Chapter 102

As the last descendant of the Kaedehara clan, Kaedehara Kazuha simply and elegantly spent his remaining family fortune to embark on a journey after his family's decline.

He traveled slowly across the sea in a small boat, taking the heavens and earth as his home and all living things as his poetic companions.

When the heart reaches the state of "emptiness," all things in the world become "empty"; when the heart is "pure" and clear, all things in the world become "pure."

Even when encountering thunderstorms or wind and rain, he remained as he always did, keeping nature as his companion.

He had thought that even if he encountered the most bizarre events, he would face them calmly, but now he truly could not bear the shocking fact before him.

"The Raiden Shogun?!"

Kaedehara Kazuha was extremely shocked; how could the General appear here?

He had once been fortunate enough to witness a duel before the throne between his friend and the Shogunate General Kujou Sara, only to see his friend finished off by a single strike from that supreme and noble Raiden Shogun after his defeat.

Although he dared not look for long, that fleeting glimpse of the high and mighty General had been deeply imprinted in his mind.

That sense of majesty and the dignity of a deity who could cleanse the thunder of the ten directions was something he feared he would never forget for all eternity.

And now, that General was standing before him without any warning.

Kaedehara Kazuha was stunned; one must know that he had only fled Inazuma to escape the pursuit of the Vision Hunt Decree.

Now that he was facing the General in person, wasn't this walking straight into a trap?

On the other side, Beidou was taken aback when she saw Kaedehara Kazuha subconsciously reveal a defensive posture upon seeing that beautiful purple-haired woman.

Everything was fine, and there were no enemies around, so why act like this?

Seeing this scene, Luo Li immediately understood the reason.

"Perhaps it's because she looks a bit like someone else, so he's a little surprised."

He took the initiative to explain, leading Raiden Makoto before the group.

Kaedehara Kazuha subconsciously took a step back, only then looking at Luo Li, who was beside Raiden Makoto.

He had been too shocked just a moment ago to notice that there was a young man beside the woman who looked so much like the General.

The other party was staring at him with interest, and that gaze, which seemed to be able to see through a person's heart, made Kazuha feel a jolt of alarm; he felt as if nothing could be hidden from that man.

"Wait... wife...?"

Kazuha suddenly realized that the young man's choice of words seemed a bit off.

Only then did he notice that the "Raiden Shogun" was holding the young man's arm, her expression and demeanor extremely intimate.

Moreover, unlike the majesty of the General in his memory, the "General" before him, while also possessing a sense of unapproachable distance, appeared exceptionally gentle, and her eyes radiated a certain peaceful brilliance, not at all as pitch-black and deep as that other one.

Luo Li took Makoto's hand in return and introduced himself with a smile: "You may call me Luo Li, and this is my wife, Makoto."

Kaedehara Kazuha looked back and forth, taking a long time to struggle with accepting this fact.

Their temperaments were completely different; aside from their looks being almost identical, one could still find many differences if one looked closely.

However, because of his psychological trauma, he dared not look too much, but his tense body relaxed significantly.

"It shouldn't be possible for that General to fall in love with anyone."

Muttering to himself, Kazuha didn't think anyone could withstand the favor of a deity, only sighing that someone could look exactly like the Raiden Shogun; that young man was truly enviable.

Having barely managed to accept the fact, he still felt a vague sense that something was not quite right.

Before he could figure out why, Luo Li had already joined up with Eula, Noelle, and the others.

Beidou vaguely sensed that Luo Li was the leader of the group and couldn't help but ask: "You are all heading to Liyue Harbor, right?"

"That's right. We heard the Rite of Descension is about to begin, so we're taking the opportunity to broaden our horizons."

"Haha, that's great. We're heading back too. Since we've met by chance, why not travel back together? It'll be good to look out for each other."

It’s no wonder Beidou loves making friends; despite it being their first meeting, and having only met Eula twice, she directly invited them to be guests on the Alcor.

Luo Li had no reason to object and turned to ask for Raiden Makoto's thoughts.

"What do you think?"

Raiden Makoto just glanced at him: "I'll listen to you."

"Aren't you afraid of being identified by that ronin?"

Hearing this, Makoto narrowed her eyes: "It's only a matter of time. If we can pass some rumors to Ei through him, so she has some mental preparation in advance, that might not be a bad thing."

"Are you serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

After understanding Makoto's thoughts, Luo Li agreed to Captain Beidou's proposal.

Afterward, leaving the crew of the Alcor to clean up, the group returned to the ship.

On board, Noelle tried Liyue-style cooking for the first time and couldn't help but exclaim how wonderful it was, seemingly intending to learn a thing or two.

The ship's doctor, Ginkgo, told her that the ship's cook was quite mediocre, and it would be better to ask Xiangling for advice when they met her.

Through the topic of cooking, Noelle and Ginkgo unexpectedly hit it off.

Meanwhile, Luo Li, Raiden Makoto, and Eula were invited by Beidou to a simple victory banquet on the ship.

After all, they had just destroyed eight pirate ships and saved a whole ship of civilians, and since they were already in Liyue's territorial waters, there was no need to worry about further accidents.

Only after spending real time together did Luo Li realize that Beidou's charisma was indeed strong; the term "heroine among women" was absolutely accurate.

In just one afternoon, having admired the martial arts of Eula and Noelle, she had significantly closed the distance with the group.

It was the first time Luo Li had seen Eula express goodwill toward others so quickly.

While everyone was having a merry time, only Kaedehara Kazuha sat alone at the bow of the ship.

Seeing Raiden Makoto made him think of his hometown, Inazuma, once again.

No matter how much of a wanderer one is, there is always a time when one misses home.

"...I remember Yoimiya asked the Captain to transport fireworks to Liyue before. Calculating the time, it's almost time for the handover. When I go, I'll ask the Captain to stay for a few more days."

Gazing at the sea, Kazuha thought to himself.

Because they were escorting a passenger ship, the Crux Fleet's speed was not fast, and it was almost sunset before the silhouette of Liyue Harbor appeared in the distance.

As faint ripples stirred on the gently swaying sea, the bustling city nestled in the harbor suddenly appeared before their eyes.

Gazing at Liyue Harbor, which seemed not to have changed much in five hundred years, Luo Li, who was drinking with Beidou, couldn't help but fall into memories.

"Finally back again."

The soft words were heard clearly only by Raiden Makoto, and perhaps only she could understand the complex meaning behind them.