As the first light of dawn crept into the paper-cut shop, Zephyr was already on his way out. Reika watched his retreating figure and couldn't help but quip, "Huh, where's he off to again? Could it be… meeting a secret girlfriend?"
Faron chuckled as he limped around, preparing for the big Spirit Food Competition. "Young folks, always busy with their own affairs. Don't think too much of it."
Reika rolled her eyes, half-joking, "You're probably right. But he's always acting so mysterious! Who knows, maybe he's actually sneaking off to see his girlfriend and just won't tell me."
"He'll tell you when he's ready," Faron said with a knowing smile, his words dripping with a bit more meaning than she was ready for.
Reika pouted and grumbled to herself, "Fine, whatever. It's not like I care…"
But Zephyr wasn't off on some romantic rendezvous. No, at that very moment, he was slipping through the narrow alleyways of Springwood City, quietly approaching one of the hidden hideouts of the Voidclaw Brotherhood. His mind was focused on one thing: tracking the dark trade of Black Obsidian Crystals and uncovering the Brotherhood's shady connections with certain merchants. He couldn't let Reika or Faron in on his true mission, not yet.
Meanwhile, back at the shop, Reika and Faron were deep into the final preparations for the Spirit Food Competition.
"It's my first time competing, Faron. You think I'm ready for this?" Reika asked, tying her apron and fidgeting nervously.
Faron waved off her worries with a grin, "You're more than ready! We've got the best ingredients—Spirit Spring Fish, Dragon Flame Fruits, and our secret weapon: handmade spirit dumpling skins. Nobody can top that!"
Reika's nerves eased a bit, and she smiled. "Yeah, you're right. Time to show them what we've got!" She grabbed her tools and started prepping the food.
Everything seemed to be going well. Orders for their spirit dumplings were flying in, and the spirit sword delivery guys were working overtime. Even rumors from Drunken Moon Inn suggested that their unique paper-crafted spirit food was becoming a hit among the cultivators. The mouthwatering aroma of spirit dumplings filled the streets, attracting even the outer city cultivators.
"Haha! I can already smell victory!" Reika said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
But just as the mood was at its peak, a sudden burst of loud footsteps echoed from outside, followed by a familiar, obnoxious voice. "Hey! You thought you could get away without settling your debts?"
Reika's heart skipped a beat as she recognized the voice. Of course, it was the Voidclaw Brotherhood, and they had come to collect.
The leader, a bald brute dressed in flaming red robes, barged into the shop with a smug grin, swinging a massive iron club. "You poisoned our disciples with your spirit food! Some of them are spewing fire, others are acting insane, and one of them even laid an egg! You owe us for that!"
"Laid an egg?" Reika stifled a laugh but quickly zipped her lips when the brute shot her a death glare.
"You got off easy! Try bullying us again, and next time, I'll make sure each of you flies sky-high after eating one of our dumplings!" she shot back, trying to sound confident while keeping her cool.
The brute's face twisted with rage, and with a flick of his hand, his lackeys started smashing everything in sight. Tables, chairs, and spirit ingredients were tossed to the ground, and their precious Spirit Spring Fish was stomped into a mushy mess.
Reika's heart pounded, but she forced herself to remain calm. Faron stood by helplessly, his old age making it impossible to stop them as his hard work was being destroyed.
The brute sneered and smashed his iron club onto the ground. "You wanna fly? We're here to make sure you never get off the ground!"
Just as he raised his club to bring it down on one of the tables, a loud "CRACK!" echoed through the room. The club snapped clean in half!
But that wasn't all—within seconds, all of the goons' clubs followed suit, breaking apart with a series of synchronized "snap, snap, snap" sounds, falling to the floor in a perfectly timed, almost comical, symphony of destruction.
The brute stared dumbfounded at his broken club, as did his henchmen, each of them now holding nothing but useless sticks.
"What… what the hell just happened?" The brute's voice trembled with disbelief as he gawked at the mess.
Reika, her eyes gleaming, couldn't hold back her laughter. "Haha! 'The Broken Stick Squad'—now that's a title that suits you all!"
"You—" The brute's face turned beet red as he struggled to keep his composure.
Reika stepped forward, hands on her hips, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "What? Need another round of spirit dumplings? This time, we'll make sure they not only break your sticks but also send your shoes flying."
The brute, clearly shaken, glanced at the broken clubs on the floor. He clenched his jaw, but fear crept into his eyes.
"Lucky for you, today's your lucky day!" He snarled, throwing a final glare at Reika before signaling his goons to retreat.
Reika watched them leave, exhaling deeply in relief, but when she turned around, she saw Faron looking exhausted and weary. Guilt washed over her.
"Faron… I'm so sorry. I couldn't protect our shop," she whispered, her voice shaky as her eyes watered.
Faron gently patted her shoulder, his voice warm and reassuring. "Don't you worry, girl. We can rebuild what was broken, but our spirit—that can never be taken from us. We still have the competition tomorrow, and there's always hope."
His words filled Reika with renewed determination. She wiped away her tears and nodded firmly. "You're right. We won't be beaten. Tomorrow, I'll make sure we win!"
From the shadows, Zephyr silently observed everything unfold. He had chosen not to interfere, not wanting to tip off his uncle, Lord Lan, who was keeping a close eye on his investigation into the Voidclaw Brotherhood. He had to play it safe, but watching Reika stand tall against the thugs stirred something inside him.
Just as he was about to slip away unnoticed, a playful voice called out from behind him. "What are you doing sneaking around here?"
Zephyr turned around to see Reika standing there, arms crossed and grinning mischievously.
"I thought you were off to meet your girlfriend, but here you are, spying on us!" she teased, her eyes twinkling.
Zephyr's signature sunny smile returned as he quipped back, "Girlfriend? I'd need one first. Besides, as long as you're stuck being my family's ancient cauldron, I'm not going anywhere."
"Ugh!" Reika groaned, rolling her eyes. "Why do you have to keep bringing that up?"
With a wink, Zephyr grinned. "Well, I can't make pills without my trusty cauldron, can I?"
Reika snorted, unable to hold back her laughter. "You're impossible!"
Faron overheard their banter and smiled to himself. He knew that young hearts needed time and space to grow, so he quietly continued cleaning up the shop, leaving them to their playful back-and-forth.
＊＊＊
After the chaos caused by the Voidclaw Brotherhood thugs, the paper shop was left in utter disarray. Reika was fuming, her fists clenched in frustration, ready to charge out and give those goons a piece of her mind. But Faron grabbed her arm, holding her back.
"Kid, don't be rash," he said gently, though his tone carried the weight of deep resignation. "The Spirit Food Competition is our priority. We need to stay focused."
Reika gritted her teeth as she looked around at the wrecked spirit dumpling skins, the ruined Spirit Spring Fish, and the squashed Dragon Flame Fruit. Her rage simmered down—just a little. Still, she wasn't about to let it go that easily. She stomped her foot in frustration.
"Those jerks! Ugh, I can't believe them!" she muttered under her breath.
Faron sighed, patting her on the shoulder. "I know, I'm mad too, but we've got no choice. We've gotta let this one slide for now and focus on what's ahead."
With the competition looming, Faron reluctantly hung a sign outside that read "Help Wanted." Not long after, a familiar voice chimed from the doorway.
"Hey, old man! Heard you could use a hand. I'm available."
Faron looked up, surprised to see Zephyr standing there with his usual bright, sunny grin. The warmth of his smile seemed to melt away some of the stress weighing on Faron's shoulders.
"You?" Faron asked, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you always busy? I wasn't expecting you to pitch in."
Zephyr strolled into the shop, completely at ease. "If you need help, I'm here. No big deal."
Faron nodded, a thoughtful smile playing on his lips. "Well, if you're offering, we're happy to have you." His gaze flicked between Reika and Zephyr, a knowing twinkle in his eyes. He didn't say anything, but letting nature take its course between the two of them? That couldn't hurt.
The mood lightened a bit. Even though Reika was still fuming, she focused on gathering the scattered ingredients, grumbling all the while. "Those idiots! My spirit dumpling skins are all ruined!"
Zephyr slid over to her side, swiftly helping her gather the materials, his eyes glinting with playful mischief. "You're so mad your face looks like a dumpling itself."
Reika shot him a sharp glare. "Stop teasing me! I worked hard to get all these ingredients!"
"Oh really?" Zephyr raised an eyebrow, his teasing tone still intact. "What are you gonna do about it?"
Reika stomped her foot again, huffing in frustration. She didn't want to admit it, but handling the delicate materials had always been tough for her. Her fingers didn't quite have the agility needed for the finer tasks, and it was something she hated anyone—especially Zephyr—seeing.
Zephyr watched as Reika struggled to gather the scattered materials, her hands fumbling awkwardly. He didn't say anything at first but found it odd. Her hands weren't moving like those of a skilled cultivator; they seemed clumsy, almost stiff.
"Here, let me help before you make a bigger mess of things." He gently took the spirit paper from her hands and, with a casual flick of his wrist, unleashed a gust of sword energy. The spirit paper sliced into perfect, even sheets, fluttering gracefully onto the table like feathers.
Reika blinked in surprise, staring at the flawless dumpling skins. "Wait—are you showing off?"
Zephyr flashed her a smug grin. "What can I say? It's a family specialty."
"Ugh, showoff!" Reika muttered, but her eyes betrayed her admiration. She didn't want to admit it, but his swordsmanship was impressive, even for a braggart like him.
As the two of them continued prepping, Reika's hand suddenly froze over a chunk of Spirit Serpent meat. Her fingers trembled, unable to hold onto the slippery flesh. Just as panic crept into her mind, Zephyr leaned over, a smirk playing on his lips. "Don't tell me you can't even hold onto a piece of meat."
"Of course I can!" Reika snapped, her pride on the line. She grabbed the meat, but it slipped right out of her grasp, flinging itself straight into Zephyr's face with a wet slap.
"Oof!" Zephyr stumbled back, clutching his face in shock. "This meat's got more fight than I thought!"
Reika burst into uncontrollable laughter, doubling over. "Haha! Serves you right! That's what you get for making fun of me!"
Zephyr rubbed his face, not bothered by the surprise attack. He unsheathed his sword, deftly slicing the meat into paper-thin pieces with a flick of his wrist. His sword energy sealed the serpent's unruly spirit energy, and the once stubborn meat now lay neatly arranged in flawless strips.
"See? That's how you handle it with style." He grinned, clearly pleased with himself.
Reika's jaw dropped as she stared at the perfectly cut meat. She hated to admit it, but this time, Zephyr had nailed it. "Okay, okay. I'll admit it, that's pretty impressive. These Spirit Serpent dumplings are going to steal the show tomorrow!"
Zephyr casually placed the thin slices of meat onto the dumpling skins, giving Reika a soft smile. "What's wrong? Speechless? Or are you finally seeing me in a new light?"
Reika's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked away, her cheeks heating up. "Don't flatter yourself! Who's seeing you in a new light?" She huffed, crossing her arms, trying to ignore the warmth spreading across her face.
The two of them worked together for the rest of the day, and by evening, they had everything ready. The Spirit Serpent dumplings floated in the air, glowing faintly with spiritual energy, and Reika couldn't help but feel a swell of pride.
"This time, we've got it!" she said, her eyes gleaming with determination.
Zephyr, on the other hand, gingerly touched his still-sore face and muttered, "Let's just hope there's no flying serpent surprise this time."
Reika couldn't help but laugh again, and the tension in the shop finally eased.
Faron watched the two of them with a satisfied smile on his face. Though he didn't say it aloud, it was clear as day: these two were getting along better than ever.
"Kid, you've been a big help today," Faron said, smiling warmly at Zephyr.
"Just doing my part, Faron," Zephyr replied with a grin.
"Well, with everything ready, you two should get some rest. Tomorrow's the big day." Faron leaned back in his chair, looking tired but hopeful, his eyes twinkling with anticipation for what was to come.
As night fell, the paper shop returned to its usual calm. Tomorrow's Spirit Food Competition was bound to be anything but ordinary.