As the "True Spirit Food Competition" moved into its final stages, the once-bustling stall of Faron and Reika had fallen into a strange lull. Their once-packed line of customers had dwindled to a trickle, leaving the stall eerily quiet. Passing cultivators no longer flocked to the stall. Instead, they stood at a distance, pointing fingers, whispering in hushed tones, or, worse, avoiding the stall altogether like it was cursed.
Reika frowned as she wrapped another spirit dumpling. "Faron, something's really off. Our dumplings are exactly the same as before, but now nobody's buying them. What gives?"
Faron stroked his snow-white beard, his eyes filled with confusion. "The feedback from the locals has been strange too. They're saying the dumplings make their spirit energy go haywire... but the recipe hasn't changed. I suspect someone's up to no good."
Reika's eyes widened. "Up to no good? You mean like those jerks from Voidclaw Brotherhood again?"
Just as the two were contemplating this, a sudden whooshing sound filled the air. A cultivator came swooping down from the sky, riding on his spirit sword. But right as he was about to land gracefully, his sword lost control, and with a loud thud, he face-planted into the ground.
The nearby cultivators burst into mocking laughter. One even placed his hands on his hips and jeered, "Look at that! That's what you get for eating their dumplings—can't even stay airborne, hah!"
The unlucky cultivator staggered to his feet, furious as he brushed dirt off his robes. "What the hell were those dumplings? I nearly lost all my spirit energy and almost became a meat pancake!"
Reika and Faron exchanged bewildered looks. Faron furrowed his brows and muttered, "Our dumplings have never done that before."
But that was only the beginning. Moments later, another cultivator, after wolfing down a dumpling, suddenly had his spirit energy surge to absurd levels. It was like he'd been injected with an overpowered spirit energy booster. Unable to control it, he dashed around the market like a wild horse, his spirit energy spilling everywhere.
In his chaotic rampage, he knocked over Faron's stall. Dumplings and spirit fish flew in all directions, leaving a mess behind.
Faron sighed deeply as he gazed at the chaos.
The surrounding crowd erupted into more mocking laughter. "Looks like their dumplings are more like spirit bombs—eat one, and your spirit energy goes out of control! Hah!" Another chimed in, "Forget spirit food, it's a spirit disaster!"
The atmosphere around the stall was filled with sneers and disdain. Cultivators shook their heads and left, their expressions full of suspicion and disgust. Watching the disaster unfold, Reika's face turned pale. She clenched her fists, heart racing with frustration and confusion. "No way! Someone's sabotaging our dumplings! Who could be behind this?"
Despite the mounting panic, Reika set her jaw in determination. She wasn't going to let these underhanded tricks defeat them. She was going to get to the bottom of this, no matter what.
Meanwhile, under the cover of night, Zephyr was already on the move. Ever since Reika's dumplings started causing strange reactions, he had been growing suspicious. Silently, he tailed the movements of Voidclaw Brotherhood, slipping through the shadows toward their hidden base.
Wrapped in his black cloak, Zephyr moved like a ghost through the dimly lit streets, skillfully blending into the night. He was certain now—this whole mess was the work of Voidclaw Brotherhood.
"Hmph, those scoundrels must have done something shady," Zephyr thought, a dark smile curling on his lips as he silently positioned himself in a shadowy corner, listening in on the conversation between Voidclaw Brotherhood members.
The Voidclaw camp was bright with lanterns, and a few disciples were gathered, smugly discussing their latest scheme.
"Hah! We really pulled one over on Reika this time. She still hasn't realized her dumplings have been spiked with our forbidden pills. The unstable spirit energy will ruin them for sure!" one of them gloated.
"Yeah, those pills are genius! With their spirit food ruined, they're toast! Plus, with our alliance with Drunken Moon and Five Tastes Restaurant, there's no way they'll survive this competition!" another chimed in, laughing.
Zephyr clenched his fists, seething with quiet fury as he continued to eavesdrop, controlling his breathing to stay hidden.
"That brat made us look like fools before, but this time we'll ruin her completely! With Voidclaw Brotherhood pulling the strings, she doesn't stand a chance!" another disciple sneered.
The more Zephyr listened, the angrier he became. This conspiracy was bigger than he had anticipated—Voidclaw Brotherhood had teamed up with Drunken Moon and Five Tastes to ensure Reika and Faron would fail.
Zephyr's jaw tightened as he processed this new information. He knew he needed more evidence before he could act. The disciples, drunk on their own arrogance, were bound to spill more secrets if he just waited.
"This time, we'll make sure their stall is destroyed for good!" one of the disciples cackled. "And when it's over, we'll help ourselves to whatever spirit ingredients are left."
Zephyr's eyes narrowed in the shadows. He now had the confirmation he needed. But he couldn't rush things—he needed to gather enough evidence to expose the whole plot.
Quietly slipping away from the Voidclaw camp, Zephyr made his way back to the paper-crafting shop. Standing under the moonlight, he began planning his next move.
＊＊＊
The night deepened, but the hustle and bustle of the "True Spirit Food Competition" showed no signs of slowing down. Beneath the cover of night, Reika, Faron, and Zephyr were each conducting their own investigations. It seemed that the entire spirit food market was hiding a much bigger conspiracy, and the pieces of that puzzle were slowly coming into view.
Reika's long hair was messily tied up in a bun, with spirit talismans hanging all around her waist. Her expression was stern. "Faron, I'm telling you, our dumplings have definitely been tampered with. That cultivator almost flew into the stratosphere today! Our dumplings may be packed with spirit energy, but they're not that strong, right?"
Faron rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "It's not the dumplings. Someone's playing dirty behind the scenes. We need to get to the bottom of this." He pulled out a tiny spirit scissors from his belt, ready to "snip away" at the problem, like a wise old gardener tending to a tricky weed.
"Investigate! Tonight, I'm going to drag out the rat behind this mess!" Reika declared, hands on her hips, eyes blazing with determination, like a little leopard ready to pounce on her prey.
Meanwhile, Zephyr was also neck-deep in his secret investigation. He had stealthily infiltrated the Voidclaw Brotherhood's warehouse, moving as gracefully as a cat. But suddenly, a loud thud echoed nearby, making his pulse race as he pressed himself against the wall.
"What the—?" Zephyr peeked around the corner and saw... Reika. She had kicked over a wooden barrel. Dust clung to her shoe as she muttered, "Why is this place full of junk? They're practically setting traps here!"
Faron whispered, "Keep it down, we're here to investigate, not redecorate."
Reika rolled her eyes but couldn't help herself. "As if I'd trip over this stuff on purpose! I've got a feeling we're close to the truth, though!" She kicked another barrel, this time on purpose, sending it rolling.
Zephyr stifled a laugh as he leaned against the wall, amused. "With all this noise, the truth is probably going to walk up to them and introduce itself," he thought, shaking his head in exasperation, though secretly entertained by their antics.
Just as Reika and Faron were about to continue their "subtle" investigation, Zephyr flicked a small spirit stone, causing it to clink against the ground. Reika's head snapped up, alert. "There's something over there!" she whispered in a panic. Without a second thought, she grabbed Faron, and the two darted towards the sound like startled rabbits.
Zephyr quickly slipped into a side alley, grinning to himself. "She's like a walking alarm bell. Good thing I dodged in time. Honestly, she makes more noise than a thunderstorm."
Once out of sight, Zephyr moved swiftly into the warehouse. His search soon paid off. He discovered ledgers hidden among the crates, filled with detailed records of Voidclaw Brotherhood's hoarding of spirit food and materials. His eyes narrowed as he spotted notes about manipulating the competition's scoring system. Phrases like "Raise spirit food prices, monopolize the market" made him frown.
"Typical," Zephyr smirked. "They plan to make a fortune by controlling the spirit materials. Voidclaw's schemes are as dirty as ever." The warehouse was stuffed with piles of spirit ingredients, the air thick with their energy.
Something caught his eye in the corner— a hidden door.
Zephyr pushed it open and found a secret room filled with treasures. But what really grabbed his attention were two ledgers sitting on a small table. One of them was an innocent-looking record of various businesses, but Zephyr's instincts screamed at him. These businesses were likely involved in the secret use of black obsidian—a highly addictive forbidden drug that had been mixed into food, making it nearly impossible for consumers to stop.
The second ledger, though, shocked him even more. The last page listed the names of prominent noble families. One name stood out to him, sending a chill down his spine— the current head of the Eastern family, his uncle, Eastern Ji Lan.
"Uncle..." Zephyr's eyes darkened as he slipped the ledger into his endless pouch, his mind swirling.
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed outside the warehouse, and a few Voidclaw disciples began approaching. Zephyr quickly jumped up onto the rafters, hiding in the shadows.
Meanwhile, Reika and Faron had also found their way to Voidclaw's grain storage. Faron's eyes narrowed as he examined the rows of grain sacks. "Something tells me these aren't filled with grain... more like gold."
Reika's eyes widened. "They're stockpiling spirit grain to make a fortune during a crisis! Faron, we've got to expose them now!"
Faron quickly pulled her back. "Quiet! You'll expose us before we expose them at this rate!"
Just then, a Voidclaw disciple strolled towards them, dangerously close to the sacks they were hiding behind. Reika and Faron pressed themselves tightly against the sacks, holding their breath. Reika whispered under her breath, "Why are these grain sacks so uncomfortable? My butt's getting sore."
As the disciple reached for the grain sack, Zephyr, hidden in the rafters, subtly cast a small spell. A chilling gust brushed against the disciple's neck, sending him scurrying away in fear.
Once the coast was clear, Faron let out a relieved sigh, dusting the flour off his clothes. "We're lucky this time. Let's not push our luck."
From his perch, Zephyr watched the duo's comedic attempts at espionage, silently laughing to himself. "These two... they're quite the pair."
But beneath his amusement, Zephyr could feel the weight of something much darker. The conspiracy ran deeper than he first thought. Voidclaw wasn't just after the spirit food market. They were using black obsidian to control the cultivators of Springwood City. And at the center of it all was his uncle, Eastern Ji Lan.
Just as Zephyr prepared to slip away, a sudden commotion outside the warehouse caught his attention. His muscles tensed as he quickly analyzed his escape route. In the distance, he could hear Reika and Faron's footsteps fading, but Zephyr knew the real challenge was just beginning.
"This path... it's going to be tougher than I thought," Zephyr muttered under his breath, gripping the ledger tighter as he made his way into the night, determined to uncover the full truth.