He changed Tiwat

"But, before Master Saigu passed away, that is, before that 'dark calamity' occurred, Yurakusai committed a grave crime that enraged Master Saigu. The master exiled him and banished him from Inazuma. I heard that he later went to Shigetama Valley, where his ancestors lived, and lived there in seclusion until his death..."

Upon hearing this, Han Fulai had already guessed what the "great sin" the divine child was referring to was: "Could the sin he committed be related to the 'dark calamity'?"

The divine child nodded solemnly: "Yes."

"After the teacher expelled Yurakusai, he immediately bid farewell to me, who was still young at the time, and went to the castle tower to meet the shogun."

"That's what the teacher said back then: 'A cataclysmic change is imminent. I must fulfill my duty as a protector and guardian of all living beings, therefore I must go to the general's side as soon as possible.'"

"And that farewell was a final farewell."

Chapter 238 Unending Longing, Shining Like the Moon [4k]

"A cataclysmic upheaval is imminent. I must fulfill my duty as a protector and guardian of my lord, and therefore must go to the general's side as soon as possible."

These words can be considered the "last words" that Fox Palace left for the Divine Child.

Han Fulai silently repeated it twice in his mind.

—It seems that Fox Palace has foreseen the so-called "catastrophe of heaven and earth change", that is, the "dark calamity".

Considering the "Heavenly Fox Divine Power" possessed by Bai Chen's bloodline, the Fox Palace might also have a "Great Prophecy Technique" like Mona's... perhaps even stronger than Mona's.

Judging from the child's performance, this "prophetic" ability may not be like Mona's "water divination," which can be used at any time, but rather is closer to an intuitive feeling that comes on a whim.

Before the "dark calamity" occurred, what triggered Fox Palace's premonition of the calamity was the incident caused by Yurakusai.

This incident later became a major sin of Yulezai and is likely directly related to the "Dark Calamity".

"Then... what exactly were the 'crimes' that You Lezhai committed back then?" Han Fulai asked.

"Regarding this matter, I don't know the details either. Both Master Saigu and Yurakusai, the two people involved, have passed away. I can only speculate based on some events that occurred at the time—"

The divine child tilted his head slightly, recalling events from five hundred years ago.

“At that time, I kept pestering You Lezhai to tell me new stories. You Lezhai was so pressured that he told me that he did have an idea for a new book.”

"The Six Foxes of Youlezhai" is a collection of six books written by Youlezhai based on his past adventures. He originally planned to write a seventh book.

"For this seventh book, he plans to write something different—'Spirit Summoning'."

"Is 'Spirit Summoning Technique' a spell like summoning shikigami?" Han Fulai asked.

“Yes.” The Divine Child nodded. “The essence of ‘Spirit Summoning’ is to awaken the memories of the earth’s veins. It’s similar to the memories you saw in the roots of the Divine Cherry Tree. If those memories are allowed to possess a person, that is ‘Spirit Summoning’.”

“In the past, we fox spirits and the tanuki of the ‘Guardian Forest’ loved to use this to scare people. Mortals would think they saw a ghost when they saw the ley line memories, and their reactions were quite interesting… cough. Of course, Master Zhaigong repeatedly forbade the use of ley line memories for pranks, and she hit those little demons on the head with her pipe many times because of this.”

Although the Divine Child refused to admit it, Han Fulai's intuition told him that the Divine Child had definitely played many of these pranks in the past and had been hit on the head by the Fox Palace many times.

"Youlezhai's 'spirit summoning technique' is far more powerful than those petty tricks."

"We demons possess demonic power in life, and even after death, when we transform into the memories of the earth's veins, we still retain a certain degree of magical power. Generally speaking, the more powerful a demon was in life, the stronger the memories of the earth's veins that it transforms into..."

"As for Yulezhai, he plans to summon those ancient demons from the earth's veins and then fight them—yes, that's the kind of new book project he's planning: 'fighting against the fallen swordsmen.'"

“We were in this very tea room discussing his ideas for the new book… He even had the ‘words of power’ for the ‘spirit summoning’ prepared. I still remember a few lines of them—”

"'With unending thoughts, like the radiant moon, may you be in harmony with us, and heed my call.'"

The divine child murmured a few words. Although no ghosts or monsters actually appeared, it did sound very mysterious. Writing it into a book would surely give it a very immersive feel.

“After discussing it with me, he said he would go to gather material in a few days… and then he was expelled by Master Saigu.”

She paused, then slowly said, "I think it was his 'Spirit Summoning Technique' that caused the earth's veins to become abnormal and destroyed the barrier of Narugami Island, which gave those demons in the desolate sea an opportunity to take advantage of it."

“Our Narukami Taisha has been responsible for protecting the Inazuma ley lines for generations, and we have set up ‘suppressing objects’ and barriers to suppress impurities throughout Inazuma. Mount Kageshiro is the location of Narukami Taisha, and with the blessing of the barriers set up by Master Saigu over many years, it should be the most stable place in Inazuma’s ley lines.”

“Those ‘Beast Hounds’ of Kanria, even if they have claws capable of dissolving space, should not have the ability to break through the barrier of Narukami Island—if the barrier has always existed.”

"However, just before the 'Dark Calamity,' a strange change occurred in the ley lines near Shadow Mountain, causing the island's barrier to be damaged for a time. Although Master Zhaigong repaired it, the barrier's strength was far less than before... The monsters that later appeared in the Desolate Sea burrowed in through the weak points of the barrier."

"The monsters of Kanria appear not only on Narugami Island, but also many more from the 'Dark Outer Sea,' and the 'Dark Calamity' cannot be said to have been summoned by Rakuzai... However, if the abnormal ley lines of Shadow Mountain were caused by Rakuzai, then Master Zhaigong might truly be to blame for his death..."

As the divine child spoke, his expression grew increasingly somber.

Fox Abode Palace and Youle Abode Palace, one is her teacher and the other is her senior uncle, and both of them are very kind to her.

Emotionally, she found it hard to accept the speculation that "Youlezhai killed Huzhaigong"... but judging from the subsequent developments, this speculation is very likely to be the truth.

Thanks to the desperate fighting of the Inazuma demons and the shogunate soldiers, the beast tide that came from the direction of the "Dark Outer Sea" was held back at the "Kujou Jinya" in Kannazuka. As the rear, Narukami Island should have been a relatively safe place.

However, those "Beast Hounds" and "Relic Mechs" broke through the protective barrier and appeared near Shadow Mountain—this place, which should have been the strongest part of the barrier, has now become the weakest link, all because of that abnormal ley line.

Just as the "Great Exorcism of the Divine Cherry Blossom" requires the use of leyline nodes, the barrier techniques of Narukami Taisha are all based on the Inazuma leylines. Once the leylines of Kagemachi become abnormal, the barrier will collapse like a city wall without a foundation.

Moreover, there is another piece of circumstantial evidence:

"...In addition, after the 'Dark Calamity,' a new secret realm appeared near Shadow Mountain—'Garden of Sand Flow.' I think that was probably an anomaly caused by You Lezhai's 'Spirit Summoning Technique.'"

"You said... 'The Court of Sand Flow'?" Han Fulai was taken aback.

The goddess gave him a slightly strange look: "You know?"

Han Fulai didn't answer, he just shook his head.

The divine child didn't seem to mind and continued, "Few people know about the existence of this secret realm, so it's understandable that you haven't heard of it. It's a very special place that suddenly emerged from the earth's veins..."

In fact, Han Fulai was quite familiar with "Garden of Sand Flow" - after all, it was the weapon material dungeon for Inazuma in the game.

The upgrade materials for Inazuma's weapons, such as the "Tenmoku Kage-tachi" and the "Mist-Cutting Reflection," all have to be obtained from this dungeon.

Like the "Constant Mechanism Array", he had run this dungeon many times.

The reason the divine child called it special is because—

"...Inazuma is an island nation, with only sea and mountains, and no deserts exist. But in that secret realm, there is an endless expanse of quicksand."

Yes, the island nation of Inazuma shouldn't have deserts, but there is a huge desert in the "Garden of Sand Flow".

On the continent of Teyvat, the only country with vast deserts is Sumeru, which is separated from Inazuma by a great ocean.

This is not a secret realm native to Inazuma, but a secret realm that should be located in Sumeru, which was created by the abnormal emergence of the earth's veins.

Even more coincidentally, the "godless kingdom" of Kanria, which caused the "dark calamity," is also located near the Sumeru region.

If the distortion of the ley lines created a spatial passage between Inazuma and Sumeru, and the monsters that suddenly appeared on Narukami Island back then emerged from that secret realm with its unusual ley lines...

What Yurakuzai did was tantamount to secretly digging a tunnel in Inazuma. Normally, this would not be a big deal, but if the enemy discovered the tunnel during wartime and used it to invade Inazuma, Yurakuzai would probably be guilty of a thousand deaths.

No wonder Fox Palace was so furious back then. Yulezai was only exiled instead of beheaded, probably because Fox Palace considered the bond between siblings.

When Yulezhai was performing the "spirit summoning technique," the "dark calamity" had not yet occurred, and he probably did not know that his actions would cause such serious consequences... But whether it was an unintentional mistake or a twist of fate, the final result of his actions was the invasion of Narukami Island by demons, which indirectly led to the death of Fox-Sai-gyu.

The divine child sighed softly and said, "Moreover, I've discovered that the trouble he caused may not only involve Master Saigu... Miss Chiyo's tragedy may also be related to that 'spirit summoning'."

Han Fulai recalled the Imperial Carriage Master he had seen in the memories of the "Scattered Soldiers".

Mikoto Nagato was the adopted son of Mikoto Chiyo, the leader of the Oni clan, and also a disciple of Ōtengu Reizenbō. He was one of the "Three Shadow Actors" and should have been considered the most promising young master in Inazuma, with an incredibly bright future.

However, the former Imperial Carriage Commander was quite down on his luck, even reduced to working as a "megatsu" in the Tassagi-zao-si (a military unit).

The word "metsuke" in Inatsume means "eyes and ears". This position was not actually an "official" but a "servant", a "clerk" who was not ranked and was a "supervisor" who helped the shogunate monitor factories.

His main duty was to monitor Hisahide Tanba, the then-director of the Tatara Sand Weaponry Bureau, to prevent the leakage of the "Raiden Goden" sword-making technology.

To put it more bluntly, Mikoto Nagamasa was actually a "Dongchang eunuch" sent by the shogunate to scavenge sand.

This position is not honorable, and the nobles of Inazuma would never do such a job that would damage their status.

The reason why Mikoto Nagamasa was reduced to working as a "mezuke" was because his mother, Mikoto Chiyo, betrayed the Raiden General during the "Dark Calamity," and the Mikoto family was stripped of its family status, forcing him to take on this "lowly profession."

Han Fulai was somewhat surprised: "You mean, Mikoto Chiyo's betrayal of General Raiden was also related to the crimes committed by Yurakusai?"

The divine child sighed once more.

"Did you know that Mikoto Chiyo had an alternate name in the famous Kabuki play 'Sumire-sangetsu Kogami no Kan'? This title comes from her experience of betraying the shogun."

"Legend has it that when Mikoto Chiyo faced the dark army, she was accidentally swallowed by a beast with the body of a tiger and the tail of a snake. In the end, she tore open the beast's chest and survived."

"But within the belly of the deep beast, she was stained with the darkness of deep sin, and lost in the pitch-black scenery, she ultimately drew her sword against the God Lord Mikenmei..."

"Mikoto Chiyo's swordsmanship is known as 'Mikoto Twelve-Layered Robes.' She can dance wildly amidst a thousand swords and spears in battle, her twelve-layered robes falling like violets when torn, yet her body remains unharmed. Among the Inatsume demon clan, she is the only one qualified to spar with Kage."

"The beast that could swallow Mikami Chiyo whole was no ordinary monster, and the power that could drive even the resolute Mikami Chiyo to madness was no ordinary abyssal power either..."

The divine child raised his hand and placed it on his chest.

Her action had already given Han Fulai the answer—

"...The power of 'Evil Star'?"

If Mikoto Chiyo was the closest to the Thunder General in terms of strength, then the power that could corrupt her must be the "Evil Star" from outside the world.

After all, even Raymond Lam, one of the "Seven Rulers of the Mortal World," was once affected by the power of the "Evil Star"...

“‘Never cease your thoughts, shine like the moon, be close to me, heed my call.’” The divine child once again recited the incantation that Yurakusai had used when performing the “spirit summoning” technique.

"I guess that the otherworldly beast with a tiger's body and a snake's tail was summoned by Youlezhai."

"Shortly after he performed the 'spirit summoning spell,' the 'dark calamity' that appeared with the crimson moon hanging high in the sky came—when he uttered the phrase 'as bright as the moon,' what he summoned was probably the 'crimson moon'..."

Han Fulai also fell silent.

The moon that exists on the continent of Teyvat is the "empty moon." The lunar power that Yulezhai used when performing the "spirit summoning" should also have been the power of the "empty moon."

However, when he performed the "spirit summoning spell," the crimson moon was overhead, which summoned a beast from another world possessing the power of the "evil star"...

The divine child lowered his head and gently flicked his fingertips.

The teahouse "Ru'an," created by magic, vanished in the blink of an eye.

The two of them were actually sitting on the lawn in front of the sacred cherry tree—just like the "shibaju" that Inatsuma people loved many years ago.

"As far as I know, You Lezhai died not long after he was exiled. The 'Heavenly Foxes' of our Bai Chen bloodline have long lifespans, often reaching a thousand years. You Lezhai, who was also a 'Heavenly Fox,' should not have died so young."

"I think that when he went to apologize to Master Zhaigong, he was probably already severely injured by that otherworldly beast. Master Zhaigong didn't ask him to commit suicide as an atonement because he didn't have much time left..."

"This is indeed a sin he deserves, but I... still feel sorry for him."

"Sometimes I wonder, if I hadn't pestered him to tell me new stories, would he have stopped 'gathering material' and this wouldn't have happened?"

Han Fulai couldn't answer this question; he could only remain silent.

The goddess looked at him with gentle eyes.

"I've told you the story you wanted to hear. You know what I wanted to tell you, right?"

Han Fulai remained silent.

He certainly knew what the divine child wanted to say.

The tragedies of Yurakusai, Kosai-no-miya, and Mikoto Chiyo... even the "Eye Hunting Order" implemented before the shadow was revealed, were all related to the "Evil Star".

Now, even the divine child has been "possessed by the evil spirit."

She wanted to tell him that if he didn't harden his heart and "exorcise" her, then she would be the next Yurakusai, the next Mikoto Chiyo...

He didn't answer, but the divine child spoke up anyway.

"So, in order to break this chain of tragedy, kill me, okay?"

Chapter 239 Cherry Blossom Flavored Chocolate [4k5]

The branches of the Divine Cherry Blossom rustled in the wind, and crimson cherry blossoms drifted down, scattering onto the blade of the Salt Sorrow Spear.

As Han Fulai gazed at the flowing crimson patterns on the spear tip, he suddenly recalled the ballad sung by the remnant spirit of the Salt God when he first obtained this spear beneath the Azure Lake:

"What joy is there in life, what sorrow in death? Joy and sorrow, all return to dust."

"Pity the people of this world, for they suffer so much; pity the people of this world, for they suffer so much..."

The name of this gun is "Salt Alas".

Salt is the king of all flavors, and sorrow is the ultimate emotion.

He suddenly understood why the gun was called "Salt Sorrow".

When the salt goddess Heureia decided to sacrifice her own life to save her people, was she thinking the same thing?

Yae no Miko leaned against the sacred cherry tree, her eyes closed forever. The hem of her red and white shrine maiden robes spread out among the grass, like a faded hydrangea.

What flowed from her chest was not blood, but a thick, black substance like asphalt.

The filth dripped onto the roots of the sacred cherry tree, instantly corroding the lush green grass into scorched earth.

The veins on the back of Han Fulai's hand, which was gripping the gun, were bulging, but he didn't know who to vent his anger on.

Or should we turn to the "evil star"? Or to our own powerlessness?