The five-star restaurant was unusually quiet.
Leo and the others had just finished their meal.
Leo leaned back in his chair with a satisfied expression.
Leo: "That was amazing."
Chen Wei: "You literally bought the entire hotel just so we could eat here."
Leo: "Correction."
He pointed toward himself dramatically.
Leo: "I bought the hotel because I'm rich."
Chen Wei: "You became rich five minutes ago."
Leo: "Details."
Lily sighed.
Lily: "Can we please focus on the mission now?"
Yuna nodded.
Yuna: "We came here to find the Wind Temple Guardian."
Leo immediately sat upright.
Leo: "Right."
"We need to find the Wind Guardian."
Just then, the restaurant owner approached their table.
He bowed respectfully.
Restaurant Owner: "Sir."
Leo: "Yes?"
Restaurant Owner: "Since you have purchased this entire hotel..."
Chen Wei whispered.
Chen Wei: "Here we go again."
Restaurant Owner: "...we obviously understand that you're extremely wealthy."
Leo smiled proudly.
Leo: "Finally, someone understands me."
Chen Wei: "Nobody asked."
The restaurant owner continued.
Restaurant Owner: "However, if you're planning to meet the Wind Temple Guardian..."
Everyone became attentive.
Yuna: "You know where she is?"
Restaurant Owner: "Not exactly."
He paused.
Restaurant Owner: "But I know something important about her."
Leo leaned forward.
Leo: "What?"
Restaurant Owner:
"You need to know how to speak in rap."
Silence.
...
...
Chen Wei slowly turned toward Leo.
Leo slowly turned toward Chen Wei.
Lily blinked.
Yuna remained completely expressionless.
Chen Wei: "...I'm sorry?"
Restaurant Owner: "Rap."
Chen Wei: "You mean..."
Restaurant Owner: "Yes."
"You have to speak to her in rhythm."
"You have to answer her in rhyme."
"And you have to maintain the flow."
Leo stared at him.
Leo: "We're supposed to fight a legendary martial artist..."
Restaurant Owner: "Yes."
Leo: "And the requirement is rap?"
Restaurant Owner: "Apparently."
Chen Wei put both hands on his head.
Chen Wei: "What happened to normal martial arts?!"
The restaurant owner shrugged.
Restaurant Owner: "It's been roughly a thousand years."
"Maybe her personality changed."
"Maybe it didn't."
"But according to the stories..."
"She still talks the same way."
Leo slowly stood up.
Leo: "So basically..."
"We have to rap our way into the Wind Temple."
Restaurant Owner: "Exactly."
Chen Wei: "This is officially the strangest mission we've ever had."
Leo smiled.
Leo: "Then let's do it."
Chen Wei: "Wait, you can rap?"
Leo: "No."
Chen Wei: "Then why are you smiling?"
Leo: "Because I have confidence."
Chen Wei: "That's worse."
---
They left the restaurant.
The beautiful city above the clouds stretched endlessly before them.
Wind flowed between the buildings.
People walked across the solid clouds.
The entire city seemed to move with the rhythm of the wind itself.
Chen Wei suddenly started walking backward.
He snapped his fingers.
Chen Wei:
"Yo, we came for a mission,
But we're eating with ambition,
Bought a hotel, spent the cash,
Now our serious mission's turned to trash!"
Leo stopped.
Leo: "..."
Lily: "..."
Yuna: "..."
Chen Wei grinned.
Chen Wei: "What?"
Leo suddenly pointed at him.
Leo:
"Bro, you're the one who started this game,
We came for the Guardian, remember the aim,
We need to find the temple, we need to move fast,
Not spend all our time making rich jokes that won't last."
Chen Wei's eyes widened.
Chen Wei: "OH!"
Lily covered her mouth.
Lily:
"Both of you are ridiculous,
Your mission skills are quite suspicious,
You came for answers, came for war,
Now you're rapping in the corridor."
Yuna looked at them.
She sighed.
Then—
Yuna:
"You all are making way too much noise,
Acting like a bunch of little boys,
The temple is waiting, the mission is clear,
So stop all the nonsense and get over here."
Everyone froze.
Chen Wei: "...Yuna."
Yuna: "What?"
Chen Wei: "You were actually good."
Yuna smiled.
Yuna: "I know."
Leo pointed toward her.
Leo:
"Okay, that's unfair,
You came prepared,
We thought you were quiet,
But now you're a rapper with legendary flair!"
Yuna laughed.
Lily joined in.
Lily:
"Keep moving ahead,
Don't mess with my head,
If Leo gets lost again,
I'll knock him out instead."
Leo: "HEY!"
Chen Wei:
"That's his wife,
That's his life,
Every single day,
He's fighting for survival!"
Leo: "You guys are enjoying this way too much."
---
They continued walking.
The Wind Martial Artists they had met earlier were nowhere to be seen.
For once, the group was completely on their own.
Chen Wei looked toward the enormous towers ahead.
Chen Wei:
"The city is huge,
We've got no clue,
Where is the temple?
What are we gonna do?"
Leo:
"Follow the wind,
Let the journey begin,
If the Guardian is waiting,
Then we'll surely win."
Lily:
"Don't get too proud,
Don't shout too loud,
We don't even know
What we're about to find in this crowd."
Yuna:
"The wind knows the way,
Just follow the sway,
If we keep moving forward,
We'll reach there today."
Chen Wei looked at Yuna.
Chen Wei: "Okay, she's definitely carrying this entire rap."
Leo: "Agreed."
Yuna: "Thank you."
---
As they moved farther into the city...
The buildings gradually became smaller.
The wind became stronger.
The sounds of the city disappeared behind them.
Then Leo noticed something in the distance.
A massive staircase.
At the top stood an enormous gate.
Ancient symbols were carved into its surface.
Wind continuously spiraled around it.
Leo stopped.
Leo: "...There."
Everyone looked up.
Chen Wei: "That has to be it."
Lily: "The Wind Temple."
Yuna: "We're here."
Chen Wei immediately started rapping again.
Chen Wei:
"We crossed the abyss,
We survived the fall,
We fought a Hydra,
We nearly lost it all!"
Leo:
"We searched every place,
We followed the key,
And now this temple
Is finally what we see!"
Lily:
"So open the door,
We've waited enough,
Let's see what is hidden
Behind all this stuff."
Yuna:
"The wind is calling,
The journey is near,
Whatever awaits us..."
She looked toward the massive gate.
Yuna:
"...we'll face it without fear."
Leo smiled.
He pulled out the Wind Key.
The key immediately began floating.
Chen Wei: "Don't let it slap you again."
Leo: "I won't."
He grabbed it.
The key spun inside his hand.
Leo raised it toward the ancient lock.
Then he began speaking in rhythm.
Leo:
"Wind Key in my hand,
Temple in my sight,
Open up the ancient gate,
Let's see what's waiting inside tonight."
CLICK.
The Wind Key entered the lock.
A powerful gust exploded from the gate.
WHOOOOOOOOOOSH!!
Everyone's clothes and hair were blown backward.
The ancient symbols began glowing.
The massive doors slowly started opening.
KRRRRRRRRRRR...
Darkness waited beyond the entrance.
Chen Wei swallowed.
Chen Wei:
"Okay..."
He looked at everyone.
Chen Wei:
"Whatever happens next..."
Leo: "Yeah?"
Chen Wei:
"...please don't make me rap during the fight."
Leo smiled.
Leo:
"No promises."
The doors opened wider.
A mysterious wind rushed out from inside.
And somewhere beyond the gate...
A woman's voice softly echoed through the temple.
"...So."
"Visitors have finally arrived."
The group froze.
Leo's expression changed.
The Wind Temple Guardian was waiting for them.
TO BE CONTINUED...