Journey of the Scholar

The next day.

As Garret and Principal Yuan continued their patrol through the capital, the streets grew quieter. The shadows of the afternoon stretched long and narrow, casting an eerie atmosphere over the winding alleys.

Garret, ever the vigilant warrior, kept a careful eye on their surroundings, but Principal Yuan was absorbed in his own thoughts, still muttering about the missing coin.

"I just don't understand it," Yuan said, scratching his head. "It's like the coin has grown legs and wandered off."

Garret grinned. "Maybe we'll find it in the most unexpected place. You never know—maybe it's hiding in plain sight."

Before Principal Yuan could respond, the air in front of them suddenly grew heavy and dark. Out of the shadows emerged a hulking, grotesque demon. Its body was covered in scales the color of ash, and its eyes glowed like hot embers.

"Fear me, mortals!" the demon bellowed, raising its clawed hand dramatically. "I am the harbinger of doom! I shall bring—"

Principal Yuan, who barely looked up, interrupted, "Hold on a second. Have you by any chance seen a golden coin around here? I'm missing one, and it's rather urgent."

The demon, momentarily caught off guard, blinked its fiery eyes in confusion. "A… a coin?" it stammered. "I was more prepared for a dramatic confrontation. What… what's this about a coin?"

Garret chuckled, clearly enjoying the sight of a demon flustered by something as mundane as a coin search.

"Looks like you've run into the wrong principal, demon. Principal Yuan's more concerned with his loose change than your world domination plans."

The demon, still baffled, roared in frustration. "I don't keep track of coins! I've been too busy plotting the downfall of humanity!" It raised its clawed arm and lunged forward with a ferocious roar.

In a blink, Principal Yuan sidestepped the demon's attack with the casual grace of a man avoiding a puddle on the street.

The demon's massive claws swiped harmlessly at the air where Yuan had been standing a moment earlier.

"Very nice," Principal Yuan said calmly, brushing the dust from his sleeve. "But about that coin…?"

The demon paused mid-attack, its grotesque face scrunching up in confusion. "The coin? What does that have to do with anything?"

Garret, still grinning from ear to ear, folded his arms. "You know, I was expecting a bit more terror from a demon. You're more flustered than a cat stuck in a rainstorm."

The demon growled, its fiery eyes narrowing. "I-I'm supposed to be instilling fear! Not… handling missing coins! This isn't in my job description!"

"Calm down," Principal Yuan said, dodging another half-hearted attack from the demon. "No one's asking you to open a lost-and-found. Just wondering if you've come across it while, you know, doing whatever it is demons do."

The demon, now thoroughly flummoxed, stopped attacking altogether. "I… I don't have any coins! I've been busy working on my evil monologues!"

Garret slapped his knee and let out a hearty laugh. "This demon's got flair, but no substance! He's like a tiger that roars but has no teeth."

The demon's growl became more of a frustrated grumble. "Fine! No coins here. Can I at least get back to my evil plotting?"

The demon, still determined to save face, tried to launch another attack. With a mighty roar, it raised both its clawed arms and swung at Principal Yuan, aiming for his head.

But Yuan, with a bored expression, simply bent backward at the waist, avoiding the attack like a dancer avoiding an enthusiastic dance partner. The demon's claws sliced through the air again, hitting nothing.

Yuan sighed, now growing tired of the interruption. "Honestly, if you're going to keep this up, at least put some effort into it. I'm missing a coin here!"

The demon, sweating bullets at this point, could barely process what was happening. "A coin?" it repeated, its voice now shaky and bewildered. "I thought I was supposed to be… crushing you under my power, not answering trivia questions!"

Garret, thoroughly entertained, gave the demon a sympathetic pat on its muscular arm. "Looks like you're a bit out of your league here, friend. You might've aimed too high by ambushing the principal."

The demon huffed, clearly exasperated. "I didn't even get a chance to show off my evil laugh! This wasn't how things were supposed to go."

Principal Yuan, now genuinely curious, raised an eyebrow. "Evil laugh, huh? Let's hear it then."

The demon blinked. "What?"

Yuan gestured. "Go on. Give us your best evil laugh. I've heard a few in my time, so I'll be a fair judge."

The demon looked around, its menacing aura now entirely deflated. "I don't think this is the time…"

Yuan folded his arms, tapping his foot. "Oh, come on. If you're going to interrupt my coin hunt, the least you can do is give me a good performance."

With a resigned sigh, the demon took a deep breath and unleashed its most menacing laugh. "Mwahahahaha! Hahaha!"

It echoed through the alleyway, shaking windows and sending a few stray cats scurrying for cover. But Principal Yuan just nodded thoughtfully.

"Hmm… A solid seven out of ten," Yuan said. "It's got the right depth, but it lacks the subtle menace of a true evil laugh."

The demon stared at him in disbelief. "I'm a demon. I'm supposed to be scaring you, not… getting critiques on my laugh."

Garret laughed so hard he nearly doubled over. "This is gold! A demon reduced to a stand-up comedy routine. I'm adding you to my catchlist, pal."

The demon's face darkened at that. "Catchlist? You think you can—"

Before it could finish, Principal Yuan casually flicked his fingers, and with a barely perceptible motion, the demon was thrown into a nearby wall with a thud so loud it echoed through the alley. The demon, groaning and dazed, slumped to the ground, completely subdued.

Yuan dusted his hands off, looking unbothered. "Now then, if you don't mind, can we get back to the business of my coin?"

Principal Yuan stood over the demon, who was now lying in a heap on the cobblestone street, thoroughly defeated but too confused to even process how.

"Prepare to meet your doom!" the demon tried once more, albeit weakly, raising its hand in a final attempt at menace.

"Oh, very nice form," Yuan commented, admiring the effort. "But, again, about the coin?"

The demon paused mid-gesture, its expression utterly bewildered. "The coin? Why… why are you so obsessed with this coin? I was supposed to be terrorizing the city! You're asking me about pocket change!"

"It's not just pocket change," Yuan said, narrowing his eyes. "It's a heavenly coin, and it belongs in my possession. Now, any clue where it might be?"

The demon groaned. "I haven't even had time to steal anything yet! I've been too busy with all the 'preparing to bring doom' business."

Garret leaned over the demon, smirking. "Looks like this demon's more into dramatic flair than actual evil deeds."

The demon, exasperated beyond words, mumbled, "Can I at least get back to my evil monologues now?"

Yuan shook his head, clearly unimpressed. "Not until we settle this coin issue."

The demon, in a final act of desperation, tried to regain its fearsome demeanor. "I will crush you under my—"

"Do you happen to have a golden coin?" Principal Yuan interrupted again, sounding genuinely interested.

The demon froze, its words getting stuck in its throat. "A coin? I was planning to crush people, not… handle currency!"

Garret burst out laughing again, wiping a tear from his eye. "Looks like we've stumbled upon a demon with no financial savvy."

The demon muttered something under its breath, too humiliated to even form coherent sentences. "I didn't even get to do my evil laugh properly…"

Principal Yuan turned and began walking away, leaving the demon to wallow in its confusion and failure. "Next time, work on your timing. And your laugh."

As they strolled away, Garret slapped the demon on the back one more time, adding, "Maybe you should stick to haunting piggy banks."

The demon, sitting in the alley, sighed deeply. "I should've stayed in the underworld where things made sense…"

The day had been long, and Principal Yuan still hadn't found his missing coin, but as they walked away from the demon, Garret was in high spirits.

"One more demon for the catchlist!" Garret said triumphantly. "And all without lifting a finger. Well, except you, Principal."

Principal Yuan, looking pensive, muttered, "Yes, yes. But the coin… where is it?"