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

Yes, Shen Liang's way of finding information was to see if Daoqi's side had left him any telegrams.

The information received by the general public is delayed and may not be accurate, but for something like the breaching of the borders of Kanria and the formal intervention of the Seven Gods, Inazuma would at least send a detailed telegram to the Crown Prince.

Because Shen Liang's whereabouts are uncertain, Inazuma would send telegrams to the telegraph stations of every country. Shen Liang would normally go to the local telegraph office in every city he visited to see if there were any telegrams for him. However, from leaving the Kingdom of Winter to returning to Liyue, he hadn't been to any city for a month, spending his time exploring the ley lines in the wilderness. So, it's possible that Inazuma had accumulated all the telegrams sent.

"Your Highness, this is it." The civil official led Shen Liang into the confidential room, took out several stacks of documents from a storage compartment, and handed them to Shen Liang from among them the most recent ones. Shen Liang glanced at the date and, sure enough, there was a telegram from Inazuma within the last month.

"sorry to bother you."

The civil official secretly observed Shen Liang, who was frowning, and thought to himself that gods were indeed not comparable. This little demon god was already a famous god on the continent, but he was so approachable. Apart from his otherworldly beauty, he didn't have any terrifying aura, nor did he have any dazzling light or thunderous winds around him.

Compared to the lofty title of "god," the civil official even felt that he was more like a pampered young nobleman raised by the Liyue Clan. He wasn't even a proper young nobleman; he didn't know how to pull strings. Normally, he could just give a word, and the General Affairs Department would be scrambling to deliver documents to his inn. There was no need for him to come personally… As a demon god, he didn't seem to have any subconscious inclination to command humans.

Shen Liang, of course, had no idea what the civil official was thinking; he simply opened the envelope and translated the contents.

Yes, because most of the telegrams sent to Shen Liang were secret intelligence that couldn't be intercepted. After all, Shen Liang was a demon god, and most of the information that demon gods could access couldn't be exposed. To put it another way, even if Lei Dian really sent a message saying, "My little one, are you missing me outside? Are you hungry? Have you found a girlfriend? Bring her back so your mother can see her who's thousands of years older than you," such trivial information wouldn't be suitable for the telegraph operators to access.

Therefore, Shen Liang's telegram was double-encrypted. Deciphering the telegram still yielded garbled text, which could be deciphered again using the private code developed by Shen Liang and Lei Dianzhen.

However, only a few people on Inazuma's side knew the encryption method, such as Shinma, Kage, Master Kitsune, and Torachiyo. Once they left Inazuma, only Shen Liang understood it. Therefore, even if the telegram was sent to each country for safekeeping, they would not know what Inazuma had told Shen Liang.

To Shen Liang's surprise, the letter was not from Raiden Shin, nor from any of the great demons he was familiar with, but rather...

"As Your Highness is commanded by the Second Prince of the Sun God, this is to report."

The respectful tone of the letter writer alone made Shen Liang realize that the writer was not someone he knew.

"Your Highness, we have been separated for many years, and we have lost all contact with you. I have not heard Your Highness's voice or laughter for fifteen years."

"Now that Inari's wife is exhausted and the shogunate is without anyone, I should ask to go and wait for Your Highness to return so that we can discuss our difficulties together."

Shen Liang was taken aback. Regardless of the letter's contents, the first thing was that it was written by Mikoto Michiki, who bluntly told him to return to Inazuma… But Mikoto Michiki… to put it bluntly, Mikoto Michiki theoretically had no right to correspond with him. As Mikoto Chiyo's son, he didn't wield significant power, and directly contacting Shen Liang was completely against protocol. To be precise, while letters between friends might be acceptable, as official correspondence from the shogunate, Mikoto Michiki, a mere mortal, had no right to speak on behalf of the shogunate.

If he were to really come back, it would have to be either Mikoto Chiyo or Kosai-gumi who made the announcement, right?

But then he realized that fifteen years had passed, and perhaps Miyoshi Michiki was now a high-ranking official in the shogunate, which was why he was able to write.

He continued reading, but as he read on, his hands trembled so badly he almost dropped the letter.

"Your Highness has been away for so long, unaware of the collapse of the desolate sea, unaware of the ruins of the mountains. Inazuma emerged from the desolate sea, slaughtering both humans and gods, and ultimately achieving a great victory, though less than one-tenth remained. The former national advisor, Fox Monk, died a martyr's death in the belly of a beast, and my mother, Chiyo, was banished after being tainted by demons. Inazuma's time of survival, a hundred ghosts roamed the night; in the year of Inazuma's victory, white bones turned to phosphorescence. I humbly beseech Your Highness to serve the Shogun with filial piety. Now, the nation is on the verge of destruction, the Shogun is in despair, the Shogunate is in turmoil, and we do not know what tomorrow will bring..."

Shen Liang didn't even bother to read the heart-wrenching words that followed.

His gaze lingered on one spot, on that one sentence in the letter that made him almost silent, almost stunned, almost unable to hear the sounds around him...

He suddenly felt a throbbing pain in his eyebrows, and even felt dizzy.

Chapter Twelve: The Boys' White Moonlight

In a restaurant in the west of Inazuma City.

In the cool of the night, Inazuma's economy is now closed off, even impoverished. Fewer people are getting drunk in street taverns, and many shops only stay open until dark.

But now, two people were still drinking together in the corner, and the shopkeeper was so tired that he had fallen asleep on the counter. Tongxin, who was patrolling outside, glanced at the small shop with the oil lamp still lit, then walked away without paying any attention to this violation of the curfew rules.

This is quite normal in Inazuma these days. With the loss of troops and the decline of the shogunate's authority, it's uncertain how much prestige it retains in the hearts of the people. This phenomenon flourishes when a country declines; soldiers fail to maintain order, and street thugs and rule-breakers increase in number.

Even if Inazuma Castle is supposedly under the emperor's nose, who among the homeless people on the streets today would respect the Thunder God or the so-called emperor?

Of the two drinkers, one got up and stood by the window, secretly watching the night patrol soldiers.

"Come back," the guest still at the table whispered.

"They're looking for you! What are you doing back here! You're... dragging me into this!" The guest by the window spoke with a slightly agitated tone.

"Do you want to die?" The guest at the table looked up and gave him a cold glance.

The guest by the window trembled involuntarily, fear gripping his heart, but he still gritted his teeth: "Kyouki, don't underestimate me. I... I, Yuyu Daoqi, may not be a great hero like my mother, but... I will never submit to you for my life and betray Inazuma! Don't even think about it!"

The soldier looked at him, at Miyuki Michiki's terrified yet still fixed gaze on him, and after a long while, finally looked away and said calmly, "Why think so badly of me? Did I come here necessarily to harm Inazuma?"

Yu Yu Daoqi sat back down at the table, his expression constantly shifting as he faced this man who could so easily control his life and death. But in the end, as if he had nothing to lose, he grabbed a cup of wine and drank it down, then stared intently at the scattered soldiers: "Your Highness treats me like a brother, so I would never do anything to harm Your Highness!"

For a moment, the soldier thought the "Your Highness" was referring to him, but he immediately realized it meant Shen Liang.

He felt a surge of anger for some reason, but he managed to suppress it. He was able to calm down a little in front of Yu Yu Daoqi... He couldn't explain why, but it was probably because Yu Yu Daoqi, like him, was someone who wasn't favored by his mother.

He felt a little sorry for Miyuki, though Miyuki probably didn't need his sympathy.

This time, he also used his connection with Mikko Michiki to return to Inazuma, which is how he gained a legitimate identity. However, this was only a one-sided oppression of Mikko Michiki by him. An ordinary human being, even if he had risen to the position of Grand Minister of State, the highest level of civil official, would still be threatened and oppressed by an extraordinary being like him.

Of course, if Mikoto Chiyo were still alive, the scattered soldiers would never have dared to do this. But now that the shogunate can protect these powerful henchmen, with many dead or wounded, the scattered soldiers can move freely as if they were in an empty field.

"The curfew imposed by the castle tower is to welcome the Crown Prince's return. You've been in the shogunate for so many years, how come you don't understand your own outdated rules? Arrest me? The shogunate doesn't have time to notice someone as insignificant as me right now!" the soldier rebuked him. "Your Inazuma is in a state of panic right now, chaos reigns from the government to the common people. What are you afraid of? You panic like a rabbit that's dug its burrow when something happens. How could Ryo have a brother like you?"

"The chaos surrounding Inazuma will be resolved sooner or later. You, Kabuki, can't stir up trouble or fish in troubled waters."

"How do we solve this? Your mother, Mikamichi Chiyo, is dead, and that troublesome woman, Kitsui-miya, is dead too. We're leaderless."

Yu Yu Daoqi stared at him, "The general is still here. The general has returned, and everything will be alright."

“That’s not necessarily true.” The soldier shrugged. “Putting aside what kind of woman she is, even if she comes back, is she someone who can shoulder the responsibility? The shogunate has always been able to rely on a wise ruler and the assistance of the Fox Prince. We can’t rely on her alone.”

Sanbing laughed, but he actually had something else he wasn't saying.

These people were unaware that lightning truly existed; they were completely oblivious to the existence of two thunder gods. And the power over the millions of lives in Inazuma lay in the schemes of Raiden Shin and Kitsuri-no-miya.

Miyuki's face was grim. He didn't know... why the gods weren't intervening in Inazuma's affairs these days.

Because of the war in the desolate sea, so many good men have died one after another, leaving the army in dire need of young talents. Even the great demons who died in the desolate sea are willing to shed their blood... Although he knows that the great demons who died in the desolate sea were the general's close friends and confidants for thousands of years, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day!

No matter how painful, Inazuma, now in ruins and rebuilding, has finally achieved victory! What it needs is divine guidance, faith, hope, and the possibility of revival!

Miyuki even felt that the gods were being a bit out of touch with reality. He didn't even have time to grieve for his mother's death, so what were the gods doing? The Inazuma Kingdom was impoverished due to decades of war, and everyone there was more grief-stricken than the gods!

But he suppressed his emotions and still looked coldly at the stragglers, "What exactly do you want to do at this time?"

"I just came back to see you all."

"Hmph, you exiled Qizhe, you hate this country, how could you not harbor evil intentions upon your return?" Yu Yu Daoqi said in a low voice, "Look at us? It seems that we weren't exactly friends when we were children."

The soldiers looked at the middle-aged man's slightly overweight figure and aged face, and fell silent.

As a creation of the gods, Sanbing is a naturally immortal being. His appearance has not changed; he is still a handsome young man. On the other hand, Miyuki Michiki is already over forty years old. A few years ago, when he and his mother, Miyuki Chiyo, were compared, they didn't even look like mother and son but rather father and daughter. Miyuki Chiyo was still the beautiful Inazuma's number one beauty, while he had already shown signs of aging. It was truly a tragic lifespan.

More than twenty years ago, Sanbing and he served in the same court. At that time, Yu Yu Daoqi was the leader of the younger generation of young men and women in Inazuma. Sanbing and he had no direct relationship, but they were both friends of Shen Liang, and now…

The soldier suddenly thought that even that little white wildcat must feel melancholy about its impending death.

“I’m not your friend, but Liang is, right?” he suddenly said.

“Your Highness Liang…” Yu Yu Daoqi was taken aback for a moment, “Of course, I will always be Your Highness Liang’s friend.”

"You call him Your Highness, you call him Friend, but he might not consider you a friend." The soldier looked him in the eye and gave him a sarcastic laugh. "You don't know why your father and Mikoto Chiyo are separated, do you? Tsk tsk tsk, your mother, Inazuma, the most beautiful woman, lives in the castle tower where Ryo is. Don't tell me you don't know about her relationship with Ryo?"

"Shut up!" Yu Yu Dao Qi's expression changed.

"So you know? That makes it even more interesting. I want to know what you think. Mikoto Chiyo betrayed you, your mother, your creator. When she was with Raiden Ryo, she never thought of having a son like you." The Sanbing's voice was suppressed and venomous. "Think about that scene, Doki. In the warm little building of the castle tower, your mother and him were embracing and kissing each other. It wasn't just her maternal love for you; all her love was poured into Ryo alone. You longed for her to look back at you like a mother, but from beginning to end, she wasn't willing to give even a shred of tenderness to anyone other than Ryo. And Ryo didn't even have just one woman! Do you understand, Doki? The mother you admire is just a cat kept by Ryo."

"Your Highness was just a child back then! It was my mother who did wrong! It was my mother who disgraced the 'Imperial Carriage' family! You are not allowed to talk nonsense!"

"Nonsense? I know what you're thinking! You've already lost Mikoto Chiyo as your mother and your protector, and now you want to cling to Ryo as your new protector!" The Sanbing laughed loudly, almost to the point of tears. "So you even endure this humiliation, deceiving yourself into thinking you're not jealous of him! But actually, you're insanely jealous, otherwise why would you tell me all this? Ryo is the Demon God, Inazuma's future, and your future too. You know in your heart that you must support him. When he returns, he will rightfully take control of everything because he's named Raiden! He has all of Mother's love!"

"Foolish!" Yu Yu Dao Qi gripped the table tightly.

Their breathing gradually became heavy, even startling the shopkeeper awake, who quickly hid upstairs. Yu Yu Dao Qi and San Bing stared at each other, their eyes filled with anger. For some reason, at this moment, neither of them even had the desire to fight. It seemed that they both wanted to settle their anger, to reason with each other, as if fighting would be a lowly act.

Both of them gritted their teeth.

"Jealousy twisted to this extent, who is truly the fool? Inazuma has been embroiled in turmoil for so many years, and he, as the crown prince, should have stayed in Inazuma to fight for his country and become a hero of Inazuma. But what has he been doing? He's been traveling around the Seven Kingdoms for over ten years!" The soldier glared fiercely at Yuyu Daoqi, downing a full cup of sake in one gulp. "And then he wants to come back, to take charge of the overall situation? He hasn't even shed a drop of blood for Inazuma!"

"Ridiculous! What do you know about His Highness Liang? And what do you know about me!?"

"I don't understand? What a pathetic human being! Ryo and I are the same kind of people. Ryo and I have been friends and brothers since childhood! He bears half the responsibility for Inazuma's decline and his departure! Raiden... that woman entrusted Inazuma to him, and this is how he repays that woman!?" Sanbing sneered, but his eyes were already red.

Yu Yu Daoqi stared intently into the eyes of the person opposite him, and after a long while, he finally let out a low sigh.

"The one who seeks to overthrow the kingdom... no, the kingdom has collapsed. I'd say you're stupid, and you probably wouldn't believe me. You really don't understand, don't you understand me and His Highness? Do you know why the General chose His Highness Liang instead of you?"

The stragglers were stunned and didn't know how to answer.

Yu Yu Dao Qi smiled almost imperceptibly: "Because His Highness Liang has no ambition."

He didn't even bother to refute the disdain of the stragglers.

"You were banished precisely because you were too ambitious. Do you think ambition is a good thing? Do you think the country the General protects is your country? You've misunderstood the General," said Miyukichi coldly. "Inazuma is not the immortal Inazuma. Monsters, demons, and even divine creations like yourself are not the true masters of Inazuma in the General's eyes. Do you think that your strength will earn the General's approval? Wrong. In the General's eyes, the Inazuma Shogunate will eventually become a human-run shogunate, and all monsters and demons will be absorbed into humanity. Prince Ryo has been the lord of all demons since childhood. He is naturally noble yet endearing, capable of gathering..." He possessed the heart of all demons, yet he treated humans with the same equality and kindness, guiding them to adapt to human rules. He harbored no ambition, did not wish to plunge the nation into chaos, and had no desire to seize anything; therefore, he was the ruler chosen by the General to maintain the status quo. This era did not need gods to expand territory or strive for advancement; it needed society to develop steadily and establish its own set of rules, so ambition was unnecessary. Prince Ryo had earned a good reputation in the seven kingdoms; the gods of each kingdom regarded him as a junior. He was known for his benevolence and gentleness, never making enemies. Therefore, the moment he inherited Inazuma, he could lead Inazuma to prosperity, leaving no room for internal or external turmoil!

He looked at the stragglers whose faces had suddenly darkened and shook his head: "The country is collapsing. You've told me so much, so I understand you now. You can't hide the fact that you're the one most jealous of Prince Ryo, the one who resents your mother for betraying you, and the one who hasn't been able to get over the fact that the Shogun abandoned you all these years. But you're the one who harbors resentment. How could Inazuma possibly accept an ungrateful dog? You feel betrayed, but the Shogun wants the Prince to be safe for life, so he must keep him away from you! Do you think I'd lick my wounds with you? Don't underestimate me. I'm a high-ranking official in the Shogunate, I'm the Prince's subject. The Shogun kept me in the Shogunate, and our Miyuki family will protect the Prince for life. My mother loves the Prince, even at the cost of disgracing the Miyuki family, but that's not a disgrace. After all, our Miyuki family, the Onmyōryō, and the Tengu are all pawns meant to protect the Prince for life. I've always been honored to be the Shogun's pawn."

The stragglers stood there like statues, suddenly realizing that their powerful strength could no longer intimidate the man. He was afraid of death, but his bottom line never seemed to budge.

After a long while, the stragglers fiercely raised the entire wine jug and tilted their heads back to gulp it down.

Then he smashed the wine jug, “I don’t care about any of that, I don’t care about any general or prince, that mother and son have nothing to do with me anymore! I came to Inazuma for… I came to Inazuma for…”

He suddenly couldn't speak.

Miyuki had been wanting to know what he was doing in Inazuma. He knew that Sanbing was now a member of the Fools of the Winter Kingdom, which meant he was now a foreign spy. His hatred for Inazuma was dangerous, but he came to Inazuma alone. Miyuki couldn't figure out what kind of sabotage he was planning.

Yu Yu Daoqi even secretly thought that if Sanbing really did something too vicious, he would make a scene even if it meant his death, so that the Tenshukaku would know that Sanbing had returned.

But the scattered soldiers have remained silent these past few days.

However, Yu Yu Dao Qi also vaguely sensed the repression and turmoil in the young man's heart.

He came to Inazuma, perhaps just to see the person he still couldn't give up on.