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

"Use your wife as a wager. If you lose, give your wife to me as a toy."

The man felt a buzzing in his head, yet he lost the ability to think. His hands trembled, involuntarily reaching for the dice cup—his mind was on the verge of collapse.

Snap!

A sudden, heavy object slammed into the table, instantly shattering the fragile wooden table into countless wood fragments scattered across the floor.

At the same time, a glass of wine was splashed on Tadokoro Koji's face, so spicy that he couldn't open his eyes.

The fat man hurriedly wiped the wine off his face and looked closely. He realized that what had smashed the table wasn't an object, but a person—a black-haired young man with a smug look on his face.

"Sorry, you two, I got a little tipsy and couldn't stand properly. I accidentally spilled some wine on your face." Xiao Yi lay on the broken wooden table and said with a grin, "But, I hate minotaurs who steal other men's wives the most. I wish they would all die out quickly!"

"You bastard, how do you want to die?!" The woman he had just gotten was gone, and he was also splattered with wine. The fat man was furious.

“What do I want? Heh…” Xiao Yi’s smile vanished abruptly. “I want you to kneel down and kowtow a few times as payment for ‘offering a toast’ to my head.”

Repaying resentment with virtue, why repay virtue?

Having been instilled with Confucian culture since childhood, Xiao Yi naturally understood Confucius's way of dealing with the world, which is to repay grievances with justice.

Simply put: You dare to provoke me? I'll make you pay!

Chapter 13 The Power of the Splatoon

Xiao Yi's merciless mockery fueled Tadokoro Koji's anger to a new level, and the fiery red light of the Eye of God flickered faintly beneath his open robe.

If it weren't for the many witnesses around, he probably would have really set people on fire.

Lying on the broken pieces of the table, Xiao Yi calmly picked up the brick that had been used to prop up the table legs and suddenly smashed it against the dice scattered on the ground beside him.

Click!

A die split in two, and a pale blue liquid, like glue that had lost its stickiness, slowly seeped out from the crack.

Xiao Yi looked at the stunned man beside him and sternly rebuked him, "See that? This is processed slime that affects the weight balance inside the die. As long as you shake it in a specific way, you can get the desired number..."

"Your wife's life, your life, were almost completely ruined by this little thing!"

Just now, when Xiao Yi helped the man pick up the dice and advised him to give up, he had already noticed something was amiss.

Back when he lived in a cave with Miyamoto Jiro, Miyamoto had tricked him with similar dice. However, instead of teaching Xiao Yi the technique, Miyamoto solemnly warned Xiao Yi: Do not get involved in any "games" related to Mora betting!

Enraged by being caught cheating, the fat man raised his foot and stomped heavily on Xiao Yi's chest, but Xiao Yi did not intend to dodge immediately.

A jellyfish made of water elements darted through the crowd at high speed. It burrowed into the glass of an onlooker who was also a drunkard, sucked out the strong liquor, and then rushed straight to Tadokoro's face.

Snapped!

The jellyfish containing a high concentration of alcohol exploded in front of the fat man. The intense stimulation made him instinctively close his eyes. Xiao Yi rolled slightly to avoid being trampled.

At this moment, the fat man was still wiping his eyes. Xiao Yi immediately changed his posture from lying down to half-squatting, drew the scabbard from his waist, and stabbed it right in the center of Tadokoro's throat.

This smooth and fluid operation originated from Miyamoto's swordsmanship that targets weaknesses. Although the change of lord caused Xiao Yi to lose muscle memory and strength, he still remembered the routines and techniques, but he just couldn't use them as smoothly.

The heavy blow to the throat caused the fat man to stagger backward. Xiao Yi did not press his advantage, because the fat man, lacking oxygen, involuntarily opened his mouth wide, and a stream of water rushed into his oral cavity.

"Cough cough cough, cough cough cough!" Tadokoro Koji covered his throat and coughed repeatedly until he finally recovered from the pain.

He glared at Xiao Yi and said viciously, "Your only chance to beat me is to draw your sword and kill me after I've been hit in the throat. Now that I'm on guard, no amount of trickery will work, and you won't die a good death!"

The onlookers realized the seriousness of the situation, and those near the fat man avoided him like the plague, knowing full well what was about to happen.

However, no one prayed for Xiao Yi. Most of the people who came to this kind of izakaya were not good people. On the contrary, they hoped that Xiao Yi would die in a spectacular way so that they could have a good look at the show.

Faced with Tadokoro's threat, Xiao Yi thought to himself: If I could just draw my sword and cut you down, I would have done it already. Quickly drawing my sword will probably only cut my hand.

boom!

The fat man's God Eye shone brightly red, and pillars of fire surrounded his bulky body like a raging red dragon, burning away his upper body clothes and revealing a body that, while not exactly strong, was quite heavy.

Xiao Yi understood that attacking the enemy with water was no longer very effective, as the water would be evaporated by the high temperature before it hit its target.

But he didn't care, because the outcome was already decided.

Tadokoro Koji approached Xiao Yi step by step. From his violent eyes, it was clear that the fat man was so angry that he disregarded the law and was prepared to burn the arrogant brat to ashes and then scatter the ashes into his chamber pot.

Facing the onslaught of heat, Xiao Yi remained calm and composed, as if it were none of his business.

"If Sister Haizi isn't lying to me, that thing is a high-end product, and it should be effective soon."

Snapped!

Just as the flames were less than half a meter away from Xiao Yi, the flames and high temperature suddenly disappeared, and the fat man suddenly knelt down before Xiao Yi.

Those around him were completely baffled.

"What's going on?!"

"Has that kid made a move?"

"I can't see anything at all!"

The fat man tried to get up again, but his large, fleshy belly made a rumbling sound, stopping him from doing so.

Xiao Yi stood in front of the fat man, toying with the slender test tube like he was twirling a pen; half of the precious medicine inside was still left.

It turns out that after attacking Koji Tadokoro's throat, Xiao Yi manipulated water elements, carrying half a tube of "Jet Warrior" into his mouth, which is now taking effect.

The fat man never expected that the seemingly harmless attack actually concealed a powerful move.

Even the most ruthless person can have a life-or-death situation if it happens in front of others—the feeling in his stomach tells Tadokoro Koji that now is not the time to kill, and he must find a secluded place to settle it.

If in public...

But when he tried his best to get up, Xiao Yi stepped on the back of his head.

"You can't go."

Normally, it would take three Xiao Yis to step on the fat man if he wanted to get up, but now he was using all his strength elsewhere and dared not relax at all.

Now it was Xiao Yi's turn to threaten: "I'm a man of my word. Kneel down three times, or prepare to face social death!"

At first, the fat guy refused. He was always the one who bullied others, and no one could bully him!

However, he felt really uncomfortable, and after an incredibly difficult internal struggle, he finally decided to compromise with the cunning old fox.

"I'll kowtow, I'll kowtow, okay?!"

Hearing this, the onlookers were utterly shocked. They never dreamed that a young man could actually take down the formidable Tian Suo, whom no one dared to mess with.

Xiao Yi moved the sole of his shoe away and silently watched the other person's performance.

bang bang bang! ! !

Koji Tadokoro kowtowed three times in a row, without any hesitation, and even knocked a small dent into the wooden floor.

Xiao Yi threatened in a low voice, "Remember my name, Miyamoto Tsubasa. If I see you again, things won't be so easy. Now get out of here!"

Ultimately, he used the name Xiao Yi, and he wasn't afraid of others seeking revenge by calling himself Miyamoto Tsubasa. Besides, the Miyamoto brothers were well-known, so it was good to use that name to scare people.

Xiao Yi kept his promise and stopped trying to stop the other party from leaving. After all, there was no benefit in dragging it out any longer, and they might see something that could cause psychological trauma.

Fatty Tadokoro turned and ran, pushing through the crowd towards the door. Xiao Yi noticed that the fat man had a creepy red skull tattooed on his back, but he didn't pay much attention to it.

The conflict ended, and the onlookers, persuaded by the bartender, returned to their seats. However, what happened tonight would become their best topic of conversation over drinks.

The alley next to the izakaya.

Xiao Yi stuffed the 10 Mora notes that Jiu Tiao had given him into the hand of the panicked, thin man.

"Take this to treat your wife's illness, then get out of here and never come to a place like this again!"

Before the man could even react and thank him, Xiao Yi turned and left. The gaunt man, tears streaming down his face, had no way to repay Xiao Yi's kindness, so he bowed deeply to Xiao Yi's retreating figure.

As he stepped out of the alley, a cold wind brushed against Xiao Yi's cheek, and he sobered up halfway.

Did I accidentally give away something good while I was drunk?!

He couldn't turn the tables and get the 10 mora back, so he could only pretend to be the light of righteousness and spend money to help the poor.

Having cured Kujo Sara, there's still 300 million waiting for me. 10? A piece of cake!

Now I need to find a good place to sleep and shake off the accumulated fatigue. Tomorrow I have to go to the military camp to make breakfast for Kujo, so I need to recharge.

"Look up and gaze, the sky and the earth are vast and boundless..." Xiao Yi hummed a folk song from his hometown as he walked toward the nearest inn.

Chapter 14 The Chance to Meet Thor

At the end of the fourth quarter of the Yin hour, which is exactly four o'clock in the morning.

The pitch-black military camp needed torches to illuminate it; the sky was an endless expanse of darkness, with no sign of the sun rising.

After a busy night, Kujo Sara sat on a fallen, rotten log, closing her eyes to rest and dispel her fatigue.

“‘War maniacs,’ a bunch of lunatics!” she murmured.

Tonight, the Heavenly Commander was tricked.

Princess Shirahime's assassination attempt was merely bait. The samurai stationed on Narukami Island were lured to Kamisato-yashiki, where the hidden enemy truly began their operation.

A well-trained armed force raided the warehouse of the Heavenly Commander and seized a previously confiscated smuggled item.

If it were just an ordinary object, Kujo wouldn't be so agitated, but that thing was a bomb, a weapon powerful enough to level the castle tower!

After a hard-fought night of investigation, the trail went cold, and the assassins they caught were all cannon fodder; they knew nothing about the bomb theft and couldn't be interrogated for any useful information.

However, while searching the abandoned camp of the bomb-stealers, the Sky Lord found evidence that had not been dealt with, from which he deduced the purpose of this group of madmen.

They planned to use bombs to attack the competition venue during the Grand Tournament a week later, and the Shogunate was not the only organization participating in the event; the Coral Palace would also send representatives.

If their plot goes smoothly, many important figures from Umijima will die on Narukami Island. Even if the perpetrators are caught, the shogunate's failure to maintain order will still exist, and the rift between the shogunate and Sangokushima will be irreparable.

Over time, the pent-up resentment between the two sides finally erupted, making a second war inevitable.

The only solution at present is to delay the large-scale trial and find the missing bomb first.

The pressure is now on Kujo's side.

The overwhelming psychological burden reminded her of the inner demon she had tried so hard to forget—the guy who had cut her arm back then.

For some reason, Kujo Sara had this thought pop into her mind: if Miyamoto Tsubasa chose to help the Tenryo Magistrate, it would be much easier to find the bomb.

Although he was an unconventional ronin, unlike many wandering samurai or sea monsters, his abilities were beyond question.