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

He looked at the boy with a sigh, then shook his head helplessly. This audacious and outrageous manner was exactly the same as that of old man Kiyono when he was young.

The same.

Ti Baihe gazed at Qing Nuoyan, the boy still wearing a happy smile on his lips. Even the bleak autumn rain seemed familiar, as if she had returned to the past, when you, that guy, kept challenging yourself to a running race, never knowing how to admit defeat.

"Don't laugh," Qing Nuoyan repeated. "I'm serious... Everyone will be here. Under the Divine Cherry Tree, we'll say goodbye to Hana Sanri together. We'll drink together one last time."

This is a promise he made in this life, and he will do his best to fulfill it.

“Yes.” Lily nodded and said softly, “Everyone will be here.”

The second half of the sentence, which Lily didn't say, was "except for one person."

-

Qing Nuoyan temporarily stayed at the Pillar State Mansion, where he both evaded the pursuit of the Fool Clan and recovered from his injuries, while also dealing with the filth on Nuoyou Yuyu Chiyo's body. He also gradually became familiar with everyone in the Pillar State Mansion.

These days have been uneventful and there's nothing worth elaborating on.

He had been trying to find out about Ying, but to no avail. It was as if Ying was deliberately avoiding him, which made him extremely anxious.

until today.

Finally, a clue was found.

However, after learning that news... Qing Nuoyan became even more anxious.

Autumn had arrived, and the pine and cypress trees had all lost their leaves. He was about to leave the Pillar State Mansion to find Ying.

Castle Keep.

A chilling autumn wind filled the attic, and the leaden sky was shrouded in thick clouds, casting enormous shadows that loomed over the entire castle tower.

Kiyono Sara felt both joy and surprise.

To her delight, she finally saw Lord Narukami again—after returning from the mountains, Kage had locked himself in a secluded pavilion, and even Kiyono Sara, his close attendant, was not allowed to approach him.

It is naturally a cause for joy to have the opportunity to meet Narukami today.

But what was surprising was that... the person in front of him was not the real 'Narukami'.

As the successor of the Pillar of State, Kiyono Sara had heard Kiyono Raimei mention the doll, 'Thunder General'. The so-called Thunder General was the body that Narukami created in pursuit of eternity.

The figure before him, standing atop the castle tower, with desolate and lifeless eyes devoid of emotion, long hair woven from hydrangea blossoms cascading naturally to his waist, and a long kimono robe swaying in the wind, calmly gazing at his own fleetingly beautiful solitary figure, was none other than the Thunder General.

"Shogun," Kiyono Sara asked respectfully, "Where is Lord Narukami?"

"Shadow..." General Raiden said softly, his tone completely calm, "Shadow is not here. During this time, I will be in charge of Inazuma."

She was forever trapped in the sanctuary she had created.

"You've come here..." General Raiden's lonely eyes reflected Kiyono Sara's face. "What brings you here?"

"A letter." Kiyono Sara hesitated for a moment before making up her mind and said, "I have been entrusted to deliver a letter to Lord Narukami."

Who is it?

“Qing Nuoyan…his name is Qing Nuoyan,” Qingye Shaluo replied. “You may not know who Qing Nuoyan is…”

“Since Lord Balzeb is not here,” Kiyono Sara organized his thoughts, preparing to leave, “then I shall take my leave.”

“The shadow is gone,” General Thunder said calmly, “but I am still here. You can give me the letter.”

That seems to make sense.

Kiyono Sara blinked, and seeing that the general was so easy to talk to, she said, "There is one more thing that needs to be taken care of, General."

"What's the matter?"

"This matter concerns the Fools."

"It is a duel before the emperor."

A duel before the emperor.

In Inazuma, a country that reveres warriors, this is the most sacred and inviolable of all duels, and has even been elevated to a ritual.

The two will duel before Lord Narukami, and with Narukami as their witness, the loser will receive Lord Narukami's 'unthinkable strike'.

Since almost no one could withstand that blow, the duel before the emperor was, in a sense, a fight to the death.

Kiyono Sara stared intently at General Raiden. "The Fool's Diplomat 'Kokubane' has challenged the Fool's Diplomat 'Lady' to a duel before the Emperor... Kokubane wishes to have you witness it."

A dispute broke out within the Fools.

This is absolutely something that could cause a huge uproar.

General Thunder simply nodded calmly. "I understand. I will witness it."

She wasn't particularly interested in the disputes of mortals.

But Kiyono Sara still didn't leave. She paused, as if hesitating about something.

"Is there anything else?" General Thunder asked.

“Hmm.” The honest Tengu, who valued the samurai spirit above all else, finally said, “There is another who has challenged [Lady] to a duel before the Emperor.”

“Her name is…” Kiyono Sara raised her eyes and looked at the general, “Hotaru.”

This lady has offended so many people... General Thunder's face remained expressionless.

-

P.S.: Phew, time for bed!

Chapter 142 "I loathe everything about you"

What's wrong with Huang Mao Ying?!

Qingnuoyan is difficult to understand.

When Qing Nuoyan heard Ying issue a challenge to the executive officer, he frowned deeply.

Since two people have launched a duel against one person at the same time, in order to be fair, they cannot fight the lady at the same time. Instead, there must be two matches, with a day between the two matches to allow for rest and recuperation.

Ying was in the first scene.

She will face the executor of the Fatui, the closest being in the world to a demon god.

why.

Qingnuoyan could not understand.

Why do this? Why be so impulsive? Why go to such lengths...?

She will die.

Without uttering a single word, he arbitrarily challenged a powerful enemy who resembled a demon god, and it was a duel before the emperor. He knew exactly what a duel before the emperor was... it was a fight to the death.

"Can't it be cancelled?" he asked Kiyono Sara repeatedly.

Kiyono Sara blinked her amber eyes, "No..."

She explained, "A duel before the Emperor is the most sacred and just samurai duel; once it begins, even Lord Narukami himself has no right to stop it..."

“But that idiot.” Qing Nuoyan paused, then said urgently, “She’s a complete idiot, she’s not some kind of warrior… she doesn’t need to do that.”

It had been raining for the past few days, the air was damp and gloomy, and thin clouds filled the golden light of the autumn afternoon. In the courtyard of the Pillar State Mansion, Kiyono Sara knelt meticulously on the tatami, her naginata lying horizontally on her snow-white knees, her back straight.

Her golden eyes reflected Qing Nuoyan's face. Sha Luo pursed her lips, hesitated for a long time, and finally said:

"...But perhaps, when it comes to protecting something, everyone becomes a samurai, carrying that feeling...Since Miss Ying has proposed a duel before the emperor, she must have already made up her mind to end it all herself, and that mindset is great."

"She wants to kill the lady, to end this fate herself, and to take revenge herself."

"The lady is under the watchful eye of the Ice Queen and has the soldiers of the Fools, so the only chance to kill her is in front of Narukami."

“His Majesty the Pillar of State once said,” Sara unconsciously gazed into Qing Nuoyan’s eyes, “that when a person is prepared to die for something, he is the strongest warrior in the world.”

"If that's the case, if that's what she thinks, then why did she call it the collapse of the kingdom... why did she keep it from me?"

As Qing Nuoyan said this, he suddenly guessed something and thought of a possibility. The idea was so terrifying that he was stunned and could no longer speak.

"Because Ying knew she might fail—fail to avenge herself."

Shaluo stared straight at Qingnuoyan and uttered the words that Qingnuoyan had been holding back.

"She knows she might die, but she doesn't want the lady to hurt you, so she needs the collapse of the kingdom, a second layer of insurance. If she fails, let the collapse of the kingdom finish what she hasn't done."

“That’s why she kept it from you and did these things quietly…” Sara looked intently at Qing Nuoyan. “That’s why I said she had made a great resolve, a samurai’s resolve.”

Qing Nuoyan lowered his eyes and remained silent for a long time.

He gently pressed his hand to his chest, and a heart-pounding sound came from the empty space within. He knew he was worried about Ying, and he couldn't help but start to reflect again: every time he was away, did Ying also harbor the same feelings?

He gradually understood Miss Ying's thoughts.

Qing Nuoyan knew that in his previous life, he had died at the hands of a lady.

From the beginning of Mondstadt, ever since.

There was a certain emotion, a certain stubbornness, and a certain unresolved determination hidden in Ying's eyes. Qing Nuoyan knew that Ying practiced swordsmanship day and night, from sunset to the dawn of the next day. She was always preparing for this day.

She's not just a simpleton.

She had her own resolve to protect Qingnuo Rock.

Qing Nuoyan lowered his eyes, and after a long while, he said, "I'm going to find her."

"..." Kiyono Sara paused, "Looking for Ying... but Ying probably won't see you... and she won't give up either."

“No, I’m not looking for Ying. Since the duel can’t be stopped, let it begin.” Qing Nuoyan said earnestly, “I’m looking for someone else…to do something within my power—before the duel before the Emperor begins.”

...Kiyono Sara's eyes widened, as if she had guessed what Kiyono Iwao was planning to do. She frowned tightly, "You mean...this, we can't do this, this is not something a samurai can do, we can't do this!"

“So,” Qing Nuoyan looked into Qingye Shaluo’s eyes, “I’ll go alone.”

"Neither the Pillar of State's army nor you can make a move." Qing Nuoyan smiled calmly.

“This is the only thing I cannot allow…” Kiyono Sara shook her head; her upbringing forbade such a thing. “It violates the honor of a samurai…”

Kiyono Hashikuni had also told her that honor was everything to a samurai. That's why he chose to die on the battlefield.

“I don’t care about a samurai’s honor.” Qing Nuoyan gazed at her. “In this life, I only care about the people I care about—that is my current realization.”

Ying silently protected him, and he also wanted to protect Ying.