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

"Every power comes at a price, and the desire for independence is that price!"

"The people of Haiqi deserve more!"

"If you want to protect these fish, you can't just rely on protection; if you want peace, you can't rely on peace!"

"I will become a sea serpent."

Countless images flashed through Shen Liang's mind. Looking at the ground, she realized that tears were already dripping down her feet.

It turned out he had already cried.

In that instant, Shen Liang suddenly understood. He understood what Coral Palace Liu Ge had always wanted him to understand, something that he, as a well-off Earthling, might never be able to comprehend.

He recalled the bittersweet feeling he had when he first visited Wanglong Village and saw the little girl waiting for her brother to return.

He thought of the woman who had lost her husband and son, and how she could endure such immense grief and hunger just for a bowl of rice.

He remembered the rude and barbaric soldiers on the city wall and the bodies of those who fell while protecting him.

He also recalled everything he had experienced on Earth from birth to the present.

The sweet taste of making cream soup with my sisters in the orphanage, the drowsy feeling of telling them bedtime stories around their beds. Even in the freezing cold, the heating was on full blast, and although supplies weren't plentiful, we never worried about going hungry. There were so many cans of beef that even the most sensible Bronya didn't like them.

He also recalled the small apartment he bought in Tokyo, where he lived a refined and cozy life, filled with simple joys. He remembered his grand ambition when he stroked his sister's head and declared that he would earn enough money in Teyvat to live a life of comfort and happiness.

He suddenly felt a deep, bone-chilling sorrow, not for himself, but for others.

For these lives adrift in this world, for their sacrifices carried by the tide, for their meaningless struggles, for their weight as mere weeds born in a chaotic era...

Coral Palace Ryuka had witnessed all of this. She understood the immense suffering of the people here, not just because of their underdeveloped civilization or outdated values, but because their unpredictable and drifting fate had overwhelmed them, leaving them forever unable to hold their heads high. She had witnessed all this suffering and sacrifice, and that's why she wanted to change this hateful and pathetic world.

Therefore, she fought with all her might, and she forged ahead relentlessly.

“Are you crying for Coral Palace Ryuka? This woman’s charm is truly profound; she can even move Mr. Shen to tears.” Kujo Takayuki noticed this scene and continued, “I understand your anger; you may even want to kill me, but you should carefully consider the cost of doing so and whether it is worth it.”

He spoke eloquently, “Look, behind you are the soldiers of Coral Palace. You should know how they see you. Their hatred is directed not only at me but also at you. They believe that if you hadn’t been handed over, it wouldn’t have been Coral Palace Ryuka who died. They might even resent you and think you deserve to die too… If you don’t believe me, just turn around and take a look.”

Coral Palace Xin Hai wiped away her tears, gritted her teeth, grabbed her aunt's broken sword, and was about to rush towards Kujo Takayuki when Shen Liang stopped her.

"Ryoko!"

“Yes, you’re right.” Shen Liang didn’t turn around. He could guess what the Shogunate army was feeling on the battlefield, so he didn’t want to turn around either. “I know everything. These Haiji people are the most despicable. They outwardly respect me, but secretly they want me to die in their place. They hope I will stand up to save them, yet they insult me ​​as a coward. I could have stayed out of this. I could have been high above them. I condescended, but I am not understood. They are the most ignorant, the most cunning, the most despicable, the most cowardly, and the least capable. They are utterly useless—”

Kujo Takayuki laughed heartily, even using wind element to spread his words across the entire battlefield, ensuring that all the Coral Palace soldiers could hear them.

“But they didn’t have to be like this, they didn’t have to be bad,” Shen Liang said softly. “Who forced them to do these things just to survive? It was you, it was this war, it was your exploitation… You levy heavy taxes, you burn fields to fight, you conscript laborers without paying a penny, your soldiers even ruthlessly rape women, and you kill all those who resist.”

"What are you asking them to do? What are you asking them to... do?"

Kujo Takayuki's face darkened, and Kujo Sara behind him looked away, not daring to meet Shen Liang's gaze.

"It's ridiculous to attribute the cause to these people's 'evil' and 'cunning.' It's more like the real villains are trying to cover up their evil deeds." Shen Liang finally chuckled softly. "I'm too indecisive. I've always felt that I didn't need to truly join the Haiqi Island front because everything in this world is irrelevant to me. But I've realized that I am, after all, a human being... Perhaps I can understand those great international brigade fighters of the last century. A country thousands of miles away could support comrades in another country without any self-interest, because they shared the same passion."

Although Kujo Takayuki didn't understand what the International Brigade or comrades meant, he understood Shen Liang's meaning and realized that he seemed to have failed in his communication.

He glanced at the person next to him with disbelief. The battlefield was almost entirely filled with the Shogunate army. How many days could the Fujiwara Fortress hold out? Are you blind? Can't you see the situation?

"Since I've made my decision, let's finish what needs to be done today." Shen Liang was silent for a moment, then said calmly, "I will inherit the ideals of the previous generation of the current human god priestess and join this war at all costs. On behalf of myself, I would like to express my apologies to the victims who are about to die in this war, but I have no regrets."

Now that it's going to be available, let me share some heartfelt words with you all.

My dearest little darlings:

good afternoon!

After rushing around, nearly 200,000 words have finally been published.

Longtime readers should know that it's traditional for Hedgehog Cat's books to be released at 120,000 words. I wrote so many more words than others during the free period, partly to increase my readership, and partly because I have some obsessions with writing.

I always make sure to finish one major plot point before I can start publishing my novel.

I don't like leaving a lot of suspense and build-up before releasing a product. Although that might attract a lot of people to spend money, it's not a long-term solution.

If you can't maintain the same writing quality before and after the book is published, how long can you keep it up even if you manage to "trick" readers into buying through the style during the free period?

As I mentioned in the first chapter, I wrote this book with a light and cheerful tone, without any dark or tragic elements, and without any depression. However, many people still think that releasing angst before the book's release is suicidal, like sacrificing the protagonist's closest relatives to grant them boundless power…

All I can say is, you guys can keep watching! You're so impatient to start cursing halfway through. You have no patience at all.

I'm completely innocent. Those familiar with my style know that my previous two books were all about harems, adventures, sweet romances, and saccharine slice-of-life moments, and this book is no exception. I'm so pathetic; I keep writing about harems and lusting after pretty girls.

The white-haired girl from the Shaniat family, the emotionless loli from the Cocolia orphanage, and the long-haired black-haired shrine maidens from Umijima and Narukami Taisha.

I won't write anything that's too bitter or resentful, don't worry.

I've already slowly written 200,000 words. The plot is progressing so slowly because I don't want to have a cheat code today, a harem tomorrow, and unify Inazuma the day after. I want to write two million words. I have a lot of plot to develop slowly.

There is no rush.

Please give me some time to process this, and be patient with me.

In this book, the war in the Sea of ​​Geyser arc marks the beginning of the protagonist's journey into the world of Teyvat. Only after completing the Sea of ​​Geyser arc can one truly enter this world and begin the Inazuma, Liyue, and Mondstadt arcs.

It was only after arriving at Umijima that Ryoko changed her perception of Earthlings and truly understood this other world.

The full development of the Stigmata System, this cheat ability, also occurred after this war, and Ryoko's mature perspective also came after that.

After the Umijima arc, Ryoko will be a true spirited young man, not only in his conduct and dealings with others... but also in his final step into romantic relationships.

Although he is still a child, he will become a truly unrestrained child.

Finally, thank you all for your comments and donations! I've decided to offer a bounty for the book's release, but since I'm writing as I go and don't have any drafts saved up, I can't possibly repay too much of the bounty. So, I'll ask for more recommendation votes instead.

According to Hedgehog Cat's tradition, one update is given for every 10,000 donations, one update is given for every 200 monthly votes, and one update is given for every 10,000 recommendation votes. This will be tallied until the end of this month.

In addition, the book club group number is 576877580!

Thank you for joining us!

--------------------------Master of Baiyulou

-------------------------- It's a bit awkward to say "respectfully yours" here.

Chapter Seventy-Nine: Revenge Begins

"Xin Hai," Shen Liang said softly, "leave this place."

Coral Palace Heart Sea looked at him with teary eyes, still somewhat puzzled. She had originally felt the urge to rush up and kill Kujo Takayuki, but in the blink of an eye she saw Shen Liang open the light screen.

She immediately knew what Shen Liang was planning to do. At this time, she absolutely could not become a burden to Shen Liang, so she gritted her teeth and jumped into the sea as soon as the bright teleportation screen blocked her vision!

As a descendant of a human-god priestess, Coral Palace Heart Sea is born to belong to the ocean. She can even hold her breath underwater for more than three hours, and once she dives into the sea, she is immediately safe.

Just as Kujo Takayuki was about to give chase, he saw the strange light screen that Shen Liang had activated. Out of caution, his first reaction was to defend himself. He did not know the effect of this light screen. When he came back, Shen Liang had already disappeared, along with Coral Palace Heart Sea.

"They escaped?" Kujo Takayuki frowned slightly. He felt that the boy shouldn't have acted this way. Shen Liang's words seemed to have a hidden agenda. "Were those harsh words just a smokescreen for escaping?"

Kujo Sara stared at the spot where Shen Liang had disappeared, then knelt down, her figure both athletic and slender, her delicate brows furrowed as she crushed the sand. Unlike Kujo Takayuki, who had been away from the battlefield for many years and was no longer sensitive to many things, she still possessed a soldier's intuition.

She could sense danger approaching.

That boy could never just leave like that!

The forces watching Kujo Takayuki's side weren't just the Shogunate army; the Sangokuni army was also closely monitoring the situation. Now, Sangokuni Ruka had fallen in battle, and Shen Liang, who had gone there, had actually activated a teleportation barrier to escape!

Of course, some of the generals in Coral Palace recognized the teleportation barrier! They knew that Shen Liang, who had activated the teleportation barrier, was absolutely safe, and might have already escaped to Liyue!

Reason told them that Shen Liang lacked immediate combat capability, so his escape was understandable. But emotionally...

"The person Lord Coral Palace was willing to die to protect, and now he's run away on his own?"

On the city wall of Tengdouzhai, someone angrily shouted: "I knew outsiders couldn't be trusted! Cowards! Bah!"

"Shut up!" Goro's face was grim, but he still tried to stop his subordinate. He didn't believe Shen Liang had just escaped. "If Mr. Shen were truly a coward, he wouldn't have come in the first place! He must have a plan. He's just like Lord Coral Palace..."

"What's his plan? Does he think he can wipe out the Shogunate's hundreds of thousands of troops just by running away? Or is he going to bring reinforcements from Liyue?"

The sarcasm from his subordinates left Goro speechless, and he could only say something that even he himself was not very sure about: "Mr. Shen is not suitable for the front line. His value does not lie here."

"General Wulang! He's escaped, but we're going to die! What are you still saying for him?!"

The Coral Palace army could no longer contain their anger, but they ultimately did not rely on Shen Liang. After a brief outburst, they put Shen Liang behind them and, with a death wish, continued to fight the Shogunate army.

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

World travel.

Shen Liang appeared on the second floor of his house, and then he leaped up the stairs to the rooftop.

The noise of the door opening startled the Arlene sisters, who were taking a nap. The two little girls, dressed in cartoon nightgowns, scrambled up to the rooftop and saw Shen Liang standing next to the blue oil drums piled up on the rooftop, directly activating the teleportation screen.

"Brother? What are you going to do?"

“You two, when you see this thing thrown out of the teleportation screen, throw these oil drums into the screen.” Shen Liang pulled off all the silver-plated buttons from his trench coat and said coldly, “Stop after every three, and keep throwing oil drums into the teleportation screen until you see the next button thrown out—you should be strong enough.”

The two sisters, Rosalia and Lilia, both stared wide-eyed at the sky.

"Brother? Is your brain... stimulated?" Rosalia asked anxiously.

"Maybe, but don't ask. Just do as I say." Shen Liang patted the two little girls' heads, his eyes cold yet unyielding. "I'm sorry you got your hands dirty, but don't worry, God will settle this score with your brother. You both listen to your brother, don't you?"

He stood in the center of the light screen, backlit, his figure, less than 1.6 meters tall, appearing somewhat thin. The two little girls tilted their heads, looking at their brother, and suddenly laughed.

“Foolish brother,” Lilia’s voice was calm, “Do you think Lilia and my sister are children? More people have died at Lilia’s hands than you have eaten meals.”