Lu Bu, the Thunder General, is my adoptive father in Genshin Impact.

However, he knew very well that he could not act rashly at the moment. If his actions were too exaggerated and he was mistaken for an assassin, General Thunder would personally retaliate, and he would surely be reduced to ashes.

As a hero who solved the thunder case, he will definitely have the opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with the Thunder God, and then he can call him "father" in one go.

Time ticked by, and the meeting was drawing ever closer to its start; the meeting room was utterly silent.

Suddenly, General Thunder, who was sitting quietly on the small platform, opened his eyes. His eyes, which glowed with purple light, brought an unparalleled sense of oppression. Even though everyone present was a seasoned veteran of the officialdom, they couldn't help but swallow nervously.

At this moment, the purple-haired woman's demeanor had transformed from that of an ordinary village girl into that of the genuine Inazuma Raijin.

Faced with the unparalleled pressure of the gods, only a few people can remain calm.

The young head of the Kamisato family maintained his ambiguous smile; Kujo Sara, who had followed the shogun for many years, remained calm as always; and the boy, dressed in the clothes of a magistrate but on good terms with the magistrate of the territories, looked eager to pounce on the shogun.

The purple light in General Thunder's eyes slowly faded, leaving only an empty gaze, and part of his powerful aura dissipated.

Xiao Yi immediately concluded that she was a puppet general acting in place of the ruler, not the real Thor.

In contrast, Thor, known as "Shadow," is gentler and more humane, while the Puppet General is a ruthless governing machine, rational and cold.

It doesn't matter.

Unable to meet the true form of Thor was a situation Xiao Yi had anticipated. After all, that reclusive woman had been ignoring state affairs for nearly five hundred years, a feat even the Wanli Emperor could not match.

Even after the war ended and she became a little more cheerful, she wouldn't necessarily show up every day.

However, the puppet general's power is no different from that of Thor himself, so it wouldn't be a loss to worship either of them as his godfather. The simple-minded, foolish puppet is even easier to fool.

Nevertheless, Xiao Yi didn't know how the system would determine whether to regard "Shadow" and "General" as two different existences, or as the same existence.

We'll see then.

The general opened his eyes, and the conference officially began.

Kujo Sara was the first to leave his seat and come to a position about five meters away from the general. He knelt on the tatami and gave a detailed report on the cause and effect of the lightning incident.

About fifteen minutes later, the nine reports were completed, awaiting the general's evaluation or instructions.

However, General Thunder did not mention the case, and instead asked a perplexing question.

Who was the man who was sitting next to you just now?

The cold, emotionless voice further confirmed Xiao Yi's guess—she was a puppet.

Kujo Sara respectfully replied, "Reporting to the General, he is the person mentioned in the report who provided crucial assistance in retrieving the Heavenly Thunder."

"You step back and let him come over."

Nine obeyed the order and returned to their original seats.

Xiao Yi arrived at the location where Kujo was reporting with great excitement, knelt on the still-warm tatami mat, and quickly reviewed the lines he had rehearsed in his mind thousands of times.

Never mind, no need to wait for General Thunder to speak! Now is the perfect opportunity. Let's activate the system's achievement reward first and take down the general before everyone else can react!

The moment the thought crossed Xiao Yi's mind, he began to act.

"I've wandered half my life, and all I regret is..."

Bang!

The unexpected turn of events caused Xiao Yi to feel something crash heavily into his arms, sending him flying several meters from his original position.

After the tumble caused by inertia ended, Xiao Yi stared intently at the thing that had suddenly crashed into him and was surprised to find that it was Kujo Sara.

Seeing the nine of them quickly get up, Xiao Yi asked in confusion, "What are you doing...?"

His voice grew softer and softer.

Because he saw that General Thunder, who had been sitting upright on the small platform, had now switched to a standing posture.

The general held a katana that crackled with lightning in his hand, the light of which even dimmed the sunlight outside the window.

The spot where Xiao Yi had just knelt was now a shocking sight, marked by crackling electric current from the knife wounds that stretched all the way to the doorway of the room.

If Kujo Sara hadn't pushed him aside, Xiao Yi would have already been reduced to ashes, even finer than charcoal, by the thunder god's roar.

Chapter 22 If the General Does Not Abandon Me, I Will Become His Godfather

In an instant, Xiao Yi almost stopped thinking, his mind filled with all sorts of questions.

Why did they suddenly attack me? Did the effect activate when they started reciting the incantation, but the general noticed and broke free? Is it still effective to continue now? ...

Kujo Sara's voice pulled him back to reality.

She stood up and blocked Xiao Yi's path, questioning him with utmost respect: "General, please tell me why you executed Xiao Yi? If he truly committed a heinous crime behind my back, I... I will personally take action to clean house!"

Kujo Sara swore to follow the shogun, but even so she could not accept that the thunder god had killed a loyal person for no reason.

The ministers present were at a loss, and even the usually composed and calm Ayato Kamisato widened his usually squinted eyes.

It is not uncommon for the Thunder General to draw his sword and kill someone, but it is the first time in the long history of Inazuma that he has acted without warning, especially in the middle of a meeting of ministers.

What alarmed the civil and military officials was not only the event itself, but also the undisguised killing intent of the gods, which made even the air feel heavy and viscous.

An intense pressure, like an electric current flowing into liquid, filled the entire room, causing those immersed in it to involuntarily feel a tingling, painful sensation.

This is the embodiment of the awe-inspiring power of the gods and the power that far surpasses that of mortals.

The deity, with graceful steps, ignored the questions of his subjects and resolutely walked toward the youth who was seen as the target of elimination.

Kujo Sara knew very well that with the general's strength, he could easily bypass him and kill Xiao Yi.

Whether her doubts can be answered by the gods ultimately depends on the gods' mood.

The worst outcome would be that Xiao Yi would be killed without any explanation, and she would be powerless to stop it.

Kujo Sara was torn between her unwavering loyalty to General Raiden, her inability to accept Xiao Yi's wrongful death, and her resentment at not knowing the truth. Yet, there was nothing she could do.

In response to the brief friendship of the past few days, Kujo Sara insisted on standing in front of Xiao Yi, but did not do anything else that would overstep her bounds. After all, the Thunder General had not ordered her to move aside, so this behavior was not considered disobeying the General.

However, that was all she could do. Xiao Yi's death would not change. Through the god's eyes, which shone with purple light, one could feel the determination to eliminate the enemy.

Just as the courtiers stood in silent trembling, a brave and fearless third party stepped forward.

Ayato Kamisato rose from his seat, his expression no longer the deep, calculating smile of the past, but rather the seriousness and earnestness of a warrior on the battlefield.

He bowed slightly and said respectfully, "General, I dare to express my opinion: please grant General Kujo an explanation, so as not to kill an insignificant person and cause the loyal retainers of the Heavenly Territory to grieve in secret, which would also be detrimental to Inazuma's 'eternity'."

Although Ayato and Xiao Yi had only met once, he had a good impression of "Miyamoto Tsubasa". Moreover, this guy was also a part-time agent of the Coral Palace, so it would be best to help him in a crisis.

However, this was all Ayato could do to help. He asked the general to explain his reasons and give Xiao Yi a chance to defend himself. The rest was up to Xiao Yi himself.

Inazuma is known as the eternal land by other countries. The gods govern the country with the abstract goal of "eternity," and the civil war with Coral Palace was also related to this.

The word "eternity" seemed to be the right code to persuade the general. Ayato Kamisato's persuasive words were very effective, and the originally murderous god stopped in his tracks.

"The reason is simple: you use elemental power," the general commanded, staring intently at Xiao Yi.

Since his adoptive father, who had a promising future, had given him no choice but to release water elements, which formed small fish and shrimp and other marine creatures around him.

Where is your divine eye?

The marine life disappeared, and Xiao Yi remained silent.

"You don't need the Eye of God, yet you can manipulate elemental power smoothly. You are an enemy who has infiltrated the land of Inazuma and is affecting Inazuma's eternity," the general concluded. "Perhaps you are an abyssal creature disguised as a human, or perhaps something else. In any case, this eternal enemy must be eliminated."

Kujo Sara stood frozen in front of Xiao Yi. The reason was ambiguous, and she didn't know whether she should argue or give in.

Xiao Yi felt a strange sense of unease.

"I heard that a blond guy stopped the war before. That guy didn't seem to need the Eye of God. What do you think about this, General?" he asked tentatively.

"Next time I see her, I'll cut her again." The answer remained utterly emotionless.

Xiao Yi understood: there was something wrong with this puppet's thinking.

After the war, Thor himself was already rethinking the definition of "eternity," but the doll's programming was locked from the beginning. Eliminating dissidents and keeping Inazuma unchanged was "eternity"—this was the law she adhered to.

The puppet general felt that Thor was at fault, not himself, so much so that he wanted to get rid of a certain "blonde aunt" who was Thor's friend.

In short, Miss Doll doesn't seem to be very bright.

Upon learning this information, Xiao Yi's hope was rekindled. Since it wasn't a system blunder, there was still a chance to turn the tide.

He pressed down on the shoulders of the nine people in front of him and said calmly, "Sara, retreat to a safe place. With just a few words, I can make General Raiden defect and lay down his arms."

From Xiao Yi's eyes, Jiu Tiao saw unparalleled confidence. Although his words were very disrespectful, he couldn't care less about such trivial details now.

She nodded trustingly and decisively stepped aside.

Xiao Yi raised his head and stood tall before the deity: "General, may I speak my last words?"

The general held his katana, which was flashing with purple lightning, horizontally: "There are seven steps between us. If you want to say your last words, I will give you seven steps."

As soon as she finished speaking, General Thunder gracefully walked towards Xiao Yi. For her, who was eternal, there was no difference in the outcome between quickly eliminating the opponent and taking her time. In any case, this guy couldn't escape this room no matter what.

But she never expected that in seven steps, besides composing a poem, she would also find a new father.

For Xiao Yi, there was no turning back now; he had to either succeed or become a woman.

He suddenly knelt on one knee, a gesture that seemed more like a marriage proposal than a plea for mercy, leaving the civil and military officials puzzled.

"I've wandered for half my life..."

The general paid no heed to the strange tales of a dying man; she focused on completing the task at hand. The gleam of her katana, crackling with electricity, shone brightly, and a suffocating sense of oppression permeated the entire scene.

One step, two steps.

"It's just a pity that I haven't met a wise ruler..."

Three steps, four steps.

"If the general does not abandon me..."

Five steps, six steps—General Thunder raised his divine sword, capable of cutting through stone and shattering gold, with a single-minded devotion.

The distance of the seventh step was covered by the longsword.

"I wish to be your godfather!!!"

The dream, gleaming with divine light, tore through space with its power, slashing straight towards Xiao Yi's head!

Just as it was about to hit its target, the knife stopped.

Xiao Yi, kneeling on one knee with his head down, saw a few strands of hair on his head, their clean ends slowly drifting to the ground.

General Thunder has stopped!