"What are Kamisato Ayato and that pink fox plotting now?"
Yae Miko believed her barrier completely cut off all prying eyes, but little did she know that under Bai Luo's markers, the positions of those two were displayed with crystal clarity.
He simply couldn't hear what they were saying or see what they were doing. He only paid attention because the two of them had suddenly huddled together at a time like this.
It wasn't just them; Bai Luo felt that Scaramouche, who had just parted ways with him, also likely wanted to cause him some trouble. That look in his eyes hadn't been hidden at all.
'Sigh... Inazuma is full of schemes. Liyue was better.'
Hmm? Go back to Liyue?
Forget it...
If he returned to Liyue now, Childe and Zhongli would likely team up to throw him into a cement mixer and sink him to the bottom of Guyun Stone Forest to play cards with Osial.
It wasn't that he minded playing cards with Osial, but aside from fearing Morax might drop a salt jar into the sea to dehydrate him to death, the main issue was that he had just bullied Osial's wife. Being sunk down there now... would be a bit awkward.
Better to stay in Inazuma.
Speaking of which, his relationship with Yae Miko was technically "decent" now. Visiting the Grand Narukami Shrine shouldn't seem too abrupt, right? It was a perfect time to investigate what they were up to.
As it happened, Kamisato Ayato had just descended from the shrine and was idling halfway down Mount Yougou doing who-knows-what. Why not...
***
After leaving the Grand Narukami Shrine, the indifferent smile on Kamisato Ayato's face had vanished. The flowers and grass swaying in the wind now looked incredibly eerie to him. It felt as though someone was truly staring at him from within the foliage.
With a silent sigh, he found himself wishing the Lady Guuji had never told him. For many days to come, he likely wouldn't even be able to sleep well.
Especially when he remembered the several decorative potted plants in his study—the thought gave him a massive headache. Had his secrets already been transmitted to the Fatui's ears through those plants?
Even though potted plants not connected to the earth shouldn't be affected by the Instructor's "Authority," he decided to have them removed just in case. And the ones in his sister's room too.
Sigh, a heavy burden and a long road ahead.
Slowly shaking his head, a glimmer of pale blue caught the corner of his eye. He stopped and pulled out the photo he had requested from Yae Miko, comparing it carefully.
These wildflowers blooming beside the torii gate were exactly the "terrifying flowers" that the Lady Guuji claimed allowed the Instructor to traverse the land.
After noting the location, Ayato originally intended to leave. But after a moment of thought, he paused again. He was wondering if the Lady Guuji was overthinking it.
This business of using flora as eyes and ears... surely only the Lesser Lord Kusanali of Sumeru could achieve such a feat? And whether that deity could extend her power to Inazuma was another matter entirely.
Even if this Instructor had obtained a degree of authority from his own god, it didn't mean he could use the ability without limits. There had to be some sort of restriction.
Looking at the swaying blue blossoms, Ayato crouched down and gave a tentative call.
"Instructor?"
A breeze blew past, shaking the flowers and brushing the strands of hair hanging by his ears. The nearby Yumemiru trees rustled in the wind, sounding almost as if they were mocking his behavior.
"..."
Looking at the flowers on the ground, a look of slight embarrassment crossed Ayato's face. He felt like he had been played by the Lady Guuji again. Perhaps the Instructor did have a similar ability, but it couldn't possibly be as supernatural as she described.
"Sigh, that Lady Guuji... and that Instructor..."
Shaking his head, Ayato turned to head down the mountain to arrange for the Shuumatsuban to handle the matter. But he was only halfway through his thought when the sensation of being watched manifested with overwhelming clarity.
Gurgle...
Scarlet beast-like pupils appeared above Ayato's head. After shifting slightly, they locked onto Ayato himself.
Swish—
A pale blue glow ignited. Bai Luo appeared directly behind him, landing precisely on the cluster of small flowers Ayato had just been poking. The pale blue "quantization" particles intertwined with the glowing blue wildflowers, dancing in the wind.
"You called?"
After activating his ability, Bai Luo could briefly hear the local surroundings, so Ayato's unfinished sentence had naturally reached his ears.
But to Ayato, this was something else entirely.
Feeling the hand patting his shoulder, he immediately gripped the hilt of the Haran Geppaku Futsu at his waist and looked down at Bai Luo's feet.
"..."
The pale blue flowers swayed beneath Bai Luo, their essence seemingly entangled with the quantization effects that had yet to fully dissipate. It looked as if... he had literally stepped out from within the flowers.
His right hand, which was gripping his weapon, began to tremble slightly. His heart was pounding so violently that even Bai Luo noticed it.
"Are you alright?"
Bai Luo hadn't ever dealt with Ayato in a formal capacity; he'd only brushed past him while dealing with the Three Commissions. At most, their relationship was "one bite of a Sunsettia" deep.
"I... I'm fine. It's just that your sudden appearance gave me quite a start, Mr. Instructor."
He released his grip on the sword, but his back was already completely drenched in sweat.
He really can hear me? And he really did travel here through these flowers?
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it in the future."
As a key figure in the story, Bai Luo planned to drop "Ultimate" moves on him more than once; he said this merely to help Ayato prepare mentally. But to Ayato, the words sounded far more ominous.
Get used to it in the future? What does that mean? Could it be...
Thinking of the vast gardens back at his estate, Ayato came to a grim realization.
"Mr. Instructor, my sister is waiting for me at home, so I shall not linger. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will certainly invite you to the estate for a gathering."
One had to admit, he wasn't the young head of the Kamisato clan for nothing. With a single deep breath, his racing heart calmed, and his face regained its usual confidence and composure. However, if anyone were to peel back his robes, they would find his inner shirt could be wrung out like a wet rag.
"Very well. It just so happens I have business with the Lady Guuji. I'll be sure to visit in a few days. I hope the Kamisato clan's catering is better than the Kujou clan's; I'm quite looking forward to it."
"..."
Watching Bai Luo head up the mountain toward the shrine, Ayato looked at the servant beside him. This time, he didn't dare open his mouth to speak.
Whether the theory of "flora as eyes and ears" was entirely accurate or not, at the very least, the Instructor could definitely hear what he was saying.
Being chosen to accompany Ayato to the shrine proved the servant was a sharp man. He understood Ayato's silent command instantly. After a quick bow, the servant took a shortcut down the mountain, racing toward the Grand Narukami Shrine [from another path] to warn them.
The Instructor's authority... was unexpectedly vast.
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