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

I see... Qing Nuoyan nodded.

Perhaps we are safe for now.

In a sense, the Pillar State Palace is the same as the Sky Keep. Whether one trespasses on the Pillar State Palace or the Sky Keep, the result is the same: one will anger His Majesty Narukami and be cleaved in two by a single blow.

We're out of danger for now.

...I need to find a way to contact Ying quickly...I can't let Ying worry anymore.

"Where are you going now?" Qing Nuoyan stared at Qingye Sara's samurai uniform. "...Aren't you staying in the manor? By the way, where's Teppei?"

"That young man has been assigned to the army of the Pillar State's Mansion. You will see him later."

"I am going to the castle tower."

Kiyono Sara answered Kiyono Iwao's question seriously. As expected of Kiyono Raiming's adopted daughter, even her self-proclaimed verbal tic was exactly the same as that of the Pillar of State in his youth. "I am the General's close attendant, and I cannot neglect my duties."

General... Shadow?

Since he is a close attendant, he must be the general's closest person.

Qingnuoyan's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Can you do me a favor...?"

“Okay.” Kiyono Sara answered immediately, but as soon as she said it, she felt strange—it seemed that she found it hard to refuse the request of the boy in front of her.

"Could you deliver a letter for me?"

Kiyono Iwatsu took out the letter he had written long ago from the lining of his kimono—the invitation letter—and handed it to Kiyono Sara, saying, "Please pass it on to His Highness Narukami."

“…Okay.” Kiyono Sara took the envelope with a somewhat complicated expression. She frowned slightly, her expression troubled. “But…”

"but?"

“But the general ordered that all paper documents, including letters, be rejected.” Kiyono Sara hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to tell the truth, “Of course, I will deliver them, but... it’s pointless.”

"I see." Qing Nuoyan gave a wry smile and pondered for a moment. "But we should at least give it a try. I'm counting on you."

"I will do my best." Kiyono Sara nodded meticulously. She was about to leave. Before heading to the castle tower to report for duty, she said to Kiyono Iwa, "Grandfather is waiting for you at the Pillar State Mansion."

-

The Forest Guardian.

Dolls can get hurt too.

The only result of the conflict between the two executives was mutual destruction.

The only difference between Guo Pang and the Lady is that... this time it was he who initiated the conflict, and because of him, the Lady, who was originally carrying out the mission, was hindered, and the holder of the Heart of God escaped.

This is a serious violation of the oath of the Fools... and also a violation of the laws of the Winter Kingdom.

Zhi Dongguo has never had any feelings, and his actions were regarded as 'betrayal'. Therefore, like Qing Nuoyan, the severely damaged doll was also hunted down by the soldiers of the Fool Clan.

He was left all alone again... just like hundreds of years ago, wandering alone in Inazuma, with no home to return to.

Because of his inexplicable obsession, he could no longer possess the heart of God.

Why? Why do something so foolish...? The country is collapsing, and no one knows.

Why... do we need to know where that heart came from?

He actually attacked a woman just to get a trivial answer... This is so unlike him.

This is pointless; he clearly... dislikes pointless things the most.

Calculating shrewdly, planning meticulously, executing cruelly, and finally enjoying the suffering of idiotic mortals... this is the collapse of a nation, this is its true nature.

Any means may be used to achieve a goal.

But when did he become as foolish as those ordinary people?

He suffered three betrayals, and no one could save him.

From beginning to end, he was just a tool, a puppet, always being used. He was used as a test subject by the Shadow from birth, used by Kiyono Raimei, abandoned after his death, and finally, even the Fatui abandoned him.

A large hole was torn in his chest, and the icy elements raged through the wound, stirring up intense pain. The desolate autumn sun covered the gloomy forest, and he was too tired to walk any further.

He leaned against an old, dead birch tree, his eyes lowered. Not far away, the flames blazed. The pursuers of the Fools were getting close, and the Kingdom of Collapse had given up on fleeing.

He lowered his head and murmured softly, as if talking to himself, "Tell me, why does that heart beat?"

"That heart comes from the whispers of the wind in the clear field."

"Also from Kiyono Raimei."

Suddenly, a girl's clear, cold voice rang out from behind.

Guo Pang turned around, his eyes reflecting the figure of the blonde girl.

Ying slowly emerged from the shadows.

Hearing Ying's words, Guo Beng's eyes widened slightly.

“When he was killed by the lady…” Ying’s bright golden eyes trembled slightly, “he entrusted the lady to give you this heart.”

“Impossible. It’s another lie.” Guo Beng stared intently at Ying, a bleak smile on his lips. “...You’re deceiving me too. You’re using me to fight against the lady. It’s a lie—that old man is long dead.”

"Yes, he died long ago. Whether it was Kiyono Raiming or Kiyono Kazein,"

Ying stared at her, then took out a note. "This is his will. I do need your help, but I have never lied to you."

Guo paused for a moment, then took the note.

This is a double-layered note.

The first layer of the note read, "I buried a barrel of barley wine, brewed for hundreds of years, under the large pine and cypress trees in the Pillar of State's Mansion. Remember to retrieve it."

...This is the old man's handwriting.

That was also his tone.

Guo Beng corresponded with him every year and was quite familiar with his handwriting.

Handwriting can be forged, but the one thing that cannot be forged is... the emotion that arises upon seeing that letter.

Emotions cannot be imitated.

"Idiot..." He gently gripped the corner of the note and cursed sarcastically, "Even on your deathbed you're still thinking about alcohol... No wonder you died so young."

He paused, then flipped open another layer.

-

PS1: Whew, it's been a long time since I've had a 2.5 chapter, so I can rightfully ask for some monthly votes!

It's the end of the month, vote for me! You can also enter a prize draw.

PS2: Phew, does everyone still remember this note?

I planted two foreshadowing elements in one thing at the same time! The first layer of the note is the promise to the party with everyone in Hana-san, and the second layer is a letter to Kokubun! The note appears at the very beginning of the Mondstadt arc, and it's buried in hundreds of thousands of words! I have to brag about that!

Chapter 140 "His thunder will forever beat in your chest"

"Humans are absolutely untrustworthy, and I hate even God. I abandon everything, denying and ridiculing everything in the world."

.

"My heart will no longer be tainted by worldly affairs, and I will reject the base emotions of humanity."

.

"My empty parts will be filled with the heart of the supreme god, which is full of divinity, just like the pure white scroll at the moment of my birth."

.

The kingdom collapsed and suffered three betrayals. The first was by a god, whose "mother" was swayed by power and abandoned the useless puppet. The second was by a human.

His family and his friends, also bound by fear, regarded him as a detestable creature; the third, being of the same kind, were controlled by lifespan and violated their agreement with him.

Everyone is using him. Kiyono Raimei is no different from Balzebu, and even what he encounters now is all lies.

Kiyono Raimei never knew what he was pursuing, nor did he ever understand himself—Kunibyou knew this.

What I pursue... is only my heart.

Therefore, people are absolutely untrustworthy, and God also despises them.

His wandering in this world was merely an attempt to fill the void within him. All human emotions were irrelevant to him, and he held no such emotions.

That's how it should be.

That's how it should be.

However, when the doll's fingertips touched those strong and familiar handwriting again, and its fingertips gently caressed the yellowed letter paper, for some reason, it hesitated.

I buried a barrel of barley wine, brewed for hundreds of years, under the pine and cypress trees of the Pillar of State's Mansion. Remember to retrieve it.

That old man loves to drink.

The collapse of the nation was known.

Every early spring, he would brew a full jar of plum wine or barley wine, bury it underground, and dig it up when it matured in winter. When he drank, he was no different from any other old man. He would have plum wine by the small stove, find a sunny winter day, and drink alone in the warm winter sun in front of the hall. He would warm himself up and exhale a breath of hot air.

"Have a drink with me."

He would invite Guo Beng to drink with him, but the puppet had no interest in alcohol. Whenever this happened, the old drunkard would force him to drink. He would watch with a smile as the puppet swallowed the small amount of wine in the bowl, then reveal a relaxed smile, his rough hands gently stroking the puppet's hair.

"That's how a man should be!"

This old man always seems to be like this: stubborn and unreasonable, never accepting others' opinions, and always making his own decisions, which is very annoying.

But sometimes, the old man would drink too much and get drunk. When he was drunk, he would often suddenly look into the distance, at the swaying, brilliant cherry blossoms in the sky, drink another cup, and without looking up, say to Guo Beng:

"Have another drink with me... I'm drinking alone now."

"There's no one left... they've all left."

"Really..."

Kiyono Raimei loves to drink.

But even now, Guo Pang doesn't like drinking. He hates the smell of ale, and since Qingye Leiming's death, he hasn't drunk with anyone, nor has anyone forced him to drink anymore. Even though he hates it so much, he still remembers those days of drinking, remembers the feel of those rough, large hands caressing him, the warm sunlight covering his skin, and the warmth slowly seeping into his body.

With Kiyono Raimei dead, there's no one left to drink with Kunibaku.