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

But he swallowed his words halfway through, staring in surprise at the calm sea.

It turned out that the crystallized bone marrow that had just been thrown out, like a nimble little fish, bounced on the surface of the sea seven or eight times in a row, until it sank into the sea after its kinetic energy was exhausted.

Upon seeing this, the pretty boy immediately changed his expression, bowed deeply, and pleaded, "Your skipping skills are even better than your senior's! Please, please instruct me!"

At the same time, the man with the mustache exclaimed, "The younger generation is truly formidable! The younger generation is indeed formidable!"

Xiao Yi and Ren, who were watching the commotion from a short distance away, couldn't hold back any longer. It turned out that these two guys were really throwing money away, but they couldn't save face if others saw them, so they lied and said they were holding some kind of ceremony!

I feel like I've been tricked, but there are still many mysteries.

If they really wanted to waste their time, Haiqi Island shouldn't be short of stones, and the Coral Palace soldiers should be patrolling Haiqi Island. Why did they go to Bayun Island and steal important materials for Xiao Yi to build the teleportation portal?

However, over there, Yi Dou had already become one of them. It had to be admitted that his enthusiastic personality made it easy for him to approach strangers, and his skipping stone technique was exactly what they wanted.

Ren continued to complain: "When it comes to playing games, the boss has never lost to anyone."

To uncover the truth behind the two men's perplexing behavior, Xiao Yi decided to join in the fun and try to extract information about their motives.

Regardless, it is an undeniable fact that these two stole the materials in the middle of the night, and they must pay the price for it. As for whether to hand them over to Haiji Island or to the Shogunate, that depends on the conclusion reached after Xiao Yi and Xin Hai have had an in-depth discussion.

He gestured for Shinobu to follow him forward.

Upon spotting Xiao Yi, the two Coral Palace soldiers tensed up again: "And who are you?"

Araki Ichito said, "This is my friend."

The man with the mustache frowned, his pale face showing displeasure, and he said directly to Ichidou, "Our trust in you doesn't mean we trust your friends..."

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Yi picked up the crystallized bone marrow he had shaved off the ground and threw it into the sea. At that moment, a miracle happened. The speed of the crystallized bone marrow seemed to never decrease. Every time it touched the sea surface, it bounced high into the air and continued forward until it disappeared from their sight.

The mustachioed man was shocked, and the pretty boy was dumbfounded. At this moment, they seemed to have witnessed a miracle and couldn't help but feel their own insignificance—especially when it came to skipping stones.

It was indeed a miracle. Xiao Yi attached lightning element to the bottom of the ore, and each time it touched water, it would generate an electric shock reaction. The energy of the electric shock would make the stone jump high, and the cycle would continue indefinitely until the lightning attached to the crystallized bone marrow was completely consumed.

Seeing the shocked and terrified expressions on the two men's faces, Xiao Yi knew that things had succeeded. He generously said to the two soldiers from Haiqi Island, "Want to learn? I'll teach you."

"Yes, I really want to!" they both answered in unison.

Taking the opportunity, Xiao Yi asked, "But if it's just skipping stones, ordinary stones will suffice. Wouldn't it be too wasteful to use crystallized bone marrow?"

"No waste, no waste," the man with the mustache said. "Skipping stones is an important part of the ceremony. The farther and more beautifully it goes, the better the effect."

The ceremony has begun again.

Xiao Yi wanted to find out more details, whether the two were just being mysterious or if it was really true: "Can you tell me what the ritual is?"

The man with the mustache carefully examined the three men, concluding they were just ordinary passersby, and explained, "To be honest, we two are actually opponents of Narukami's adopted son..."

Chapter 206 Xiao Yi: Is it my turn to usurp the throne?

Xiao Yi was shocked. He felt that he had done enough. Although he could not be loved by everyone, he had left a good impression on most of the residents of Mingshen Island and Haiqi Island. Moreover, he had a good relationship with Miss Xinhai of Coral Palace. Why was he disliked by the soldiers of Coral Palace?

Thinking about it carefully, it makes perfect sense. No matter how well someone does, if you nitpick, you can always find something wrong with them, and then you can use that to criticize them and amplify their mistakes.

Moreover, he did not have the profound foundation of the Shadow, but was just a "new god" who had been out of the limelight for less than a year. In fact, many people did not regard him as a god at all, but were powerful humans who stole divine power and authority through some means.

Although Xiao Yi didn't intend to convince the two to believe in him, he was curious about what this so-called ritual was, and in order to avoid potential trouble, he planned to continue to probe for information.

However, asking directly about the ritual might arouse their suspicion. It would be safer to gradually extend the conversation from the topic of Narukamiko.

He gestured to Arataki Ichito and Hisaki Shinobu to keep quiet and leave all the negotiations to him.

Hisaki Shinobu responded to Xiao Yi with a look, indicating that there was no problem and that Xiao Yi trusted him. Ichidou also responded to Xiao Yi with a look, which made Xiao Yi a little flustered. He was unsure whether Akaki truly understood or had misunderstood his intentions again...

Hopefully, Ichito truly understands.

"An opponent of Narukami's adopted son? Why?" Xiao Yi once again used his tried-and-true identity. "As a merchant from Liyue, I have benefited a lot from his laws, so I don't think this guy is a bad person."

At the same time, he sized up the two Coral Palace soldiers. The one with the mustache wore a red gemstone pendant at his waist, while the one with the pale face wore a blue gemstone at his waist, both radiating extremely faint elemental energy, proving that these two items were not just ordinary pendants.

Xiao Yi couldn't help but think to himself: Goodness, both of them are holders of the Eye of God. The older one is Fire and the younger one is Water. They are an impeccable pair.

When the topic of adopted sons came up, the young, pale-faced man's expression changed. He was about to launch a verbal attack when the calm senior immediately stopped him and explained to Xiao Yi on his behalf:

“Young businessman, those who bring you benefits are not necessarily good people. Although we have never met Narukami’s adopted son, we can deduce from his deeds that he is an ambitious man who will overthrow Raiden General sooner or later and usurp the throne of Raiden.”

The pretty boy finally had a chance to speak, adding, "That's right, that's right. He befriended the Coral Palace only to use it as a shield later on, ultimately discarding us as pawns and the target of public condemnation, while he himself secures his position!"

Xiao Yi's eye twitched, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself: Rumors are truly terrifying things. Last time it was Xin Hai trying to usurp the throne, and this time it's finally my turn. Which bastard is spreading Faker news on Haiqi Island this time?!

The Fools? No, Inazuma's Fools have been mostly eliminated. After I took over some of the power, I swept them away like autumn leaves. If they had spread rumors in an organized way like Mondstadt, they would have been discovered by the ninjas of the shrine long ago.

The man with the mustache continued, "I heard that he's building a portal, mainly connecting to Liyue. I'm afraid he wants to lure Liyue's Thousand Rock Army to Inazuma, and then, with the help of the Sage's power, seize power and ultimately pin all the blame on our Haiqi Island!"

Xiao Yi suddenly realized.

(Xiao Yi: So that's how it can be done!)

(Shadow: Hmm? I suggest we don't do it this way.)

"It's a pity that Lord Xinhai and General Leidian have both been deceived by that guy!" The pretty boy looked worried about the country and its people. "If his evil plan succeeds, Lord Xinhai will probably be imprisoned and become that guy's ornamental fish, while General Leidian will be imprisoned in the castle tower and degenerate into an endless generator. It's really terrifying!"

While pretending to listen attentively, Xiao Yi silently complained: "What an imagination! What kind of 'what if' bad ending is this?"

In his excitement, the man with the mustache even admitted to their crimes: "To prevent Inazuma from facing such a tragic end, we planned to stop the creation of the portal and steal their important material, crystallized bone marrow."

The pretty boy continued, "The crystallized bone marrow is merely a material, and it is the essence of the Great Serpent Orobas—no, it should be revered as the Great God of the Sea—the crystallized bone marrow of the Great God of the Sea. We must release it back into the sea, so that the remains of the god can return to the direction of the Sea God Island."

Skipping stones on water?!

Xiao Yi confirmed that the ritual they were talking about was not dangerous; it was merely a form of worshipping the gods of Haiqi Island, although the process was quite absurd.

Even the eccentric Ichidou felt that it was a bit strange to offer sacrifices to the gods by skipping stones.

“I don’t understand the culture of Haiqi Island…” Xiao Yi hesitated for a moment, then finally said, “This unique way of worshipping the gods is really contrary to my understanding.”

The man with the mustache took a book out of his pocket and showed it to Xiao Yi. The cover looked old and worn, and even the title was worn and unclear. When he opened it, the font looked like a handwritten copy. It seemed to be the diary written by an ancient Onmyoji from Inazuma.

The man with the mustache said, "By slicing the crystallized bone marrow into pieces and skipping them across the sea, you can achieve the effect of a memorial. The farther you skip, the better the effect—that's what the book says. This is probably a secret that even Lord Coral Palace doesn't know."

Xiao Yi was starting to lose his composure, because although the title of the book had been worn away, the author's page was still faintly visible, with the five characters "Fujiwara Kojiro" clearly visible.

(Xiao Yi: Big brother...cough cough, second brother, what is this thing?!)

(Miyajiro: I wrote this book out of boredom back then, this is my original manuscript, it's one of my earlier works, I didn't even send it to Yaedo. As for what it's about, it seems to be a first-person novel with an Onmyoji as the protagonist.)

(Miyamoto Jiro: Because I was a wanderer, exposed to the wind and sun all day long, the cover of this book was also severely worn, looking like an ancient book. Later, while hiding from the shogunate's pursuit, I accidentally lost it, which was quite heartbreaking. I am very grateful to these two idiots for allowing this book to see the light of day again.)

The ceremony turned out to be a blunder and was left unresolved. The problem now lies in the rumors: who exactly is spreading slander against Xiao Yi all over Haiqi Island?

"Where did you hear about Narukami's adopted son's treacherous intentions?" Xiao Yi asked, puzzled. "I remember you just told me that you've never even seen him."

When this topic came up, the man with the mustache suddenly fell silent.

“A wanderer who claims to be a prophet,” the pretty boy said excitedly. “He knows a lot, and he’s a very nice person.”

Xiao Yi thought to himself: A prophet? I hope I don't catch him.

"Can you take me to see him?" Xiao Yi asked enthusiastically. "I was deeply moved by what you said and want to provide financial support for your anti-Ming Shenzi campaign!"

Chapter 207 Divine Authority: The Eye Hunt Order

Upon hearing that Xiao Yi was going to help them fight against Narukami's adopted son, the two Coral Palace soldiers were stunned for a few seconds, showing an expression of disbelief and incredulity.

"What, you don't want to trust me, a stranger from out of town?" Xiao Yi continued to deceive him. "My friends all call me a great philanthropist, why would I lie to you!"

The man with the mustache and the pretty boy looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

Xiao Yi pressed on, saying, "I actually really like Inazuma's culture and customs, so I can't just stand by and watch everything be destroyed by Narukami's adopted son. Take me to see that self-proclaimed prophet; I genuinely want to help you!"

His tone was full of sincerity, and he reasoned with them and appealed to their emotions, which gradually made the two soldiers trust him.

“Okay, I…” The man with the mustache started to say, but then suddenly turned around and looked back.

The two of them weren't paying much attention to their surroundings at first, happily throwing pebbles, but the appearance of Yi Dou and Xiao Yi made the man with the mustache a little more alert, and he heard footsteps approaching.

Ayaka Kamisato emerged from the woods and, seeing the group on the beach, exclaimed happily, "So you're here! I thought I'd lost you..."

Before she could finish speaking, she saw the cart containing the crystallized bone marrow, and then she saw two Coral Palace soldiers standing by the sea, and fell silent.

For a moment, Princess Egret didn't understand what had happened.

Are these two thieves who steal minerals? Then why doesn't the adopted son just arrest them, but instead stands on the beach and chats with them?

Linghua thought to herself: Could it be that there is another hidden story in the theft case, or that her adopted son is following his usual practice and is trying to trick them into planning a long-term strategy to catch a big fish?

Thinking about this, Linghua realized that she didn't have enough information and that approaching rashly might ruin Xiao Yi's plans. It would be better to stay put and just remain smiling as a background figure.

However, the two Coral Palace soldiers did not think so.

The pretty boy looked at Ayaka at the edge of the forest not far away and said to his companion in surprise, "Wait, I know this girl. A few years ago when I went to Narukami Island for the festival, she was standing on the stage giving the opening speech—she is the young lady of the magistrate, the White Heron Princess!"

"Senior, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I've heard that both the Shabu Magistrate and the Kamisato family are factions that are close to Narukami's adopted son. We can take this opportunity to kidnap Kamisato Ayaka and then use her as leverage to coerce Narukami and his lackeys!"

"Dare you speak any louder?" The man with the mustache frowned and whispered reprimandingly, "Didn't you hear? These people know Princess Egret!"

The two Coral Palace soldiers immediately looked at Xiao Yi and his two companions, while Xiao Yi and Jiuqi Ren also stared at them, making the atmosphere somewhat awkward.

The first to make a move were the two from Coral Palace. Through their acquaintance with Ayaka, they deduced that Xiao Yi and Ichito Kuki Shinobu were from the shogunate, and their questioning was merely an attempt to extract information from them.

The mustachioed man's Eye of God lit up first. He snapped his fingers, and flames slipped out from between his fingers and gradually expanded into a fireball. A tool resembling a lasso formed from water elements appeared in the pretty boy's hand, which he swung at his opponent following his companion's movements.

The fireball collided with the water rope, bursting with scalding and powerful steam. Arataki Ichito reacted and, dragging Xiao Yi and Shinobu, jumped back to create distance.

"Hey, why did you attack without saying a word?" the demon youth complained. "Even if you want to fight me, you should at least have a fair duel like men!"

Seeing this, Ayaka was taken aback. She immediately realized that her arrival had disrupted the balance of their conversation.

The battle was about to begin, and she dashed forward as nimbly as ice mist, reaching Xiao Yi's side.

Although Xiao Yi was capable enough to easily defeat these two people, let alone protect himself, he still had to stand in front of Xiao Yi at the first moment of need, until Xiao Yi asked him to step down.

The current situation is two against three. Two Coral Palace soldiers are ready for battle, but Xiao Yi still has no will to fight. Ayaka and Ichito Hisaki are very nervous.

"Weren't we too hasty in our actions?" the cautious senior asked. "Are you sure that girl is the White Heron Princess of the Society?"

The pretty boy answered decisively, "With looks this good, it's hard to mistake him!"

Xiao Yi believed that things could still be salvaged. If he directly broke ties with these two, finding the so-called prophet would not be so easy. He might as well try to deceive them again and make them willingly lead him to find the rumor-monger.

He strolled leisurely toward the two of them.

"You seem to have mistaken me for someone else. Don't be so nervous, it's all a misunderstanding!" Xiao Yi spread his hands to indicate that he meant no harm. "I can understand the sudden attack just now. It's understandable for a warrior to be a little cautious. But let's continue discussing the prophet's matter now."