Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 564: Bestowment
"Rebranding?" Lei Hu asked, unsure of what Lin Mo meant because he wasn’t familiar with his unusual terms.
"You will visit every territory under the Alliance’s control. You will tear down the banners of the Warlord and replace them with the banner of our Divine Convenience Store. You will inform the local leaders that their protection tax is abolished, replaced by a trade agreement. They provide resources, we provide goods. You will set up collection points for the Harvester’s Guild."
The Tiger Lord furrowed his brow before nodding, still a little unclear why Lin Mo wasn’t capitalizing on the fact that he killed the Warlord to put everyone under his rule. After all, it would be easier not to abolish the tax the Alliance was collecting and still let them know that the one at the top had already changed.
However, after remembering how they were also integrated into his Distribution Hub, Lei Hu understood that this was going to be Lin Mo’s way of ruling.
Lin Mo didn’t think much of his expression as he turned to Ying Sha, "And you, Miss Ying. Your shadows will root out any dissenters who refuse to let go of the old ways. I do not require a massacre, but I do require stability. If a local chieftain thinks he can become the next Warlord, remove him. Efficiently."
Ying Sha bowed, her eyes gleaming behind her veil of hair. "The shadows obey, Shopkeeper. The Seven Valleys Division will be pacified and fully integrated into your system."
"Great. You can set aside venturing to the Graveyard of the Sages for now." Lin Mo then waved his hand and pulled out a dagger from the store’s inventory. It’s not any high-quality artifact of earth-grade or above but it’s at least a little bit better than the sword he gave Ling Qiumei. A low spirit-grade artifact.
Unlike a mortal-grade artifact, a spirit-grade artifact now contained spirituality that could resonate with the user’s intent.
For a martial artist like Ying Sha who had honed her killing intent to a razor’s edge, this weapon would be a calamity in her hands.
"Take this. The [Shadowfang Dagger]. It’s forged with shadow-attribute ores and tempered in the cold yin of a spirit cave. It naturally suppresses sound and light. It suits your profession." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
Ying Sha accepted the dagger with trembling hands. As her fingers closed around the hilt, the weapon seemed to vanish from sight, its dark blade merging perfectly with the ambient shadows of the room.
A chill ran up her arm as she sensed its lethal potential.
"This... this weapon understands me," She whispered, her voice filled with awe. "It hungers for silence."
"Mhm. Use it well. But remember, a tool is only as good as the hand that wields it. Do not let the weapon control you." Lin Mo advised, his tone firm.
"Understood, Shopkeeper."
Lin Mo tapped her forward before turning back to Tiger Lord, Iron Pan and the surrendered Valley Elders, their eyes clearly having a hint of envy upon seeing the weapon he bestowed upon Ying Sha.
He even heard Iron Pan muttering to himself, saying, ’I’ve never wished to be born a woman all my life, until today.’
Lin Mo pretended not to hear that as he inwardly shook his head before waving his hands.
"Now then, since you’ve done your job well, you two also deserve this."
Two crates appeared in front of Iron Pan and Lei. Understanding what that meant, their eyes immediately sparkled as they hurriedly opened it.
The Valley Elders looked on in curiosity, only to gasp upon seeing what it contained.
Legionary Set for the two faction leaders.
Although he hadn’t planned to expand the Distribution Hub right away, the siege by the Seven Valleys Alliance reminded him that the Martial World was different from the Realm of Nine Heavens. There, the Divine Convenience Store appeared in the middle of the city, equipped by the system that Taihao left behind.
Even if some tried to attack it before its reputation became established, defending against them was easy when the store already had prominent upper-tier sects and the City Lord as patrons. Here, however, the Pavilion of Drifting Clouds was just a building and the Sleeping Dragon City was just a ruined city that became a refuge.
Luo Lanyi and her merchant house were mortals. The four enforcers won’t be enough to face several Transformation Stage martial artists at once, as seen in the siege.
Without a deterrent that could rival a Transformation Stage martial artist who opened their 7th Gate or a Core Formation cultivator, his Distribution Hub would be overrun the moment he stepped back through the portal.
He couldn’t stay here forever. He had a main store to run, a lecture to digest, and an Outer Realm invasion to fend off. Thus, he needed to elevate some of them to be on the same level or even stronger.
Since Iron Pan and Lei Hu were also Peak Stage martial artists like Ying Sha, they would be slightly stronger than the other three.
They would be able to quell a rebellion if ever one or more of the Valley Elders decided to go back on their words as long as they use the Aetheric Link.
And with Ying Sha being equipped with a spirit-grade dagger, assassinating a Transformation Stage martial artist was within the realm of possibility.
"Go on," Lin Mo urged, gesturing with his chin. "Unless you prefer to face the wrath of the Seven Valleys Division with nothing but your rusted blades?"
Iron Pan and Lei Hu didn’t need to be told twice. The envy they felt when Tie Zha and the others received their sets, and Ying Sha received that dagger, had been burning a hole in their gut. Now, salvation was in front of them.
Lei Hu grabbed the breastplate. It was heavy, dense, and cold. But as he pressed it against his chest, it immediately adjusted itself on his body.
Click. Clank.
The armor assembled itself around him. It expanded to accommodate his bulk, the plates sliding over each other like the scales of a mechanical dragon.
Iron Pan followed suit. His [Iron Shirt] technique had made his skin tough, but this armor... this felt like invulnerability incarnate.
"The shards," Lin Mo reminded them, tossing two glowing blue crystals through the air.
They caught them and slammed them into the chest slots.
HUMMMMM.
The room vibrated. The silver hexagonal patterns on their armor flared to life.
For Lei Hu, the sensation was like injecting liquid fire into his veins. His aggressive and wild inner energy roared to meet the cold Aether. The two energies clashed for a moment before the soul-binding took hold, forcing them into a volatile synthesis.
"RAAAH!" Lei Hu roared. His aura exploded outwards, turning from a bloody red to a deep, menacing crimson-silver.
Iron Pan’s reaction was different. His inner energy was solid, heavy, and defensive. The armor reinforced him. He felt his weight double, triple, quadruple, yet he felt lighter than air. He felt like a walking mountain.
Lin Mo then received a notification that the Divine System Interface seemed to pick up.
[System Notification: Soul Binding Complete.]
[Subjects: Lei Hu (Peak Stage - 5th Gate), Iron Pan (Peak Stage - 5th Gate)]
[Compatibility: High]
[Projected Combat Prowess: Transcendent Stage (6th Gate) - Mid Tier]
Lin Mo nodded, satisfied with the data flashing in his vision. The armor successfully bridged the gap between the Peak Stage and the Transcendent Stage.
However, the atmosphere in the room shifted.
The Valley Elders, who had been kneeling in submission, looked up. They saw Lei Hu and Iron Pan, two men who were previously inferior to them, were now radiating an aura that made the air heavy to breathe.
Resentment couldn’t help but flicker in the eyes of the third Elder in the room. He was a man named Gang, known as the ’Shattering Fist’. He was a master who had opened his 6th Gate years ago. He had submitted to Lin Mo because Lin Mo was a god-like entity. But submitting to Lei Hu? To a former bandit who relied on a metal suit?
He stood up slowly, his knuckles cracking.
"Shopkeeper," Elder Gang said, his voice tight. "We acknowledge your strength. We acknowledge your rule. But this... appointing these two as our overseers? They are, but 5th Gate trash. Giving them a metal shell does not change their lack of enlightenment."
Lin Mo didn’t answer right away. He simply glanced past the Elder’s shoulder and looked at the other two Valley Elders behind him.
Old Vulture bowed his head, understanding that he shouldn’t voice out a grievance yet while Elder Stone was still reeling from the beating he received earlier.
"Indeed, they may be trash in your eyes who rely on metal suits. But I’ve bestowed it upon them. Should I take that as you complaining about how I manage my employees?"
Lin Mo asked as the temperature in the room seemed to plunge from the suffocating weight of disappointment in his voice. He’s missing the Realm of Nine Heavens by the second. Why are the martial artists of this Fractured Plane keep acting this way? Can’t they chill?
