Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 581: The Poison Demon Cult Is Also Moving

Back in the Divine Convenience Store, Lin Mo watched with a satisfied smile as the new notification about Distributor Jin Cheng filling up his inventory with 15,000 high-grade spirit stones' worth of store products popped up in front of him. He wasn't surprised.

It was Jin Cheng's plan all along, after all. He even extensively questioned Lin Mo about remitting through a proxy and how the restocking mechanic worked before leaving.

The old fox had clearly intended to shock his own guild into submission with a display of miraculous efficiency. And it worked. The massive influx of capital was proof enough.

"Another distributor fully operational," Lin Mo murmured, closing the interface. "The West is now open for business. Now we just wait for the 'sugar-coated bullets' to do their work on the Violethaven Temple's resolve. Qingyan also restocked before leaving last night. As for the High Priest… he should be starting soon."

—

As Lin Mo expected, the main temple of the Poison Demon Cult was in the middle of preparing carts and demonic beasts to pull them. Poison-bearers, Acolytes, and Priests could be seen busily moving around. Inside the grand chamber of the temple, the High Priest was standing before the five Venom Masters of the Scorpion, Serpent, Toad, Centipede and Leech branches.

Venom Master Gao and Kang of the Serpent and Scorpion Branch, respectively, were still injured from the punishment they received from the High Priest after their rebellion. But thanks to the store products and their gradual acceptance of convenience, they were already close to full recovery.

Naturally, Venom Master Qingwa of the Toad Branch and the other two Venom Masters were also punished, resulting in the purge of any thought of rebellion. And now that they've witnessed the 'convenience' brought by the store. There was also the fact that the Poison Demon was confirmed to have joined the Divine Pantheon by the Convenience Saint himself.

For these zealots, that was the ultimate validation. Their chaotic deity hadn't abandoned them and the High Priest was truly following his guidance to accept the herald of convenience. They still regret that they listened to Gao and Kang to join them in that rebellion, resulting in them being weakened and their forces being reduced to a third in the resulting battle.

Now, apart from the Arachnid and Wasp Branch, who managed to retain their full forces of Priests, Acolytes, and Poison-bearers, they're still far from recouping all those losses. Not to mention, many Poison-bearers who were granted the cult's scripture to become Acolytes had Arachnid and Wasp Branches as their preferred choices on which branch to join.

That made the former equal distribution of power of the Venomous Conclave to cement the domination of Venom Master Xun. After all, they're not unaware that Venom Master Huangfeng was Xun's subordinate at heart.

And most importantly, her relationship with the Convenience Saint was different from theirs. It was… special.

The High Priest, looking more revitalized than he had in decades, tapped his skull staff on the stone floor. The green gem atop it sent a ripple of toxic spiritual energy through the room that made the Venom Masters straighten their postures.

"Children of Poison," His raspy voice echoed, amplified by the temple's acoustics. "The time has come. The Convenience Saint has granted us the mantle of Official Distributor. The Arachnid and Wasp Branch is busy securing the Southern Wilderness. It falls to us to spread the glorious contagion of convenience to the rest of the Inner Abyssal Circle."

He swept his cloudy gaze over them, lingering on Gao and Kang. "You have tasted the bitterness of failure. Now, you shall taste the sweetness of redemption. I am entrusting each of you with a portion of the store's inventory. You will take your branches, and you will march. Encroach upon the territory of the Bone Ash Syndicate and the Crimson Fang Brotherhood. Allow their downtrodden villages to experience the miracles of convenience. The savory taste of the [Taihao Spicy Noodles] and the fizzy delight that the [Heavenly Dew Soda] brings. Show them that the Poison Demon Cult brings not just death, but… options."

He gestured to the side, where crates of goods were stacked high, radiating a clean spiritual aura that clashed comically with the temple's dark, venomous atmosphere.

"Remember this," The High Priest's voice dropped to a menacing hiss. "You are now heralds of convenience. Instill in your mind that everyone is a customer force. You will not force them to buy. You will make them want to buy. You will create dependency. You will make them realize that life without a convenient snack or an instant antidote is a life not worth living. And if the Syndicate or the Brotherhood tries to stop you..."

He grinned, revealing his yellowing teeth. "Then you may remind them why we are the Poison Demon Cult. Defend your wares with your lives. For every packet of noodles stolen is an insult to the Saint and the Great Poison Demon."

"We hear and obey, High Priest!" The five Venom Masters bowed in unison, their voices echoing with fanatical fervor.

Gao, the Serpent Master, looked at the crates with a hunger that had nothing to do with food. He saw power in those colorful packages. Influence. A way to rebuild his branch's strength without wasting lives in pointless skirmishes.

"High Priest," Gao stepped forward, his movements fluid and serpentine despite his lingering injuries. "The Crimson Fang Brotherhood's territory is still in lockdown. Our spies who joined their expedition have yet to return but most of them were already confirmed dead. Their soul candle extinguished. The suspected Anchor in their territory might become a source of calamity in the future."

"If there is indeed an Anchor there, and the Crimson Fang Brotherhood is failing to contain it, then that is precisely why we have to step into their territories regardless of their lockdown," The High Priest replied as his narrowed with a calculative gleam that mirrored Lin Mo's own merchant gaze, albeit twisted by the cruel face of someone who spent years of cultivating poisons.

He stepped down from the dais, his skull staff thumping like a loud bell against the stone.

"Gao, you are a Venom Master. Do not think like a warrior protecting his border. Think like a Distributor expanding his territory. If the Brotherhood is overwhelmed, they will need supplies. They will need healing. They will need the power to fight back. And who will provide it? We will."

He stopped in front of the Serpent Branch Master, poking him in the chest with a bony finger. "You will march to their border. You will set up a 'Convenience Outpost' right under their noses. If foreign creatures spill out, you will kill them. It is not to save the Brotherhood, but to demonstrate the superiority of our goods. You will then offer the Brotherhood a lifeline. A [Convenience Combat Kit] for every disciple, priced at a premium for their past transgressions against us. If they refuse..."

The High Priest's grin widened, looking like a skull splitting open. "Then you wait until they are half-dead, and offer it again. Desperation is the best haggler. And when the time comes that the Anchor has been confirmed, I will use my authority as an Official Distributor to link that place to the store."

"I... I understand, High Priest," Gao bowed, a shiver running down his spine. The old man had truly embraced the Shopkeeper's philosophy, but he had twisted it into something predatory and terrifyingly effective. "We will be the vultures that feed them, not the ones that pick their bones. Yet."

"Precisely. Now, go! The Leech Branch will take the eastern route towards the Bone Ash Syndicate's main stronghold. The Centipede Branch will scour the neutral zones. The Toad Branch will secure the supply lines back to the store. Move! The Great Poison Demon demands profit!"

"For the Convenience Saint! For the Great Poison Demon!"

The Venom Masters roared, their hesitation washed away by the High Priest's fervent logic.

They scrambled to organize their caravans.

It was a sight that would have given any righteous cultivator a heart attack.

Massive, Venom-Toads the size of houses were being loaded with crates of [Taihao Spicy Noodles]. Giant serpents were slithering into formation, saddlebags filled with [Heavenly Dew Soda] and [Fruity Healing Tablets] strapped to their scales.

The atmosphere within the temple that was usually thick with the scent of death now carried the bizarre, conflicting aromas of toxic miasma and artificial fruit flavoring.

"Remember the training!" A priest shouted to a group of acolytes. "Smile when you approach! Do not release your killing intent unless they try to steal! And for the love of the Great Poison Demon, do not accidentally poison the merchandise!"

With a chaotic, slithering march in three general directions, the Poison Demon Cult's first mercantile expeditionary force rolled out of the temple gates, heading into their neighbors in the Inner Abyssal Circle to spread the good word of 'convenience'. Be it by enlightenment or by force.