While I was in Mondstadt, I never imagined becoming a god.

A moment later, she folded the letter and put it away, a smile returning to her face.

This time, however, the smile had a more genuine warmth than the previous polite smiles.

"It is indeed Sister Gan Yu's handwriting."

"Speaking of which, it's been a long time since I've seen her. I wonder how she is?"

You mean Gan Yu?

Paimon finally freed herself from her ruffled hair, her little hands tugging at Xu Chuan's sleeve. Upon hearing the familiar name, she immediately came to her senses.

"Gan Yu is still the same as always. She has endless work every day and is always staying up late. Every time I go to see her, her desk is piled with documents that are half a person high."

She spoke vividly, even spreading her arms to indicate the height of the document, her small body leaning back, almost bumping into the ema stand behind her.

Ying reached out and helped her, and Paimon regained her balance.

"It seems she really is still the same as before."

Yae no Miko shook her head helplessly, a nostalgic smile playing on her lips.

"Gan Yu is the complete opposite of my god."

"One wants to use every moment to work, while the other locks himself in a corner of his heart, making it difficult to even meet him."

She paused, her gaze falling on the layered eaves of the shrine in the distance, her voice softening slightly: "This unwavering dedication over hundreds of years, even if she were a celestial being, would probably be too much for her."

"Several hundred years?"

Paimon's eyes widened as she floated in front of Yae no Miko, tilting her head and her little face filled with curiosity.

"So you've known each other for so long! I thought you were much older..."

Halfway through his sentence, Paimon's mouth seemed to be blocked by something.

She saw Yae no Miko's beautiful fox eyes narrow slightly, a faint light flashing deep within his pupils.

That look wasn't fierce, but it sent a chill down Paimon's spine, as if a cold wind was blowing in through his collar and sliding down his back.

"Little one, it's very impolite to talk about age so casually."

Yae no Miko's voice remained gentle, and the smile on her lips did not diminish in the slightest.

"I...I'm sorry!"

Paimon darted behind Xu Chuan, peeking out only half her head, her little hands tightly gripping the fabric of Xu Chuan's back.

She dared not look into Yae no Miko's eyes again.

Seriously, what a terrifying look.

Paimon silently vowed to himself that he would never mention his age in front of girls again.

Xu Chuan couldn't help but smile at Paimon's appearance.

This little one is simple-minded and speaks very directly, but what she said is not wrong.

He smiled and glanced sideways, his gaze meeting Ying's beside him, only to be met with a merciless glare in return.

That look clearly said: You dare to laugh out loud?

Xu Chuan immediately looked away, pretending to be very interested in the ema stand next to him.

He knew very well that, based on the information he had, the upper limit of Ying's age was unverifiable, but it was at least five hundred years old.

By that calculation, he is actually the youngest of the four.

The thought flashed through his mind, and Xu Chuan's smile deepened.

Having frightened Paimon, Yae no Miko turned her gaze back to the three and introduced herself:

“My name is Yae no Miko, and I am now in charge of this Narukami Taisha Shrine.”

"Although I no longer concern myself with Inazuma's political affairs, if you encounter any trouble in Inazuma, you can come to me for help."

Her tone became lazy and easygoing again, like a cat that had just finished playing with a small animal and returned to its usual languid posture.

Ying, who had been silent all along, spoke up at this moment: "Sister Shenzi, I have some questions I would like to ask you."

As soon as she uttered the words "Sister Goddess," Yae no Miko's smile visibly softened.

“Of course,” Yae no Miko readily agreed.

Ying took a deep breath and looked directly at Yae no Miko.

Her hands clenched slightly: "I want to know about Kanria and the Abyss Order."

As soon as these words were spoken, the wind in the corridor of the shrine seemed to still for a moment.

Xu Chuan did not show any surprise.

Ying missed Kong twice, showing her deep concern for the Abyss Order.

He remembered that in Liyue, Ying learned from Zhongli that the Seven Gods had gone to Kanria five hundred years ago.

Now that she has set foot on Inazuma's land and met this priest who has a close relationship with Raijin, it would be strange if she didn't ask him a question.

"This is indeed a rather troublesome question." Yae no Miko lowered her eyes, her jade hand gently resting on her chin.

After a moment of silence, she raised her head and said to Ying, "I don't know much about the matter of Kanria. I wasn't on the battlefield at the time, and most of what I know is just pieces of information pieced together afterward."

"If you want to know more, you'll probably have to ask my family's deity."

“However,” Yae no Miko changed the subject, a glint of light flashing in his fox-like eyes, “I do have some information about the Abyss Order.”

Ying, who had been prepared for disappointment, suddenly brightened up in her eyes, like two lights suddenly lit in the dark night.

She took a step forward, her voice trembling with suppressed anticipation: "Really?"

Unexpectedly, there was a pleasant surprise.

"Among the many islands of Inazuma, the most remote one, Haigi Island, has recently been the site of activity by Abyss Apostles."

"As for what those guys are after, I'm not quite sure. Haiqi Island is too far from Narukami Island, so news never comes in a timely manner."

"Thank you, Divine Child Sister." Ying nodded solemnly, engraving the three words "Sea God Island" deeply in her heart.

Even the slightest clue was enough to ignite her hope. Compared to her previous state of complete confusion, this was already a significant step forward.

"If you really want to thank me, just give my regards to Sister Ganyu when you return to Liyue."

Xu Chuan looked at Yae no Miko's slightly sly smile.

He secretly thought to himself, "This pink-furred fox is probably up to something."

She said she would no longer interfere in Inazuma's affairs, but she knew perfectly well about the Abyss Order's presence on Umijima Island.

Moreover, her intelligence was even more accurate than that of the Kansei-bu (military commissioner).

This guy is far from being as carefree as he appears.

After that, Yae no Miko changed her guarded attitude and enthusiastically led the three of them on a tour of Narukami Taisha Shrine.

She talked about everything from the main hall to the side halls, from the origin of the sacred cherry blossoms to the shrine's rituals, and could readily recount two or three anecdotes from each place she visited.

Narukami Taisha was much larger than Xu Chuan remembered it to be.

The entire shrine occupies the top of Mount Kageshiro, with layers of pavilions and halls spreading out along the mountainside. The vermilion torii gates and the verdant ancient trees complement each other, and the upturned eaves are faintly visible in the clouds and mist.

The side hall's corridors are winding and secluded, with thunder and fox patterns carved on the pillars, every detail exuding antiquity and solemnity.

The group strolled around from noon until the sun began to set, barely managing to finish their cursory visit to the shrine.

At dinner time, the shrine maiden served a table of exquisite vegetarian food.

Looking at the exquisitely presented dishes, Xu Chuan couldn't help but take a few more bites.

Paimon praised the food repeatedly, wishing he could try every single dish.

She held the bowl, her chopsticks flying back and forth between the dishes, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster.

By the time she put down her chopsticks, her belly was visibly rounder, and she could barely float.

"The food at Narukami Taisha feels even better than that at Hiiragi-ya."

Paimon patted his round belly and sighed with satisfaction.

Xu Chuan reached out and poked her bulging little belly with his finger. The soft touch reminded him of the glutinous rice dumplings sold on the streets of Liyue.

"This little glutton only knows how to eat, when will he show off his cooking skills?"

“Yes,” Ying chimed in, her face full of anticipation, though a mischievous smirk played at the corners of her mouth.

“I’d love to try Paimon’s cooking too. We’ve known each other for so long, but I’ve never seen you cook before.”

"Hmm..." Paimon's gaze immediately wandered, looking left and right, but he dared not meet the eyes of the two.

Her little hands were twisted together, and she stammered for a long time without being able to utter a complete sentence.

"I...I can only eat...No, I mean, I can learn!"

"Okay, I'm not teasing you anymore."

Xu Chuan withdrew his finger, but a smile suddenly appeared on his lips.

An interesting idea popped into my head.

He cleared his throat and said in a serious tone, "I've heard that General Raiden's culinary skills are unparalleled, making him the strongest person in Inazuma."

"If Paimon's cooking satisfies me, I guarantee you'll get to taste General Thunder's own cooking."

"real?!"

Paimon's eyes instantly turned into two sparkling stars.

She swallowed hard, her voice brimming with barely concealed excitement.

"General Lei, you personally prepared this dish, and you said it yourself!"

Why would I lie to you?

Xu Chuan forced the smile off his lips, his expression becoming very serious.

He even extended his little finger and hooked it with Paimon's little finger, "pinky promise."

Ying watched this scene from the side and felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was strange.

Chapter 187 Your Aunt, the Divine Child, Pleads for Mercy... (Bonus Chapter 3)

But before she could think about it further, Paimon's excited scream interrupted her train of thought.

"You said it, so you can't go back on your word."

"Don't worry, how could I go back on my word?"

The sound of the wooden doors closing faded into the night as the three parted ways and went into their assigned lodgings.

Xu Chuan then completely dropped his serious expression, covered his mouth, and chuckled.

Laughter leaked through her fingers, sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

He lay back on the tatami mat, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably, tears welling up in his eyes from laughing.

"Hahaha...I can't hold it in anymore..."

He wiped the moisture from the corners of his eyes with the back of his hand and took several deep breaths before gradually calming down.

Just thinking about the expectant look on Paimon's face when he brought that thing out made the trip to Inazuma worthwhile.

Make sure to take a picture of it with a commemorative camera.

As night deepened, Narukami Shrine fell silent.

The priestesses extinguished the lanterns under the eaves and returned to their respective dwellings. Only the sound of the wind and the chirping of insects remained on the mountaintop, along with the occasional cry of an owl in the distance.

Xu Chuan finished a round of cultivation and opened his eyes to find the moon already high in the sky.

Moonlight streamed through the gaps in the lattice window, casting silvery-white lines on the tatami mat.

He stood up, pushed open the door, and went out.

The corridor floorboards creaked slightly underfoot.

Xu Chuan walked unhurriedly, passing through the corridor he had come from, around the small hall dedicated to the Thunder God, and finally stopped in front of the Divine Cherry Tree.

The cherry blossoms emitted a faint glow in the night, their branches drooping down like countless flowing galaxies suspended in mid-air.