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

He and Thomas waited in line for over an hour before it was their turn. When it came time to process the departure procedures, the woman named Lily said that there was a processing fee, but as soon as she opened her mouth...

“Two million Mora, that’s right, two million.” Lily smiled. “If you two don’t have enough for the fees, could you please not block the line behind you?”

Chapter Ninety-Four: So Mr. Shen has already gotten tired of Sara.

Two million mora, which is roughly equivalent to fifteen million yen, based on the ratio of 10,000 mora to one ounce of gold.

For Shen Liang right now, it's not a lot.

Just as Shen Liang was about to pay, he saw Thomas walking up with a sunny smile, so he stopped to see how Thomas was going to handle the situation.

“Miss Lily, look, these two are my friends, and this is two million Mora…”

Lily was so busy she hadn't even looked up, but when she did, she glanced up and said, "Oh, it's Mr. Thomas from the company. Well, actually, I've already given you a discount. It was two million per person, but since there are two of you, it's one million per person. Isn't that enough?"

"Miss Baihehua, you're joking. In my opinion, how about I invite you to dinner at Zhuqingzhai tomorrow night? Please be kind enough to do me a favor?"

“We can’t carry him any further…” Baihehua chuckled as she looked up to see who he had brought. A casual glance revealed Shen Liang standing behind him, and her eyes immediately locked on him. “Mr. Thomas, this adorable child is… cough cough, is this the gentleman you’re sending to Narukami Island?”

Shen Liang was already used to it.

“Mr. Ryoko, this is a distinguished guest that my young lady will personally receive. Ms. Yuri, would you please do this for my young lady’s sake?”

“Then…then six hundred Mora…” Lily looked at Shen Liang’s fair and delicate profile, swallowed hard, her face slightly flushed. She was about to try to curry favor when a loud laugh came from the doorway the next second. “Six million Mora is too high! In my opinion, two million is enough. Just do things the usual way. Lily, you can’t just raise the price on the spot.”

Shen Liang turned around and saw a sturdy, white-haired old man in a kimono walking in with a smile. "Young friend Shen, it's an honor to meet you. How could we not inform the Kansei-gongshi of your arrival? The Hiiragi family has truly been impolite."

"Hira Shinsuke, head of the Hiiragi family, and the eldest son of the Kansei-gyō (chief executive officer)," Thomas quietly introduced to Shen Liang.

"Two million is a lot, but it is the amount set by the General. Please forgive me, young friend." Hiiragi Shinsuke, with a group of Kansei-buyers behind him, smiled insincerely. "Although you are famous throughout the seven countries, you still have to abide by the General's rules. If you can't afford this fee, you really can't enter the island."

Shen Liang sensed that the old man's intentions were not good.

As expected, I knew that not everyone who came to Inazuma would welcome me.

"Two million Mora is the rule?" Shen Liang tilted his head, looking innocent. "Really?"

"If you don't believe me, you can ask other merchants. It has always been two million. This is not us trying to raise the price."

"Show me the permit." Shen Liang smiled and reached out his hand. "Show me the permit issued by General Lei Dian. Let me see where it says the passage requires two million."

Shen Liang didn't believe it at all.

A god like General Thunder could not possibly attend to every detail. Two million Mora might not seem like much to him, but there are countless foreign merchants in Inazuma, all demanding two million Mora. Who could possibly afford that sum?

Besides, if it really needed two million, then Baihehua offered a discount of one million per person... How could a mere supervisor have such power? The only possibility is that this money was simply being arbitrarily raised!

This is clearly a case of corrupt officials using the isolationist policy to enrich themselves, a corruption that goes without saying.

Shen Liang could have turned a blind eye, but since Hiiragi Shinsuke was so direct in causing him trouble, he decided to see who would get the short end of the stick by making things clear!

“Only the three chief inspectors can read the General’s warrant. Even if you, young friend Shen, are highly skilled, you are not a guest of the Coral Palace.” Hiiragi Shinsuke was not afraid at all. “If you want to see the warrant, go to the General first to apply. Once you get the imperial edict, I will naturally present the warrant to you.”

"Without a certificate, how much money you ask for depends entirely on your word. I'd love to do that kind of business too."

"It seems that young friend Shen neither understands nor wants to understand the duties of the censorate. Doing things this way will only lead to setbacks everywhere," Hiiragi Shinsuke sneered. "Young friend, you've been in Inazuma for about a year now. Has no one in Inazuma taught you how to conduct yourself in society?"

This kind of talk is what's called using power to intimidate others. There's no need to explain anything to them or anyone else, because they're simply corrupt within the confines of their system. Those who can accuse them of corruption have no real power to threaten them, and those who can threaten them don't care about their corruption at all.

They even knew very well that even if this matter reached General Raiden, what difference would it make? General Raiden's isolationist decree was essentially to prevent internal and external exchanges, and the corruption she implemented might even be exactly what she wanted.

“Heh,” Shen Liang laughed coldly in return, “Indeed, no Inari has ever taught me. Almost all the Inari who have seen me are dead.”

In short, the previously familiar atmosphere in the courtyard of the Yuanguo Supervisor took a sharp turn for the worse.

Baihehua then realized that the flawless and handsome young man in front of her was actually Shen Liang from the secret report on the investigation a while ago. She was actually in the same place as such a killing god and even asked him for money!

Shinsuke Hiiragi and Toma's expressions both changed. The former could no longer maintain his elder's authority, while the latter was troubled and didn't know how to explain to Ayaka Kamisato.

This statement was tantamount to tearing off half of a mask, forcing everyone to confront the true nature of Shen Liang as a war executioner beneath his seemingly harmless exterior.

Unrivaled in the West.

A flash of anger crossed Hiiragi Shinsuke's eyes. "Young friend Shen, how arrogant you are to say that! Are you implying that you want to kill me along with you just because we don't see eye to eye?"

"I'm not in the mood to explain further to you. I'm just here for sightseeing. Keep your shogunate people away from me. Otherwise, even if I kill them, do you think General Raiden will stand up for you?" Shen Liang said indifferently, "parasites."

Shinsuke Hiiragi took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said calmly, "Is that so? It seems that Mr. Shen is quite confident in his methods. But what Mr. Shen said just now is wrong. The Tenryo Magistrate is the Kujo family. Didn't Kujo Sara see you and survive? The reason Mr. Shen spared her life is because she is a confidante of the Shogun. You wouldn't dare to act rashly, would you?"

"Her?" Shen Liang said casually, "I spared her life only because she's pretty. Once I'm done with her, I'll just hand her over to you."

A blatant humiliation! The faces of the officers and soldiers under the command of the Imperial Envoy and Hiiragi Shinsuke all changed drastically.

In reality, Shen Liang was just deliberately messing with their mentality. Kujo Sara had actually been released on the battlefield, so there was no room for him to "get tired of playing with her." Moreover, he was pursuing peace between the shogunate and Umijima. Killing Kujo Takayuki was enough to resolve the hatred over the death of Sangokuni Ryuka, so killing Kujo Sara would be meaningless and would only easily cause more hatred and conflict. Most importantly, Raiden General was still present.

However, since the group of people who were in charge of the investigation had never been on the battlefield, they couldn't guess what was going on just because they made things up.

"So Mr. Shen has already gotten tired of Saluo."

Just as Shen Liang was looking down on everyone, a familiar yet cold female voice came from behind him, and Shen Liang's smug look suddenly froze.

"It is truly embarrassing for Saro to be unable to win Mr. Shen's favor."

Actually, it's me, Kujo Sarada.jpg

Chapter Ninety-Five: Our Hatred is Settled

People don't think when they're showing off.

Kujo Sara, this uninvited guest, immediately shut him up. Although they were considered opposing forces, Shen Liang still couldn't bring herself to slander her innocence in front of the person in question.

"Mr. Shen, it's been over a year since we last met at Nashiina. I hope you're doing well." Kujo Sara led several of his men in, looking Shen Liang up and down before revealing a barely perceptible smile. "Mr. Shen, you haven't changed at all in the past year. Time seems to have stood still for you."

Shen Liang knew that this guy was indirectly criticizing him for not growing up, so she took the opportunity to retort, "But you, my celestial dog, are developing quite well. We can rekindle our romance sometime when you have time."

Kujo Sara's cold and beautiful face flushed slightly. She hadn't expected Shen Liang to shamelessly continue her line of dialogue. She wasn't exactly a silver-tongued person, and the few exchanges she'd just exchanged were something she'd been thinking about all the way here. Now, she felt a mix of embarrassment and anger.

The others in the Yuanguo Supervisor's courtyard all showed expressions of disbelief. In their view, Shen Liang was not just talking big. The dignified acting head of the Tianling family, the most noble and beautiful flower in the Mufu army, had actually been picked by this seemingly harmless boy.

The soldiers of the Kancho Magistrate were dumbfounded. Kujo Sara had a very high reputation in the army, and the soldiers of both the Kancho Magistrate and the Tenryō Magistrate had more or less a good impression of her. Now, many of them looked at Shen Liang with hatred in their eyes... but upon closer inspection, there was no hatred. The soldiers of the Kancho Magistrate had never been on the battlefield, so their hatred for Shen Liang was not as deep as that of the Tenryō Magistrate's army.

However, Kujo Sara did not offer any explanation. She did not care that she had lost the argument, and instead turned to Hiiragi Shinsuke.

"Is the Commissioner for Investigations also going to interfere with Mr. Shim's trip to Inazuma?"

"This is simply the duty of the inspector-general," Hiiragi Shinsuke said dismissively.

"General's decree: If the stranger Shen Liang comes to the Inazuma Islands, all should uphold the principle of goodwill and be allowed to pass." Kujo Sara pulled out a scroll from the Eye of God. "The General instructed us to cultivate goodwill with Mr. Shen to prevent the tragedy of a year ago from repeating itself. Hiiragi Shinsuke, you have overstepped your bounds!"

"Kujou Sara! You're a junior, I've watched you grow up, how dare you call me by my name and reprimand me?" Hiiragi Shinsuke, though old, was still furious. "Have you forgotten that the person in front of you is your father's killer!"

Kujosara's breath hitched.

"Sara naturally respects the head of the Hiiragi family, but please understand that Sara is not warning you in the name of a junior, but in the name of the head of the Kujo family!" The tengu female general with short black hair said coldly, "Are you trying to continue the hatred with your willful actions? Do you want Shen Liang to burn down Nashii Beach here as well? You should act out of responsibility to the people of Inazuma, not for your own likes and dislikes!"

Shen Liang watched the two men, who were locked in a tense standoff, with an air of superiority over inferiority. In his eyes, they were simply a good cop and a bad cop.

"Very well, head of the Kujo family." Shinsuke Hiiragi sneered three times. "If Kujo Takayuki knew this from beyond the grave, he would be proud of you. His enemy, whom he killed, is right in front of you, yet his daughter protects him at every turn. I think it's more accurate to say that she secretly harbors feelings for him! What a fine woman, Kujo Sara, what a heroine!"

"If you don't leave, I will tear your mouth apart in the name of the General's order." Kujo Sara's voice was icy cold. "I will report this to the General. You'd better watch yourself."

Shinsuke Hiiragi angrily flicked his long sleeves and led his servants away. Kujo Sara then looked at Shen Liang with a weary expression, "I apologize for making you laugh, Mr. Shen. The Kansei Magistrate, after all, didn't experience the Battle of Nashiidai and doesn't have a deep understanding of your reputation. However, Sara rushed as fast as he could and thankfully made it in time."

"Does he hate me?"

“The second son of the Hiiragi family head is serving in the military. In theory, last year’s war was not dangerous at all, and it would have been a good opportunity for him to gain experience. But…” Kujo Sara did not finish her sentence.

Shen Liang understood. It seemed that he had offended many high-ranking officials in Inazuma, and there were countless cases of hatred involving the murder of his father and son.

"I find it strange. Hiiragi Shinsuke has never been to the battlefield, yet he hates me so much. How can you maintain such a rational demeanor?" Shen Liang was even more curious about Kujo Sara.

"Is Mr. Shen insulting Sara for being fatherless and unfilial?" Kujo Sara asked softly.

"No, don't overthink it, it's just simple curiosity."

“Is that so? Then the answer is simple. It is precisely because the head of the Hiiragi family has never been to the battlefield that he is able to maintain his hatred, while I have.” Kujo Sara looked into the boy’s clear eyes and spoke in a steady tone. “I was the highest-ranking officer to survive last year’s war. After returning to the shogunate, I faced questioning from all the officials. They accused me and scolded me.”

"They accused me of incompetence, of poor command that led to the annihilation of an army of 80,000 in a single fire. They accused me of colluding with you and accepting benefits from Haiqi Island. Some even said that I killed my adoptive father to take his place and usurp the entire Heavenly Territory."

"But I won't refute any of these points."

Shen Liang was neither surprised nor impressed by her actions. He would not admire an enemy no matter what they did; at most, he would only be curious.

“Because I was once a staunch soldier, and I was also a proponent of war, but the more I clashed with Kaijima, the more I questioned the legitimacy of the war.” Kujo Sara said what Thomas considered utterly rebellious words: “From the officials of the shogunate to the thousands of soldiers and civilians, no one thought they were doing anything wrong. They genuinely believed that war was just, but I don’t think so.”

"I came to the territory of the Coral Palace, where my father uttered the words 'massacre' and used his far superior technology to bombard the city from above. Then you appeared, and just like that, used things we couldn't understand to kill us with ease."

"The brave warriors on both sides died in droves, like grass being cut down with a naginata, their deaths meaningless, becoming nothing more than cold statistics for both sides. This war seemed to have no meaning for either side; the warriors, driven by fervor, committed heinous acts, while the military and civilians suffered heavy losses. They kept shouting for the general, but the general didn't actually care about the outcome of the war. Both sides were the general's subjects, so why were they distinguishing between life and death?"

"To put it bluntly, it was all to satisfy the selfish desires of powerful figures that so many young soldiers were ruined... My father, Kujo Takayuki, was one of these powerful figures."

Shen Liang was truly impressed this time. He had always thought that Kujo Sara was just a cruel and ruthless high-ranking general, perhaps loving her soldiers like her own children, but ultimately unable to escape the limitations of her time. But she seemed to have indeed reflected on her actions; she was not blindly mired in the quagmire of war.

"You ask me if I hate you? Of course I do... But to be weak yet fearless, rude yet disrespectful to a powerful neighbor, that's a path to death. Soldiers can die for many things, but certainly not for the ambitions and selfish desires of certain individuals," Kujo Sara said calmly. "The Tenryo Magistrate is responsible for the countless lives of Inazuma. My personal feelings are insignificant. Just as you said, hatred has been settled with that war. Now we must all look forward."

Chapter Ninety-Six Naganohara Night Palace

With Kujo Sara being so candid, Shen Liang found it somewhat difficult to deal with her.

He's always been able to calmly counter when the other party likes to use veiled meanings and manipulative tactics. But if the other party is open and honest with him, then he can only remain silent.

Because continuing to use tricks and make strange remarks at this time would be disrespectful.