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

(Video: A date?)

(Xiao Yi: You walked through my line of sight with me while we chatted. Did it feel like a date? By the way, you should know what a date means, right?)

(Video: I think it's more like they're remotely controlling you to achieve the goal of shopping.)

(Xiao Yi: ...)

He cut off the chat channel, so that Ying could only see the screen but not hear the sound, and could no longer chatter on him.

Despite saying he wouldn't agree to Thor's request, Xiao Yi still went to the book stall, squatted down, and randomly picked up a light novel.

"《Miss Sheena's Admiration, I Cannot Bear It》, author Fujiwara Kojiro?!" He murmured with mixed feelings, "If Miss Sheena's fans find out the truth, that this gentle and kind older sister is actually the Great General Goro of Sangokiya, how devastated they will be..."

Xiao Yi suddenly noticed the person squatting next to him, wagging animal ears and a fluffy tail.

Goro?! What a coincidence!

The dog-eared general was holding a new book and reading it with great interest. The book was titled "Me, who became Narukami's familiar."

The author is none other than Fujiwara Kojiro.

Xiao Yi patted Wu Lang on the shoulder, and the latter turned to look at him. At first, the beast-eared general was a little surprised, but he quickly calmed down.

Xiao Yi asked, "Are you here to participate in the competition representing the Coral Palace?"

Goro explained, "To prevent the War Maniac from interfering, all of Coral Palace's players have withdrawn, and Coral Palace's viewing schedule has also been changed, and he will no longer be going to Narukami Island."

"However, it's nothing serious. According to Lord Coral Palace's plan, the victor should be an outsider who doesn't belong to any organization. I'm just here to give him some instructions and also to investigate the situation."

He then asked Xiao Yi, "So, are you prepared to poison Kujo to prevent her from winning the championship?"

"We've prepared everything perfectly, so you can rest assured!" Xiao Yi said confidently. Then he deliberately asked, "How are things going with Brother Miyamoto? Have you improved his treatment as I suggested?"

“Uh… well…” Goro hesitated for a moment and then nodded. “He’s doing very well, so you can rest assured.”

Xiao Yi glanced at the book in Wu Lang's hand and said hesitantly, "I believe you. Big brother should be living a pretty comfortable life."

Although Thor witnessed the scene of Kage chatting with Goro, it's easy to explain. Just tell Thor the truth, and the wise Kage will understand.

Ultimately, he was now under surveillance and could no longer rely on the Coral Palace. Moreover, his power and influence came from the Thunder God, and Miyajiro was safe and sound. In any case, there was no reason for him to undertake a thankless task.

To prove his innocence, Xiao Yi reopened the chat room as soon as he saw Wulang, allowing Ying to listen to their conversation. Thor did not interfere during the process.

Returning to the previous topic, Xiao Yi began to wonder who the outsider Xin Hai had entrusted to was. He needed someone who didn't belong to any organization, wouldn't use power for personal gain after gaining it, and possessed a formidable force capable of securing a place in the finals, with no opponents to worry about except for Kujo Sara...

Looking across the entire Inazuma, no, looking across the entire Teyvat, does such a guy really exist?

If that guy wins and the general says he doesn't need bodyguards, that guy might become one of his own. In that case, it's necessary to get to know him beforehand.

"What is the name of the warrior chosen by Xin Hai?" Xiao Yi asked. "He possesses extraordinary martial arts skills and noble character, and has not yet joined any organization. I would very much like to get to know such a wise man."

(Voiceover: Over the centuries, I have witnessed many outstanding warriors and their remarkable lives, but I have never heard of such an extraordinary person before.)

Goro hesitated for a moment and said, "That man is called Araki Ichito. According to Lord Sango-no-miya's investigation, he is exceptionally strong, kind-hearted, and would never use his position for personal gain. He does not belong to any organization, and it seems that he does not even have a decent job."

So he wasn't a wise man, but an idle one... Xiao Yi seemed to put on a mask of pain.

(Shadow: Who?)

Chapter 35 Narukami's Blessing

The next day, at the arena next to the Thor statue.

The canvas surrounding the arena has been removed, and the crowd is even denser than yesterday. Some spectators from foreign countries have even managed to break through the lockdown and thunderstorms to come and watch the match.

Not far from the arena, there was a five-story platform built of bamboo poles and wood. The nobles, according to their status, came to their respective floors to watch the martial arts competition.

Naturally, Xiao Yi's preferred spot was the highest-floor open-air platform.

However, he could not fully immerse himself in the competition; he had to complete the important task assigned to him by Miss Ying: to check if there were any bad people hiding among the crowd.

Given his current vantage point and the insightful abilities granted by divine power, this kind of small task is not difficult to handle, and he even has time to dawdle and slack off.

Xiao Yi summoned the system page.

He confirmed last night that although Miss Ying could share her field of vision, she couldn't see the system's menu panel, so she could safely view the data.

(Lord: Thunder General; Trust Value 7)

Clearly, in the system's judgment, the puppet general and Thor are considered to be the same entity. Because I haven't been interacting with the general recently, but have been chatting with Miss Shadow via voice, the general's trust value has inexplicably increased.

This means that increasing the general's trust level will also increase the shadow's favorability, and vice versa.

This makes things much easier. Regardless of Miss Ying or her godfather, they can fawn over whoever they can catch, ultimately achieving the effect of "one tiger killing two sheep".

Of course, this isn't about physical licking.

Xiao Yi closed the system panel, his thoughts drifting to the match that hadn't yet started.

After fierce preliminary rounds in other venues, 32 elites were selected. They will compete in the main arena not far away. The results of the competition will determine the top 16, top 8, top 4, champion and runner-up. The competitions below the top 4 will be decided in one round, and there will be no additional opportunities such as repechage.

Although players can obtain a position even if they don't make it to the top 16, as long as they make it to the main tournament, they are all aiming for the championship and will not give up easily.

This is the most brutal part of the final round. Unlike the preliminary round rules, all contestants who make it into the main round must sign a waiver of liability before they are qualified to compete on stage.

The intense elimination system is like raising poisonous insects, which can yield elite talents. Its severity and solemnity are second only to the royal duel, which is sure to result in death and is personally observed by the general.

Since the players have signed a waiver of life and death, it is virtually impossible for all of them to survive after 30 intense matches.

Xiao Yi was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

If it weren't for Miyamoto being arrested by the Coral Palace on Umijima Island, and him abandoning the match to rescue the person, thus accidentally climbing to the top, he would never be sitting in this position, but would be preparing to step onto the cruel arena to fight with strangers.

As Xiao Yi scanned the crowd, he spotted a familiar figure standing among them, carrying an extremely long, gray-cloth-wrapped stick on his back and a rough, wild katana hanging at his waist.

Brother Miyamoto, he's here to watch the game too?

Suddenly, Xiao Yi heard the Imperial Guards guarding him shouting loudly.

"Stop that guy!"

"Don't let him charge!"

"Protect Lord Narukami!"

Xiao Yi remembered that the guards were guarding the fourth floor, so he looked towards the stairwell and saw a dark-skinned bald man rushing towards him. The bald man's right arm was covered by a shiny iron gauntlet.

Familiar... Doomfist?

Snapped!

The bald man skillfully lay down at Xiao Yi's feet, assuming a standard dogeza posture, as if he had practiced it a hundred and eighty times beforehand.

"I was blind and offended the Son of God last time. Please forgive me, or punish me again!"

Xiao Yi then remembered that this guy was none other than the scoundrel from the Takatsukasa family.

"You've offended him again!" Okuzawa tried to pull Takashimaru away. "Get out of his sight before Lord Naruto gets displeased!"

Fortunately, Takatsukasa Maru's actions were not dangerous. If he had intended to use violence against Xiao Yi, the Imperial Guards would not have cared about the Takatsukasa family's background and would have directly killed him.

Xiao Yi waved his hand to stop the crowd and made Takatsukasa Maru continue kneeling on the ground.

"How did you get so dark?" Xiao Yi's first question surprised everyone.

However, it was both unexpected and reasonable. The last time I saw him, he was fair-skinned and bald, but now he's completely turned into a hard-boiled egg. Anyone who didn't know him would be curious.

Takatsukasa Maru, still prone, answered spiritedly, "It was because of the lightning strike, sir! I take this lesson as a mark, etched firmly into my skin and my heart—whenever I feel like acting rashly in the future, I'll look at my charred skin!"

Xiao Yi thought to himself: You've acted rashly.

"And what brings you to see me?" Xiao Yi asked knowingly. "Do you want to spar with me again?"

Takatsukasa Maru continued prostrating himself, saying, "I admit my mistakes to the Son of God, swear to reform myself, and remain forever loyal to Lord Narukami and the Son of God!!!"

The energetic voice was so loud that it almost drowned out the noisy crowd below the platform.

Xiao Yi thought to himself: It's pretty much what Jiu Tiao said. This guy is simple-minded and physically strong, and he only submits to the strong. After I taught him a lesson, he completely submitted.

That's fine too. We've gained an extra tool out of nowhere, someone we can use to shield us from harm when necessary.

"So what do you want to do now?" Xiao Yi asked.

The prostrate Takashimaru shouted, "I participated in the Grand Tournament and successfully entered the main competition. I have filled the altar with offerings for you and your father and asked the gods for their blessing, but I feel it is far from enough. So I have come to see you, my lord, and ask the Son of God to bless me with a smooth journey!"

As a normal, reliable adult, Xiao Yi didn't want to argue with such a brainless guy. As the ancients said, "Since he's like this, just go along with him."

"Hesitate, hesitate, hesitate, may you make it into the top eight," Xiao Yi said hastily, then turned to the crowd, "Now that you've blessed him, you can drag him down."

"It is my great honor—"

Thus, Takatsukasa-maru, still in the dogeza posture, was dragged away by the castle guards.

Xiao Yi's casual assessment of the top eight was based on analysis, because he had fought against Takashimaru, who was not very bright but was good at fighting and should be at the level of the top eight.

Unless you're jinxing yourself, if you encounter a monster of inhuman level in the first game, you'll be eliminated in the first match.

Not long after the scoundrel was dragged away, the tedious performances and speeches of the opening ceremony were over, and what followed was the fighting segment that the onlookers loved to see.

Xiao Yi scanned the crowd near the arena again, confirming that there were no suspicious persons, except that Miyamoto Jiro, who had been mingling in the crowd, had disappeared.

Ozawa handed him a glass of chilled milk tea with dumplings, and Xiao Yi took the drink while observing the game.

The samurai, who also served as the referee and announcer, stepped onto the stage and, with a booming voice, introduced the first match: "The first match is between Takatsukasa Maru of the Takatsukasa family and the wandering samurai..."

Xiao Yi silently sipped his drink, thinking to himself: That scoundrel actually won first place, and he even beat that lousy ronin. It seems my blessing is really effective!

"...Fighting against the wandering samurai, Fujiwara Kojiro!"

*Pfft!* Xiao Yi spat out the dumpling and milk.

Chapter 36 An Ominous Premonition

The referee loudly announced the names of the two opponents, who came up from the temporary wooden ladders on both sides of the ring and stood in front of tens of thousands of people.

"Wowhhhhhh!!!"

The crowd surged below the stage, and the Tianling Army worked hard to maintain order and prevent a stampede.

The dark-skinned, bald, iron-fisted man, Takatsukasa Maru, swung his shoulders menacingly, welcoming the enthusiastic cheers and applause of the onlookers. He was ready for a resounding victory.

On the other side, a guy dressed like a down-on-his-luck ronin, carrying an exaggeratedly long stick on his back and a wild dagger that almost dragged on the ground at his waist, walked onto the arena. He also had a bamboo skewer in his mouth, as if he had just finished eating a snack and hadn't had time to spit it out.

"What do you mean by this? Are you looking down on me?" Takashimaru shouted angrily.