"Morax? That renowned God of Geo, I met him once when I accompanied my sister to the Seven Archons' gathering. He was a wise and powerful deity, and there is much I can learn from him. In what aspect do you, Feng Yi, refer to?"
"Moying... cough cough, as Zhongli would say, it should be 'Mundane Travels'!"
"Mundane Travels? What does that mean?"
"Erosion is the shackle that the Heavenly Principles impose on all things. No one can achieve eternity, not even the powerful Morax. He knows he will eventually perish. When that time comes, Liyue may have no god to protect it. What will become of the people of Liyue then? They can only protect themselves!
Morax knows well that the era of divine rule will eventually pass, and the era of human rule will arrive. If that is the case, why not accelerate this process? Let the era of human rule come sooner, so that he may have the chance to witness it all with his own eyes..."
Feng Yi knew that Zhongli was likely making arrangements for his own funeral.
Yes... burying himself.
Truly worthy of you, Zhongli!
"So that's how he thought about it. But without the protection of a god, how can humans defend themselves against the invasion of demons?"
Although Ei respected Morax's philosophy, she still felt something was amiss.
"A'ei, this is no longer the era of the Archon War a thousand years ago. The humans on the continent of Teyvat have already gained a certain degree of self-preservation ability. If everyone unites and uses their intelligence to improve themselves, demons are not as terrifying as they seem..."
Feng Yi thought of Ningguang's ultimate weapon: the Jade Chamber!
Precision guidance, saturation bombardment. Although the cost was a bit high, the power was absolutely reassuring!
"Human intelligence? But Feng Yi, you saw the consequences of unchecked human development five hundred years ago. Only eternity, only eternity can..."
Ei was initially moved by Feng Yi's consolation, but when she thought of the tragic destruction of Khaenri'ah, she trembled all over. Ei did not want the same thing to happen to the people of Inazuma.
Ei's thoughts drifted to events that happened long, long ago.
Wherever lightning flashed, shadows were cast, and she was that shadow, purging all obstacles to Inazuma's progress with the principle of 'Mugen'. Yet... with every step forward, she lost something.
Relatives, friends, and even more...
Those deeds are still recounted today under the shade of every Raimei tree, but the scars of those 'losses' on this nation still burn.
'Just pursue it, even if it's just a fleeting ray of light.'
'We at least have the 'present'.'
Her sister once said so, but Ei witnessed a nation running at full speed lose everything before the Heavenly Principles!
That nation, without gods, was the pinnacle of human intellectual development. In a Teyvat teeming with demons, it occupied a pure land and was indeed praiseworthy. But what was the result?
Perhaps, only by freezing time can the lightning not dissipate. The 'present' is a fragile illusion, and only eternity is closest to the Heavenly Principles!
'This body is the most supreme and noble body, and should wield the power of the world. This body promises its subjects a dream, that is, unchanging eternity for a thousand generations!'
From that moment on, Ei abandoned the fleeting and pursued eternity.
"The Heavenly Principles are driven by fear, a manifestation of guilt. Because Khaenri'ah's technological civilization was gradually deciphering the deep secrets of this world, the Heavenly Principles resorted to destruction. This is still too far from Inazuma, let's put it aside for now and return to the main topic. A'ei, you simply want to protect your beloved Inazuma forever, don't you?"
Feng Yi hugged A'ei's trembling body and said softly.
Khaenri'ah was destroyed because it learned things it shouldn't have.
Similarly, Orobas also perished because he learned things he shouldn't have.
While the Heavenly Principles' judgment on living beings is related to the development of civilization, it is not the primary factor. The key lies in whether the developed civilization has touched the core secrets of the world.
Regarding this, Feng Yi could not reveal much to A'ei.
His current strength was insufficient to contend with the Heavenly Principles. If he revealed it, he might be hunted by them the next moment.
It might even implicate A'ei.
"Feng Yi, you have not experienced what I have, so you cannot understand the weight of the word 'protection'..."
"A'ei, I cannot understand, but if a nation loses its aspirations, loses its changes, it becomes merely a nation that exists, just an empty shell. In that case, what does it matter if it is destroyed?
"The eternity of unchanging existence for a thousand generations is the promise I made to my subjects!"
"You are not your subjects, how do you know what your subjects desire with such a promise? I once delved deep into the common people with the eldest daughter of the Kamisato family. After their Visions were confiscated, they became listless, like walking corpses, losing their purpose in life. For them, such eternity is not worth it! They want your 'gaze' more!"
"Visions? Human lifespans are only a hundred years. They cannot bear the losses. I, who have experienced everything, chose to guide them towards the correct 'eternity'!"
"You are not a commoner, how can you know the joy of commoners? The people of Inazuma are not as profound as you think. Their happiness is actually very simple: to eat their fill, to be reunited with their families. As long as life has hope, every future day is 'eternity'...
A'ei, how about this? You remember the living conditions of Inazuma's citizens during the Vision Hunt Decree. Then, abolish the Vision Hunt Decree and compare them. Seeing is believing. You will then know what kind of life the people of Inazuma truly desire!"
Feng Yi gave A'ei an idea. By going deep among the people, she would know what they truly wanted.
Standing on high, detached from social reality, any policy is mere empty talk.
Just like some experts and professors in Feng Yi's previous life, who, to solve the problem of college graduates finding jobs, actually proposed that college students should pay companies to work!
What kind of insane suggestion was that?
It was even more outrageous than "Why don't they eat meat porridge?"
"Sigh... Forget it. If even you say so, then I will indulge you this once. Tomorrow, I will announce the cancellation of the Vision Hunt Decree and the Sakoku Decree. In a few days, I will personally investigate among the people."
A'ei wanted to say something but stopped. In the end, she sighed heavily. For Feng Yi's sake, she reluctantly agreed.
Seeing that he had finally persuaded A'ei, the heavy stone in Feng Yi's heart finally landed.
He knew that it was actually because A'ei herself had begun to waver and was uncertain about eternity, and his words were merely the last straw that broke the camel's back.