Hi everyone, sorry for the late update, I was a bit preoccupied with a test to be a Typesetter for a translation agency. Without further ado, the chapter begins, and as always, if you enjoy what I create, you can support me by giving me a power stone and leaving a review on my novel, and if you want, you can read the next chapters early by buying them at https://ko-fi.com/chesse_cake_is_life. Thank you all!
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Two days after Tang San and Xiao Wu's return to Nuoding Academy, a palpable sense of anticipation hung in the air, and finally, after asking around, they found Mei's team returning at the front of the city gate.
They found the group had just arrived at the main city gate, and the sight gave them pause.
The team looked haggard, their armor and clothes dusty, their postures slumped. Their faces were etched with a profound weariness that seemed deeper than mere physical exhaustion; there was a solemn, almost grieving air about them.
The noon sun beat down hotter than usual, and Xiao Wu, ever optimistic, initially attributed their state to the heat and a tough mission.
"Hey!" Xiao Wu called out, bouncing over to them with her characteristic boundless energy. "Are you the team that took the Silverwool Sheep commission? With our friend, Mei?"
The team members flinched almost imperceptibly at Mei's name. The leader, Liu Xin, looked up, his stern face clouded with guilt. He gave a slow, heavy nod.
Xiao Wu's smile widened, oblivious to the somber undercurrent. "How did it go? Was it fun? Were the sheep dangerous? Did you get a lot of wool? What was the best part?" She barraged them with questions, her words tumbling out in an excited stream.
Tang San, sensing the team's discomfort, placed a gentle hand on Xiao Wu's shoulder.
"Xiao Wu, slow down," he said, his calm voice a soothing counterpoint to her exuberance.
"I'm sure they're tired. We can ask Mei all about it ourselves." He turned his steady gaze to Liu Xin. "Could you please tell us where we can find her?"
The team exchanged pained looks.
Liu Xin's jaw tightened. He took a deep breath, steeling himself to deliver the terrible news they had been carrying.
The image of the Jeweled Hawk snatching Mei away, her terrified face disappearing into the sky, flashed in his mind.
They had searched for a day, until hope was extinguished, forced to accept the grim likelihood that their young, talented support member had become a meal for a savage spirit beast.
"About Mei…" Liu Xin began, his voice rough with emotion.
Just as he began to speak, a sound cut through the heavy silence—a familiar, melodic voice ringing out like a bell.
"Xiao Wu! Tang San! Everyone, I'm back!"
All heads snapped towards the source of the voice. A carriage had come to a stop a short distance away, and leaning out of the window, waving with a bright, relieved smile, was Mei.
For a moment, no one moved, stunned by the impossible apparition.
Then, with identical cries of joy, Xiao Wu and Tang San sprinted towards the carriage.
Mei had just stepped down onto the cobblestones when they reached her, enveloping her in a tight, simultaneous hug that nearly knocked her off her feet.
"Mei! You're back!" Xiao Wu exclaimed, her voice muffled against Mei's shoulder.
"We were so worried," Tang San added, his usual reserve melted away by sheer relief.
Mei hugged them back fiercely, her own eyes stinging with unexpected tears.
The fear and strangeness of the past few days melted away in the warmth of their embrace. "I missed you both so much," she whispered.
As they parted, the spirit hunting team hurried over, their expressions a mixture of shock, immense relief, and lingering guilt. Liu Xin bowed his head deeply to Mei, the rest of his team following suit.
"Mei, please, forgive us," he said, his voice thick. "We failed to protect you. We should never have let that happen."
Tang San and Xiao Wu looked on, utterly bewildered. What was this about?
Mei quickly reached out, gesturing for them to rise. "It wasn't your fault," she said, her tone firm yet kind.
"It was a completely unexpected attack. No one could have predicted it. And in the end, I'm fine, see?"
She did a little twirl, as if to prove her point.
"But because of our failure, you went through a terrible ordeal," Guili, the shield wielder, rumbled.
"We've discussed it. We're giving you a larger cut of the payment. We insist."
Mei shook her head. "The original deal was fair. You don't have to—"
"We insist," Liu Xin repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument. It was a matter of restoring their honor as much as it was about compensating her.
Seeing their determined faces, Mei reluctantly nodded. "Alright. Thank you."
The team, visibly relieved, bid her farewell, promising to meet her later at the Spirit Hall branch to settle the commission and her payment.
As they trudged away, their steps were noticeably lighter than when they had arrived.
Xiao Wu, buzzing with curiosity, was about to demand the full story when a sound of someone clearing their throat pointedly interrupted them.
Mei turned. Behind her, having disembarked from the carriage unnoticed, stood Yu Tianxin and Liu Xiu.
The carriage itself was already rolling away, the driver heading into the city for a well-deserved rest, as per Yu Tianxin's instructions and payment for the detour to Thunder City later.
Throughout the entire emotional reunion, Yu Tianxin's attention had been fixed on one person: Tang San. He had watched, a strange, hot coil of something unpleasant tightening in his chest, as Mei had hugged this boy—this plainly dressed, slightly good-looking boy—with such genuine, open affection.
He saw the way Mei's face had lit up with a wide, unguarded smile for him, a smile that seemed somehow different from the polite ones she gave him.
A possessive, competitive instinct he didn't know he possessed flared to life.
He must have feelings for her. Yu Tianxin thought, his jaw tightening.
His eyes swept over Tang San, conducting a swift, critical assessment.
Common clothes, a calm but unremarkable demeanor, no visible signs of great wealth or power.
Yu Tianxin, who had never before given his own appearance a second thought, felt a surge of triumph. He was undoubtedly more handsome, from a more prestigious background, and stronger.
He subtly puffed out his chest, lifting his chin in a gesture of pure, unadulterated superiority, looking down his nose at Tang San as if he were a particularly uninteresting piece of dust.
Tang San, perceptive as always, immediately noticed the blatant disdain. A flicker of annoyance crossed his features.
Who was this arrogant boy, and why was he looking at him like that?
Xiao Wu, who had no patience for posturing, saw the look and her temper ignited instantly. Her fists clenched at her sides.
Before hostilities could erupt, Mei, sensing the sudden tension, smoothly stepped into the role of peacemaker.
"Tang San, Xiao Wu, these are the people who saved me. This is Teacher Liu Xiu, from Thunder Academy." She gestured to the older man, who gave a polite, measured nod.
"I am Liu Xiu. It is a pleasure to meet Mei's friends." His voice was calm, but his eyes were keen, already assessing the two new youngsters.
"And this," Mei continued, "is Yu Tianxin. He's the one who… well, he helped catch me." She offered a small, grateful smile to Yu Tianxin, which immediately soothed his ruffled feathers, though he kept his proud posture.
Yu Tianxin seized the moment to establish his dominance. "I am Yu Tianxin," he announced, his voice dripping with condescension.
"Eleven years old, Spirit Grandmaster, and the Second Young Master of the Lightning Tyrant Blue Dragon Sect."
He delivered the title with a flourish, watching Tang San's face expectantly for a sign of awe, or at least deference. He was sure he had successfully established his superiority.
Tang San's expression remained neutral, though internally he was calculating how to handle this spoiled young master from one of the top sects without causing an incident.
Xiao Wu, however, had no such inhibitions. Her patience, already thin, snapped.
"Ha!" she barked, planting her hands on her hips and glaring at Yu Tianxin.
"So what? A Spirit Grandmaster at eleven? Don't be so full of yourself! I'll be a Spirit Grandmaster before I'm ten! And him?" She jerked a thumb at Tang San.
"He's even better! We're both only six years old, and he's already level 14, and I'm level 13! So you can take your fancy title and stuff it!"
The effect was instantaneous and deeply satisfying.
Liu Xiu's eyes widened in genuine astonishment. His gaze sharpened, sweeping over Tang San and Xiao Wu as if seeing them for the first time.
Two more prodigies? In this unassuming city? The statistical improbability was staggering.
His mind began racing with the implications.
Yu Tianxin, however, looked as if he'd been struck. His smug expression shattered, replaced by utter, gobsmacked shock. His chest deflated, the air of superiority whooshing out of him.
Six years old? Level 14? The numbers echoed in his mind, dismantling his pride brick by brick.
He had been bragging to monsters. The heat of a profound blush crept up his neck, and he suddenly found the cobblestones at his feet incredibly fascinating.
The silence that followed was thick with secondhand embarrassment from Yu Tianxin and simmering triumph from Xiao Wu.
Mei, witnessing the entire exchange, let out a soft internal sigh.
Boys and their pride, she thought, a sentiment echoed by a giggling Ai in her mind.
"Well," Mei said, her voice bright and deliberately cheerful, slicing through the tension.
"Now that everyone is acquainted… how about we all get some lunch? I'm starving, and I'm sure you have questions about my… adventure."
She looked pointedly at Xiao Wu and Tang San, then offered a conciliatory smile to the chastened Yu Tianxin and the thoughtful Liu Xiu.
They all nodded and followed Mei to grab some lunch.
Hi everyone, sorry for the late update, I was a bit preoccupied