As Li Mo spoke, terrifying scenes appeared above Wangshu Inn, leaving the audience utterly shaken.
Li Mo did not stop. He continued:
"The boy who had become the Thunder Demon was about to fall…"
"With the last remnants of his strength, the boy picked up the two halves of the shattered Thunder Demon's heart…"
"One half, he placed upon Baal's chest…"
"The other half, he placed upon Beelzebul's chest…"
"The moment the broken pieces of the Thunder Demon's heart touched the sisters, their fading life forces were restored in an instant."
"The boy lost his final ounce of strength… his body slumped, falling beside the two sisters."
"He had gone from a fearsome Thunder Demon to a dying shell of a man."
"With the last flicker of consciousness remaining…"
"The boy whispered into the sisters' ears, weaving a story—a legend of the Twin Electro Archons, invincible warriors who would unite all of Inazuma."
"When the story ended, the boy closed his eyes with a smile."
...
At Wangshu Inn, Li Mo spoke slowly upon the stage.
Below, upon hearing that the boy who had become the Thunder Demon had died just like that, the audience could no longer hold themselves together.
Tears fell freely:
"So that's how the sisters, though human, set foot on the path to becoming invincible Electro Archons…"
"So that's how the sisters emerged from nowhere and swept across Inazuma with overwhelming might…"
"So that's how it was… the path of invincibility they walked was a story the Thunder Demon boy wove before his death…"
"I'm a grown man, I'm not going to cry…"
"There's a brick in my eye—someone help me blow it out…"
"Is this the end?"
"What happens next? After the Raiden sisters are saved, will they try to save the boy?"
"The Raiden sisters save the boy… then the boy saves the Raiden sisters… then the sisters save the boy again… are you farming stats or something?"
Upon hearing that the boy who became the Thunder Demon had died, the audience was devastated.
But they were not satisfied with such a tragic ending.
Some even drew their swords, ready to charge onto the stage and make the storyteller taste cold steel.
Amid the commotion below, Li Mo took a deep breath.
He spoke again, his voice carrying a magnetic quality as he continued the tale of the Raiden sisters:
"No one knew how much time had passed…"
"Perhaps it was days, perhaps months, perhaps years… the Raiden sisters, who had been on the verge of death, finally awoke."
"And they had gained the power of Electro."
"Joyfully, they searched for their brother, eager to share this good news—that now, with the power of Electro, they could protect him."
"But no matter where they looked, they could not find him."
"Then, a woman approached the sisters and handed Baal, the elder sister, a dark purple blade—the one the boy had left behind."
"The woman said, 'He was a foolish child. To protect you, he went to a place very, very far away…'"
"The sisters asked together, 'When will our brother return?'"
"The woman replied, 'Perhaps in a year, perhaps in two… or perhaps, three thousand years from now…'"
"The sisters never gave up searching."
"As they searched for their brother, they used the blade he left behind to slay the gods… and they gave it a name—Musou Isshin."
"Years later, when the sisters looked back, they realized they had already defeated every god and conquered all of Inazuma."
"They had become the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma."
"One of the Seven Archons of Teyvat."
...
The storyteller had spoken for two days, and the tale of the Twin Electro Archons had come to an end.
Wangshu Inn fell silent.
The audience instinctively believed this was merely a fictional tale spun by the storyteller—a common trick of the trade.
A ploy to wring tears from his listeners.
That despicable storyteller.
But compared to ordinary tales, this one felt different.
The boy who sacrificed himself for the Raiden sisters…
The Raiden sisters growing stronger with each passing day…
It felt too real.
Many in the audience began to wonder if the storyteller was not telling a fabricated story, but history that had truly occurred.
Had the mighty Twin Electro Archons of Inazuma truly experienced such things?
Had the fearsome Thunder Demon truly existed?
If the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma herself heard this story, perhaps its truth could be verified.
But surely the Raiden Shogun, exalted as she was, would never leave Inazuma.
To come to a tavern in Liyue Harbor?
Just then, in a corner of the venue, a woman with long, dark purple hair cascading over her shoulders, dressed in a purple kimono and gripping a purple blade, let a tear roll down her cheek.
For so many years, as the substitute for Inazuma's Raiden Shogun Beelzebul, she had always been strong.
Never before had she shed so many tears.
But now, upon hearing the storyteller reach the tale's conclusion, she could no longer hold back.
So this was the truth.
Her brother had not abandoned Inazuma. He had given up his Thunder Demon's heart to save the Raiden sisters.
Influenced by Beelzebul's emotions, the Raiden Shogun gripped her blade—Musou Isshin—tightly, unable to stop her tears.
At that moment, a system notification chimed in Li Mo's mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, host. You have successfully made the Raiden Shogun cry!]
[System reward: +1000 Storytelling Points!]
In this lifetime, Li Mo's identity was that of a storyteller.
He had already accumulated over a thousand Storytelling Points.
But so far, the system shop had not yet opened, so the points were of no use for now.
Suddenly, another system notification sounded in his mind.
[Ding! System has detected the surrounding environment. System mission triggered: Tell Qiqi's story and save Qiqi, who has become a zombie!]
[If the host accepts this mission, the system shop will open!]
[If the host refuses this mission, system missions will not be triggered again for thirty days!]
Upon seeing that accepting the mission would open the system shop, Li Mo did not hesitate.
"Accept mission."
Originally, by Li Mo's plan, he had not intended to tell Qiqi's story so soon.
Every time he recalled that lifetime, his eyes would well up and his heart would ache.
But sooner or later, he would have to tell it.
Since the system had triggered the mission, he would bring Qiqi's story forward.
[Ding! Congratulations, host. Mission accepted successfully!]
[Congratulations, host. System shop successfully opened!]
Inside the system shop, countless items were displayed.
Powerful five-star weapons…
Powerful burst skills…
Rare Visions…
Anything that had ever existed in Teyvat could essentially be exchanged.
Even the power of "wishes" could be exchanged.
However, exchanging a single wish required one million Storytelling Points.
Just as Li Mo was browsing the system shop, the Raiden Shogun, who had been sitting across from Zhongli, suddenly stood up.
Her tone was cold as she asked, "Storyteller, I have a question for you."
"Did that brother… did that boy truly die?"
The moment the Raiden Shogun spoke, every listener in Wangshu Inn turned to look at her.
They saw the exalted Raiden Shogun, and they also saw Consultant Zhongli sitting across from her.
Murmurs broke out:
"Who is this woman? Her presence is overwhelming…"
"Judging by her clothes, she's not from Liyue. Looks more like an Inazuman kimono… Could she be from Inazuma?"
"Is it possible that the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma heard about the storytelling and sent someone to silence him?"
"Protect our storyteller!"
"Look, there's another woman with fox ears and shrine maiden clothing…"
"She's beautiful…"
Nearly every audience member noticed the Raiden Shogun standing up.
However, they were all local residents of Liyue Harbor who had rarely, if ever, left the region.
They knew little of Inazuma.
Even standing before the Raiden Shogun herself, they did not recognize her.
On stage, as the Raiden Shogun looked at Li Mo, Li Mo looked back at her.
He was curious…
Was this the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma—Baal the elder sister, or Beelzebul the younger?
No.
Neither.
Though the Raiden Shogun looked exactly like the Raiden sisters, her bearing and temperament were different.
Compared to the Raiden sisters, this Raiden Shogun felt more like a doll lacking emotion.
Though puzzled, Li Mo answered her question.
"Yes. He died. That boy, in that lifetime, gave his life to save the Raiden sisters. He died completely and utterly."
"But his soul entered another cycle of reincarnation."
As soon as he finished speaking, before the Raiden Shogun could respond, Li Mo took the initiative to ask:
"Three thousand years have passed… The Raiden sisters, invincible in battle, united all of Inazuma and became the exalted Shoguns of the land."
"Are they… living well now?"
Over the span of three thousand years, Li Mo had experienced ninety-nine reincarnations and gained countless companions.
But the Raiden sisters from his first lifetime still held a special place in his heart.
If possible, he longed to see them again and hear their voices.
Before the Raiden Shogun could answer, the audience below eagerly spoke up:
"Became the Electro Archon of Inazuma, revered by all its people—of course they're living well!"
"But it's a shame… Baal died when Khaenri'ah fell."
"Sigh… such a sad story…"
"If only Raiden Makoto were still alive. Then maybe she could be reunited with her brother…"
Though the audience were all locals of Liyue, many had heard stories of Inazuma.
They had some knowledge of Raiden Makoto's death in Khaenri'ah.
On stage, upon hearing this answer, Li Mo froze.
The teacup in his hand slipped and shattered on the floor.
Shattered.
You're saying… Raiden Makoto is dead?
Li Mo could not bring himself to believe it.
He had finally reincarnated into his ninety-ninth life, regained the memories of his first ninety-nine lifetimes, and could hardly wait to see the Raiden sisters again.
But now, they tell him Raiden Makoto is dead?
With a heavy heart, Li Mo sought confirmation from the Raiden Shogun. "Is that truly the case?"
The Raiden Shogun's expression remained cold. "Yes. Baal died when Khaenri'ah fell."
When she spoke of Baal, perhaps influenced by Beelzebul's emotions, her expression finally shifted.
Upon hearing this, Li Mo let out a deep sigh.
He was unwilling to accept this.
Thinking of the system's boundless power, he immediately reached out to it.
[System, is there any way to resurrect Baal?]
[Ding! System notification: There are currently two ways to resurrect Raiden Makoto!]
[First: Complete the hundredth lifetime mission and obtain ten wishes. You can use a wish to resurrect Raiden Makoto!]
[Second: Spend one million Storytelling Points to obtain one wish. You can use it to resurrect Raiden Makoto.]
She could truly be resurrected.
Li Mo breathed a sigh of relief.
Though his mission was not yet complete and he had only a few thousand Storytelling Points—far from enough to obtain the power of a wish—he had already made up his mind.
He would complete his hundredth lifetime mission as a storyteller.
Make Hu Tao cry, make Qiqi cry, make Shenhe cry… make the Tsaritsa cry… make everyone cry.
Obtain the power of a wish and bring Raiden Makoto back.
Li Mo looked at the Raiden Shogun, suppressing the emotions deep within his heart, and asked further:
"Raiden Makoto is dead… then the current Electro Archon is her sister, Beelzebul?"
"Where is the current Electro Archon now?"
Li Mo slowly raised his head, and through the edge of his bamboo hat, he saw the blade at the Raiden Shogun's side—Musou Isshin.
The only relic he had left behind in that lifetime.
Below, the Raiden Shogun, as the ruler of Inazuma, held an exalted status. She had no obligation to answer a mere storyteller from Liyue.
But after a moment of silence, she instinctively responded to Li Mo's question.
"Beelzebul is pursuing eternity."
...