After Gu Pingchuan returned to Brilliant Academy last night, Meng Xiangyu and Wu Zuozhou didn’t even have time to interrogate him before he dropped a bombshell: a mysterious little shop was selling items that could refine Combat Aura, Magic Power, and even the physical body.
After a brief discussion, Meng Xiangyu decided to accompany Gu Pingchuan to the shop today. Since the Academy couldn't be left unattended, Wu Zuozhou stayed behind to hold the fort.
"We have them. Principal Gu just went to buy some," Kael said, pointing toward the snack vending machine near the counter.
"Hah! That crafty old fox," Meng Xiangyu grunted, his eyes widening as he hurried over.
He opted for the "Warrior Set": Potato Chips and a Bacon Sandwich. As soon as he bit into the sandwich, his eyes lit up with a brilliant flash of realization.
"Old Gu, you’re a real piece of work! Something this delicious, and you didn't bring any back yesterday?" Meng glared at Gu Pingchuan, looking ready to start a formal grievance. He knew Gu had only eaten a jelly yesterday; surely the daily quota for chips and sandwiches was still available?
"Wait, Vice Principal Meng, let me interrupt," Kael’s voice rang out. "Snacks can be shared with others, but they cannot leave the shop premises."
"See? Shop rules. It’s not that I didn't want to bring you some," Gu Pingchuan said, immediately taking the exit Kael provided. He shot Kael a look of pure gratitude. After decades of friendship, he really didn't have a comeback for Meng’s accusations—and his pride wouldn't let him hide behind his status.
"Is that so?" Meng eyed him suspiciously but didn't push further.
"Anyway, as long as there’s food, I’m happy. I’m heading in," Gu Pingchuan said, feeling a bit guilty as he slipped away toward the booths.
"Fair enough," Meng nodded. He took his sandwich and sat down on the long leather sofa.
He looked up and saw the tutorial video looping on the large screen. It happened to be playing the moment Kael executed those three clean strikes to delete the Archer.
"Is that... the Shopkeeper?"
Meng Xiangyu froze. Those three strikes were perfectly timed—a fraction of a second earlier or later, and the opponent would have found an opening to parry. That level of combat window perception was terrifying.
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In Brilliant Academy, Meng was the Vice Principal in charge of Combat Aura cultivation. He was the foremost expert in close-quarters combat, a field where even Gu Pingchuan admitted inferiority. Yet, watching Kael’s tutorial, Meng realized his own techniques weren't nearly as "masterful" as he thought. In terms of timing and precision, he was at least one level below the man on the screen.
"He’s just a shopkeeper... why is he this strong?!"
Meng took a savage bite of his bacon sandwich and marched into the booth area. Today, he would conquer that Archer and prove that his combat skills weren't inferior to a guy who sat behind a counter all day.
Kael leaned back against his leather sofa, suddenly feeling like someone was cursing him. His nose felt itchy. He opened his mouth, but the sneeze just wouldn't come out, leaving him in that awkward, half-satisfied state.
"What’s going on?" Kael stood up and looked toward the entrance. A man was standing outside the door.
Or rather, a group of people. One man stood at the front, while several others followed behind him, nearly obscured by the marble exterior of the shop.
"Are you sure we’ve got the right place?"
The man in front wore a lavish brocade robe with a jade pendant hanging from his waist. He held a folding fan and possessed willow-leaf eyebrows and phoenix eyes—a classic "pretty boy" appearance with an air of pampered elegance. He frowned as he surveyed Kael’s shop, his tone dripping with disdain.
"Who’s this guy?" Kael muttered from his booth, confused. The man looked like a dandy who wouldn't know a Combat Aura from a hole in the ground. Real cultivators carried a specific aura; this guy just looked like he was raised in a silk-lined cradle.
Kael didn't think he had anything in stock for pampered young masters. At least, not yet.
The servants behind the young man nodded and whispered something. The young man snapped his fan shut and pushed open the door.
"Welcome! How can I help you?" Shier immediately greeted them.
"How can you help?" The young man fanned himself slowly, walking into the shop with a faint, mocking smile.
Shier didn't respond, simply maintaining her polite, quiet gaze.
"You don’t recognize me?" the young man asked, seeing her lack of reaction.
"My apologies, Guest, but I do not know who you are," Shier replied politely.
"You dared to send people to my Drunk Cloud Restaurant to ruin my reputation, and yet you claim not to know who I am?" the young man barked, his brow furrowing in anger.
"What are you talking about? Who even are you?" Shier’s own brow furrowed in genuine confusion. She had never seen this person in her life.
However, inside the training booths, several heads popped up. They took one look at the young man and immediately ducked back down, looking incredibly guilty.
"Crap... I think we caused trouble for the Boss."
"We were just telling the truth! The food at his place really isn't as good as the Boss’s snacks."
"Keep it down! If Captain Blood Wolf finds out, we're dead."
The members of the Blood Wolf Squad exchanged panicked whispers while peeking out to watch the drama unfold.
"Quite the actress," the young man snapped his fan shut again. "I am Han Ming. My father is the owner of the Drunk Cloud Restaurant in Cloud Mist City."
Hearing the name, Kael’s confusion deepened. Why was the Young Master of Drunk Cloud Restaurant here? Does a guy like him really need to buy weapons or pills to go to the front lines?
Then again, being the heir to Drunk Cloud Restaurant was no small matter. The restaurant chain didn't just span empires and cities because of its food; it was backed by some of the most powerful forces in the land.
