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

Xiao Yi was telling the truth. This kind of life was commonplace for a penniless and identityless wandering warrior.

Before his transmigration, Xiao Yi never drank alcohol. However, in the chaotic world, fresh water was a scarce resource. Most water sources in the wild were polluted by the byproducts of war. Only wine, which was easy to preserve, was suitable for quenching thirst. Moreover, one could replenish supplies by robbing the shogunate's transport teams, which was clean and hygienic.

In the process of sourcing goods from the shogunate, he would occasionally plunder large amounts of Mora. Miyamoto Jiro distributed all the money to the refugees, keeping none for himself.

When Xiao Yi asked for the reason, Miyamoto could only answer with two words in a hoarse voice—atonement.

This arduous life continued until the end of the war, when things eased considerably. The ability to drink water freely and have medical checkups only came after joining the Coral Palace.

Back to the present, Xiao Yi's rap-like self-introduction had almost confused Thomas, but he got more and more excited and showed no intention of stopping.

"Besides that, I, Xiao Yi, am not a decent person. I am a complete lecher, and I fantasize all day about marrying a beautiful girl who is the wife of Quan Dao and living a happy life with a bunch of wives and concubines—I have even reluctantly told you this big secret. Isn't that honest enough?"

Too much talk leads to mistakes. Xiao Yi didn't want to reveal too much to the She Fengxing. All his words, including the final "lecherous scoundrel," were just garbage information meant to wear down the other party's will.

Xiao Yi seemed to be talking non-stop, but in reality, Thomas obtained very little useful information, giving him a sense of powerlessness, as if "a word from a wise man is worth more than a single conversation."

Moreover, Xiao Yi proactively reported his background and personality, although it was vague, which deprived Thomas of any reason to pry deeper and made it impossible for him to continue trying to get information out of him.

After much thought, Thomas could only come to two conclusions.

First, this guy comes from a background of wandering samurai, so he should have some skills.

Second, that lecherous man... We must keep Ms. Kamisato away from him!

Xiao Yi's self-deprecating remarks forced Thomas to give up asking questions, thus successfully overcoming the hurdle of his identity.

"Now that you know my biggest secret, we're practically friends, right?" He then changed the subject, "So, enough of this small talk, let's get down to business. I want to get close to Kujo Sara, the general of the Tenryo Magistrate. Does the Shabu Magistrate have any way to help me?"

Thomas thought for a moment and replied, "There's a rumor going around that Kujo is looking for a private nutritionist. If you're good at cooking, I might be able to recommend you to her."

The plan was going too smoothly, so Xiao Yi couldn't help but become suspicious.

Why should I be able to sneak into Kujo's side and poison her, when she just happens to need a cook? It all looks like a trap where someone is waiting to ambush someone.

“I heard that Kujo Sara is a soldier through and through, and she is strict with herself and not picky about food.” Xiao Yi voiced his doubts. “Looking at the whole Inazuma, she is the least likely noble to hire a private chef.”

Thomas spread his hands and added, "A month ago, Kujo Sara was ordered to suppress bandits and was accidentally slashed on the right arm by a ronin. With the Grand Tournament just around the corner, she probably wanted to adjust her diet and recover from the injury before the tournament started."

Xiao Yi suddenly shuddered.

"What's wrong?" Thomas asked.

"It's nothing, you just made me understand something." Xiao Yi's expression was conflicted.

"What is it?" Thomas asked curiously.

"I accidentally cut Kujo Sara's arm, it really was an accident..."

It was a dark and windy night, and Xiao Yi, eager to escape the pursuit, didn't look closely. He only knew that a highly skilled female warrior from the Shogunate was blocking his way.

Thanks to Ma's reminder today, the truth has finally come to light.

However, Xiao Yi clearly remembered that the "female warrior" saw his face that night.

Chapter 6 Miyamoto Jiro

In the remote wilderness of Haiji Island, a sturdy fortress stands against the mountain. The setting sun bathes the fortress in crimson, intensifying its already chilling and desolate atmosphere.

However, this is not a military base, but a prison under the jurisdiction of Coral Palace, where the most vicious criminals in Inazuma are imprisoned.

The warden's office, the highest level of the fortress.

The warden sat quietly behind his desk, his left eye covered by a shocking scar, his entire eyeball shrouded in a thin sclera. His remaining right eye gleamed sharply as he scrutinized the greasy-looking middle-aged man in front of his desk.

The greasy middle-aged man placed the wooden box he was carrying on the desk. It emitted a strong fragrance. He unfolded the parchment scroll bearing the seal of the Coral Palace and asked the warden to take a look.

The middle-aged man explained, "By order of Lord Coral Palace, I will be in charge of the meals for Prisoner Zero from now on."

When Prisoner Zero was mentioned, the warden's eyes became even more piercing, like a hawk about to pounce on its prey.

"Zero?" The warden frowned slightly. "Do you know who that guy is?"

The middle-aged man shook his head: "I'm just a cook, I don't know anything, and the adult didn't explain it clearly either."

"Miyamoto, Jiro," the warden slowly uttered, his voice firm and resolute.

The greasy middle-aged man stood there as if he had been punched, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Do you know him?" the warden asked.

The middle-aged man hurriedly replied, "Yes, of course I know them. Everyone in Inatsuma has heard of the Miyamoto brothers. Legend has it that the elder brother, Miyamoto Jiro, is cruel and bloodthirsty, while the younger brother, Miyamoto Tsubasa, is refined and easygoing; the elder brother's God Eye is wind-attribute, and the younger brother's is lightning-attribute..."

“Wrong,” the warden corrected. “As far as I know, both of them are wind-type.”

The middle-aged man still firmly believed what he had heard and thought that Miyamoto Tsubasa's attribute was lightning, but he dared not refute the warden's idea and could only obediently shut his mouth and wait for orders.

The warden opened the wooden box on the table, and a rich aroma wafted out along with white smoke. Inside the box was a bowl of noodles cooked in red oil, long and curled, unlike normal noodles.

"What is this?" The warden squinted his right eye.

"This is called instant noodles. It's a new invention of Lord Coral Palace, and it's convenient and quick to use as military rations," the middle-aged man explained. "Let the prisoners in the jail try it first to test its satiety effect."

The warden picked up the chopsticks next to the wooden bowl and casually tossed them onto his desk.

"Huh?" the middle-aged cook asked, puzzled.

"I heard that Miyamoto Jiro killed three pirates in the izakaya with just a calligraphy brush, and he used that brush the whole time!" the warden said succinctly. "Giving him chopsticks is too dangerous; let him eat with his hands instead."

The one-eyed warden picked up the wooden crate and walked out of the office.

"I'll personally deliver Prisoner Zero's food; you just need to take care of the cooking."

The surface buildings of the fortress are all office areas. In addition, there are four underground prison floors where prisoners are all held in underground cells. The more dangerous the person, the deeper they are imprisoned.

The fourth underground level was cold and damp, and even the torches fixed to the wall, soaked in grease, still flickered on and off.

The warden, carrying a wooden lunchbox, muttered to himself as he walked deeper into the passageway.

"Miyajiro, a ruthless and efficient samurai, a self-taught bomb maniac, who almost seriously injured Lord Goro during the capture—this kind of cunning villain should be executed on the spot. What is Lord Sango thinking? He actually gave this guy special training."

He stopped in front of the cage at the end of the passage.

The dense iron railings were about as thick as a wrist, with a small opening in the lower left corner, just big enough for a bowl of food to pass through.

Through the gaps in the iron bars, a burly figure could be seen sitting motionless in the shadows, his fate unknown.

Suddenly, a low, hoarse voice came from inside the cell, like a rusty sword slowly being drawn from its sheath.

"Warden, I have a favor to ask. I hope you can help me send a letter."

Although the warden was unlikely to agree to the serious offender's request, he immediately focused his attention, because Miyamoto Jiro's words might contain clues about his accomplices.

"Who are you going to deliver this letter to?" the warden asked warily.

Narukami Island...

"Hmm." The warden nodded. "And then?"

"Eight-level Hall..."

"Hmm. Hmm?" The warden began to be confused. "Yaedo?"

Yaedo, the largest light novel publisher in Japan, why would Miyamoto send a letter there?

The hoarse, low voice suddenly rose, startling the warden outside the cage.

"Send this letter to Ms. Hina of Yaedo. I need psychological counseling. Please, kind and gentle Ms. Hina, comfort my fragile heart that is trapped in this predicament!"

*Thud!* The warden kicked the iron bars hard.

He roared, "Quiet down! You're in jail and you still can't resist harming young girls—don't pollute Miss Sheena's eyes with your wicked and filthy letters!"

The warden quickly opened the wooden crate and stuffed the entire bowl of instant noodles into the cell.

"Eat up quickly, and then behave yourself and stop making a fuss." The warden, still dissatisfied, threatened, "The day Miyamoto Tsubasa is caught, I'll pack you two bandit brothers together and drag you to the execution ground to be beheaded."

He then walked away.

A hoarse, bitter laugh echoed in the cell.

"Heh, you think you can capture Miyamoto Tsubasa and then kill me? You can forget about it for the rest of your life..."

Before long, the bitter laugh disappeared without a trace.

"Slurp slurp slurp—mmm, today's prison food is unexpectedly delicious!"

……

On Narukami Island, a carriage travels along the main road under the brilliant sunset.

Thomas, who was temporarily acting as the coachman, held the reins and asked questions into the carriage while driving.

"Are you sure you really want to go to the military camp to see Kujo? If she recognizes you, things will get very complicated."

Xiao Yi, who was looking at the scenery through the window in the carriage, said confidently, "You just drive, I'll figure out the solution."

During the days he spent traveling by boat to Narukami Island, he had prepared dozens of countermeasures, with a level of meticulousness no less than that of the Heart Sea Secret Pouch, which could easily deal with all kinds of emergencies.

The premise is that Kujo won't draw his sword and attack him the moment they meet.

In addition, Xiao Yi also became acquainted with Thomas, although Thomas still didn't know much about him.

Now, they were heading to the military camp on the outskirts of Narukami Island, where Thomas had learned that Kujo Sara had been training frequently recently.

Soon, the two arrived at their destination.

The carriage stopped at the main gate of the military camp, and the warriors of the Heavenly Command quickly surrounded it. Thomas and Xiao Yi got out of the carriage to be inspected.

Thomas took out his official badge: "I am the housekeeper of the Kamisato family, here to introduce a professional nutritionist to Lord Kujo."

"Please wait a moment, both of you." A warrior confirmed Thomas's identity and turned to walk into the camp to report.

During this time, Xiao Yi was not idle either. He caught up with the soldiers on guard and asked, "How is Lord Kujo doing lately? I mean, his mental state."

The soldier gripped his rifle tighter, looking wary. "Why are you asking that?"

“I’m here to help her improve her health, so of course I need to understand my client’s condition.” Xiao Yi pointed to Thomas next to him, “Even if you think I’m a stranger and not trustworthy, he looks familiar, right? He’s a big shot by Miss Kamisato’s side.”

Xiao Yi's words seemed reasonable at first glance, but Thomas felt that they sounded a bit strange.

The soldier on guard was silent for a moment, then said, "Lady Kujo has been training very hard lately, even harder than before she was injured, and she even sits there sharpening her knife in her spare time... All the soldiers in the camp can see that she wants to get revenge on the guy who injured her."

After listening to the sentry's explanation, Xiao Yi felt a chill run down his spine.

"The preparations have been very thorough," he remarked, feigning composure. "So, the enemy's identity has also been discovered?"