"This Manager... he truly is something else," Qin Ming muttered, his eyes wide with a mix of fury and disbelief. He was so exasperated that he almost laughed.

  "Exactly! He doesn't even look at where he's setting up shop. To think he dares to leave the City Lord cooling his heels outside! The owner must be inside," He Xiao added indignantly. "If we don't handle this now, what kind of precedent does it set for the future?"

  "City Lord, should I fetch the City Guard to force the door?" He Xiao asked, trying to curry favor.

  Qin Ming looked at the sky. He had been run ragged lately by the impending Beast Tide; he didn't have much time to waste here. Besides, he was the City Lord of Cloud Mist City—surely a lowly shopkeeper wouldn't dare disrespect him to his face.

  "Very well, then go and—wait!"

  Qin Ming was about to give the order for a forced entry when his peripheral vision caught a familiar figure in the crowd.

  As he looked closer, his pupils suddenly constricted.

  Ying Feng and Ying Xue, the grandchildren of the Great General of the Desolate Yuan Empire.

  And... Ling Xiao, the Third Prince of the Empire!

  What are they doing here? And why are they waiting so quietly outside this tiny shop?

  The Great General was a monumental figure in the empire, second only to the Fire Emperor himself. In the Imperial Capital, only the Left Chancellor could stand on equal footing with him. As for Prince Ling Xiao—why on earth was he in a place like this?

  Could this shop truly be run by some legendary figure? If people of such noble status are content to wait outside without a word, then what does a mere City Lord of a remote border city like me count for?

  "City Lord, I’ll head to the barracks now," He Xiao requested again, oblivious to his superior's inner turmoil.

  "No," Qin Ming said, his voice suddenly full of righteous dignity. "Since the Manager has delayed his opening, he must have his reasons. Though we are here on official business, we must not use our authority to bully others."

  As he spoke, he kept a nervous eye on Ling Xiao. Relief washed over him when he realized the Prince hadn't noticed him.

  "But..." He Xiao started to argue.

  Qin Ming waved him off. "Actually, I can handle this visit alone. You don't need to stay. Return to the barracks."

  Are you kidding me? Qin Ming thought. Prince Ling Xiao is waiting alone. Ying Feng and Ying Xue clearly aren't acting as his attendants either. Am I, a small-town City Lord, going to put on a bigger show than the Prince? Not a chance.

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  Confused, He Xiao retreated toward the barracks. An eerie silence fell over the group outside; not a single person suggested knocking on the door.

  "Aaaah—what a great sleep. It feels so good to have no noise."

  Having finally woken up, Kael yawned and dawdled for quite a while before sluggishly opening the shop door.

  "Whoa, why are there so many people?" Kael’s eyebrows twitched. He was internally shocked, but his face remained a mask of cool indifference.

  "Boss, you finally opened! Do you have any idea how much hunting time you’ve cost me by opening late today?" Ying Feng immediately started complaining.

  "Shut up, you talk too much," Tiger Hunt grunted. "Boss, open four hours for me. Here are the crystals." He slapped eight Spirit Crystals into Kael’s hand and dashed toward the Training Room without waiting for a reply.

  "Brothers, move in! Be quick, we’ve already lost enough time today," Blood Wolf commanded.

  "Yes, Captain!" The Blood Wolf Squad split up; one group headed for the pills, while the other marched toward the Arena to "take their medicine."

  "We’re heading to the Combat Strength Arena too, right? Let's give it a go. Manager Kael, the crystals are on the counter," Ling Xiao said, leading Ying Feng and Ying Xue next door after leaving his payment.

  Soon, only Qin Ming was left standing outside.

  "First time here? What do you need?" Kael asked, slowly tidying the crystals on the counter as he gave Qin Ming a sideways glance.

  "I am Qin Ming, currently serving as the City Lord of Cloud Mist City. I have long heard of your reputation, Manager, and have come today specifically to pay my respects," Qin Ming said, adopting the same humble form of address Ling Xiao had used.

  "City Lord Qin is too kind. My shop has no reputation to speak of, so 'long-heard' is a bit of a stretch. What can I get for you today?" Kael replied with neither arrogance nor subservience.

  Qin Ming nodded inwardly. As expected of a man with a powerful background—he isn't moved by hollow flattery at all.

  "Well, since you're so direct, I won't beat around the bush. I assume you're aware, Manager, that a Beast Tide—the kind that occurs once every thirty years—is currently gathering outside the city?" Qin Ming asked gravely.

  "Mm," Kael nodded slightly, indicating he knew.

  "Then you must also know that the disparity between our city's forces and the scale of the tide is... overwhelming," Qin Ming continued.

  "That, I didn't know," Kael said, leaning his chin on his hand as if he were merely listening to a campfire story.

  "In truth, the scale of this tide has exceeded all our expectations," Qin Ming began his lament, laying the groundwork for the inevitable haggling. But Kael’s expression remained unchanged. "However, after seeing the weapons from your shop, I finally see a glimmer of hope for Cloud Mist City."

  "If it’s weapons you need, everything I have is on the shelves. If you need a large quantity, I have more in the warehouse," Kael said, his business instincts kicking in.

  Qin Ming’s eye twitched as he walked over to the shelves. He immediately spotted the [Flame Great-Saber] He Xiao had shown him. Then he saw the price tag.

  200 Spirit Crystals!

  Qin Ming rubbed his eyes, thinking he had seen it wrong. He looked again. No, it was definitely 200 crystals.

  "Manager, this price..."

  "I can guarantee supply, but I will never lower the price," Kael said firmly.

  "Manager, it’s not that I think the price is unfair. Honestly, seeing the quality, 200 crystals is a steal. But... the Cloud Mist City treasury simply cannot afford to equip an entire army at that rate," Qin Ming said with a bitter smile.

  "The shop accepts mana cores as credit," Kael suggested.

  "Even with cores, we can't fully equip the entire City Guard," Qin Ming shook his head, doing the math in his head.

  "City Lord Qin, actually..."

  [System: Quest Triggered: The Crisis of Cloud Mist City.] [System: Objective: Cloud Mist City is the location of the Host’s first shop. As a Manager, you cannot allow your shop to stand amidst ruins. Therefore, oh brave Host, use your wit and intelligence to help Cloud Mist City survive the Beast Tide!] [Reward: Three random Equipment Set Blueprints, unlock the Jewelry Supply Pool, and upgrade the Combat Strength Training Room by one level.]