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

The probability of them being spies is low; who would bring children to cause trouble? They are more likely to be genuinely defecting.

With this in mind, the leader accepted a large amount of Mora and issued a clearance order, and Xiao Yi and his companions passed through.

Having finally entered the castle, Xiao Yi wanted to see what the mastermind was up to, but what he saw made him doubt his own eyes.

An organization like this, which is rapidly developing and has secured a place in Liyue, would certainly not have a cheap, bare building as its secret base in the snowy mountains. Sure enough, there were exquisitely carved stone statues on both sides of the corridor inside the castle.

Strangely, those stone statues were not the Seven Gods, nor were they related to the Abyss; rather, they were images that even Thor had never seen.

The film critic commented: "His unique appearance, resembling both a monster and a human, is quite novel."

Xiao Yi walked up to the third statue, his lips trembling and his eyes almost popping out of their sockets—all the statues had deeply shaken his soul.

Take the statue in front of him as an example. Its head, resembling an insect, has two short antennae. Its eyes, which take up one-fifth of its face, are particularly peculiar. Its upper body is lined with distinct muscles, and it wears a double-whirlwind belt around its waist...

Isn't this V3?!

Why the hell!

Looking around, there are more than thirty statues along the entire corridor, all of them are Kamen Riders!

Xiao Yi couldn't help but suspect that there were other time travelers among the architects, just like himself. Although meeting an old friend in a foreign land was a good thing, it was too strange in this kind of place.

Not to mention... the carving is quite good.

Apart from Xiao Yi, the others in the group didn't have much of an opinion on the stone carvings. They naturally assumed that it was normal for a villain's base to have some strange decorations.

However, Xiao Zhen quite liked these statues, looking at them here and touching them there. Xiao Yi was glad that they were made of stone and not plastic figurines, after all, a lively six or seven-year-old child has unlimited destructive power over valuable items.

Lu Renjia's old habit of stealing treasures kicked in again. He took off his warm gloves and touched the statue, as if he wanted to knock off a piece to sell for money. Xiao Yi reminded him that this was not an ancient stone carving and that the material was ordinary and had no value for sale.

The group continued forward.

Upon reaching the end of the corridor, Xiao Yi saw a strange man in his forties with black and white hair like his own standing in front of the statue, squinting his right eye to carefully observe the knight in front of him—the man's left eye was covered by a shocking scar, presumably he was blind.

In addition, he had the Eye of the Ice God hanging openly at his waist, making no attempt to hide it.

(Miyajiro: This guy is from the Sangokiya!)

(Xiao Yi: What's going on?)

(Miyajiro: When I went on vacation to Coral Palace Prison, he was the warden. He wouldn't mistake me. There aren't many Teyvats with their left eye blind like that.)

Xiao Yi observed the knight the man was observing. Although the stone statue was not painted, its asymmetrical image was very distinctive, making it the perfect combination of RABBIT & TANK.

But why are people from the Coral Palace here?

Xiao Yi told everyone to wait where they were, then stepped forward alone to the man's side and said, "Are you very interested in this statue? Indeed, it has a rather unique shape."

The man with a stern face turned around and looked at Xiao Yi, his remaining right pupil gradually shrinking.

"Narukamiko?" the one-eyed man said.

"That's rare. You didn't address me as 'Sir,' nor did you greet me with a smile and fawn over me," Xiao Yi said with slight surprise. "During my time in Inazuma, I was surrounded by nobles who flattered me every day. Seeing someone like you is a refreshing change."

"There are rumors that you are close to Miyamoto Jiro. I won't give a good look to someone who tarnishes justice and commits all kinds of evil, even if you are Narukami's adopted son." The one-eyed man frowned slightly. "But as is customary, I need to report my identity to you. I am the former warden of the Coral Palace and now a senior agent, here to investigate the crash of the Gungyoku Pavilion."

So that's how it is. Naruko was framed after the castle tower collapsed. In response, the Sangokyo took action and sent an agent to investigate the truth of the matter. However, this agent's ability to act was extraordinary. He actually discovered and infiltrated the enemy's base—even faster than Xiao Yi and his group.

Based on his performance just now, he may not be easy to get along with, but he is definitely a capable person.

As for whether to work with a mediocre person who is good at socializing or an aggressive, aloof elite, Xiao Yi wasn't quite sure—if possible, he would of course choose an elite who is good at socializing.

That said, the man's self-proclaimed title of "former warden" indicates that he has been dismissed from his post, possibly due to Miyamoto Jiro's escape. However, it's not shameful that he couldn't keep Miyamoto Jiro under control; Xiao Yi also suffered a lot at Miyamoto's hands before he grew up.

"And your name?" Xiao Yi asked.

“I don’t think you need to know my name,” the man replied, looking at the statue again. “My surname is Yuji; you can call me that.”

"So, Mr. Yudi, what do you plan to do next?" Xiao Yi asked.

"I have my own plan. You just need to proceed according to your own plan." Yuchi showed no willingness to cooperate. He turned to look at the people Xiao Yi had brought. "What a luxurious lineup! From the gods of Inazuma to the secretaries of Yuheng and Liyue, the general of the Kujo family of the Shogunate, to the genius chef who possesses the Eye of God, as well as members of the Treasure Raiders and the little girl..."

"Your team is very well-rounded."

Xiao Yi didn't know if the other person was praising him or insulting him. A "well-rounded" team wasn't what he wanted either; his original team was quite simple and efficient...

Judging from his words and actions, this guy is a lone wolf. He wasn't even afraid of Miss Ying. I guess I can't control him anyway, so I might as well let him be.

“Your intelligence gathering is also very comprehensive, almost abnormally so,” Xiao Yi retorted. “It’s understandable that you know Inari, and it’s also somewhat plausible that you know Xiangling, who is quite famous in Liyue Harbor. But how did you know that you referred to Mr. Lu Renjia as part of the Treasure-Hunting Gang as soon as you met him?”

Yu Di stopped paying attention to the statue and turned to walk towards the open door at the end of the passage: "His hands were covered with burns and corrosion marks from the potions. As we all know, alchemical research requires meticulous protection. Only the apothecaries of the Treasure Raiders would use inferior equipment to conduct experiments in an environment without any protective measures, because they have no means of self-protection."

He stopped after walking a few steps.

"According to my investigation, there is a large amount of explosives buried in the foundation of the castle. Please proceed with caution."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yudi ignored everyone and left the passage to enter the castle hall.

Xiao Yi shrugged and led a dozen or so companions into the hall to see what other strange scenes they would encounter.

The spacious hall was surprisingly formal. There was a high platform at the back of the hall that resembled a stage, and the rest of the hall was filled with applicants. Xiao Yi roughly counted them; there were about seven hundred people.

Considering that the Great Lord, who possesses the authority to grant power to others, would pose a considerable challenge to the Liyue authorities if all seven hundred-plus people were armed.

However, Xiao Yi did not see Yu Di.

He first glanced at the empty podium, then moved his gaze to the giant statue several meters high next to it. The stone carving could only make out a rough human shape; it had no face, and the edges of the body were crooked and uneven, as if it had been deliberately carved like that.

Could this be the statue of the mastermind behind everything? It's too indescribable... Xiao Yi thought to himself.

Based on the current situation, it is likely that a senior member of the organization will step forward, stand on a stage, and speak to the newcomers, introducing the organization or explaining its rules.

We'll do what needs to be done when the time comes. Ideally, that righteous and righteous celestial being will arrive on the scene so that Miss Ying can simply cleave him in two with a single stroke, ending the matter once and for all. I'll just need to act as an assistant and protect the innocent from being affected.

He looked down at the slightly dimmed but now somewhat lustrous amethyst on his chest—ten minutes before his strength was fully restored.

Bang! ! !

After a loud bang, the noisy scene immediately quieted down, and everyone turned to look at the platform.

A bald man in black robes named Tie Qi, who had once fought Xiao Yi, stepped onto the stage. He possessed an indestructible body that even Xiao Yi, at full power, could not break.

The bald man was accompanied by two strange guardians. Although their bodies were human-like, their heads resembled blooming earth vein flowers, which amazed the applicants.

The bald man in the black robe spread his arms, scanned the crowd, and raised his voice, speaking with great passion:

"Everyone, I am the spokesperson for the Great Righteousness and Boundless Heavenly Venerable. You may call me—Ironclad. I believe that everyone present has already enjoyed the blessings of the Heavenly Venerable and experienced the joy brought by justice. From this day forward, we are one family. We will work together to uphold righteousness throughout the world and let all of Teyvat be baptized by the word 'justice'!..."

As the bald man in black robes spoke eloquently, the shadow mingling in the crowd prepared to unleash her power. Thor, well-versed in martial arts, was as still as a virgin and as swift as a rabbit. Thus, before she made her move, neither Tie Qi nor the guards at the edge of the hall noticed this world-destroying presence.

(Xiao Yi: Wait a little longer.)

(Video: Why?)

(Xiao Yi: Tie Qi is just a lackey. Killing him would certainly be useful, but I want to wait and see if the real mastermind will show up after Tie Qi finishes speaking.)

Cast a long line to catch a big fish.

(Xiao Yi: Moreover, my strength needs five minutes to recover. If you act rashly, I may not be able to protect the people around me.)

As the speech reached its climax, the crowd's emotions were stirred, the atmosphere grew increasingly heated, and people began to cheer excitedly. Suddenly, the bald man interrupted his impassioned speech.

As he spoke, his gaze kept drifting through the crowd, and he happened to catch sight of Gan Yu, who was mingling among the more than seven hundred people.

She seems to be Narukamiko's companion—then Narukamiko must be here too!!!

For Tie Qi, at this moment, the lives of more than 700 people meant nothing. As long as the bomb was detonated and Narutoko and the castle disappeared together, it would be a gain no matter how many people died.

The speech was abruptly interrupted without warning. Xiao Yi and his companions immediately sensed the danger, but one person's attention was completely elsewhere.

Lu Renjia is searching for Xiao Zhen, who has disappeared without a trace.

Meanwhile, a little girl with pigtails, only 1 meter tall, was walking along the crowd, interested in the strange statue next to the podium.

Her bittersweet life experiences made the girl much more mature and sensible than her peers. She vaguely knew that everyone had come to the castle to cause trouble and that she couldn't be discovered by the people inside.

Now, the strange bald man has suddenly stopped talking, which means that someone has already been discovered.

A big idea popped into her little head: she thought she should make the bald uncle look at her, so that everyone would have time to do things they couldn't do themselves.

Suddenly, the more than 700 people were in an uproar. They were surprised to see that a little girl was crawling on the statue of the Celestial Venerable, trying her best to climb up.

In an instant, Tieqi was distracted by the commotion of the crowd and instinctively turned his head to look at the large statue next to the podium, which caused him to take out the remote detonation device but not press it.

He has already lost his chance.

"The light of rice paddies is also eternal!"

The intense energy transformed into a thunderous blade of light, slashing straight at the bald man in black robes on the podium, whose invincible body was about to turn to ashes.

Just then, Shadow sensed another strong lightning elemental force, which attacked him from the side and deflected the blade light, causing the attack that was originally going to hit the bald man to strike the guardian instead.

Rumble!!!

Two powerful energies collided and erupted, turning the entire hall purple. People instinctively covered their eyes to avoid their retinas being burned by the intense light.

To the guards outside, a sudden flash of light and thunder appeared in the heavy snow, followed by the thick castle being split in two at an angle, and they estimated it would collapse soon.

However, this magnificent building will not collapse, because it is about to explode.

The bald man, realizing what was happening, found that the guardian on his left had been cleaved in two at an angle, the cut flashing with purple light, and the wall behind him was completely split open, with lightning echoing around it.

He pressed the detonator.

boom--

A large amount of explosives detonated in the foundation, completely overturning the castle located on the edge of the cliff. However, the building was made of exceptionally sturdy materials, and the collapsed castle ruins were fixed to the edge of the steep slope, like a dustpan dumping garbage into a trash can, dumping everything in the castle, including the people, into the steep slope with an extremely steep incline.

Many unlucky souls who lost their footing slid down the steep, snow-covered cliffs with angles exceeding 60 degrees. They might be buried by the snow, or they might slide down the slope to the foot of the mountain and die from hypothermia or other fatal factors.

Xiao Yi was lucky enough to grab onto the rocks and secure himself to the edge of the castle's crack. He still had three minutes before his strength was restored; if he fell now, he would surely die.

He looked down the slope and saw a large, bald man in a long robe stepping on the wooden planks of the lectern, speeding down the slope as if skiing or surfing.

Hmph, want to escape!

Xiao Yi had no time to spare. Just then, a long, purple object swept past him. He leaped up and stepped on it, using it as a ski to chase after Tie Qi.

Inside the castle ruins, clinging precariously to a protruding spot on the sloping ground, Otsui asked in bewilderment, "What is Lady Narukami using as skis?"

Saro, who was also clinging to him, followed her subordinate's gaze and saw Xiao Yi gradually skiing away. As an archer with good eyesight, she immediately saw through the nature of Xiao Yi's skis.

The next moment, Otsuka was shocked to find that the usually calm and collected Lord Sara had actually shown an extremely rare expression of losing his composure, and had also made a loud noise.

"He stepped on the general!!!"

"General, ahhhhhh—" The elite troops of Ozawa realized the seriousness of the situation and, like dominoes, followed Captain Sara in shouting and screaming.