Kujou Sara's expression turned grave.
Had she underestimated Beidou's strength—or rather, the strength of Liyue?
That thing that tore through the earth in seconds… was it a firearm?
But isn't that the type of weapon the Fatui soldiers use?
Could it be that Liyue had cooperated with the Fatui?
No, that couldn't be it.
The weapon itself gave her a sense of mortal danger, far beyond anything a Fatui firearm could produce.
Even solid ground was shattered and torn apart by its fire.
If swept across a person, they'd probably be reduced to a mist of blood.
If the Fatui had such weapons, with their usual recklessness, they'd have been wreaking havoc long ago.
And this was only a single machine-gun turret. Kujou Sara's eyes were sharp enough to notice.
On the Alcor, others stood at different positions, operating even stranger gun muzzles.
Though the crew of the Alcor was far smaller than the Shogunate forces here…
with these weapons, they could clearly wipe out the offshore island with ease.
And above them, six dragons glared menacingly.
Each dragon exuded an oppressive aura, enough to intimidate even divine familiars.
Clearly, the six dragons alone could suppress this place.
That didn't even count Beidou's own strength, which seemed a little off.
Kujou Sara remembered—Beidou didn't even use a staff.
The situation was tricky; Kujou Sara didn't know how to respond.
Beidou snorted lightly and said calmly,
"I said it before—we do our business, and what you do is your business."
"You high-ranking officials in Inazuma don't care if your people live or die, so someone else will."
"The Kamisato family and Sangonomiya Kokomi spent massive resources trading necessities with us, helping your ordinary citizens survive."
"And yet you, indifferent to the suffering of Inazuma, have the nerve to stop us from doing business?"
"How interesting, Kujou Sara… so it turns out, your loyalty is only to the Raiden Shogun."
"One day, if the Shogun orders you to slaughter the people of Inazuma, I bet you wouldn't hesitate to follow through."
Kujou Sara's eyes darkened.
"The Shogun would never make such a decision!"
"Who can say for sure?"
Beidou smiled and shrugged.
"With the way your policies are now… honestly, it'd be kinder to just finish them off."
"War never ends, officials exploit the people, monsters run rampant, the citizens suffer—rather than live in such misery, isn't death a mercy?"
Kujou Sara fell silent.
Seeing ordinary people suffering in such dire conditions across the lands, she for the first time questioned the Raiden Shogun's decisions.
If things continued like this…
Would this really be eternal peace—or just perpetual suffering?
Liyue had grown astonishingly powerful; the Alcor and a single fleet could openly parade through their lands.
The Fatui were rampant.
And yet, on Inazuma's soil, only the Inazuma people suffered…
At this rate, wouldn't it lead to all seven nations developing, while Inazuma remained forever backward and beaten?
Kujou Sara's mood was heavy, and for a moment, she didn't know how to argue with Beidou.
Beidou herself had also lost interest, lazily waving her hand.
"Although I don't like your Raiden Shogun, and I don't like your Inazuma officials…
that's none of my business. I'm just here to do business. If it's not necessary, I don't want to fight."
With that, Beidou ordered the boarding ladder to be lowered. Ayaka and Lumine exchanged a glance and stepped down.
Kujou Sara silently watched Ayaka and Lumine, her eyes flickering.
However, when Lumine stored the dragons in a strange bottle, Kujou Sara gave up her plan altogether.
The six dragons accompanying her were clearly beyond what she and her allies could handle.
The level of six Archon-familiar-tier beings meant that only the Raiden Shogun herself could deal with them.
Beidou placed her hands on her hips, looking at the merchants who were peeking nearby, and shouted,
"What are you waiting for? Get on board! We're taking you home!"
Immediately, the Liyue and Mondstadt merchants erupted in excitement, shouting as they rushed toward Beidou's ship.
They didn't have much to pack anyway; on this offshore island, everything had been exploited by the Shogunate, leaving little in terms of property. Being able to return home was already good enough.
As for the remaining resources…
they had long been seized by the Shogunate.
Watching the Liyue merchants flee as if escaping a disaster, many of them secretly wiped away tears.
Beidou let out a cold laugh.
"We Liyue people have never suffered such indignities. Yingxing, tally up all the merchants' resources. Anything we don't take this time, leave here."
"Count everything that's been seized or exploited, and report it back to the General Affairs Department.
Whatever they took from us, they'll pay back tenfold!"
"Kujou Sara, make sure you properly warn your Shogunate officials.
Next time I come, if I don't see the resources that should be here, believe me…
the Adepti and Liyue Qixing troops will set foot on your land.
We'll reclaim justice for the Liyue people!
When that time comes, the Shogunate and everyone involved in oppressing our merchants…
their families and homes will be completely destroyed, not leaving a single one behind!"
Having said this angrily, Beidou turned back to Lumine and Ayaka, smiling and waving.
"Let's go. Remember to come back often. Lumine, may your travels be safe and smooth."