Genshin Impact, I, a mere mortal, cannot accompany you to the very end.

"To share a final drink with old friends before sunrise is a blessing for ordinary people. There's a saying in my hometown: 'Everything is in the wine.'"

When Kiyono Raimei said this, his silver eyes were clean and pure.

"Heh... treating enemies as old friends... Oh well." Orochi chuckled softly.

“You mortal are quite interesting—bring me your knife.”

"A sword?" Kiyono paused for a moment, then picked up the snake-cutting sword from the ground and handed it to Oro-shiki.

Orochi took the sword that had killed it, examined it for a moment, slowly unsheathed it, held it against the blade, slashed it across his palm, and then plunged it down into its chest.

The snake's blood flowed down, the deep red blood instantly soaking into the blade, spreading out strange and beautiful patterns, long snake patterns coating the edge of the snake cutter.

[You have obtained the Heart of Orochi (Demon God Level)]

[Artifact: Divine Cut]

[A destiny intertwined for centuries has dissipated today; the once-worshipping god etched his life onto the blade, and the sword tells the story of his life.]

“After death, one must leave something behind in the world. I gave my coral to my people, and I will give my heart to Inazuma.”

Orochi threw the divine cutter back to Kiyono. As soon as Kiyono touched it, he felt that it was cool and clear, and his whole body's energy was stirred.

"Bring the wine—let's have a drink before dawn."

he said.

The sky first revealed a few faint rays of dawn, and the dim night sky slowly peeled away, with light tearing at the remaining clouds.

Kiyono emptied a kettle, poured half the sake from the sake bag into it, and tossed the sake bag to Oro.

"What are you planning to toast? I heard that Inatsumi has to have a toast to say when drinking."

Kiyono lowered his eyes, and paused.

"You led your people out of the abyss, allowing them to see the sun for the first time... So I offer my respects to today's sunrise. And you?"

“I wish to worship the eternal paradise,” said Orochi. “A beautiful ideal. Your gods are beautiful.”

“Alright.” Kiyono smiled and raised his glass. “Orochi, to the eternal paradise and today’s sunrise, cheers.”

"Cheers, mortals, to the eternal paradise and to today's sunrise."

In the clearing snow, amidst the vast white expanse, and in the early days of winter, they raised their cups in a toast.

Just as Kiyono said, everything is in the wine.

-

The giant snake departed.

Kiyono, he's gone.

Kiyono Raimei blinked. He finally felt an eternal weariness. The sunlight fell on him, and everything in front of him was dissipating. The taut string snapped, and the world collapsed before him.

He was actually just putting on a brave face the whole time.

The Pillar of State will never show his weakness.

But now his heart was struggling weakly and feebly, barely able to supply blood. His lungs were spasming, and he couldn't cough anything up. His trachea felt blocked, and he could only exhale. He trembled, and finally coughed up blood.

That knife wound completely damaged his body.

[Qingye! Qingye! Qingye! ]

Wake up! You can't fall asleep on the snowfield!

The words of reason were frantically warning him in his ear, but he could no longer hear them. His vision blurred rapidly, and the wine jug in his hand fell to the ground, spilling wine everywhere.

He fell to the ground in vain and powerless, splashing up snowflakes.

The curse of the gods has completely dissipated, and only Kanria remains of Inazuma's corruption.

Lying on the ground, Kiyono Raimei heard the sound of thunder, a rumbling sound, the first thunder of winter.

In his hometown, there is a solar term called "Jingzhe" (惊蛰), which occurs between winter and spring. It refers to a clap of thunder that awakens the hibernating creatures in the mountains and fields, and thus spring arrives.

Kiyono is not a great serpent, unable to lead the people out of the abyss of a thousand years and into the light; Kiyono is not the god of death, unable to promise the people an eternal pure land.

Kiyono was just an ordinary man, a weak and powerless ordinary man. All he could do was become the first thunderclap—after his death, there was only a brief spring.

A spring of prosperity. This is what Zhu Guo could promise in his entire life.

Reverence for thunder and spring.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but in the last moment before his consciousness faded, he saw a figure in his blurred vision.

The figure held him in her arms, and he could feel her trembling.

Trembling.

"You old bastard, you bastard..."

"asshole."

"fraud."

Volume 1: Chapter 20 The Lantern Festival Without Him

These days, I always feel like something is off.

Miss Fox often had this inexplicable illusion.

As the priestess of the shrine, she would not easily ignore these illusions.

But what's out of place here?

she does not know.

Inazuma remains peaceful and serene. Just over ten days ago, winter arrived, and first, a snowfall occurred.

Then, lanterns were lit up throughout the streets of Inazuma—this was the traditional festival celebrated by the people, the 'Fireworks Festival,' where every household lit a lantern, and the streets were filled with a continuous stream of lights.

very nice.

It's time to prepare for the Chinese New Year.

As always, Ying stayed in her deep, secluded chambers, never leaving the house, and looked healthier than anyone else.

The shrine is very peaceful, and tourists come to pray for blessings every day. The Yaedo Hall is also doing very well.

The seclusion edict and the eye-hunting edict could not be fully implemented due to the resistance of the Pillar State, and the world remained peaceful.

Where is that old guy?

She also went to see the old man. He looked quite good; although his hair was white, he ate and drank well, and even said things like, "I could kill you little fox with one punch," and "He's incredibly strong; he could live for hundreds more years."

Miss Fox knew, of course, that the old man was bragging and exaggerating.

Yae still remembers how he talked such big words back then, holding a teacup, grinning like a fool. But for some reason, seeing his shameless boasting and constant laughter, Yae no Miko wasn't so worried.

The old man is still the same as before.

You're worried about him, but he still has the energy to brag.

This old guy was the same last year, the year before last, and even a hundred years ago.

Every New Year, as fireworks painted the sky, he would make a face like a mischievous child and tease, "Little fox, see you next year!"

So year after year, he said "see you next year" countless times, like a thousand-year-old tortoise.

He loves smoking and drinking; with so many bad habits, how can such a lazy guy exist in this world?

Miss Fox was right to call him an old man.

Yae no Miko even suspected that everyone in the world had died, yet the old man was still laughing smugly.

Perhaps that sense of incongruity is just an illusion.

Seeing his energetic appearance, Yae no Miko felt relieved again.

Inazuma is wonderful, the shrine is wonderful, everyone is wonderful.

So, she could happily do what she wanted again and continue to do as she pleased.

Then I can continue to laugh at that old man, brazenly crawl into his kotatsu, and make him make tofu for me, the High Priest.

This year's plan is the same as last year's, the year before last's, and even hundreds of years ago: first, go to the lantern festival, solve lantern riddles, eat some glutinous rice balls when hungry, and then walk from night until dawn.

After the lantern festival, there's a temple fair, which is a lot of fun. You can go goldfish fishing. Miss Fox still remembers the last time she stole and ate all the goldfish that the old man had caught, which made him so angry that he was blowing his beard and glaring at her. Just thinking about his expression makes me laugh.

What happens after the temple fair?

The temple fair is over, and then it's New Year's. Inazuma's New Year is similar to Liyue's, with lots and lots of fireworks. In the early hours of the morning, the dazzling fireworks illuminate the clear night sky, making the snowy colors blush red.

Crackling sounds followed, and then the old man would make a face at himself again, saying that line:

'Little fox, see you next year!'

Year after year, it remains unchanged, progressing steadily and eternally, and this year is no exception.

What is daily life? It is what we take for granted, what we take for granted.

But this year, Yae no Miko wanted to make a change again—she spent a long time knitting a scarf, a fluffy scarf.

The great High Priestess failed many times, but she remained proud, and she had good reason to be proud:

It's only natural that Lady Narukami can't cook, so it's also understandable that Lady Miyaji can't do needlework.

Now, she has learned to knit scarves, but Ying still can't cook!

Even now, she's still in the attic, a hundred years old, never stepping out of the door, never even seeing fireworks. Miss Fox feels she's won, won far too much.

Considering how many years he's made tofu for free, I, Lord Miyaji, will reward him with this scarf. The old man will surely be moved to tears.

The problem now is how to send it out.

Miss Fox went to the Pillar State's Mansion more than ten times for this, but when she reached the checkpoint, she lost her spirit and ordered in despair, "What are you looking at, old man? Go and make fried tofu for the Palace Attendant!"

After visiting so many times, even the gatekeeper's servant boy began to look at the palace official with surprise. The boy, being a bold child, thought to himself, 'Why is this beggar fox here again, trying to freeload...?'

And so the days passed slowly, and the lantern festival was almost over, but she still hadn't given away the scarf.