In the grand, spacious drawing room of the Hiiragi estate, Hiiragi Shinsuke, now well into his later years, sat calmly on his knees before a tea table. He held a cup of fragrant tea in hand, savoring the serenity and elegance of the moment.
Beside him, two attendants in finely embroidered traditional Inazuman attire sat with their eyes lowered in complete deference, accompanying him in respectful silence.
This tranquil atmosphere was suddenly broken by the hurried footsteps of Katsuie.
He stepped in quickly, bowing deeply, his tone carrying a hint of barely concealed anxiety.
"Master Hiiragi, President Kurisu of the International Trade Association has come to request an audience. He's accompanied by a foreigner."
Hiiragi Shinsuke gently set down his teacup, a flicker of anticipation in his eyes as he asked casually, "Have they brought the tax payment?"
"Master, it's not about the taxes..."
Katsuie's answer poured over him like a cold splash of water, dousing that momentary excitement.
He waved his hand dismissively, clearly annoyed. "If it's not about the taxes, there's no need to waste my time. Send them away immediately."
But Katsuie's next words, spoken with careful intent, sent ripples through the old man's heart like a stone cast into still water.
Clutching his fractured fingers, Katsuie said, expression complicated, "Master... the foreigner insists on meeting you. He was quite forceful..."
He intentionally drew out the sentence, hoping to pique Hiiragi Shinsuke's interest.
"Oh? What does this foreigner look like?" Shinsuke's attention was successfully caught.
Katsuie thought for a moment before describing Shao Yun.
"He's tall and broad-shouldered. Wears a black hat, a brown coat, and a blue undershirt. Very arrogant and overbearing. Should I—"
As he described the man, Shinsuke's eyes lit up. He abruptly stood, so quickly he had to be helped by the two attendants beside him.
"You said tall, black hat, brown coat, blue undershirt?!"
Katsuie nodded repeatedly, still gritting his teeth from the pain. "Exactly, Master. And this foreigner is very aggressive. Perhaps we should—"
But Hiiragi Shinsuke wasn't even listening anymore. His heart swelled with excitement and expectation. He interrupted, asking eagerly, "Where is he?"
"Waiting outside in the courtyard," Katsuie replied, pointing in that direction.
Shinsuke could no longer restrain his excitement. He rushed toward the exit, calling out as he moved, "I'll go greet this guest myself!"
Of course, Hiiragi Shinsuke's excitement wasn't due to admiration. He'd been informed by the Fatui long ago that Shao Yun and his companions would arrive in Inazuma. The executive known as The Fair Lady had personally instructed him to kill Shao Yun, Lumine, and Paimon.
If he completed this task, The Fair Lady promised to elevate the Hiiragi family to the most powerful in Inazuma—second only to the Shogun herself.
Katsuie was left stunned by the sudden change. Before he could process it, Hiiragi Shinsuke had already disappeared from view.
...
In the Hiiragi courtyard, Kurisu's thigh wound had split open again, blood gushing down his leg and twisting his face in pain.
Shao Yun, ever the pragmatist, fished out a bottle of Health Cure from his bag and handed it to him.
"Here. Drink this. It'll stop the pain and close the wound."
Kurisu, trembling, accepted the bottle with both hands and said gratefully, "Mr. Shao Yun, thank you. Truly..."
Shao Yun shook his head slightly, a wry smile tugging at his lips.
"If you want to thank someone, thank your Mora. I wouldn't have lifted a finger without it."
Kurisu chuckled bitterly at that, then uncorked the bottle and drank it down.
The bitter liquid filled his mouth, but within moments, a warm sensation surged through the wound, easing the pain and visibly sealing the gash.
Just as Kurisu marveled at the miracle, Hiiragi Shinsuke emerged into view.
The elder moved with urgency. His gaze landed on Shao Yun, and a radiant smile spread across his face.
But before he could say a word, Kurisu darted in front of him like a flash and bowed deeply, his tone servile.
"Greetings, Lord Hiiragi. I am Kurisu, president of the International Trade Association. We've met before—do you remember?"
Hiiragi Shinsuke's expression darkened instantly. He gave Kurisu a cold glance and snapped, "Oh, it's you. Where is this month's tax? Why haven't you paid?"
Kurisu froze, his smile strained. "I came today hoping to speak with you... to request a brief extension, or perhaps a small reduction. Just enough breathing room—we promise that in a few days—"
Shinsuke cut him off sharply. "Taxes are not to be trifled with. Not a single Mora less—"
Before he could finish, Shao Yun stepped forward, silently positioning himself behind Kurisu, his gaze locked firmly on Shinsuke's face.
That one move made Shinsuke falter.
'Could he know about my dealings with The Fair Lady?'
Shao Yun's eyes pierced through him. This old man, a dog of the Fatui, stirred in him a deep, cold fury. Should I kill him now, before he becomes a problem?
Kurisu, blissfully unaware of the storm between the two, pleaded anxiously, "Lord Hiiragi, please—if this continues—"
Shinsuke, seeing that Shao Yun still made no move, assumed he simply disliked the Kanjou Commission. His mind turned quickly. Perhaps it was best to placate Shao Yun first... then invite him into a trap later.
Feigning generosity, he relented.
"Very well. I'll make an exception. You may pay half the tax, and delay payment for half a month."
Kurisu's eyes widened in disbelief. He hadn't expected such an easy concession. He immediately bowed again and again.
"Ah—! Thank you, Lord Hiiragi! Thank you for your immense generosity!"
Shao Yun stood silently to the side, stunned himself. That... was way too easy.
Encouraged, Kurisu decided to push further.
"Also, Lord Hiiragi, there's a small merchant named Harrison who's been imprisoned over a misunderstanding. Would it be possible to—"
"Not a problem," Shinsuke said, cutting him off with a smile. He turned to a samurai. "Fetch Mr. Harrison. Now."
The samurai obeyed. Moments later, a battered, barely conscious Harrison was brought forward.
Kurisu rushed to catch his swaying body, calling urgently, "Mr. Harrison, wake up!"
Harrison stirred at last, swollen eyes fluttering open. "I... I... don't have any money..."
Having settled Kurisu's affairs, Shinsuke turned, a polite smile on his lips, and spoke to Shao Yun in a cordial tone.
"And you must be—"
But Shao Yun clearly had no interest in speaking with a lapdog of the Fatui. He seriously considered drawing his gun and shooting the old man on the spot.
Not yet, he thought. I came here to make money. I'll kill him after Kurisu pays up.
With a cold snort, Shao Yun turned and walked away.
Kurisu, supporting Harrison, quickly followed after him, calling back to Shinsuke with gratitude.
"Thank you again, Lord Hiiragi! We're forever in your debt!"
Shinsuke watched them leave, his smile slowly fading into a grim shadow.
"The Fair Lady was right. You are indeed an arrogant, disrespectful wretch. I was going to treat you with a little civility—but it seems I won't need to bother."
He cleared his throat. A silent servant emerged from within the estate and bowed respectfully before him.
Shinsuke's eyes turned cold. He issued the command in a chilling voice.
"Wait until they're asleep. Burn down the International Trade Association. Kill that foreigner and his companions. We must complete the mission given to us by The Fair Lady."
The servant bowed and departed silently.
Shinsuke watched him go, a sick pleasure bubbling in his chest.
"No matter how much power you had in Mondstadt or Liyue... the moment you step onto my land, you walk straight into your grave."
Indeed... when a man grows old, he either becomes wise—or senile. And Hiiragi Shinsuke was clearly the latter.
...
Shao Yun and Kurisu, each supporting one of Harrison's arms, managed to bring the beaten merchant back to the Trade Association.
Kurisu arranged for immediate care and treatment, then turned back to Shao Yun, pressing his palms together in gratitude, eyes shining.
"Thank you, truly. Without you, we small merchants would have been finished. I can't thank you enough."
Shao Yun rubbed his fingers together lightly, reminding Kurisu of the earlier promise.
"President Kurisu, about that payment you mentioned..."
Kurisu nodded quickly and pulled out a pouch of Mora from his coat, handing it over.
"Of course. You've earned it. And from now on, thirty percent of all profits made by Association members will be yours."
Shao Yun accepted the Mora and then gave further instructions.
"Good. From now on, deposit the profits to the Adventurers' Guild under the name Tacitus Kilgore. Then have Miss Katheryne at the Guild forward those funds... to Lumine."
Kurisu nodded again. "Understood. I'll handle everything personally."
As Kurisu was leaving the Trade Association, he ran into Thoma—who had finally returned after three days.
Kurisu blinked in surprise, then quickly clasped Thoma's hand warmly.
"Mr. Thoma! What a pleasant surprise. I'm sorry I didn't greet you properly!"
Thoma smiled kindly. "No need for that, President Kurisu. I've come to speak with Mr. Shao Yun. If you'd allow—"
"Of course," Kurisu said, stepping aside. "He's just over there. I've got matters to handle—so I'll take my leave."
With that, Kurisu hurried off to fulfill Shao Yun's instructions.
Shao Yun turned his gaze to Thoma, raising a hand casually in greeting.
"Thoma. How did things go?"
Thoma approached nervously, scratching his head.
"Mr. Shao Yun... after a lot of work, I've managed to bribe the guards between Ritou and Narukami Island. At midnight, during the guard change, we'll have a ten-minute window. We can use that time to leave Ritou and head to the Komore Teahouse in Inazuma City. From there, we'll plan our next steps."
At Thoma's words, Shao Yun's face darkened.
Three days. You had three whole days—and this is what you came up with? I thought you'd at least get us a full Inazuma access pass!
Even that little girl Hiiragi Chisato could've done better!
"Three days... and all you managed was a sneaky escape plan during shift change? You want us to sneak around like thieves?! I should beat you to death!"
Infuriated, Shao Yun raised a fist and punched Thoma square in the face.
Thoma stumbled and fell, trying to explain as he lay on the floor.
"Please, Mr. Shao Yun—calm down. We need to use our funds wisely. The real priority is gaining an audience with the Shogun."
But Shao Yun wasn't having it. His fury exploded, and he kicked Thoma hard while he was down.
"I never told you to save money! You want me to sneak off like some back-alley crook?! If I wanted to leave with Lumine and Paimon, I would've done it already—without your help!"
Thoma lay curled on the ground, clutching his face and stomach, whispering apologies.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Shao Yun... I promise things will go smoothly from now on. We'll get you in front of the Shogun. Please don't be angry..."
But Shao Yun's fury hadn't burned out yet. He kicked him again.
"If it weren't for Beidou, you'd already be a corpse."
Only when he was satisfied did he finally pull Thoma up with a sigh.
Thoma's left cheek was swollen like a ripe apple. Shao Yun tossed him a healing potion and asked curtly, "What time are we moving out?"
Clutching the bottle, Thoma touched his bruised face and explained, "We leave at 11 PM. From the Trade Association, we'll head to the checkpoint between Ritou and Narukami Island."
"During the guard shift, we'll slip through. People from the Yashiro Commission will be waiting to receive us. After that... we'll talk again."
Shao Yun cracked his knuckles with a sharp pop.
"If you waste even one more second of my time, I'll let you experience a new kind of pain—hanging yourself with your own intestines."
Thoma nodded desperately. "Yes, sir... once we leave Ritou, everything will be fine..."