Inazuma's Raiden Shogun was a fanatical warrior, and martial pursuits were fashionable throughout Inazuma. Strangely, however, literary figures clearly enjoyed higher standing than warriors, to say nothing of the great authors who stood above ordinary writers.
Zhenyu was probably the most mysterious great author in Inazuma's literary world. That was why Yucheng bringing the continuation of his work back from Liyue could cause such a stir.
Soon, word of what had happened at the inspection station spread throughout Ritou. Even Hiiragi Shinsuke, head of the Kanjou Commission's Hiiragi Clan, came in person. He hugged those copies of Record of Sinking Autumn's Sword, reluctant to let them go, and opened one to its table of contents. Sure enough, it differed from the first volume's. This was the second volume Zhenyu had written.
The Kanjou Commission controlled Inazuma's purse strings, and Hiiragi Shinsuke, who headed it, held a position of great power. Naturally, he had no shortage of money. But the books before him were something money could not buy, so of course he coveted them.
More importantly, literary circles enjoyed high social standing in Inazuma. As members of Inazuma's upper ranks who prided themselves on being cultured, they could use books currently unavailable anywhere else as symbols of their social standing, bringing themselves prestige.
Only after his excitement subsided did he realize that the person who had brought these books back to Inazuma was still standing beside him. Honestly, had he not heard of Yucheng's reputation, and had Yucheng not been an Inazuman, would these books ever have made it to Yae Publishing House? Not a chance.
How much would opening a printing house of his own cost? If he printed a novel with such a broad readership himself, he would not be printing books. He would be printing money.
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