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

Xu Chuan leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on his knees. “It’s laughable, really. The Heavenly Commander sold Inazuma, helped the Fools build the Evil Eye Factory on Bayun Island, sent troops to suppress the resistance on Haizhi Island, and is still searching the whole city for the missing Fools’ executors.”

"And all of this, the deity you respect knows nothing about."

"you are lying!"

Kujo Sara suddenly stood up.

Her hands were clenched into fists and hung at her sides. Her breathing became rapid, and her eyes were filled with anger and disbelief.

Tenryo Magistrate is the most loyal servant of Raiden-shogun. The Kujo family has protected the order of Inazuma for generations. How could they possibly betray the shogun?

This is slander; it's a lie fabricated by the Society to attack its opponents.

It must have been a trap set by Xu Chuan to control her.

Xu Chuan did not get up, but looked up and stared directly into Kujo Sara's eyes.

"Whether it's true or not, you can find out for yourself by checking."

His voice was soft, yet it was like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, stirring up ripples in Kujo Sara's heart.

Kujo Sara stood still, motionless.

Her chest heaved violently, and the knuckles of her fists turned white from being clenched so tightly.

She stared into Xu Chuan's eyes, trying to find even the slightest hint of evasion or guilt in those terrifyingly calm eyes.

Silence lingered in the tea room for a while.

"If what you say is true, I will investigate it myself."

Kujo Sara's voice was hoarse and low, "If you are lying to me, I will report the lady's disappearance, along with your actions, to the Shogun."

"At that time, even if you are an envoy of Liyue, you will not be able to escape the judgment of the Emperor."

After saying that, she pushed open the door to the tea room and disappeared behind the bamboo curtain.

Although she spoke tough words, Kujo Sara knew better than anyone else what was going on in her heart.

The soul of the ancient rock dragon lizard is still inside her.

She was completely powerless against that guy; she had already verified this many times in the experiments over the past few days.

Xu Chuan's words planted a seed of doubt in her heart, which quickly sprouted and grew stronger.

The tea room fell silent again.

Ayaka Kamisato picked up the teapot and poured Xu Chuan a cup of tea.

"You're just letting her go like that?" Her voice held a hint of confusion. "Although Miss Sara is an upright person, she is, after all, a general in charge of the Heavenly Territory."

"No, it won't happen." Xu Chuan picked up his teacup, a confident smile playing on his lips.

Chapter 205 The True Colors Revealed: Undercurrents at the Festival

Faced with Ayaka Kamisato's question, Xu Chuan smiled but remained silent.

In Inazuma, if Kujo Sara is second in loyalty to Raiden-shogun, then almost no one can be ranked first.

This Tengu general had the words "loyal to the general" etched into his very bones.

It was precisely because this loyalty was so pure that when the truth was laid bare before her, she was more unable to tolerate it than anyone else.

The family he served was betraying the gods.

Looking back now, I realize the fear that Kujo Sara showed when facing Xu Chuan.

And when she revealed the truth about the disappearance of the Fatui Enforcers, Ayaka Kamisato was quite shocked.

Lord Xu Chuan seems to be even more powerful than I imagined.

"I only learned about the attack on the rebels by the Heavenly Commander today. I didn't expect you to know so quickly."

"I don't know much either, please tell me in detail." Xu Chuan paused in his hand and placed the teacup on the table.

"In the past, the army stationed on Bayun Island, under the command of the Heavenly Territory, often had large and small clashes with Haizhi Island."

"But this is the first time I've seen a force like this, where the Fools have joined forces to attack and capture Haigi Island."

"You mean the Fools?" Xu Chuan raised an eyebrow slightly.

Ayaka Kamisato nodded, a serious look appearing in her lake-blue eyes: "It is said that another Fatui Enforcer has also appeared on the battlefield."

"Furthermore, the target of the Fools does not seem to be the resistance's defensive line, but Miss Ying."

"Fortunately, with the support of the resistance, the enemy's plot failed."

Upon hearing this, Xu Chuan quickly sorted out his thoughts.

By using the lady and the Heavenly Leader to attract attention at the front, he kept himself tied to Inazuma City.

Meanwhile, that guy Cannon, along with the Fools' elite troops and the Heavenly Lord's garrison, attempted to seize Ying and Paimon with overwhelming force, using them to blackmail him.

The plan is not complicated; in fact, it can be described as quite simple and straightforward.

Unfortunately, his plan not only failed, but he also ended up seducing the woman himself.

Ayaka Kamisato bowed slightly and respectfully inquired, "After discussing with the living goddess of Umijima Island, my elder brother plans to launch a full-scale counterattack against the Tenryo Magistrate on the day of the 100th Eye of God Festival."

"What are your thoughts, Mr. Xu Chuan?"

"I think the timing was perfect."

The day of the festival was also the day he and Yae no Miko were preparing to carry out their plan.

Yae Kamiko's residence.

When Xu Chuan passed through the vermilion gate, it was already quite dark.

The white sand in the courtyard shimmered with a cool, silvery-gray hue in the twilight, and the stone lanterns under the corridor lit up one after another, their candlelight casting a warm yellow glow through the washi paper lampshades.

After finding Yae no Miko, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

Xu Chuan had never seen Yae no Kamiko look like this before.

The chief priest, who had commanded the entire audience with just a few words in the magistrate's office, now appeared unusually weak and powerless.

He couldn't resist reaching out and poking her drooping fox ears.

His ears were very soft, much softer than he had imagined.

The downy hairs on the tips of his ears brushed against his fingertips, carrying a slight warmth.

The ear flicked under his fingers, as if trying to stand up but lacking the strength, and finally just twitched listlessly.

"What's wrong with the Divine Child? He seems to have no spirits at all."

The eighth divine child was so exhausted that she didn't even have the energy to resist, and simply turned her head to give him a disdainful look.

The force of that eye roll was at least 70% weaker than usual, with almost zero destructive power, and instead it revealed a hint of grievance.

Upon seeing this, the shrine maidens of Narukami Shrine who were passing by all tacitly looked away and quickened their pace to walk around from the other side of the corridor.

But secretly, their gossip about their master, Lord Gongsi, burned fiercely and uncontrollably.

"Who is that person, and why are they so close to Lord Kuji?"

A young witch covered her mouth and asked her colleague in a low voice.

"He's supposedly a diplomatic envoy from Liyue, named something like Xu Chuan."

"Could the priestess's current state be related to him?!" Another priestess's eyes widened, and she was so startled by the sudden thought that she almost cried out.

"How could that be? Lord Gongsi is a fox spirit. It should be the other way around, right?"

The older priestess corrected her sternly, but a strange smile was clearly hidden at the corner of her mouth, and her eyes kept glancing towards the corridor.

Yae no Miko led Xu Chuan into the tea room.

The moment the paper door closed, all the gossip was shut out.

After dismissing the serving priestesses, Yae no Miko sat down at the low table, took something from her sleeve, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of him.

A pink amulet.

"When facing the Thunder General, remember to carry your protective charm with you at all times."

Xu Chuan picked up the amulet, which still carried the warmth of the other person's body. The moment his fingertips touched the silk surface, he felt the power sealed within it.

He had felt that power during the Lantern Festival in Liyue, and it was essentially the same as the power flowing in the amulet at this moment.

The power of aspiration is the purest prayer and longing in the hearts of all beings.

It seems to be more than just the power of will.

Xu Chuan's perception penetrated the surface of the protective amulet and touched a consciousness at the core of the willpower.

He held the amulet in his palm, and golden light seeped out from between his fingers, turning into fine golden threads that strung through the amulet and hung around his neck.

The moment the amulet touched my skin, a warm power spread from my chest.

"Is the Divine Child protecting me so that I might be no match for General Thunder and Lightning?"

"Yes, little guy, why don't you thank me?"

"I'm exhausted these days."

Then, Yae no Miko straightened up, her expression becoming serious.

That languor and weariness were replaced by a solemnity that Xu Chuan had never seen before.

"The Shadow's strength far exceeds your imagination."

"This amulet allows you to connect with the desires suppressed beneath the Thousand-Armed, Hundred-Eyed God statue."

“Each of those divine eyes that were built into the statues carries a person’s most fervent desire. The desire itself has never dissipated; it has simply been suppressed within the statues and cannot be released.”

She paused, then looked directly into Xu Chuan's eyes.

"To be on the safe side, I also sealed in the prayers of the Inatsuma people that Narukami Taisha has collected over the years."

"With the power of these wishes, you should be able to temporarily possess power comparable to that of a shadow."

After Yae no Miko finished speaking, she took a deep breath.

She used every means she could think of, just to increase Xu Chuan's chances of winning against General Lei Dian by even a fraction.

That Pure Land of One Mind is not so easy to enter.

Even with the advantage of the festival, Xu Chuan himself must be strong enough to make General Lei Dian hesitate and cause her to open the Pure Land of One Heart and shift the battlefield.

Otherwise, you will fail at the Puppet General's level.

"My god, I entrust this to you."

Xu Chuan's usual smile vanished.

He pressed the amulet to his chest, feeling its warmth seep into his skin through the fabric, and then looked intently at Yae no Miko.

“You trust me completely, so I will certainly not let you down.”

……

Sea Island, Coral Palace.

Beneath the enormous shell-shaped dome, the rebel leaders sat around a long coral table.

The air was thick with the salty smell of the sea and the acrid smell of gunpowder, and everyone looked grim.

Faced with the relentless pressure from the Fools and the Heavenly Order, if the rebels continue to defend, they will eventually be defeated in this protracted war of attrition.

Troop strength, equipment, and logistical supplies were all weaknesses for the resistance forces; if they continued to drag it out, they would simply be waiting to die.

After the rebel leader, Sango Miyako Shinkai, finished discussing matters with the head priest of the guild, Shinri Ayato, both turned their gazes to the blonde girl standing to the side.

"Miss Ying, thank you for standing with the resistance and helping us resist the Eye Hunt Order."

Coral Palace's voice was gentle yet solemn, "To express my gratitude, after this war ends, Coral Palace will do everything in its power to help you investigate the Abyss Order."

Paimon, standing beside Ying, waved his little hand and said, "You're welcome. Those Fools have been watching us the whole time. Helping you is helping ourselves."

“Paimon is right.” Ying nodded, after seeing all that Haiqi Island had to offer.

She couldn't stand by and do nothing about the oppression of the victims.

Ying believed that if Xu Chuan were here, he would make the same choice as her.