Cloudstone City's West Gate was usually a place of grit, sweat, and the clanging of hammers. But this morning, a strange, ethereal fragrance began to drift through the alleyways. It smelled like the first breath of spring in the middle of a dusty desert.
Li Jian sat behind his rickety counter, looking at his new "staff."
The three thugs from yesterday were currently wearing pink aprons he'd found in the back storage. They were scrubbing the floor with terrifying intensity, tears still occasionally welling up in their eyes as they hummed peaceful folk songs.
"Brother Jian, the windows are crystal clear!" the leader, now known as 'Little Tiger', shouted with a toothless grin. "I feel so... reformed!"
"Great," Li Jian sighed, leaning his head on his hand. "Now stop crying and go buy some sugar."
Ling Yue stood by the door like a frozen statue. She had refused the apron, claiming it would "hinder her sword-draw speed." Instead, she spent the morning glaring at every passerby, effectively scaring away 90% of potential customers.
"Ling Yue," Li Jian called out. "You're scaring the business. Try to... look welcoming. Smile?"
Ling Yue turned. Her attempt at a smile looked more like a predator deciding which part of its prey to eat first.
"Never mind. Just stand there and look pretty. Don't move."
Just then, the bell above the door jingled.
A young woman stepped in. Unlike Ling Yue's cold, sharp beauty, this newcomer was like a flame. She wore vibrant red and gold robes, her hair tied in a high ponytail with a golden ring. A massive heavy sword, nearly as tall as she was, was strapped to her back.
Her eyes scanned the room, landing on Ling Yue first.
"Ling Yue? The 'Ice Fairy' of the Frozen Snow Palace?" The red-robed girl gasped, her hand instinctively reaching for her heavy sword. "What are you doing in a dump like this? And... are you dusting?"
Ling Yue's eyes turned into icy slits. "Huo Fenghuang. The 'Blazing Phoenix' of the Heavenly Sun Sect. I could ask you the same. This is a place of peace. Leave before I make you."
Huo Fenghuang laughed, a loud, boisterous sound that made the tea cups rattle. "Peace? I followed the scent of a Divine Elixir for three streets! I thought a hidden alchemist was concocting a Heaven-Grade pill."
She turned her gaze to the counter, her eyes widening as she saw Li Jian. He was currently yawning, looking thoroughly bored.
"You," she pointed a finger at him. "Are you the master of this shop?"
"I'm just a guy who likes tea," Li Jian replied, sliding a plain wooden cup across the counter. "Five copper coins. No fighting, no shouting, and no 'Sect Pride' allowed inside. Drink or leave."
Huo Fenghuang's jaw dropped. Nobody spoke to her like that. She was the genius of the Heavenly Sun Sect! She stomped over to the counter, grabbed the cup, and downed it in one go, intending to spit it out and call it trash.
The moment the liquid hit her tongue, her eyes turned into saucers.
The 'Supreme Tea' hit her like a cooling rain on a wildfire. The violent, hot Qi she had been struggling to control for months suddenly calmed down, flowing through her meridians with perfect, silky smoothness.
"My... my bottleneck," she whispered, her face turning bright red. "It's gone? Just like that?"
She looked at Li Jian, then at Ling Yue, then back at the tea cup.
"I see now!" she shouted, slamming her fist on the table. "Ling Yue, you sly fox! You found a Reclusive Grandmaster and kept him all to yourself! You wanted to monopolize his guidance to surpass me!"
"I am merely a humble servant," Ling Yue said proudly, crossing her arms.
"A servant? Ha! Then I shall be the shop's... Manager!" Huo Fenghuang declared, pointing her heavy sword at the ceiling. "Senior! I have plenty of gold, and I'm much better at attracting customers than this 'Ice Block' over here!"
Li Jian buried his face in his hands.
"I just wanted to brew tea," he whispered to the empty air. "Why do they keep coming? Why are they all crazy?"
[Ding!] [New Quest: 'The Rivalry'. Goal: Manage a shop with two feuding goddesses without the building collapsing. Reward: 'Heavenly Honey' recipe.]
Li Jian looked at the two most powerful women in the region arguing over who got to sweep the porch.
"System," he muttered. "I hate you."