Chapter 39: Aftermath

The Shogun's injury was not disclosed to the public by the Three Commissioners, as such news was not beneficial for them.

Not only was it kept secret, but all soldiers on the scene were given strict orders not to speak about it.

However, the name of Battousai and the events following the duel before the Shogun eventually spread throughout Inazuma.

It wasn't due to the Shogunate soldiers talking recklessly.

The information actually came from Watatsumi Island.

The rebel forces were more than happy to see the Raiden Shogun suffer a setback, so after receiving the news from Kaedehara Kazuha, they began spreading it widely.

If it had been Kujou Sara who was injured, the reaction wouldn't have been nearly as intense.

Youkai, although powerful, were not invincible. 

There were many tales of humans defeating Youkai, and even some weaker youkai were no match for ordinary woodcutters.

But gods were different.

The people of Inazuma grew up listening to stories about the Raiden Shogun.

Techniques in metalworking, swordsmanship, agriculture, fishing, and even cooking were all passed down from the Raiden Shogun.

Well... maybe not all of them; the last one about cooking was either from her sister Raiden Makoto or the story was exaggerated by the people.

The idea of the Raiden Shogun cooking was as laughable as Morax owning Mora.

In any case, the Raiden Shogun held an extraordinary place in the hearts of the Inazuma people.

One had to admit that Watatsumi Island had made a brilliant move. 

This rumor dealt a severe blow to the Shogunate's morale, leading to a series of defeats in battles.

If the Raiden Shogun hadn't personally intervened—stripping a Vision from a criminal under the Statue of the Omnipresent God and displaying extraordinary power—the Shogunate's morale might have taken a long time to recover.

Meanwhile, the Shogunate's hatred for Kaedehara Kazuha grew even more intense. 

Without him, the Shogunate wouldn't have suffered so many losses.

After Battousai, who injured the Shogun, disappeared, Kaedehara Kazuha became the prime target, facing various attacks.

It wasn't until Kaedehara Kazuha voluntarily left the resistance that things began to improve.

Once separated from the resistance, Kaedehara Kazuha completely vanished from Inazuma.

Some said he was drowned at sea during a naval battle at Nazuchi Beach after being sunk by Shogunate soldiers.

Others claimed he had been captured and was held at Kujou Encampment.

Some even suggested he had joined the Fatui, becoming their pawn, and was sent back to Snezhnaya.

Even within the resistance, many didn't know where he had gone.

...

Endless thunderstorms, as if trying to tear the world apart, raged on the sea, causing massive waves.

But the shocking thing was that these storms only existed in the waters surrounding Inazuma, without affecting other areas. It was like a barrier, both protecting and imprisoning Inazuma.

This scene of divine punishment reminded Beidou of a neighboring nation's history, where Decarabian, the Tower King, surrounded an entire country with a wall of wind.

How was this high and mighty Shogun's behavior any different from that tyrant's?

"Captain! Something ahead!"

As Beidou pondered, the lookout suddenly called out to her.

"What's happening?"

She asked, hanging the wine flask on her waist.

They had not come to Inazuma by normal means—in a sense, they were smuggling. If Inazuma's soldiers discovered them, they could hardly complain if they were sunk.

But as far as she knew, since Inazuma was closed off by the thunderstorms, Inazuma's naval forces had become mostly obsolete, only being deployed during battles with Watatsumi Island.

"It looks like a person," the lookout said, uncertain as he peered into the sea.

They were smuggling under the cover of night and couldn't see far. 

If it weren't for the faint glow of a Vision from the figure, he wouldn't have been sure what it was.

"A person?" Beidou briefly sensed the surroundings. 

Sure enough, she detected traces of Anemo not far away, but the aura was weak, as if it was about to dissipate.

At the same time, she also sensed a faint trace of Electro.

"Haishou! Lower the lifeboat, we're rescuing them!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Haishou, the ship's helmsman, was someone Beidou trusted deeply.

After passing the helm to his second-in-command, Haishou lit a torch, lowered the lifeboat, and rowed with Beidou and two other crew members toward their target.

In the torchlight, Beidou could finally see the situation on the sea.

Judging by the broken planks floating around, a shipwreck must have occurred here or nearby, and the person overboard was likely the sole survivor.

Beidou knew better than anyone how dangerous the seas of Teyvat could be. As the leader of the Crux, she was perhaps the most knowledgeable about the sea in all of Liyue.

Terrifying sea monsters, strange fish, and even lingering gods...

For someone to survive in these conditions, they were certainly no ordinary person.

"Captain, look at this," Haishou said, quickly fishing a piece of cloth out of the water. As he unfolded it, his expression became serious.

Beidou took the cloth and examined it closely. It bore a strange symbol, one that Beidou was all too familiar with—it belonged to the forces of Watatsumi Island, the very people they were on this journey to meet.

How did wreckage from a Watatsumi Island ship end up here?

"Should we still rescue them?" Haishou asked uncertainly.

If it were just an ordinary civilian or fisherman, rescuing them would be straightforward. 

But with the Shogunate and the resistance involved, the situation became more complicated.

After all, they were representing Liyue on this mission.

And since Watatsumi Island had yet to officially respond to them, a rash rescue could have unforeseen consequences...

"Of course we're rescuing them," Beidou ordered without hesitation.

This wasn't about right or wrong, or which side they were on. 

As someone who had spent years navigating the seas, Beidou knew how desperate the person must be.

They might be the only hope for that person.

Under Beidou's direction, the lifeboat slowly approached the area where the Anemo aura lingered.

However, the person overboard was in dire condition. He had almost completely lost consciousness, drifting on a piece of wood purely by instinct.

The sight of the torchlight on the water seemed to finally allow him to relax, but that relaxation caused his strength to give out, and he began to sink into the sea.

If Beidou hadn't grabbed him in time, he would have drowned at the last moment.

"This doesn't seem to be a Watatsumi soldier, does it?" Haishou remarked. 

He hadn't gone ashore during the negotiations with Watatsumi Island, which Beidou had handled herself, but he'd noticed the distinctive clothing of the Watatsumi forces from the ship. 

This young man looked nothing like them.

"No, he's not," Beidou replied, carefully placing the boy in the lifeboat and covering him with a blanket.

She had already recognized the boy's true identity.

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