Shao Yun returned to the International Trade Association, only to find President Kurisu standing solemnly alongside a merchant from Mondstadt—Harrison.
They were in the midst of a heated argument with two members of the Kanjou Commission: Keijirou and the squad leader of the Commission, Katsuie.
President Kurisu clutched a newly delivered tax form, his expression one of disbelief as he demanded, "Are you trying to drive us into a corner? What do reconstruction costs have to do with us innocent merchants? Why force such an unjust burden upon us?"
Harrison was equally outraged. Clenching his fists, he shouted, "Exactly! Exactly! The Overseer's office burned down—what's that got to do with us 'small-time traders'? Why should we shoulder the loss?"
Katsuie, however, appeared cold and callous. He waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away flies.
"The matter is settled. You'd best gather the tax money quickly—deal with the consequences yourselves if you don't."
Harrison, enraged, pointed a trembling finger at Katsuie's nose and roared, "You greedy parasites, bleeding us dry! You're nothing but devils in human skin—leeches that suck us dry!"
Keijirou's face darkened at the insult. He suddenly raised his cross-shaped spear, its tip aimed directly at Harrison's chest.
"Watch your mouth, or the Kanjou Commission's cells will be your final resting place."
But Harrison, blinded by fury, ignored the warning and shouted at the top of his lungs, "My shop's gone under thanks to your extortion! It's been closed for days!"
"These past few days, I've barely survived on handouts from friends—I almost ended up on the streets! What more do I have to fear? Today, I will stand up to you!"
Katsuie's expression changed drastically. With a sharp motion, he drew his katana, the blade gleaming coldly in the moonlight as it hovered near Harrison's throat.
"You foreigner—do you have a death wish?"
Kurisu quickly stepped forward to restrain the enraged Harrison, turning to Katsuie in an attempt to reason with him.
"Lord Katsuie, please hear me out—this matter—"
But Katsuie cut him off mercilessly, declaring Harrison's "crime" with cruel finality.
"Foreigner Harrison assaulted a Kanjou Commission samurai! Keijirou—take him to the cells immediately!"
Without hesitation, Keijirou responded and strode forward, grabbing Harrison by the collar. His gaze was sharp and filled with malice.
"Your time's up. Come with me—the Kanjou Commission has a nice cell waiting for you!"
Harrison struggled with all his might, yelling in protest.
"Let me go! I didn't do anything wrong!"
Keijirou showed no mercy. With a swift punch, he struck Harrison in the jaw, knocking him out cold.
He sneered, then dragged the unconscious man away with ease.
Kurisu watched the entire scene unfold, despair clouding his heart. But he still tried to make one last plea, bowing with clenched fists toward Katsuie.
"Lord Katsuie, Harrison acted in the heat of the moment—he didn't mean it. Please, show mercy. Spare his life."
Katsuie merely shot him a contemptuous glance before coldly stating his demand.
"If you want to save him, fine. One million Mora for bail."
Kurisu's eyes widened in disbelief. "One million Mora?! Lord Katsuie, where am I supposed to find that much money? We're already paying taxes for crystal marrow, now you want us to shoulder the Overseer's rebuilding fees too? This is... you're driving us to death!"
Katsuie snorted and replied icily, "No bail, no discussion. And get that tax money together soon—unless you want us to seize your shops."
With that, he turned and left the International Trade Association without looking back.
Kurisu raised his head to the sky. The moon hung high, silver light washing over his face.
His eyes shimmered with tears, his voice heavy with sorrow and frustration as he cried out, "This land of thunder and storm—when will it hear the cries of us desperate merchants?"
Shao Yun stood silently nearby, watching it all unfold, without any particular emotion.
Once things had quieted down, he lifted the bag of food and prepared to head inside the Trade Association building.
He'd planned to leave quietly—but seeing Kurisu so utterly broken, he decided he might as well offer some words. Comfort doesn't cost anything, after all.
He patted Kurisu's shoulder and gently consoled him, "It's late, President Kurisu. Please take care of yourself and try to get some rest."
Kurisu slowly turned toward him, eyes brimming with tears, choking out his words.
"Mr. Shao Yun... tell me, when will us 'small merchants' finally see the end of this endless suffering? Why is Inazuma so cruel, so unjust to us foreigners?"
Just then, a system notification popped up.
[Life isn't fair pal, get used to it. —Patrick Star]
Shao Yun stared at the message and nearly burst out laughing. Even quotes from Patrick—this system really knows everything!
He quickly forced himself to think of something depressing to suppress his laughter, and then, in a half-consoling, half-teasing tone, he replied to Kurisu:
"Better start thinking about how to scrape up the tax money. Otherwise, forget Harrison—you'll be sleeping on the streets too."
Kurisu wiped his tears and tried to pull himself together.
"You're right... I suppose that's all we can do now..."
Shao Yun entered the Trade Association, returning to the cozy room where Lumine and the ever-energetic Paimon were resting.
"Look what delicious treats I brought you!" Shao Yun's voice brimmed with pride.
The moment Paimon heard the word food, she zipped to his side, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Shao Yun, what tasty stuff did you get this time?"
Shao Yun placed the food on the table and slowly lifted the lids. A rich, mouthwatering aroma instantly filled the room.
"Lumine, Paimon—come taste! I got ten portions of Tri-Flavor Skewers and three portions of golden, crispy Egg Rolls. Should be more than enough for a feast!"
"Shao Yun, you're the best!" Paimon shouted with joy, then threw her arms around his neck and planted a big kiss on his cheek.
Without another word, she dove into the food with great enthusiasm.
Lumine watched the scene, gently shook her head, a tender, helpless smile on her lips. She walked up beside Shao Yun and said softly, "You really spoil Paimon too much."
Shao Yun chuckled, picked up a skewer, and handed it to Lumine. He then leaned in and kissed her gently on the cheek.
"Of course I spoil you too."
Lumine's cheeks flushed at the sudden gesture. She lowered her head shyly.
She looked at the skewer in her hand, then at Paimon munching happily, and finally turned her gaze to Shao Yun, smiling softly.
"Okay. Let's eat together."
...
Late at night, the Kamisato Estate lay in deep silence. In the main hall, Kamisato Ayaka knelt elegantly before a low table, sipping tea. Her gray-blue eyes were deep and pensive in the warm light. Her long, snow-white ponytail swayed slightly with her movements.
Her bangs were neatly trimmed, and the long strands at her temples were tied into small loops. The beauty mark beneath her left eye added a mysterious touch.
She wore a gradient-blue haori over a deep blue pleated skirt embroidered with cherry blossoms and flowing water.
At this tranquil moment, Thoma burst into the hall in a hurry, breathless, and dumped a bag full of Mora on the floor.
"Milady—bad news! Something big has happened!"
Ayaka looked at the flustered Thoma and asked softly, "Calm down, Thoma. Tell me—what happened?"
Thoma struggled to catch his breath and spoke between gasps, "Milady, the Traveler—no, that man called Shao Yun—he's gone completely off-script!"
Ayaka remained composed and tried to soothe him.
"Take your time, Thoma. What exactly happened?"
Thoma wiped sweat from his brow and recounted the shocking events: Shao Yun setting fire to the Overseer's office, handing over twenty million Mora to see the Raiden Shogun, paying eight hundred thousand as a guide fee, and everything else Shao Yun had said.
As Ayaka listened, her pupils trembled. Her teacup slipped and spilled its contents all over the table.
"This... how could this be? That's not what my brother's intel said. Didn't people from Mondstadt and Liyue describe him as a kind-hearted person who loved to help others?"
To be fair, the intel she'd received wasn't entirely wrong.
In Mondstadt, Shao Yun had helped the Knights of Favonius crush the arrogant Fatui and "helped" deal with the delusional Lawrence clan. The people of Mondstadt held him in high regard.
In Liyue, though he committed robbery, he never targeted the struggling common folk—and even unintentionally helped destroy Liyue's underworld trade, doing the upper echelon a huge favor. Though his reputation wasn't as good as in Mondstadt, it was still largely positive.
This led to a major intelligence error in Inazuma, where they mistook him for a mighty but benevolent sage—a living god who answered every prayer.
But what the Inazuman agents hadn't considered was this: to seek help from a god, one must at least offer incense and tribute. If you don't even burn incense, why would the "god" care?
Especially when the "god" turns out to be the Yama King!
Seeing her reaction, Thoma grabbed a cloth and began wiping up the spilled tea. He advised earnestly, "Milady, please calm down. We mustn't lose our footing now!"
Ayaka fell into a brief contemplation, then suddenly brightened. She turned to Thoma, eyes shining with urgency.
"Thoma—did Shao Yun really dare to flip the table and kill people from the Kanjou Commission?"
Thoma nodded solemnly. "Yes. When I left Ritou, word had already spread—the Overseer's office was reduced to ash, and many were dead."
Ayaka gently stroked her chin, lost in thought. She muttered to herself, "If that's true, then this isn't a disaster—it's an opportunity. Only someone with such boldness and fearlessness could become our ally in resisting the Vision Hunt Decree, and standing against the lightning itself."
Thoma agreed at once.
"Milady, you're absolutely right. But... what should we do next?"
Ayaka tapped her forehead and laid out the plan clearly.
"First, we must respect Shao Yun's wishes and ensure he and his companions leave Ritou safely. Then guide them to rest at the Komore Teahouse. As for the trials ahead... I need to think carefully."
Thoma looked troubled. "But Milady... convincing the Kanjou and Tenryou Commissions to let them leave—how do we do that? If we fail in three days and he gets angry, I fear he might burn down the whole island!"
Even Ayaka frowned at that. She gazed out into the deep night and sighed gently.
"We'll talk more tomorrow, Thoma. I know today has been exhausting... but look at it this way—perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. A wild beast that won't be tamed may well become the strongest weapon we have to overturn the Vision Hunt Decree."