inky night

The inky blackness of midnight pressed through the cracks in the roof as Chen Yang stretched, his muscles groaning like rusty protests. The shop was bathed in the dim glow of a few strategically placed lanterns, casting long, distorted shadows that danced on the walls.

"Well done," he rasped, his voice rough with satisfaction. "The shop will be in good hands while I'm gone, wouldn't you agree?"

The clone's reassuring smile smoothed a worry line on Chen Yang's forehead. "Haha, with me here, there's no need to worry. Everything here will run like clockwork."

"Good," Chen Yang patted the clone's shoulder. "Then I'll be off to Qinfeng City. Don't forget what I told you."

"Got it, got it," the clone said. "Don't worry about things here. Deal with whatever's going on in Qinfeng City."

Chen Yang nodded and vanished from the store in a swift movement, finding himself outside White Cloud City.