In the royal chamber, I stood nervously in front of the Crown Prince and Long Fei.
The Crown Prince clears his throat and takes out a scroll.
"Ling Yue, I have accounted for all the damage you caused and compiled a list of quests you must complete to repay it."
He let the scroll unfurl itself and it reaches all the way to my feet. My jaw drops. I glance at my master, eyes wide.
He covers his face with his hand and shakes his head.
"Since you're Long Fei's guardian, I've shown mercy and reduced your dues."
I pick up the end of the scroll and skim it quickly.
"It's all blank! Is this some kind of joke?"
"No, a lot of these quests are confidential. It'll light up once you're at the right level to take it on. Once you've completed it, it will be completely removed."
"How would I know I completed the whole list if I can't see it?"
"It's written on a magical parchment that I've enchanted my seal on. I would know when you've completed it, and I would let you know."
"Why are there so many? I can't possibly have done that much damage."
My master finally takes his hand off his face, pinching his nose.
"Ling Yue, one pot of the wine you broke is worth a servant's annual salary."
I laugh nervously. I think I'm going to hyperventilate soon.
"Plus, you did try to tackle His Highness. That is considered treason."
"I was only trying to catch up to him!"
"He had to stop you from getting any closer... which ended with the cherry blossom tree splitting in half."
"I knew that couldn't be me!"
I still can't believe I don't remember any of it. I couldn't even move that blasted tree—His Highness' Celestial Martial Arts must be epic. I'm just going take this list graciously and not going to challenge him, ever. He's just as terrifying as my master... just smiles a lot more. Smiling assassins are the scariest. I shudder at that thought.
"So, since it's all blank, does that mean there are no quests for me to do?"
The Crown Prince chuckles, shaking his head.
"Well, it's not all blank. Look here."
He removes his fingers from the top of the scroll, and there's a line glowing.
I squint my eyes. It's in fine print too. This is a much longer list than expected.
"Retrieve a shard of lunar jade from the Starfall Caverns. This stuff must be expensive if it made the list. Can I retrieve a whole bunch in one go, and then we call it even?"
"No, as you are only allowed a shard per soul. If you get overcome by greed, you'll be dropped to the netherworld."
"Yikes, I guess it's just one shard it is."
I roll up the parchment and try to slip it into my sleeve. It immediately drops out. How does my master do it? He seems to be able to store stuff in his sleeve and pluck them out like a magician. Why can't it work for me?
Long Fei steps forward and clears his throat.
"Ling Yue, this was my gift to you before you unexpectedly turned back into a whale in your previous evolution. Since your current form can use this and you're going on quests, you'll need this to store things."
He hands me a sleek satchel.
Oh, yes, the gift I will treasure for the rest of my life!
I eagerly accept his gift, and I open the satchel, surprised to see it glimmering with light inside. I put my hand through, and it doesn't seem to have a bottom. I stick my head in. It's a portal to a storage room! This is awesome!
"So, how do I get there again?"
"You look at a map. Didn't you notice it when you looked inside your satchel?"
I think I need another peek. I was too distracted by all the excitement. I stick my head inside this satchel again. He's right. There are some scrolls neatly packed against a shelf. Come to think about it. This is a very well-sorted storage room. There are glass vessels in there. I'll probably need that if I have a shard to put in it. It's a storage room all for myself. I reach in and pluck out a scroll. I open it and it is a map of Starfall Caverns. Either I'm lucky, or this thing knows exactly what I need.
"Wait, does that mean you're not coming with me?"
He shakes his head and steps back.
"His Highness has given me another mission I must go on."
"This has nothing to do with the bill right?"
"It's confidential."
"Alright, then how will I get to the Starfall Caverns? How will I get anywhere without getting lost?"
"It's time you learn how to read maps. You should have picked up some skills while sorting the scrolls in the library out in categorical order."
I knew it! I knew he was forcing me to read.
"There weren't any maps in there."
"Really? That's a shame. In that case, you will have to figure it out. You're clever enough now."
Well, if he puts it that way, I can't deny it.
"Your Highness, I'll take my leave. Ling Yue, I should be back when you finish your quest."
Then, like the wind, he vanishes.
I'm studying the map, scratching my chin. I glance at the Crown Prince who seems to be anticipating a question from me.
"Do you need help with that?"
"Yes. What does this symbol mean?"
"That's the compass. It shows North, South, East, and West," he says as he points to each symbol.
"This helps you navigate based on directions."
"But how do you know which direction you're facing?"
He gets up, opens the window, and points at four bright stars in the sky, shaped like the one on the map. He points to the top.
"That's the northern star. The bottom one is the southern star. To the right is the eastern, and to the left is the western star."
I stare up at the sky, then back to the map. Fascinating! That makes everything crystal clear. His style is so different from my master's, so straightforward.
"Now, run along. Those quests are not going to complete themselves. The faster you complete them, the faster you clear your ledger. I've got matters to attend to."
With a flick of his wrist, the chamber doors open.
That's my cue to leave, and I don't ask any more questions, mostly because I'm too afraid to.