Start with Star Iron and the connection will become stronger

Although this distance would be a good opportunity for a sneak attack given the opponent's complete lack of defense, Kujo Sara was just thinking about it. She didn't believe that the opponent's displayed strength would be so easily defeated by a sneak attack.

Besides...

She didn't know if it was an illusion, but from the beginning, she seemed to be able to sense the other person's emotions, although this experience was still very superficial, not even as good as observing with the naked eye.

But the fact that one could get information without looking at the other person or listening to any words was something that Kujo Sara found very amazing.

It was as if there was an invisible connection in the atmosphere that connected the two.

In this sensory state, she also felt a warm current flowing into her heart, just like the experience of the Inazuma people who came across some wonderful story while wandering in a bookstore, and were instantly shuddered, with the feeling surrounding their heads.

Has she become stronger at this moment?

The faint feeling made Kujo Sara have an unreasonable association. She was not sure whether it was a real experience or her own illusion.

So Jiujo Sara asked Fanyu directly: "Did you... feel anything strange?"

She had this strange experience from the other person, and she really wanted to ask the other person if he had the same experience.

Fan Yu: "Can you be more specific?"

Jiujo Sara was stunned for a moment, then faced Fan Yu's curious gaze. Ultimately, she decided to conceal this feeling. Whether it was a real improvement or simply a fantasy, since the other party didn't know, she didn't intend to share it.

"It's nothing, maybe it's my illusion." Kujo Sara responded.

Fan Yu gave the other person a strange look in his eyes. Although the connection of [Depth 1] could not make each other feel the specific thoughts and serious words in their hearts, Fan Yu, as the leader of the connection, could still sense a trend of thoughts.

The spectrum of colors that can be seen in the depths of his golden eyes is a contradictory color that does not match his words and his heart.

Given Fan Yu's previous goals in connecting to other worlds, many of those who had just discovered the truth of "improvement through connection" would indeed feel as if they had "got a cheat." Jiujo Sara's emotional fluctuations were almost identical to those displayed by those who had connected at the time.

Fan Yu had no intention of pointing it out to the other party and nodded.

Then, Kujo Sara breathed a sigh of relief: "Do you have any idea where we're going next?"

Fan Yu thought for a while and began to speak slowly: "If I hadn't met you, I would have planned to go to Kamisato Yashiki first. But when I saw you in the suburbs..."

Kujo Sara raised an eyebrow. "Why did you go there? Is it true, as the reports about the outlying islands and the rumors about Inazuma Castle say, that you were going there to challenge the Three Bugyo?"

As one of the Three Bugyo, Tenryo Bugyo-daisho, Kujo Sara had become a prisoner, but he also felt somewhat confused.

Fan Yu shook his head: "I went to the outlying island for a legitimate ticket to enter the Inazuma City Adventurer's Association, but when I got there, I was surrounded and they wanted to take away the agreement I had with that adventurer.

There was no other way, that was the only way to get out as quickly as possible."

Kujo Sara was speechless for a moment: "..."

The opponent's quick withdrawal is like chopping off Fengxing's head.

She could not hear any reverence for Inazuma Sanben's deeds in the man's words. Even the so-called laws and the general were vague, just like those people from the outer sea who had just stepped into Inazuma.

However, even so, even though the fools of the Winter Kingdom naturally looked down on the people of Inazuma, when they came to this area, they still felt awe for the General as the Thunder God of the Seventh Ruler of the Earthly World and did not dare to be too presumptuous.

"A very dangerous man!" Kujo Sara commented secretly.

She thought to herself that the current status of following the other party after losing the bet might also be an opportunity to get closer to the other party and understand his purpose.

Before Kujo Sara became the Tenryo Bugyo, he also did a similar undercover job to investigate a case.

This situation was nothing more than a promotion, another encounter with a more 'high-level' criminal. She had always believed that even in this losing state, she could still fulfill her duties as an Inazuma soldier.

"Our target is still Kamisato-yashiki, but we will pass by two more places along the way, right?" Fan Yu asked her.

Kujo Sara hummed. "We're currently on the outskirts of Inazuma Castle. Heading northwest, we'll reach Narukami Taisha Shrine on Kagemukai Mountain. Heading east, we'll enter the Guardian Forest. Kamisato House is northeast of the Guardian Forest, close to the coast."

Fan Yu nodded. This was similar to what he saw in the Adventurer's Association.

"Then let's go to the Guardian Forest first, and then slowly go to Kamisato House." Fan Yu said.

The first experience he gained as a samurai was that while honing his skills, he was contaminated by the "worship of gods" of this land, and eventually entered the forest guarded by the legendary "monsters" in order to seek salvation.

Regarding the beautiful monster 'Da Tengu' Kujo Sara who has appeared in front of him, Fan Yu is also curious about other kinds of monsters that exist in the land of Inazuma.

Kujo Sara said hesitantly, "Something strange will happen there. Are you sure?"

"Oh?" Fan Yu turned his head and looked over.

A hint of discomfort crossed Kujo Sara's face. "I'm not yielding to you. This is just a request as agreed upon, and it's my duty as a guide."

Well... do things carefully, whether it is an enemy or a friend... this is her choice.

Fan Yu: "I am naturally aware of your temperament, Miss Sha Luo. But since it is a strange matter, it is even more worth exploring."

Kujo Sara: “…”

"Okay, let's go!"

Kujo Sara nodded silently and followed behind.

When they reached the rock where they had competed before, Fan Yu said, "This is the testimony of our friendship," and the corners of Jiujo Sara's mouth twitched.

That was her best chance to arrest the other party, but she failed at her own strength.

Do not……

Staring at the man in front of her, she pulled the arrow out of the stone and suddenly had a guess.

"I have a question, Master Fanyu."

Fan Yu: "Hmm?"

Kujo Sara asked seriously, "If I win, will you really keep your promise?"

23 "Guarding the Forest"

Regarding that answer, Fanyu did not respond to Kujo Sara.

During the rest of the journey, Kujo Sara's expression was not as relaxed as at the beginning, but he fell into deep thought.

She had no way of knowing the answer, but from the expression on Fan Yu's face, she knew the answer wasn't important. Ultimately, whether the competition adhered to the agreement or not depended on Fan Yu's willingness to accept the outcome.

Guarded forest.

When Fanyu and Jiutiao Sara entered this area, a distinct feeling of coolness and loneliness came from their skin.

In the silent, deserted forest, there was only a small path leading forward. A dilapidated sign by the roadside indicated the next location in the Guardian Forest, the writing blurred. Occasionally, a tremor could be heard from the lush undergrowth on either side of the forest, whether it was the wind or a small animal hiding in the grass.

A distinctly eerie feeling came over me.

Even as the general of the shogunate, Kujo Sara felt this terrifying atmosphere with an inexplicably solemn expression. She held the bow returned by Fan Yu tightly in her hand, ready to strike at any time.

Seeing her expression, Fan Yu couldn't help but feel a little amused: "Are you a little too nervous?"

Kujo Sara snorted, "This is a necessary warning. In the past, this deep forest was home to many monsters. Although the turmoil of five hundred years ago has subsided, even now, according to the records of the Tenryo Buxing, there are still sightings of demonic raccoons in this quiet woodland!"

"Demon raccoon?"

Fan Yu looked at the two sides of the intersection with the dilapidated slogan in front of him. There was a pair of vacant sky fox statues facing in one direction.

"Is there a nine-tailed fox here?"

Kujo Sara: "I don't know what you mean by nine-tailed fox, but celestial foxes do exist. The chief priest of the Meijin Taisha Shrine on Kagemukaiyama is an enlightened celestial fox. She's also a former friend of the Shogun!"

Fan Yu: "..."

Ok!

In the previous world, in a cultural environment similar to Inazuma, the almost extinction of monsters has become a legendary reality. The fact that places like Teyvat Inazuma still have living monsters does make people feel a sense of disconnection between the times.

For example, the person in front of you is the living descendant of Da Tengu.

Ding~!

"Ok?"

Ding ding~~~!

A faint sound coming from the depths of the forest made Fan Yu subconsciously look in that direction.

"What's wrong?" Kujo Sara looked at the expression on Fan Yu's face in surprise.

Fan Yu pondered and said, "Did you hear a sound like a bell?"

Jiutiao Sara's expression froze as she looked in the direction Fan Yu was looking. She didn't hear the bell sound Fan Yu had mentioned, but instead saw a miniature animal suddenly emerge from the bushes.

The animal seemed to be checking to see if it had heard the sound, just like a child checking the reactions of the people at the scene after playing a prank, but unexpectedly it was discovered by Kujo Sara.

The tiny animal was like a frightened bird. It immediately retracted its head and hid in the jungle, then quickly fled away.

Before Kujo Sara was ready to give chase, he saw the bushes in several other directions of the forest also began to move at the same time.

At the same time, a pleasant sound of bells came from all directions.

"This……"

Fan Yu said, "You should have heard it now."

Kujo Sara hummed, her eyes uncertainly turning in all directions at the movement in the bushes. A normal person would have been frightened away by this sight, but having already seen the little animal with her own eyes, Kujo Sara found that her previous nervousness had disappeared once the mystery faded.

"I just saw a little raccoon cat." Kujo Sara said hesitantly.

Because the forest was dark, she couldn't be sure that what she saw was the truth.

But if the little animal that just popped out of the bushes was real, with its pointed ears and silly and cute posture, it would undoubtedly be the image of the legendary demon raccoon.

Fan Yu nodded. "Is this the desolate evil that inhabits this place? Then let's go in and take a look."

Kujo Sara: “…”

She felt that at this moment, she should choose to evacuate. However, facing Fan Yu's gaze, Jiutiao Sara knew that it was impossible to dissuade this curious man.

As Fan Yu stepped forward, she had no choice but to follow behind him.

however--

At the old signposted fork ahead, when Fan Yu and the others chose to approach, the sound of the bells around them became louder.

After they stepped over the statue of the celestial fox, it was as if they had stepped over a barrier separating humans and demons.

In the originally dark forest, on the other side of the sign, balls of blue flames lit up in the dark forest.

The shapes of those flames floated in the air like Inazuma's talisman paper, sometimes flickering and blooming, sometimes circling around the roots of the trees, and some of them hid behind the trees like children, and would sneak a peek after confirming that there was no big problem.

The blue flames all over the sky lit up the entire Guardian Forest under the moonlight, making it look extremely bright and dazzling.

"This is such a beautiful scene." Fan Yu looked up at the slope leading upwards. The blue flames that lived in front of the tree trunks were dotted together like bright lanterns that led people upwards.

Jiujo Sara didn't share Fan Yu's joyful mood for admiring the scenery. She felt the chilly atmosphere around her and whispered, "We seem to have entered the barrier of the Guardian Forest."

Fan Yu: "It's just like what's described in the story, the protagonist accidentally stumbles into a paradise, only to discover that it is filled with dreamlike scenes that are rarely seen in the mortal world. When he regains consciousness, he finds that he has returned to his original place without knowing when.

Thus, my entire life has been spent chasing that paradise..."

Kujo Sara gave Fan Yu a strange look. "I'm sorry, but you might be talking about the story from Liyue. Inazuma doesn't have such a storybook. Besides, shouldn't you consider the current situation instead of these things?"

It was clear we were in the box."

The temperature in the air suddenly became colder, and although the bells around were still ringing, they also became quieter.

It was as if there were no normal living creatures in this forest except them.

Fan Yu: "Maybe some cute little animals."

Kujo Sara was stunned for a moment: "?"

Before he could come to his senses, he saw Fan Yu suddenly pick up the blade in his hand, aim his eyes forward, and sweep out with a blow.

Whoosh!

The pure and powerful force brought about a pure impact, instantly blowing away the grass that was used as shelter in the forest.

24 Gohyakuzo-sama

The vast expanse of lush green looked like glowing fireflies under the moonlight. They were uprooted by the impact and scattered in the air.

Even several large trees were bent by the strong wind pressure.

Several demon raccoons, holding musical instruments, stood up from under the uprooted grass, some hid half their bodies behind bent trees, and some hid on rocks that were originally covered by the grass...

They stood there in a daze, holding the instruments in their hands.

After a sudden gust of howling wind, they all forgot that the original area was no longer hidden. Several raccoons with messy hair stood there, with a confused look in their eyes, as if they had no idea what was happening.

Until Fan Yu's figure quickly moved to the rock and picked up a demon raccoon carrying a green bag.

"Huh?!" the fox demon screamed.

Its figure quickly turned into a cloud of white smoke, trying to use an illusion to disappear from the spot.