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

“I’m not trying to preserve the Tiger Legion. The Tiger Legion was my mother’s personal army, but ultimately they only obeyed her, not the private army of the Yu Yu family. But now that the general is dead, the entire army is a grieving force, everyone is grinding their teeth and sucking blood, wanting revenge. I thought that when Prince Ryo returned, he would be more lenient and allow the army to recuperate, but if he wants to raise this grieving army to attack Kanria, then the battle that Inazuma has fought so hard to win will have been for nothing!” Yu Yu Michiki pulled away the hands of the scattered soldiers and stepped forward. “I must immediately break up the Tiger Legion. I absolutely cannot allow His Highness to raise an elite and determined force, even if it means being punished at this time! Inazuma cannot continue this war that has lasted for more than twenty years!”

The stragglers remained unmoved. "How dare you! You're just a mere civil official, a human bureaucrat, a dog. I don't understand military and national affairs, but it's none of your business to interfere... Ryo wants to start a war, that's fine, what's wrong with that? Why not take revenge? The strong should exploit and crush the weak until they bleed to the last drop of blood. Inazuma should get what he owed back from Kanria."

"The good men of Inazuma can't take it anymore! Prince Ryo has arrived with the expectations of the people, and his call is met with overwhelming support! But the young people don't know that the men of Inazuma are almost extinct!" Yu Yu Daoqi roared angrily. "There's no benefit in continuing to fight alongside Prince Ryo, and revenge is meaningless. What does it matter who destroyed Kanria? So many people have died in Inazuma, what can be made up for from Kanria? Let me put it bluntly, there's nothing but pleasure!"

“But for Liang, pleasure is enough.” The soldier shrugged. “So you’ll never understand us, humans. You’re just humans. For beings who see things from a divine perspective, people, the economy, and prosperity are just some of the goals, but not all of them. Governing a country is for personal pleasure, fighting wars is also for personal pleasure, everything is for pleasure. Liang has matured… he’s becoming more and more like a qualified god. It doesn’t matter if he has nothing but pleasure. For a god, doing things is neither right nor wrong.”

Yu Yu Dao Qi stared at the scattered soldiers. In his eyes, the scattered soldiers also possessed a certain degree of divinity. After all, they were creations of the Thunder God, and his views on them were quite different from those of humans.

So that's how it is. Is this God's consideration?

He closed his eyes, thinking of Shen Liang's gentle face and his resolute anger.

He suddenly realized something. Although he was a juvenile deity, Shen Liang was a genuine god, and his perspective was even superior to that of the demons and immortal beings. In the eyes of such a being, the world was like a game, and his gentleness stemmed from his inherent kindness.

The fact that he could still call him brother after all these years is a good thing, because he doesn't prioritize his status. But it also means that Shen Liang is willful, that he acts more based on his own likes and dislikes... This is perfectly natural for a god, so when he wants revenge, no one can stop him.

Even Thor wouldn't understand; Thor... is also a god. She understands her son's heart better.

Even if Inazuma is broken and shattered, to the gods she is merely a toy that requires a long time to repair, and is worthy of pity. But as long as the gods exist, Inazuma exists, and the gods themselves can protect Inazuma's well-being.

Sacrificing a generation, or even several generations, to satisfy one's desire for revenge and to make oneself happy... is then considered perfectly justifiable.

The young man wanted to follow the will of the gods, but he, a civil official, wanted to defy both the gods and the people... How ridiculous! Could he possibly do it?

Yu Yu Daoqi was finally disappointed.

He hoped to arrive in Inazuma as a gentle monarch who would lead his people to revive the nation, unlike the stern and cold Raijin. But he could not wait. Wakahirukami was far more willful than Mitakerukami; when he grasped the hilt of the sword, blood would surely flow like a river.

"Don't interfere with Liang's schedule, remember that." The soldier said calmly, "The army is the legacy your mother left to Liang. If you dare to interfere again, I'm not like Liang. If you ruin my enjoyment of watching the show, I will not tolerate it."

Yu Yu Dao Qi stopped speaking and waited quietly to the side with his head down.

After a long silence, he finally sighed wearily and coldly, "The Narukami mother and son ruled the country with demonic arts. Inazuma lived for a hundred years, and in the end, it became hell!"

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

Shadow Mountain, Narukami Grand Shrine.

A memorial service is being prepared here. It could have been performed by the shrine maidens earlier to comfort the victims and pray for the living. However, Shen Liang's return was coincident, so the task naturally fell to him.

There were no strict orders requiring people to gather; the shogunate simply removed the partitions in the Narukami Taisha dojo to ensure that it could accommodate many people.

After the news was released, crowds quickly gathered from all over Narukami Island. By the time preparations for the memorial service were nearly complete, Narukami Taisha Shrine was already packed with people.

Then, to the delight of all, Yae no Miko, dressed in the shrine maiden's robes, appeared on the viewing platform. The shrine maidens below rang their bells in unison, and a solemn atmosphere suddenly arose. The previously noisy crowd gradually quieted down, listening to the clanging of the soul-summoning bells.

The solemnity that descended upon the hall was not due to any supernatural power used by the shrine maidens to guide people's hearts; it was simply because the memorial service itself was sorrowful enough. Almost every family present had someone serving in the military, and over the years, millions of people had died or been injured in the Inazuma desert. It was even impossible to place all the ashes in the shrine for baptism.

Everyone who came had experienced the sorrow of separation and death to some extent, and they naturally became quiet and solemn without any guidance.

Yae no Miko began her speech, and as the Palace Master, she appeared particularly young. However, the cunning and scheming side she displayed when interacting with Shen Liang had vanished without a trace. Her demeanor was solemn, and she recited the words of the memorial ceremony with utmost care.

The content is nothing more than the vicious Kanriyans' attempt to destroy the Inazuma Kingdom, which has brought unforgettable sorrow to everyone for more than 20 years. Now that the dead are gone, the living must be strong and live well with the hopes of the deceased.

After the speeches, the main event of the memorial service begins: the ritual of sending souls to the afterlife. In a country that truly possesses gods and spirits, this is also the duty of the priestesses.

But at this moment, the Eightfold Divine Child was no longer needed; it was Shen Liang who took over the ritual of comforting and guiding the spirits to the afterlife. Because for such an important ceremony, the little fox who had just taken over as the Palace Attendant was not even qualified enough. The comforting of the spirits of millions of people even required the appeasement of the gods, and only the gods could bear the will of millions of people.

“Brother,” Yae no Miko met Shen Liang backstage as he was about to go on stage. She blocked his way and opened her arms, “Hug.”

The little fox didn't usually act so affectionately, but Shen Liang sensed a deep, restrained sadness emanating from her, a sadness she couldn't express. On stage, as the High Priestess, she had to be solemn and expressionless, but she was just a child after all, and when she was hurting... she needed someone to confide in.

Shen Liang hugged her. Yae no Miko looked up, hesitated for a moment, and then leaned down to kiss her delicate lips.

Indeed, hesitation was necessary. The waiting priestesses were stunned, and many of them wore expressions of disbelief.

Most of these shrine maidens are from the new generation. Shen Liang has been gone for fifteen years, and the young shrine maidens who used to accompany Fox Palace and fool around with him are now mostly in their thirties, mature women who have joined the Onmyodo or graduated directly. Most of this generation of shrine maidens are unaware of Shen Liang's true nature, and some even feel compelled to say something, probably just useless things like "shrine maidens are sacred and inviolable."

However, the young shrine maidens were all stopped by some older shrine maidens. These shrine maidens, who had followed the Fox Palace, were worldly-wise, and when they saw the young boy and girl kissing, they only showed a slightly wistful smile.

"How similar it is, Divine Child."

“Senior, that…that’s our future High Priest! This…this isn’t pure! This goes against our…”

"What does the future palace chief matter? As long as he's a palace chief, he'll be under the young prince's jurisdiction." The older shrine maiden chuckled softly. "Shrine maidens are women who serve the gods. Did you think our oaths were just for show?"

"Hey, hey, hey!"

"Alright, only your generation would ask such a question if you've never met His Highness. It's alright, your generation just follows the Divine Child. Just like our generation followed the Imperial Palace Master back then."

"Follow...follow what?"

"Gifts, huh? The priestesses have always been the ones who give gifts to the gods in service of the current high priestess, or rather... maids who share her bed?"

While they were telling jokes, Shen Liang held his fox sister's hand, and the two little ones cuddled for a while before the Eightfold Divine Child responded, saying, "Brother seems to have some of the demeanor of a true elder sister now."

"What magnanimity."

“The old man with disheveled hair is mad and foolish, what is he doing by the river at dawn?” Yae no Miko said softly on tiptoe, “Inazuma is so vast, do not cross the river.”

The sound of swaying gohei came from behind. Shen Liang heard the shrine maidens chanting softly. Night fell and the ritual began.

The shrine maidens held the spirit tablets reverently, gazing up at the sky. Everyone looked up at the sky, and slowly, from all over Inazuma, countless points of light rose into the heavens, as if the souls of the dead were merging into the night sky. The moon hid and the stars faded, and the countless points of light converged into a magnificent scene like the Milky Way.

"Do not cross the river, my lord," Yae no Miko softly advised.

"I'd rather endure hardship to cross it."

Shen Liang answered, then walked towards the center of the dojo without looking back. He wore a large, flowing robe, for as the son of Mikage Narukami, he was also the head priest of Mikage Narukami Taisha. Amidst the cheers of the crowd, the shrine maidens, carrying various props, adjusted his attire. Some draped him in a Tang-style robe, some adorned him with gold hairpins, and others adjusted his joints, binding him with shimenawa (a type of ceremonial rope) and a scepter.

The boy who had once been raised in the deep palace and was even lovable was now shrouded in sacred attire, solemn like a true Inazuma Supreme.

The stragglers hidden in the crowd were completely stunned. Looking at their former friend on the stage, they felt as if he was walking with a swagger, and even the lighting seemed different.

He vaguely felt a sense of retreat, like the fear he felt when facing a ridiculous movie... that genuine sense of retreat in the face of a god, which cannot be faked.

—What the heck… Is he trying to take over Inazuma's position? Does Balzeb agree?

The stragglers scanned Shen Liang with envious, even jealous, eyes. They could hardly recognize him. Was this still the little wildcat they knew? Or was this the real Shen Liang, someone who wasn't actually a weak, obedient canary? He was Inazuma's future master. Whenever he stepped onto the stage, the spotlight was within his grasp.

—In comparison, I am the one who cannot be seen in the light.

With such mixed feelings, the soldier continued reading.

Then Shen Liang accepted the imperial coin, faced the roaring crowd, and tilted his head.

The gesture was a little unconventional, but its cuteness still made the crowd cheer—it's unclear what they were cheering for.

Shen Liang laughed, then looked up at the vast Milky Way that had obscured the moon.

"These are all great finds. Sorry I'm late."

He did return too late. The war that nearly destroyed Inazuma was just a battle of Layer Rock in Liyue... If he had stayed in Inazuma, if he, the god of Inazuma, had stood up for Inazuma, would everything have been different?

Fox Palace, Torachiyo, Reisenbo... so many good guys, and countless ordinary soldiers.

He protected so many countries, but failed to protect himself.

Shen Liang controlled his emotions; he couldn't blame himself too much. War inevitably results in death; it wasn't just Inazuma who suffered. Even though he traveled far and wide, he couldn't protect the peace of every country; people would still die. It wasn't that abandoning other countries would guarantee Inazuma's safety.

but……

He felt Yae no Miko support the gohei in his hand. While he was in a daze, the little fox noticed in time and joined him in presiding over the memorial service.

"Don't blame yourself so much. If you've already decided to become a blood-stained monarch, then go for it. As your sister, I should fully support whatever you choose." Yae no Miko gently pressed his hand against hers, looking at him tenderly. "Say it after me, brother."

"I hereby inform Bai Chen of the reason for suppressing the soul."

Shen Liang stared blankly at the Eightfold Divine Child, their gazes locked in a silent exchange of many emotions. Shen Liang couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew he understood.

—If you want to cross the river, I can't stop you, and nobody can stop you, so I'll cross the river too.

Yae no Miko's eyes were so familiar—that boundless tolerance, that all-encompassing tenderness, that love that would never be forgotten, no matter where you were.

Shen Liang seemed to see many people. The fox, the ghost, and the celestial dog were also standing there gracefully, with such gentle eyes, speaking such gentle words.

—Liang'er, do you know that I've been reading a lot of books written by pretentious literati lately? But they're quite well-written. One book said there are three regrets in life: first, river fish have too many bones; second, cherry blossoms have too little fragrance.

"I hereby inform Bai Chen of the reason for suppressing the soul," the Eightfold Divine Child said softly.

"I hereby inform Bai Chen of the reason for suppressing the soul," Shen Liang repeated.

—The third regret is that I was not born in the War of Demons and Gods, so that I could fight alongside Mikatsunaru to conquer the north and south and together defeat the world.

"Allow me to offer my blessings, and guide the lamp homeward."

"Allow me to offer my blessings, and guide the lamp homeward."

—But I don't hate it. I've already seen this kind of world. I've witnessed the endless wars between gods, the sight of blood flowing like a sea. I thought I wouldn't have any regrets, Liang'er.

"Awe-inspiring divine might—"

—But I still regret it, I still have that hatred. I wish I could hold your hand again, I wish I could be born in the reign of Emperor Ruo Ri after you have grown up, to see you pacify the southern seas and conquer the seven kingdoms in the north, to see you in white robes as you rule the world, and to see the city filled with beauties in red sleeves when you return.

"We are filled with awe and fear of divine might."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: Oh no, I was wondering why it was only 20 coins per chapter. I didn't realize until this morning that I had posted the wrong chapter; the one I pasted was only 4,000 words.

Sorry, I posted it in the wrong place. It's not that I don't want to change it, but I was too tired after posting it and fell asleep. When I woke up, it was already past 9:30. I apologize, I'll change it directly in the chapter.

However, this chapter should be 5,000 words. I don't know what will happen if I add 1,000 words and change it directly. Will this cause a mistake in the calculation of royalties? The amount I buy later may become 25 coins, but what about the amount I bought before?

The previous chapter was posted in the wrong place, please refresh the page.