Time passed quickly; it had already been a full month since Beelzebul's soul-stirring funeral.
That morning, sunlight filtered through the thin clouds, falling upon Inazuma—and upon Ritou.
Shao Yun had come to Ritou.
It wasn't because Shao Yun, Lumine, and Paimon were leaving Inazuma, but because the Kamisato clan and Yae Miko were jointly hosting the Irodori Festival.
Yes—that very event from that version.
The entire island was decorated with lanterns and streamers, brimming with a festive atmosphere.
Shao Yun honestly hadn't expected such a limited-time event to take place. A thought flashed through his mind: perhaps, when the three of them returned to Liyue, they would find preparations underway for lively celebrations like the Lantern Rite or the Moonchase Festival?
Thanks to Aether's persuasion, Lumine had also completely emerged from the confusion she'd felt after Shao Yun killed the Raiden Shogun.
Now, the three of them had accepted Yae Miko's invitation to attend the festival.
To be honest, Shao Yun hadn't been too eager to go at first.
But on second thought—life always needed a bit of novelty, didn't it?
Instead of spending his days idly, why not take this chance to relax? Who knew—maybe there would even be unexpected surprises!
…
Ritou had undergone drastic changes. The Hiiragi residence that Shao Yun had once burned to the ground was still nothing but ruins.
Outside its dilapidated gate stood a conspicuous "No Entry" sign written by the Tenryou Commission.
However, ever since Yae Miko had publicly exposed Hiiragi Shinsuke's collusion with the Fatui and completely purged the old Kanjou Commission, the investigation into the Hiiragi family's case had abruptly stopped.
After all, to the vast majority of ordinary Inazumans, it didn't really matter how a traitor met his end.
The many shops in Ritou were showing tremendous enthusiasm and anticipation for the upcoming festival.
Having long suffered exploitation and oppression, this rare holiday was, without a doubt, their perfect opportunity to make up for losses and revive their businesses.
It was easy to imagine the huge wave of tourists that would soon arrive, bringing with them streams of customers. The merchants would surely seize this chance to make a tidy profit.
One particular shop—the one that, in the original storyline, sold Raiden Shogun figurines—had now switched to selling plush pink fox dolls of Yae Miko instead.
The shift gave off an odd impression, almost as if Beelzebul's presence had been erased everywhere except for the giant Statue of the Omnipresent God in front of Tenshukaku.
Still, Shao Yun certainly didn't believe Yae Miko would try to erase Beelzebul's legacy.
He himself had never even considered such a thing, and conspiracy theories didn't hold water with him.
Judging from the "Twin Sisters of Narukami" nickname, Yae Miko would never do such a thing anyway.
Most likely, it was just merchants below who were riding the wave of Yae Miko's new status as the Third Raiden Shogun, trying to cash in on the change—a little "new dynasty, new style" move.
…
Shao Yun arrived at the spot where the International Trade Association had once been burned down.
It had since been rebuilt, looking exactly as it had before.
At that moment, Kurisu stood quietly at the doorway, fully focused on a sheet of paper in his hands.
His face was lit with uncontainable joy, the corners of his mouth curling upward without his realizing it.
It was clear that the past month had been a fruitful one for Ritou's merchants—and for Kurisu in particular, who had made a handsome profit.
As he reveled in the moment, his peripheral vision caught sight of Shao Yun approaching.
Quickly wiping away his smile, Kurisu hurried over to greet him warmly:
"Ah, Shao Yun, my friend, it's been far too long! How have you been lately?"
Shao Yun's eyes scanned him from head to toe, taking in his energetic demeanor, and teased, "Well, well, President Kurisu—you're looking positively radiant these days."
Kurisu chuckled, quickly explaining, "Of course! Ever since the Sakoku Decree was lifted, the storms off Inazuma's coast have completely vanished. Now it's so much easier for us Ritou merchants to import goods!"
"And with the war finally over, we can even trade freely with Watatsumi Island. The future's looking bright indeed!"
Then he shared the most important reason:
"The biggest change is the overhaul of the Kanjou Commission—no more absurd taxes! With the shogunate's new tax laws, we small merchants can finally earn a good living."
Shao Yun licked his lips lightly, replying in an even tone, "Mm… good to hear."
Kurisu hesitated at Shao Yun's calm demeanor, memories of certain past events flickering in his mind. Could this be Shao Yun subtly hinting at that 30% profit share they'd once discussed?
He quickly reassured him, "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten my promise to you."
With that, Kurisu handed over the paper in his hand—the association's latest tax report to the new Kanjou Commission.
"Here—this has your share of the profits. Take a look."
He pointed to a particular line, inviting Shao Yun to check it.
Shao Yun remembered the old deal, but waved it off casually.
"No need. Even without that promise, seeing your business thrive makes me happy."
After all, the better you merchants do, the more there is for me to skim…
And as for how I make my money, heh heh heh…
The thought brought a chuckle to his lips.
Glancing around at the surrounding shops, he said, "I'll take my leave for now."
Kurisu smiled, tucking the tax report away and waving as Shao Yun departed.
…
Shao Yun made his way toward the Outlander Affairs Agency.
Once, he'd burned it to the ground… but it too had been rebuilt in its original style.
Now, during the Radiant Festival of Colors, it had been repurposed as the main exhibition hall for light novels.
At that moment, Yae Miko was busily directing the Yae Publishing House staff, arranging their finest works neatly on the shelves in preparation for the influx of readers.
Ever since becoming the Raiden Shogun, she had been consumed by Inazuma's affairs, with little time for her personal passions.
The festival was her chance to take a break and indulge herself again.
Just as she was savoring the thought of free time ahead, her sharp ears twitched—she had caught a familiar sound.
Moments later, the equally familiar footsteps approached.
Her expression shifted into a complicated mix of emotions as she turned… and there he was—the man who could make her both wary and exasperated: Shao Yun.
Shao Yun smiled and greeted her warmly.
"Hello, Miss Miko! How does it feel to be the Raiden Shogun now?"
Yae Miko's pale, jade-like fingers brushed lightly against her neck. Then, in her uniquely alluring, lazy voice, she replied, "Well… at first it was exhausting. I even went several days without sleeping."
"But now, most of the shogunate's affairs are handled by the Kamisato clan."
Shao Yun thought to himself—so now the Kamisatos were truly one step below the throne. Not because they had grown powerful, but because the Hiiragi and Kujou clans had collapsed.
Looking her over, he teased, "You really do know how to slack off, don't you?"
Yae tilted her head with a relaxed smile. "A good leader should know how to delegate to the most suitable subordinates, instead of doing everything themselves. Otherwise… well, even that puppet Shogun you destroyed wouldn't have lasted."
She continued, "Besides—the three Commissions of the shogunate are a mess. The Hiiragi's Kanjou Commission was rotten; the Kujou's Tenryou Commission is gone thanks to you, leaving Kujou Kamaji as a lone figurehead. The only trustworthy one left is the Kamisato's Yashiro Commission. So of course I handed them the workload."
Shao Yun nodded. "Fair enough."
Her foxlike eyes narrowed slightly, and she delivered the real reason:
"But most importantly… I need free time to curl up in the Grand Narukami Shrine and read light novels."
Shao Yun blinked—then laughed.
"Hah! I thought becoming Shogun would make you diligent. Guess you're still the same lazy fox as ever."
Arms folded, Yae arched a brow. "Can't you at least call me a beautiful and intelligent fox lady?"
Shao Yun thought, you really have nothing better to do, do you?
He looked at her for a moment, but in his mind he saw Lumine's face instead.
Shaking his head, he said without hesitation:
"You do have beauty enough to outshine 99% of the girls in Teyvat. But I've met the 1%—Lumine. I'd rather give all my praise to the one girl who truly moves me."
Beautiful women were common, but only Lumine was captivating.
He tried to put it into words:
"Her beauty is like the Milky Way in the night sky; every smile and every frown of hers pulls at my heartstrings."
Yae Miko shivered at the sheer cheesiness of the words, though she smiled awkwardly. "Your vocabulary's a bit limited, but I can tell you truly mean it."
Shao Yun shrugged. "What can I say? For someone with my lack of education, that's the best I can manage—and I learned it from light novels."
At the mention of "light novels," his eyes wandered to the shelves beside her.
He pulled one down and read the title aloud:
"The Gunslinger Butcher from Fontaine, Volume 3—Complete Collection?"
"Still written by that Junkichi guy?" he asked.
A flicker of unease flashed in Yae's eyes, but she quickly smiled. "Yes—and I personally guided the third volume."
Opening it, Shao Yun began to read the story of "Huoyun," the main character who…after committing heinous crimes in Mondstadt and Liyue, arrives in Inazuma.
In Ritou, he clashes with the xenophobic samurai of the Kanjou Commission.
He then forces his way past the checkpoint to Narukami Island, wanders, and meets Thoma of the Yashiro Commission.
Since Thoma doesn't discriminate against him like the others, they become friends.
Thoma sees his skills and his hatred for Inazuma's current state, and introduces him to the Shirasagi Himegimi.
Huoyun joins the resistance against the Vision Hunt Decree. He and the princess develop unspoken feelings.
During the Vision Hunt Ceremony, Huoyun rescues Thoma from the Raiden Shogun but is captured.
The princess uses her influence to free him.
That night, in the moonlight at the Kamisato estate, they kiss.
Later, they uncover that the Fatui are behind Inazuma's troubles.
Huoyun duels the Raiden Shogun in an audience with her, defeats her, and makes her see the Fatui's deception.
The Shogun reforms, and alongside the resistance and the shogunate, they face the Fatui Harbinger mastermind in Tatarasuna.
Though victorious, the Shogun is mortally wounded by treachery—she dies in Huoyun's arms, entrusting Inazuma to the shrine's fox priestess.
In the end, Huoyun tells the princess his past, but to avoid bringing danger to her, he leaves Inazuma—their love ending in a half-tragic way.
By the end, Shao Yun nearly gagged—in his view, it was more absurd than John Marston abandoning Abigail and Jack to run off with Bonnie MacFarlane.