Ningguang: Would You Like to Make Another Bet, Keqing?

"Sword Saint?!"

Seeing the panic and fear on the faces of the Shogunate soldiers, Yoimiya could not help looking at the man beside her in surprise.

He did not look particularly remarkable, and his clothes were plain, but a closer look revealed an astonishing, almost visible sword aura that clung to him.

Though he had never once drawn his sword from its sheath, the pressure he gave off far surpassed that of any powerful fighter in the Shogunate Army.

At once, Yoimiya realized who he was and exclaimed in delight, "So you're the legendary Sword Saint!"

In Inazuma, the Vision Hunt Decree and the Sakoku Decree had left most people cut off from news and with little access to information.

But for that very reason, the situation within Inazuma itself drew even more attention.

Among the people who rose to prominence under these circumstances was a man known as the Sword Saint, who became the focus of public discussion.

The Sword Saint first made his name at Nazuchi Beach, where he fought a hundred enemies alone and single-handedly slaughtered a band of roaming pirates.

It was said that he had simply been fishing by the sea when the pirates set their sights on him and tried to rob him.

Most people would probably have handed over their valuables to avoid trouble, but the unrestrained swordsman had attacked without hesitation, effortlessly wiping out every pirate aboard the ship.

With a single slash, he had even split the enormous pirate ship in two, leaving it stranded on the sands of Nazuchi Beach.

This astonishing feat had made him famous throughout the land, though he had not yet earned such an exalted title at the time.

People more often called him the "Nameless Swordsman."

He came to be known as the Sword Saint because of a Grand Tournament Before the Throne later held by the Tenryou Commission.

The Grand Tournament Before the Throne was a martial arts tournament held at the Shogunate's headquarters.

Its purpose was to recruit powerful fighters from among the people and bolster the Tenryou Commission's ranks, so they could counter the increasingly active Watatsumi Island resistance.

Kujou Sara, the Tenryou Commission's general, had even personally overseen the tournament, selecting suitable fighters to join the commission.

As a result, powerful fighters from nearly all of Inazuma became involved in the contest. Even the Watatsumi Island resistance sent people to participate, hoping to find a way to slip spies into the Shogunate.

After the fierce competition, it was the Sword Saint who emerged victorious.

It was said that he had wielded a reverse-blade sword throughout the tournament and had used only a single strike against every opponent.

Whether they were successors and disciples of elite schools or swordmasters renowned throughout the land, none could withstand a single strike from him.

Every fight was decided in an instant.

Such an astonishing record had utterly shaken all of Inazuma.

Most surprising of all, despite winning the Grand Tournament Before the Throne, the Sword Saint had not joined the Inazuma Shogunate. Instead, in front of everyone, he had challenged Kujou Sara, the Tenryou Commission's general.

He declared that his goal was to challenge Inazuma's Raiden Shogun, and that he hoped defeating Kujou Sara would earn him the honor of challenging the Shogun.

This near-arrogant attitude had thoroughly enraged Kujou Sara.

She accepted the Sword Saint's challenge, and the two engaged in a fierce battle.

Yet Kujou Sara, the strongest fighter in the Inazuma Shogunate, was toyed with by the Sword Saint for almost the entire fight.

Without even drawing his sword, he had effortlessly defeated Kujou Sara, the Tenryou Commission's general, using nothing but hand-to-hand combat.

Even so, the Sword Saint did not get to meet the Raiden Shogun.

The furious Tenryou Commission could not accept their general's defeat, so they swarmed forward and attacked the Sword Saint on the tournament platform.

The Sword Saint himself seemed to have no intention of taking on the Shogunate's army alone, and he charged straight through its ranks before disappearing from sight.

From then on, the Sword Saint's name resounded throughout Inazuma, and he became a legend people delighted in talking about.

The Sword Saint was so famous that Yoimiya naturally knew about him and understood just how powerful he was.

So she pleaded, "Please help me, Lord Sword Saint!"

"As you wish."

The Sword Saint nodded with a smile and slowly drew the long reverse-blade sword at his waist.

But before he could attack, the Shogunate troops, who knew how terrifyingly powerful he was, fled in all directions and scattered.

[Hahaha, these grunts are hilarious!]

[They don't even have the courage to fight. What cowards!]

[I didn't expect Lord Temporal Traveler to be so powerful in this life. This has to be the strongest he's been so far, right?]

[I wouldn't go that far, but his skills really have been honed to perfection.]

[Could it be because he honed his martial skills to perfection through endless reincarnations?]

[If the Temporal Traveler's reincarnations follow chronological order, then his journey in Inazuma would have been one of his last few reincarnations. This must indeed be the peak of his skill!]

[So cool! Lord Sword Saint, I'm your dog!!!]

[Unbelievable!]

"I see. The Sakoku Decree and Vision Hunt Decree in Inazuma must have been lifted thanks to Lord Temporal Traveler's help."

Ningguang took a sip of tea, anticipation on her face. "I thought Lord Temporal Traveler was already without equal when he was the Asura Yaksha, but it seems he was still somewhat green back then. Now he is truly invincible throughout the world."

Clearly, Ningguang was growing more and more eager to bring the Temporal Traveler of the present into Liyue's camp.

With such a powerful warrior joining Liyue, a future in which Liyue grew prosperous and strong, even rose to the head of the Seven Nations and ruled over Teyvat, would no longer be far away.

"But no matter how strong the Temporal Traveler is, he's still only as strong as a mortal, isn't he?" Keqing looked doubtful. "Could he really defeat the Raiden Shogun, one of the current Seven, a true god?!"

"Oh? Are you doubting Lord Temporal Traveler's abilities, Keqing?" Ningguang said with a smile, as though another mischievous idea had occurred to her.

"I don't think he can beat the Raiden Shogun. Even if the Vision Hunt Decree and the Sakoku Decree were lifted, that doesn't necessarily mean he was the one responsible." Keqing dismissed the Temporal Traveler's chances based on a straightforward comparison of their strength.

"Then how about another bet?" Ningguang could not help curling her lips into a foxlike smile. "If you win, our previous bet requiring you to wear a cat-ear maid outfit to host the Rite of Descension will be void. What do you say?"

"Really!?"

Ningguang's words made Keqing's eyes widen.

She clearly wanted more than anything to have the previous bet voided, but she still could not believe Ningguang would be so kind.

The Yuheng asked suspiciously, "First, tell me what we're betting on and what the terms are."

"Very simple." Ningguang beamed. "We'll bet on whether Lord Temporal Traveler can defeat the Raiden Shogun in a direct fight. If he loses, Keqing, you won't have to wear a cat-ear maid outfit to the Rite of Descension, and I'll wear a maid outfit to it in your place. But if he wins, you'll not only have to wear the cat-ear maid outfit, you'll also have to dance in it in public in front of the livestream camera!"

"What!?"

Ningguang's words shocked Keqing, and clear surprise and hesitation appeared on her face.