On the streets of Inazuma.
Su Han was taking Ei on a stroll.
Because she lacked a physical body, she was currently moving around using a shikigami body.
Experiencing what it felt like to walk around without attendants for the first time was a very strange feeling for Ei.
There was no fear in the people's eyes, only happiness on their faces.
People laughed, argued, and enjoyed their lives.
It was a true picture of the countless facets of human life.
At that moment, they arrived at a pastry stall, and Su Han stopped.
"Old sir, how much are these pastries?"
"Five hundred Mora per box. How many would you like, customer?"
"Two boxes. One melon-flavored and one strawberry-flavored."
"Please wait a moment."
The elderly vendor quickly got to work.
Taking the opportunity, Su Han asked,
"Old sir, do you think opening the nation is better, or keeping it closed?"
"Ah, this..."
The old man had not expected such a question.
His hands immediately stopped moving, and his face filled with hesitation.
He was merely a common citizen. How could he dare comment on matters of state?
Seeing this, Su Han casually tossed some Mora onto the stall.
"Can you speak now? We're only asking about the lives of the people. We don't have any other purpose."
Seeing the extra Mora on the counter, the wrinkles on the old man's face immediately relaxed into a smile.
He pocketed the Mora, glanced around to make sure there were no Shogunate soldiers nearby, and finally relaxed.
"Sigh, after years of the Sakoku Decree, the common people couldn't even afford food. Those lordly soldiers ate and drank well every day, yet they never cared whether we lived or died."
"To be honest, if it weren't for all those soldiers patrolling everywhere, the people would have rebelled long ago!"
"Why can those lordly soldiers eat their fill while we have to chew wild grass every day?"
"And after the nation was closed, medicine came under the control of those officials from the Commissions. My old wife died because we couldn't buy medicine..."
As he spoke of his sorrow,
the old man's face filled with hatred.
But he did not hate the Shogun.
Because this time, even the god had been deceived.
Listening to the old man's heartfelt words, Ei fell silent.
A short while later, the pastries were packed.
The two left the stall.
On the road.
Ei let out a gentle sigh.
She had never imagined the harm caused by the Sakoku Decree would be so severe.
Seeing her heavy mood, Su Han smiled and said,
"This is only the beginning. Take a good look at the daily lives of the people. Even though you're a god, most of your followers are humans."
"Mm. It seems my decision this time was correct. Only by understanding humans can I manage Inazuma better."
Ei smiled slightly at Su Han.
Her heart was incomparably resolute.
At the very least, this time she had made the right choice.
Otherwise, if her sister were revived in the future, she truly would not have the face to meet her.
For the entire morning,
Su Han took Ei around everywhere.
Tea houses.
Taverns.
Military training grounds.
And even places that received foreign visitors.
Everything she saw greatly broadened the Electro Archon's horizons.
According to statistics, after three years of the Sakoku Decree, Inazuma's overall economy had declined by 80%.
Among them,
approximately 16,700 people had died due to human causes.
Most of them were Shogunate soldiers, but one-third of the common citizens had died because of the schemes of the two Commissions.
Their final stop before noon.
Su Han brought Ei to an underground corridor.
This dark and narrow place still retained traces of the lives once lived here by ordinary people.
Ei had never imagined such a place existed beneath the ground.
"What was this place used for?"
"When manga first arrived, the people wanted to read them and discuss them. Life was already extremely oppressive, yet even their last place to breathe was sealed off by the two Commissions.
"So, in order to gain even a brief moment of relief,
this place came into existence.
"You should be grateful that you had retainers like the Kamisato Clan. Without their efforts,
who knows how many people would have ended up imprisoned in the Kujou Clan's jails."
Kamisato Ayaka and her brother had sacrificed a great deal for Inazuma.
In a sense, they had betrayed the Shogun.
But to the people, the Kamisato Clan had become their last saviors.
"Mm, I'll remember that. Once I return, I'll promote them. And if there's anything wrong, I hope you'll continue guiding me."
Compared to before,
Ei had become much gentler and much more obedient.
But she had also learned how to think.
It was, without question, a form of growth.
Su Han praised her.
"Don't worry. I'll help you."
After leaving the underground area,
Su Han brought Ei to their next destination, Seirai Island.
Thanks to the mirrors, the two could travel there easily.
Standing atop a mountain and looking at the completely transformed island,
Ei let out yet another exclamation of amazement.
"You did all this too?"
On the island,
a port had been built on the left side.
It was located at the far western edge of Koseki Village.
At the same time, a city was under construction there.
Most of its framework had already been completed.
Meanwhile, the original site of Koseki Village had been rebuilt into a massive train station.
Looking closer,
in the lower section of the city, near Asase Shrine, stood a gigantic stone monument.
Pointing at the monument engraved with red letters, Ei asked,
"What is that?"
She remembered there had been no monument here before.
Su Han smiled faintly and spoke three words.
"A Pillar of Shame."
"What does that mean?"
Ei still didn't understand.
Su Han did not explain further.
Instead, he grabbed her hand and flew directly toward it.
Only when they drew close enough for the writing to become clear did Ei finally understand.
The monument recorded Ei's past achievements.
At the same time, it listed the crimes of Asase Hibiki and that pirate.
[Long ago, the resentful Thunder Bird Kapatcir attacked Seirai Island. The Shogun used her supreme divine power to slay it at Amakumo Peak, preventing countless subjects from being slaughtered by the evil Thunder Bird.]
After this record of merit,
came large blood-red words.
[The Great Crime of Asase Shrine: Five hundred years ago, Asase Hibiki, the Guuji who inherited the shrine's legacy, received teachings from the Electro Archon and the former Grand Guuji of the Grand Narukami Shrine. Yet not only did she fail in her duty as a retainer, she fell in love with a pirate and, out of resentment, released the power of the Thunder Bird's vengeful spirit.]
[This grave crime must be remembered forever by the people of Seirai Island. Never become an ungrateful traitor who repays kindness with betrayal.]
After reading the monument, Ei smiled and said,
"Protecting Inazuma is my duty. There's really no need to publicize it so extensively."
In her eyes,
Inazuma was her home.
Since when did protecting one's family require such fanfare? It felt rather embarrassing.
Realizing Ei had misunderstood the issue, Su Han explained with a serious expression.
"These are two completely different concepts."
"First, if the people don't know what you've done for Inazuma, they'll naturally be influenced by rumors."
"Watatsumi Island is a very obvious example."
"The islanders hate you because they don't know how tolerant and magnanimous you've been. That's why they've always harbored hostility toward you."
"But if rewards and authority are used together, and they learn of your deeds, then it becomes a completely different matter."
The people of Watatsumi Island were backward and ignorant.
They were being manipulated like toys without realizing it.
But the main reason was still Ei's laziness and neglect of government affairs.
Faced with Su Han's criticism,
Ei nodded repeatedly like a pecking chick.
After all, she truly didn't understand.
During the time that followed, Su Han took her around Seirai Island.
At every location, he explained numerous things.
Although Ei failed to fully grasp most of them, this time she remembered them and continuously thought about the underlying issues.
For example, the construction of the sea train.
Humans lacked the ability to fly, and crossing the sea required ships. If trains existed, travel would become incredibly convenient.
And that wasn't all.
Reducing transportation costs would also make the people happier.
Simply put, goods would become cheaper.
The Mora people earned would be enough to buy a greater variety of things.
Furthermore, employment opportunities would improve.
It was a comprehensive issue.
After another island exploration ended,
Ei felt she had learned many things.
However, before leaving Seirai Island,
Su Han said something else to her.
"After everything you've seen today, do you feel there are many things you need to learn?"
"Yes. Not only are there many, but I also feel incapable of handling them all."
Ei did not hide anything.
She said exactly what she thought.
To be honest, she had learned a great deal, but it also left her feeling as though she knew nothing.
That sense of clumsiness
was truly unpleasant.
Hearing this, Su Han grinned mischievously and waggled his eyebrows.
"Then how about I teach you a simple method?"
"What kind of simple method?"
Ei's eyes immediately lit up.
She certainly didn't want to become like Yae Miko, spending every day reviewing documents.
Not only would that prevent her strength from improving, it would also divide her attention.
If not for the fact that she had just made a major mistake,
the Electro Archon would already have become a hands-off ruler again.
"It's very simple. Learn how to employ talented people. At the same time, learn how to identify talented people."
"Take Kujou Sara, for example. She's a pure warrior."
"Anything related to military affairs and martial arts, she can handle perfectly."
"And right now, those are exactly the kinds of people you need."
Inazuma lacked too much talent.
The previous bureaucracy had become completely corrupt.
So if Ei wanted a lighter workload, she needed to recruit a large number of capable people.
"But how do I recruit them?"
Ei found herself troubled.
The aftereffects of the Sakoku Decree had appeared.
There were too few officials and a severe shortage of talent.
Even if she wanted to recruit people, she needed the means to do so.
Su Han had already prepared a solution.
"Don't worry. I'll transfer a group of personnel from Liyue to help you. But you'll need to pay them generous salaries."
"That's not a problem!"
When it came to money,
Ei didn't care in the slightest.
After all, she wasn't lacking in funds.
As for the national treasury, as long as prosperity returned, the difficulties would soon pass.
Su Han nodded.
"Since that's settled, I'll inform Ningguang later and have her prepare the personnel. As for the duration, let's make it three years."
Any longer,
and the people from Liyue would not be able to endure it.
Too long,
and problems would easily arise.
Three years could serve as a trial period.
He believed Ningguang would agree.
That evening,
Su Han brought Ei back to the shrine.
Kitsune Saiguu, who had been reading manga, stood up with a smile when she saw the two return.
"How was today's tour?"
"It was absolutely terrible."
Ei collapsed into a chair, her face filled with exhaustion and regret.
Clearly, she now understood just how many flaws there were in her concept of Eternity.
Seeing this, Su Han asked,
"Is the food ready? We're starving."
Kitsune Saiguu raised an eyebrow.
"It was prepared long ago. We've just been waiting for you to come back."
Dinner was incredibly lavish.
This was thanks to the culinary skills Kitsune Saiguu had learned from Xiangling.
The two had become quite close recently.
With the help of a master chef, her improvement had naturally been rapid.
After eating and drinking their fill,
Ei returned to the Plane of Euthymia to rest.
Meanwhile, Su Han entered the Serenitea Pot to continue comprehending the power of time.
As for Kitsune Saiguu, she wasn't idle either. She was writing a guide on efficiently handling Inazuma's governmental affairs.
As well as recording historical events.
During their earlier conversation, the fox had heard about the monument.
She felt the concept could be developed further.
They could even erect statues of heroes, establish special festivals, and allow the people to come and pay their respects.
Thinking of this,
Kitsune Saiguu's face softened with warmth, her eyes filled with emotion.
She looked up at the Sacred Sakura before her and murmured softly.
"Makoto, you once said Ei was clumsy. But can you see her now?"
"She's really improving."
"Working hard to learn. Working hard to move forward."
"Even if her pace is slow, even if she made mistakes, as long as she's improving, I think you'd be very happy."
Back then,
she had always enjoyed teasing Ei.
Whenever she saw Ei's awkward side, she would secretly delight in it.
Now, as she recalled the past,
Kitsune Saiguu could not help cursing herself for being an idiot.
If she had listened to Su Han earlier,
perhaps Ei would never have become so withdrawn.
After reminiscing for a while, Kitsune Saiguu returned to her work.
Unbeknownst to her,
the moment she lowered her head,
a faint trace of purple spiritual light slowly appeared within the canopy of the Sacred Sakura.
Night had grown deep.
All things had fallen asleep.
The Serenitea Pot on the stone table emitted a faint glow.
Soon afterward, Su Han emerged from within.
Looking at the clock, he realized it was already one in the morning.
"It's this late already? Studying the Tree of Time really is time-consuming..."
Su Han shook his head lightly.
Back when he read cultivation novels, he always felt that spending hundreds of years in enlightenment seemed effortless.
Only after personally encountering such things did he realize that even a few hundred years was considered short.
Over the following days,
Su Han continued doing the same thing.
Every day he took Ei into the streets.
The first two days were spent in Inazuma. Afterward, they visited Liyue and Mondstadt.
Looking at the incredibly prosperous cities,
Ei finally understood why her people had fled.
One place was hell.
The other was paradise.
Forget the citizens.
Even she wanted to stay in Liyue permanently.
Merchants were everywhere.
People filled every street.
There were all kinds of rare treasures, and thousands of desserts she had never seen before.
In Liyue, as long as you had Mora, you could buy anything you wanted.
After this experience,
Ei finally formed a vision for how to reform Inazuma.
After returning from Mondstadt, she discussed matters with Miko and eventually announced a talent recruitment policy.
Not only would recruits receive food and housing, but also homes, martial training, and various other benefits.
If their descendants displayed exceptional talent, the Inazuma government would personally nurture them.
Such an announcement immediately attracted large numbers of people.
Of course, this was also thanks to Su Han's efforts.
He spread the news throughout Mondstadt and Liyue.
Otherwise, Inazuma alone simply did not have enough talent.
At the same time,
on Mt. Yougou.
It was only noon.
Yet Su Han had already emerged from the Serenitea Pot.
Kitsune Saiguu, who was cooking seafood porridge, immediately guessed that he had encountered problems in his cultivation when she saw his dissatisfied expression.
"Can't comprehend the power of the Tree of Time?"
"Mm. I've absorbed quite a few of the light particles already, but I still can't deepen my understanding."
Over the past few days, Su Han had experimented with many methods.
Blood-binding.
Aura imprinting.
Yet no matter which method he used, he couldn't speed up the absorption of the silver light particles.
Kitsune Saiguu pondered for a moment and suddenly thought of something.
"How about trying your luck in the consciousness space beneath the mountain?"
"Beneath the mountain? You mean Makoto's consciousness space?"
"Exactly. Makoto's authority inherently contains the power of time and space. If you go there, it might help. However, be careful. The spacetime inside isn't very stable."
Kitsune Saiguu's expression turned serious.
Although Makoto's personal strength had been weak, that didn't mean her authority was weak.
The power of time and space was both dangerous and terrifying.
If one wasn't careful, they could easily be swept away into an unknown dimension.
Su Han nodded lightly.
Suddenly, he thought of something.
"Hey, do you think that consciousness space could send me five hundred years into the past?"
Although he said it jokingly,
Su Han genuinely thought it was possible.
After all, Ei had planted Makoto's soul inside it.
Kitsune Saiguu rolled her eyes.
"As if. If time travel were possible, I would've told Ei to change the past long ago."
"But in reality, it's only a consciousness space."
"Although it's somewhat special, even Makoto couldn't affect the past or the future."
"We already tested that back then."
Su Han found it somewhat strange.
He thought of another question.
"Then what exactly is that consciousness space?"
The game never provided much explanation.
It only stated that it was Makoto's consciousness space and that Ei had sealed it away.
Whenever she and the Shogun puppet had a conflict, they would go there to "mediate."
In reality, they simply fought.
Whoever won got the final say.
Slowly stirring the porridge, Kitsune Saiguu answered,
"Don't you already know where Ei and Makoto came from? That's the tunnel they opened."
"So that's how it is."
The Electro Archons of Inazuma were not native gods.
They had crossed the sea from a distant place before arriving in Inazuma.
Many parts of the legends were exaggerated.
But some portions were true.
For example, in the beginning, Inazuma was a land of bake-danuki and foxes.
There were no gods there.
Only after Ei and Makoto arrived
did the region gain civilization and unity.
However, Makoto's personality was extremely gentle, which meant the yokai never treated the sisters with much formality.
In short, every day was noisy and lively.
In the past, Su Han had researched Genshin Impact's history.
He had even wondered whether Makoto and Ei came from some mysterious land.
Now, the answer had been revealed.
The so-called sea might be similar to the Dark Sea that Orobashi once traveled through, representing space itself.
And Makoto's consciousness space was actually the spatial gateway that had once connected to Inazuma.