The Embers of King's Teyvat Journey

"What happened? Why is it so dark?" Washizu looked around in confusion, but found nothing except two big men.

"I turned off the lights so you wouldn't suffocate," Yu Jin said jokingly, shrugging through the darkness.

To everyone's surprise, Washizu immediately waved his hand and said urgently, "If what we're talking about is what you just said, then forget it."

"Light the candles, it's easy to get hurt if you go out in the dark."

Before he could finish speaking, Washizu reached out and grabbed at things haphazardly, seemingly trying to find a candle to light.

"Here you go." Yu Jin saw Washijin's movements in the darkness and handed him the candle directly.

"Whoosh—, hiss~"

"Whoosh—, hiss~"

"Whoosh—, hiss~"

With the sound of the whistling wind, the tinderbox shone brightly in the darkness for a while, then went completely out of light. No matter how Washizu tried to light it, he couldn't get the candle to burn.

"That's strange, why can't I light it?" Washizu scratched his head, no matter how hard he blew on the tinder until his throat was dry, not a single spark flew out.

"Yeah, why can't it be lit?" came the embers' voice, a half-smile, from the darkness.

"There must be a lack of... oxygen... in the cellar, right?"

The tone of Tuan Guiliu's voice changed from matter-of-fact to hesitant, and finally trembled. His voice grew softer and softer until he fell silent.

"Oh!"

Bright flames erupted from the tip of the embers' fingertips, and even in the absence of oxygen, the flames remained bright, showing no sign of going out.

The fuel for embers is not oxygen, but something else. So it can burn and provide light whenever it burns.

The firelight illuminated the large, somewhat empty cellar, and Washizu and Dankiroku, who were closest to the embers, were naturally also illuminated without a trace of shadow.

"Do you think your changes are caused by me or the Shogunate?" Yu Jin rolled up Washizu's sleeve, exposing the part covered in downy scales.

"..."

Washizu silently smoothed out his sleeves, shook his head, and said nothing.

"You... have both?" Tuan Gui Liu scratched his head and said hesitantly.

He already knew that the Golden Tree was planted by Ember, and he also knew that the changes in his body were caused by the Golden Tree.

If we disregard all other factors, the direct cause of how the people of Hisaki Village became like this is undoubtedly Ember.

"That's true, but I can take responsibility for my actions."

"I will show you the true use of this power. If you cannot accept your inhuman form, I can restore you to your original state."

Yu Jin's tone was full of confidence, but he immediately changed his tone, saying in a sinister voice, "But what about the Shogunate? I've given you my own version of events, but what about the Shogunate's?"

“If they don’t give it to you, you have to ask for it yourselves, right? I’m very stingy when I plant that tree; I don’t usually expend so much effort to turn you into this. The shogunate is 80% responsible.”

The firelight and shadows danced on Yu Jin's face, like tentacles reaching out from the deep seabed, as if they would stretch out at any moment and drag Washizu and Dankiroku into the abyss.

“Besides, who told you this is a rebellion? This is clearly…” Yu Jin raised his head, the shadows on his face being dispelled by the firelight due to the angle.

He pondered for a moment, then nodded and said with absolute certainty, "This is clearly a loyal audience with the emperor!"

"Someone is deceiving the Emperor. As members of the Inazuma family, don't you want to purge the court of corrupt officials and purify the realm?!"

Upon hearing this, Washizu's face first contorted, then struggled, but finally returned to calm. After a deep sigh, he shook his head and said, "Hmph—no need for further words, you are rebelling."

"As for how we ended up like this... no one needs to take responsibility. It's just a product of the times, our destiny."

Having said that, Washizu fell silent. No matter how eloquently Ren Yujin spoke, it couldn't change the fact that this matter was, in Washizu's mind, a "rebellion."

"Really? They can endure that much?" Yu Jin was impressed by the "broad-mindedness" of Washizu when he saw that Washizu had swallowed all the suffering that the shogunate had brought him.

"Endure? You think I want to endure? But what other choice do I have? So many people are waiting to make a living behind me, I can't act impulsively!"

Washizu clenched his fists and let out a low growl, almost as if he were gritting his teeth.

The rebels left dozens of corpses at the edge of the village, and Washizu wished more than anyone that the shogunate's people would lie down with them.

However, Hikimura's strength did not allow it, nor did the responsibilities he bore allow it.

"You think you can just endure it and everything will be fine? The shogunate has recently launched another attack on the rebels, and this isn't a small-scale operation; it's the kind of attack that aims to wipe out the entire regime in one fell swoop!"

Ember glanced around the cellar, where many bags of grain were piled up.

"Where did Hikimura get her food recently?"

"It was sent by the fools. Although I don't know why they are so kind, I have checked the grain itself and it is genuine."

Although Washizu was puzzled as to why Ember asked such a question, he still answered Ember's question with his anger still lingering.

"Very good, how about recently?"

“They haven’t come recently, and I don’t expect to put the fate of the village in their hands. I’ve already sent people to buy grain.”

Washizu recalled the village's recent situation, noting that thanks to the support of the Fools, Hisaki Village's condition had improved significantly recently.

However, the Fools haven't been around lately, but Washizu himself didn't expect to hand over the village's lifeline to such a disreputable organization.

So while thanking the Fools, Washizu did not give up on obtaining food through other channels.

Despite the various drawbacks of these channels.

"You can wait and see whether the Fools are better at finding food or your men are better at it."

"What do you mean?" Washizu looked up, puzzled.

"It's nothing much, just that a large-scale war is coming. Even the Fools can't get food, do you think you can?"

"The best course of action now is to replace the people in the shogunate before the war even begins!"

Ember clenched his fist and said fiercely! Not only that, but that Thunder General also needs to be taught a lesson.

Even though Yu Jin didn't cause her any trouble, she didn't expect this guy to make fun of Yu Jin first.

It’s tolerable, it’s unbearable!

"Fuck it, I did it!"

As soon as Yu Jin finished speaking, he saw Tuan Gui Liu, who hadn't said a word, raise his arm.

"I've only been clinging to life by sheer luck! Now that traitors are in power, as a warrior, I should point my sword at them! This is a righteous war!"

Tuan Gui Liu was filled with excitement. He had had this idea for a long time, and now Yu Jin had the same idea.

"Sigh... let me ask, who else is there?" Seeing this, and thinking of his subordinates who had been missing for so long, Washizu finally wavered a little.

Chapter 498 Meeting in the Cellar

2024-02-23

“You’ve come to the right person.” Upon hearing this, Yu Jin immediately leaned closer mysteriously.

"I'll just tell you the most important things. Besides you, there's also the priest of Narukami Shrine and the head of the Kamisato family, they..."

Without holding back, Yu Jin told Washizu and Dankiroku about the conspiracy between Yae no Miko and Kamisato Ayato.

I wonder if Ayato Kamisato, who specifically reminded Ember to keep it a secret, will cry when he sees this scene.

"I never expected that the Kamisato family and Narukami Taisha would have such considerations?" Washizu's heart was already churning with shock after hearing what Yu Jin said.

He originally thought the shogunate was an impenetrable wall, but he didn't expect that there were already undercurrents surging within it.

"Right? I told you long ago this wasn't a rebellion. At most, it was just... a political struggle!"

Yu Jin patted Washijin on the shoulder, looking completely nonchalant.

It seemed as if these things were no big deal to him—in fact, they were no big deal to Yu Jin either.

Even if, as Kujo Sara said, the Thunder General had taken notice of him, it wouldn't be a big deal for Ember.

His actions were partly due to Kujo Sara's speculation, but more importantly, the recent actions of the shogunate had ruined his plans. Otherwise, Yu Jin would probably have completely forgotten about those people in the shogunate.

"If only it were as easy as you say." As Washizu's heart wavered, a look of worry crept onto his face.

"Don't underestimate yourself. Look around, who else can have a rosy complexion without needing to breathe like you?"

Yu Jin pointed to the candle in Washijin's hand that just wouldn't light. The oxygen in the cellar was so thin that an ordinary person would suffocate within minutes.

“You already possess extraordinary strength. As long as we gather a few skilled fighters, we can infiltrate Inazuma Castle.”

"At that moment, we'll smash the cup as a signal, swarm in, and who can withstand us?"

Yu Jin clenched his fist and swung it fiercely in front of Washizu and Dan Oniroku several times.

"Easier said than done," Washizu shook his head and sighed a few times.

Ember made it sound easy, but putting it into practice would be incredibly difficult. The guards in Inazuma Castle, whether overt or covert, were no pushovers.

"What's so difficult about this? Do we look like tough guys? If you take off your tattered armor and go into Inazuma Castle, who will notice you?"

When Dankiroku heard that Washizu had boosted the morale of others and made himself look powerful, he immediately retorted.

The tight security of Inazuma Castle is only for those with the Eye of God; who among ordinary people would have the time or inclination to care?

The villagers of Hiki Village fit the definition of "ordinary people." In fact, they can't even be called ordinary people; they should be called country folk.

They're unlikely to be noticed when they go to Inazuma Castle; they're more likely to be discriminated against.

It's fair to say that the villagers of Hikimura are now the perfect group for infiltration and raids.

“What you’re saying…” Washizu looked down at himself. The mud on his leg guards hadn’t completely solidified yet, and the calluses on his palms were thick.

“That makes a lot of sense!” Washizu scratched his head. If he took off his armor and covered up the unusual features on his body, he would look exactly like an old farmer from the countryside.

But who would have thought that an old farmer's strength was no less than that of the owner of the Eye of God?

After listening to Dan Oniroku's words, Washizu quickly understood the reasoning behind them. If the people of Hisaki Village were truly determined to infiltrate Inazuma Castle, probably no one would care.

"Not only that, don't forget the Kamisato family. They have a secret passage that leads directly from outside the castle to inside Inazuma Castle." Seeing Washizu deep in thought, Yu Jin added fuel to the fire.

"Is that so?" Washizu raised his head, his eyes darting around. He slammed his fist on the sack beside him, then said in a strong voice:

"Since you've put it that way, then I'll do it! In the end, you saved my life, so consider this repaying your kindness!"

Washizu seemed to have swallowed the bone splinter stuck in his throat. As soon as he said this, his aura suddenly rose, and even the deep wrinkles on his face smoothed out.

After his impassioned speech, Washizu finally calmed down. He took a deep breath and reminded Yu Jin: