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

Lei remained silent, utterly unable to fathom what scheme her sister was harboring. What was the point of a scheme that came at the cost of death? Even Liang'er would never condone such a sacrifice. Her sister was so intelligent; how could she not foresee that this absurd plan would ultimately be exposed to Liang'er, that he would inevitably lose control and become the wolf she spoke of after losing her…

It's just a matter of time, what's the difference?

unless……

She looked at Raiden's slender and confident back, but couldn't figure out the "unless" answer.

----------

On the seventh day of the third month in the twenty-eighth year of the War of Canria, in the spring.

Shen Liang woke up and stretched, but couldn't. His hands and feet were bound by vines, gently but firmly, to a beautiful illusion.

He knew it was an illusion because Mistelin reluctantly told him, and he was powerless to resist the restraint. After being captured and put into this so-called "Pure Land of One Heart," he counted his heartbeats every day, and about half a year had passed.

He's not crazy.

Having regained his memories of ten thousand years, Shen Liang had become largely immune to "mental attrition" type of torture. He adapted extremely well to things like being locked in a dark room, being confined and unable to communicate, or suffering from claustrophobia. Because no matter the level of mental torment, compared to the loneliness of having only Aponia for fifty thousand years, it was nothing.

To put it bluntly, as the manager of the Paradise of the Past, he has lived underground for 50,000 years. Sometimes, when he and Aponia want to try a game of putting each other out of the loop, they can each "place" themselves for hundreds of years. There is basically no form of mental torture in this world that can compare to this. Even if a ridiculous movie locked him up for hundreds of years without anyone coming in, he wouldn't care.

And almost every day someone would come in to keep him company. If he had to say what he disliked about being "confined," it was not being able to choose who would be with him. Lei Yingdian treated all the girls equally, picking them out in order each day and throwing them in like feeding them. Occasionally, when he didn't pick out any girls, she would come in herself to keep Shen Liang company for the day.

To some extent, Shen Liang even hoped that Lei Yingdian would come in, because the girls only got to come once a month, so he couldn't rest every day. Only when Lei Yingdian came in could he finally not have to fulfill his so-called boyfriend responsibilities.

[Seriously, darling, fulfilling your responsibilities as a boyfriend is a matter of course. You think you can just flirt, take advantage, and run away? You're already a little player, you should at least fulfill your responsibilities as a player.] Mistelin was quite dissatisfied with this. In her opinion, these obedient, cute, and unassuming little monsters and witches like Inazuma had all been let down by Shen Liang. Taking turns once a month was practically a long-distance relationship for locals. Considering the severity of long-distance relationships, they were already being incredibly self-disciplined. Normal long-distance couples could stay together from breakfast to dinner for a month without ever separating!

[For them, it's a monthly rotation, but for Yu Tu-nee, it's like having no rest time at all.]

[You need a rest? Don't you usually think of yourself as Lu Bu at Hulao Pass?]

Why do you think I have this habit? How else can I carve out my own time...?

Mistelin was taken aback at first, then covered her face and burst into laughter.

I always thought this little wolf was so powerful that one person couldn't satisfy his excessive possessiveness, but I never expected that he would grit his teeth and swallow his pride. In the end, he's still a wolf cub who won't let go once he's got meat in his mouth. If he carries too much meat and can't finish it, he'll eventually be crushed to death by the meat.

[Greedy and insatiable.]

[If I weren't so greedy, how would I have managed to catch Sister Yu Tu?]

Mistelin ignored him. After all, she was different; she was just a ghost, a female ghost who didn't need a man.

At this moment, the Pure Land space opened, and a bolt of lightning flashed, transforming into a human form and standing in front of Shen Liang.

Lei looked Shen Liang up and down, then waved his hand, retracting the vines. Shen Liang was too lazy to get up, simply shifting his position on the stone slab, looking utterly bored: "Master, how long do you intend to keep me trapped?"

Lei Movie remained silent.

"Ever since I said I was going to Kanria for revenge, you've verbally agreed, but in reality you've kept me here," Shen Liang said calmly. "It's been so long, and you haven't given me a reason. Master, is this Mother's doing?"

“From now on you can’t call me ‘Master’ anymore,” Lei Yingdian said.

Shen Liang glanced at her, her brows furrowing slightly.

He was naturally in a bad mood. Being inexplicably confined by his elders for half a year was something no matter how well-behaved or sensible he was, it would be hard for him to endure being a little wolf in his mother's arms again, especially since Lei was also taciturn.

Why can't you just say it directly? When you locked me up, I thought you had suddenly developed some strange interest, or that you were taking me hostage because your thousand-year love for my sister couldn't be acknowledged... But you just locked me up like this, and all you do is come over with a guilty look and apologize.

"why?"

"From this day forward, Liang'er, when you are out, you must call me 'Empress Dowager'."

Shen Liang tilted his head. Actually, that was how he always addressed her in public. Only a few insiders knew that Lei Yingdian and Lei Dian were two different people; the outside world always thought there was only one god. To avoid arousing suspicion, Shen Liang would sweetly call Lei Yingdian "Mother" when she appeared as "Thor".

This doesn't need to be emphasized.

"As for internal matters, Liang'er, you can just call me 'Ying'. From today onwards, we are equals. I am no longer your elder or your master. You will be supreme, and I will only be your assistant behind the scenes."

Shen Liang froze, then his expression changed abruptly. In an instant, he scrambled to his feet, his eyes filled with fear. It was like a fledgling bird losing its nurse, or a falcon being airdropped into a valley... that premonition, that fear of loss.

Lei Ying pressed down on his shoulder, looked down into his eyes, and slowly but firmly uttered, "You heard me right, Liang'er, you heard me right. Now, in Daoqi, only we are left. From now on, you only have... me."

P.S.: No knife (repeated 5 times)! ...

Chapter Twenty-One: I'm not just going to kill you!!

According to the stories passed down in the Eastern Continent, the Ruo Ri Emperor Dynasty was established in the spring of a certain year, but in that spring, 100,000 people in Inazuma City mourned.

Commemorating the abdication of the gods.

In the story, Wakaminari-no-Kami will inherit the position of ruler of Inazuma, but surprisingly, he requires all the magistrates of the Inazuma Shika Islands to attend the ceremony for the deity's abdication. This is quite strange, because the previous ruler, Raiden-shogun, only abdicated, not died. Holding a ceremony under the guise of a "funeral" would be quite disrespectful to Raiden-shogun.

Some scholars believe that this was Wakamichi's way of conserving manpower and keeping everything simple, combining his mother's abdication ceremony with the memorial service for the dead of the Kanria War. While the timing of the funeral made General Raiden's glorious abdication ceremony seem somewhat ominous, it also proved that Wakamichi truly held real power and did not need to care about the opinions of others; he was not a puppet emperor manipulated behind the scenes by General Raiden.

Officials from both the shogunate and local governments throughout Inazuma attended the ceremony, a gesture ordered by Wakanaru, symbolizing a change of dynasty. However, the most attention-grabbing figures at the ceremony were not these Inazuma dignitaries, but rather the envoys from the seven kingdoms, especially Ganyu, the representative of the Liyue delegation. She brought a eulogy from the Geo Archon Morax and numerous gold and silver artifacts, and kissed Wakanaru's hand during the ceremony, declaring a long-standing alliance between Liyue and Inazuma.

Two thousand years after the end of the Demon God War, this is the first time that Inazuma has announced a true friendship and marriage alliance with Liyue.

The term "marriage" originates from numerous historical records stating that Lady Ganyu of Liyue received a betrothal letter personally from General Raiden during that ceremony. This alliance was not merely political but also represented a blood relationship between deities. However, such historical accounts are generally not accepted by historians, not because of a lack of evidence, but because Lady Ganyu was still alive, and those who knew her knew her to be pure and innocent. Such so-called historical accounts would be nothing more than baseless speculation about a woman's chastity.

Almost simultaneously, the Flower Goddess Nabu of the Sumeru Kingdom suddenly died. Although the Red King attempted to contain the calamity to a certain extent, it still created vast deserts within the Sumeru Kingdom. The Tree King had no choice but to scale back his defenses and do his best to protect the World Tree and the mortals of the Sumeru Kingdom.

Thus, after the Crimson King was unable to stabilize the desertification, he finally died. The power of the Sumeru Kingdom declined significantly, and the Tree King temporarily severed all contact with the outside world to do everything in his power to protect the World Tree. All three gods of Sumeru went offline, and the country entered an era of rule by men.

Surprisingly, the Kanria forces, who had been suppressed by the Red King, did not seize the opportunity to attack. Perhaps knowing that their homeland had been breached and they had become scattered soldiers in a foreign land, the remaining Kanria troops from various countries were gradually retreating, attempting to return to Kanria. Clearly, with their homeland breached, Kanria's war of aggression was doomed to failure, and a true reckoning was imminent.

Inazuma was there after the abdication ceremony of the Raiden Shogun.

In September, Emperor Wakahira-no-Kami, the second son of the emperor, ascended the throne. His first decree was a general amnesty to allow the country to recuperate and for the shogunate to refrain from political affairs for five years, a policy known as "governing by inaction."

Because Inazuma's wounds were too deep and too long. Ever since Kanria issued a declaration of war against the Kingdom of Ten Thousand, Inazuma, as the country closest to the edge of the world, has been torn open with countless rifts. The Beast Realm is rampant, Narukami Island and Tsurukan are split apart, and for thirty years, cries of agony have echoed across the land. Millions have died one after another in battle, from the Supreme Commander to the Lord of the Onmyōryō, from the Tengu Clan to the Tiger Warriors. The world is like a burning house, and all living beings suffer.

If the Japanese emperor declares that since there is no need for a shogunate due to inaction, he abolishes the shogunate's 367 officials, dismissing all those beyond the reach of the gods and allowing them to retire, thus severing half of the civil and military officials from the castle tower. Later, he establishes three commissioners to oversee military, finance, and people's livelihood, with the commissioners directly responsible to the gods. He then lifts the sea ban, builds factories, establishes elementary schools, sets up the imperial examination system, and establishes friendly trade relations with all nations.

After this, the bloated bureaucracy of the shogunate was completely eliminated. Veteran officials of the old dynasty tearfully denounced the new emperor's nepotism and willful rule. The new emperor laughed and said, "Since you are my mother's subject, you should go with her," and beheaded you in the palace. His family was confiscated, and his entire clan was exterminated. Millions of gold, silver, and valuables were seized and confiscated. From then on, the noble families of the old dynasty were utterly terrified and no longer dared to covet power. The corrupt and entrenched atmosphere of the court and the countryside vanished, leaving only the emperor's word in the shogunate.

However, if the Japanese emperor insists on going his own way, it would be a good thing.

For an emperor who advocated for recuperation and development, wielding absolute power did not increase his workload much. If Emperor Ruori never competed with the people for profit, then the so-called "sage dictatorship" would be the best example. Although Emperor Ruori did not attend to state affairs or enter the human world, the people loved and respected him more than ever before. They specially took words from the name of the god "Ruori Mingshen Cizun Xiaotianzi Ming" and affectionately called him "Little Emperor."

The succession of "Mikazuchi no Kami Sumitomo" and "Wakatsuki no Kami Tsumitomo no Mikoto" remains a topic of great interest in historical circles. If this is true, it proves that it is not impossible for the Seven Regents to maintain a "lineage of ten thousand generations" from generation to generation. Compared to selfish human rulers, being forever led by selfless gods is the ultimate political form that every country desires—"a succession of philosopher-kings."

But what even the most exaggerated bard tales wouldn't record is that the Japanese emperor promised to allow the people to recuperate and thrive, but never promised to abandon his revenge.

He granted Raiden's wish to be a "ruler who maintains the status quo," but not entirely.

————————————————————

"To uphold benevolence, righteousness, and the fundamental principles of life, and to allow people to rest and recuperate."

Shen Liang repeated this sentence.

“But Inazuma has been here for thirty years, and half of the good men have lost their lives in your hands.”

"The Garrison of the Desolate Sea led tens of thousands of troops, forging an unbreakable line of flesh and blood with their lives, yet they were unable to remove the gate to the Beast Realm."

"The general of Qinglai Island called on Haiji Island and Narukami Island to settle their old grudges, but the two sides, who finally made peace, still shed blood on Tsurukan, and the vicious dogs on Kinai Beach are still gnawing on their corpses."

"My mother, my gentle and kind Queen Mother, the supreme and most noble woman of Inazuma."

"Even I only dared to look up at her, and I could only timidly kiss her shoulder, for fear of disrespecting the majesty of the Empress Dowager."

Shen Liang stood in the clouds, gripping his burning longsword, silently watching the people below, who were in a state of panic and chaos.

The sky over the Kingdom of Kanria was dark and gloomy.

He always appeared to be a good kid to outsiders, but in reality, he was fiercely vengeful and held grudges to the extreme. He wanted revenge against the Kanriyans, but Thunder King imprisoned him, forcibly sealing the sword he had drawn.

But because that was Raiden Shin, his most beloved and absolutely obedient mother.

If Thunder truly wanted him to be a ruler who maintained the status quo, then he would do so.

Lei Dian really hoped that he would let go of his hatred, even if it was a deadly feud, and put it aside for the time being.

His love for Raiden wasn't because of Inazuma, the government, or a bright future; it was simply because she was his most important mother. He knew very well that "mother" was an extremely luxurious word for him. Over the years, he had never been able to truly say it to anyone. He had always longed to have a woman who would accompany him throughout his life as his true mother.

He could have a safe haven like a real child, and no matter what hardships he suffered outside, he could still whine and act coquettishly under her smiling eyes when he came back.

Therefore, he will obey.

If he were a sword, then lightning would truly be its scabbard. He could forever nestle against her hem like a little wolfhound, never showing his fangs. This wasn't pretense; it was the genuine affection he had so little of left.

But why... is it that there are always people who want to betray his sincerity?

Shen Liang seemed to have exhausted all his strength, staggering in the air, barely managing to avoid falling. He thought of the scene of Lei Dian's death, and could only cover his face, not daring to straighten up, because he was actually too exhausted to cry anymore.

His mother died, and he should have cried, but with one tragedy after another, he could no longer cry. He didn't want others to see him like this; he felt it would seem unfilial, because he should have cried out loud and grieved like a child.

But all the strength he had left was enough to bury his head and make an almost eerie "cough cough," a sound of clenched teeth.

Dark clouds gathered in the sky, the air damp, threatening a sudden downpour. Shen Liang emitted a sound somewhere between a demon's howl and laughter from within the clouds, but no one below could hear him, and no one was around—even the Rock God Morax had long since fled this land. Every demon knew what was about to happen, yet remained here…

This would mean becoming enemies with Shen Liang.

No one wants to be enemies with the current Inazuma administration.

The terrifying laughter echoed against his heart, flowing deep inside and tearing it to pieces.

—Mother.

Where can I find your magnificent crimson robe and your gentle, lotus-like face again?

Shen Liang finally raised his head from his laughter and looked down at the tens of thousands of people prostrating themselves in the square of Our Lady of the Holy Mother in Intiwat, the capital of Kanria.

"Who did it?" Shen Liang asked, puzzled.