[You hadn't expected Tohsaka Rin to appear at this time.]
[After all, she had never mentioned knowing such a person.]
[You realized the situation might be more complicated than you observed.]
[You decided to gather more information in secret—you felt you at least needed to understand Tohsaka Rin's intentions.]
Following the results of his thoughts, Ian continued to secretly observe the situation in the courtyard across the way. Tohsaka Rin wasn't visiting alone. A man followed her here. He held something resembling a religious text, his expression solemn and serious, like a priest. Both of them bowed respectfully to Li Shuwen, seemingly holding him in high regard. This scene quickly made Ian realize something. That this old man named Li Shuwen might be a master figure to Tohsaka Rin. No. Considering that there was another person standing beside Tohsaka Rin, perhaps he was the master's master.
Ian's conjecture quickly received further evidence. After bowing, the person standing beside Tohsaka Rin said something to her. The girl nodded, then walked to another wooden post that hadn't been smashed by Li Shuwen.
"Hmph—!"
"Ha—!"
Tohsaka Rin put all her might into striking the wooden post in front of her. Thump, thump. The wooden post gave a crisp response—this was also a sign of an effective strike. However, compared to Li Shuwen, the effect of Tohsaka Rin's movements was not as terrifying. Rather than an offense, it seemed more like a defensive counter-attack. After completing her set, Tohsaka Rin bowed to Li Shuwen again, seemingly asking how her performance was. The latter shook his head, seemingly indicating that it was far from enough.
Due to the considerable distance, Ian couldn't hear what they were saying. Recalling how Li Shuwen had broken the wooden post with a single punch earlier, the man felt he should understand more. He looked back at the still-sleeping Tohsaka Sakura, took a deep breath. Then, Ian pulled back the curtain and quietly left.
[You felt that this old man, Li Shuwen, was quite unusual.]
[Or rather, you were full of questions about his performance.]
[After all, someone his age shouldn't possess such terrifying strength.]
[You felt a bit uneasy—this made you want to confirm the situation even more.]
Fujimura Taiga's house was very close to the neighboring one. Otherwise, Ian wouldn't have heard Li Shuwen practicing Bajiquan so early in the morning. So, after only a few steps, he arrived in front of the adjacent house. Pretending to be completely unaware, the man directly called out inside.
"Rin, what are you doing here?"
"..." Tohsaka Rin was stunned. Clearly, she hadn't expected to see Ian here.
"Excuse me for a moment!" Tohsaka Rin ran over to where Ian was in a few steps, then asked the man in front of her with a bewildered expression. "What are you doing here?"
"I'll explain later." Ian secretly glanced at Li Shuwen, who still had a stern face behind Tohsaka Rin. "Rin, can I come in?"
"..." Although she had argued with Tohsaka Sakura, Tohsaka Rin certainly didn't dislike her Servant, Ian. After all, in a sense—the girl knew that she and he were small accomplices.
"..." Tohsaka Rin looked at Ian, then looked back at the two behind her, and finally nodded. "Alright, I see. You... wait for me for a moment."
Having answered Ian, Tohsaka Rin turned around and walked towards her master, Kirei Kotomine, and the old man named Li Shuwen.
"Um—Kirei, and Master Li."
"I have a friend who's very interested in Bajiquan... can he also come in and watch?"
"..." Kirei Kotomine didn't answer Tohsaka Rin but looked at Li Shuwen, signaling for him to decide. Clearly, Kirei Kotomine greatly respected the old man beside him. The latter, after hearing Tohsaka Rin's request, pondered for a moment, then nodded. "In this day and age, there are still people interested in Bajiquan. Let him in."
"Yes!" Having received the reply, Tohsaka Rin quickly returned to Ian's side. "Alright, come in."
Leading the man to Kirei Kotomine and Li Shuwen, Tohsaka Rin politely introduced him. "This is Ian, my friend."
"Hello to both of you," Ian said quite naturally, following Tohsaka Rin's lead.
"Oh... Rin's friend," Kirei Kotomine nodded thoughtfully, then introduced himself. "I am Kirei Kotomine, Rin's master. This is Li Shuwen, my master."
"I see," finding that the relationship between the three was similar to what he had predicted, Ian acknowledged. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"I heard you're interested in Bajiquan?" Li Shuwen suddenly interjected.
"Mm, yes." Ian didn't hide his thoughts. "I am indeed very interested in it."
"Then—" Li Shuwen flexed his hands. "Specifically which part?"
"..."
[You realize that Li Shuwen seems quite concerned with others' opinions of Bajiquan.]
[You think this might be a good opportunity to confirm the power of that punch from earlier at close range.]
[You decide to verify what you just saw.]
"Master Li." Ian respectfully spoke, using Kirei Kotomine's recent form of address. "I'd like to see you punch."
"..." Hearing this, Tohsaka Rin bit her lip nervously. One had to know that this person named Li Shuwen had an incredibly bad temper. To immediately ask to see such a thing—wouldn't he scold him?
However, the reality was completely different. Facing Ian's request, Li Shuwen not only showed no displeasure as Tohsaka Rin had predicted, but instead nodded. He walked to another unbroken wooden post and assumed a pose very similar to before.
"Ian, watch closely."
"Mm."
"Haa—!" Li Shuwen raised his hand-blade and struck at the wooden post. "Bajiquan, Unrivaled Strike!"
As soon as the words fell, an incredibly exaggerated scene unfolded. Li Shuwen's fierce palm struck the top of the wooden post.
Crack.
Crack.
Bang—!
The wooden post was shattered from the inside, then scattered in all directions like rain. It was a breathtaking sight, something one could never forget once seen!
"Did you see it clearly this time?" Li Shuwen looked at Ian, slightly pulling down his small round glasses, examining him with sharp eyes. "If not—you can come a little closer."
"..." There was a significant difference between observing from a distance and feeling it up close. Ian felt a shock far greater than before. He also confirmed one thing—the Li Shuwen in front of him indeed possessed unimaginable power!
Meanwhile, Tohsaka Rin's expression couldn't hold up. Because she found that Ian seemed completely unaware of the subtle displeasure in Li Shuwen's words. But then again, it was normal to think that; the old man's temper was so hard to discern. If she hadn't studied Bajiquan with him for a few years, she really wouldn't have guessed his thoughts.
Never mind that for now! Stop Ian first!
"Um—!" Tohsaka Rin grabbed Ian's hand, looking nervous as she searched for an excuse to escape with Kirei Kotomine and Li Shuwen. "I just remembered I have some things to buy today! I'll go out with Ian first!"
Before waiting for a reply, Tohsaka Rin dragged Ian away in a flash. Leaving only Kirei Kotomine and Li Shuwen behind. However, neither of them paid any attention to Tohsaka Rin's strange behavior, as if nothing had happened. Kirei Kotomine picked up a broom and began sweeping away the debris left by Li Shuwen's shattered wooden post. Despite it being quite a troublesome task, he seemed to derive great pleasure from it.
"Assassin."
"You seem quite angry."
Yes. The old man named Li Shuwen in front of him was precisely the Servant Kirei Kotomine had summoned to participate in this Fifth Holy Grail War, with the Assassin class! And the reason he was able to summon such a formidable Servant was because he had found an ancient Bajiquan text in his daughter's room, who had left Fuyuki when she was young. Kirei Kotomine didn't know why his daughter had hidden it. But—since he found it, he might as well use it. Everything was for the best. And so—Kirei Kotomine summoned Assassin Li Shuwen, who had reached the pinnacle of Bajiquan.
"Of course I'm angry." Assassin Li Shuwen looked up at a certain window in Fujimura Taiga's residence not far away. At this moment, it was tightly drawn, letting no light through. "That person named Ian. He watched me practice for a long time—I don't like that."
"So you used a little force?" Kirei Kotomine picked up the last fragment.
"Something like that," Li Shuwen's gaze returned to his Master. "What? Do you have an objection?"
Li Shuwen didn't particularly like his Master, Kirei Kotomine. In his words, "there should only be one person suppressing their true nature." After all—if his Master was also suppressing his true nature like him, it would feel like looking into a mirror. Li Shuwen hated that feeling.
"How could I have an objection?" Kirei Kotomine's lips curled into a subtle, ambiguous smile. "But Assassin, are you sure it's wise to reveal your true name?"
"It doesn't matter." Li Shuwen turned and walked inside. "I actually hope someone can find my weakness and come challenge me. Only through constant training can my 'Unrivaled Strike' reach its peak."
[You were unaware of this conversation between Kirei Kotomine and Li Shuwen.]
[You were dragged by Tohsaka Rin for quite a distance.]
[After ensuring that her Master Kirei Kotomine and Li Shuwen wouldn't see them, the girl finally stopped.]
A few streets away from Fujimura Taiga's residence.
Tohsaka Rin and Ian sat on a bench. "Hoo—hoo—" The girl took several deep breaths before calming her breathing. She looked at the man beside her, saying anxiously. "Ian, didn't you see that old man Li Shuwen was angry?"
"I did," the man replied calmly.
"Eh?" Tohsaka Rin was a bit surprised—she hadn't expected such an answer. "Since you saw it, then why did you still..."
"I told you, I was just curious about Bajiquan."
"However—" Ian looked at Tohsaka Rin beside him, a hint of friendliness in his eyes. "Rin, thank you for your good intentions nonetheless."
"..." Tohsaka Rin's face immediately flushed. "I, I wasn't being kind! I... had something I wanted to ask of you, that's why I did it!"
"Ask me?"
"Yes..." Tohsaka Rin turned her face away, muttering softly. "You're probably living with Sakura now, right?"
"Mm, yes, why?"
"Then—" A bit of guilt entered Tohsaka Rin's voice. "Please tell her I'm sorry. What I... said that day was indeed too harsh."
Tohsaka Sakura wasn't the only one reflecting. Tohsaka Rin was also reflecting on her own actions. And seeing her mother's sad face upon learning that her sister had moved out, this guilt became even more pronounced.
"..." Hearing this, Ian suddenly seemed to understand something and smiled. "You two really are sisters at heart. The way you think is so similar."
"What do you mean?" Tohsaka Rin looked up, asking somewhat puzzled.
"Literal meaning," Ian shook his head. "Sakura also told me something similar yesterday."
"This..." Tohsaka Rin gave an awkward laugh. "I see."
"Why don't you come over to our place?" Ian invited. "The place where Sakura and I are living now is actually right next door to Master Li's."
"Ah?" Tohsaka Rin finally understood why she had seen Ian. "Forget it for now. Later, I'll go later."
"Alright," the man stood up. "Then I'll head back first. Sakura should be waking up soon."
"Wait!" Tohsaka Rin called out to stop Ian, her expression growing a bit serious, as if she had made some kind of decision. The man realized that the truth he had just revealed might have caused her quite a shock.
"Mm... I guess I should tell you two."
"What is it?"
"It's just—" Tohsaka Rin looked at Ian, her tone much more serious as she revealed the results of her recent thoughts. "Ian. I think... Vivian might also be participating in this Holy Grail War."