He changed Tiwat

After the "Book of Rising Interests" was read aloud, the civil officials of the government office brought out a box of the government office's account books for the general to review.

According to the shogun's calculations, the accounts of the administrative office and those previously submitted by the magistrate did not match, indicating that one party must have made a mistake. At the same time, the civil officials of the administrative office impeached the magistrate and the magistrate for embezzling taxes from the shogunate, enriching themselves, and even daring to embezzle pensions for wounded and killed soldiers of the shogunate army.

The general never paid attention to Mora's affairs, since she had no need for them. Shadow had never cared about financial matters either—the "Eternal" Kingdom didn't need money; people only needed to pray to the gods, and the gods would grant them everything, just like Sky Island many, many years ago.

However, since the government has made accusations against the Tenryo-bōgyō and the Kanjō-bōgyō, then according to the rules, the Tenryo-bōgyō Kūjō Takakō and the Kanjō-bōgyō Hiiragi Shinsuke should be summoned to the palace for a confrontation.

So the general issued the summons order.

However, after the order was issued, it was not Kujo Takayuki and Hiiragi Shinsuke who arrived, but the ambassador of Shifuku Province, "Madam".

Foreign envoys were required to make appointments to see the general, but this particular envoy, who had come to see him late at night last time, had not made an appointment, and this time was no different. Considering that the "lady" was a barbarian from beyond the borders and did not know the rules, the general, with his broad-mindedness and magnanimity, once again pardoned her rudeness.

The "lady's" account is completely contrary to that of the ministers of the government. According to the "lady," it was the shrine minister Ayato who colluded with the people of Liyue to plot a coup.

Following the same procedure, the general then sent someone to summon Ayako from the Divine Realm to the palace for a confrontation.

Strangely, it seems that her call to power will never reach the people who are meant to receive it.

After waiting for a while, it was not Ayato Kamisato who entered the main hall, but the traveler, Hotaru.

The general had said before that he would cut Ying down again the next time he saw her. The general's word was law, and he naturally had to keep his promise, so he prepared to draw his sword.

But following Ying in was a small white creature—

Paimon, the Primodial Algorithm of Intransient Matrix of Overseer Network, is located on the Isle of Sky.

Chapter 188 How can you do politics well when you're with these insects?

Ying was defeated by Raiden General during the "Eye Hunting Ritual" and fell into a coma.

Fortunately, Toma risked his life to save her, and then that inexplicable "Arataki Sumo Demon King Ichito" appeared and caused a ruckus, which allowed her to escape with her life—at least in most people's eyes, that's how Ying's experience of escaping death was, including Ying herself.

But... that's not the case.

As the person involved, General Thunder knows this better than anyone.

Just as people don't know that "General Raiden" actually has two personalities, "General" and "Shadow," they also don't know who truly saved Hikari during the "Hunting Eye Ritual."

It was the Shadow who absorbed the Firefly into the "Pure Land of One Heart," and it was also the Shadow who was interested in the Firefly... During that time, the control of this body belonged to the Shadow.

However, when Ying returned to the real world, Ying briefly disconnected her consciousness in order to reclaim "Pure Land of the Heart"—meaning that during the few seconds when Ying fell into a coma, the person standing in front of her with a sword was the General, not Ying.

The general had no interest in Ying. No matter who she was, if she was an obstacle to "eternity," then he would simply cut her down.

So the general immediately raised his sword at Ying.

The human named Thomas threw a javelin at her, but the javelin couldn't harm the body of the god-made doll, nor could it stop her; as for the demon named Araki Ichito, the general's thought at the time was—"Who is that?"

Given the general's martial arts skills, those few seconds would have been enough to kill Ying many times over, and the general did indeed swing his sword at Ying.

Then she had to stop.

Because what stood in front of her blade was someone she didn't have the authority to kill, or rather, someone she wasn't confident she could kill.

The true principle governing destiny, the avatar of the "Black Mammoni" system, the "Primordial Eternal Governing Matrix" of Sky Island, "P·A·I·M·O·N".

—For a moment, the general did hesitate.

Along with her hesitation came an uncontrollable, first-time feeling of "curiosity."

If the general ever showed any "interest" in anything, it would be Paimon.

She was genuinely curious. Paimon's aura of starlight was clearly even stronger than that of the "Descendant," so how come everyone accepted Paimon's presence so naturally? It was obvious at a glance; she was at least on par with an "angel"!

Ah, perhaps it was because of the "starry cloak" she wore that made it impossible for mortals to see through her true form?

But in front of the general who possesses the "Eye of Evil," Paimon's true form has nowhere to hide.

This is why the general is so puzzled... Why would Sky Island stand on the side of the "Descendants"?

Why would the "Primordial Eternal Rule Matrix" protect the "Descendants"?

Is "eternity" protecting "the fleeting moment"?

The general found it hard to understand.

That hesitation caused the general to miss the opportunity to kill Ying.

...And now, in the main hall of the castle tower, the general saw Paimon standing beside Ying once again.

Her hand, which was about to draw her sword, stopped again.

Before storming into the castle tower, Paimon asked Luminous with great concern, "Do you think we can defeat Raiden-sama this time?"

Ying's answer was to give Paimon a thumbs-up and a big smile.

"We will win!"

Yes, at this moment, Ying was full of fighting spirit and confidence.

After two days and two nights of rigorous training, Ying finally completed the inhumane "Anti-Lightning General Special Training".

The priestess was very pleased to award her a "graduation certificate"—a Narukami Shrine amulet wrapped with a "divine fortune slip"—and solemnly interpreted the fortune slip for her.

The fortune slip reads: "Ten years of honing a sword, today we test its sharpness."

"Misfortune has vanished, and we are now on the verge of a turn for the better. After years of arduous training that failed to showcase your talents, you now have an excellent opportunity to demonstrate them. If you encounter any obstacles, do not falter; boldly draw your sword and fight to your heart's content!"

Not only did they receive a "graduation certificate," but the divine child also presented them with a "lucky charm"—a top-quality sea lingzhi mushroom that had grown for many years.

According to the goddess, this sea lingzhi, a specialty of Inazuma, is actually the secretion of a mollusc, just like coral and pearls. Day after day, the sea lingzhi worm absorbs the extremely rare elements from the sea sand with its tiny body, condensing them into a physical form of water element, which is the sea lingzhi.

In Inatsume's customs, sea lingzhi represents "the fruits of hard work." Those who strive towards their goals will ultimately reap the rewards of victory.

Yes, that's a very good omen.

So what if the opponent is General Raiden?

She had memorized all of General Thunder's moves perfectly; she could dodge them with her eyes closed!

This time, I'm definitely going to get the movie!

Compared to the brimming confidence of Yingmei, Paimon's current mood... could probably be used to compose a song called "Tante".

She was really anxious.

Before descending the mountain, Paimon had secretly asked the Divine Child if completing the "Anti-Lightning General Training" would allow him to defeat the Lightning General.

The goddess then revealed the same confident smile as Ying: "I think... she's no match for her at all."

"Hey! Wouldn't that be a complete waste of time?!"

Paimon was so angry he almost punched the god in the chest with his little fists.

The divine child's smile grew even more sly: "Heh heh, you are an important part of the plan. I have my own calculations, so how could I let you have no chance of victory? Let me put it this way... do you think the resistance can defeat General Thunder?"

Paimon shook his head honestly: "...It probably won't work."

The divine child still smiled: "But they still mustered their courage and rebelled against General Thunder—it is precisely because they are insignificant that they possess an even more precious 'will'."

So... is the "opportunity for victory" that the divine child spoke of just "willpower"? But can "willpower" alone really defeat General Raiden?

Even after following Ying into the main hall of the castle tower, Paimon still hadn't figured out the problem.

The goddess felt that what she said was already very clear.

She specifically emphasized to Paimon that "you are an important part of the plan."

Yes, it's "you guys".

"You" includes Ying and Paimon.

Don't let Paimon's usual laziness fool you; he can be quite useful in crucial moments. During the "Eye Hunting Ceremony," although the Divine Child wasn't physically present, he was watching every move with his "Heavenly Eye."

She naturally saw Paimon shielding Fire from the Thunder General.

The “will” she refers to certainly includes “Paimon’s will”.

To put it numerically, after the "Anti-Lightning General Training," Luminous's win rate against the General probably increased from 0.01% to 0.1%... But with Paimon's Will, the win rate can soar to 49% in one go.

As long as Paimon remains on Luminous's side, no one can truly harm her.

But that's not enough.

The rebels, the Inazuma people, the magistrates, the government offices, the fire, and Paimon... even if you add the Divine Child himself, it only increases the chances of winning to 50%—to exceed that threshold, you still need that key person.

Beneath the sacred cherry tree, the divine child silently formed the "Fox Head Seal," patiently awaiting the arrival of her destiny.

While Paimon was filled with anxiety, many others were even more anxious than she was, such as Matsukawa Sozen and Nagaoka Hidemitsu.

Why are the rebels from Umijima Island inside the castle tower? What happened outside?

Furthermore, will the general consider their impeachment of the Heavenly Commander today as collusion with the rebels of Haizhi Island?

The civil servants in the government office had been arguing passionately with the "lady," but Ying's appearance silenced them all, and they only wished they could disappear on the spot.

The lady astutely seized this excellent opportunity.

She burst into loud laughter: "Oh ho ho ho! General, the traitor you personally wanted has actually swaggered into the castle tower! If I didn't know this was the castle tower, I'd probably mistake this place for some kind of street market..."

"Your authority doesn't seem to be taken seriously, and your officials don't seem to be very loyal... Oh, General, would you like me to help you capture this fugitive?"

General Raiden didn't even glance at the "lady's" face, maintaining his unchanging expression as he stared directly at the two "wanted criminals" who had broken into the castle tower.

“Inazuma is a sinner, and I shall punish him personally. You are not worthy, ‘Madam’.”

"...I'm truly sorry, General."

The woman, feeling snubbed, turned her head away dejectedly.

In contrast to the "lady" who remained calm, Ying was like an enemy meeting, her eyes blazing with hatred.

Without any hesitation, she drew her bladeless sword on the spot: "'Lady'! You colluded with the Heavenly Commander, instigated the 'Eye Hunt Order,' secretly promoted the Evil Eye, and even attempted to control Inazuma. I am here today for those people who have lost their God Eyes, for those comrades who were killed by the Evil Eye, for Teppei, for Nagatsugu... to demand retribution for your blood debt!"

"Are you in such a hurry to expose my 'crimes' to the general? Hehehe... I am merely a diplomatic envoy from Zhidong. I have no idea what you are talking about."

The "lady" spread her hands and defiantly thrust out her high breasts.

"Stop talking about those people and things I don't care about at all. These insignificant characters whose names are not even remembered are already a great honor for their short lives to be able to participate in this revolution to reach 'eternity' and become stepping stones."

"General, am I right?"

General Thunder remained silent.

While Ying confronted the "lady," across several corridors in the "waiting area," Kujo Takayuki received his "summons."

It was not a general's summons, but a summons of fate.

At that time, Kujo Takayuki was holding a teacup and admiring it.

The former Thunder General Masaya was fond of the tea ceremony, and the current General Kage, for his sister's sake, once launched the "Hunting of Famous Things of the Land," collecting the best tea utensils from Inazuma and putting them into the castle tower.

Tea sets that are favored by the gods are naturally extraordinary, and those favored by the gods later became masterpieces passed down through generations.

The artisans of Inazuma all considered it an honor for their works to be "hunted" by the shogun. The "Hunting of Famous Things of the Land" became the highest affirmation of the skills of the Inazuma artisans. Even now, after the shogun stopped conducting the hunting of famous things, many artisans are still trying their best to send their works to the castle tower.

The one in Kujo Takayuki's hand is called the "Yohen Tenmoku Tea Bowl," which was presented by the head of the Tenmoku family more than 500 years ago. It is said to have originated from Liyue.

This teacup was originally just an ordinary black-glazed Jian ware, but due to an unexpected kiln transformation during firing, it developed a wonderful pattern, giving the teacup many star-like blue flares.

Looking at that teacup is like being on the beach at night, gazing at a sky full of dazzling stars. And those stars hold countless mysteries, like an unknowable, vast universe.

Kujo Takayuki was very fond of this tea bowl, and every time he came to see the shogun, he would find an opportunity to admire the shogun's treasures in the "serving seat".

But today, he saw something strange in the teacup—not the universe and stars, but a point of cold light like the tip of a knife.

He subconsciously looked up to see what was reflected at the bottom of the bowl, and saw an old man dressed as a ninja. The cold light reflected at the bottom of the bowl was the kunai in the old man's hand.

Because of his movement of looking up, the kunai grazed his nose and struck the teacup in his hand.

The "Yohen Tenmoku Tea Bowl" shattered on the spot.

"An assassin!" Kujo Takayuki shouted in horror.

The ninja missed his attack, but instead of fleeing, he flicked a hidden blade from his sleeve and lunged at Kujo Takayuki.

Kujo Takayuki, being a samurai by birth, was old but still experienced. He rolled on the spot, narrowly escaping the assassin's pursuit, and rushed towards the door while shouting for his guards.

Just as his hand was about to touch the door handle, the door was suddenly opened from the outside.

“The Okuzawa clan! They’ve come at the perfect time, quick…” Kujo Takayuki was overjoyed, but he could only get halfway through his sentence before he could no longer speak.

He realized that it wasn't one of the Okuzume soldiers who opened the door, but rather—Kamisato Ayato.

Ayato Kamisato still had the air of a noble young master, with his usual warm smile on his face, but the long sword in his hand was piercing into Takayuki Kujo's chest.

The famous sword "Harazuki no Kyoujin" pierced the heart of the head of the Kujo family with unparalleled precision.