He changed Tiwat

For a straightforward and foolish warrior like Sara, "provocation" is the most effective tactic.

He took the prepared letter from the pile of documents and pushed it across the table.

“The Fools caused some trouble in the Tasha camp a few days ago, I believe you have heard about it... These are letters we found on the Fools’ spies, take a look.”

Sara noticed the cobalt pattern on the envelope.

She took a deep breath and opened the envelope.

The letter was short, and she read it in a flash, but its contents left her in a long silence.

She had met the refugees from Hikimura mentioned in the letter.

She had also met Gon Gozaemon, who was sent by the head of the family.

She had even met the person who wrote the letter.

—The handwriting belongs to the Kujo clan's inner court commander, Takatsukasa Tokibei.

This person is the person that Lord Kujo Takayuki trusts the most... perhaps even more than he trusts her, his adopted daughter.

Before the Battle of Nashiina, the head of the Kujo clan's inner quarters had also come to Futsuna to deliver a secret order from the clan head to Gongozaemon—Sara had to admit that she couldn't see any signs of forgery in the letter.

“This… perhaps the Takatsukasa family is acting on their own… I will inquire with the head of the family…” Sara’s hand holding the letter trembled slightly.

At this moment, Han Fulai took out another "projector".

“This footage was taken by Mr. Xavier, a maintenance engineer at the Tatara Sand Factory, near the ‘Mikage Roasting’.”

He pressed the button.

The image from the projector is projected onto the wall:

The image shows a samurai dressed in fiery red armor, with the core of the Tatakasa Factory—the "Mikage Furnace"—behind him.

The samurai, engulfed in flames, shouted, "To serve Lord Kujo! I, Gongozaemon, have no regrets even in death!"

Then there are scenes of the interrogation of the captured soldiers of the Fool Clan wearing strange masks. In the footage, they confessed to colluding with the Heavenly Territory Magistrate and the Surveying Magistrate to implement the "Eye Hunting Order" and the "Isolation Order"...

Saro closed her eyes.

She could now see the whole picture: the patriarch had secretly ordered the Hikimura refugees infected with the "Suijin" to be drowned at sea, and had also ordered Gon Gozaemon to detonate the "Mikage Karst Heart," enveloping the entire island of Hachiyū Island in the "Suijin" to kill the resistance fighters... He probably did all this for the power and status of the Kujō family, even going so far as to join forces with the Fuyugugushi to harm the people of the shogunate...

Did the Kujo family... betray the shogunate...?

Sara couldn't help but recall that day when she knelt before the door of the head of the Koyuki family, begging for forgiveness for letting the fireworks craftsmen go. The condition that the head of the Koyuki family had for her to atone for her sins was that she capture the Kamisato siblings.

Although the head of the Takayuki family later said it was just a joke, Sara could tell that Lord Takayuki was serious.

Did he really betray the shogunate and the shogun?

Han Fulai's voice rang out again, and to Sara, it sounded exceptionally cold: "Have you ever considered that the entire island of Hachiyū is filled with the resentment of 'Suijin'? The core of 'Suijin' is also suppressed in the 'Mikage Furnace' of Tamasa... Will your adoptive father, Kujō Takayuki, completely release 'Suijin' and cause the Sea Serpent God to be resurrected?"

"If the Serpent God were to revive and seek revenge, only the Raiden General could withstand the Demon God's invasion. What would happen if the Kujo clan, in alliance with the treacherous Fools, betrayed the Raiden General when he faced the Demon God?"

Saro was speechless.

She already knew the answer in her heart.

Chapter 155 Waves Rise in the Sea Abyss

The Kami-sato-yashiki in Kagemaya welcomes a group of special guests today.

The guests were all dressed as ronin, wearing straw hats and cloaks, their faces completely concealed. Moreover, they did not have invitations from the head of the family, so Kitain Hirotada, who was guarding the gate, should not have let them into the mansion. However, when one of the guests unfolded his cloak and revealed the white sprite hidden inside, Hirotada quickly pulled him inside.

At the Kamisato family's dojo, the two girls who had sparred in swordsmanship there met again. To be honest, seeing Ying return safely, Ayaka couldn't help but abandon her ladylike reserve and rush up to give her a big hug.

Unfortunately, Thomas took that spot.

Having gone through the "Eye Hunting Ceremony" together, and faced the might of the Thunder General together, one of them stormed the general's execution ground, and the other threw a javelin at the general—Ying and Thomas can be considered to have shared hardships and faced life and death together.

So Thomas gave Ying a Mondstadt-style hug as soon as they met.

Little Paimon cried out, "Ayaka, I missed you so much!" and threw himself into Ayaka's arms.

After a touching farewell, Ying then introduced Ayaka to the two friends who had come with her.

—Actually, it doesn't matter if they are not introduced, since these two are quite famous in Inazuma, especially on the shogunate's wanted posters.

"General Goro, Mr. Fengyuan, nice to meet you."

Goro, the rebel general, needs no introduction. His dog ears, which are derived from the bloodline of the Inugami, are his trademark and can be recognized at a glance. Manyo has also been on Ayaka's list of people she has been secretly keeping an eye on.

According to her brother Ayato, "The Kaedehara family used to be subordinate to the Kamisato family. The Kamisato family's ancestors failed to protect them back then, so I still have an obligation to take care of them. Although I can't help them rebuild their family business, I can still help them escape the pursuit of the Heavenly Territory Enforcers."

The Shaka Magistrate secretly played a significant role in enabling Manyo to escape the shogunate's pursuit.

Linghua bowed to the two of them, and they quickly returned the bow, addressing her as "Princess White Heron".

After catching up briefly, Ying told Ayaka and the others about her experiences in the resistance during this time, and then steered the conversation to the main topic.

This time, she infiltrated Narukami Island with two of the strongest samurai in the resistance, clearly on a mission:

“Linghua, I’ve come here to ask for your help in finding evidence that the Heavenly Commander has betrayed General Thunder.”

Inatsume has always been known as one of the "Three Attendants." Even if they don't get along, they have worked together in the court for hundreds of years and should know each other best—or rather, it is precisely because of their discord that they should know each other so well.

To find fault with the head of the Heavenly Order, one must naturally ask their arch-enemy, the head of the Society.

Therefore, Han Fulai discussed with Xin Hai and arranged for an elite team to infiltrate Daozhi City and make contact with the She Fengxing.

Goro and Manyo came here for this very reason.

Goro is a famous and fierce general of Umijima Island, and Manyo is a strongman who once single-handedly broke into the castle tower. In addition, there is the newly appointed "Umijima Musou" General Ying... If necessary, the elite squad composed of the three of them can even try to forcefully break into the headquarters of the Tenryo Magistrate.

After listening to Ying's request, Linghua thought for a moment and said, "I understand the situation. There's something that's been bothering me..."

"The rebels and the shogunate army fought a decisive battle at Nashiina. The shogunate army suffered a great defeat. The 'Kamiijima Collapse Cannon' position was destroyed, and even the princess of the Kujo family was captured. Although the Tenryo Magistrate tried his best to conceal the news from the people, claiming that the explosion that day was a test of a new weapon of the shogunate, this could not fool everyone."

"Soldiers who have fled back from defeat keep recounting the horrors of that battle—there must be some people from Kaiji Island mixed in with them, right? In Inazuma Castle, people are now in a state of panic, and there are even rumors among the people that the rebel army will soon reach the main island, which the Tenryo magistrate has repeatedly tried to stop but to no avail."

"But the general turned a blind eye to this crushing defeat and did not hold the Kujo clan accountable for the loss..."

Manyo and Goro already understood what Ayaka meant: "Miss Kamisato is saying that the Tenryo Magistrate concealed the true battle report?"

“That’s right.” Linghua nodded. “The magistrate of the Heavenly Territory is in charge of domestic military affairs. If they conceal the battle reports from the general, the general, who is secluded in the castle tower, will naturally have no way of knowing. And concealing the battle reports is irrefutable evidence that the magistrate of the Heavenly Territory has ulterior motives. As long as we can obtain the official documents submitted by the magistrate of the Heavenly Territory, we can find out the truth.”

Paimon clenched his fist: "Let's go to that old turtle's house and steal his official memorial!"

Ying put her hands on her hips and said, "This isn't 'stealing,' it's 'taking,' and it's a righteous means!"

Man Ye laughed and said, "A petty person steals at night, while a gentleman breaks in during the day. We are entering the Kujo family openly and honorably, which is the act of a gentleman."

Goro, who was skilled in military strategy, asked more cautiously: "Miss Kamisato, do you have a map of the Kujo residence? Lord Sango-no-miya often said that you must know yourself and your enemy before a battle, so that you can win every battle."

Ayaka snapped her folding fan open: "As for the map, I've already prepared it."

Thomas understood and got up to go to a corner of the dojo and brought back a doll that looked like an ornament.

Paimon flew around the doll once: "The map is hidden inside the tanuki doll?"

It seemed that her words triggered some keyword, and with a "bang," the doll exploded.

A cute little girl dressed in a mascot costume appeared before everyone.

"The tanuki doll has turned into a human! What is this? This is the first time I've ever seen anything like it!" Paimon was startled.

The little girl rubbed her eyes, looking like she hadn't woken up yet.

"It's not a raccoon dog...it's a raccoon dog..."

After making that comment, the girl snored and actually leaned on Linghua's lap, ready to go back to sleep.

Thomas promptly tugged at her raccoon's ear.

The little girl struggled in dissatisfaction: "I'm so sleepy... If I don't get enough sleep... I won't grow tall..."

Thomas introduced her to everyone with some apology: "This is Hayaru, a ninja from 'Final Chapter'. Don't let her small size fool you, she's a professional when it comes to infiltration."

Paimon was even more shocked: "Ninja! Was that just now the legendary 'Substitution Technique'?"

“It’s not a substitute…it’s an ‘indestructible raccoon dog’…” Although she was still half asleep, Zaoyou’s吐槽 (tu cao, a form of humorous commentary) was already a passive skill that could be automatically triggered by keywords.

Ayaka smiled: "Kobayashi, the task of infiltrating the Kujo family and obtaining Kujo Takayuki's official report is entrusted to you."

Zaoyou snored softly, without answering.

Ayaka added with a smile, "If you can't manage on your own, I can ask Ms. Kano Nana from the shrine for help, okay?"

The keyword was triggered again, and Zaoyou instantly snapped to attention: "Don't look for her! I'm willing to go!"

Thomas then suggested, "The Heavenly Territory Magistrate's Office is heavily guarded. Even with Hayato's help, taking the official documents will be difficult. We need other help to distract the Kujo family's guards—there happens to be a place near the Heavenly Territory Magistrate's Office that they would be very interested in..."

Ayaka already understood what Thomas was trying to say: "'The Thousand-Armed, Hundred-Eyed Statue.' If an 'explosion' were to occur near the statue, it would probably alarm them more than a house fire, right?"

Ying and Paimon exchanged a glance, both thinking of the same person: "Xiaogong!"

Chapter 156 Chaotic Clouds Flying Beside Shadow Peak

Narukami Taisha Shrine, which faces the mountaintop, also welcomed special guests today.

The visitors didn't walk into the shrine; they flew in.

Sitting gracefully under the sacred cherry tree, Yae no Mitsuyoshi saw the pair of jet-black wings and stood up gracefully: "It's Mitsuyo, it's been a long time."

The female tengu named Mitsuyo bowed respectfully and said, "Kageyo greets the White Fox King."

The Inazuma demon clan reveres the bloodline of Bai Chen. The Eightfold Divine Child inherited the title of Bai Chen Fox King and became the Demon King. According to etiquette, the other demon clans must respect her as king—although the Divine Child has never put on any airs of a demon king.

A somewhat lonely smile appeared on the divine child's face: "It was more than ten years ago last time we met... Time flies. But for us demons, ten years is but a blink of an eye..."

"...But even if it's a short time, we can never go back to the way things were, can we, Mitsuyo?"

The shadows turned to the light in silence.

She was the only daughter of the Kagetoshi Tengu Reisenbo from 500 years ago, and she and the shrine maiden were childhood sweethearts.

Later, Inazuma experienced the "Dark Calamity," and Mitsuyo's mother, the Great Tengu Reizenbo, also lost almost everything in that calamity.

The lord of Lingshanfang, the previous general Raiden, died in Kanria;

Reizenbo's friend, the leader of the Red Oni clan, Mikoto Chiyo, was swallowed by a beast with a tiger's body and a snake's tail during that war. When she emerged from her stomach, she had been corrupted by the abyss, lost her mind, and rebelled against Raijin. Later, she had a horn and an arm cut off by the successor general Raijin, and died silently after hiding in the mountains.

Another friend of Ling Shanfang, Fox Palace, also died in that war protecting the people... Even the leader of the "Arataki Otemon" who had always been at odds with the Tengu clan, Arataki Otogi, left behind some heroic words and went to the battlefield, never to return.

Of that generation of Inazuma demon leaders, only Reizenbo survived.

Feeling ashamed for failing to protect his lord and loved ones, Ling Shanfang secluded himself in the Tengu Villa, the former training ground of the "Three Shadow Actors," at the Thousand Gates Void Boat.

Later, the Thousand Gates Void Boat sank to the bottom of the sea and never reappeared, and the Spirit Goodness Workshop also disappeared from then on.

To this day, it has been nearly five hundred years since Mitsuyo inherited his mother's mantle and led the Kageshiro Tengu clan.

Five hundred years later, the little fox has become a celestial fox and succeeded the demon king, while the former girl celestial dog has become the clan leader and has her own daughter.

“Divine Child… I have come today for my daughter,” Mitsuyo said.

The goddess blinked: "Sara is back?"

“Hmm…” Mitsuyo opened her mouth, then hesitated for a moment before fiddling with the tengu mask on her forehead—like her daughter, she didn’t like wearing the mask, which symbolized the tengu, on her face, but rather as a hair ornament on her forehead.

In fact, in terms of appearance and figure, Mitsuyo and Sara are practically identical. If Sara were to marry and gain a bit more mature charm, she would likely look just as beautiful.

Seeing Mitsuyo's expression, the Divine Child couldn't help but chuckle: "Just say what you have to say. This hesitant and coy manner is unlike you at all."

Mitsuyo finally spoke: "Sara returned today and asked me whether the Kagemiya Tengu clan is still loyal to the Shogun, and whether I am willing to help her eliminate the treacherous officials who are deceiving the Emperor..."

She paused, then said, "Divine Child, could you please not involve Saro in this matter? My Shadow Clan has been living in seclusion for five hundred years and does not wish to get involved in worldly disputes anymore."

The priestess glanced at her and replied, "When I suggested that Sara enter the Kujo family to serve His Highness, you agreed."

“Yes.” Mitsuyo nodded. “Divine Child, when Sara was young, she was attacked by a demonic beast from another world and fell off a cliff. You saved her… I am very grateful to you. You said you would recommend her to the Shogun so that she could be adopted by the Kujo family and serve the Shogun loyally. I agree to that…”

"But what that silly child wants to do now goes against the General's 'eternity'! She even wants to use the clan's power to fight against the Shogunate!"

The goddess laughed: "Huh? This child is clearly not stupid."

Mitsuyo looked at the smiling face of the goddess, wanting to say something, but in the end she just sighed.

"In short, I'm here to tell you that I will make her reflect on her actions within the clan. I won't release her until everything is over."

"Is escaping what Shadow Tengu did?" the Divine Child asked with a smile.

Mitsuyo didn't answer.

The divine child turned to face the divine cherry tree and recited a short poem: "Life is but a dream for thirteen years, the shadow of the bridge is like fluttering snow and smoke, when I look back again you are already far away."

Mitsuyo suddenly opened her eyes wide.