I Sell Fate Through A System

Zhang Yong frowned. "That does not seem quite right?" He knew for a fact that the City Lord had only reached the second stage. In fact, the last time they met, amongst many things, this was one of the defining things for Zhang Yong to hold bad feelings for him.

Do not misunderstand, he would not judge a person merely by their strength and cultivation road; such thoughts were for brutes and did not adhere to his strong sense of justice, but a man in power, such as the City Lord, ought to have at least a little strength. Having a good cultivation base not only showcases one's power level but also their character after all.

But reaching the seventh stage? That's way too far out the other end. How would it be possible to rise 5 stages in mere years? That's truly ridiculous—something that could only be dreamed by maybe the Store of Fates here. But he also did not think that Shou was lying, which makes the whole situation rather strange.

"Maybe he has swallowed some kind of 10.000-year-old golden ginseng," Li Yangyi joked wryly. "There's no other explanation after all."

"Well, who cares, I wanna play," Li Yinyi complained. The City Lord will manage. And even if he didn't, what was he gonna do? Shou's immortal, though not all of them know yet.

"Me too!" Shouted Lin Zhuyue from behind.

Ran Wei pulled her back, reading the mood. "Quiet, we came to watch only, did you forget?" She grabbed both of the girls' cheeks until her lips formed a ducks mouth. "Or what? are you going to pay for it yourself? Huh? 5 crystals, on your own?"

Lin Zhuyues face immediately paled, hearing these astronomical numbers. She quickly shook her head, though it was hard to tell, as Ran Wei's palms held a tight grip.

"Anyways, why don't you guys enter first," Shou spoke. He looked at the surroundings. Most of them still stood outside in front of the store. "You are going to bother the other people."

The group stopped their chitchat and followed Shous' instructions. Only Mei Xue, who had remained on the couch the whole time, did not move.

An Bai breathed in the air. "Entering this store always makes me feel refreshed. The temperature and humidity are on a whole other level. It's like entering a whole new world."

"Well, that is their business model, so you may be correct," Ah Liang spoke. "By the way, you didn't bring your bodyguard, I forgot his name, this time?"

"Who?" An Bai stared at him in confusion, not understanding who he meant.

The big merchant smiled wryly. He dabbed the sweat off his forehead and sincerely prayed for the bodyguard to gain a better presence. "...Nevermind."

Li Yinyi led the group, taking out 5 crystals and jumping to the room with the cores. She wanted to see more of that wondrous world, ever since she had gotten this close with the witch. Maybe, with just another step, she could learn the explosion art?

Li Yangyi knew what was on that idiot's mind just by seeing her expression. Even if that fantasy power was possible to learn, why would anyone wish to teach it? But he did not correct her. After all, she truly was the golden egg these days, finding this store first, and also bringing in the otherworldly cultivation manual. He still was unsure on what to tell father—or if at all. Such information could shake the whole country after all.

The boy glanced around. In fact, he wondered, did these people also know the importance of the store that could produce such books? Of course, they did. Usually, in this cutthroat world, where clans get eradicated by single mistakes, unlimited amounts of blood would be spilled for a manual half the worth within Li Yinyis' hands. It was not unknown for family members or childhood friends to poison, kill and betray each other. So, in comparison to that, it was almost unreal, seeing all these customers (including himself) harmonious and discussing an entertaining game with not a single worry. This was the greatest charm of the store, without a doubt. He now understood the reason for Shou to be so adamant about no one causing trouble in this shop.

"Actually, I have been planning on entering the world myself," Shou suddenly spoke, catching the attention of everyone around him. "If you guys want to, you can watch." He also had to check what exactly the reward 'Status Window' included. He trust Si not to deliver anything useless, but it would help in general to understand that thing so he could explain it when needed.

"What! If it is you Shou, I must see it!" Zhang Yong yelled, at the sudden news.

The two merchants from the Golden Dragon Circle agreed with all their hearts. "That's a good idea! Feel free to enter before us." They believed it would be the perfect way to gauge his skill.

"That's quite the support," Shou spoke. But he did not complain. Seeing how they solved the quest yesterday as a team, he wanted to try that too. With their help, finishing what he set out to do would be a lot easier.

" I guess most of them just want to see what you are capable of," Mei Xue said. "Though I am also one of them."

"You are an honest woman."

The young lady shrugged her shoulders. "If you tell a lot of truth, people won't be able to tell if you lied."

Shou laughed. "Everything you do has a strategical reason. I wish I was as smart as you, I may have found a cure for my ailment a long time ago then."

The common harmonious atmosphere returned quickly as if the visit by that City Lord had never happened. Within the Store of Fates, which not only had a strong defense system, but also an enigmatic youth, one could not feel help safe, and lower their guard.

However, their relaxed minds did not last long, as an abrupt knock on the door drew their attention away. A short silence rang over them. "Is it the City Lord again," someone asked.

"No, maybe it is An Bais' bodyguard," Ah Liang replied.

The group looked at each other. "Who's that?"

"..." Ah Liang felt like crying for him.

The door opened slowly, as if to leave them in suspense. The person that eventually entered was a new face. It was a somewhat tall man, wearing an expensive dark-red robe (though the many stitches and cuts indicated it had lived through many encounters). He had long black hair, tied in a ponytail and swinging with the wind. Dark circles highlighted his eyes, and his whole expression appeared tired and weathered. Yet, it gave him a unique charm, albeit an incredibly eerie one. "Is this the Store of Fates," he spoke, his voice deep. The man kept grabbing his waist as if he'd pull out a weapon at any time, but he carried none.

The customers, though relieved it was not the City Lord coming for a round 2, still instinctively realized this was no ordinary person. So did Shou, but he cared little about these matters. "You are correct," he answered.

The mans' dark pupils lightened up a little. He stared deeply at the youth in front of him, then bowed. "My name is Lan Jiu. I am one of the few survivors from the Waning Principle sect. The 36th generation, also, the final one." His words rang like thunderbolts through the crowd. "Yesterday, rumors about a mysterious place spread like wildfire through the outskirt sects. I did not expect it to be a store."

"Yinyi, step aside!" Li Yangyi quickly unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Lan Jiu. His face turned dark, as he had a ferocious expression.

The others had similar reactions to him. Ran Wei and Lin Zhuyue quickly hid away, only to realize fatty Liang had disappeared long ago. Zhang Yong shouted in anger, "How does someone from the dark faction dare step into the empire with no regard!"

But the person with the most drastic reaction was Mei Xue. Without any words, she pulled out a small dagger, and with no hesitation, stabbed into his direction. Her eyes remained calm, yet cold.

Lan Jiu did not pull out a weapon. He moved swiftly, his arm coiling around the dagger that was about to stab his eye, and with one snap, he easily disarmed her, breaking the blade in half. His motion resembled a nimble snake. "...It's not every day such a beautiful woman points her blade at me. It is too bad I cannot enjoy it today."

Mei Xue stepped back. She clicked her tongue with furrowed brows. Her face was dark, but she was inwardly surprised. 'He's a higher stage than me.' There weren't many that did.

The long-haired man did not retaliate. No, it was the opposite. To everyone's surprise, he went to his knees and placed his head on the floor. "If this is the Store of Fates, I am glad. You may be my only lifeline left. I place my name, the only thing left to me on, as collateral. I've come searching for someone that may help me. For that, I do not care if it's the empire, a ghost, or the devil."

There was a queer silence coming from all of them. It was Shou who stepped forth. He lightly tapped Mei Xue's forehead. "Don't cause trouble," he admonished lightly. Then, he knelt down, looking at Lan Jiu with a smile. He spoke, "Well, if you want it that badly, are you willing to pay? Let's say, around 15 crystals at first?"

[10 customers reached]

[Quest Complete]