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

That bright, white-clad smile, no matter how much he resented, envied, or wanted to take her place, yet also how clearly, how much he understood, and how grateful he was that she had never betrayed him from beginning to end.

"Will I ever see you again..." the soldier murmured to himself. "You're the only one I can ever see..."

It's my...wife! .jpg

Chapter Thirteen: Mother, I Will Take Revenge

July 15th, Inazuma Castle, town.

The midday sun hung overhead like a sharp sword. Shen Liang looked down at his shadow, listening to the cheers and jubilation of the people around him.

To welcome him back, the entire street was closed, and people gathered, scattering red scraps of cloth all over the street. This town street was several hundred meters long, and people lined the street and even the rooftops of small buildings; perhaps the entire population of Narukami Island was here.

As instructed by the shogunate, welcoming His Highness was to be a grand affair, and onlookers were not prohibited; this was the perfect opportunity to build momentum for him.

Meanwhile, in the distance, the plaza in front of the castle tower was already covered with a red carpet, and the high-ranking officials of the castle tower were seated on both sides of the plaza. Shen Liang glanced at them from afar and realized that he didn't recognize any of these officials at all... not even a single demon.

Shen Liang, draped in a deep purple robe and with his long hair tied in a high ponytail, exuded a dashing and heroic air, resembling a handsome young man. This was a pre-arranged styling by people sent by the shogunate, who said that white wouldn't suit His Highness on such a celebratory occasion, and that purple was the national color of Inazuma, and that His Majesty's mother also wore a particularly noble purple robe. Shen Liang complied with their suggestions. Later, when someone brought him a gentian flower headdress and black-gold shoulder armor, and even wanted to style his hair in a Thor-like princess cut, Shen Liang chuckled and declined.

These people seemed eager to mold him into the image of Thor, and Shen Liang didn't know why, but he still felt somewhat uncomfortable. He couldn't replace anyone, nor did he want to.

"Wakahirakami! Wakahirakami!"

"Narukami Eternal!"

"Narukami Eternal!"

The cheers of the crowd rose higher and higher. At the end of the road were the officials of the castle tower, bowing and clasping their hands in respect, waiting for him. Shen Liang looked at the countless unfamiliar yet excited faces around him, wondering why his return would make these people so excited and thrilled.

He looked up, and the midday sun dazzled his eyes. The scorching sunlight was blinding... He couldn't see clearly, only the sea of ​​people, the noise, and his weariness.

What's there to be excited about? What's there to cheer about? What does my return have to do with you? Will my return save those who have died?

Shen Liang suddenly had this thought, and his steps became a little slow, because he felt a wave of weakness, as if he was dizzy from being exposed to the sun.

He thought about the expectant looks in the eyes of the onlookers, as if they were waiting for a grand show to begin. But he had no show to watch; all he felt was exhaustion and sorrow, utter chaos.

Torachiyo, Kitsune-no-miya, Reisenbo… and many more people. Will the person he came back to see be among them? No. They're all dead. Even if he came back, he wouldn't see them one last time. So why did he come back?

All the women who cared for him died silently in some corner he didn't know about... It turns out that deep down he still had a habitual expectation of his home, always feeling that when he came home someone would jump out and cheer to hug and welcome him... Those fragmented monsters, those gentle, quirky or unfathomable women, were always so beautiful in his memory, family members who could give him whatever he wanted.

Shen Liang walked forward step by step like a dragged corpse, bewildered and lost.

Then he finally arrived at the castle tower. He turned around, just as he had rehearsed, and gave the crowd a cheerful and innocent smile that matched his past persona, and waved.

The cheers continued. Shen Liang turned around and stepped into the palace gate, but he couldn't maintain his composure. He stiffly tugged at the corners of his mouth as he looked at the civil officials who were waiting for him inside the gate.

He didn't recognize anyone. After a long while, he looked at the people sent by the shrine maidens of Narukami Taisha, but he didn't see the little fox.

He realized that Yae no Miko was probably now the Palace Master, the future Palace Master, and she didn't have time to do anything to welcome him. Then he paused for a moment and said softly, "Where is Daoqi-nii-gege?"

A middle-aged man who was completely unrecognizable stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and then stood up to look at Shen Liang with a complicated expression: "Your Highness is still as young as when you left."

Shen Liang was stunned. In his memory, Yu Yu Dao Qi was a very proud second-generation rich kid. He inherited his mother's bloodline and was a famous handsome young man. He was ambitious and chivalrous. Whenever the people of the Fools dared to cause trouble, he would rush to their aid with his sword.

How spirited and ambitious they were! Among the younger generation in Inazuma City, they were at least considered to be able to casually call upon their hawks and hounds and wield their bows with white feathers.

He hadn't expected this. Nearly twenty years had passed in the blink of an eye. Were mortals really so short-lived? He had always been surrounded by immortals and demons; even mortals could defy fate through their own means. But truly mortals were just like this…

"Don't blame people for growing old easily; even green hills have white hair." Yu Yu Dao Qi stopped, a smile seemingly on his face, but then he hid it, and said respectfully, "Your Highness is not as youthful as I am, and now that Your Highness calls me brother... I would be ashamed for this old minister."

Shen Liang remained silent for a while, then shook his head, his expression becoming somewhat tired, but he remained stubborn, "Brother Daoqi."

Yu Yu Daoqi looked at him for a long time, and then just smiled, "Your Highness is as willful as ever. Perhaps this is the difference between a human and a god."

“Aunt Chiyo, she…” Shen Liang began, but hesitated.

Over the years, the relationship between Torachiyo and him could no longer be kept secret. The truth will out. Even though Shen Liang hadn't returned to Inazuma and was trying to conceal it, it wasn't just those three great demons who had accompanied him. Most of the demons and priestesses of Shadow Mountain had been with Shen Liang; the sheer number made it impossible for the secret to remain hidden. There would always be people curious about Shen Liang's nickname, "Demon Lord."

However, as a newly recognized god, it's understandable that he might have ties with the Thunder God's followers. After all, he'll eventually inherit the power of the Thunder God, and the Thunder God's followers will eventually be his followers as well. Establishing some relationships before taking over is harmless.

However, for Yu Yu Dao Qi... it might be a little hard to accept.

But Yu Yu Dao Qi silently handed a stack of letters to Shen Liang, then looked directly into his eyes, "No need to say more, Your Highness, I understand. This is the diary your mother left for you before she was swallowed by the calamity."

"A diary?" Shen Liang found it hard to imagine that the Mikoto Chiyo who always looked like a mischievous girl in his memory would write a diary.

"How did Aunt Chiyo die?" Shen Liang gripped the letter tightly.

“She was bitten by a monster from the Beast Realm, and a dark calamity gradually invaded her body. She was decaying every moment, knowing that she would inevitably face demonic possession and death, so she insisted on keeping a diary.” Yu Yu Daoqi said in a low voice, “But Lord Zhaigong instructed that these things must never be mentioned to you, so as not to affect your duties as a diplomat.”

"..."

"In the end, Mother could no longer control her calamities. After becoming possessed by a demon, her arm was cut off by the General, and she fled into the forest."

"They just ran away?" Shen Liang's eyes widened, a glimmer of hope appearing on his face.

But Miyuki's words shattered his hopes: "Then the calamity devoured her completely. We finally found her body, and to prevent the calamity from spreading, the Yin-Yang Bureau cremated her and buried her."

Shen Liang was stunned.

Although he knew from the beginning and had calmed himself down on the way here, Shen Liang was still stunned when he heard Yu Yu Dao Qi's cold words. He shuddered slightly, imagining the lively ghost girl with her long, straight black hair, howling and dying in the deserted forest. She loved beauty so much that she even liked to compete with Raiden Zhen in beauty, but in the end, she died in the most filthy and squalid dark calamity.

But he didn't have time to think about these things. He opened the envelope and took out the diaries. The handwriting wasn't neat, and it was even a little distorted, but it was still legible.

The letter said:

"Liang'er, I miss you so much. I didn't let Zhaigong tell you about my situation. I have a pretty good idea of ​​what's wrong with me, because Zhaigong stays with me every night and then goes out to smoke for a long time. She smokes her water pipe just to look like it, because all shrewd women smoke. So... I know the medicine I'm taking isn't working."

“Liang’er, I really want to go back to the past, to the days when you weren’t grown up yet. Holding you while you sleep, singing to you… But growing up is great too, I like it very much, or rather, I like it even more. Do you remember? The day you left Daoqi, I pretended to be asleep because I was afraid you would laugh at me if I cried. That night you kissed me first, and I didn’t wash my face for a week.”

"I really am coming today. I can't breathe properly, I can't swallow food, and I have no strength. Am I going to die? But I really want to see you. I begged Zhen to come back if I'm still not feeling well in a few days, but if I'm okay, I won't tell you. Don't blame Zhen and Zhaigong, it's just that I don't want to bother you. I don't know why, but I've lost a lot of weight, and I don't want you to see me like this before I get back to normal."

"Liang'er, does the underworld really exist? Are there ghosts in the world? I dare not think about it, I'm so scared. I used to be unafraid of the dark. But I've forgotten what my mother and father look like... Sometimes I wonder, will I ever see my mother and father again?"

"I'm sorry, Liang'er, it seems I have nothing to leave you. I haven't left much money over the years; it's all gone to the family. After all, I don't care about these things. But thinking about it carefully, it's precisely because I have so little that I haven't left you anything. However, Liang'er, you like to travel the world. You could buy a carriage, so that you and your beloved girl can travel comfortably together. I really want to sit in your carriage, just the two of us. I can drive the carriage, and we can go anywhere."

"Ryo'er, my condition seems to have worsened again. It's becoming increasingly difficult for me to speak, but I think I'd better not tell you. I'll write it in a letter instead. I don't want you to know how ugly I look. I'm the most beautiful girl in Inazuma, and in your heart, I'll always be the most beautiful aunt, right? Don't be so silly. It's not good to always be a good girl. You're my man, Torachiyo's man. Be more assertive from now on. When you come back, eat more of the food at home. I originally learned a lot of cooking skills, wanting to be a perfect wife, but now I've taught them all to Shin. If you eat your mother's cooking, you'll be able to taste my flavor."

"Ying said she would kill me herself if I became a demon. I'm a little unhappy. She's just jealous that I can become your wife... I can't write any more about this. I don't understand Ying's attitude either. But my eyesight is getting worse and worse. Actually, my hearing is too. I'm about to lose all sense of things... I really want to sing you a song and dance for you. I haven't danced for you yet. Haha, I've danced for Zhen and Ying, but Liang'er doesn't have that blessing. She'll suffer for the rest of her life."

"Do you remember 'Carp Streamer'? I can't sing it anymore."

"The scent of oranges and the morning breeze, the carp streamers fluttering high~ The wide-open mouths of the fish seem to swallow the boat whole~ Shaking their fins and wagging their tails, calm and unmoved~ Rushing along the hundred rivers, leaping with all their might to become a dragon~ A real man should be like it, leaping with all his might to become a dragon~"

"Liang'er, I'm tired."

"Don't be sad."

Then the wind carried the letter away.

Shen Liang thought he had accepted the reality of their departure, but he was in a daze. It was as if someone had opened a door in the light, and the person inside mocked him, telling him that he had always been such a shallow child. He thought he understood what love was, but he didn't understand the price of love. It was so tragic to love a child instead of a man; the price a woman has to pay for loving a child is often a lifetime.

In the years of his short life, there had never been a moment like this. In this moment, Shen Liang wanted to give everything to bring her back to life, to see these gentle women in the morning sunlight, to see their long hair fluttering in the wind like firelight.

I wanted to chase after that firelight.

I want to kiss that long hair.

I want to stay nestled in her arms like a child for a long time, then kiss her earlobe and tell her that I can protect her now, letting her know that I have grown up and become a man.

Shen Liang looked up and saw the dark purple-haired woman standing on the steps silently watching him. Shen Liang finally couldn't hold back anymore and rushed over to hug Lei Yingdian's waist.

Ying silently stroked the boy's head.

Shen Liang buried his head in Lei Yingdian's chest, gripping her waist tightly and breathing deeply, gritting his teeth as he wiped away his tears. The dark, blood-stained rage hidden deep within his heart surged up, an endless anger engulfing him like a gradually rising tide.

"Mother." He finally spoke softly, each word distinct.

He knew, of course, that this wasn't Raiden, but it didn't matter. In fact, it would be easier to talk to them in front of so many officials at the castle tower.

Lei Yingdian quietly watched the boy with his head raised. She could actually sense Shen Liang's will, because he made no attempt to hide it. Even the others could sense it, so some were fearful, some helpless, some anxious, and some felt the same way as Shen Liang—

Gritting teeth.

"I will take my revenge."

Chapter Fourteen: I Want to See You in White, Reigning Supreme

Many years later, Shen Liang would realize that he had added many seemingly superfluous things to the new Holy Mark system, such as the Holy Mark suitors having a telepathic connection with themselves and the ability to communicate telepathically across time and space.

These abilities are often not very useful. When Shen Liang was weak, communication through thought was not very meaningful, and when he was strong, communication through thought was not very meaningful either. In fact, it could be said that a phone call could solve the problem, so why bother developing a superpower?

But because he couldn't sense the other person's living condition, he ended up letting his beloved die without realizing it—something Shen Liang never wanted to do again.

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

The Imperial Carriage Mansion.

Yu Yu Daoqi kicked open the half-closed gate and rushed in. He didn't pay attention to the people in the courtyard, and was tripped by the man's foot. He looked up and saw the indifferent face of the soldier.

"What are you doing!" Yu Yu Dao Qi shouted.

The soldier squatted down, pinched the man's face, and then slapped him across the face, sneering, "You still want to ask me? You rushed back from meeting the Emperor in such a hurry, not even wanting to attend the court assembly. You know what you're up to! You want to take over Miyoshi Chiyo's Tiger Army right here and now, leaving Ryoshi without anyone to use or any solutions? You bastard!"

Yu Yu Daoqi had always known that Sanbing was a violent person, but this was the first time he had seen him so angry and ferocious in the past few days. For a moment, he was stunned, wondering why Sanbing had suddenly changed his expression.

He scrutinized the stragglers; the man had a mean face and sneered repeatedly. He glanced around, relieved to find his family absent, and could only whisper, "You know what I'm going to do?"

"You bastard! You dare to interfere with Liang's plans?" the soldier sneered.

Yu Yu Daoqi was grabbed by the collar by a stragglers. His lips twitched, and he said with a cold expression, "It seems you know that I am willing to rush back to the family to clean up the military forces for this matter. Do you think I am doing this for the sake of the country or to preserve the strength of the Yu Yu family?"

"What does it have to do with me?" the stragglers scoffed.