Aimless Ascension

The Wang's Inn was always filled with crowds during the festivals. Well, mostly during the night as people need a roof over their heads after all the celebrations at the festivals.

The innkeeper was busy moving around all over the inn, and even outside to the marketplace. For some reason, she seemed to keep forgetting one or two supplies that she needed to buy every time she was out.

Thankfully, the store was near the inn, so she didn't have to travel long on foot. Still, this time, to not forget anything, Wang Li came up with a list.

This time, she planned to purchase every supply the inn required. It was her sixth round since she woke up, and this time she had a couple of individuals with her for help. Gale and Xiaolin decided to tag along with her, since they had nothing to do in the inn.

Even though it was only noon, the walkways were bustling with children playing around in new clothes, while grown men and women were purchasing stuff around the vendors and shops.

After leaving the list to the familiar shopkeeper, Wang Li moved towards the tailor shop to see if her clothes were done yet. Well, today was the festival, so it was probably ready.

Honesty, she completely forgot that she had to collect it back. After all, she had no intention of getting new clothes for herself. It was simply the foreigner playing on his whims when she told him she would gift him and Linlin dresses for the festival.

But what's done was done. She simply couldn't discard a gift given out of a fair heart. Besides, the fabric would suit her well. And Master Gale and Xiaolin would probably see to it that she wears that cloth at the festival.

She led the master-disciple pair as they discussed mundane matters between themselves. Gale was simply buying anything that came fancy to his eyes. He had a new home to decorate.

Other than house-warming stuff, he was handing out every kind of local cuisine he came across to Linlin, and making her eat it in his stead after he took a couple of sips or bites.

In retrospect, Xiaolin was giving her a part of it to eat as well. Wang Li was already full to have lunch now.

It didn't take long for her to reach the tailor's shop, and it was more crowded than she had hoped. She was about to use her familiarity with the shop owner to get her things, but Wang Li halted, finding a couple of familiar figures.

Among them, the first that caught her eyes was a figure of adoration of the crowd. A young girl with milky skin and probably the fairest look in the town. She probably would have won in that contest before, but after Xiaolin's advancement, the girl was a literal fairy among mortals. Still, not taking anything from the figure before her, who had a mature figure with toned curves outlined through the robe she wore.

However, the figure next to her made her frown. Wang Li turned her head to the foreigner.

"Gale," she called. "You might need to handle this."

Gale was explaining some recipes to his disciple, but he broke that and turned his head to find what Wang Li was worried about. Xiaolin's eyes found what it was about as well, and her expression changed immediately.

"Master," Xiaolin called. She wasn't prepared for the confrontation yet.

"Relax," Gale said, sensing more of her worry through the bond.

It wasn't just their party who noticed the other party, but the other party had noticed their approach as well.

A grin spread on the lips of the youth as he walked forward.

"Looks whom we have here," Han Xiao said. Now, as an Iron ranker, his mindset seemed barely changed.

"Nobody special," Gale cut him off with a grin of his. "Just a random guy who embarrassed someone's father in his own home."

Han Xiao snorted, not going into outrage easily to his provocation. Perhaps, maybe, conceivably, Han Xiao gained some wisdom? Gale mused, but the next words out of the young lord's mouth, proved him wrong easily.

"Joke whatever you want, Outsider," Han Xiao said, flaring his newfound strength as if to intimate him and his disciple. "I'll collect all the debts of humiliation you and your disciple caused me and my family."

'Most probably not,' Gale mused. 'He is still that entitled brat that thinks his family was wronged in this.'

The beautiful maiden on the back—Luo Qing'e, the mayor's daughter and cousin of Han Xiao—clearly looked to be in trouble as a confrontation between them seemed impossibly hard not to escalate.

"Well, well," Gale said with a laugh. "I guess they shoved down spirit marks through your ass to make a dimwit like you rank up. Don't worry, I don't judge people for using their wealth, just for the way they use it.

"Linlin, why don't you congratulate your opponent on his undeserved breakthrough?"

Wang Li shook her head, understanding she asked the wrong man to pacify the encounter from escalating. Gale was simply a beast at trash-talking, and could infuriate a black sheep like Han Xiao barely using his brain to come up with retorts.

Xiaolin exchanged a look with Gale and faced Han Xiao. She hadn't noticed anything about his breakthrough before. It was only her master's words broke that into her mind. Her heart was beating faster, but she confronted her nightmare courageously with all her composure.

"Congrats on your breakthrough," Xiaolin said. As if by getting influenced by staying with Gale for some time, she couldn't help but add, "I hope you'll come around to learn better, instead of acting like a Young Lord entitled to everything."

For anything, Xiaolin was earnest. Not that it made Han Xiao feel any better.

How could the noble son of the Han clan take the advice of a powerless girl from some unknown rural site seriously?

"The audacity," Han Xiao growled. "Do I need your approval, a bitch like you, to live my life?"