He changed Tiwat

According to the information he obtained from Nathan through torture... no, interrogation, in addition to the "Lady" diplomatic ambassador and the "streets" who were later dispatched to provide assistance, the executives such as the "servant," the "rich man," and the "doctor" had also placed their own pieces in Inazuma.

Although the executive officer's subordinates operate independently and do not usually come into contact, and Nathan does not know the details, the mere fact that such a group exists is extremely valuable intelligence.

If they were to take action, now would be the perfect time—the wounds of war have not yet healed, and the grudges and discord between the two sides have not yet disappeared; it is the best time to incite a mutiny.

He deliberately chose to hold the talks on Ba Yun Island, a "neutral zone," with the intention of "luring the snake out of its hole."

Long before the formal talks began, he had made plans with Sara and Xin Hai to secretly monitor any unusual movements within their respective units. At the same time, he had Su Ding lead a team to ambush and closely monitor the area around the venue, and sure enough, they caught the Fools' spies who were trying to infiltrate the venue to plant explosives red-handed.

What pleased Su Ding the most was that among the people they captured this time was Tao Yilong, the former shogunate general who was the first to defect and surrender.

Such a person can betray his country once, and of course he can betray it a second time.

In fact, Tao Yilong had already been bribed by the "servant's" subordinates several years ago, and this time he was bribed by the "rich man's" subordinates to provide them with "insider information." Strictly speaking, this is his third defection...

Of course, he wouldn't have the chance to defect a fourth time, because Su Ding beheaded him on the spot.

...At least I don't have to sit at the same table with such a shameless scoundrel anymore.

After dealing a heavy blow to the Fools' infiltrators and causing dozens of heads to roll in the Shogunate, a successful, united, and victorious conference was held on Hachiyū Island.

Ultimately, Shinkai returned the land east of Nashiina to the shogunate, but retained "Kaigi Higashiyama," which includes the land west of Hachiun Island, including Fujitogai Fortress and Hisaki Village, as an extension of the "Kaigi Special Zone."

Due to the ravages of war and the influence of "evil spirits," Hisaki Village has become virtually a deserted area, and the Washizu family, which had held the position of soli (chief lord) for generations, has also died out. The shogunate has thus granted permission for the Sangomiya family to become the new soli of this land. After all, simply changing "west side of Hachiun Island" to "Higashiyama Umi" on maps and documents will save a huge amount of money and manpower for reconstruction!

While Xin Hai was responsible for guarding the territory, he also rightfully had the right to allow the Hai Zhi people to migrate here to cultivate the land and plant crops.

Since they had the responsibility to defend the territory, they naturally needed corresponding forces. Thus, the former "resistance army" was reorganized on the spot into the "Sea Spirit Self-Defense Force," serving as the guard of Shinkai, the Sea Spirit Protector Daimyo. Of course, Shinkai, the Protector Daimyo, was responsible for the costs of supplies and weapons.

With Liyue as its backing, Xin Hai no longer worries about money and food. Moreover, he has obtained the land that Haiqi Island has longed for for generations. Xin Hai can be said to have fulfilled the long-cherished wish of Haiqi Island for two thousand years.

This is a result that satisfies both sides.

From Sara's perspective, the task of reclaiming the "Kujo Jinya" and the Futabasa Shipyard, two vital institutions of the shogunate, has been accomplished. Moreover, Umijima Island is willing to continue to acknowledge the Inazuma shogunate as its lord, so it's perfectly acceptable on the surface.

At the same time, Xin Hai also promised her that he would work together to defend the "Dark Outer Sea" as the guardian of the sea spirits. If there is a need to resist monsters in the future, the sea spirit island will also contribute its manpower and strength, which is an unexpected surprise.

Having gained both face and substance, her meeting was undoubtedly a complete success, and she could return to report to the General with her head held high.

From Xin Hai's perspective, Hai Zhi Island gained far more than just a small piece of arable land.

According to the Treaty of the Lihai Peace and Marriage, Han Fulai will use Haegei Island as a pilot site for "fertilizer-based land improvement" to solve the "sacred land" problem on Haegei Island once and for all, so that the entire Haegei Island will no longer have to worry about food.

Han Fulai has already dispatched a group from the "Southern Cross" fleet to bring the news from Inazuma back to Liyue. Before the subsequent infrastructure construction teams from Liyue arrive at Haiqi Island, Xin Hai will take responsibility for compiling detailed statistical data on the farmland conditions and construction plans of Haiqi Island and sending it to Han Fulai.

As for Haiqi Island assisting the Shogunate in fighting the monsters of the "Dark Outer Sea," it was actually a "rotational combat training" requested by Han Fulai—this is the "training ground" for the future Liyue Navy.

He learned the truth about the so-called "inauspicious star" and "power from outside the world" from Lei's movie, and of course he also began to prepare for the "dark calamity" that might happen again in the future.

After arranging these important matters, Han Fulai didn't forget to take care of some personal matters.

—In addition to having Xavier develop the photos, he also suggested that Xavier try making a short film called "Film" to be exhibited to all the wives of the "Kwanghwa Eisen Festival".

This was partly because Ying was very interested in the "projector," and Han Fulai thought that inviting the general to "watch a movie" would be beneficial for the spread of this new thing in Inazuma; on the other hand, this was also his way of preparing to lay out a new "propaganda tool."

In the battle of the Divine Tomb, the "Reflection Machine" played a crucial role and was also very helpful in collecting "Wish Power". If Liyue could secure the exclusive rights to the "Reflection Machine" and gain a first-mover advantage in this round of "industrial revolution in the field of communication", it would undoubtedly be of great use in the future.

Han Fulai, a transmigrator from China, knew all too well how terrifying "cultural soft power" could be. He even began to imagine creating a "Hollywood" for Liyue using the great invention of the "projector."

By the time Han Fulai had finished arranging everything and returned to Narugami Island, it was already September 15th.

But when he excitedly went to the castle tower with the framed group photo, he did not see General Raiden.

The commander of the Otsuzume clan, Shima Masaoki, told him some news—the magistrate had reported to the shogun yesterday that packs of "Beast Hounds" had appeared near the Desolate Sea. The shogun ordered the Heavenly Territory Magistrate's Guard and the Otsuzume clan to remain at Inazuma Castle to protect the people, while he himself went to the Desolate Sea to quell the unrest.

The desolate sea is the northernmost part of Narukami Island, adjacent to Kageshiro Mountain, and was once one of the ancient battlefields during the "Dark Calamity".

Five hundred years ago, in order to protect the people, the priest of Narukami Shrine, Kōshō-no-miya, cast a massive sealing barrier over the desolate sea, sacrificing his own life to imprison all the demons beneath the sea—a great sealing technique later known as the "Godsakura Great Exorcism."

As a transmigrator, Han Fulai knew about the "Bleeding Dogs" in the Desolate Sea; he had frequented it while farming materials in the game. Many monsters from the "Dark Calamity" remained in the Desolate Sea. Considering that hundreds of years had passed, it was normal for the seal to break and for some monsters to escape.

With General Lei Dian's martial prowess, dealing with mere "blood-shedding dogs" would be a matter of one or a few strikes. Rather, it's heartening to see the general willing to personally protect the people—this at least proves that Lei Dian truly cares about these people from five hundred years in the future and is willing to wield his sword to protect them.

What puzzled Han Fulai a little was why this matter would require the general's intervention.

The headquarters of the shrine is located in Kagemachi. If there is a problem in the desolate sea, shouldn't the shrine magistrate go to Narukami Taisha for help? Exorcising demons is also the duty of Narukami Taisha, isn't it?

He also remembered that the "demon" who governed Hachiyū Island and the "talisman" that replaced the shrine in Hikimura were all handled by Yae no Miko.

Could it be that even the Divine Child cannot defeat the monsters that have appeared this time?

...Impossible, right? He still remembered the strength that the Divine Child displayed when fighting the "Scattered Soldiers." He was at least at the level of an immortal. Shouldn't he have easily defeated a few "Bleeding Dogs"?

To be honest, he hadn't been able to see Shenzi for more than ten days since September 3rd.

He was busy dealing with various matters after the Inazuma war, and the shrine maiden was said to be busy preparing for the "Radiant Splendor Festival." Now that I have the opportunity, I should go and meet her.

Besides discussing with the priestess about reserving a movie screening booth for Xavier at the festival, he could also catch up—he was quite curious about how the priestess viewed "Sister Ganyu," and perhaps he could find out some stories about "Sister Ganyu's childhood"...

After leaving the castle tower, Han Fulai took out the protective charm that the divine child had given him and began to call out to the divine child.

After the battle of "Pure Land of One Heart," he put the protective charm into his storage space. After all, he didn't want the divine child to overhear everything he said...

Based on his past experience, the shrine maiden would generally sense his touch as soon as he touched the protective charm, and would respond to his call very quickly.

But this time, the divine child did not react at all.

Although the amulet wouldn't give him a notification saying "The number you dialed is temporarily unavailable, please try again later," he could sense that his call had failed to reach the divine child.

Could it be... that something happened to the Divine Child?

The Yelan family's "Stealth and Concealment" technique is comparable to "Divine Speed ​​Master" in terms of travel speed. Han Fulai traveled dozens of miles from Daoqi City to Yingxiang Mountain in just over three hours.

At the foot of Shadow Mountain, he saw two familiar streaks of lightning.

One of the dishes, described as a "40-meter-long knife," was clearly Yingmei's doing.

The other was a beam of light that pierced through space; needless to say, it was Lei's "Unthinking Slash" from the movie.

When Han Fu arrived at the scene, he witnessed Ying and Ying stylishly sheathing their swords and striking with blood, while Paimon clapped enthusiastically on the side.

These two just joined forces to eliminate a group of "Beast Hounds". Looking at the remains of those "bloody dogs" on the ground, there were more than a dozen of them.

—This number is indeed very unusual. In Han Fulai's memory, he had only seen a pack of "Beast Hounds" of this size once when he ventured into the outer edge of the abyss with Ye Lan.

"What exactly happened here?" Before exchanging pleasantries, Han Fulai wanted to know the situation first.

Paimon answered him: "There are many 'Beast Hounds' lurking around Shadow Mountain, attacking the roots of the Divine Cherry Tree. After Ayaka received the news, she asked us to come and help. We happened to run into Shadow here, so we acted together."

Ying also added, "Ayaka, her brother, Thomas, and Hayato are all fighting hard, and the monsters around here have been almost completely cleared out."

"This is an organized attack, targeting the root system of the Divine Cherry Tree?" Han Fulai immediately grasped the key point.

“Yes.” Lei Yingdong nodded. “The Divine Cherry Tree seems to have absorbed a lot of filth recently, and its root system is already overburdened. I also noticed the changes in the Inazuma ley lines in the ‘Pure Land of One Heart’, so I came here to check it out myself.”

"There's something wrong with the Divine Cherry Tree... What is Yae no Kami doing?" Han Fulai asked the question he most wanted to know.

Shadow's expression immediately turned serious. She raised her hand and placed it on her chest: "This is also what I want to investigate. I sensed that my familiar has disappeared..."

Chapter 217 The Master of Finding People Searches for the Fox Spirit [4k]

Han Fulai's voice suddenly rose eight octaves, even forgetting the honorifics he was supposed to use when addressing a general: "You said... Yae no Miko has disappeared?!"

Ying simply nodded silently.

This is certainly not something to joke about.

Han Fulai also understood that the shrine magistrate would go to the castle tower to ask the general for help, and the "beast hounds" would come out of the desert to attack the sacred cherry tree... All these phenomena could only mean that the chief priest of Narukami Shrine was no longer able to perform his duties.

Although he had vaguely sensed that something might have happened to the Divine Child, he still held onto a sliver of hope until Tingying told him that the Divine Child had "disappeared," hoping that it was just some lazy, cunning pink-haired fox...

Honestly, he was probably the person who least wanted anything to happen to the Divine Child, besides the Shadow.

For him, the divine child could be described as both an "ally" and a "comrade-in-arms".

His success in breaking the "Eye-Hunting Order" and the "Isolation Order," and pulling Rai out of the "Pure Land of the Heart," was inseparable from the help and guidance given by the Divine Child. Even his eventual ability to break through Rai's "wall of the heart" relied on the Divine Child's inside and outside cooperation. It can be said that without the Divine Child, he would not have achieved his success in Inazuma.

Furthermore, since the Divine Child is related to the Liyue Immortal Clan and studied under Gan Yu like him, she can be considered his senior fellow disciple. Calling her "Senior Sister" would be perfectly acceptable, making their relationship even closer.

Even setting aside personal relationships, from the most pragmatic perspective, Miko is also one of his most important partners in Inazuma.

The Narukami Shrine and Yaedo, both under the jurisdiction of the Divine Child, and their subordinate shrine administrators are all closely related to the beliefs and culture of the Inazuma people. Cultural exchange is of paramount importance in gaining the Inazuma people's acceptance of the "Teyvat Community of Fate" strategy led by Liyue.

Moreover, he couldn't stay in Inazuma for too long. Once everything in Inazuma was on track, he would have to return to Liyue. At that time, the only person who could replace him as "Minister of the Interior" to assist Raiden was Yae no Miko, a member of Raiden's family and the "Grand Master of Ceremonies."

To put it bluntly, if it were other important retainers in the shogunate who were involved in the incident, such as Matsukawa and Nagaoka of the shogunate, or the Sara and Kamisato siblings, Han Fulai might have accepted it without any emotional reaction—after all, these people's positions could be replaced.

But no one can replace the divine child.

In the future he planned for Inazuma, the God Child must not be absent.

It's like a new company just starting out, and suddenly the partners are gone... If you ask Han Fulai how he feels now, it's "the entrepreneurial journey collapsed halfway through."

Seeing Han Fulai's expression, Paimon hurriedly tried to comfort him: "I know you're in a hurry, but don't worry..."

Ying also said, "The general's statement is incorrect. Lady Miko is only 'missing,' and the shrine maidens are looking for her right now!"

“We went to the shrine last night to ask. The shrine maidens all said that the priestess had closed her doors to visitors since the end of the war, claiming she needed to recuperate for a while. Until yesterday morning, the priestess suddenly rushed out of the shrine and hasn’t returned since. Then, the demons started causing trouble, and since the shrine magistrate couldn’t find the priestess, he came looking for us and the general…”

Hearing Ying's explanation, Han Fulai realized what Ying meant—the word "disappeared" is pronounced "xiāomèi" in Inatsume, which is only one sound different from "xiāoshītsu" (disappear). Both words mean "missing" and have similar pronunciations, so they are often used interchangeably in Inatsume.

What Ying actually wanted to tell him was that "Yae no Miko has disappeared," but because her word choice habits were still stuck five hundred years ago, she used the more archaic "vanished," which, as Han Fulai heard it, became "Yae no Miko has been sent away"...

"So it was just a disappearance..."

That's true. If the God Child really died, given Lei's personality, he would probably go into seclusion again. He wouldn't have the mood to care about these "bloody dogs".

Han Fulai felt a little relieved—he was the "Master of Finding People," having unearthed a bunch of missing persons from the bottom of the giant abyss. If the pink fox got lost somewhere, he could find her just as easily.

But soon, his heart pounded again: "Wait a minute, this isn't just a simple disappearance, is it? I can't contact the Divine Child through the protective charm, and you can't sense her location either, right, Shadow?"

Shadow nodded again: "Yes. The connection between gods and their retinue should be very close. When I was in seclusion in the 'Pure Land of One Heart', I unilaterally blocked this connection to prevent external interference. However, after I left the Pure Land, my connection with the divine child was restored."

“Yesterday afternoon, when the magistrate sent someone to the castle tower for help, I could still sense that the Divine Child was near Mount Kagehime. However, on my way to Mount Kagehime, the connection between us was suddenly cut off, and then it became very difficult to sense her… It was as if she had suddenly gone to a very far place…”

“I don’t know what happened to the goddess, and I’m very worried about her.”

"I see..."

Han Fulai silently lowered his head, looking at the back of his hand.

He had signed soul contracts with Gan Yu and Xiao, and they could sense each other's location through the contracts. It should be similar between Ying and Shenzi.

Last time, when Xiao got lost in the secret realm of the "Taiwei Yipan", Han Fulai found Xiao through the contract. If something happens to Xiao, he can also sense it through the contract.

The contractual connection between the Divine Child and the Shadow was interrupted at one point, and then became very weak, making it impossible to perceive their exact location. This was indeed a very special situation, and it was even possible that the Divine Child had "disappeared"... It was only natural that the Shadow would be worried.

After thinking for only a few seconds, Han Fulai quickly raised his head: "According to what you just said, Ying, you also unilaterally blocked your communication with your family members in the Pure Land before. Is it possible for the Divine Child to do the same thing?"

Ying shook her head: "This connection is a connection of souls, and in theory it cannot be blocked at will. The situation of 'Pure Land of One Heart' is special, as it is independent of time and space, which is why it can block perception. If it were outside, even I would not be able to actively sever this connection."

“That’s it.” Han Fulai nodded. “Conversely, if the Divine Child were in a place like the ‘Pure Land of One Heart,’ it’s possible that this connection would be blocked, right?”

“Hmm…” Ying paused slightly, as if she had remembered something.

Just then, a strange light suddenly shone around them.

The sharp-eyed Paimon immediately noticed something unusual: "Everyone, look! The roots of the Divine Cherry Tree are glowing!"

The sacred cherry tree at Narukami Shrine is said to have been planted by Narukami himself after he crossed the sea, and has protected Inatsume for over two thousand years. Its root system is spread throughout the entire Kageshiro Mountain, and one of its roots, exposed above the ground, is right next to the group.

The "Beast Hounds" that Ying and Ying had just cleared away were attacking this root system. And the light they saw came from the tree roots that had been torn apart by the claws of the "Beast Hounds".

To be precise, what's glowing is some kind of liquid seeping from the tree roots, which looks like tree sap—but normal tree sap doesn't shimmer like that.

After a while, the light in the liquid gathered together and gradually formed the shape of a person.

That was a severely wounded Inazuma samurai.

His armor was already tattered and torn, and there were several gaping wounds on his ribs and thighs. In two of the wounds, white bone fragments could even be seen, which was a shocking sight.

Even with such severe injuries, the samurai did not put down his weapon.

"I can't just fall like this... My brothers still need me..."

He brandished his katana as if fighting an unseen enemy.

"This is... a memory left in the ley lines. The Divine Cherry Tree can absorb and purify the impurities in the ley lines. After being attacked by the hounds, the impurities leaked out through cracks in the tree and solidified into physical forms," ​​Shadow said in a low voice. "If the impurities are strong, the individual forms they create will transform into various yokai, such as the Train, the Dog God, the Black Jade, the Umibozu, the Minamoto no Higanbana, etc., and they are very aggressive... If the impurities have been purified, they will appear in the form of memories."

As she said, the warrior was surrounded by a white light, and there was no blood flowing from his wounds, clearly indicating that he was some kind of "ghost".

“I know Inugami, but what’s a train? What’s that?” Paimon tilted his head.

"His life was filled with evil deeds, and the train of hell came to greet him. Those were the monsters of Inazuma's past... Never mind, they're all gone now, and the one in front of us is probably just a victim of the war in the past." Kage shook his head and didn't explain Inazuma's past "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons" anymore.

"Then, shall I go find him and ask him what exactly happened here?" Hearing that this was just a harmless "memory of the ley lines," Paimon grew bolder and raised his voice to shout, "Hey! Samurai brother, what happened here? Can you tell us?"

Upon hearing Paimon's voice, the warrior whirled around, his bloodshot eyes terrifyingly red: "Who are you? What are you doing here? Run! The beasts will return... Once they've got their eyes on you, there's no escape!"