Several Shogunate soldiers turned their heads, spotting a young girl with purple hair in a kimono sitting on the ground. She was pointing at them, shouting angrily.
"What's the matter with you all? You tripped me, and you think you can just walk away without paying compensation?"
"I'm telling you, unless you hand over at least a million Mora today, you won't be leaving!"
"This is outrageous! Shogunate soldiers bullying a little girl in the middle of the street!"
A rapid-fire barrage of accusations left the soldiers with massive question marks above their heads.
Seeing the girl's confident demeanor, they almost started to believe they might have genuinely knocked her down.
Confused for a while, the lead Shogunate soldier finally came to his senses, realizing that Theresa was deliberately causing trouble. He sternly rebuked her.
"Where did this wild brat come from? Get lost, or we'll take you away too!"
But the next moment, Theresa got up from the ground, dusted off her clothes, and shouted.
"Fine, I'm leaving!"
With that, she sprinted away in her wooden sandals, vanishing in a flash.
Once she disappeared from the soldiers' view, Theresa quickly returned to Luo Qing's side, proudly reporting.
"Sir, how was my distraction this time?"
"..."
It was a decent distraction. Please, don't do it again.
Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Naganohara Fireworks Shop, the moment the Shogunate soldiers' attention was diverted by Theresa's fake stumble, Yoimiya seized the opportunity. She swiftly tossed aside the Vision in her hand and pulled a new one out of her pocket.
To cope with the Vision Hunt Decree, she always kept a fake Vision ready.
Who could have guessed that the soldiers would show up right when she was using her Vision to make fireworks?
They had been watching her too closely; there was no chance to swap the Vision in her hand with the fake one.
"Yoimiya, don't play any tricks! Hand over the Vision now, or we won't be so polite!"
The Naganohara Fireworks Shop had a good reputation in Inazuma City. If not for the Vision Hunt Decree, the soldiers wouldn't have wanted to make things difficult for Yoimiya.
"Ugh... Alright, alright."
Yoimiya pretended to reluctantly take out the Pyro Vision from behind her and slowly extended it towards the soldiers.
Her expression of painful hesitation, looking like she was about to cry, almost made their hearts soften.
"Thank you for cooperating, Miss Yoimiya."
Seeing that she handed over the Vision, the soldiers didn't push any further. They exchanged glances and began heading towards Tenshukaku.
Every Vision they collected had to be embedded in the statue, so they needed to deliver it quickly.
Once the soldiers were far enough away, Yoimiya's previous sorrowful expression disappeared, replaced by her usual bright and cheerful demeanor.
She scanned the street, catching Luo Qing's gaze from where he was sitting a bit further away, enjoying a dessert.
She smiled, waved at Luo Qing, and ran over to him, thanking both him and Theresa.
"Phew... Thank you both for distracting them earlier."
"Gulp... Ah, finally finished..."
Theresa pounded her chest, having just swallowed the last bite of a dango.
"Miss, thank you for drawing their attention!"
Seeing that Theresa was ignoring her at first, Yoimiya moved closer and gave a slight bow.
"Huh? Oh, I was just following orders. If you want to thank someone, thank him."
"Oh, alright. Sir, thank you for your assistance. I'm Yoimiya, the current owner of Naganohara Fireworks."
Yoimiya gave a bow to Luo Qing, her smile radiant and healing.
"It was just a small favor, Miss Yoimiya. No need to mention it."
Luo Qing waved it off and continued, "By the way, those Shogunate soldiers... Could they really not tell that your Vision was a fake? If they noticed, it could have been dangerous for you."
"They won't."
Yoimiya shook her head and laughed. "A Vision can only be used by its owner. In someone else's hands, it's just a pretty stone. They won't find out."
"Speaking of which, are you two from Inazuma City?"
As one of Inazuma's social butterflies, Yoimiya had a good memory of most residents in the city.
Luo Qing wasn't particularly unusual, but the purple-haired, purple-eyed Theresa beside him, with her distinctly foreign face, would have definitely left an impression if she were a local.
"We're from Snezhnaya, traveling to Inazuma for trade."
"Oh, I see."
Listening to Luo Qing's explanation, a hint of doubt arose in Yoimiya's heart.
Very few people knew about Master Masakatsu's counterfeit Visions, and if Luo Qing and his companion were foreigners, how did they know about her fake Vision swap?
But since they had helped her, Yoimiya felt it would be rude to pry further.
"Miss Kamisato mentioned the matter of Visions to me, Miss Yoimiya. No need to worry about it."
Seeing Yoimiya's brief flash of doubt, Luo Qing decided to offer a slight explanation to boost her trust in him.
"Oh, so you're friends with the Princess of the White Heron. No wonder you're so kind-hearted!"
With her doubts dispelled, Yoimiya beamed once more.
"As a thank-you for your help, if you ever need fireworks, please come to Naganohara Fireworks! I'll provide them for free!"
"Thank you, Miss Yoimiya."
...
Meanwhile, on Ritou.
At the Commissioner's residence, Nagamasa heard the sound of heels clicking against the wooden floor outside and quickly went to greet the visitor.
The wooden door gently slid open, and a woman in a luxurious gown entered, flanked by two teams of Fatui elites. Their imposing aura even surpassed that of the Shogunate soldiers outside.
"Thank you for your hard work on the journey."
Nagamasa bowed respectfully.
"As for the task you entrusted to our agent, I have already started preparations. I believe our cooperation will be as smooth as before."
"I'm not interested in these trivial matters."
The woman snorted coldly. "I asked you to keep an eye on a particular situation. How is it going?"
"Well..."
Nagamasa hesitated for a moment, then spoke cautiously.
"Ever since Mr. Luo Qing arrived, up until your arrival, there has been no sighting of the traveler from Liyue that you mentioned at the harbor."
"Hmph, it seems they haven't arrived yet."
The woman scoffed. "When that traveler arrives, make sure they remain on Ritou. Don't let them leave. And remember, don't let them realize you're behind it, and do not harm them. Understood?"
"Yes... I understand."
Nagamasa nodded, then timidly asked.
"And about the matter of the taxes that the lord mentioned earlier..."
"Hmph, as long as you cooperate sincerely, benefits will naturally come your way."
"Understood..."
...
Inside a side hall.
A girl peeked out from behind a door, observing Nagamasa's conversation with the mysterious woman.
She didn't understand why her usually stern father acted so deferentially in front of that woman.
And that traveler...
Wasn't it the same Mr. Luo Qing who had asked her to help the traveler escape before?
Wasn't Mr. Luo Qing allied with that woman? So why did he want her to help the traveler leave?
---
T/N: YOIMIYA!! She's one of my faves!! <3<#3#<#<3
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
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