Seeing the danger had passed, Kurisu quickly stepped forward and grasped Shao Yun's hand, eyes brimming with gratitude.
"Mr. Shao Yun, I can't thank you enough! If you hadn't stepped in, I probably wouldn't have survived!"
Still holding Shao Yun's hand tightly, he turned to Lumine, Kamisato Ayaka, and Paimon.
His eyes were filled with heartfelt appreciation as he continued, "And Miss Kamisato, Miss Lumine, and Miss Paimon—thank you so much. If you hadn't arrived when you did, I don't even dare imagine what might've happened."
Shao Yun glanced at the small pushcart in the road and the relieved members of the International Trade Association sitting nearby. Curiosity sparked in his mind.
"Kurisu, what exactly happened here?" he asked.
Kurisu sighed deeply and said helplessly, "Ah, it's a long story... Today, Ritou's lockdown was lifted, and over at the Kanjou Commission, those family factions are all busy vying for power. They've got no time to bother with us merchants from Ritou. We finally had a brief window to act."
"So, I decided to take advantage of the situation and move a batch of high-end fabric from Liyue to Inazuma City to sell to the Ogura Textiles & Kimonos. I was hoping to make a bit of money. Who could've guessed we'd get ambushed by Nobushi just as we were nearing the city?"
Kamisato Ayaka stepped forward and gently consoled him. "I'll speak with the Tenryou Commission and ask them to increase patrols on the route from Ritou to Inazuma City. This must not be allowed to happen again."
Kurisu was visibly moved by her words.
Tears shimmered in his eyes as he looked at her. His voice trembled. "Really? Thank you, Miss Kamisato. Without your and the Yashiro Commission's help, we merchants would hardly be able to survive."
Ayaka nodded with a soft smile, assuring him she would do everything in her power to help.
Kurisu was so touched he nearly burst into tears. He almost fell to his knees to express his gratitude.
Shao Yun stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder gently. "Enough pleasantries for now. Take care of the urgent matters first. Get your injured people to Inazuma City and make sure they receive proper treatment."
Kurisu snapped back to reality and quickly nodded. "Yes, thank you for the reminder, Mr. Shao Yun."
He turned to lead his staff away but paused after a few steps, as if he'd just remembered something important.
Turning back, his eyes locked onto Shao Yun's face, serious and sincere. "Ah, right. Mr. Shao Yun, I want to properly thank you. If you hadn't stepped in, we might not have made it to Inazuma safely. So please, accept this token of gratitude."
As he spoke, Kurisu pulled a silver necklace from his pocket and carefully offered it to Shao Yun.
Shao Yun stared at the necklace, hesitant. Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind.
'Thanks, partner. You know, there aren't many kind souls in this world. That's for sure, but you…'
'I don't even know what kindness means…'
...
The hallucination faded. Then, a system prompt appeared before his eyes.
[Accept the silver necklace to receive 200,000 Mora. No change in Honor Value.]
[Refuse the silver necklace to increase your Honor Value in Inazuma.]
Reading the prompt, Shao Yun gently pushed Kurisu's hand back and shook his head.
"Forget it. I appreciate the gesture, but I can't accept your money. Just hurry up and get your people treated in Inazuma."
Kurisu stood frozen, shocked that Shao Yun would actually refuse the gift.
Clutching the necklace in his palm, he held back for a long while before whispering, "You really are a gentleman, Mr. Shao Yun. Thank you."
Shao Yun flushed at the words, sighing as he replied, "I'm no gentleman. Just a damn bandit. Now get going—don't waste any more time."
He pointed in the direction of Inazuma City and said no more.
Kurisu looked at Shao Yun with teary eyes, filled with admiration.
To him, in that moment, in that instant—Shao Yun was a true gentleman.
Then he led his injured staff and the cart full of fabric slowly toward Inazuma City.
Shao Yun stood silently, watching them grow smaller in the distance, letting out a long sigh.
Some things just aren't as simple as they seem. If that Honor Value hadn't increased… I really might've taken the necklace.
Like worshiping a god—are you bowing to a deity, or to your own desire?
At that moment, two more system messages appeared.
[Your Honor Value in Inazuma has increased. You now receive a 10% discount at all Inazuma shops.]
[Kindness brings gifts from the world.]
…
Shao Yun turned to Lumine, Paimon, and Kamisato Ayaka, curiosity in his voice.
"By the way, you three—how'd you end up here together?"
Paimon floated up cheerfully. "Oh, it's like this! This morning, while you were sleeping, Lumine and I were about to head out for a commission. Right at the door, Ayaka showed up with some delicious Sakura Mochi—the 'Snow on the Hearth' kind!"
As she said it, Paimon patted her belly happily, clearly having eaten the lion's share of the mochi.
"Then we invited Ayaka to go on an adventure with us. It's been such a fulfilling day!"
Shao Yun nodded. "I see. What've you been up to today?"
Paimon scratched her chin, recalling the morning. "First, we found a bunch of treasure chests. Then Ayaka took us to play on Tatarasuna!"
"At lunch, she even bought us some super tasty Fox Ramen! This afternoon we're heading to Konda Village!"
She started drooling at the memory of the ramen.
Shao Yun chuckled. "Sounds like you've had a great day."
He turned to Ayaka with a smile. "Thank you for taking them on an adventure and treating them to such good food."
Ayaka blinked, a little surprised by his unusual display of politeness. But it was just Shao Yun being fair—fighting was one thing, gratitude another.
She gently shook her head and smiled. "You're very welcome. Adventuring with Lumine has been truly enjoyable for me too."
Shao Yun nodded, then complained about his own morning. "Sounds better than my day—I spent the whole morning chatting with Katheryne. I bored her so much she gave me an odd commission just to get rid of me."
He waved his hand in exasperation and turned to leave. "Anyway, you all enjoy yourselves. I won't bother you. I'm heading back to Inazuma."
Ayaka, surprised at how calmly Shao Yun entrusted Lumine and Paimon to her, asked, "Mr. Shao Yun, you have no objections?"
Shao Yun paused, glancing over his shoulder at her. Do I have some twisted possessiveness? Do I meddle in their social lives?
Even if I wiped out the Hiiragi Clan, would they dare target Lumine and Paimon again?
"What objections would I have?" he said, then added, "Oh, right. Miss Ayaka—please look after them."
Then Shao Yun looked to Lumine and Paimon, asking gently, "Lumine, Paimon, what do you want for dinner?"
Paimon scratched her head and gave a goofy smile. "Hehe, you decide, Shao Yun! As long as it's yummy!"
Shao Yun gave a small nod and waved. "Alright, I'm off."
With that, he turned and walked toward Inazuma City.
Meanwhile, Ayaka stood in place, watching his figure fade into the distance.
She turned to Lumine and bowed slightly, her tone tinged with apology.
"Lumine… I'm truly sorry."
Lumine blinked at the sudden apology, puzzled.
"Ayaka, what are you talking about? Why apologize?"
Ayaka took a deep breath, voice trembling. "That first day we met… After you left, I did something terribly rude."
Lumine blinked, recalling the scene. She nodded calmly. "Yeah. I know."
Ayaka's eyes widened in shock. "You know? Did Mr. Shao Yun tell you?"
Lumine smiled. "Yup. He told me that night. Said he gave you and Thoma quite the beating. Even asked if I wanted him to wipe all of you out…"
She winked, sticking out her tongue playfully and made a slashing motion across her neck.
Ayaka shivered and asked cautiously, "And… what did you say?"
Lumine continued, "Well, I thought there had to be some kind of misunderstanding. I know you're not that kind of person, Ayaka. So, I told Shao Yun to calm down first."
"Later, when we stayed at your place, he told me you were just copying romance novel plots from Liyue. You didn't even understand what 'offering your bed' really meant."
Hearing that, Ayaka's face went pale with embarrassment.
"I… I…"
Lumine smirked teasingly, grabbing Ayaka's hand.
"Oh, come on, it's fine! I know you must be super embarrassed, but I'm not mad. Why so nervous?"
Ayaka looked into Lumine's gentle smile and gradually relaxed, sighing with relief. "So… Ayaka was just overthinking things."
But then, Lumine leaned close and whispered coldly into her ear.
"But if you did mean it back then… I'd kill you without hesitation."
Ayaka jolted as if struck by lightning. A chill ran down her spine. Cold sweat formed instantly on her forehead.
She yanked her hand away, clutching her chest and stumbling back.
Lumine burst into laughter, holding her stomach. "Hahahaha, Ayaka! Did I nail the Shao Yun impression or what?"
Ayaka stood frozen, mouth agape. After a long moment, she managed a weak smile. "Y-Yeah… it was very convincing."
Her eyes still carried a flicker of lingering fear.
From the distance, Paimon's voice rang out curiously. "Hey, what're you two whispering about? Weren't we going to Konda Village? What's taking so long?"
Lumine turned with a wry smile. "Coming! Be right there!"
Then she turned back to Ayaka, smiling meaningfully as she held out her hand.
"Ayaka, let's go."
Ayaka's heart skipped a beat. She nervously swallowed, eyes locked on Lumine's hand.
Step by cautious step, she moved forward.
Finally, she stood in front of Lumine, raised her trembling hands, and placed them gently into Lumine's palm.
Lumine's hand was warm and soft, yet to Ayaka, it felt like a cold blade poised to pierce her heart at any moment.
"Ayaka, your hand's kinda cold. Want me to warm it up for you?"
As she spoke, Lumine reached out with her other hand.
Ayaka instantly pulled back.
The scariest person isn't Shao Yun—it's Lumine!
If Shao Yun wanted to kill her, he might at least care what Lumine and Paimon think. But if Lumine wanted her dead—no one on this earth could save her!
"No need! Let's head to Konda Village!"