chapter 28

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Chapter 28: The Hiiragi Family's Master Who Knows the Times

Although she didn't fully understand the extent of Su Ran's power, General Raiden could not harbor any hostility toward him. She was no longer the stubborn person she once was. She had learned how to adapt, how to yield.

Su Ran's strength was far beyond that of a mere demon god. Perhaps even the laws of nature were weaker than him. General Raiden knew this from personal experience.

So, when Kujo Takayuki suggested capturing Su Ran, she couldn't help but ask herself: Just me?

General Raiden, General Raiden! You have no obligation to face someone who is utterly invincible!

But then she quickly realized: Why should I see him as an enemy? Su Ran was now the one shaping eternity. They were on the same side. It was Kujo Takayuki, colluding with the Fatui and opposing her eternity, who truly deserved punishment.

General Raiden began to feel that Kujo Takayuki had crossed a line. He dared to deny eternity in front of her and accuse an innocent person. Was he treating her like a fool?

"Do you realize that this man is the one who defeated me?" she asked coldly.

"..."

Kujo Takayuki's words died in his throat. He looked at the man holding the petite Raiden Shogun puppet, guilt written all over his face.

"Funny thing," Su Ran added, "I may be an executive of the Fatui, but I happen to have proof of your dealings with them."

With a single word from Su Ran, the Fatui agents in Inazuma would present all the evidence against Kujo Takayuki. As an executive of the Fatui, Su Ran had immense influence. No one would dare oppose him, not even if it disrupted other plans. The only ones who could challenge him would be other Fatui executives, but so far, Su Ran had yet to contact any Fatui agents in Inazuma. Even if they knew he was present, they had never been directly involved with him.

"Would you like me to show you the evidence, head of the Kujo family?" Su Ran asked with a mocking smile as he leaned toward Kujo Takayuki. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to betray you as a partner~"

His apologetic tone only made Kujo Takayuki angrier. His eyes blazed with rage, as if he wanted to tear Su Ran apart. Meanwhile, Hiiragi Shinsuke felt a pang of guilt. Unlike Kujo Takayuki, he didn't dare provoke Su Ran directly.

"You fools… You truly deserve to die! If I had been more clear-sighted, I would never have entered into this deal!" Kujo Takayuki snarled.

At this point, there was no room for denial. General Raiden herself had confirmed that Su Ran was stronger than even her. Their defeat was complete. The Kujo family had always relied on the military strength of the Raiden Shogun, but now that even she could not stand against Su Ran, what hope did they have? When your enemy's power is overwhelming, all strategies crumble to dust.

"Guards! Take Kujo Takayuki away!" General Raiden commanded.

Two guards entered and dragged Kujo Takayuki out of the room. With his sole ally gone, Hiiragi Shinsuke felt deep regret. Why had he listened to Kujo Takayuki and followed him here? Now, he had to figure out how to minimize the punishment his family would face.

"Now, it's your turn, old man. Do you have anything else to say?" Su Ran asked, his voice sharp.

Compared to Kujo Takayuki's treachery, Hiiragi Shinsuke's offenses seemed minor. His crimes were mainly corruption, embezzling money, and exploiting foreign merchants. Under normal circumstances, he would face severe punishment. But after Kujo Takayuki's betrayal, his sins seemed lighter in comparison.

"Do you want to save face and step down yourself, or should I help you?" Su Ran asked.

As a Fatui executive, Su Ran had no personal stake in Inazuma's affairs. His only reason for targeting these men was his dislike of them. If they hadn't come to him today, he wouldn't have bothered to get involved. But since they had, he felt obliged to entertain them.

"Do I still have a chance, Executive?" Hiiragi Shinsuke asked, knowing his situation was precarious.

He was not as stubborn as Kujo Takayuki, who had already been dragged away. Su Ran wasn't Inazuma's ruler; he was an outsider, an executive of the Fatui. Hiiragi Shinsuke had dealt with the Fatui before and knew they were direct in their dealings.

"You still have a chance, depending on how you behave, Master Hiiragi," Su Ran replied, patting him on the shoulder.

"If it pleases the Executive, the Hiiragi family is willing to offer 90% of its assets," Hiiragi Shinsuke offered, hoping to appease Su Ran.

Hiiragi Shinsuke had realized that the eternal dream General Raiden spoke of wasn't just talk. It was something real and imminent. In that case, holding onto his wealth no longer made sense. The 10% he kept was simply a safety net in case the eternal dream collapsed in the future. He didn't want the Hiiragi family to fall to the level of commoners overnight.

"You're quite generous," Su Ran remarked, slightly surprised. Ninety percent of the Hiiragi family's wealth was no small sum. Although Inazuma was one of the more remote nations in Teyvat, it was still one of the Seven Nations. And with Liyue, a major trading hub, nearby, the Hiiragi family's assets were quite significant.

Seeing Su Ran's interest, Hiiragi Shinsuke seized the opportunity. "Not only that, I also have a daughter. She is so beautiful that she could make the moon hide in shame, make the flowers wilt, and cause even the fish and birds to stop in awe…"

With the Kujo family likely doomed, the engagement between the two families would naturally be broken. Hiiragi Shinsuke knew that people were realistic, and now was the time to sever ties with the Kujo family. Instead, he had to secure a future by allying with Su Ran, the powerful Fatui executive who held sway over General Raiden.

Su Ran, however, looked at Hiiragi Shinsuke with a trace of contempt. "Enough, enough. I'm not interested in your daughter. No matter how beautiful she is, can she compare to General Raiden?"

"Of course not..." Hiiragi Shinsuke stammered, glancing nervously at General Raiden and breaking out into a cold sweat.

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