Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 254: Plans and Threads
Poison Demon Cult Main Temple, High Priest's Chamber.
Luo Ming took a deep breath as he cautiously stepped inside after receiving the acknowledgement.
Held in his hand was his Viewing Jade, which was currently opened on a thread that was slowly gaining traction.
It had only been a day since their return from the Stronghold, but just like before he became the High Priest's close aide and follower, the order within the main temple was quickly set straight despite the rebellion that had happened.
With five of the seven Venom Masters punished and most of their followers killed, the authority once again centralized around the High Priest. While there were still Venom Master Xun and Huangfeng with their forces intact, the former was fully on board with the new direction of the cult, while the latter wouldn't dare go against the former.
At the center of the chamber, the High Priest was seated quite comfortably. In front of him was a low table made from polished obsidian. And placed on top of it was a simple bowl covered by a lid.
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As Luo Ming approached, he reached for the lid, taking it off. And as soon as that happened, his face became obscured by a veil of golden steam coming from the bowl.
Rich spicy aroma immediately filled the room and the gold and red shimmer brightened the gloomy chamber.
What else was it but a bowl of [Spicy Taihao Noodles]? The Divine Convenience Store's best-selling instant noodles that made even the cold, apathetic, bony old man indulge in their taste.
When he noticed Luo Ming's arrival, his eyes, seemingly a twin of embers of cold calculation wrapped with the delightful spark of the indulgent meal he was about to partake in, locked onto his loyal subordinate.
Luo Ming gulped down the saliva that gradually flooded his mouth, his head spinning towards the thought of making himself a bowl of the same noodles later.
"High Priest." He started as he pushed the thought aside momentarily, "It appears that the Shopkeeper has stepped out of his store today. Eyewitnesses mentioned seeing him escorted by the City Guards outside Fanling City. He returned a few hours later. One thing they noticed was his cultivation. He was now at the 7th Level of the Spirit Condensation Realm. Far from the early level I'd observed the last time I visited the store."
He paused for a moment as he went to another thread, "There was also an alarming post about this Towerbreaker. A monk who was going around from region to region, tearing down Towers. It was an unverifiable rumor for now. However, it had been mentioned that he, too, was spotted outside of Fanling City after his visit to the store where he met and conversed with the Shopkeeper."
The High Priest reached for his bone chopsticks and plunged them into the bowl, twirling the golden noodles as he fished them out of the reddish broth. The steam curled around his face, softening the sharp angles of his skeletal features as he savored the aroma.
"Our Shopkeeper stepped out of his gilded cage? And consorting with a Towerbreaker, no less. Did he turn him into another one of his customers? Impressive as always." He lifted a mouthful of noodles, pausing to let the spicy broth drip back into the bowl. "The Shopkeeper's cultivation leaping to the 7th level is no surprise. He barely had any cultivation during my visit. The divine beings behind him are guiding him."
Although he had his own Viewing Jade, he was very selective about the discussions he joined in, and he seldom browsed the trending threads. Mostly, it was filled with theoretical topics about the store's products. For example, some Pill Masters posted their analysis of the [Spirit Replenishing Candy] and how superior it was to any of the pill recipes they possessed. Even breaking them down to the last ingredient, they're finding it difficult to reproduce the same effect, especially one with such a sweet and delectable taste.
Luo Ming also accepted that explanation. The Divine Convenience Store is truly divine. They can turn a talentless mortal like the Shopkeeper into a competent cultivator with speed surpassing those so-called prodigies.
He glanced down at his Viewing Jade again and went over to the threads he deemed important.
He went over the release of the Celestial Duel Platform and the Awakened Celestial Duelist mode. He played the recordings the Shopkeeper posted on the announcement section and then showed the High Priest how valuable an artifact it was.
In the end, the High Priest sent a message to Lin Mo, pre-ordering a thousand bundles of the Celestial Duel Gear before commanding Luo Ming to send another group of Acolytes and Poison-bearers to procure it.
After that, Luo Ming added as he swiped to the top and picked the third most-talked thread, "High Priest, there's more. Venom Master Xun's latest thread. [The Convenience Saint's Web]. It suggests she is planning to visit Fanling City or, specifically, the Shopkeeper, soon."
He showed the content of her thread and then scrolled down to her replies to the other users calling her out for her delusion.
"She's openly taunting the Shopkeeper, claiming her 'web weaves for him.' And as you commanded, her Arachnid Branch has started mobilizing, though it's unclear if it's for the Bone Ash Syndicate or the store itself. The Bulletin Board is split about her and her identity. Some call her a pretentious predator, others a devoted suitor."
The High Priest's eyes sharpened as he slurped the spicy broth, which stained his lips a faint red. "Xun, that cunning spider. Do not bother. Her ambition will tangle herself in her own threads. The Shopkeeper is no fool to be weaved by her. He'll play her game until it suits him to cut her loose. As for the Syndicate…"
His voice trailed there as he set the chopsticks down, the bowl already half-empty. "They're not going to outwit her. What we must focus on is to find a Tower or Anchor we can claim on top of spreading more of the store's influence."
"Understood." Luo Ming bowed before retreating. As soon as he left the High Priest's chamber, he went to their vault and picked two packets of [Spicy Taihao Noodles] and a pack of frozen [Spirit Deer Dumplings].
—
Near the northern border of the Eastern Abyssal Domain, Yu Qingyan's caravan exited the gates of Shangli City and turned its wheels towards the direction of Fanling City.
As she expected, after passing three small and medium-sized cities on the road to the Northern Arctic Dominion, her remaining inventory was sold out.
As much as she wanted to follow Lin Mo's words of bringing the products to another region, her business-minded approach didn't want to pass on potential new customers to those cities that were still within their region.
In her head, they also deserved to get a taste of the convenience the Divine Convenience Store was advocating. It's not going to be the end of the world if she delays her trip outside of the Eastern Abyssal Domain for a day or two.
Besides, she cannot miss the opportunity of climbing the tower again. The three-day cooldown would be over tomorrow.
"Elder Yu, are you certain it's not because you miss the Shopkeeper that you're returning straight to Fanling City?" The mischievous voice of Little Spring brought Yu Qingyan out of her trance.
"Little Spring, you cheeky lass," Yu Qingyan shot back as she pinched the young disciple's ear. The other disciple inside their carriage failed to hold back her laughter.
Because of that, she also got her ear twisted lightly by their Elder Yu.
"You two. Remember. I'm a merchant, not some lovestruck maiden chasing a shopkeeper's smile. The Tower's loot and Fanling's market are calling. My heart's got nothing to do with it."
Not learning her lesson, Little Spring giggled as she continued teasing her Elder, "Sure, sure, Elder Yu. But I saw how you grinned when Shopkeeper Lin sent that message earlier in the day. Was that truly nothing?"
Yu Qingyan's lips twitched, betraying a flicker of amusement before she masked it with a huff. "Haa. You're reading too much into it. Shopkeeper and I may have been teasing each other, but our relationship is strictly business. Don't put any other color on it. Anyway, I'll get you two the [Celestial Duel Gear]. Prepare to use it on your Tower challenge. Climb higher than your first attempt."
Although it was obvious that she was attempting to change the subject, Little Spring and her peer obediently nodded. After all, they're also looking forward to challenging the Tower again. It was an experience that they wouldn't want to miss. And after watching those recordings from earlier in the day, they couldn't wait to get their hands on the Celestial Duel Gear.
Meanwhile, Yu Qingyan glanced outside the carriage and into the moonlit sky as she murmured softly, "Isn't he surrounded by women by now? Not counting Xiaoyu and the Little Girl. There's Yangyang and that vixen Chu Yueying. Recently, there's that ArachnidMistress in the Bulletin Board and… the First Princess of Southern Wu Kingdom. What a womanizer."
As her thoughts reached there, Yu Qingyan shook her head and sighed, "Why do I care who he associates with? I'm returning there as the Official Distributor to refill my inventory, not to see his nonchalant mug!"
