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

"Over the years, you've become more and more like a girl. This perpetually pretentious, innocent facade disgusts me," the soldier retorted.

Shen Liang looked down at herself, her eyes filled with helplessness: "This outfit? There's nothing I can do about it. The people just like me this way. It's probably because my mother and her empress have been ruling the country for thousands of years. The people are used to the idea that the gods are peerless beauties. The government has always tried its best to make me resemble my mother. As long as it's for the sake of management, you know I don't care about that. Anyway, since I was a child, more people have called me Princess than Crown Prince."

"A peerless beauty? It's truly..." The soldier looked at his smiling gaze, and the harsh words that were about to come out of his mouth were inexplicably suppressed. He suddenly couldn't say anything.

That gaze is infuriating, yet... it evokes nostalgia.

He seemed to be at a loss for what to do. Suddenly, he took a step back and used his elbow as a fist to smash down a bolt of lightning towards Shen Liang!

Shen Liang dodged to the side, and with a flash of lightning, he suddenly grabbed the soldier by the throat with his fingers and slammed him into the floor! The thick stone bricks shattered layer by layer! Smoke billowed up, and the patrons hurriedly and warily moved away from the sudden battle. Shen Liang used his knee to hold the fierce-looking soldier down, pinning him to the ground, and the two men's eyes locked.

"You really want to kill me?" Shen Liang said in a low voice. "I thought you would have let go after all these years, but you would rather take matters into your own hands and suffer the consequences than hate me so much?"

"It was you who hated me first!" the stragglers roared in a low voice.

Shen Liang watched him silently.

"Lightning Cold, Lightning Cold, your entire Lightning family, from top to bottom, doesn't acknowledge me. You don't kill me only because you disdain killing me. Lightning Zhen kept me alive hoping I would become your whetstone, but in your eyes, I'm not even qualified to be your whetstone!" The stragglers struggled, grabbing Shen Liang's arm that was choking their throats. "If that's the case, why did you create me in the first place? What is your purpose? What is the meaning of my life?"

"I've said before that I hate discussing philosophical questions with others, because people of your level of education aren't even qualified to discuss philosophy with me," Shen Liang said calmly. "Isn't it better to just live a good life?"

“If I don’t kill you, my life has no meaning. Even if it wasn’t today, I would have taken action against you sooner or later. Because I am just like you, I am also a child of Thor, so how am I different from you?” The stragglers shook their heads. “I envy you, Lightning Cool, not because I envy your supreme status, but because I envy that you have a purpose in living. You are not alone.”

"I am very lonely."

"Stop talking nonsense. Your loneliness is not loneliness, but the loneliness of being an emperor, the loneliness of being aloof and isolated, the loneliness of ruling the world. I, on the other hand, am abandoned by everyone, betrayed by all of you."

"Don't think of yourself as so isolated, Da Pao. You're getting on in years. Stop spouting those melodramatic, childish things. Always talking about being abandoned by everyone, like you're fighting the world alone. But the truth is, you can live a great life. Just let go, stop thinking about all that nonsense. Right now, go find a girl and fall in love. The world's affairs are none of your concern anyway, and I don't think you have any ambition, right?" Shen Liang said. "Like how you and I were having a good chat, weren't we? Try changing your perspective a little. Forget the past grievances. Let's be friends again today, all smiles. After all, you still have me, don't you?"

The stragglers were stunned, staring at Shen Liang's red eyes, which were always filled with a gentle smile.

What beautiful eyes! Even after all these years, this little white wildcat is still so bright and graceful. Actually, he didn't really listen to what Shen Liang said; he only heard the habitual way Shen Liang addressed him at the beginning... his habitual form of address.

cannon.

Over the years, the skirmisher had almost forgotten his ridiculous name. He used to despise the way Lei Movies even named their characters so casually and irresponsibly, but now he actually found the name somewhat warm. At least compared to the code name "Skirmisher" and the cold, foreign name "Scaramucci."

But he was only distracted for a moment.

He shook off the past from his mind; those things shouldn't exist anymore, the past... is all different.

"Let bygones be bygones? How could I possibly let bygones be bygones? I will kill you, or one day you will kill me." He sneered. "Only the victor among us can live. I will destroy you, destroy everything in the Raiden family. Only then can I taste the flavor of life, only by taking revenge on you can this miserable body taste sweetness... My survival depends on your suffering. Only when you die, only when I die, can things change!"

He lunged forward, and Shen Liang instinctively released his grip to avoid piercing his throat, his fingernails drawing blood from the soldier's neck. He gritted his teeth, swinging the dagger again, but Shen Liang grabbed it, the tip pressed against his own forehead!

"The nation is collapsing!" Shen Liang shouted suddenly!

"We have nothing to say!"

"Fool!" Shen Liang's eyes were cold and sharp. "I won't kill you. I never even thought of killing you."

He threw a punch, hitting the stragglers squarely in the stomach, causing them to vomit blood. Shen Liang turned his head to avoid the blood, put the limp stragglers down, and reached for their waists.

The stragglers were extremely weak, but they remained alert upon sensing Shen Liang's movements! They immediately tried to stop him, but Shen Liang, in a fit of rage, threw another punch, rendering the stragglers unable to lift their hands. Then, Shen Liang pulled a folding fan from the stragglers' waist, and as he took out the fan, the stragglers couldn't help but show an expression that was hard to tell whether they wanted to sigh or laugh.

Shen Liang slowly unfolded the fan. It looked very old. The fan ribs had been carefully maintained, but the paper fan pages were all rotten, making it look like a fragile piece of wood.

"What is this?" Shen Liang stared into his eyes.

The rest of the tavern fell silent. Anyone could see that at least two executive-level figures were locked in combat. The seemingly frail, white-haired boy, resembling a snow-covered cat, held the upper hand, relentlessly suppressing the other handsome young man. Some knowledgeable individuals recognized the Fools' mark on the soldier's body and secretly went to report, but neither Shen Liang nor the soldier cared.

Why do you even need to ask!

"It's the fan Ying gave you back in the castle tower, isn't it?" Shen Liang said in a low voice. "Why did you keep it, even after it became completely useless, and still carry it with you?"

The stragglers, looking at his scrutinizing gaze, were speechless for a moment.

For what?

"How the hell should I know? I just didn't lose it, that's all! What right do you have to ask me all these questions?! I brought it with me... I brought it with me because I could use it to beg for mercy before you beat me to death! Yes! I brought it to beg you to spare my life for the sake of our past brotherhood! Yes, that's what I was thinking! Do you understand?! I'm such a despicable, hopeless bastard! I brought it with me for no reason whatsoever! Absolutely nothing!"

The stragglers roared inwardly.

"Did you receive the letter I wrote to you?" Shen Liang asked softly.

The soldier's anger was suddenly calmed down. He subconsciously remembered what it was. Before he was driven out of Inazuma, the last thing he received from Inazuma was Shen Liang's letter.

Unlike the folding fan, he preserved it better because he couldn't carry it with him. He kept it in the space of the Evil Eye, and it remains as clean and new as ever.

That letter was just as important to him as the folding fan from the movie. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew it deeply. Every time he looked at that letter, he couldn't help but think about the time after he actually met Shen Liang, wondering how Shen Liang would treat him—would he be jealous of him, or would he still treat him as his best friend with a smile?

He silently watched Shen Liang's journey: his ascension to the throne, his destruction of Kanria, his rebuilding of the shogunate, his governance of the country, his tireless efforts. Sometimes, Sanbing felt that Shen Liang could no longer consider him a friend. He had grown up; he must know that Sanbing was no good, and had even been lurking in the shadows, envying him, plotting to replace him… But he still held onto a sliver of hope, because that letter was so lovely, so innocent. Perhaps Shen Liang… truly still saw him as a friend.

Now the best thing has happened: he discovered that Shen Liang really doesn't care about his past over the years.

But he was confused, so confused that he even had a headache.

"So many years have passed, and you're still bringing up letters and folding fans. Heh...heh heh heh..." The soldier chuckled. "Fool, you're the fool, Liang! After all these years, you're still soft-hearted and can't shake your stupidity! Do you even deserve the surname Thunder and Lightning!"

Taking advantage of Shen Liang's inattention, he suddenly fled!

"You don't understand, Emperor Liang! You're no longer a boy; your heart must grow old! You must kill all your enemies, or you will be killed by them!" He burst through the roof with his badly wounded body, gritting his teeth as he fled, transforming into a bolt of lightning. "I am not your friend, not long ago! Don't try to influence me, Emperor Ruori. In this world, there will be no more thunder and lightning that destroys kingdoms; only Scaramchi, who covets your power!"

Shen Liang didn't chase after him, but just watched his retreating figure. "Is that all?"

No one answered him. The stragglers fled quickly. He was stripped of his power of lightning, but the Evil Eye granted him the power of lightning. He no longer used Inazuma's things, but he still survived and gained a new goal... or rather, a new hatred.

Shen Liang didn't care about his madness, she just smiled at the snowflakes fluttering in through the gap under the night sky.

"That's it then."

Another friend lost, that's all.

Many stories are hidden in history, and historians have glimpsed some clues in the storybooks left by the famous children's author Anders Dort.

There was once a little white cat wearing a crown who was brothers and friends with the purple cat. They had made a pact under their mother's decree to serve as ruler and subject, to govern the chaotic world together and conquer the land.

The white cat is in the sky, the purple cat is on the ground. Everyone is doing their own thing, and after many, many years, they forget each other.

When the time came for the little white cat to descend to the mortal realm, which should have allowed it to share the world, it saw the purple cat arrive with swords in its hands.

In the cycle of fate, both cats died, leaving only the aloof emperor and the vengeful traitor.

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

The Queen arrived at the tavern at dawn and found Shen Liang sitting quietly in the empty tavern, covered in snow, having sat silently all night.

"What are you trading?" Empress Zhidong looked at the young man who had once been as close to her as a single person. She knew that Shen Liang couldn't possibly be here to rekindle their past romance.

"Your Heart of God, and... when you discover that Inazuma has obtained the Heart of God, remember, do not be angry, do not declare war, just ask for the Heart of God back. I need this promise from you." Shen Liang said calmly, "I will have the Witch Association restrain you and Inazuma, and if necessary, I will have the Witch Association return the Heart of God to you."

The conversation was somewhat nonsensical, but Empress Zhidong understood Shen Liang's meaning in an instant.

Her beautiful eyes were glazed over. After a long while, anger flared up in her eyes. "Liang! Is this how you treat me... What am I? Just one of your many toys to satisfy your lust? You have no respect for me at all!"

“What disrespect is there, Your Majesty? I love you, please believe me, but I have to do this, you already knew that.” Shen Liang said indifferently, “Compared to you, I am more heartbroken. You will remember nothing in the end, but I will.”

"Liang... how could you say such hurtful things?" The Empress said in disbelief.

Shen Liang shook his head. He was exhausted and didn't want to explain anymore.

Queen Winter was a gentle girl; she couldn't say anything harsh, nor did she know how to refute.

She knew very well what Shen Liang was planning: he wanted to leave Teyvat and change the course of the World Tree. The Queen was clever; she guessed that he wanted to erase the fact that she had lived on Teyvat for the past hundred years.

He needs to create a "historical void" to provide space for someone's rebirth.

Therefore, he needs to leave Teyvat and open the gate to another world. But this also requires the Hearts of the Seven Gods, not to pursue the power of the Hearts of the Seven Gods, but to ensure that the gods have no way to contact Sky Island.

Sky Island will not allow Shen Liang to open the gate between the two worlds. The arrival of Honkai energy also means that the Teyvat continent has been observed by the Honkai, and this world will also be invaded by the Honkai... This violates the basic premise of Gretchen's "Ark Project". Sky Island will do its best to stop Shen Liang.

However, as long as the Heart of God is in Shen Liang's hands and there is no way to contact Sky Island, by the time Sky Island detects that Shen Liang's interdimensional gate has opened, it will be too late anyway.

but.

Erasing all traces of his existence would mean that many people would forget him, a reality that Queen Winter had known for a long time but still could not accept.

Chapter Thirty-Two: Memories Vanish in the Snow

Changing the course of history is an unforgivable sin, and Shen Liang has done it time and time again.

Every time the World Tree changes, some people will vaguely notice it. Beings like the Winter Queen, who are at the level of demon gods, will naturally sense that their memories seem to have deviated slightly at certain times.

So she was terrified. For a god, the greatest threat is the erosion of memory, and she feared she wouldn't be able to remember anything for the rest of her life. She wanted to remember Shen Liang, to ensure she would never live alone, and to remember the boy's beauty. There should be something in this world that remains unchanged forever, recording her heart—her infatuation with him, her joy for him, and her sacrifices for him.

But she lacked that confidence. The World Tree's power surpassed that of the Demon Gods; in fact, even the Tree King, who ruled the World Tree, could not retain his own memories. Shen Liang was able to change history with his own power because he did not belong to Teyvat.

But that's so cruel, so incredibly cruel.

Shen Liang spoke casually, as if heartless and cruel, showing no pity whatsoever for her. But the Empress knew he was right; he would have to pay a higher price because he would retain his memories… After the world forgot him, all past relationships, social connections, and even the smallest things connected to him would vanish. She wouldn't suffer too much, because she wouldn't remember clearly.

But Shen Liang could only endure all of this.

Forgetting is a blessing; to live forever burdened by these misunderstood hardships is unimaginable how painful it would be. The Queen almost went mad just thinking about it.

"Why did you do this! Who is that person in your heart?" The Queen held back her tears, took a deep breath, and said angrily, "You're willing to erase yourself for her? Do you know what you're giving up? It's not just Inazuma, it's the whole world! You know perfectly well that you are the only god in all these years to restore the friendship between the seven kingdoms! The Land of Lightning is in your hands, the Queen of the Land of Grass is your plaything, the Land of Rock sees you as a child, the Land of Water even wants to abandon its ruling position to follow you, and even my country calls you Dokoreva... The position that we fought for two thousand years in the Demon God War is in your hands, just one step away!"

Many believe that the young emperor of Inazuma harbors immense ambitions. Being a crown prince isn't enough, being the ruler of Inazuma isn't enough, and forming an alliance of seven kingdoms probably isn't enough either… What the young emperor desires is quite obvious to many. He is so young, yet so powerful, even defying the laws of nature. Establishing a new seven-kingdoms system and becoming the leader of the seven-kingdoms alliance would be perfectly reasonable.

“But that’s not my ambition,” Shen Liang said.

The Queen stared intently at him. "This is so unfair, Liang, so unfair! You can go to such lengths for the person in your heart, but why can't you think of me? Think of the others who love you? You love me, so how can you be so cold-hearted as to hurt me like this? You can sacrifice yourself to bring her back, but how can I bear to lose all of this? In your heart, I am not as good as her. This is not fair!"

“But you will forget these injustices, you will return to a history where you don’t know me, you will forget this pain,” Shen Liang said softly. “Say what you will, but this is the least harmful way for you!”

"I disagree! I refuse to agree!" the queen cried, flapping her icy wings as she prepared to flee.