Contrary to his standard routine, Mel was the inaugural figure to emerge from the house. The rest were maneuvering sluggishly due to exhaustion and lack of slumber. Fortunately, when the parade concluded—where the denizens of the Inner Circle mocked them and hurled insults upon them—they attained the meals they envisioned in their dreams.
When the two Physical Cultivators who owned the shop laid their eyes upon Mel, they experienced astonishment initially; subsequently, they bowed their heads marginally and tendered their greetings. This scene did not evade the glares of the alternate students, yet they lacked the nerve to inquire regarding what was unfolding. When the soup was stationed before them, all the thoughts within their minds vanished; zero objectives remained for them aside from warming their freezing vessels with the hot meal.
