Battousai is the Instructor?!
Old Li, hiding in Igor's house, didn't dare to breathe loudly.
He seemed to have stumbled upon some incredibly significant information.
No... This matter must be reported to Lady Sangonomiya as soon as possible!
Even if it means exposing himself, this information must reach her!
Though Bai Luo was still in Igor's house, flipping through the documents Igor had been handling, Old Li couldn't wait any longer.
He quietly slipped out through the side window, tiptoed away, and hurried straight to Sangonomiya.
Perhaps Bai Luo was too engrossed in reading, as he didn't seem to notice any movement from Old Li.
This allowed Old Li to breathe a sigh of relief.
What he didn't notice, however, was that after he left Bourou Village, Bai Luo glanced playfully in the direction he had gone.
"Give it your best shot, Old Li."
By evening, when Sangonomiya Kokomi returned refreshed from outside, she was surprised to find Old Li waiting inside Sangonomiya.
"Lady Sangonomiya! You've finally returned!"
Staying in Sangonomiya for so long was undoubtedly dangerous for Old Li.
But he didn't regret it.
"Old Li? Didn't I say I had important matters to attend to today and wouldn't be in Sangonomiya Shrine?"
Kokomi quickly approached and called for her trusted aides to prepare tea for Old Li.
From the old man's face, she could see undisguised pallor.
"My lady, today I infiltrated Igor's home to gather intelligence on the Fatui, but... but..."
Speaking of this, Old Li's aged face twisted with terror once more.
"Battousai... no, Himura Kenshin—that man is actually a Fatui Harbinger! The 12th Harbinger, the Instructor!"
Even now, Old Li could hardly believe it.
Compared to this, the idea that Battousai was just an ordinary Fatui member would have been far easier to accept.
A Harbinger had already entered Watatsumi Island—and in such a manner. It was utterly horrifying.
"Don't rush. Speak slowly."
After accepting a cup of tea from a shrine maiden, Kokomi gestured for her to leave before handing the tea to Old Li.
Old Li took a sip, moistening his dry lips, and recounted everything he had overheard in Igor's house.
Yet, as he spoke, Kokomi's expression remained largely unchanged.
Instead, she wore the look of someone who had everything under control.
"Just as I suspected. He really did this."
Kokomi's words left Old Li utterly bewildered.
He had risked his life to obtain this intelligence—how did Lady Sangonomiya seem to already know everything?
"Old Li, you may not be aware, but Mr. Himura once stowed away on a Fatui ship to Mondstadt. During that time, he learned the Fatui's coded signals. It's likely he also interacted with the Instructor then, which is why he's doing this now."
"Lady Sangonomiya, are you saying... Himura Kenshin is impersonating a Fatui Harbinger?"
Old Li gradually grasped his Divine Priestess's reasoning.
Indeed, Kokomi hadn't taken Himura Kenshin's limited intelligence seriously—but that didn't mean she had ignored it entirely.
Her refusal to let him get involved in Fatui-related matters wasn't just to protect her plans—it was also to curb his influence.
Battousai's rise had lightened her burdens considerably.
But the current balance—where their reputations were comparable, with hers slightly higher—was ideal. At least her title as Divine Priestess still held weight on Watatsumi Island.
If Battousai meddled in these affairs, his fame would inevitably surpass hers. That was something she couldn't tolerate—nor could Watatsumi Island.
"But this is all speculation, isn't it? Forgive my bluntness, but if Himura Kenshin truly is a Harbinger, wouldn't Watatsumi Island be..."
Old Li's concerns weren't unfounded. He understood all too well how dangerous Kokomi's assumptions were.
"Rest assured, Old Li. The situation on Watatsumi Island is like a battlefield—only by considering every angle can we remain undefeated."
Now fully recharged, Kokomi regained her usual composure as the Divine Priestess and calmly explained.
"I've conducted thorough investigations into Mr. Himura. According to my intelligence, his habit of impersonating Fatui Harbingers is already an open secret."
In truth, after Bai Luo's visit that day, Kokomi had immediately ordered an investigation.
From Liyue merchants and Kaedehara Kazuha, they had uncovered useful information.
"That man is quite the character. In Liyue, he wandered every corner of Liyue Harbor, buying whatever caught his eye and ordering whatever he fancied—all charged to the Northland Bank under the name of the Fatui's 11th Harbinger. The Fatui were reportedly driven to despair."
"Him? Oh, I know him. He swindled people left and right under the guise of a Fatui Harbinger, leaving the Fatui to shoulder the blame. Word is, the 11th Harbinger loathes him so much he's sent assassins after him everywhere."
"Mr. Himura? Now that you mention it, our reunion wasn't entirely coincidental. At the time, I heard Battousai was in Liyue and searched everywhere for him. I expected it to be like finding a needle in a haystack, but rumors about him were everywhere. We eventually met in a teahouse—where he settled the bill under the name of the Fatui's 8th Harbinger, La Signora."
"Him? Oh yes, the 'Red-Clad Wanderer from Inazuma' caused quite a stir in Liyue Harbor back then. Huixing went to Xigu Antique that day to handle some... ahem, to buy antiques, only to find him arguing with Miss Linlang. Apparently, he had his eye on a pair of chopsticks called 'Coiled Dragon and Phoenix.' I still don't understand how chopsticks could cost over 200,000 Mora. Anyway... he insisted on charging it to the Tsaritsa's account. But because his antics were so well-known, Miss Linlang flat-out refused. That was his only failure."
If the merchants' accounts still seemed like hearsay—their credibility uncertain—then Kazuha and Beidou's testimonies acted as a reassurance, putting Kokomi's mind at ease.
But Mr. Himura truly was an interesting man. It seemed he had understood her hint that day—hence his insistence on an anonymous donation to Sangonomiya, not Watatsumi Island.
This way... when she eventually used those funds, she could do so under Sangonomiya's name. By then, the title of Divine Priestess would surely overshadow Battousai's reputation.
Today, I realized Mr. Himura is a good person. Energy +5.
After all he's done for Watatsumi Island, I was actually so rude to him that day... I hope he isn't the petty type.