They landed in the Mission Hall courtyard with a soft whump of talons on stone, the crane folding its wings with a sigh like old silk. The courtyard clerks froze mid-conversation, eyes snapping toward the returning duo—then toward the small, suspiciously jingling chest tucked under Yuxin's arm.
Tian Lei dismounted in one clean motion and strode forward with the brisk gravity of a storm given human form."Mission complete," he stated, voice as flat as a ledger line.
Yuxin hopped down after him, veil fluttering like a triumphant banner. "Mission complete with flourish," she amended, sliding the chest onto the counter. It made a musical cha-ching sound that made the nearest clerk visibly reconsider their life choices.
The senior clerk, an older man who always looked like he'd been personally betrayed by paperwork, blinked at them. "This is… the East Ridge den?"
"Was," Yuxin corrected brightly. "It's more of a dramatic smoking crater with scenic debris now."
