He changed Tiwat

The divine child's purple eyes flickered, but what she uttered was—

"When you ask someone for a favor, you call them 'Sister Yae,' but now that you don't need their help, you call them 'Lord Miyaji'?"

Han Fulai's lips twitched slightly.

...No, no, you forced me to scream, okay?

We've clearly just met for the first time, haven't we? In terms of personal relationship, we're at most at the level of "senior" and "junior," or "senior" and "junior," right?

Why do you joke around so naturally, like we're really close?

He could only forcefully change the subject again: "Regarding the 'scattered soldiers,' Miss Yae... what are your plans to do with them?"

The two of them chatted as if no one else was around, but the true owner of this "pure land" space, the "scattered soldier," was still lying on the ground with his mouth covered in mud.

“Oh, you mean the collapse of the country…” The Divine Child shook her head helplessly. “I thought it would be a problem at the time, but Aying… the General said that since it was something she created, she was unwilling to take action.”

"If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have just kept it from her and dealt with it from the beginning. Now? Ha... now, it's become a real problem."

"Is the trouble... because of his status as the Winter Executive Officer, making it difficult for you to resolve?" Han Fulai asked.

His words were actually a test. If the divine child answered "yes," then he could offer to "take care" of the divine child and deal with the "scattered soldiers."

He didn't intend to kill "Scattered Soldier" right there. After all, "Scattered Soldier" was the sixth seat of the Executive and a high-ranking member of Winter. He should have a lot of secret information about the Fools and even Sky Island. This information was still very valuable.

Furthermore, the Liyue Academy of Arts is currently researching Gundam... The body of the "Scout" god-created doll should be helpful to Liyue's Gundam technology.

This can be considered making use of waste.

Furthermore... he could also discern her true intentions from the Divine Child's attitude towards the "scattered soldiers"—

If the Divine Child truly cared for the people of Inazuma, there would be no reason for him to protect the "Scattered Soldiers." Even disregarding the "Five Transmissions of Thunder," the "Scattered Soldiers" helped the Fools spread the Evil Eye and even welcomed it. Even if they weren't the masterminds, they were still accomplices. Even if the Divine Child couldn't act himself, he could have handed the "Scattered Soldiers" over to him.

If the Divine Child finds a reason to protect the "stragglers," Han Fulai will have to consider whether the Divine Child has other intentions that may be detrimental to him and Liyue.

The divine child glanced at him and chuckled again: "The trouble I'm referring to isn't the trouble of the mortal world."

She raised her hand and pointed to the sky.

"This is a trouble that the general did not foresee, and a future that I cannot foresee with my own eyes."

"In short, Guoluo has now become an unpredictable and unavoidable 'variable'. If it weren't for your existence as a 'variable', I don't think I would have been able to defeat him here so easily... In fact, I was even prepared to 'exchange hostages'."

As the goddess spoke, she raised her hand again, and a phantom image of a chess piece flashing with lightning appeared in her palm.

"...'The Heart of God'?" Han Fulai recognized the object.

So, in the game, the Divine Child did indeed make a deal with the "Skirms," ​​exchanging the "Heart of God" for the defeated Traveler...

“Hmm.” The divine child nodded. “If you or that traveler encountered trouble here, I was originally planning to use this to exchange for you, you know? You know, this guy is very obsessed with ‘becoming a god.’ Using this to make a deal with him should be able to persuade him.”

"Believe me, if he hadn't foolishly dragged you into this consciousness space, and I hadn't followed him in, it would have been very difficult to defeat him... After all, he was just a vessel to hold the 'Heart of God.' You can think of him as the puppet general in the castle tower. They are actually the same in terms of power—and the 'Doctor' of Winter helped him break the seal set by the general."

"I once helped the general seal him away. If we use the power of the Divine Cherry Tree, we can temporarily seal him. But if you want to take him away, have you thought about how to deal with his resistance? Your methods might not be effective against him."

Han Fulai raised an eyebrow. This answer was completely different from what he had expected, but it was indeed very reasonable.

Indeed, if it weren't for the battle on a soul level within the realm of consciousness, he would at best be evenly matched with "Scattered Soldiers" outside. Neither "Heavenly Movement" nor "Salt Sorrow Spear" could subdue "Scattered Soldiers." He even suspected that even if only a fragment of "Scattered Soldiers'" body remained, it could still house consciousness and regenerate.

If the "straggler" insists on running away, it seems really difficult for him to keep a divinely created puppet that has no "vital points".

Of course, he could also choose to forcibly raise his power to the level of a demon god, then turn the "scatterers" into stone statues and continuously reinforce them, essentially creating a semi-permanent petrified cage... But in Inazuma, with so much filth in the ley lines, he really didn't dare to use the ley line energy carelessly, lest he absorb a bellyful of "evil spirits"...

It sounds like the Divine Child, like Mona, also possesses a certain degree of "predicting the future." According to the Divine Child, it seems the existence of the "skirmishers" has some impact on Sky Island, so it's best not to kill them? Because they might be useful in the future?

Han Fulai thought for a moment and then asked, "What exactly do you mean by 'trouble'? Can you tell me a little about it?"

"Haven't you already seen it?" The divine child's face still held that unfathomable smile. "'The Fool,' the words of Piero, who provided the general with the puppet-making technology."

"……ha!?"

The general's puppet technology was actually provided by that Piero? This was the first time he had ever heard of such a thing.

It was at this moment that this space of consciousness finally collapsed completely.

Chapter 145 Only Eternity is Closest to the Principle of Heaven [4k]

Han Fulai felt a moment of weightlessness, as if he were falling from a very high place.

Then it felt like something kicked his head, probably the reaction of his soul returning to his body... When he opened his eyes again, he had returned to reality.

He was still standing in the auditorium of the Evil Eye Factory, still holding the Salt Sorrow Spear. His opponent, "Scrapped Soldier," lay on the ground, like a broken doll.

Undoubtedly, this battle was a complete victory for him.

Although the final blow was delivered by Yae no Miko, Yae no Miko's appearance was part of his plan, and the timing of Miko's attack was also orchestrated by him, so he should be credited for it.

The amulet he had hidden in his chest still lay there quietly, while the shrine maiden's consciousness had already departed.

The sixth seat of the Fools' Order's executives would be considered high-end combat power in any country, at least at the level of a sage. He could actually be quite pleased to have defeated the "Scattered Soldiers."

But Han Fulai felt no joy at the moment—because of the last words the divine child left him.

The divine child said that Piero had already told him about the importance of "skirmishers".

What did Piero say?

Han Fulai tried hard to recall the scenes he had seen in the consciousness space of the "scattered soldiers"—

A wandering boy encounters a silver-haired old man wearing a mask. The boy accuses the old man of blocking his way, but the old man tells the boy, "Your true face is a weapon; it can be used for an iron will, or it can be used to continue your wandering."

When Han Fulai first heard this, he thought Piero was referring to the identity of the "Scouts" as a divinely created puppet, an identity that could be used to deal with Inazuma's Thunder God.

As the Divine Child said, she once suggested that Ray Film eliminate the troublesome "Scattered Soldiers," but Ray Film felt pity for his "work" and couldn't bring himself to do it—such soft-heartedness is, of course, a weakness that the Fools can exploit, and if used well, it might even influence the will of one of the "Seven Rulers of the Mortal World" at a crucial moment.

But now Han Fulai has discovered that this is not the case.

Because the divine child said that the technology to create the "skirmishers" came from Canria, from that "clown" Piero.

Both "skirmishers" and "general dolls" are manufactured using Kanria's technology!

Although the "Skirmisher" was created by Raymond Chow himself, its "blueprints" were provided by Piero!

From this perspective, the creator of "Scouts" was not actually the movie "Rich" but... Piero?

Piero is the commander of the Fools, the "first Fool," and the former court mage of Canria—what purpose would such a man want to use the puppets he creates?

What does he mean by saying "your true self is a weapon"?

The true nature of "scattered soldiers" is "weapons"... What kind of "weapons," and whose "weapons" are they used against?

Assuming that the Fools share the same goal as the Skirmishers—to "destroy the old world"—then Piero's enemy should be the ruler of the "old world," the Sky Isle of the ancient kingdom of Canria.

"Scouts," could they be "weapons" used to deal with Sky Island?

It was no coincidence that the "Skirmishers" were sent to Mondstadt to investigate the "Meteor Shower" a few months ago by the Fatui. It was very likely that they were sent there by Piero on purpose, with the aim of letting the "Skirmishers" come into contact with the truth of the "False Heaven" and the "Cycle of Life and Death".

The appearance of "Skirmisher" in this Evil Eye Factory was likely at the behest of Piero or "Doctor". Judging from his previous actions of activating the magic circle to absorb the energy of "Evil God"... including his desire to "ascend to godhood", it is very likely that this is part of the Fools' plan?

Han Fulai inexplicably recalled the scene in the consciousness space where "Scatter Soldier" angrily punched him... So this guy really is a "hero," or rather, the kind of "darkened hero" with a tragic past who is especially popular with girls? And Han Fulai really is the "demon king" who defeated the "hero"?

If this unfortunate kid is Shinji Ikari, then what role would I, who beat him up, play? Uh… Gendo Ikari?

No, no, I shouldn't be thinking about these things. The problem now is, what exactly is the "trouble" that the Divine Child mentioned? It's a pity I couldn't finish asking earlier. Now that the consciousness space has collapsed, the Divine Child's consciousness has probably returned to its original form.

I wonder when I'll see the Divine Child again, even after we've taken down the castle tower?

We need to consider how to deal with the "stragglers".

He really didn't have any means to directly attack a person's soul. He could only take advantage of the fact that the "scattered soldier" was still unconscious and first smashed "Heavenly Movement" again to "physically seal" him.

Now you have two choices.

First, he could call on Xiao Shangxian to help transport the "Scattered Soldiers" back to Liyue, then gather all the immortals to seal them away, and incidentally use the "Scattered Soldiers" as research material for "Gundam"... He remembered that Liu Yun Zhenjun was very interested in the machines of Canria. If the "Scattered Soldiers" were really Canria technology products, Liu Yun Zhenjun would probably be eager to study them, right?

But wouldn't this cause trouble for Liyue? If they encounter a Fatui Enforcer on the battlefield and there are casualties in the ensuing battle, both sides can have their own version of events—it could be accidental, a slip of the hand, or nothing serious.

But capturing the Fools' Enforcers and imprisoning them in their country is a different matter altogether... It might even trigger a war with the Winter Solstice Kingdom ahead of schedule.

Han Fulai had long suspected that a war between Liyue and Zhidong was inevitable. His "Teyvat Fate Community" and Zhidong's "Protection Agreement" were essentially in conflict. He was forming an alliance, while Zhidong was forming a counter-alliance. Ultimately, the bargaining chips at the negotiating table had to be won through war.

But Liyue isn't truly ready yet... at least in his plan, Liyue's preparations could be more thorough.

The Liyue Navy's flagship has only just begun its sea trials, and its air force is still in its infancy; their firepower may not be sufficient yet. Of course, firepower will never be "sufficient," but it can always be improved... In any case, we should avoid going to war with Winterfell for now.

That leaves option two: contact Xin Hai to reach the Divine Child and have him send people to transport the "scattered soldiers" to the Narukami Shrine? But how to transport them is another problem... Should he just fight his way to Shadow Mountain in the "Tianheng"? No, he's not confident enough to truly face General Raiden yet...

After finally managing to defeat the "scattered soldiers," they couldn't capture them or kill them... It was truly a hot potato.

Han Fulai subconsciously crossed his arms and rested them under his nose as if deep in thought—hmm, Commander Ikari's look actually suits him quite well, he just needs a pair of reflective sunglasses…

Just then, a slightly languid yet alluring voice came from behind him: "Have you thought it through? I still suggest you let me take her away, okay?"

"...How did you get here?" Han Fulai turned around in surprise and almost bumped into the pink-haired shrine maiden.

He quickly took two steps back.

The ear with the Eye of God attached to the divine child twitched and chuckled, "I've always been here, haven't I?"

"Wait, you're not a consciousness now, you're a real person?" Han Fulai's eyes widened.

The divine child he had just seen in his consciousness space had some blurry areas around its body, which was the difference between the soul and the body, since the soul is not a physical entity... But the divine child in front of him was crystal clear.

Every exquisite curve of her body, every blink of her eyes, every tremor of her ears, was real and unmistakable... and there was also the faint scent of cherry blossoms emanating from her.

Han Fulai didn't know if it was because the Divine Child had sat under the Divine Cherry Tree for hundreds of years, but the fragrance that permeated his nose was indeed proclaiming to him that the woman named Yae no Miko was a real person.

The Naruto Shrine is hundreds of miles away from here... How did the shrine maiden get here? Even Kujo Sara couldn't have flown that fast, right?

Miss Fox smiled slyly: "Since I have become a 'Celestial Fox,' I possess supernatural powers—'Divine Footwork,' which allows my thoughts to travel to any place where any living being goes. When gathered, they take form; when dispersed, they become energy. Wherever I go, the true gods manifest."

The salt-stained spear in Han Fulai's hand trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something—

“I saw it! You were just standing there motionless, and then a pink fox popped out from your chest and nestled on your head.”

"That's the same thing that kicked you in the head!"

"This woman is a pink-haired fox spirit in disguise!"

Unfortunately, Han Fulai is not currently connected to the consciousness of Shio Ai and cannot understand the language of guns... He put away the Shio Ai gun that was moving around.

He put on a business-like smile: "Miss Yae is indeed very capable, and the title of the chief priest of Narukami Shrine is well-deserved. Taking away the 'scattered soldier' ​​is naturally no problem, and I am willing to believe that you will seal away this 'trouble'... However, before taking him away, I have a few questions that I would like to ask Miss Yae to answer."

Yae no Miko smiled in return: "Please ask."

“One is a few suspicious points I found in ‘Scattered Soldiers’ memories,” Han Fulai said. “‘Scattered Soldiers’ was once sealed away by Raigami and you, Miss Yae, in the ‘Borrowed View Pavilion.’ Since it was a seal, it shouldn’t be a place that outsiders could easily invade. So why did the samurai named Katsuragi enter the ‘Borrowed View Pavilion’ so easily and even awaken ‘Scattered Soldiers’?”

The priest shook his head: "I don't know either. The 'Borrowed View Pavilion' was originally sealed by the Narukami Grand Shrine, and the gate should have been closed forever. You should have seen it in your memory before; that gate was just for show, and the inside was actually a sealed space. Apart from me and the general, no one else could enter it."

"Moreover, the 'Borrowed View Pavilion' is the general's villa. Although it is unguarded, ordinary people generally do not approach the villa because of the general's majesty. I am also completely baffled as to why Katsuragi, a knight under the command of Mikoto Nagamasa, was able to enter the 'Borrowed View Pavilion' and how he was brought out."

The priestess's tone didn't sound like she was lying, so Han Fulai nodded silently and then asked, "In the subsequent explosion of the treadmill, was it really Niwa Nagahide who caused the leak of the 'demon' in the furnace core? In the memories of the 'scattered soldiers,' Niwa Nagahide 'fled out of fear of punishment' and disappeared without a trace—and all the heads of the weapon manufacturing department who participated in the modification of the treadmill, such as the weapon manufacturing department head Miyazaki, also disappeared in that accident. Isn't that too suspicious?"

"Furthermore, in the 'Scattered Soldier's' memory, a craftsman with a vague face once handed him a box containing a heart... It was that box that protected him from being completely corrupted by the 'Spirit of Evil'—was that box really made by Niwa Nagahide? And who was that craftsman?"

“Alas…” The priest sighed. “I had not been the chief priest of the Grand Shrine for long, and my position was not yet secure. I had no right to interfere with the affairs of the Weaponry Bureau. When I heard that the ‘Kabuki-za’ had been exiled, I came to investigate the events of that year, but the witnesses were either dead or missing… So the truth was lost in the mists of history.”

"But Miss Yae must have some suspicions in her heart?" Han Fulai asked.

The Divine Child once again curled the corners of his mouth. "Just as you guessed, whoever benefits the most is most likely the murderer. Since Piero would come all the way to Inazuma to recruit 'Kokukō,' he must have come prepared. This man never leaves empty-handed. And after that, the Fools did indeed gain a new executor."

Purple eyes met black eyes.

Yes, I can tell from their eyes, it's the Fools' fault again.

Han Fulai cautiously confirmed the Divine Child's intentions: "So our interests are aligned, at least for now, right?"

The Divine Child nodded: "Yes, whether it's dealing with the Winter Kingdom... or the Shogunate."

The fact that she could say this meant that she had implicitly admitted that the Umijima resistance army did indeed have her support, and that she was happy to see the shogunate, headed by the Tenryo magistrate, collapse.

Han Fulai was silent for a few seconds, then added, "Well, I have one more very important question."

He pulled out a letter from his pocket, which had a faint scent of cherry blossoms. The elegant handwriting on the letter was from the hand of the woman in front of him, Yae no Kami: "Sister Gan Yu, please save my god."

"What exactly happened to General Thunder? Why did you say you wanted to 'save her'?"

"The traveler... Ying, recently fought the real Thunder General in the 'Pure Land of One Heart'. Judging from Ying's experience, the Thunder God in the 'Pure Land of One Heart' did not experience any abnormalities; she is still as powerful as before."

This is Han Fulai's biggest question at this stage.

The reason he is now standing on Inazuma's land, communicating face-to-face with Yae no Miko, is ultimately because of this "letter of appeal for help."

In his letter, the Divine Child, posing as a member of the Thunder God's retinue, requested assistance from "Sister Gan Yu." This month, he, the Deputy Director of the Sea Pavilion and Gan Yu's personal secretary, came to offer his assistance on Gan Yu's behalf—though he brought cannons and giant ships, "Gui Zhong Ji" was merely a substitute for "Shuang Hua Shi." Gan Yu herself may not have arrived, but her heart was there, hmm.

The key question is: what exactly happened to Lei's movie that forced the God Child to write a letter "seeking help"?

Faced with this question, the goddess's expression finally changed—the smile on her face disappeared, replaced by a deep sadness.