Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

"You just spout nonsense." Hisaki Shinobu packed up Araki Ichito's things to leave, giving him a sidelong glance. "Beating someone like us Araki-ha is considered a master? The strongest of the younger generation wouldn't even bother with such a contest, Your Excellency."

"The most powerful one?" D'Artagnan was taken aback.

But Hisaki Shinobu had already hurriedly followed the doctors away, so he could only scratch his head and then look at the audience who were still cursing. He asked loudly with a hearty smile, "This is interesting. Inazuma, do you have someone who is recognized as the strongest among the younger generation?"

He was extremely arrogant in combat, considering himself one of the strongest not only among the younger generation but also among the Fatui Enforcers. Even without using his God Eye and Evil Eye, he believed that it was unlikely any young person could defeat him.

But after so many matches, he should have proven his invincibility. Yet that girl named Hisaki Shinobu genuinely despised him, thinking him arrogant and conceited.

This is... intriguing.

But when D'Artagnan asked that question, the thousands of people in the audience fell into an eerie silence. The men who had been cursing just moments before stopped abruptly, and many audience members wore extremely complicated expressions.

That expression seemed strange to D'Artagnan; it contained a mixture of fear, a barely perceptible hint of resentment, and a touch of sadness that was hard to tell whether it was a feeling of humiliation or of being let off the hook…

"Anyway, they're all no good." After a long while, an officer on the Shogunate's viewing platform couldn't stand it anymore and said coldly.

"Huh? Who is this guy? He's so good at fighting!" Tartaglia's fighting spirit was completely aroused.

The officer remained silent for a moment before coldly saying, "Since you are a diplomat, you should know about the truce between the Shogunate and Umijima. Your Shifuku Province should also have intelligence on the inside story. The one who single-handedly ended the century-long war between the Coral Palace and the Shogunate, Lord Umijima, the sixteen-year-old Saikoku Musou... If he were here, would you dare to look down on our Inazuma Hideki?"

D'Artagnan was taken aback. He really didn't know much about the intelligence gathered by his subordinates from various countries. The Inazuma side was mainly handled by the lady, and he had no right to interfere or care.

This is the first time I've ever heard of such a genius child in the world.

Sixteen years old? Sixteen years old... the peerless beauty of the West?

Although D'Artagnan didn't quite understand what the Western Kingdom's Musou title meant, he knew that even if he won first place in the Hundred-Man Army, he would only be the Eastern Kingdom's Musou. Obviously, the value of the title was the same!

—But I'm over twenty, and this kid is only sixteen?

My life, which was just feeling a bit dull, has suddenly become exciting again! It's decided, after the uprising of a hundred men, it's him!

Dartalia, who was constantly getting stronger, never thought about whether he was his opponent. Well, or rather, the young master never considered whether he could win or not. Anyway, he would just fight!

----------

While the next round of the competition was in full swing on Ganjin Island, Shen Liang was speeding in his car.

"Alas!"

A boy less than 1.6 meters tall straddled a heavy Harley-Davidson motorcycle, speeding towards Inazuma Castle! His size seemed almost disproportionate to the massive machine. He accelerated to over 100 miles per hour, the ever-blooming cherry blossoms of Narukami Island falling softly behind him, kicking up clouds of dust.

"This thing looks like a toy for the Oni race! How come I've never seen you drive one on Earth! It's awesome!" Torachiyo sat sideways behind him, hugging his waist tightly, her smile beaming.

No one dared to sit sideways on a motorcycle traveling at this speed, but the oni girl's kimono had a low slit and was a conservative, classic style, so she couldn't straddle the back seat. Besides, she was a Holy Mark Heroic Spirit anyway, a virtual one, so she didn't care about being thrown off by Shen Liang!

"On Earth, people who dare to ride motorcycles on the street at over 100 miles per hour are called 'ghost fire girls' in our area." Shen Liang enjoyed the thrill of the wind on his face. To be honest, he never thought riding a motorcycle was anything special before, and he even thought the ghost fire girls who roared past on the street were pretty stupid.

But it wasn't until I rode one myself that I understood why motorcycles are so beloved by so many men. The thrill of galloping across wide roads is comparable to riding a horse in ancient times, far more exhilarating than driving a sedan or sports car. Moreover, I discovered that even a wild muscle car like a Harley-Davidson doesn't generate much noise; those disturbing riders are simply modifying their exhaust pipes intentionally.

"Ghost Fire Girl? Hmm...that's a nice name, it suits me well."

Shen Liang thought for a while before he understood. In the eyes of the ghost race, "ghost fire girl" was probably not a derogatory term; she might even be quite cute.

Torachiyo tossed a handful of candy into her mouth, stepped up using the foot pedal. As a Heroic Spirit, she was weightless, so she wasn't worried about the vehicle tipping over. Then, she leaned on Shen Liang's back and mumbled, "Little wolf, do you want some candy?"

Shen Liang glanced at the rearview mirror, knew what she wanted to do, smiled, and turned his face to the side.

Torachiyo immediately climbed over his shoulder, their lips met, and the candy was easily passed to her.

"Peppermints, to perk you up after driving for so long." Torachiyo was still leaning on his shoulder, gazing at Inatsuma Castle in the distance. "But the peppermints are just a temporary fix; my kisses are the real way to wake you up."

Why are you suddenly being so affectionate?

"Hey, you promised me there would be fights and handsome boys to play with. But all I got to do on Earth was a few minutes of screen time, I didn't even get a chance to warm up." Torachiyo's slender hand pinched his chin from behind, complaining, "The worst part is, you have someone by your side every night! I'm going to sue you for false advertising and contract fraud!"

Chapter 190 Men are just this kind of creature

Shen Liang kept quiet for the time being. He really had no way to explain Hu Qiandai's resentment. On Earth, he was completely absorbed in the joy of reuniting with his sisters. It could be said that he intentionally or unintentionally ignored Hu Qiandai's feelings, but there was nothing he could do... The reason Hu Qiandai was bored was because Shen Liang was the only person she could communicate with, and she could only find solace in him.

But he has a lot of people and things to take care of, so he can't possibly rehearse with a spirit that no one else can see every day, can he?

"Now, can't you spend more time with your wife?"

"You talk like you're the one who's wronged! I was the most beautiful woman in Inazuma five hundred years ago, wasn't I more fun than your few girlfriends?"

"This is the first time I've heard someone describe themselves as 'fun'."

"Then how about using 'easy to use'? Hmm—how should I put it, I'm afraid I can't quite accept that. We'll need to get to know each other for at least a few more years, won't we?"

Shen Liang realized that, as a man, he was no match for Hu Qiandai in verbal combat.

Married women are different. Although Torachiyo looks like a young girl now, that's just her ability. In essence, she's a widow who lived for over a thousand years and died five hundred! When it comes to telling dirty jokes, the best people besides middle-aged men are married women. You have to keep reminding Torachiyo that she's a martial arts-minded housewife disguised as a beautiful Yamato Nadeshiko.

"What do you mean by 'wearing the shell of a beautiful girl'! I am a beautiful girl!" Torachiyo angrily bit Shen Liang's earlobe. "The General has certified that my beauty is number one in Inazuma. The men who pursue me line up from the castle tower to Hanamizaka! I used to sleep on the General's lap, and now that I'm sleeping next to you, you're complaining? Are you pickier than a god?"

Shen Liang shrugged.

The vehicle continued driving for a while.

"And why did you come back?" Torachiyo said. "Actually, I was thinking, there probably isn't anything you need in Teyvat. Earth seems much stronger than Teyvat. Although humans seem quite weak, you live much better lives than us... What are you after in Teyvat?"

“All my current expenses, including supporting you, come from the Mora in Teyvat,” Shen Liang said. “I have to support my family, and I have quite a lot of people in my family.”

"You need to support your four younger sisters?"

"If I have a girlfriend, I'll have to support her."

"Coral Palace Heart Sea?" Torachiyo chuckled. "Speaking of which, it seems that most countries in your world practice monogamy, right? Hmm, you have so many girls around you that you can't count them on one hand. I don't believe you can't sense who's interested in you... What do you mean? Who will you abandon in the end?"

Shen Liang rolled her eyes at her, "I'll abandon you."

"Eh, am I in your hunting ground too? No way, no way, no way! I'm already married, I'm not a cute young maiden anymore." She became sarcastic, then added, "Boss, you're not planning to just flirt without ever marrying me, are you?"

"You want me to marry you?" Shen Liang retorted calmly.

“No, you know.” Tiger Chiyo laughed, and after laughing for a while, she lazily continued to lie on Shen Liang’s back. “But I have to remind you, Teyvat doesn’t have those cumbersome and useless rules. So if those cute little girls really can’t go on with you… then you’re really cruel, and it’s very unfair, unfair between Teyvat and Earth.”

"What do you want to say to me?" Shen Liang turned a corner.

"Boss, you're still coming to Teyvat now, probably for the power of your Stigmata system, right? Your Stigmata candidates might end up feeling really good towards you, right? If you're a normal man, you should take advantage of them and then take them away, whether they wander the world or start a family, just let them be with you and find happiness." Torachiyo's voice was ethereal. "Otherwise, you shouldn't have gotten so close to them."

“Listen, I don’t even understand my own system, but it’s what brought you back from the dead. I have many secrets, and I need to dig into this system to find out who I really am, what my background is, and why I have a system.” Shen Liang said in a low voice, “I completed the system’s mission to unravel the mysteries of my life and to bring you back to life. You and I are on the same side.”

"If my resurrection means that some lovely girls will be left to suffer loneliness for the rest of their lives, or suffer unrequited love, I would rather return to the ley lines," Torachiyo said calmly.

Shen Liang was stunned.

"You once said that you only wanted to live an ordinary life."

"I've said it before, but I've already gone deep into a lot of areas I shouldn't have gotten involved in. I can't back down now, and I can't live a normal life anymore."

“No, you can still live,” Torachiyo said. “Don’t think of yourself as so isolated. Leave Teyvat now, ignore your system, go back to Earth and be your good brother. You won’t be involved in anything in Teyvat anymore. The money you earned from Helios Island is more than enough for you to live on. Even if it’s not enough, that Saintess Shaniat will treat you like her own daughter and support you. She’s probably prepared for you not to be able to cure her. After she dies, you can marry Kiana and you’ll be well protected just the same.”

"Even if someone tries to plot against you, humph, you're already quite strong. With me possessing you, you'll be able to protect yourself. Besides, how many people would dare to offend the Shaniat family for your sake? You can live a happy and carefree life without worrying about anything. The only one I'd feel sorry for is that little mermaid on Haizhi Island, but it's just a little guilt, nothing to worry about. Just leave her a letter and tell her to find someone to marry in the future."

She whispered firmly in Shen Liang's ear, "You have a way out, and you have a choice: to live your ordinary life."

Shen Liang couldn't answer. He subconsciously looked at the rearview mirror. The boy in the mirror looked bewildered and even a little... frightened.

“I… don’t understand.” Shen Liang finally spoke. “I never thought about it, I really never thought about this choice.”

"Then think about it now."

Shen Liang stopped the car and remained silent for a long, long time.

Until Torachiyo sighed.

"Can't figure it out?"

"I don't understand."

“That’s right, you can’t understand it,” Torachiyo said. “That’s just how you men are. Power, strength, women, land—these are the things that flow in your veins. Because of this, you’re always taking risks and always exploring. You’ve never even thought about giving up these things to live a peaceful life. You say you’ll go back to your hometown to get married after this war, but actually, after the war, you still want to get promoted and make a fortune. Even if you’re at the top of your class, you still want to protect the people… Do you ever think about living an ordinary life? You don’t even understand what an ordinary life is.”

She sat in the car, swinging her small, bare feet, and said casually, "I won't tell you about the system or any secrets. But you, are you willing to give up that little witch who loves you with all her heart? Hmm? Even if it's just her alone, do you dare?"

"I wouldn't dare," Shen Liang said softly.

"You're unwilling to let go of a young girl you've already taken advantage of? Hmm... then what are you telling me about being on my side, about solving the mystery? Hypocritical." Torachiyo laughed. "You're a man, aren't you? Men... are ultimately like this."

Chapter 191 The "Son of Man" Project

The air outside Narukami Island was fresh. Shen Liang leaned against his Harley, looking up at the lightly piled clouds in the sky.

Men have always been like that.

Compared to women, every man is inherently more aggressive. Even in ancient times, men who had just learned to walk on two legs knew how to hunt, fight, explore, and discover. This is something ingrained in their blood. No matter how delicate, cute, or harmless Shen Liang may appear, he cannot conceal his primal desires.

Just like no matter how many times he says he longs for peace and happiness, he can't possibly let go of the Coral Palace Heart Sea for the sake of so-called life.

A man can't give up his woman.

Whether it was his pride, possessiveness, or some other emotion, it all emphasized this statement. The thought of the little shrine maiden living a lonely life on Umiji Island, like the shrine maidens of all time, or perhaps marrying in the future, smiling and acting coquettishly in someone else's arms, using her beautiful body to continue another man's bloodline...

Such a scene was like something out of a demon from hell, searing his heart.

"You need to confront your true desires, you little wolf," Torachiyo said quietly. "A capable man would never allow himself to be mediocre."

"Am I really that hypocritical?" Shen Liang sighed self-deprecatingly.

"This kind of hypocrisy is good, at least it's good for them."

"What's so good about it?" Shen Liang shrugged.