The morning sun spilled across the lower realm like molten gold, illuminating rooftops and winding alleys in a patchwork of warmth and shadow. Steam coiled from food stalls, carrying the rich scent of fried dumplings, sizzling meats, and roasted chestnuts. Merchants shouted over one another, voices sharp, urgent, and chaotic. Children darted between legs, chasing buns, yelping in triumph as they snatched loose coins or dropped vegetables. Dogs barked incessantly, snapping at passersby or squabbling over scraps. Every alley, every rooftop, every hidden corner pulsed with life and opportunity.
Perched atop a weathered wooden beam stretching between two uneven rooftops, Lu Mao balanced effortlessly. Legs dangled lazily, three copper coins twirling between his fingers in a practiced rhythm. His grin tugged at the corners of his lips, sharp and mischievous.
Yesterday's spoils had been modest: a few rice cakes, a half-empty wine gourd, and a shiny trinket whose purpose still eluded him. Not much, but enough to remind him of the thrill of the hunt. Still, hunger tugged at him a low, insistent growl.
"Rice cakes are fine," he murmured, flipping a coin into the air and catching it with ease. "But today… today feels like a dumpling day."
Below, the marketplace rumbled with the usual chaos. Merchants argued over prices; coin purses dangled carelessly from belts; a distracted butcher leaned over his open coin box. Lu Mao's eyes gleamed with the thrill of opportunity.
Let's see who's careless enough to make this interesting.
A stray cat yowled from an alley, tail high, as if cheering him on. Lu Mao smirked. "See? Even heaven approves."
With the fluidity of water, he vaulted down, landing between two baskets of vegetables. His hands brushed against a dangling purse, lifting it before the man could react. Silent as shadow, he melted through the throng.
But a voice cut through the morning din, sharp as a blade.
"Stop right there, street rat!"
Lu Mao froze mid-step, turning slowly. Across the crowd strode a youth, maybe a year older, clad in pristine green robes embroidered with lotus patterns. Black hair tied neatly, sword gleaming at his side, eyes sharp and full of disdain.
Hmm… someone thinks he owns these streets, Lu Mao mused.
"You dare snatch coins in the Dawn Lotus Sect's territory? Pathetic little thief," the youth spat, lips curling.
A sect brat. Lu Mao sighed theatrically. "Pathetic? Maybe. Clever? Definitely."
Before the youth could advance, Lu Mao darted behind a stack of crates. When the boy lunged, the thief flicked his fingers: a faint afterimage shimmered in the sunlight. Chen Rong the boy's name he would soon learn stumbled, baffled.
From the rooftops above, Lu Mao laughed. "Timing, my friend! It's all about timing!"
Chen Rong's footwork was precise, each step crisp and elegant. The Lotus Step an artful sect movement was visible in every stride. Yet predictability was a flaw. Lu Mao darted left, right, slipping behind stalls, dropping coins, leaving phantom doubles that dissolved into the air.
A rice cake flew backward, slapping Chen Rong across the face. Sticky grains clung to his cheeks.
"Are you insane?!" the boy sputtered, flailing wildly.
"Consider it breakfast! My gift to you!" Lu Mao called, grinning.
The chase spilled into the heart of the market. Stalls toppled. Baskets rolled. A cart of oranges went flying, scattering like fire across the cobblestones. Chen Rong lunged at a phantom double, only to crash into a mound of fruit, rolling amid bouncing oranges. The crowd screamed, some with laughter, some with shock.
Perched atop a taut clothesline strung between two rooftops, Lu Mao balanced with the grace of a dancer. "Nice roll! Try that again?" he teased.
"You… you wretch!" Chen Rong's face flushed red. "I'll break your legs!"
But a new shadow joined the fray. "Both of you are pathetic."
From a neighboring rooftop, a girl appeared, slender, lithe, no older than fifteen. Her black hair was braided haphazardly, thief garb patched in several places. A silver scarf fluttered around her neck. Her brown eyes gleamed with mischief.
Lu Mao's eyebrows shot up. And who exactly are you?
She hopped down with effortless grace, landing between the two boys. In her hand jingled a small pouch. "The one who already stole your prize," she said, smirking.
Chen Rong froze. His jade sect token, secured at his belt, was gone.
Lu Mao checked his pouch two coins he'd taken earlier were missing. His jaw dropped. "You… you stole from me?!"
The girl tilted her head, grinning. "Cute thief. But too slow."
Chen Rong drew his sword in a fury. "You dare mock the Dawn Lotus Sect?!"
The girl flickered a Shadow Flicker, a thief's movement art. She vanished and reappeared behind him, waving the token teasingly.
Lu Mao laughed aloud. "Well, well… someone finally outplayed you, lotus boy."
"You… shut up!" Chen Rong roared, red-faced with fury.
The rooftop became a stage for chaos. Chen Rong lunged with his sword, Lu Mao darted with daggers and phantom doubles, and the girl Yan Mei twisted between them, stealing coins, mockingly gesturing, vanishing and reappearing at will.
Chen Rong swung violently, slicing a laundry line. Undergarments rained down. Yan Mei laughed so hard she nearly fell. Lu Mao clutched his stomach, tears in his eyes from laughter.
The duel tore through the rooftops, twisting along alleys, sliding over carts, vaulting over walls. Chen Rong stumbled, nearly catching Lu Mao in a blind strike. Lu Mao rolled behind a barrel, tossing a coin to distract him. A phantom double appeared behind him. Yan Mei danced through, snatching coins and twirling her scarf before vanishing entirely.
At one point, Lu Mao jumped across a narrow alley, landing atop a barrel, spinning, and creating a phantom behind him that mimicked his motion perfectly. Chen Rong lunged toward it and slammed into a cart of spilled grains, coughing and sputtering.
Lu Mao hopped from rooftop to rooftop, dropping a coin in each space he touched. They clinked like tiny bells, misleading Chen Rong, guiding him, or simply teasing him. Yan Mei, always one step ahead, vanished from one side and reappeared on the other, moving faster than the eye could follow.
Finally, Chen Rong's balance faltered. A misstep sent him tumbling into a fish vendor's stall. Scales, raw carp, and water splashed across him. Lu Mao retrieved his dagger from Yan Mei, who winked and vanished into the alleyways.
"Name's Yan Mei," she called, voice fading. "Try to keep up next time, little thief."
Lu Mao held the silver scarf she'd left behind, grinning. "Oh, I'll keep up. One day, I'll out-thief you."
Chen Rong, dripping with fish guts, trembled with anger. "This isn't over! The Dawn Lotus Sect will remember your face!"
Lu Mao waved lazily from the rooftop. "Can't wait. Should be fun."
Far above, the Thief Sage observed silently from a distant rooftop. Arms crossed, expression unreadable, a faint smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Still too reckless," he muttered. "But at least the boy knows how to make a proper exit. Clever… but patience, he still lacks."
Lu Mao flopped onto a beam, panting and exhilarated. His loot was small some coins, a dagger, and a silver scarf but the thrill, the artistry, the sheer dance of survival, made him feel alive.
"Brains, speed, mischief," he whispered. "That's how you win."
A faint warmth stirred in his chest. The God Devouring Vein, latent and untamed, pulsed faintly. He didn't understand it, but it made him feel untouchable.
He tossed a coin to a stray dog, wagging its tail happily. "Allies come in unexpected forms," he murmured.
The sun dipped lower over the rooftops, painting the alleys in gold and shadow. Lu Mao grinned, surveying his small kingdom of chaos. Tomorrow would bring new streets, new tricks, new treasures… and he would be ready. After all, a clever little thief never rests for long.