Within Ashina Castle's inner keep stood a tall tower known as the Ashina Castle Lookout.
A small banquet was being held atop the tower.
Graceful geisha played and sang island-style music and performed dances, while the generals drank to their hearts' content.
Xiao frowned slightly as he looked at the food before him, a hint of disdain rising in his heart.
Genichiro noticed the disdain on Xiao's face and softly inquired,
"Is the esteemed guest not satisfied with the meal?"
Xiao replied frankly,
"Indeed. I see this country is not small in scale, so why is the food served so simple?"
Genichiro gave a bitter smile and explained,
"The esteemed guest may not be fully aware, but Ashina is currently facing a war with the Interior Ministry, and food supplies are tight, making things quite difficult."
He then elaborated on Ashina's current situation.
Originally, Ashina had long been subordinate to the Interior Ministry, but during the war of independence decades ago, Ashina successfully regained its freedom.
However, with his grandfather growing old and no longer able to fight, the Interior Ministry was now launching aggressive attacks once more, forcing Ashina to commit all of its strength to resisting them.
"I hope to protect my country. Please, esteemed one, grant us your aid! Ashina is willing to place its faith entirely in you!"
Suddenly, Genichiro knelt on the ground without hesitation, performing the most devout dogeza and prostrating himself completely to express his reverence toward Xiao.
Evidently, Genichiro still clearly remembered Xiao's identity as a "god-man," as mentioned by the Blasphemous Serpent earlier.
Although he wasn't sure what a god-man truly meant, since it was related to a god, then belief and worship were certainly required.
This was something all gods in the Land of Reeds needed, and he didn't believe Xiao, this god-man, would remain unmoved.
"Heh~"
However, Xiao merely let out a disdainful chuckle, his gaze fixed on the distance as he completely ignored Genichiro's request.
Seeing Xiao's indifference, Genichiro gritted his teeth and waved his hand, signaling the guards behind him to leave.
Then he said,
"I know that worldly things are hard to impress the esteemed one, but I wonder if you have heard of a mysterious power that can grant immortality—the Dragon's Heritage?"
Genichiro then proceeded to recount the legends of the Dragon's Heritage within Ashina Castle.
It was said that those who possessed this power could resurrect the dead and grant them eternal, undying life.
However, judging from Xiao's expression, he clearly had little interest in the topic.
Seeing Xiao's lack of interest, Genichiro awkwardly stood up, recalled his guards, and brought over a jar.
"Esteemed one, please look. This contains the Rejuvenating Waters!"
After speaking, Genichiro ordered an attendant to drink the Rejuvenating Waters.
Instantly, black-green patterns spread rapidly across the attendant's face like venomous snakes.
Soon afterward, the attendant lost his sanity and transformed into a furious monster before Xiao.
It clawed and roared, emitting low growls as though it wanted to tear Xiao to shreds.
"Such powerful strength. Aren't you tempted?"
Genichiro looked at Xiao, a flicker of anticipation in his eyes.
In response, Xiao merely gave a cold smile and conjured a Death Blight, striking the pitiful monster.
The monster was instantly slain by the blight, its body transforming into a tangled mass of dark thorns that collapsed onto the floor.
"Boring. Your knowledge is too shallow."
Xiao turned toward Genichiro, shaking his head dismissively, seemingly very disappointed with his suggestion.
Genichiro remained silent for a long moment but finally could not help asking,
"What about lightning, then? Have you heard of the lightning bestowed by the Divine Dragon, that legendary secret art—the Lightning of Tomoe?"
"What lightning did you just say?"
Xiao pursed his lips, and a golden lightning spear condensed in his palm before he hurled it directly into the sky.
"Rumble~~~"
Infinite golden lightning instantly filled the sky above the entirety of Ashina Castle like divine punishment descending from the heavens.
"How is this possible?"
Looking at the lightning in the sky, like divine judgment itself, Genichiro sank powerlessly to the ground.
Faced with such immense power, even if he gave everything he had, he could not move Xiao's heart.
That night, in a guest room within Ashina Castle, Xiao lay lazily on the bed, gazing through the window at the distant night view of the castle.
Moonlight cascaded over the castle walls, creating an exceptionally tranquil atmosphere.
In truth, no matter what conditions Genichiro offered, there was very little in this world that could attract Xiao.
This was probably a form of dimensional superiority.
Having seen the prosperity of The Lands Between, Xiao had already lost interest in this barren world.
In the sky, figures resembling large birds occasionally glided past.
These were the shinobi responsible for security within the castle.
They wore fierce masks and moved with the lightness of swallows, soaring through the air.
These individuals were called Tengu, and indeed, they moved as freely as hawks.
"Tomorrow, I'll just devour this entire world. No matter how I look at it, this world just doesn't feel right!"
Xiao's divine sense swept across the entire Land of Reeds.
The area of this world wasn't actually very large, perhaps only four or five times the size of the island nation.
In such a small world, Xiao was fully capable of devouring it in a single gulp.
"What a truly terrifying declaration, Lord God. Please give this poor world another chance. Not everything here is evil; there are countless poor people who have been oppressed!"
Just then, a figure appeared silently on Xiao's windowsill like a ghost.
Xiao looked up to see an old man with white hair standing there.
He wore a red long-nosed Tengu mask, giving off an eerie and fierce impression.
The old man gracefully stepped down from the windowsill, his movements as elegant as a dancer's.
He slowly approached Xiao, a faint trace of pleading visible in his eyes.
"The people here won't feel it!"
Xiao tilted his head slightly and asked with a hint of displeasure:
"Do people here not like using doors?"
The old man across from him let out a hearty laugh, his voice echoing through the room as though it might lift the roof.
"Hahahaha~~~, this works just fine too!"
He replied with a laugh, his voice filled with a sense of freedom and open-mindedness.
"Are you not going to try and persuade me anymore?"
Xiao asked curiously, his gaze fixed on the old man's eyes.
However, the old man shook his head, sighed, and said:
"If this old man were thirty years younger, perhaps I would try to persuade you. But now, it no longer matters. If this old man dies, Ashina will likely be finished. Rather than leave Ashina to those cruel beasts, it would be better for you, Lord God, to completely destroy it."
After speaking, the old man knelt upright before Xiao and removed his Tengu mask, revealing a gaunt face.
His gaze was firm and solemn, as though expressing the deep resolve within his heart to Xiao.
"This old man is Isshin, lord of this castle."
The old man's voice was low and powerful as he introduced himself.
Then he asked in return:
"Esteemed one, you are a god-man from The Lands Between, aren't you?"
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