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

He killed and insulted...his [father].

Watching a mortal's heart beat...is that interesting?

How dare you... How dare you...

How dare you!

From an angle unseen by Ying, Guo Beng's lips curled into a twisted smile. Although he was smiling, there was no trace of laughter in his eyes; they were indifferent and empty.

interesting?

I'll show you...something really interesting.

"Rosalind Cruzshika Loefat".

He walked away into the wilderness.

The thunder above the sea of ​​clouds grew even louder.

One after another, bolts of lightning struck the earth, scattering into several wandering lightning snakes. The sky also flickered in the flashes of lightning—Inazuma had finally experienced a long-awaited downpour, and the rain would not stop until the last bolt of lightning dissipated.

They will eventually sweep through the entire Inazuma region.

From this day forward, you are no longer a puppet; you will be a real person.

This was the last sentence on the note.

-

P.S.: Phew, back to sleep!

Chapter 141 Duel Before the Emperor

Four hundred years later, we will meet again. Please take me to that place.

'Please keep this secret and leave this world far away.'

'What we're going to deceive... is the whole world.'

'You're the fastest runner... I can never beat you... This time, I lost to you too.'

-

Shortly after Sara left, it started to rain again.

Qing Nuoyan raised his eyes and looked at the eaves of the Pillar State Mansion.

The fine raindrops first tapped lightly on the tiles, then quickly grew larger, filling the air with the sound of rain pattering through the trees and leaves. The old tiles were scattered in the downpour, and the moss covering them splashed up along with the water droplets.

The Zhuguo Mansion is quite large. The doorman said that the Great Tengu was waiting for him in the inner hall, so he had to first pass through a long covered corridor and then through the courtyard.

White water curtains hung on both sides of the corridor, revealing the courtyard and the ancient pine tree. Its layers of branches covered half the sky, and the gaps between the autumn-yellowed leaves, along with the white rain lines, densely cut through the sky.

This pine tree is very famous. Legend has it that it was planted by that general and Kiyono Pillar State several hundred years ago.

Looking at the tree, Qing Nuoyan couldn't help but think of that promise—that there was a jar of barley wine buried under this pine tree that had been brewing for hundreds of years, and that he needed to retrieve it.

Qingnuoyan was somewhat conflicted.

He had given up on this project and decided to brew his own wine instead, since he didn't have the guts to break into the Zhuguo Mansion to steal wine... But now that he's inside the Zhuguo Mansion, and that tree is right in front of him, the question is whether to make a move or not.

What are you thinking about...?

He shook his head with a wry smile, abandoning that absurd idea. At a time like this, why was he still thinking about such things?

Something else caught Qingnuoyan's attention.

It was a stone tablet without any words... or rather, a tombstone?

It lies beneath the swaying shadows of pine and cypress trees, seemingly erected only in the last year, and appears to be a cenotaph. This is the residence of a high-ranking official, so the person qualified to be buried here... is self-evident.

Looking at the tomb, Qing Nuoyan felt a strange sensation again—after experiencing these past few days, he could roughly guess his former identity, which was why he felt something was amiss upon seeing this tomb...

Especially since I was previously considering whether to dig it up and steal the wine, if I really did that, wouldn't I be robbing my own grave?

He gazed at the tomb in the autumn rain, lost in thought about bizarre and fantastical things.

"There's not much buried inside, and that guy is pretty boring."

A calm voice suddenly came from behind.

"There's nothing left to bury but a knife and some wine."

It was an old man.

His long hair trailed on the ground, and he wore a traditional samurai kimono with plum blossom patterns embroidered on the edges. He was no longer young, and his eyes, like an ancient well reflecting the golden sunset, mirrored Qing Nuoyan's face.

The old man sat in his folding chair, his gaze shifting from Qing Nuoyan's face back to the grave, and coughed softly. The chilly autumn rain fell on his thin shoulders, and the yellowing leaves rustled down.

"Hello," Qing Nuoyan said.

Lily of the Drawer—Qing Nuoyan knew his name.

This tengu has been living in seclusion in the mountains for hundreds of years. He is an old man who has lived since the time of calamity and is even older than Miss Fox. He must know many of Inazuma's secrets.

How did he lose his feet, and why did he wander away from the world for hundreds of years without leaving a trace...? These questions remain unanswered.

Qingnuoyan had a premonition that all his questions would be answered by this old man.

Qingnuoyan had countless questions for him, about the events of the past five hundred years, about the filth on Yuyuchiyo, and about... Narukami.

Besides that, what he really wanted to ask was: Where exactly is the 'Dream of One Heart'? And what exactly is the seed in the mission reward?

"A shared dream, a seed..." Upon hearing Qing Nuoyan's question, Ti Baihe's eyes flickered slightly. He pondered for a moment, seemingly hesitating about something, before finally answering:

"Dream One Heart... is a space of consciousness... a sealed space of consciousness,"

Lily's dark golden pupils reflected Qing Nuoyan's face. "The Consciousness Space is the most bizarre place in the world. It is a projection of a being's spirit reaching its peak. Consciousness exists in the past, future, and present. In the Consciousness Space, time has no meaning."

...It turns out to be such a prestigious place.

A projection of a being whose spirit has reached its peak?

Perhaps only those in power can reach such a state of mind.

Qing Nuoyan frowned slightly, as if he had guessed something. He stared at Tsubaki Baihe and subconsciously asked, "Is Dream of One Heart... left behind by the former Narukami Baal?"

In the destruction of Keria, Raiden's physical body vanished, but his consciousness remained. Perhaps he had made some kind of promise with Raiden, which is why he was heading to Isshin's Dreamland.

This is a logical and straightforward deduction.

But to Qing Nuoyan's surprise... Ti Baihe raised her eyes and silently gazed at him, her dark golden eyes trembling slightly, autumn rain reflected deep within them. After a long while, he shook his head and whispered:

"No."

No.

No?

Qingnuoyan was stunned.

He was surprised, even taken aback.

My dream doesn't belong to Raiden Shin... If that's the case, then to whom does this space of consciousness belong...?

"Is that His Majesty Balzeb...?" Qingnuoyan asked.

Lily shook her head again. "No."

"What exactly do you know?" Qing Nuoyan asked in a series of questions. "And who told you these things?"

“I can’t say. Now is not the time.” Lily shook her head again. “They’ll hear us.”

"It was overheard."

The Great Tengu said calmly, reaching out to pat his lifeless, decaying legs. "This is the price. I've been hiding for hundreds of years, far away from the human world, just to protect that secret."

The Great Tengu was indeed hiding a secret.

Qing Nuoyan didn't press the matter further and changed the subject, "Then why have you come back now?"

"Because that moment is about to arrive. I have come as promised."

Lily gazed into Kiyono Iwa's eyes. "The only thing I can tell you... is that if you truly reach that place, go to the castle tower—go to Narukami's palace."

Narukami Gozen...?

Qing Nuoyan frowned, feeling a sense of unease. "I can't even send a letter... Naruto won't see anyone."

"As expected..." Lily smiled helplessly, "So much time has passed, and Shadow is still the same..."

"Really." He sighed, having anticipated this. "She's stuck, so she's stagnant, and as a result, the whole of Inazuma is unable to move forward."

“Qing Nuoyan,” Ti Baihe said earnestly to Qing Nuoyan, “only if you can pull her out will Daozaki follow along.”

Qing Nuoyan pondered the words of Ti Baihe.

Only you...

It seems that the tengu in front of me has recognized my former identity.

“I don’t even know her. No way.” Qing Nuoyan refused instantly. “It sounds dangerous.”

"If you get cleaved in two by one blade, you're done for."

Perhaps there was a past between them, but now he is Qing Nuoyan, and his goal is to live carefree. He will only fulfill the promise while protecting his bottom line. And now he is being hunted down by the Fools.

Moreover, he was Saint Lia's most devout follower.

Narukami...who is she?

"Haha. Okay, okay,"

To everyone's surprise, Ti Baihe not only wasn't annoyed, but burst into laughter. He laughed so hard he coughed, and pointed at Qing Nuoyan, "Good, good, interesting. You did a good job. That's how it should be, carefree and unrestrained."

He genuinely agreed with Qing Nuoyan's ideas.

"What a pity." Tengu laughed, slightly out of breath. He shook his head and said regretfully, "There was no wine, otherwise it would have been worth a drink."

"I know a place with good wine."

Qing Nuoyan smiled and pointed to the cenotaph, implying that wine was buried in the ground. "Want to drink together?"

"I wouldn't dare rob a tomb!" the Tengu laughed. "You're really bold!"

This guy... he's actually thinking of digging his own grave.