Jiang Mo walked out of Tenshukaku.
This time, he was thoroughly satisfied with the deal.
Not only had he gained plenty of knowledge, but he had also received three generous rewards that pleased him greatly.
Aside from that—
"Orochi, huh…"
"Hehehe~~~"
"How interesting."
A sly smile curved Jiang Mo's lips, amusement dancing in his golden eyes.
Who would've thought that the Demon God sealed in Enkanomiya together with the Abyssal energy — the foreign god that had fallen into Teyvat and transformed into a Demon God — turned out to be Orochi?
Well, that was enough for him.
After Jiang Mo left Tenshukaku, a flash of lightning streaked through the hall.
A tall figure emerged within the chamber.
She slowly opened her pale violet eyes — lightning flickered within them, and her cold, beautiful face carried a faintly dazed air.
Save for the teardrop mole beneath her right eye, her appearance was identical to Raiden Makoto's — a detail that revealed her true identity:
The Shadow of Raiden Makoto, one of the twin Raiden Gods.
Demon God Name:Baalzebul
True Name:Raiden Ei
Raiden Ei brushed aside a lock of her dark violet hair, tied back in a single braid that faded to a lighter hue at the tips.
She wore a purple kimono with a black-and-gold shoulder guard on her right side. The hem reached only to her thighs, revealing long, slender legs wrapped in black thigh-highs, and on her feet were brown geta-style heels.
"Elder Sister."
"Ay—Ei."
Raiden Makoto smiled softly at her twin, eyes full of tenderness.
Ei's cool voice carried a trace of affection and concern as she asked,
"Can Jiang Mo truly deal with Orochi and the Abyssal energy in Enkanomiya?"
"No problem," Makoto replied with a gentle nod, her tone serene.
"Don't underestimate Xiao Mo. His growth will be astonishing. It might not be long before, Ay—Ei, you won't be his match anymore."
"The Innate Qi…"
Ei murmured softly, her pale violet eyes flickering with lightning and anticipation.
Makoto's smile deepened.
She had made a certain agreement with Morax — one known only to the two of them.
Not even her dearest sister Ei knew of it, nor did Morax's closest allies, the Dust King or the Dragon King.
As for what that agreement was—
Time would eventually reveal it.
Outside Tenshukaku, Jiang Mo walked leisurely through the courtyard, muttering lazily to himself,
"The harvest this time was incredible. I didn't expect to gain this much from a trip to Inazuma."
"Arara~~~"
A teasing, melodic voice drifted over.
"Sir, would you care to tell little old me just how great your harvest was?"
Jiang Mo turned his head slightly, narrowing his golden eyes.
Not far away stood Yae Miko, smiling like a fox that had cornered its prey.
"Of course," he replied with a grin. "I made a deal with Sister Makoto. She's quite generous — gave me three rewards I simply couldn't refuse."
"Sister Makoto?"
"A deal?"
"Three rewards?"
Yae Miko's charming smile froze.
Wait—had she just been replaced?!
At that moment, the High Priestess of the Grand Narukami Shrine felt a vivid shade of green sprout on her head.
"Sister Makoto"? That nickname? She'd never been allowed to call her that!
To her, Makoto was always "Lady Makoto"!
Unacceptable!
Was she no longer Lady Makoto's favorite little hand warmer?!
Jiang Mo, meanwhile, smiled like a man thoroughly enjoying the situation.
That "Sister Makoto" title was well-deserved — the woman truly was generous.
Inazuma's energy systems, though not exactly hidden, would've been incredibly difficult for an outsider from Liyue to gather on his own.
As for Watatsumi Island—
That was just a little bonus.
Makoto had also used the chance to erase all remnants of Orobashi's faith and bring Enkanomiya fully under Inazuma's control.
And as for Sangonomiya Kokomi, the so-called "ornamental fish"?
According to Makoto, if Jiang Mo wanted, he could even take her with him.
Truly, Sister Makoto lived up to her name — generous beyond belief.
Especially that third reward…
Just thinking about it made Jiang Mo's grin widen.
"..."
While Jiang Mo was lost in thought about his rewards, Yae Miko saw something else entirely — provocation.
Pure, unfiltered provocation.
This man…!
Yae bit her lip lightly.
In all her years, she'd met few who could completely suppress her like this.
"Well, well," she said sweetly, feigning nonchalance.
"Sir, this little fox won't pry into your deal with Lady Makoto."
"But~~~"
She smiled, narrowing her eyes.
"Don't forget about our wager — five days from now."
She deftly shifted the subject, her voice dripping with playful challenge.
Jiang Mo blinked, pulling himself from his thoughts.
He looked at Yae Miko curiously, his gaze oddly intent.
"..."
Yae, feeling that look, took a small step back, a flicker of hesitation crossing her face.
"Sir… why are you looking at me like that?" she asked in her softest, most affected tone.
Her coyness only made Jiang Mo more amused.
He could already imagine a certain pink-haired fox curled up in his arms as a warm hand-warmer.
"Hmm~~~"
"From your expression, Lady Yae, it seems you're quite confident that the Nakiri sisters will win."
"But of course."
Yae Miko pushed aside her earlier irritation, her smile returning, confident and bright.
"Those two girls are incredibly talented. I dare say, one day, they might even become Gods of Cooking themselves."
"The Nakiri sisters—Erina and Alice, correct?"
Jiang Mo nodded thoughtfully.
"Nakiri Alice is hard to judge, but based on Erina's current level, I'd say she has potential, at least."
He smiled slyly, mischief flashing across his eyes.
"Speaking of which, Lady Yae—
did you know that Xiangling's mentor is none other than Liyue's own God of Cooking, Xiao Dangjia?"