The girl who had traded the poisonous mushrooms for store credits walked hurriedly through the winding streets of Fanling City. Her hands clutched the peculiar bag filled with neatly packed convenience store items. Spirit-Infused Potato Chips, Heavenly Dew Soda, a few packs of Spicy Taihao Noodles and Fire Spirit Popcorn. There were also basic card talismans and jars of pills.
Every now and then, she would peek inside to ensure everything was still there.
Her na was Xiao Ya, and for the first ti in years, she felt hope.
When the Shopkeeper suggested she sell the items for gold, she was hesitant at first. She had never been a rchant, nor had she handled transactions beyond simple bartering in the outskirts of Fanling City where she previously sold her gathered herbs she foraged from the forest. She was concerned whether soone would buy them from her when they could just go to the store and buy them themselves.
But after seeing the fascination in the eyes of the city officials, sect disciples, and even common rchants present at the store, she finally realized the Shopkeeper's intent. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire
Not everyone in the city had heard of the store yet and even if they did, most mortals like her didn't have the ans to earn spirit stones, the only currency the store was accepting.
It's a win-win for them. Through her, she would be able to give those who only had gold coins a chance to try the store's premium products. In return, she could earn enough to help her family move into the city and away from the dangers of the Abyssal Forest.
Xiao Ya's heart pounded with anticipation as she reached the small marketplace near the city's western district, the one closest to the western gate facing the Abyssal Forest and her house nearby it.
The marketplace was an area where mortal rchants and small-ti traders gathered to sell their wares. It was far from the bustling trade hubs dominated by sect-affiliated businesses. Here, goods were bartered, exchanged, or sold for gold coins rather than spirit stones.
She found an empty spot near a stall selling simple herbal redies and spread out her wares on a cloth. The vibrant packaging of the Spirit-Infused Potato Chips, Fire Spirit Popcorn and Heavenly Dew Soda imdiately drew the attention of passersby.
A curious middle-aged woman, likely a housewife, stopped and picked up a bag of potato chips. "What is this? I've never seen such packaging before."
Xiao Ya swallowed her nervousness and put on her best impression of Liu Xiaoyu, the Shopkeeper's assistant who helped her pick the products to sell earlier. "This is Spirit-Infused Potato Chips, Ma'am. It's a snack from the Divine Convenience Store! It's crispy, flavorful, and carries a hint of spiritual energy that revitalizes the body!"
The woman frowned slightly.
"Divine Convenience Store? I've heard so officials ntion it… but isn't that a store for cultivators? I don't have spirit stones."
"That's the best part, Ma'am! You don't need spirit stones to buy from . I accept gold coins."
The woman's eyes widened slightly. "Gold coins? How much?"
"For you, Ma'am, as my first custor tonight, I'll let you take it for 15 gold coins instead of 30!"
"Huh? That's… too expensive."
"But, of course, Ma'am. This costs 3 low-grade spirit stones to buy from the store. You're getting yourself a deal! A low-grade spirit stone can be sold to those cultivators for 10 gold coins but we can never buy back a low-grade spirit stone using gold! Think about it, it feels like you're buying 3 low-grade spirit stones back!"
The middle-aged woman hesitated, her fingers brushing against the glossy packaging of the Spirit-Infused Potato Chips.
Xiao Ya held her breath, hoping her words had convinced the woman to buy.
"Fifteen gold coins, huh?"
The woman muttered as she ntally fought the temptation. She glanced down at the other goods spread out on the cloth. The Heavenly Dew Soda's bright can shimred under the lantern light, and the Fire Spirit Popcorn's vibrant label stood out among the more mundane wares of the market. Not to ntion, the pills and talismans that radiate spiritual energy.
Finally, the woman sighed and reached into her pouch. She counted out fifteen gold coins and handed them over.
"Alright, I'll try it. If it's really as good as you say, I'll co back for more."
Xiao Ya's eyes lit up as she quickly took the coins and handed over the bag of chips. "Thank you, Ma'am! I promise you won't regret it!"
The transaction had barely ended when another voice chid in.
"You're selling Divine Convenience Store products for gold coins?" A young man in a rchant's robe stepped forward, his sharp eyes scanning the items on display.
Xiao Ya nodded eagerly. "Yes! The store only accepts spirit stones, so I'm offering these to those who don't have any."
The young rchant stroked his chin. "Interesting… I've been hearing about this store all day, but I don't have spirit stones to visit myself. How much for the Heavenly Dew Soda?"
"Twenty gold coins!" Xiao Ya answered, her confidence growing.
The rchant narrowed his eyes. "That's a bit steep."
"But worth it! The Divine Convenience Store's products are unique. You won't find anything like them elsewhere. The Heavenly Dew Soda refreshes you instantly, and even cultivators buy it because of how energizing it is!"
The rchant considered for a mont before pulling out a small pouch of gold coins. "I'll take two."
Xiao Ya bead as she handed him two cans of soda, accepting forty gold coins in return.
From that point, her makeshift stall gained more attention. Passersby stopped, intrigued by the unfamiliar products, and once they heard the na "Divine Convenience Store," their curiosity only grew. So bought snacks for their children, others picked up talismans and pills, intrigued by their practicality.
Within an hour, Xiao Ya had sold everything.
Her hands trembled as she counted her earnings—over 500 gold coins. More than she had ever held in her life. Furthermore, she only used less than half of the store credits she got from trading the mushrooms.
"I… I did it," She whispered, barely able to believe it.
With a bright smile, she packed up her empty bag and hurried ho.
Clutching the pouch of gold, Xiao Ya felt her heart pound with excitent.
This was more money than she had ever earned in her life. More than enough to help her family move to the city and escape the dangers of the Abyssal Forest.
The journey was long, taking her past the city walls and through the dense outskirts where her family resided. By the ti she arrived, the sky was painted in deep hues of indigo and violet, the stars twinkling above.
She grinned when her small ho, a modest wooden hut near the edge of the forest, ca into view. She could see the dim glow of a lantern inside, and the familiar voices of her younger siblings chatting quietly.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.
"Mother! Father! I have good news!"
Her parents, weary from a long day of foraging, looked up in surprise.
Her father, a thin but sturdy man, set down the basket of herbs he had been sorting.
"Xiao Ya? You've been gone the whole day. What happened?"
She poured the gold coins onto the wooden table, the clinking sound echoing through the small ho. On top of those gold coins were more snacks and consumables that she hadn't included in her wares earlier. She wanted to let her family get a taste of the store's offerings too.
"We can move to the city. We don't have to live on the edge of the forest anymore."
Her mother gasped, covering her mouth with trembling hands. "Child… how?"
Xiao Ya bead. "The Divine Convenience Store. I traded so mushrooms for store credit, bought these items, and sold them in the market. They sold out instantly! We can do this again. We can have a new life."
Tears welled up in her mother's eyes as she reached out, pulling Xiao Ya into a tight embrace. Her father, normally a man of few words, let out a deep sigh of relief, his eyes glistening.
But before the mont could fully settle, a sudden wave of heat surged through Xiao Ya's body. She stumbled back, clutching her chest.
"Xiao Ya? What's wrong?" her father asked, alard.
"I… I don't know…" she gasped, her vision blurring. Her skin felt like it was burning from the inside out, yet there was no fire.
A golden glow began to pulse beneath her skin. It was faint yet unmistakable. Following that, spiritual energy seemingly started to swirl around Xiao Ya, pushing the couple and their other children away.
Her mother's eyes widened in recognition. "A bloodline awakening…"
Her father's hands trembled. "But our family has never had a strong bloodline… No, dear, your ancestors?"
Xiao Ya's eyes opened and her pupils also turned golden. She fell to her knees, panting as the spiritual energy surged through her ridians, breaking through unseen barriers and transforming her body. A long-dormant power within her was stirring, awakening under the influence of Lin Mo's Celestial Providence.
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