Divine Convenience Store

Following the City Lord, Minister Shen Jinhai walked through the entrance of the Divine Convenience Store.

He had remained silent throughout the prior exchange, preferring to observe rather than interfere.

Now, however, his curiosity had been thoroughly piqued.

As a former general, he wasn't someone who acted on impulse. Furthermore, his years in the royal court had trained him to assess situations with a careful eye, picking apart motives and intentions from the smallest of gestures.

And right now, Lin Mo, the so-called Shopkeeper of the Divine Convenience Store, became a puzzle he wished to solve.

Not that Lin Mo was an enigma in the same way as the royal court's scheming officials were but the way he carried himself put him above them.

This young man had made a fool out of the Silver Lotus Hall, an elite faction of the Royal Intelligence Division, without so much as lifting a finger. With nothing but words and an absurd policy that he could tell was pulled from thin air, the Shopkeeper of this peculiar shop had forced them to abide by his rules.

And they had complied. That alone was enough to warrant a closer look.

The moment his whole body passed through the entrance, the store's peculiar Aura of Harmony settled over him.

Shen Jinhai was an experienced cultivator. He might have stagnated in the peak of the Core Formation Stage but he was well-versed in detecting all sorts of external influences. Yet, this strange energy that washed over him did not intrude upon his thoughts in an obvious way. Instead, it was subtle. Like a warm current of water, it ensured all within its reach would remain peaceful.

How... fascinating.

His gaze swept over the shelves lined with unfamiliar products. Spirit Embodiment Sticker Seals, Card Talismans and more items with peculiar packaging.

These items were entirely foreign to him yet their effects had already been demonstrated in public.

The store's Golden Patrons were individuals of no small renown. And they unilaterally decided to stand in defense of the store. Even that reckless brat from the Azure Gale Sect, Yan Wei, had personally displayed the sticker's effects.

His lips curled in mild amusement as he thought about it.

A few months ago, if someone had told him that an unknown shop would sell items with such ludicrous yet effective abilities, he would have dismissed it as a cheap scam.

Yet here he was, standing inside it, its wares were already renowned in this particular area that mortals, people from different cultivator factions, and city officials had become its patrons.

This time, Silver Lotus Hall agents begrudgingly walked down the aisles, picking out items to fulfill the minimum purchase requirement that Lin Mo had set.

A truly absurd reality.

Turning his attention to the masked figures of the Silver Lotus Hall, Minister Shen watched their movements carefully.

They were undoubtedly uncomfortable.

These were highly trained operatives, accustomed to working in secrecy and authority. They had never been in a position where they were forced to act like ordinary customers inside a common shop.

He saw one of them, possibly a pill master or a poison alchemist, pick up a box labeled 'Antidotes and Cures Pack' and scrutinize it carefully. When they read the attached label detailing its functions, their hands trembled slightly before quickly placing it into their basket.

Another agent, this one likely a combat-oriented specialist, hovered near the Card Talismans and Spirit Embodiment Sticker Seals, staring at them as if debating whether or not to believe what was written on the description.

The third was already at the counter, begrudgingly handing over ten high-grade spirit stones to Xiao Ya, who accepted it with a polite smile. What he bought was a pair of short swords, a set of daggers, and what looked like mortal indulgences. The weapons were clearly mortal-grade equipment but of the highest quality as for the indulgences, he only saw a red glossy packaging with a written label that said 'Hot and Spicy Spirit-Infused Potato Chips'.

Minister Shen nearly laughed aloud.

These were supposed to be His Majesty's Shadows, feared throughout the Southern Wu Kingdom for their efficiency and ruthlessness. And yet, right now, they looked like a bunch of reluctant customers being forced into retail therapy that the Shopkeeper suggested to them.

Utterly ridiculous.

He glanced toward the front counter, where Lin Mo stood overseeing the transactions with the kind of expression one might expect from a benevolent shopkeeper. Or maybe a merchant gleefully screwing over a group of government officials.

Wei Xian, the City Lord, exhaled quietly beside him. "This is… an unusual sight but Left Minister. Lin Mo is… he's not afraid of anyone. Even when the cult spies visited this store, he received them as customers too."

Minister Shen hummed in agreement. "The shopkeeper knew exactly what he was doing and he was abiding with his own principles. This time, instead of outright defying the royal decree, he made it so that complying with him was the only option."

He then stroked his beard thoughtfully as he grinned, "A rather ruthless method, if you think about it. I would be scared if he's my opponent in the royal court."

Wei Xian wryly smiled. His hulking body awkwardly fidgeting, "Indeed. I'd rather be on his side than be on the opposing one. Look at him, he has done all that with a smile."

Minister Shen nodded. "That makes it even worse."

Leaving the Silver Lotus Hall to their fate, Minister Shen turned his attention to the shelves.

He began his browsing of items. He first examined the Spirit Embodiment Sticker Seals, turning the packaging over and over. He could still recall the sight of Yan Wei's emerald phoenix manifesting behind him. It's an outright instantaneous enhancement spell requiring only a small activation of spiritual energy. It's quite complex yet it was activating like they're simple enhancement talismans.

That level of efficiency was… dangerous.

He placed a pack in his own basket before moving to another section, where the artifacts with modern touch were being displayed.

He picked up what looked like a hair blower. The description claimed it could dry any wet surface in an instant. But one look and Minister Shen realized that it could have more, specialized uses.

He moved to check the other artifacts, each one making him raise his brows. He put some in his basket while he continued to ponder their uses.

Clearly, the items in the stall weren't just useful for rogue cultivators or sect disciples. They had applications in warfare, intelligence gathering, espionage, and defense. The store was truly displaying the epitome of convenience.

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And yet…

Shen Jinhai glanced at Lin Mo, who was currently coaching Xiao Ya who was slowly getting the hang of manning the cash register.

The shopkeeper looked nothing like a man interested in politics or war. So what exactly was this Divine Convenience Store's true purpose?

As he wandered further, Minister Shen eventually reached the far end of the store. His basket was already filled to the brim. Just by calculating the price tags he'd seen, his purchase had already reached more than a hundred high-grade spirit stones.

He had deep coffers for his years in service but even he would wince if he parted with such an amount. And yet, he didn't set aside some of the items that he picked.

Staring ahead, he noticed something. There, standing apart from the rest of the shelves, was a huge double door of unknown style.

Unlike the other areas of the store, which were bright and welcoming, this door gave off an entirely different aura.

A faint spiritual energy fluctuated from it. It was subtle yet potent. Not hostile, but unmistakably powerful. He could sense that some kind of strong formation must've been present inside it.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he read the elegant inscription above it:

[Divine Arena & Exhibition Hall]@@novelbin@@

He stared at it for a moment, contemplating what could possibly be behind it.

An arena? Did that mean the store held combat-related demonstrations? Or was it something else entirely?

A strange feeling settled in Minister Shen's chest.

Everything about this store was unexpected. How can one call this a small store? Just the interior already showed that the space didn't match the exterior and yet, there's another door. Another piece of the puzzle.

Behind him, Wei Xian finally noticed where his attention had drifted. The City Lord followed his gaze and frowned slightly.

"Wait. Is this part of the expansion? This door wasn't present during my visit."

"Ho? Do you mean this store started small and expanded in a matter of days?"

"Yes. It should be like that. Going by the reports, it should only be this store's 7th day of opening… Left Minister, are you planning to enter?" Wei Xian asked.

Minister Shen chuckled. "I'm certainly tempted."

With that, he took a step forward and reached for the handle.

But before he could push it open, Lin Mo's voice echoed from behind them.

"Oh? City Lord, you're here. And… who might this esteemed customer be? Are you intrigued about our store's newest space?"