In the deep of night, the northeastern side of Watatsumi Island, within the Suigetsu Pool region, was immersed in silence.
Four wooden boats glided soundlessly to the northeastern shore of the island under the cover of darkness.
They docked lightly, blending with the night as if part of it, not making a single sound.
Moonlight shimmered on the water's surface. All around, aside from the occasional chirping of insects, the gentle lap of waves in the distance, and the creaking of wooden planks, there was no other noise.
Over a dozen Fatui vanguard troops disembarked in an orderly fashion, unloading various supplies from the boats. They carefully sorted them into categories—funds, food, medicine, weapons—and stacked them neatly.
A plainclothes Fatui agent was intently directing his subordinates, shouting, "The mora, the supplies, and that thing—get them all unloaded now! Move faster!"
"If the people of Watatsumi Island don't get these supplies, there's no way they can keep standing off against the Shogunate army!"
At that moment, a man dressed like a Resistance fighter slowly approached.
This man was none other than the Fatui spy embedded within the Resistance—Nathan—the very one who had secretly sabotaged the sacred relic of Yashiori Island, ultimately leading to the tragic massacre at Himura Village.
With a blank expression, he asked the Fatui, "Is everything ready?"
The plainclothes Fatui hurriedly pointed to a mountain of crates beside him and replied, "All ready. These crates are filled with mora, intended as military funds for the Resistance."
He then pointed to some crates in the distance and said, "Over there—food, medicine, and some weapons."
Finally, he beckoned with his hand, and a tall Fatui soldier came over carrying a small leather case.
The plainclothes Fatui took the case and handed it to Nathan, saying, "Inside this small case—Delusions! When the time comes, find a way to distribute them throughout the Resistance!"
Nathan chuckled and said, "Don't worry, leave it to me. Over at Sangonomiya, they still think the supplies from us Fatui are secretly provided by the Yashiro Commission and Narukami Shrine."
"Now that we've earned Sangonomiya's trust, these Delusions will soon spread throughout the Resistance!"
Just then, a deep rumble of thunder echoed in the distant sky.
Nathan and the Fatui looked toward the source of the thunder and saw dark clouds drifting in.
The plainclothes Fatui clicked his tongue and muttered, "Is it gonna rain again? Does Inazuma's Archon really love thunderstorms that much?"
Nathan smiled and said, "That's just Inazuma weather—sudden rain is common. But don't worry. As long as we cover the supplies with waterproof cloth, they won't get soaked."
The plainclothes Fatui nodded and shouted at the vanguard troops unloading cargo.
"Move faster! Unload the goods! It's fine if the mora gets wet, but if the food and medicine are soaked, that'll be a real problem!"
His voice sounded especially loud in the quiet surroundings.
A newly arrived Fatui muttered to himself, 'Easy for you to say. Just the few of us, moving enough supplies for Watatsumi Island to use for three months—how about you do it yourself?'
Meanwhile, at the ruins near Suigetsu Pool.
Shao Yun crouched quietly behind a collapsed pillar, cautiously peeking out as he observed the busy Fatui through a telescope.
He saw the Fatui repeatedly unloading crates from the boats and stacking them neatly on the shore, forming several small mountains of cargo.
Upon witnessing this, Shao Yun felt a surge of relief.
'Thank the system for its help. If these massive supplies made it into Watatsumi Island, the consequences would be unimaginable.'
Just as he was about to put on his mask and charge in, he suddenly remembered the rotary bolt-action rifle he had received from the system—a new weapon that deserved a proper debut.
With that in mind, Shao Yun took out the rotary bolt-action rifle, set it atop the pillar, and used the long-range scope to search for his first target.
Eventually, he locked onto the man dressed like a Resistance fighter.
'Let you be my first target, then.'
At that moment, just as Nathan took the case, a deafening BOOM rang out from nowhere.
A searing pain ripped through Nathan's body, as if a sharp arrow had pierced him—but it didn't feel like an arrow.
Before he could react, his legs gave way involuntarily, and he collapsed powerlessly to the ground, clutching the case of Delusions.
The Delusions spilled out, scattering across the ground as a burning, tearing pain surged through his back.
His breathing became extremely labored. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake off the suffocating sensation.
Standing across from him, the plainclothes Fatui witnessed Nathan's collapse and shouted in panic, "We're under attack!"
But before he could finish, another BOOM rang out.
The Fatui's head exploded like a smashed watermelon, blood splattering everywhere.
This sudden incident threw the Fatui vanguard troops into chaos.
They dropped the supplies they were carrying, grabbed their weapons, and scanned their surroundings warily, trying to find the hidden attacker.
Hearing the commotion outside, the Fatui aboard the boats grabbed their weapons and rushed out of the cabins.
Soon, both the shore-side and ship-bound Fatui were thrown into complete disarray, scurrying about like headless chickens in search of the unseen assailant. But none of them had any clue where the enemy was hiding.
From afar, Shao Yun watched the panicked Fatui with a cruel smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
'Like sheep attacked by wolves.' As the words left his lips, he pulled the trigger again.
BOOM. Another Fatui staggered, then collapsed into a pool of blood.
The remaining Fatui watched helplessly as their comrades fell one after another, confusion and dread flooding their hearts.
Their anxiety stemmed from their inability to locate the attacker.
Their fear came from knowing they could be the next to die.
Like headless flies, the Fatui were picked off one by one by Shao Yun's rotary bolt-action rifle.
In less than five minutes, all the Fatui on the shore—along with those who had rushed from the ships to assist—were gunned down by Shao Yun.
Once the beach returned to silence, Shao Yun slowly stood up, holding his rifle, and walked out of the ruins of Suigetsu Pool.
With interest, he admired the scene of lifeless Fatui sprawled across the ground, nodded slightly, and murmured, "If you're to blame, it's only for aiding Watatsumi Island."
He approached a crate and slammed its lid open with the butt of his rifle.
Gazing at the glittering mora inside, he reached in and grabbed a handful.
Then he slowly turned his palm and let the coins fall back into the crate with a clink clink.
Chuckling as he listened to the crisp sounds, he said, "Hah! These Fatui really are rich!"
Without hesitation, he scooped all the mora into his Legend of the East satchel.
He went on to open several more crates, finding a wealth of food, medicine, and some newly forged weapons.
As Shao Yun moved along the shore smashing open crates like blind boxes, he uncovered many supplies—but not a trace of the Delusions.
'Could it be that the Fatui hadn't unloaded them yet?'
Looking toward the four wooden boats, he assumed the Delusions must still be on board and climbed aboard to search.
By the time he had turned the ship inside out, he had uncovered more crates of mora and various military supplies—but still no sign of the Delusions.
Jumping back onto the beach, he stood with a furrowed brow and muttered, "Food, medicine, weapons, and mora are all here… so where are the Delusions? Could this batch of Fatui not have brought them?"
Just as he was deep in thought, his gaze fell upon the body of the first target he had shot—Fatui spy "Nathan."
Beside Nathan lay several badge-like objects.
Shao Yun walked over, picked up one silver-and-black "badge," and examined it under the faint moonlight.
Gently stroking the mysterious item, he muttered, "So this is a Delusion?"
Right then, the system popped up with a message about the Delusion.
[Delusion: A highly dangerous item. Of course, nowhere near as dangerous as you.]
Shao Yun snorted with laughter at the cheeky message and said, "You said it!"
With the system's confirmation, he quickly gathered all the scattered Delusions and carefully placed them back in the case, holding it tightly.
At that moment, the severely wounded Nathan, barely clinging to life, mustered all his strength to extend a trembling hand and grabbed onto Shao Yun's boot.
Shao Yun looked down coldly at the Fatui spy lying on the ground and mercilessly kicked his hand away.
"Thanks for the generous gift from the Fatui. I'll gladly accept this money. As for the military supplies, to push Watatsumi Island into desperation, I'll have to burn them. And the Delusions—I'll toss them deep into the ocean without hesitation."
With that, he calmly drew his cowboy revolver from his waist and aimed it at Nathan's head.
"Say hello to the people of Himura Village for me."
CRACK. With a crisp shot, Nathan's head was blown open, red blood and shredded brain matter spraying out.
Shao Yun looked at the Fatui he had just finished off and finally felt he could breathe easy.
He began cleaning up the scene, dragging all the bodies back onto the four wooden boats.
He also gathered up the mora the Fatui had brought and packed it into his satchel. As for the other supplies—they would simply serve as kindling.
He took out a Molotov cocktail, lit it, and hurled it toward the boats and the surrounding cargo, instantly setting off a blaze.
The fire quickly grew, illuminating the entire shore.
Shao Yun stood quietly to the side, watching the magnificent scene unfold.
The fire would reduce the fallen Fatui to ashes—and erase any traces of their existence.
Once it had burned sufficiently, Shao Yun nodded in satisfaction and murmured, "Now then… let's sit back and enjoy the show."