military power.

For the Seven Stars, immortals and gods are the type of people they'd rather avoid unless absolutely necessary. Shen Liang is clearly from the "immortal faction," and doesn't belong to the "Seven Stars faction," especially since he's a foreigner.

Therefore, if Liyue really wanted to welcome Shen Liang, it would be by having the immortals come. In essence, the immortals were his older brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles, and it was not up to the people of Yujingtai to give Shen Liang a good look.

However, Shen Liang didn't really care. During the war, the power of Liyue was in the hands of the immortals, and he had no reason to look for the Seven Stars of Liyue. But following his memory, Shen Liang went directly to the telegraph station under the jurisdiction of Yujingtai.

Fifteen years have passed, and the telegraph station has long become a pillar industry of Liyue. The money earned by the telegraph system has made Seven Stars, who is in charge of this matter, very rich.

Unlike fifteen years ago, telegraphs have become commonplace in households, with many small telegraph machines installed within wealthy merchant families. As a major transit station, Yujingtai's telegraph station is no longer a small warehouse like the old Jigong, but a large military compound specifically responsible for Liyue Harbor's telegraph functions.

As soon as Shen Liang entered, the entire courtyard, with its dozens of rooms, was filled with the "beep beep beep" and "clack clack clack" sounds of countless telegraph machines operating. Hundreds of staff members were responsible for all telegraph communications between Liyue Harbor and the outside world, and simultaneous translation of the Morse code was a common sight.

Back then, Shen Liang was unparalleled in inputting and translating telegrams, so he could send thousands of words to Inazuma, while others' telegrams were limited to a dozen or so words. But now, let alone Inazuma, other countries' telegram systems are so sophisticated that ordinary people can spend a small amount of money to send telegrams of a hundred or so words to distant friends and relatives.

Shen Liang knew this because when he occasionally passed through some cities, he would check if there were any telegraph machines. Nowadays, most countries were laying telegraph lines. In fact, the construction of telegraph lines was even faster than his arrival in various countries. For example, before he even went to Zhidong Kingdom, they contacted him by telegram to ask when he would come to visit.

Looking at the busy telegraph machine, Shen Liang couldn't help but think of the silver-haired empress of Zhidong Kingdom, who was very interested in technology. Shen Liang had made great efforts and provided much help to the development of the telegraph industry in Zhidong Kingdom, and the telegraph industry in Zhidong was even directly under the control of the empress herself. She was the highest-ranking executive in the telegraph factory. After arriving in Zhidong, Shen Liang was pulled by the empress to work overtime with her for several months to develop the domestic telegraph industry.

You could say he's been a tool all these years, moving from one of the seven kingdoms wherever he's needed, putting out fires everywhere, and then having to do chores for the local gods afterward. He fought in the Lava Pit in Liyue, trained mercenaries in Sumeru, and expanded the telegraph system in Winter Solstice.

Fortunately, as overtime pay for forcing him to work overtime with a demon god for several months, Shen Liang also copied the demon god's power of ice from this silver-haired female executive of the Winter Kingdom. The bed in the Empress's bedroom in the Winter Palace, which was colder than liquid nitrogen and made of deep-sea ice crystals that had been there for millions of years, did indeed give Shen Liang an incredibly novel and wonderful experience.

Even the Ice Queen, who embodies extreme cold, is passionate when she is moved.

However, that ice bed wasn't just enjoyed by the Queen and him. A girl from the Celestial Clan named Columbia seemed to be the Queen's favorite and also an executor of the Fools. The Ice God didn't shy away from her, and even pulled her along when the mood struck him... However, Shen Liang didn't inscribe any holy marks on Miss Columbia before he left, it seems the Celestial Clan truly cannot have love, and she didn't have the trust of the Flower Goddess Nabu.

However, these are all stories from the past few years, and they are not important.

When he entered the telegraph station, everyone hesitated for a moment, but someone quickly recognized him. Presumably because the Seven Stars of Liyue knew he had relayed Liyue's instructions, a civil official from the General Affairs Department immediately led the way, shouting, "Greetings, Your Highness!"

Shen Liang felt somewhat helpless. Gradually, he could no longer experience the joy of being a star in front of others. Over the years, his fame grew, and wherever he went, people would greet him in advance, and more and more people recognized him.

The undisturbed happiness of being an "ordinary person" is also very important. If you are too special and enjoy privileges, you will lose this peaceful happiness.

"Don't worry about me, I'm just here to get my collection of telegrams." Shen Liang nodded and followed the civil official to the telegram storage point.