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

why.

The reason why the country collapsed is actually quite simple: he disliked the people of Inazuma. He didn't care about the Eye Hunting Order or the Lockdown Order, but it couldn't be now—because that old man's death was not even a year ago.

That old man, in order to resist the seclusion order and the eye-hunting order, did not hesitate to break with the god he believed in, and stood alone for a hundred years, eventually dying in the Pillar State Mansion.

The nation collapsed, unable to understand the old man's persistence; the puppet never understood it.

But he doesn't intend to insult this dedication, at least not now.

Guo Beng knew that the old man was a very proud man, and the system he had upheld for a hundred years began to collapse within a year of his death—especially since it was Guo Beng himself who pushed it forward, which was an insult to the old man.

In the world of dolls, there is no concept of a 'mourning period'; the collapse of a nation is simply an instinctive feeling that it shouldn't be done.

Moreover, the isolation edict has already been implemented, and Inazuma's national strength will gradually decline. Compared to the impact of the isolation edict, the Eye Hunting edict is insignificant. Delaying its implementation by one year will not change the final outcome much.

He couldn't explain all these reasons to the woman in detail, so he simply shook his head calmly and resolutely, saying, "This has nothing to do with you."

The woman's eyes grew increasingly cold.

She wasn't stupid; she had already sensed that something was amiss.

His attitude toward the collapse of the country, as well as the gentle methods he employed... were all too strange and completely inconsistent with his usual style.

"Because of whom?" she asked coldly, cutting to the chase. "Because of your 'mother'—the deity on the castle tower—that's why you showed mercy?"

"Ha. Mother, how laughable," Guo Beng said coldly, his tone even carrying a deep sense of disgust. "I have never acknowledged her."

That expression couldn't be faked.

“Then it must be the others…” Those violet-colored eyes reflected Guo Pang’s face, “Is it Qingye Leiming?”

Actually, there has always been a rumor circulating among the common people about the origin of the stragglers. The lady never expected that the rumor would actually be true.

He remained unmoved even as the country collapsed.

"Ha." The woman's lips curled into a mocking smile as she looked at Guo Pang with a playful gaze. "How laughable. You still retain such mortal emotions, Guo Pang... you are truly a disgrace to the Fools."

“Rosalind Cruzshika,” Guo Beng said in a low voice, his eyes darkening, “Take back your words.”

"It's ridiculous," she scoffed. "For a mere mortal?"

A chilling killing intent descended, and the courtyard seemed to freeze. The cherry blossom trees swayed rustlingly, their branches emitting mournful cries under the weight, and petals fell one after another, as if weeping and lamenting.

I have no intention of arguing with you.

The woman rested her chin on her hand, a graceful smile on her face. "He's already dead. It's quite amusing that you're angry over a dead man."

“Have you forgotten your ideal? Didn’t you want a heart?” she said. “You’re going to stop for a dead man?”

The collapse of the nation left everyone stunned.

ideal.

heart.

The doll wants the heart. No matter the cost, no matter the sacrifice, no matter the abandonment, or even the trampling of anything, it must have it.

Kiyono Raimei is dead. He betrayed himself. He's a dead man.

The woman is right, that man is dead, and from now on no one can stop him.

Guo Beng stared coldly at the woman for a long while before withdrawing his gaze, slowly standing up. He paused, then said in a deep voice, "I don't know any Qingye Leiming."

He walked out of the courtyard, the blood-red shadow of the setting sun trailing his long, narrow shadow. "What you do is none of my business."

And so it was decided.

Although the process was difficult, the two executives eventually reached a consensus.

When the collapse of the kingdom was completely over and people had gone far away, only the lady remained in the courtyard.

A soft, dim light filtered through the gaps in the courtyard and fell upon the lady.

half an hour.

'Don't stop for a dead man...' She rested her chin on her hand and smiled, as if mocking herself.

These words were spoken not only to the nation's collapse, but also to himself.

He was just a mere mortal, an insignificant and insignificant mortal...

She wanted to forget, to forget all those things. For the sake of her ideal, for the sake of reaching that pure white world, she needed to abandon the past, to abandon everything, to abandon all the annoying human emotions.

—That's what she thought, but she couldn't do it.

Even though they had already burned everything they owned with their own hands, they stubbornly clung to the last bit of ashes, refusing to let go no matter what.

The woman felt very conflicted, extremely conflicted.

The dim, yellow sunset enveloped her. In the empty courtyard, there wasn't a single extra sound; it was eerily silent.

She opened the wooden box again and took out the heart.

The warm heart emitted a faint glow, trembling gently in the cold night wind, sparkling like a gemstone. The woman touched the surface of the heart and could feel the warmth seeping into her lungs from her fingertips.

That heart will always be this warm.

All she had left was her heart.

The lady is most relaxed whenever she touches this heart.

“Kiyono… Fengyin,” she said softly. “How ironic.”

The cherry blossom trees rustled as petals fell like rain.

Cherry blossoms fell silently onto the stone slab.

Suddenly, as if sensing something intuitively, the woman turned around, her eyes narrowing slightly, her heart nearly stopping—

The country collapsed.

Guo Beng, who had returned, stood calmly at the entrance of the courtyard. His face seemed expressionless, as calm as a still pond. Only his eyes, which were fixed on the heart in the lady's hand, rippled slightly.

“This is,” Guo Beng stared at the heart in the woman’s hand, “...What? You just said...Qingye Fengyin?”

silence.

I don't know how much time has passed.

"This is Kiyono Kazeka's heart. My spoils."

The woman spoke languidly and elegantly, her emotions and expression seemingly unchanged, her tone remaining calm and graceful.

“I turned it into art... Don’t you find it interesting to watch the frail heartbeat of a mortal?”

"All mortals who defy me," the woman said coldly, "will meet the same fate."

She was calm.

This is the heart of Kiyono Fuue.

Indeed, Guo Beng could sense the wind element from that heart. He had met Qingye Fengyin once, and the aura emanating from this heart was the same as that person's. This was indeed the heart of that young man.

The woman was not lying.

The woman only told part of the truth, concealing Kiyono Fuue's last words. Sometimes, the truth can deceive people more than a lie.

The truth is the perfect lie.

"Is that so?" Guo Beng said expressionlessly.

The woman's statement is not problematic.

But Guo Beng thought of something that happened a few months ago—when he and that Palace Master had discussed Kiyono Fuuin at the tofu shop, about Kiyono Fuuin's origins and existence, and the relationship between Kiyono Fuuin and Kiyono Raimu.

A very close, very suspicious relationship... Of course, these investigations were repeatedly halted after Kiyono Fuyumi's death.

Now, when he saw this heart, he inexplicably remembered it again.

Guo Beng felt he had vaguely touched upon something, but he didn't know what it was. He only felt that he was standing at the door of the truth, but he could never take a step in.

He couldn't describe or understand his current feelings—the inexplicable surge of emotion that welled up in his empty chest the moment he saw that heart.

Dolls have no emotions, so they are naturally incomprehensible.

He just felt that he was in pain.

My chest is aching, but I don't feel any pain in my heart.

What exactly is the relationship between Kiyono Kazeka and Kiyono Raimei...?

There must be some kind of relationship.

He gazed at the heart and began to think again.

Perhaps I should go back to that tofu shop... and investigate with that priest.

He will find out the truth.

What are you doing back here?

The woman carefully put the heart away, as if changing the subject.

"I'm back to let you know."

Guo Beng raised his eyes, tilted his head, and looked at the lady's face in his eyes. He said jokingly, "I still disagree with the Eye Hunt Order."

"Even if this is defying me?" The woman's eyes were icy. "Defying the orders of the Fools?"

Who cares about you?

Guo Beng's lips curled into a bright smile. He laughed, almost maniacally, "Ha, who cares about you? Who are you anyway?"

The lady forgot one thing—this doll was a madman at heart, a madman who feared no one and cared about no one.

A willful madman only does what he wants and never considers the consequences.

"I disagree," Guo Beng said softly. "So, get out of here."

The woman stared at the collapse of the nation as if it were a dead man.

She instinctively clutched the wooden box containing the heart in her hand.

No one can take it away.

-

The cherry blossom wine has been buried.