Chapter 311: Lesson One

"Huh, isn't that Shadow's sword?"

Ying has seen Lei Dianying use One-Hearted Dream.

Therefore, when she saw Luo De take out One-Hearted Dream, she went over with Paimon.

Luo De originally wanted to hide One-Hearted Dream a bit, treating it as a hidden trump card.

But there was no way.

The owner of One-Hearted Dream is Lei Dianying, not Luo De.

Moreover, it is not like Thousand-Night Floating Dream, which Lei Dianying had granted permission to use.

Luo De couldn't store One-Hearted Dream in his body like Thousand-Night Floating Dream and Piercing Rainbow Spear, so he could only just openly hold it in his hand.

Moreover, if he wanted to communicate with Lei Dianying, he had to grasp One-Hearted Dream in his hand.

If he loses this carrier,

Unless Lei Dianying herself actively finds a carrier, otherwise they can't even speak.

Fortunately.

Luo De had prepared his words to fool people.

"This is a gift of compensation from Yae Miko."

"I had kept it in the cabin all along; since we're about to disembark, I took it out."

After Luo De obtained One-Hearted Dream, he had never taken it out before; now it's about to reach Liyue, he can't hide it anymore, so he simply found an excuse to take it out.

And after saying all that,

Luo De quickly stopped Paimon's attempt to touch One-Hearted Dream: "Don't touch, the curse on this blade from Yae Miko recognizes people; if outsiders randomly touch it, they'll be hurt by the blade's sharp aura."

"Hiss—"

Upon hearing that, Paimon quickly retracted her hand.

Although she had never seen Lei Dianying use One-Hearted Dream, she had heard Ying describe once the terrifying scene when facing the Electro Archon.

In her mind, she suddenly imagined her own hand being sliced into several pieces by One-Hearted Dream.

This made her even more afraid; she quickly covered her eyes and hid behind Ying.

Luo De and Ying exchanged a glance, then he shook his head and said: "Little guy, not old, but your imagination is quite rich."

Having said that,

He then placed One-Hearted Dream close to his body, to prevent anyone from touching it or it touching others.

Although what he just said had a lot of fooling Paimon in it.

But the statement that recklessly touching One-Hearted Dream would cause injury is indeed true.

Divine weapons are not something mortals can casually approach.

Especially divine artifacts that have been used in slaughter, even more so.

One-Hearted Dream is a divine artifact that has slaughtered abyssal monsters; Luo De witnessed its killing aura during the One-Hearted Pure Land, seeing just how terrifying it is.

If Paimon randomly touches it, losing a hand would be minor; she might even lose her life.

Actually, according to Luo De's idea.

He originally wanted to wait until returning to Mount Meru before taking out One-Hearted Dream.

But when the passenger ship was about to reach Liyue,

Leidian Zhen strongly requested Luo De to bring Lei Dianying to experience foreign customs and learn how the Geo Archon governs the nation.

Although Luo De repeatedly emphasized that Zhongli has fled, the person currently in power is the former Demon-Subduing Great Sage, a martial man who does not involve himself in state affairs.

But Leidian Zhen still insisted on letting Lei Dianying go see, saying it would be very beneficial for her.

Luo De couldn't.

He could only bring One-Hearted Dream.

Soon.

After the ship docked, Luo De, Ying, and Paimon disembarked together and returned to the long-missed Liyue Harbor.

As mentioned before.

This passenger ship was carrying a lot of cargo.

Therefore, their docking time is three days, not the usual one day for ordinary ocean-going passenger ships.

"Three days, huh."

Luo De, holding One-Hearted Dream, turned his head and said: "Where do you guys want to go?"

"Nowhere to go."

"Let's go to the Hall of Mortal Affairs!"

Ying and Paimon gave two completely different answers.

Since someone has put forward a clear idea.

Then the goal is clear.

"I'll treat you."

Luo De generously waved his hand, then walked ahead, heading toward the Hall of Mortal Affairs.

Along the way.

Not only Ying and Paimon's chatter, Luo De also had to deal with Lei Dianying's hundred thousand 'whys'.

After being reclusive for five hundred years.

This is still Lei Dianying's first time properly observing human society.

Unlike Inazuma, which had just freed itself from the Seclusion Decree and the Eye of the Storm Decree, Liyue's peace and stability have lasted hundreds of years since the Calamity of Darkness; thus, for Luo De and company, the bustling market atmosphere is nothing unusual, but for Lei Dianying it is quite novel.

Luo De answered Lei Dianying's questions one by one.

From the varieties of goods sold at the stalls to the social structure of Liyue's people, he explained everything he knew in detail, fulfilling a teacher's duty very well.

This is what Raiden Ei wants Luo De to teach Lei Dian Ying.

Nothing else.

It is simply how to let the people of Inazuma live as happily as people in other nations.

Lei Dian Ying studied very seriously, even conjuring paper and pen to record everything Luo De said, with a solemn expression completely unlike that of a deity.

The only regret.

That Lei Dian Ying currently has no physical form; even if she sees a sweet snack she's interested in, she cannot taste it.

All the way to Hall of Ten Thousand Peoples.

Xiangling, who was busy preparing ingredients, saw Luo De and his companions and immediately rushed over excitedly.

"Luo De, you're back in Liyue again~~"

The excitement on Xiangling's face could not be concealed.

Luo De was the first customer to voluntarily try her bizarre new dish, even bringing others to sample it and spending a lot of money to buy those recipes that outsiders consider bizarre.

For Xiangling, this.

Meant that finally someone could recognize her talent.

Thus, when she saw Luo De again, Xiangling burst forth with a passion far hotter than that she showed to other customers, including Ying and Paimon.

And the first thing she said upon seeing Luo De was: "Luo De, there's a new dish today."

"Sure, let's try the new dish."

Luo De had no dietary restrictions and agreed to try the new dish.

In comparison.

Ying and Paimon's expressions were somewhat worse.

Previously, Luo De had taken them to eat an insect feast.

That meal.

Left them with a deep and not-so-pleasant memory.

Fortunately.

Paimon and Ying had enough manners.

While Xiangling eagerly ran to the kitchen to prepare the new dish, Paimon cautiously hovered by Luo De's ear and whispered, "Um, can I switch to eating boiled black-backed perch instead?" "Then why didn't you say so earlier?"

Luo De was amused; since you don't want to try the new dish, why not say so earlier? "This isn't it, you're the host~~~"

Paimon rubbed her hands and hehehed.

"I can order whatever I want as the host."

Luo De was both amused and exasperated by Paimon's sudden politeness, and then asked Ying, "What would you like to eat?"

"Hmm"

"Give me a plate of crab roe tofu."

Ying also ordered a dish.

She and Paimon didn't order much, leaving room in their stomachs so they could try the new dish later, since not tasting it would be overly rude.

Luo De smiled.

He called over other servers and had normal dishes ordered for Ying and Paimon as well.

"Is the new dish that Chef Xiangling makes scary?"

While waiting for Xiangling to serve the dish, they heard Raiden Ei ask.

Seeing Ying and Paimon's fearful expressions at the mention of the new dish made her genuinely curious.

"Xiangling sometimes just uses somewhat unconventional ingredients."

Luo De thought for a moment and continued: "When I previously came to Liyue, I once researched some bizarre yet common ingredients together with my senior brother and Xiangling here, hoping to develop a new type of ingredient that could fill people's stomachs."

"You also know this."

"Xu Mi has this vast desert."

"Although we built a huge city there, the Academy is constantly researching the possibility of greening the desert."

"But the desert is simply too large."

"So large that even the desert's population is less than half that of the rainforest region, and even if the rainforest were willing to unconditionally support food and the Fertility Blessing, the desert still couldn't sustain so many people."

"You understand, we are very short on food."

Saying this, Luo De couldn't help but sigh.

The situation in Xu Mi is not objective.

Hope City's construction budget keeps rising, and the supporting roads, vehicles, equipment, etc. also take up a large portion of the expenses.

Yet such a huge city.

Still cannot accommodate all the desert dwellers.

Moreover, there is a very real problem.

That is, Hope City was built relying on the Oasis Source, and it itself occupies a water source with a decent flow.

This means that Hope City's model is difficult to expand to other desert areas.

Unless Apei Pu has a change of heart and is willing to continue granting the Oasis Source for free.

But even if Apei Pu is willing to give out the Oasis Source.

Xu Mi also lacks the financial means to continue building another standard‑scale city.

This is also why Luo De wants to venture into the outlying islands to explore the possibility of expanding trade with Inazuma.

Short on money, short on land, and the number of hungry people keeps growing.

Food is insufficient; what should we do? Then develop new food.

Xiangling provided Sumeru with a set of recipes that is very novel and highly substitutive.

If this set of recipes were placed in other well-off regions, people might consider it heretical.

It could be placed in deserts where people are so hungry they'd eat sand to fill their stomachs.

This recipe is even more precious than jewels.

Since bringing back the recipe from Tighnari, the Academy's Scholarship faction has been actively exploring how to improve the recipe, and scholars skilled in breeding and planting have also been researching day and night new methods for mass-producing ingredients.

Achievements like the insect cake, which was the first to be improved, have now spread their raw materials and various methods in Hope City, instantly becoming a very popular new food.

Research and modification of slimes are also on the agenda.

When Luo De left Sumeru.

The Academy there is researching a production method to reduce the irritation of slimes, so that the product can be more easily consumed, not making it hard for people to accept.

"Food shortage"

The three words Luo De said, paired with his final sentence "Nothing is more terrifying than dying of hunger,"

Raiden Shogun and Raiden Mei both fell into a deep silence.

Speaking of this, I feel ashamed.

Inazuma also experiences famine.

Even without Sumeru's harsh environment in residential areas, even Inazuma's most prosperous Narukami Island has people who don't get enough to eat.

Other regions need not be mentioned.

Watatsumi Island, which has been causing trouble, is precisely because they have no food to eat that they persist in rebelliousness? Luo De said to send them to Yashiori Island to farm; over time, they will forget their ancestors' demands and their faith in Orobasi, truly integrating into Inazuma.

That's the reasoning.

Having every meal full versus having just one meal full.

This is enough to let the people of Watatsumi Island freely choose their faith and make the best decision for themselves.

"You two, stop thinking about that recipe."

Seeing the thoughts of these two sisters, Luo De corrected their thinking: "Inazuma is not like Sumeru; the places you consider harsh are only parts of Watatsumi Island and Yashiori Island. After the monster on Seirai Island is sealed, as long as the abnormal celestial phenomena caused by abundant Electro element cease, that too is a very fine island."

"Moreover, Watatsumi Island is after all an island; what it lacks are just staples and vegetables, while other seafood-type meat foods can still be self-sufficient."

"As long as Inazuma is no longer in civil war, even if relying only on aid from other islands, Watatsumi Island's food crisis can be solved."

"Yashiori Island is even easier to talk about."

"Aside from the few canyons cut out by the shadow, everywhere else is excellent farmland; the food they produce can even be used to support other islands."

"Your food shortage is man-made, while ours is natural disaster; the difference between them is great."

"As the saying goes, the bystander sees clearly."

Luo De now fully embodies this, voicing the problems he sees in Inazuma and concluding: "For natural disasters, we need to use manpower to resist them; for man-made disasters, if you don't solve the root cause, no matter how hard you try, you will fall back into man-made disaster."

"Hiiragi Shinji."

"He deserves to die."

After listening, the ever-silent and obedient Raiden Mei uttered this sentence.

"Wrong."

"It's not just Hiiragi Shinji who deserves to die."

Luo De shook his finger: "Your Three Magistrates System also deserves to die."

Luo De didn't care at all that the Three Magistrates System was created by Raiden Shogun, and facing her he mercilessly criticized: "The aristocratic system only works for a certain period, such as when Inazuma was first established."

"But as society develops and productivity rises, such an unchanging system will increasingly restrict Inazuma's progress."

"You might think the existence of the Electro Archon can suppress the actions of the Three Magistrates."

"Then you are wrong."

"We humans are the creatures most adept at finding loopholes in this world."

"The so-called 'seeking gaps to insert needles,' the so-called 'drilling loopholes,' is how it comes about."

"Can you, Electro Archon, possibly manage every big and small thing happening in Inazuma each day?"

"Impossible, right?"

"Wasn't your original intention in establishing the shogunate that the deity's power is limited, unable to micromanage every corner?"

"Given the circumstances at the time, that decision was unproblematic."

"But as time passes, the magistrates governing Inazuma gradually found loopholes in the law and blind spots in the Electro Archon's vision, so their thoughts became increasingly active; for personal gain, fearless of consequences, they would start to cause trouble, just like the current Kujo and Hiiragi families."

"So in my view, this outdated Three Magistrates System has reached the point where it should be abolished; as for how exactly to change it, don't rush to ask me—I also can't give you advice—just use this time to examine and summarize yourselves."

(End of chapter)