"I guess what you want isn't a violent solution."
"Hahaha, clever."
If Yae Miko wanted to kill someone, a single flash of lightning would be enough.
But what would killing the Kujou clan accomplish?
What she wanted was something that could intimidate all of Inazuma.
"So, Mr. Su, do you have a way?"
"How about this. Later, send someone to the coast. The information will be there."
"Information? Wait, you started laying out this plan a long time ago."
Yae Miko's expression changed, her eyes filled with disbelief.
The sly fox reacted extremely quickly.
Su Han had only just begun to speak, yet she had already guessed most of it.
But the other party was just a merchant. Why would he gather so much intelligence?
Before Yae Miko could ask,
Su Han gave the perfect answer.
"I have a grudge against the Fatui, so you understand. They are cooperating with the Kujou clan to collect the crystallized bone marrow from Orobashi's corpse. Naturally, I won't let them succeed."
"So that's how it is."
"You don't need to worry. Perhaps Hu Tao didn't tell you, but not long ago I rescued Mondstadt from the Abyss and the Fatui."
"???"
This was something Yae Miko truly had not expected.
But before she could question him in detail,
Su Han changed the topic.
"Alright. I've fulfilled your request. Now it's my turn to ask a question."
"Please go ahead."
Although Yae Miko was extremely curious about Su Han, as he had said,
her private matter had been temporarily resolved.
Now it was his turn to ask.
"The matter I want to ask about is very simple. Has there ever been a powerful swordsman in Inazuma? It seems he died five hundred years ago, and his identity should have been human."
"I'll need to check the archives for that. As you know, five hundred years ago I was still in my childhood form."
"No problem. There's no rush. Contact me when you have any news."
The call ended.
Yae Miko had wanted to chat a little longer, but the opportunity was completely cut off.
Forget it.
She should investigate the archives first.
After all, this was the only request he had.
Yae Miko stood up and walked outside, giving orders regarding Su Han's request.
Although she had presided over Mount Yougou for five hundred years,
for a long period in between it had been managed by humans. As a result, there were many archives. Searching alone would waste a great deal of time.
Several hours later,
a few shrine maidens arrived behind Yae Miko.
Without turning her head, the celestial fox asked, "How did it go?"
"Reporting to Lady Guuji, we couldn't find any relevant information."
"There are records of monster swordsmen, but nothing about humans. There isn't a single record even in the archives."
Listening to their report,
Yae Miko frowned slightly. There was no information at all?
It seemed this matter would be somewhat troublesome.
Time quickly passed until evening.
Yae Miko stood by the coast, waiting for Su Han's subordinate to appear.
A moment later, a small boat came into view.
After spotting her, the man used lightness techniques to swiftly leap across the water.
Kaedehara Kazuha arrived before Yae Miko and bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Lady Guuji."
"So it's you, a member of the Kaedehara clan. Did you bring the item?"
"Yes, my lady. These are the materials collected recently. They are all copies."
"That's sufficient."
Yae Miko opened the document pouch and began reading slowly.
Very soon,
the celestial fox's beautiful face turned cold as she ground her teeth in fury.
"These beasts. What exactly do they think the people are?"
She had originally believed that withholding compensation and exploiting merchants
was already the limit of what the two great clans could do.
Yet she had never imagined that they had committed so many acts that defied both heaven and reason.
They provoked wars.
They cooperated with foreign spy forces and joined hands to suppress domestic enterprises and merchants.
They had even assassinated many talented youths and heirs of family lineages in order to consolidate their power.
They were digging out the very roots of Inazuma.
Countless arcs of lightning crackled in the air.
Because of her overwhelming anger, Yae Miko's eyes had turned into fierce vertical pupils.
In five hundred years,
this was the first time the Lady Guuji had become this furious.
She could tolerate humans riding over her authority, since their lifespans were short. How long could they live?
But Yae Miko would never allow these people to trample on the efforts of their predecessors.
To protect this land, Lady Saiguu had sacrificed herself.
Seeing the celestial fox overcome with rage, Kaedehara Kazuha quickly tried to console her.
"Please do not be angry. The dead are gone. What we can do is change the current situation."
"Haa. I know. At times like this, I must not act hastily. Go handle your duties and let me calm down."
"...Alright."
Kaedehara Kazuha had originally wanted to say something more.
But looking at her current state, she was probably looking for some unlucky target to vent her anger on.
In that case, it would be better for him not to interfere.
Night fell.
As lightning flashed across the sky, countless Nobushi scattered in panic.
Unfortunately, they had not fled far before countless little foxes pounced on them.
Then terrifying lightning descended.
"Spare me… ple… "
One Nobushi who had not yet died was still begging for mercy.
Unfortunately, a tender jade-like foot stepped onto his face.
With the flash of lightning,
he completely lost all signs of life.
Only at dawn did Yae Miko finally return to Mount Yougou.
After venting her anger for an entire night,
her mood had finally returned to normal.
Yae Miko returned to her bedroom, opened the document pouch, and began to examine it carefully.
Yesterday, she had been overwhelmed with rage. She had not even looked at the latter half of the materials.
So today, she had to finish reading them.
Turning to the page where she had stopped yesterday,
Yae Miko read attentively. Soon her expression gradually became serious, her face filled with disbelief.
"Just who exactly is this Boss Su?"
"How could he investigate so many things?"
The section she had just read
was an investigation regarding crystallized bone marrow and Delusions.
It recorded in detail the location of the Delusion factory, the side effects of Delusions, the increase in power they provided, and the production process behind them.
Yae Miko did not doubt the authenticity of the information.
After all, she could personally verify it.
But if the Fatui had been planning their moves in Inazuma for a long time, when had they first set their sights on her nation?
Several years ago?
No.
It must have been even earlier.
Since what they wanted was Orobashi's remains, then destroying the Tatarasuna furnace would have been necessary.
At this thought,
Yae Miko felt a chill run down her spine.
"Could it have started from the war five hundred years ago?"
She thought of the destruction of Tatarasuna, the birth of the Shogun, and the accident involving that puppet.
In the past, Yae Miko had never paid attention to these things.
But the materials recorded them in great detail.
After the Fontaine scientist Escher arrived at Tatarasuna, everything began to change from that point onward.
There was a saying.
When all the evidence points toward an answer, no matter how absurd it may seem, the result will not change.
Looking at the materials in her hands,
Yae Miko could not help but curse.
"Damn Fatui. No wonder Su Han hates them. They really are a bunch of scourges."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bonus chapters every 200 Power Stone!
10, 20, 30 Advanced chapters in my Patreon!
patreon.com/hollyrisk