Whoosh—
A burst of fervent applause drowned out the sound of the waves, echoing endlessly through the venue.
Members and commoners alike gazed up at the impossibly beautiful woman on the stage with eyes full of admiration and emotion.
Li Fei, however, sneered quietly in her heart.
Only a thirty-thousand markup—far too little.
And when it came to fleecing the sheep, she couldn't limit herself to just the Edwin Earl's household.
Whether it was the Sequence 7 class customization package, or the Fourth Heaven of Furnace Battle-Qi, both were still a long way off, and the returns from the Shroud of Destiny and the Folded Space were far too unstable.
She needed more—much more!
So, once the applause had subsided, Li Fei spoke up, her eyes glistening, her voice tender and heartfelt:
"Come to think of it, I've been very fortunate. I received the help of so many kind-hearted people, and only because of that was I able to change my fate."
"But I keep wondering—are there not many more innocent people, ensnared by misfortune, still struggling away in corners no one can see? Are there not many more people of potential who, never granted an opportunity, can only sigh in bitter regret?"
"I want to help those commoners who have suffered persecution at the hands of certain nobles and have nowhere to turn for aid; I hope that more talented people will not be left as pearls buried in the dust simply because they are down on their luck.... From the bottom of my heart, I long for every person caught in hardship to be able, just as I was, to have someone reach out a hand and pull them free from the mire."
"Yet my own strength is, after all, limited."
"It shames me to admit it, but this evening gown of mine was a gift from a friend; my enterprise was a present given to me by the survivors of Viranean to repay a kindness; my residence, and the auction items just now, were all purchased on loan. On top of that, to ease the after-effects caused by my soul injuries, I must take large quantities of medicine (meaning purified water and nourishing soup)."
Li Fei spread her hands in self-mockery: "So, though I may appear to stand here in dignity, with a comfortable home, my debts have already far exceeded my wealth. It is only that so much kindness has left me feeling unworthy of it, which is why I chose to donate away my equipment and medals...."
The cheap pendant at her chest, together with her sickly, frail countenance, fully corroborated everything Li Fei had said.
Everyone watched, breath held, as the woman spoke with such eloquence, won over by that breadth of spirit and depth of conviction.
"I had thought I would have to wait many years, until I ascended to a high Sequence, before I would have the ability to change the present state of things to any degree...."
Li Fei breathed in deeply, lifting everyone's hearts: "But your kindness and your passion have made me realize that perhaps I need not wait so long."
"My own meager strength is no better than a cup of water against a burning cart, but I am very fond of an Eastern maxim: 'When everyone gathers firewood, the flames blaze high.' I firmly believe that so long as every loving heart can come together, the warmth they give off will surely melt every block of solid ice in this world!"
She paused, then suddenly threw her arms wide and proclaimed in a surging, impassioned tone:
"In my own name, I shall establish the 'Sparkfire Charity Organization' and the 'Sparkfire Charity Fund'!"
"The Sparkfire Organization will be devoted to aiding the disadvantaged, funding small and micro commercial ventures, and supporting education and public-welfare causes!"
"I believe this organization will extend a helping hand to tens of thousands of people in need—it will not let the weak be oppressed, nor let the talented be buried away."
The moment these words were out, the whole hall erupted in commotion.
But without the slightest pause, Li Fei raised a single hand upright and declared in a tone that brooked no argument:
"I promise that the Sparkfire Charity Organization's personnel costs will never exceed 15%."
"I promise that the finances will be absolutely transparent—every month we will make public a full breakdown of all expenses, and openly accept the supervision and scrutiny of the public."
"I promise that every ounce of love that all of you give will be put to genuine use!"
"And I myself will draw an income of only a single copper coin a month from the Sparkfire Charity Fund, and I will never raise my own salary."
"Of course, I will also strictly oversee the organization's members—I will absolutely never allow anyone to take so much as a needle and thread from the organization out of selfish motives."
Such a bombshell, dropped so suddenly, stirred up an uproar within the hall.
"B-but you are still enrolled at the Magic Academy. If you divide your attention with charitable work, will it really not affect your cultivation?"
The reporter with the thick spectacles could not help but call out loudly once again.
This quieted the hall somewhat, everyone pricking up their ears to listen to Li Fei's reply.
"Even bearing the wounds of my soul, even fighting on the front lines of public welfare, I, Li Fei, can still march forward on the path of cultivation, singing all the way!"
Li Fei gave her answer with composure and resolve. Even her haggard face could not conceal the spirited, high-flying keenness between her brows—a full display of confident feminine charm—and the bronze honor medal she had deliberately pinned to her chest glittered brilliantly.
"What's more, I do not struggle alone."
Li Fei smiled and drew out a book she had long since prepared from beneath the drawer of the auction stand.
The cover illustration was exquisitely beautiful. In it, a blonde, blue-eyed, dashing heroine named Altria coldly locked gazes with "Nalan Yanran," whose appearance was identical to Yukinoshita Yukino, the shreds of a torn-up betrothal contract scattering through the air. In one corner of the cover, the leading lady, "Xiao Xun'er," gazed at Altria—black hair, red eyes, her face, exactly like Shinomiya Kaguya's, brimming with adoration. In another corner was Yafei, a tall, lewd, sultry, serene yet hidden-edged older beauty who could not be called merely similar to Yor Forger—she was identical in every way. In the upper-right corner was the half-face of an ice-haired, ice-eyed woman, spoiling a character who would appear later on: Yun Esdeath Yun.
From the composition alone, there was a heavy whiff of "yuri studies" and "orange" flavor—exactly what everyone loved to see.
And at the center of the cover, the four bold characters of"Battle Through the Azure Sky", in striking iron-stroke calligraphy, leaped into view.
After holding up the book and displaying it to every guest in the hall, Li Fei's tone carried a note of gratitude:
"Here, allow me to say thank you to Lady Annie Teresa."
"She is my Common Tongue teacher, but in my eyes she is not only a respected mentor—she is a loving mother on whom I can rely."
"All this time, she has shown me boundless care, attending to my every need both in my studies and in my life.... After hearing that I intended to found a charitable organization, she did not hesitate to take out the manuscript she had labored over and conceived for years, wishing to donate this very book as well, to offer up her own measure of love."
"I refused. After all, in my view, charity ought to be goodwill within one's means—we should not let kind people fret over their own straitened lives."
"But at Teacher Annie's insistence, we each made a compromise...."
Li Fei raised her voice: "For every copy of"Battle Through the Azure Sky"sold, Teacher Annie will set aside one copper coin from her royalties and donate it to the Sparkfire Charity Fund!"
Charity-bundled marketing—when had these otherworlders ever seen such a thing?
Within just a few sentences, every single person present had firmly committed the title"Battle Through the Azure Sky"to memory, and sincerely marveled at such a selfless, beautiful bond between teacher and student.
Li Fei set down the book and, in a tone brimming with emotion, delivered her concluding remarks:
"The reason I named this charitable organization and fund 'Sparkfire' is because I firmly believe that a single spark can set the prairie ablaze!"
"Perhaps the ability of any one person is limited, but so long as everyone offers up a portion of their love, this world will surely be filled with love."
"Please believe in me, please support me—I will never fail the high hopes and expectations you all place in me."
Thunderous applause rose once more, and Li Fei bowed deeply, expressing her humility and gratitude.
"Is she the illegitimate daughter of the Goddess of Life and the Goddess of Justice?"
An aged voice sounded in Klein's mind: "I suspect that if we sent Li Fei to the temple for a [Morality Appraisal], the Morality Value detected would run into three digits, I'm afraid. Even those heroes who waged war across the divine realm four thousand years ago would find it hard to do better than her.... It's a real pity she doesn't walk the path of the Paladin."
"Hasn't she always been this kind of person?"
Klein responded inwardly, applauding in admiration for a classmate worthy of respect.
Only once the applause had subsided did Li Fei lift her head, her face radiating a smile purer and more sincere than any angel's.
"May I ask, how might I offer up a portion of my love to the Sparkfire Charity Fund?"
The voice of Lady Kalida rang out.
Li Fei was momentarily taken aback, realizing that her pre-arranged Actor Number One would be of no use—but she adapted on the spot:
"Tomorrow, an official donation channel will be opened, at No. 48 Canary Lane..."
"Wouldn't donating it to you be just the same? I trust the character of the Angel of the Solitary Isle."
Kalida walked slowly to the front of the stage and crooked a finger, and an empty wooden chest floated up.
She drew out a goldsmith's note of the largest denomination, shimmering in violet-gold, placed it into the wooden chest, and smiled at Li Fei once more.
"O-one hundred thousand? That's far too much...."
Li Fei covered her mouth in a cry of surprise, striking the pose of someone overwhelmed by such favor—but her voice carried out at just the right volume.
"You have given more than I have."
Lady Kalida turned elegantly and departed.
Next, a middle-aged gentleman heaved a sigh, walked solemnly to the front of the stage, and likewise drew out two goldsmith's notes of ten-thousand denomination, slowly placing them into the wooden chest, the little mustache at the corner of his mouth twitching:
"Compared to donating money, how to make use of it is the truly difficult and meaningful matter.... But I believe the Angel of the Solitary Isle will give everyone a satisfactory answer."
Then after that, Margaret came pattering up to the front of the stage and donated fifty thousand.
The second daughter of the Edwin Earl's household, after buying Li Fei's three-piece set, drew out a goldsmith's note of ten-thousand denomination as well—but she did not place it in the wooden chest. Instead, blushing, she pressed it into Li Fei's hand, her shy gaze seeming to conceal a thousand words.
Following close behind were Li Fei's senior schoolmates and classmates, as well as the aquarium members...
"Thank you, thank you, thank you...."
Li Fei bowed in thanks to every donor. Seeing that the wealthy had more or less finished donating, her gaze swept inadvertently across one corner of the venue.
Those of us in charity—we value fairness in all things.
—The wealthy magnates have all taken the lead in donating; how can it do for the common folk not to follow suit?
—Actor Number Two, launch!
Yusura sighed, gave a light pat to the shoulder of the orc beside her, and then slipped away soundlessly.
Once Yusura's figure had vanished into the darkness, the orc whispered a few words to the child cradled in his arms.
A moment later, a clear, childish voice rang out across the entire hall:
"I—I want to offer up my love too!"
Li Fei looked gently at the orc child, lifted the wooden chest in both hands, and walked briskly to his side. Bending down, she asked kindly:
"And how does the little one plan to offer up his love?"
The orc child fished three copper coins out of his pocket:
"Today is my birthday! Papa brought me here to play, and he gave me pocket money! I want to offer up my love!"
"This, this..."
Under the focused gaze of the whole hall, the adult orc—the father—looked nervous and flustered. Fumbling, he pulled out a coin purse that was plainly worn and old, but accidentally sent the money inside spilling onto the floor with a jingling clatter. Among the few dozen copper coins, a single silver coin stood out conspicuously.
Li Fei hurriedly bent down, lowering her head—lovelier and brighter than the moonlight—letting the hem of her skirt brush against the carpet covered in footprints, and picked up the copper coins that had rolled everywhere for the orc.
"This won't do, I'll do it myself..."
The orc was overcome with awe and trepidation. He wanted to help Li Fei up, but did not dare to touch her, as though his own hands would defile such a gorgeous, beautiful treasure.
In front of such a large crowd, an act like Li Fei's was somewhat unseemly, yet the hall was utterly silent, every eye filled with respect.
Only after carefully gathering up all the fallen copper coins, and meticulously scanning around once more to confirm that none had been missed, did Li Fei return all the money to him.
"I... don't have much money."
In just a few dozen seconds, the orc's fur had been soaked through with sweat. With some reluctance, he held out that silver coin.
But Li Fei pushed the money back.
She gazed into the orc's eyes and said solemnly:
"He who gathers firewood for the masses must not be left to freeze to death in the wind and snow."
"My original purpose in founding the Sparkfire Organization was to help people in hardship—not to create hardship."
"In my view, kindness is priceless. An ordinary person willing to donate a single copper coin is not in the least more lowly than a successful man of enterprise who donates a hundred thousand gold coins."
Then she raised her voice:
"At the offices of the Sparkfire Charity Organization, I will erect a Sparkfire Monument. The name of every donor—or the code name of every anonymous giver—will be carved upon it, no matter how much or how little they gave."
"I think that the kindness and hope gathered within the Sparkfire Monument will serve as a constant reminder to me, never daring to fail the weighty good intentions of all you loving people."
Amid applause rising for who knew how many times, Li Fei, her eyes smiling, gently rubbed the forehead of the orc child:
"Do you like the aquarium?"
"I do!"
The orc child answered in an innocent, guileless voice.
"Study hard, work hard, and one day when you earn money, use your own income to buy a ticket and bring your father here to have fun."
Li Fei blinked: "And will you still offer up your love?"
"I will!"
The clever child imitated Li Fei's own example. He tucked one copper coin away and held out the other two: "One to buy me candy, and the other two so that others can eat candy too."
"Good child—thank you."
The tender, innocent childish voice brought tears to Li Fei's eyes. Just as she had with the members' enormous donations, paying no heed whatsoever to the difference in their stations, she bowed in thanks to the child, expressing her sincerity and respect.
And so, the orc father in his shabby clothes turned his head to wipe away tears, the orc child in simple new garments put two copper coins into the wooden chest with a face beaming with innocence, and the peerlessly beautiful Miss Spell Encyclopedia—clad in an elegant, proper gown, admired and adored by countless people—solemnly lowered her head before the obscure, nameless orc father and son, holding up the wooden chest with both hands. This scene was made into a spell-portrait by the newspaper reporters using their magical tools, preserved forever.
No doubt these precious portraits would appear on the front-page headlines of all the major publications the next day, and would become classics in years to come, talked about with relish.
After capturing this precious scene with a "click, click, click," the reporter who had spoken up the most carefully tucked the portrait and the magical implement into his bag, then rummaged out his wallet, rose, and walked toward Li Fei:
"This is my pay from last month... fifteen silver coins."
—An annual salary of less than two gold coins, and you work that hard? What for?
Li Fei wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes and at once bowed again to the very reporter who had just questioned her, saying sincerely:
"Thank you."
"I want to donate too!"
"Me too, the same."
"This month I won't go to the tavern to find a girlfriend—these two silver coins, I'm donating them!"
In an instant, the atmosphere in the hall was ignited. Crowds surged and converged toward Li Fei without cease, opening their purses generously for the Sparkfire Charity Fund.
Though the sums were not large, many a little made a mickle, and the accumulated total was not to be underestimated.
Clearly, the two actors had not been hired in vain. Earlier, the common folk had been overawed by the nobles' donation figures, so that even though they were itching to act, in the end no one had spoken up. Through a bit of maneuvering, Li Fei had smoothly broken the deadlock.
To reward the actors for their consummate performances, Li Fei decided to add two extra chicken legs to their boxed meals before silencing them. Hee hee.
"Little Klein, weren't you just saying you couldn't afford equipment?"
Seeing Klein rise, Cowell threw an arm around his shoulder and teased him.
"Equipment can wait a while to buy, but if I don't do something now, I'm afraid I'll regret it for several months."
Klein shrugged and gave a wry smile.
"Let's go together, together. Wife, wait for me a moment, I'll be right back.... Hsss."
Before Cowell had even finished speaking, he felt a sharp pain at his waist—his wife had given him a pinch.
He turned his head with a pained expression and struck a French military salute: "My dear, we'll definitely buy the house—offering up a bit of love won't take long, I'll earn it back in no time, haha...."
Klein hurriedly put in a word on his behalf too: "Sister Lilian, Brother Cowell, he..."
"Do I look like such a petty person?"
Lilian shot the two of them a look and said with a half-smile: "You two have money and a loving heart—does that mean I have no loving heart of my own?"
"The two of us are one heart and one mind. My offering up love is just the same as you offering up love, isn't it?" Cowell said with an ingratiating smile.
"Cut that out. You earn your own money and donate your own money—I have my own job too."
Lilian gave her husband a pat, then looked long and deeply at Li Fei, surrounded by the crowd, and sighed: "I finally understand why that niece of mine who studies at the Magic Academy used to always fantasize about marrying a handsome, powerful mage—but once Li Fei enrolled, it was 'Fei-bao, Fei-bao' every time she opened her mouth, and 'I'll marry no one but her' every time she closed it."
"Because there really do exist people in this world who are not only beautiful in looks but beautiful in heart as well, and that kind of charm is beyond compare."
"This face of mine will never catch up to hers, but at least in my thinking I can draw a little closer to her.... So, the cheaper perfumes and cosmetics work just fine too, and saving the money to offer up love makes me even happier."
"Huh?"
Cowell knit his brows in puzzlement: "But the way I see it, my lady's looks are not the least bit beneath Miss Li Fei's."
"You and your sweet talk."
Lilian smiled and pursed her lips: "Let's go—together."
"Right-o."
Cowell wrapped one arm around his wife and draped the other across Klein's shoulder, and the three of them walked chatting and laughing toward the crowded throng, like three droplets of water merging into a riverbed. Given time, the droplets ceaselessly pouring into that riverbed would eventually converge into a flood named Love—nourishing every corner of the purse belonging to Li Fei, founder of the Sparkfire Charity Organization.
On this day, the good reputation that Miss Top Courtesan had so painstakingly cultivated at last reaped a bountiful harvest and reward.
And on this night, thanks to the warmth of all that love, the cold no longer held sway.
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💖 Gift for Everyone: Once we hit 50 Powerstones, I'll release +1 bonus chapter to warm your hearts.
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