Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 565: Star-Forged Iron

Elder Gang stiffened, beads of sweat forming on his brow despite his strong front. He could feel the eyes of the other two elders boring into his back, a bit fearful and hopeful that he might actually expose a flaw in this new hierarchy.

"No. I don't dare to, Shopkeeper. But I doubt them," Gang spat, pointing a calloused finger at Lei Hu and Iron Pan. "Equipment is a crutch for the weak. A 6th Gate master controls the flow of martial qi outside the body. We shape the world with our will. These two? They are brutes wrapped in shiny metal. Without your charity, I could crush them both with one hand."

"Well, you cannot do that now that they've bound the armor to them. You are free to challenge them if you care so much about how they will be above you."

"However, make no mistake, none of you Valley Elders have proven yourself yet. I'm no fool to trust you all right away, and you're aware of that. You may see me as lenient, but if need be, I don't mind cutting the heads of those who'll become an obstacle in the spreading of our convenience."

"On the same note, if you do well in following my lead, it won't be difficult for you to earn the same suit. At present, all you have to do is follow."

Upon saying that, Lin Mo used his domain to force the Elder to his knees, diffusing any further thoughts of creating trouble now that he had just finished distributing roles.

The floorboards beneath him groaned, and the defiant martial artist found his knees hitting the wood with a painful thud. The martial qi he was trying to gather to resist was scattered like smoke in a gale, suppressed by the higher-order laws of starlight.

"Ugh..." Gang gritted his teeth, his face turning red as he struggled against the intangible weight. It wasn't just physical pressure; it was a conceptual command to sit down.

"Do you understand now?" Lin Mo asked. He walked over to the kneeling elder, looking down at him with the dispassionate gaze of a manager dealing with a disruptive employee. "You speak of shaping the world with your will. But your will is fragile. It breaks under the weight of my convenience. Equipment, technique, inner energy... they are all just tools. The only thing that matters is the result. And the result is that you are on your knees, and they are standing."

He gestured to Lei Hu and Iron Pan, who were watching with a mix of vindictive satisfaction and awe.

"Lei Hu, Iron Pan. I don't need you to fight him now. We have wasted enough time on posturing. Your armor is for protecting the city and securing resources, not for petty squabbles. But if Elder Gang or anyone else forgets their place... you have my permission to remind them. Forcefully."

"Understood, Shopkeeper!" Lei Hu roared, slamming a fist against his breastplate. "The Crimson Tiger... no, the Harvesters will not let you down!"

"The Iron Crane Security Force will ensure order is maintained," Iron Pan added, his voice deeper and more resonant thanks to the helmet's modulator. He looked at Elder Gang. "And we will start by ensuring our new... colleagues... understand the chain of command."

Lin Mo retracted his domain. Elder Gang slumped forward, gasping for air, his spirit thoroughly broken. He realized then that the gap between him and the Shopkeeper wasn't just a matter of strength but also a difference in the very nature of their existence. He did think he was being lenient for allowing them to sit at the same table, but with this, he was thoroughly convinced.

"Good," Lin Mo nodded, satisfied that the point had been made. He turned back to the table, where Luo Lanyi was still methodically organizing the crates of goods he had brought. "Miss Luo, I will be leaving the distribution and pricing to you. Hire more merchants and expand your house if you need to. Also, bring me the Star-Forged Iron you collected from the initial stock."

"I understand. Uncle Tie, please…" The young woman nodded and turned to the former Escort Group leader, whom she had now employed permanently at her merchant house.

The man quickly left the room to order his subordinates to bring the ores from the warehouse where they were kept. Lei Hu and Iron Pan also quickly barked orders to their subordinates to follow them.

Seeing that, Lin Mo nodded in satisfaction. It would be great if they all took initiative like this in the future. That way, he won't have to worry about giving orders anymore.

"I expect a full report on my next return…" His voice trailed there as he subtly noted how the Valley Elders reacted. This time, he wouldn't tell them when he would be coming back. After all, he could always spend a few minutes after the store closed, or send Liu Xiaoyu or Wu Meiyu in his stead to check.

"One more thing, Miss Ling." He turned to the silent swordswoman. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Ling Qiumei stood straighter as she slightly bowed in front of him.

"Your Silent Rain Sect. Talk to Iron Pan and ask him for a land in the city where you will erect the foundation to rebuild your sect. But do not rebuild it as it was. The old ways died for a reason. Build a sect that values protection and service. Your disciples will be the arbitrators of disputes, not just in this city but also in the Seven Valleys Division's lands. If a merchant tries to cheat a customer, or a Harvester tries to hide their find... you step in. You are the internal affairs division."

"Internal affairs..." Ling Qiumei tested the strange words, then nodded firmly. "I understand. Justice will be the foundation of our new sect. We will be the rain that washes away the filth."

"Excellent." Lin Mo clapped his hands. "That concludes our business for today. I have a main store to run, and you all have a city to revolutionize. Don't disappoint me."

When the crates of Star-Forged Iron arrived, Lin Mo didn't wait for further farewells. He added them all to his inventory and activated the Plane Portal's return function.

His body began to glow with starlight, dissolving into motes of light that spiraled upwards. To the martial artists in the room, it looked as if he were ascending to the heavens, a final, divine exit that cemented his legend in their minds.

"H-huh? H-how? Is he really a god?" Old Vulture gaped from his seat. The other two Elders also had their eyes widened at that incomprehensible act.

On the other hand, those from the Sleeping Dragon City didn't react as much as they had already seen him doing that once. They just smugly smiled while watching the Elders' dumbfounded expression.

As the last speck of light vanished, the room was plunged into a heavy silence. But it wasn't the silence of fear anymore. It was the silence of a vacuum waiting to be filled with action.

—

Lin Mo stumbled slightly as he materialized back in the Portal Room.

The transition between planes always left a slight buzz in his ears, a reminder of the differing laws of physics and spiritual energy he was traversing.

"Home sweet home," He muttered with a wry smile, taking a deep breath of the store's purified, spiritually dense air.

Compared to the dry and dusty air of the Martial World, this place felt like a sanctuary.

"Welcome back, Shopkeeper," Wu Meiyu stood by the entrance of the Portal Room, her hands clasped gracefully in front of her. She was wearing a faint, welcoming smile, but her eyes scanned him quickly, checking for any signs of injury or fatigue.

"The trip was… productive?" She asked, her tone carrying the smooth efficiency of the Chief Operations Officer.

"Extremely. But it's a good thing I returned tonight or I would've found a graveyard instead of Sleeping Dragon City."

Wu Meiyu's eyes widened slightly, "A graveyard? You mean… the city was under attack?"

"Mhm. But it was more of a… hostile takeover attempt by a disgruntled competitor. A Warlord named Hei Feilong and his Seven Valleys Alliance decided that my absence was the perfect window to acquire our inventory without paying."

Lin Mo walked over to the lounge area of the second floor with Wu Meiyu following behind, his body relaxing into the plush sofa."It seems the taste of convenience drives some people mad with greed before it enlightens them. I had to… restructure their organization. Permanently."

"Restructure..." Wu Meiyu repeated, a knowing look returning to her eyes. She produced a teapot and poured him a cup of tea, the steam curling into the air. "I assume the Warlord did not survive this restructuring?"

"He was terminated. For gross misconduct and threatening the staff," Lin Mo accepted the tea and took a sip. "But on the bright side, we have acquired a new subsidiary. The Seven Valleys Division. They will provide the manpower for our resource-gathering operations and spreading of convenience. And speaking of resources..."

He set the tea down and waved his hand. A heavy, dull thud echoed as a large, unrefined chunk of dark ore materialized on the table. A piece of Star-Forged Iron