"Ahhh~ Haaah~ What kind of quests are these? Such a time-sink... but the rewards are sweet." A black-haired youth trudged down a shaded forest path, yawning with sleep-heavy eyes. A stubborn white cowlick stood defiantly atop his otherwise neat black hair. His handsome face would’ve turned heads under normal circumstances—if not for his tattered clothes and the enormous burlap sack slung over his shoulder, making him look like he’d crawled out of a warzone.
This ragged youth was Lin Ming, a second-year high school student at Azure Spirit Academy. He was heading back to campus after completing a mission.
"So exhausting," Lin Ming grumbled on the path. "That Jade Viper capture quest took me three whole days! And look what it did to my clothes. Hmph! Gotta get reimbursed when I get back."
"You little troublemaker—still squirming? Guess I went too easy on you. Too soft-hearted, as usual." He glanced back at the wriggling sack.
*HISSSS!!* The snake inside instantly froze.
"That’s better. Saves you some pain." Lin Ming felt the sack go still.
"Hey! Light ahead—the exit!" Spotting sunlight at the path’s end, Lin Ming’s drowsy eyes instantly brightened. His white cowlick shot straight up. "Once I turn in this quest at the Academy, I’ll be rolling in cash. Heh heh heh!"
"Money, I’m—" He caught himself. "*Academy*, I’m coming!" With a grin, he dashed toward the forest’s edge.
...
Azure Spirit City sat in the southeast of the Mainland, nestled against the Great Verdant Mountains. A bustling trade hub, it owed its fame—and name—to housing one of the continent’s four great institutions: Azure Spirit Academy.
Morning light bathed the city gates when a youth with a distinctive white cowlick appeared. His torn clothes and heavy burlap sack made him stick out like a sore thumb among merchants and tourists. Yet the street vendors barely blinked—they recognized that signature white tuft. It was Lin Ming.
"Lin Ming! Did you take up begging? Broke or not, you shouldn’t stoop that low! Hahahaha!" A square-faced middle-aged man bellowed from his Blacksmith Shop doorway.
"Shut it! *You’re* the beggar! Your whole family’s beggars! I was on a quest, Uncle Beichen. Maybe *you* should worry about yourself—still a lonely old bachelor at your age..." Lin Ming shot back without missing a beat.
"Hah! Brat. Been a while since we sparred. Up for it?" Beichen chuckled, unfazed.
"Please. How many times have you lost to me? Zero wins. And you still owe me twenty swords." Lin Ming raised an eyebrow pointedly.
"Don’t you worry, kid—I’ll pay up. But first... *spar*!" Beichen dropped his tools, rolled up his sleeves, and strode forward.
"Bring it on!" Lin Ming lifted his free left hand, undaunted.
Tourists stared in confusion, but shopkeepers instantly abandoned their stalls to cheer. This was routine.
"Ooooh! It’s starting!" one vendor whooped.
"Again? Every time Lin Ming returns from a quest..." another sighed, shaking his head.
"Who’s winning this round?" a third grinned.
"Lin Ming! Beichen! What are you *doing*?" A voice, melodious as a songbird, cut through the noise.
A golden-haired beauty in an elegant gown and lace parasol stood there—every inch a noblewoman.
Both combatants froze mid-lunge.
"Shouldn’t you all be tending your shops? Or do you enjoy making spectacles?" Lady Lan’s tone was gentle, but her gaze swept the crowd like winter wind.
"Yes, ma’am!" The vendors scattered like startled pigeons, leaving Lin Ming and Beichen blinking in the sudden quiet.
Lan was Azure Spirit City’s top taxpayer. Her boutique crafted lavish, magically enchanted gowns adored by noblewomen. More importantly, she was *powerful*. Rumor had it she’d once flash-froze a troublemaking tourist solid. Since then, the street obeyed her word.
"Guess we’re not fighting today, kid," Beichen muttered with a wry smile.
"Ugh. There goes another sword..." Lin Ming sighed dramatically.
"Lin Ming, dear! Ruined your clothes on another quest? Come to my shop—I’ll make you a new set!" Lan offered warmly.
"Lan Yi—*jiejie*! No need. I’ll just get reimbursed at the Academy’s Quest Office. Heh heh!" Lin Ming corrected himself mid-"Yi," sensing the sudden chill in her smile. *Sweat dripped down his spine.*
"Smooth," Beichen whispered under his breath.
"Don’t be shy, Lin Ming!" Lan insisted.
"Well... if I ever *do* need clothes, I’ll absolutely visit your shop. But freebies? Nah."
"Fine. But when you do come, I’ll give you twenty percent off." Lan’s disappointment was palpable.
"You idiot," Beichen hissed to Lin Ming. "Her gowns have *Advanced Defensive Magic* woven in! You’re dirt-poor and still stubborn? I’d be groveling at her doorstep!"
"Pfft. Uncle Beichen, her boutique sells *women’s* wear. *You* go try them on. Bet they’d suit you." Lin Ming grinned wickedly. "Especially that frilly pink number..."
*THUD.*
Beichen’s mind conjured the ghastly image: a burly, muscle-bound man in a lacy gown, batting eyelashes. He collapsed face-first onto the cobblestones, his entire body turning ashen gray.
"Right! Gotta run, Uncle Beichen, Lan-jiejie! Academy awaits!" Lin Ming patted Beichen’s trembling shoulder. "Don’t forget those twenty swords!"
"Y-yeah, kid! Back to the forge!" Beichen scrambled up, desperate to hammer away the trauma.
"Beichen, my fitting room’s always open for you~" Lan called sweetly.
Beichen nearly tripped over his own feet.
Lan stifled a laugh. "Take care, Lin Ming. Visit my shop soon!"
"Will do! Bye!" Lin Ming waved as she departed.
"Finally. Wasted enough time." He adjusted his sack and strode toward the Academy gates.
