"Oh my god, I'm sorry, I didn't notice!" Ember heard Washizu's dying tone, then looked down and immediately realized what was happening.
Being underground, and in a sealed underground space, wasn't this like a living person lighting a candle in a coffin?
It was just that this "coffin" was a bit large.
"Hmph!" Ember blew hard and extinguished the candle in his hand. The cellar fell into silent darkness.
But the silence didn't last long before it was broken by Ember's puzzled voice.
"That's not right, it's normal for me to be fine, but why is Dan Oni Roku also fine?"
"Hey! What do you mean it's normal for you to be fine? Are you not human?"
After Dan Oni Roku complained about Ember's statement, he also belatedly realized.
"Oh right? Why am I fine?"
"You're fine! Then Washizu must be fine too! Tell him to get up, stop sleeping!"
Saying that, Ember fumbled in the dark and slapped Washizu twice.
"Slap! Slap!"
"Ugh..., where is this, heaven? It can't be hell, can it?!"
Washizu opened his eyes and only saw darkness. Then, a familiar voice came from the darkness.
"Hell, you probably won't go to hell. Someone like you is more likely to go to heaven."
"Thank you for the good wishes." Hearing Ember's words, Washizu climbed up from the ground.
"What happened, why is it so dark?" Washizu groped around in confusion, but besides touching two big men, he didn't touch anything else.
"I was afraid you'd suffocate, so I turned off the light." Ember shrugged in the dark, joking.
However, Washizu immediately waved his hand when he heard it, saying in an urgent tone, "If what you want to talk about are those words you just said, then forget it."
"Light the candle, it's easy to get hurt fumbling around in the dark."
Before he finished speaking, Washizu reached out and grabbed around, seemingly trying to find the candle to light it.
"Here." Ember saw Washizu's movements in the dark and directly handed him the candle in his hand.
"Whoosh—, hiss~"
"Whoosh—, hiss~"
"Whoosh—, hiss~"
Accompanied by the sound of blowing, the tinder brightened for a while in the darkness, then completely lost its light. No matter how Washizu tried to light it, the candle just wouldn't light.
"That's strange, why won't it light?" Washizu scratched his head, and despite his dry mouth and tongue from blowing, no sparks flew from the tinder.
"Yeah, why won't it light?" Ember's half-smiling voice came from the darkness.
"In the cellar, there must be a lack of... oxygen... right?"
Dan Oni Roku's tone changed from matter-of-fact to hesitant, and finally to trembling. And his voice became smaller and smaller, eventually falling silent.
"Bang!"
A bright flame burst from Ember's fingertips. In the absence of oxygen, the flame remained bright, showing no signs of extinguishing.
The fuel for Ember's flame was not oxygen, but something else. So it could burn at any time, bringing light.
The fire illuminated the large and somewhat empty cellar. Washizu and Dan Oni Roku, who were closest to Ember, were naturally illuminated without a single shadow.
"Do you think your changes were caused by me, or by the Shogunate?" Ember rolled up Washizu's sleeve, exposing the part covered with fine hair and scales.
"..."
Washizu silently smoothed his sleeve, shook his head, and said nothing.
"You... both?" Dan Oni Roku scratched his head, saying with hesitation.
He already knew that the Golden Tree was planted by Ember, and he also knew that the changes in his body were brought about by the Golden Tree.
If no other conditions were considered, Ember was certainly the direct cause of Higi Village's people becoming like this.
"That's right, but I can take responsibility for my actions."
"I will let you know the true use of this power you possess. If you cannot accept being non-human, I can also restore you."
Ember's tone was full of confidence, but he immediately changed the subject, saying sinisterly, "But what about the Shogunate? I've given you my explanation, but what about the Shogunate's explanation?"
"They won't give it, you have to demand it, don't you? The tree I planted is very stingy; it generally doesn't scatter power so generously, turning you into this. The Shogunate is responsible for 80% of this."
Firelight and shadows danced on Ember's face. They were like tentacles reaching out from the deep sea, as if they would extend out at any moment and drag Washizu and Dan Oni Roku into the abyss.
"Besides, who told you this is rebellion? This is clearly..." Ember looked up, and the shadows on his face were dispelled by the firelight due to the angle.
He pondered for a moment, then nodded, saying with great certainty, "This is clearly a royal visit to the King!"
"Someone is deceiving the Sacred Emperor. As a part of Inazuma, don't you want to purge the wicked officials and clarify the imperial court?!"
Washizu's face first twisted, then struggled, but finally returned to calmness. After a deep sigh, he shook his head and said, "Hmph—, no need to say more, this is rebellion."
"As for us becoming like this..., no one needs to be responsible. It's the result of circumstances, our destined fate."
With that, Washizu stopped speaking. No matter how eloquently Ember spoke, it couldn't change the essence of this matter as "rebellion" in Washizu's heart.
"No way? You can endure that much?" Ember saw Washizu swallow the suffering brought by the Shogunate, and immediately lamented their "broad-mindedness."
"Endure? Do you think I want to endure? But what can I do besides endure? So many people behind me are waiting to eat, I can't act on impulse!"
Washizu clenched his fists, letting out a low growl, almost gritting his teeth.
The resistance left dozens of bodies at the village entrance. Washizu wished more than anyone that the Shogunate's people could also lie down with them.
But Higi Village's strength didn't allow it, and his responsibilities didn't allow it either.
"Do you think enduring will make things better? Recently, the Shogunate attacked the resistance again, not just a small skirmish, but a decisive battle to settle everything!"
Ember glanced around the cellar, where many bags of grain were stacked.
"How did Higi Village get its grain recently?"
"The Fatui sent it. Although I don't know why they're so kind, I've checked the grain itself, and it's legitimate."
Although Washizu was puzzled why Ember asked this, he still answered Ember's question with lingering anger.
"Very good, and recently?"
"They haven't come recently, and I don't expect to put the village's fate in their hands. I've already sent people to buy grain."
Washizu recalled the recent situation of the village. Thanks to the Fatui's support, Higi Village's situation had improved a lot recently.
However, the Fatui hadn't been seen for a while, but Washizu himself didn't intend to hand over the village's lifeline to such a disreputable organization.
So, while thanking the Fatui, Washizu also didn't give up on getting grain through other channels.
Even though these channels had various drawbacks.
"You can wait and see whether the Fatui are better at finding grain or your subordinates are."
"What do you mean?" Washizu looked up, completely puzzled.
"It means nothing, just that a large-scale war is coming. Even the Fatui can't get grain, do you think you can?"
"Now the best course of action is to replace those people at the top of the Shogunate before the war even begins!"
Ember clenched his fist and said fiercely! Not only that, but Raiden Shogun also needed a good lesson.
Ember hadn't even bothered her, but this fellow actually wanted to mess with Ember first.
This was unbearable, absolutely unbearable!
"Damn it, I'm in!"
As soon as Ember finished speaking, he saw Dan Oni Roku, who had been silent beside him, raise his arm.
"My life was already a struggle! Now that national traitors are in power, as a warrior, I should point my sword at them! This is a righteous war!"
Dan Oni Roku was full of fervor. He had had this idea for a long time, and now Ember's thoughts aligned with his.
"Sigh..., let me ask, who else?" Seeing this, and thinking of his subordinates who were still missing, Washizu's heart finally wavered a bit.
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