Shao Yun followed Teppei into the wounded soldiers' camp. The moment he stepped inside, a pungent medicinal odor overwhelmed him. Unlike the fresh herbal scent of Bubu Pharmacy in Liyue, this one was filled with the stench of mildew and rot.
Shao Yun furrowed his brow and waved his hand in front of his nose, unable to help but say, "The air here is absolutely awful, and this medicine smell... it doesn't even resemble normal medicine at all…"
Teppei heard him and gave a helpless smile, sighing. "Yeah, you're right. The war's not been going well lately, and our medical supplies have been heavily depleted. So, we've had to resort to some folk remedies to treat the wounded."
"But General Gorou said that supplies will arrive in a few days. Things should improve then."
Shao Yun's heart stirred. A shortage of medicine—that was critical intelligence. If he could take advantage of that…
Teppei led Shao Yun over to two rebel soldiers sitting on the ground resting. He introduced Shao Yun to them.
"Tokuda, Shouji, I brought a new comrade."
One of the soldiers, Tokuda, looked up and coughed weakly. "Cough, cough… so this is our new teammate?"
Shao Yun nodded and introduced himself. "Hello, I'm Shao Yun. Nice to meet you both."
Shouji eyed Shao Yun carefully. Seeing such a strong person join the resistance, he couldn't hide his excitement.
"You look really strong. Once I'm better, we should have a sparring match."
Shao Yun nodded again, kindly replying, "Of course, it'd be good to exchange some skills."
Seeing Shouji's old habits kick in, Tokuda quickly stepped in to stop him. "Hold on, hold on, who starts a fight with the newbie right off the bat? Besides, your injury's not going to heal in just a few days."
Tokuda then turned to Teppei and asked with concern, "Teppei, how are things on the front lines?"
Teppei placed his hands on his hips, pretending everything was under control. "The Shogunate's forces are tougher than we thought, but I've still been able to make a huge difference."
And with that, Teppei began weaving a tale for the two, animatedly embellishing what had happened earlier that morning.
"…The Shogunate soldiers surged forward like a tide, but I wasn't afraid. I drew my sword and charged, holding off three or four samurai on my own."
Shouji, a simple and straightforward person, believed everything he heard.
His face lit up with surprise when he heard Teppei describe his newfound prowess. "Wow, Teppei! That's amazing! When did you get so powerful?"
Teppei smiled humbly and waved a hand, then pulled Shao Yun closer and introduced him.
"Actually, Mr. Shao Yun is even more incredible. He defeated Shogunate soldiers instantly—without even using a Vision."
Tokuda's jaw dropped. "Really? I was starting to worry we'd lose every battle and be forced to retreat. But it looks like both the newcomer and you are far more dependable than I imagined. I need to recover quickly and get back to the front line."
Shouji patted the bandages on his arm and said with resolve, "Your determination's clearly lacking. I'm already training with injuries!"
He accidentally struck his wound, causing him to grimace in pain.
"Ugh, the wound opened up again yesterday… hurts like hell…"
Teppei quickly asked in concern, "Do you want me to find you some medicine? I heard of a folk remedy a few days ago. If you grind up an Onikabuto, it supposedly makes an amazing wound salve…"
Before Teppei could finish, Shao Yun patted his shoulder and said softly, "Teppei, I don't mean to rain on your parade, but it's better to avoid folk remedies if we can. I've got some medicine that might help Shouji."
Hearing Shao Yun offer help, Teppei scratched his head and smiled. "Well, I'll leave it to you then…"
Shao Yun reached into his Legend of the East satchel and pulled out a Health Cure, then handed it to Shouji, crafting a little lie.
"This is something I bought at Bubu Pharmacy in Liyue. Just drink it, and your wounds will start to heal."
Shouji didn't hesitate. He took the bottle, pulled out the stopper, and downed it in one gulp.
The moment the liquid touched his tongue, he grimaced and cried out, "Ugh~ so bitter…"
Still, he forced himself to drink it all.
Soon, Shouji began to feel an itching sensation at his wound—a strange feeling spreading across his body.
He eagerly unwrapped his bandages and gently touched his formerly injured arm.
When he saw that the once-ghastly wound had completely healed, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"It doesn't hurt anymore! I'm healed!" he muttered.
Shouji jumped to his feet, hopping around with renewed energy.
Grinning ear to ear, he exclaimed joyfully to Shao Yun and Teppei, "Haha! My wound's really healed! Thank you both!"
But just then, Shouji suddenly realized something. His face turned regretful, and he slapped his thigh hard.
"Damn it! This medicine's way too good—I shouldn't have been the one to use it! What a waste!"
Shao Yun looked at Shouji with a deep gaze and spoke slowly.
"If Watatsumi Island could import medicines like this from the other two nations, how great would that be? After all, places like Mondstadt and Liyue have no shortage of similar remedies."
In truth, this kind of medicine could only be crafted by himself, but Shao Yun was now playing the long game. By tying the island's shortage of medicine to an external solution, he was trying to create a sense of urgency.
When Shouji heard the miraculous potion came from Mondstadt and Liyue, his face immediately turned disappointed. With the Sakoku Decree still in effect, how could they import anything?
He sighed heavily and shook his head. "So, it has to be imported… sigh… Ne—no, Shao Yun, don't give us that kind of precious medicine next time. Some folk remedy is enough for us…"
Shao Yun gave him a meaningful smile. "Don't worry. Maybe we won't be using medicine that good next time, but we won't have to rely on those folk remedies either. Standard medicine is still the most reliable safeguard."
Shouji thought Shao Yun was just trying to comfort him. He beat his chest as if to rally himself and said gratefully, "Thanks for the care and the medicine. I feel totally recovered. Enough talk—time for me to get back to duty!"
With that, Shouji quickly left the wounded soldiers' camp.
Tokuda had wanted to say something to him but saw that he had already vanished from sight.
He sighed, helplessly muttering, "Ah, that Shouji…"
Shao Yun smiled and consoled him. "No need to sigh. It's a good thing he's healthy again, right? Cheer up. I still have another bottle…"
Shao Yun reached back into his Legend of the East satchel.
Tokuda quickly waved his hands, repeatedly saying, "No, no, save that kind of valuable medicine for someone who really needs it. My injury's minor—resting a few days will be enough."
At that moment, Tokuda's eyes lit up like he had remembered something important.
"Right! I heard there's an archery drill going on over at the training grounds. Shao Yun, do you want to take a look? You'll get to meet more of the resistance fighters, and it might help you integrate faster."
Shao Yun nodded thoughtfully, stroked his chin, and murmured, "Archery, huh? Sounds interesting. Might be worth a look."
Teppei, standing beside him, was already eager. "That's great! Shao Yun, I'll take you there right now. It's just outside the camp—won't take long!"
With that, he led Shao Yun toward the training grounds.
Tokuda waved after him, calling out warmly, "Welcome to the resistance, Shao Yun!"
…
After leaving the camp, Teppei brought Shao Yun to the training grounds just outside the military encampment.
A few new recruits were firing arrows at straw targets, but their accuracy was terrible. Out of ten arrows, hitting even once was considered good.
Shao Yun and Teppei stood to the side, observing without interrupting.
As they watched, Teppei suddenly spoke. "By the way, Mr. Shao Yun, I forgot to ask—what weapon did you use to save me back there?"
Shao Yun turned and smiled. "If you hadn't asked, I might've forgotten myself."
He patted the cowboy revolver at his waist and explained, "You can think of it as a kind of Fontaine firearm. Just a bit better than those single-shot models."
Teppei scratched his head in confusion.
"Fontaine? Firearm? What's that? Is it really stronger than someone with a Vision?"
That was a tricky one. Explaining it would be a hassle.
After a moment, Shao Yun dodged the question and posed one of his own.
"Teppei, why do you always assume that someone with a Vision is automatically powerful?"
Teppei sighed helplessly. "If people with Visions weren't powerful, why would the Raiden Shogun issue the Vision Hunt Decree?"
"And Mr. Shao Yun, don't you have a Vision too? You must know that kind of power—though yours does look a little unusual…"
Why did the Raiden Shogun issue the Vision Hunt Decree? Because she's a damn fool. If she had half a brain, she never would've dared to cut Lumine! And I wouldn't have ended up on Watatsumi Island.
As for the thing on my waist—it looks like a Vision, sure. But its origin... is complicated.
Most of the time, I just treat it like a talisman to reduce strain.
Shao Yun mentally gave the Raiden Shogun a thorough roasting, then half-jokingly explained, "Let me put it this way: people without Visions are like Hilichurls with clubs. People with Visions are like Hilichurls who can set their clubs on fire. But at their core… not much different."
Maybe I'm just a Mitachurl with an axe…
Teppei was about to reply when Masashi came running over from the training grounds.
He stopped in front of Teppei, speaking excitedly. "Teppei-senpai!"
Teppei snapped back to attention. "Ah! Masashi, what's going on?"
Masashi clasped his hands together and pleaded, "Could you show us how to shoot arrows again? We won't take much of your time, but please—just one more demonstration! The last training was too rushed; we couldn't remember all the key techniques."
Teppei looked troubled. "Archery? Uh, well, I'm not that good at it myself…"
Shao Yun interjected, "I know a bit. Want me to show you?"
Masashi looked at him doubtfully. "And you are…?"
Teppei quickly stepped in. "Let me introduce him. This is Mr. Shao Yun, our newest member. He's amazing!"
Hearing that, Masashi's eyes lit up. "Then please! Could you give us a demonstration?"
Shao Yun smiled and nodded, walking with Masashi toward the targets.
Masashi enthusiastically handed him his bow and quiver.
After completing Master Hunter Rank 10 and getting some tips from his good buddy Charles Smith, Shao Yun wasn't quite a deadeye, but he was close enough.
He took the bow and quickly drew an arrow from the quiver, expertly notching it and pulling the string.
With a soft release, the arrow flew like lightning, striking a purple-clad Shogunate training dummy dead-on.
The other recruits at the range gasped in awe.
Without pause, Shao Yun continued to draw and release, each arrow cutting through the air with a whoosh.
In no time, the quiver was empty—and every shot had hit its mark.
Masashi stared in admiration. "Mr. Shao Yun, that was incredible!"
Teppei, clearly proud, added, "See? I told you Mr. Shao Yun was amazing!"
Masashi nodded vigorously, then thoughtfully began analyzing his own weaknesses.
"No wonder I always miss. My stance isn't right, I don't have enough strength, my grip is unstable, and I'm not accounting for the environment properly… but aside from that, I'm doing fine."
Nearby, his companion Hisahiko muttered, "That's already quite a list…"
Shao Yun handed back the bow and quiver, patiently offering advice.
"Strength and grip can be improved with proper nutrition and consistent training. As long as you stick with it, you'll definitely get better."
Masashi chuckled bitterly. "I wish I could eat more, but the rations are really tight right now…"
Shao Yun gently patted his shoulder, his gaze steady and reassuring.
"Don't worry. Someday soon, there'll be more food than you can eat—so much you'll get sick of it."
Masashi burst into laughter, thinking Shao Yun was joking.
"Hahaha, you really know how to cheer people up! Thank you for the demonstration—I'll train twice as hard!"
With renewed passion, he dove back into practice.