39: Secret Talks at the Tenshukaku

Inazuma – Grand Narukami Shrine

The High Priestess's chambers were known throughout all of Inazuma—and not just the shrine—as one of the most mysterious places in the region. Yet anyone lucky enough to be invited in would likely be shocked by its simplicity.

There were no lavish ornaments, no mystical runes—only plain sliding doors, a futon, and a small table. It looked no different from the room of a commoner. In fact, if not for the women's clothing hanging beside the wardrobe, one might not even realize this was a woman's bedroom.

At this moment, a stunning woman with soft pink hair lounged lazily on her futon, flipping through a stack of manuscript pages in her hand with a bored expression. On the nearby table within easy reach sat a plate of freshly made deep-fried tofu, clearly positioned with precision to be eaten without getting up.

The beauty set the manuscript down with a sigh, reached for her chopsticks, and placed a piece of tofu in her mouth. A look of bliss instantly crossed her face as she chewed slowly with closed eyes. But the pleasure quickly faded, and she slumped again in boredom.

After a few seconds of silence, she suddenly called out,

"Nana! Come here."

A voice responded from outside, and a shrine maiden swiftly entered, bowing respectfully.

"Lady Guuji."

This shrine maiden was Kano Nana, the one Yae Miko trusted most at the shrine. Whether that trust stemmed from Nana's reliability or their shared obsession with light novels remained unclear.

Yae Miko sat upright and asked casually,

"Has Sensei Su Jin returned yet?"

Kano Nana immediately understood the intent behind the question and shook her head.

"There's been no word of her returning to Inazuma. Last I heard, she was seen in Liyue, but her whereabouts are currently unknown."

"Liyue?" Yae Miko tapped her finger against her lip, deep in thought.

"Su Jin-sensei" was an author under the Yae Publishing House, and a prolific one at that. She had produced many excellent novels while residing in Inazuma, including the popular "Reincarnated as a Slime: Swallowed Dvalin on Day One," which had already seen three published volumes. Unfortunately, just as fans eagerly awaited the fourth, Su Jin suddenly disappeared—ceasing both her contributions and all contact.

Of course, most people didn't know Su Jin's true identity, but Yae Miko did.

She was none other than the 12th Fatui Harbinger, Saphir.

Miko didn't particularly mind the fact that Su Jin was with the Fatui—after all, even the flamboyant Scaramouche had a connection to her.

What puzzled her was why Saphir had gone to Liyue. If the intelligence wasn't wrong, Childe was already stationed there. Two Harbingers in Liyue at once? What was this, an invasion? She quietly compared their strength.

"Nah, no way. Even together, they're probably no match for one of Morax's hands."

Thinking things over, Miko decided she needed to take a look herself. After dismissing Nana, she blinked and instantly reappeared within the Tenshukaku.

Inside, seated at her desk, a purple-haired figure sat with her eyes closed, seemingly in meditation. She didn't move, though a faint furrow formed between her brows, annoyed at the disturbance.

Yae Miko studied her carefully—this reaction confirmed what she suspected.

Her gaze swept around the Tenshukaku before landing on the book in front of the Shogun: "Reincarnated as a Slime: Swallowed Dvalin on Day One Vol.1."

Yes, the ever-serious Raiden Shogun was reading a light novel.

"How lazy. The mighty Shogun, so absorbed in a novel during official business," Yae Miko teased with a chuckle.

Seeing she'd been caught, Raiden Ei clicked her tongue and opened her eyes. Violet light shimmered in their depths, her beauty enhanced by the small mole at the corner of her eye. Clearly, this wasn't the puppet—this was the real Raiden Ei.

"If you're so free, Miko, maybe go fetch Su Jin-sensei instead of disturbing my work," Ei said without any shame, hugging her novel as if nothing was wrong.

Yae Miko sighed. She'd long since resigned herself to her friend's hopeless behavior. Honestly, it was a miracle Inazuma hadn't collapsed yet—thank the heavens for the puppet Shogun, who still took the job seriously. Ei, on the other hand, would burn the whole country down for another chapter.

With a sigh, she placed a plate of dango on the table.

No sooner had it landed than Ei snatched a skewer and stuffed it into her mouth at lightning speed—so fast even Yae Miko, a centuries-old kitsune, failed to react.

"Actually, I came here to talk about just that," Miko said.

Ei, hearing that it concerned something of interest, finally put down her book and turned to face her friend with a rare serious expression.

It made Miko twitch.

"That look... last time I saw it, you were about to split Orobashi in half."

But Ei didn't care. Arms folded across her chest, that proud curve trembled with the motion.

"This is a matter of great importance. It cannot wait."

"Damn, she's really hooked…" Yae Miko finally understood where Su Jin-sensei had picked up her habit of weird phrases and dramatic flair.

Because of Ei's obsession with eternity, she had already enforced the Sakoku Decree, surrounding Inazuma with impassable thunderstorms. To most, they were deadly. But Miko wasn't worried—those storms couldn't hurt her. She saw this visit as a parting gesture before her journey.

"If that's your decision, I won't stop you. Honestly, lately the puppet Shogun's been rejecting me more and more. I should probably return to the Plane of Euthymia and meditate," Ei said nonchalantly, flipping her light novel again.

Yae Miko caught the real meaning behind those words.

She recalled a bet that Ei and Su Jin had made:

"In two years, a blonde girl will appear before you and shatter your rigid beliefs. If I lose, I'll work at the Yae Publishing House. If I win, the Gnosis is mine."

Yae Miko could still remember Su Jin's confident smile.

But now, she could only shake her head.

"Su Jin-sensei… you already lost."

Ei's path had already been shaken—not by some mysterious blonde girl, but by Su Jin herself.

Ei didn't care about the Gnosis. She wouldn't cheat. She was patiently waiting for the two-year deadline—and half of that time had already passed.

As the violet glow faded from Ei's eyes and her expression stiffened, the puppet Shogun returned to control.

Yae Miko found the puppet dreadfully boring. With nothing more to say, she turned and left the Tenshukaku.

She was headed to Liyue…

Ready to give Su Jin-sensei a surprise she'd never forget.

What they didn't know was that this decision—made so casually—completely reset the Inazuma storyline that Saphir had worked so hard to alter. It caught Saphir totally off guard.

Back in Inazuma, Yefei of the Fatui and the Tenryou Commission began to move.

On the third day after Miko's departure, a decree was announced:

The Vision Hunt Decree.

With the Guuji no longer present at the shrine, shadows grew bolder. And Saphir, still in Mondstadt training with the three girls, had no idea what was happening behind her back.

As for Lin Yi? His desperate sprint hadn't saved him.

After a solid beating from Saphir, he was much more well-behaved, keeping his flirtatious remarks to himself.

The three girls trained harder than ever, swiftly wiping out Hilichurl camps as if reborn.

Once Barbara hit level 20, Saphir stopped assisting entirely—not even casting Guardian's Blessing. Any injuries were healed solely by Barbara. Noelle leveled up again through combat, and Lumine, who had yet to receive a ley line infusion, gained the most from the journey.

After fending off countless monsters, the group finally arrived at the Cryo Regisvine.

A towering, silver-white tree stood in the open valley, both beautiful and imposing.

Lin Yi began his explanation:

"The Cryo Regisvine is actually a plant. It's been corrupted by frost energy seeping from the ley lines, turning it into a magical creature. It looks scary, but it's not that strong.

Noelle, this one's on you. Use Geo against its Cryo element to trigger Crystalize reactions—the shields will help us block its attacks."

Noelle nodded with a tense expression and charged forward.

"Time to clean up the battlefield!"

Her light-infused greatsword swung down in a blur, carving into the icy bark.

Crystals of frozen energy scattered everywhere.

Quick-eyed Lumine picked up several and tossed them to Barbara and Lin Yi.

Saphir, meanwhile, lounged on a safe ledge, cuddling Paimon and watching the fight unfold.

Noelle grabbed a crystal, crushed it, and gained an extra Cryo shield layered over her existing armor.

The Cryo Regisvine roared in response, unleashing a massive X-shaped frost beam.

But it missed. After days of grinding, the group had become nimble and battle-hardened—this attack wasn't enough to catch them off guard.

However, a problem quickly surfaced.

Without Pyro, they couldn't break the Regisvine's cryo shield, meaning they couldn't deal real damage.

The fight reached a stalemate—neither side could hurt the other.

Saphir sighed, placed a purring Paimon down, and stood up.

Light shimmered across her body as she switched forms.

"Flying Squirrel."

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