The magazine was tossed aside.
Raiden Ei picked up the manga and began reading. Things like this were far more relaxing.
What she picked up was Fox Spirit Matchmaker.
The title page read: Bamboo Industry Arc.
The story took place long ago.
Two girls, one older and one younger, arrived at an inn under an umbrella.
The elder was named Dongfang Huaizhu.
The younger was Dongfang Qinlan.
The moment Raiden Ei saw their names, she knew they were from the Dongfang Divine Fire Clan.
Compared to previous female characters, Dongfang Huaizhu possessed a breathtaking beauty.
"So, this is Wangquan Fugui's mother."
Her interest gradually grew.
In the manga,
Dongfang Huaizhu and her sister were soon attacked by monsters.
A battle broke out.
During the fight, Huaizhu was unfortunately blown away by the wind and fell unconscious.
Fortunately, a sword immortal protected her, preventing any harm.
Thus, their encounter began. Later, they arrived at a spider demon's territory and successfully rescued the younger sister.
The story developed calmly, giving a comforting feeling, until Huaizhu's senior brother appeared.
From his first appearance, he showed a possessive attitude toward the Dongfang sisters.
This made Raiden Ei very displeased.
The later plot became even more painful.
After leaving the Southern Kingdom, Dongfang Huaizhu constantly missed Wangquan Baye. Later, on the seventh day of the seventh month, the two met again.
Although they did not confess,
they both already understood each other's feelings.
After Wangquan Baye left, he headed to the border, intending to explore the outside of the boundary with his brothers.
[So-called Beyond the Boundary: the lands outside the borders of all nations.]
[There are not only miasma and spiritual abysses blocking the way, but also countless cultivators stationed there.]
As one of the most outstanding figures of the Daoist sect in that era, Wangquan Baye indeed had the qualifications to explore.
But unfortunately, while he was a hero among humans, going in blindly without any intelligence led to a predictable outcome.
In the manga,
a large two-page spread appeared.
It detailed the characteristics and dangers of beings beyond the boundary.
[Beyond the Boundary Creatures: entities that specifically attack the mind, causing complete corruption and amplifying the darkness within.]
[Beyond the Boundary Power: darkness, corruption, erosion]
"From the description, it really resembles the Abyss…"
Raiden Ei murmured.
The Abyssal power from five hundred years ago was almost identical. Once entangled by that black force, one would quickly lose sanity.
Torachiyo had been corrupted by the power of an otherworldly beast.
Thinking of this,
a trace of confusion appeared on her beautiful face.
Why would the manga author promote such things?
The scene shifted.
On the next page,
the group that had just been boasting was now entirely dead, leaving only Wangquan Baye alive.
Every cultivator had died horribly.
It showed just how terrifying what they encountered was.
"Ignorant mortals…"
She sighed softly.
If Abyssal monsters were so easy to deal with,
her sister would not have died in Khaenri'ah.
Only those who experienced it firsthand could understand that terror.
When the Seven Archons descended upon Khaenri'ah, it was not merely to stop the monsters created by the alchemist Gold, Rhinedottir.
It was to destroy the vast number of corrupted machines within that nation,
and to seal the Abyssal sludge that had broken free of its restraints.
For ordinary humans to venture beyond the boundary,
to Raiden Ei, it was no different from civilians entering the Abyss.
The result would only be death.
The power of the Abyss was unique. It could destroy the seven elemental forces and corrupt any living being.
And certain mechanical creations of Khaenri'ah could be controlled by that power.
At this moment, she even had a bold thought.
"Could it be… the Abyss itself has a will?"
The idea startled her.
But if it were true, then the tragedy five hundred years ago would make perfect sense.
On Mount Yougou,
Kamisato Ayaka was not training today. Holding the manga, she tilted her head and asked, "Mr. Su Han, is Beyond the Boundary actually the Abyss?"
Beneath the Sacred Sakura Tree,
everyone had gathered together.
It was a rare moment of rest.
Su Han noticed that Yae Miko was also looking at him, and smiled. "You're curious too?"
"A little."
Regarding the Abyss,
everyone knew very little. Though it existed in every nation, it was always treated as a taboo.
After thinking for a moment, Su Han decided it was necessary to explain.
"Then I'll briefly explain. Beyond the Boundary is essentially a representation of the Abyss."
"So you're using manga to spread awareness?"
If that were the case,
Yae Miko could not help but feel impressed.
Even if it did not seem useful now, letting the world understand the Abyss would be extremely valuable.
"Yes. The Abyss has always been stirring. I told you before about what happened in Mondstadt. That was just a test. Although things have quieted down in the past two months, there's no guarantee they won't do something disgusting again."
"Wait, from what you're saying, does that mean what happened five hundred years ago might happen again?"
Yae Miko quickly grasped the implication.
She was deeply shocked.
Could that world-spanning catastrophe really return?
Su Han did not answer.
But everyone present understood.
The usually quiet Kuki Shinobu asked, "What exactly happened five hundred years ago?"
"The world nearly ended. Five gods died."
Su Han's words were brief, but the information was explosive.
Kuki Shinobu was greatly shaken.
Yae Miko added, "Why do you think Inazuma is like this now? The foolish Electro Archon's sister also died. So… everything Su Han has been doing, is it to prevent the destruction of the world?"
For a moment, she felt as if she had seen through him.
He was not a saint.
Nor overly kind.
Yet everything he had done recently helped nations recover and grow stronger.
Was he trying to save the world?
That would be exhausting.
Su Han picked up a cup of tea and drank it in one go.
Hearing her words, he quickly refuted, "No, no, I'm not as noble as you think. But some things have to be done by someone. I'm just doing what should be done."
Was that really the case?
Yae Miko did not believe him.
If he truly did not care, why help Watatsumi Island, or Inazuma?
He could have left with treasures and taken Saiguu away.
Instead, he chose to stay on Mount Yougou.
A stubborn man.
Kamisato Ayaka could not join that discussion, but she had another thought.
Haki could harm the Abyss.
"So in that sense, Mr. Su Han is also saving the world in his own way."
"He's probably just being modest."
"What a noble person."
Thinking this, her gaze toward Su Han became even more admiring.
Yae Miko lowered her head and continued reading.
The story grew twisted.
Jin Renfeng poisoned Dongfang Huaizhu's father, while Wangquan Baye's sword heart completely shattered.
Two people who could have found happiness stepped into despair on the same day.
Later, Jin Renfeng obtained the father's blood, and his strength surged.
At the critical moment,
Wangquan Baye finally arrived, but he was no longer the same person.
By the end of the arc,
Yae Miko understood why Wangquan Fugui lived such a difficult life.
He carried the hopes of countless people.
But Wangquan Fugui was human, not a weapon.
"So this was the truth."
On the streets,
countless fans were in tears, moved by the love between Wangquan Baye and Dongfang Huaizhu.
A match made in heaven,
yet twisted by fate.
Those who once criticized Wangquan Baye quietly apologized.
"I never thought the old man was so impressive when he was young…"
"Exactly."
"Sigh, it's all tears."
The true enemies were Jin Renfeng, the creatures beyond the boundary, and worldly prejudice.
Though Dongfang Huaizhu was only a concubine, Wangquan Baye never married another in his life.
That alone showed his love.
At the end of the Bamboo Industry Arc,
fans erupted in cheers.
Wangquan Fugui returned with his wife,
and with him came Wangquan Baye's lifelong sin, the Black Fox.
The pitch-black creature was terrifying to behold.
Yet it was firmly nailed to the wall by the Wangquan Sword.
At the end of his life, Wangquan Baye wept. The shackles in his heart were finally released.
"So that's what it was…"
"That's what it was…"
The father and son reconciled.
And the truth about beyond the boundary began to spread.
The Black Fox was only one kind of creature.
There were many more beyond the boundary.
Fans felt relieved.
At last, there was reconciliation.
Even the junior sister, once hated, had let go.
Love could blind.
The next part was the Wei Sheng Arc.
Seeing the protagonist's childhood friend, fans could not help but smile, yet the story remained deeply engaging.
Wei Sheng always believed Yue Tixia did not love him.
He thought she watched him drown without appearing.
But in truth, she had always been there.
On that rainy night, Yue Tixia had transformed into a tree.
Who could understand the pain of watching a loved one drown?
Countless girls cried.
Many men cursed in frustration.
"Seriously, why couldn't they just talk things through?"
"Exactly. Yue Tixia had it hard too."
Love was simple.
Yet misunderstandings could lead to completely different endings.
Unfortunately, Wei Sheng was such a case.
What should have been simple nearly turned into tragedy.
Because of these two arcs, Fox Spirit Matchmaker became increasingly popular.
But what fans anticipated most was the next volume.
Golden Morning Sun Arc.
On the title page was a golden monster,
along with two identical leech spirits with different eyes.
"Hey… that's not a creature from beyond the boundary, right?"
"Damn, just looking at it gives me chills!"
"What a terrifying monster…"
Golden Morning Sun.
The name sounded bright and warm,
but its power was terrifying.
And the Black Fox appeared once again in this arc.
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