Fountain(Part-1)

"Tell me what happened," Filly asked, pushing her glasses up as she leaned back in her study chair.

"So after I went out the front door, I immediately saw the beggar you're talking about…" Filly's servant had bandages wrapped around his forehead, and his face was swollen from being beaten.

He recounted what he remembered before waking up in the damp alley.

"After I had a talk with him, he was still adamant, so I pulled him into an alley and punched him there,"

The image of Apollo tumbling on the ground after his punch surfaced in his mind. He was certain he had beaten up the beggar boy; there was no way the kid could have done this to him… the servant thought.

"And that's the last thing I remember," the servant said bitterly. When he woke up in the alley, his forehead was bleeding, and he felt pain all over his body. He immediately went to find the boss but was stopped by her bodyguards. After explaining, they called for other servants to help tend to his injuries before allowing him to see their boss, Filly.

Filly frowned. Did another Cultivator try to save the beggar?

"Is the beggar still there?" she asked.

"I think he left. He probably learned his lesson not to loiter around our restaurant," the servant smiled proudly, though he grunted in pain the next second.

Filly clapped her hands, and another servant entered the room.

"Check if there's a beggar boy near the restaurant," she ordered, and the servant immediately did as told. After a while, the servant returned and confirmed that the beggar was no longer there.

"Good," Filly nodded before turning to the man with a bandage on his forehead. "Tell me your name."

The servant's eyes widened. Being asked his name by Miss Filly meant he was one step closer to his dream!

"Ned! You can call me Ned, Miss Filly!" Bern shouted enthusiastically.

"I see, Ned. Your rewards will be sent to your room. You can go now," Filly waved her hand, and Ned bowed.

"Yes!" Ned left in a joyous mood, even ignoring the blood seeping from his bandage.

Once the door closed, Filly couldn't help but ponder who would dare provoke her by beating up one of her workers, especially if the job was specifically ordered by her. She also didn't doubt the beggar; an insignificant figure didn't deserve her attention.

"Well, as long as the job is done," Filly decided to put the matter behind her. She prioritized her business above all else.

...

Apollo is currently standing in line for a hot steamed bun. Most of the people around looked at him with disgust because of how dirty he is. But he wasn't bothered by any of it. What he just wanted was to get his food and to go back to cultivating the Simple Breathing Technique.

He waited for a few more minutes before his turn finally came. The seller also looked at him with condescending eyes, but they still sold him the food after Apollo handed over a silver coin.

Apollo bought five buns and still had a change of five bronze coins. So he decided to find a store that sells water, but after walking the street for so long, he realized they don't sell any beverages.

In order for him to get a drink, he would have to find a restaurant and buy something to eat there.

Looking at his remaining money, he knew it's far from enough.

Apollo was about to give up when he noticed a fountain not far from his position. He seated himself on the bench near it and started eating his buns there. When he finished his food and wanted to get a drink, he walked towards the fountain and scooped the water with his hands.

"This is good!" Apollo couldn't help but be surprised when he tasted the water. It has a refreshing feeling and coldness at the same time. He continued drinking, his upper body inside the fountain while his small feet dangled outside.

The people walking looked in his direction with surprise. They pointed fingers at him and started talking among themselves.

The spectacle caused them to stop and watch as this is not an everyday scene for them.

Apollo continued to satisfy his thirst. This lasted for a while until the sound of people talking reached his ears. This made him raise his head and notice them watching him like he was in the zoo. "Eh?"

Suddenly, a shout made him turn back.

"What's happening here?!"

Two men wearing white and red uniforms with black pants and a scabbard on their side walked towards Apollo's direction. When they saw what was happening, veins popped up on their foreheads, especially when they found out that a beggar was the culprit.

"Beggar… I thought we cleaned them up?" one of the men muttered.

"Probably someone slipped out," his companion answered.

Oh am I in trouble? Apollo thought while wiping his mouth with his sleeves. Looking at their angry faces, he knew he did something bad, although he's not sure if it's because he's a beggar or because he drinks from this fountain.

Or maybe both.

"You dare drink from that precious fountain?!" the guard said, standing in front of the boy. "That's a very precious fountain! And by drinking from it, you deserve to die!"

"Eh?" Apollo is confused. Is that fountain really precious? How come… that's when he noticed that his body is rejuvenated. This made him frown, and he closed his eyes to feel the qi around him. Because his progress with the Simple Breathing Technique is still not far, he has to concentrate in order to see the qi.

Oh, that's why, Apollo realized his mistake. The fountain is not just any fountain; it seems to be an artifact that has the property to make the qi around it more concentrated. He looked around and noticed Student Cultivators watching the scene to pass their time; they don't seem to care about the concentrated qi.

Is it too low of quality for them? Thinking about this, it seems to be the case, but to the guards in front, the fountain is a precious item. I guess there are other fountains in the city that help raise the quality of the qi.

The guards are tasked with protecting the property of the city and maintaining peace. Well, the meaning of 'peace' depends on them. And to them, they have to get rid of this beggar that is the source of 'dirtiness' in the city of Klown.

Seeing them surrounding him, Apollo smiled bitterly.

"You know what? I think I should go," Apollo waved his hand at them before he splashed the fountain towards their eyes.

"Ah, f*ck!" The two guards wiped their faces, only to see the beggar already running into the distance.

"Let's go after him!"

The guards became angry and humiliated that a beggar dared to splash them with water, and seeing the onlookers laughing at them, they unsheathed their swords and ran after the beggar boy.

But the Student Cultivators shook their heads; they knew that the city guards and the beggar were just normal people, so with their superior ego, they think of this as just passing entertainment.

What they worry about most is how they are going to increase their strength so the school will give them more resources.