The Infinite Journey of a Certain Flame

"..."

After taking a few small sips, the deity who ruled over Inazuma stared at the tea leaves with slightly wide eyes.

It seemed as if it had sensed something frightening...

Seeing this, Kiana, who had almost finished her tea, blinked:

"Shadow, what are you doing—!"

Before he finished speaking, Ying picked up the teacup without saying a word and drank it all.

Wow! You finished it all...?

"Hmm..." Perhaps because she was a little embarrassed that her involuntary actions had been seen, Ying coughed, "I'll just accept your taste for now."

It has to be said that even after so many years...

This demon god is still so easy to understand...

Yae no Miko smiled meaningfully, then covered her cherry lips and teased in a playful tone:

"Eh? Just a tentative acceptance? That's really hurtful. Kage~ I was thinking of giving you a few packets, but since these teas... um? You came here—oh dear!"

Under Kiana's watchful gaze and dissuasion, Kage stood up without hesitation, then slowly walked towards Yae no Miko, who was sitting on the ground pretending to be dignified. He then grabbed the old fox who was flirting with him again and gave him a good beating.

Sure enough, it was time to deal with her.

It's still this easy.

After successfully "borrowing" a few bags of tea from Yae no Miko through "friendly" means.

Shadow slowly extended her small, delicate foot, encased in stockings, and stepped directly onto the buttocks of the prostrate witch.

"Thank you for your hospitality. The tea tastes very good. I hope to have the same tea again sometime in the future."

"Huh? Huh! You mean... ah~"

Yae no Miko realized that Kage was making her do all the work for nothing, and immediately became somewhat unhappy.

However, before she could finish speaking, Ying exerted a slight force.

After uttering a cry that even she herself found meaningless, the cunning fox finally realized that the shadow she knew was no longer the same.

Where exactly is it...?

She seems to be becoming more and more opinionated. Is it because of Kiana's guidance?

Covering her ears and feigning discomfort while lying on the ground, Yae no Miko shifted her gaze slightly upwards, only to find that the white-haired girl was staring at her with a helpless expression.

Is that really the case?

Never mind, we'll talk about it later.

"It is our honor to serve the General."

"Ah."

After successfully getting what she wanted, Ying generously withdrew her leg.

Then he slowly returned to Kiana's side and knelt down properly.

He advised Kiana in a very calm tone:

"This girl is always the same, don't take her seriously. If she tries to take advantage of you in the future, just treat her the way I did just now."

"Uh, when did you come to this conclusion, Shadow?"

“Just now.” Shadow smiled faintly, holding the tea bag by the rope and waving the tea leaves in front of Kiana with a show of it. “Before, it would take forever to get anything from her. It’s so much easier to be like you.”

"Like me? I'm not that good..."

Kiana scratched the back of her head somewhat embarrassedly, clearly unaware of what Shadow was referring to.

Yae no Miko stood up, clutching her backside, looking at her with a hint of helplessness in her eyes.

The Battle Between Flame and Lightning and the Abyss (Genshin Impact): Chapter 43 I'm here to find Gan Yu. Do you know where she is?

What a muddle-headed, distinguished person! Didn't he realize that Ying was saying you were too reckless...?

Yae no Miko sighed, and finally shifted the topic to Kiana:

"Speaking of which, did you take care of all the monsters in front of the Divine Cherry Tree's roots, Kiana?"

"That's right. Huh? Why are you suddenly asking this?"

"Hehe, your martial prowess is truly admirable. So many wrecks... you must have dealt with a great many monsters. Did you encounter any... strange enemies?"

A very strange enemy?

Could it be referring to the Abyss Apostles?

"There was one, but that enemy was taken care of by Shadow."

"Roar?" Upon hearing this, Yae no Miko slowly turned his gaze to the god who had just taught him a lesson. "After so many days, Shadow finally has a chance to train? Hehe, that's good."

However, the somewhat strange words of praise had barely left his lips.

Ying suddenly opened her eyes:

"Ok?"

The moment he opened his eyes, for some reason, the Eightfold Divine Child sensed it...

A sense of danger.

When will she ever stop? At least she would listen to my nonsense before, but now she's going to hit me?

Who did you learn from?

With this question in mind, Yae no Miko slowly turned her gaze to Kiana, who was eating a cookie to the side.

The answer seems to have already been found...

"Hmm...okay, it seems Ying has really grown up."

Of course, Yae no Miko only thought this conclusion to herself; if she were to actually say it aloud...

Her bottom still hurts, and it would be a real loss if she got beaten up again.

"Although I'm not entirely sure who this Thunder Apostle you're talking about is,... presumably it's him who sent the pack of wolves to Inazuma, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

Kiana responded swiftly after crushing the cookie in her mouth.

Upon hearing her answer, Yae no Miko smiled and nodded.

"It seems that thanks to you, Naruto Shrine and the Divine Cherry Tree have survived another crisis. Please allow me to express my gratitude once again."

"No need to thank me too much, after all, this is what Ying wanted."

Kiana smiled and appeared very humble.

They seemed completely indifferent to others' thanks or gifts.

It's just to fight for the person I cherish in my heart.

Upon seeing this, Ying was deeply moved:

"Eh? You did this for me... Kiana..."

"Not only that, but for Yae, Hana-san, and Kujo Sara, if they attack again, I will charge ahead without hesitation!"

Kiana's expression was easygoing, but her words were full of fighting spirit and enthusiasm.

It's like a flame in one's heart that seems to never go out, captivating and enchanting.

Shadow and Yae no Miko exchanged a glance, then both revealed helpless smiles.

"Yes, thank you very much. From now on, Naru-jin Shrine and I will always welcome you."

We've had enough small talk and have gathered most of the necessary information.

Yae no Miko finally picked up the teacup that had almost gone cold, which was placed in front of her.

Wearing that intriguing smile, he began chatting with his two closest friends about all sorts of trivial matters...

Suddenly, a ray of warm sunlight slanted into the room, making the three of them look so beautiful...

...

Liyue Harbor.

On a sunny and breezy day.

In front of the storytelling stall.

Zhongli raised the teacup containing the precious tea leaves from Qingcezhuang, his gaze shifting slightly upwards as he listened to Tian Tiezui's animated storytelling at the storytelling stall.

Many days have passed since Ying planned that funeral ceremony for the immortals that no immortals could possibly send. After stepping down from his position as the Rock God, his retirement life was extremely leisurely and peaceful.

When I have free time, I listen to music, play with birds, and sometimes I go to Wanmintang to give Xiangling some pointers.

Life was truly leisurely and carefree.

However peaceful and tranquil such days are never without their share of turbulence.

"As mentioned in the previous chapter, at that time, Liyue was plagued by great demons in the sea and evil dragons lurking in the mountains, and the Geo Archon..."

Zhong Li was focusing his attention on Tian Tiezui.

But then he heard his own master's complaint from beside him:

"What's there to be unwilling to face? It's all just a matter of time!"

Hu Tao buried her face in the table, looking very unhappy.

Upon seeing this, Zhongli did not reply.

For Hu Tao, perhaps listening silently is the best response.

Just then, the two people in the ancestral hall were complaining and listening.

When a certain tacit understanding was reached, Tian Tiezui on the stage suddenly closed his paper fan, slowly shook his head, and said in a clear voice: "Legend has it that when the Emperor went to war, he once said—!"

"Hey! Zhongli, you guys are here! I've been looking for you everywhere!"