Ch 55: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

The Floating World Continent, Buxian Mountain.

Hengze Sect was a declining minor sect situated on Buxian Mountain. Its total disciples barely reached a hundred.

At dawn, the sect master’s direct disciple, Jiang Yan, set out with a young medicine attendant.

Jiang Yan was a pill cultivator.

Given the sect’s poverty, he often climbed the mountain to gather herbs and, in his spare time, refined basic, urgently-needed pills to sell in the nearby town of Buxian.

Buxian Mountain had two sides: one bathed in sunlight and the other shadowed.

Hengze Sect’s headquarters was on the sunlit side, while Jiang Yan ventured to the shadowed side to gather herbs.

He climbed the mountain with the medicine attendant several times a month, knowing every path and herb-rich spot by heart.

This morning, with several herbs urgently needed, Jiang Yan rose early, intending to gather two baskets of herbs and return to the sect to refine pills by noon.

Jiang Yan and the medicine attendant crouched by a marsh, harvesting floating mane, when the chattering calls of sparrows suddenly reached their ears.

Not far away, a figure darted out of the wild grass, pursued and pecked by a flock of tiny, unshaped sparrow spirits.

The medicine attendant peeked curiously. “Probably someone who strayed into the mountain and got bullied by the sparrow spirits.”

Hengze Sect’s decline was evident—even the area near the sect’s gates housed various bird and beast spirits.

Fortunately, Buxian Mountain’s sparse spiritual energy couldn’t nurture world-threatening demons. Most were small spirits incapable of even assuming human form, something Jiang Yan and the medicine attendant had grown accustomed to.

Jiang Yan frowned, watching for a moment before setting down the floating mane and running over. From his storage pouch, he pulled out a special pastry, crumbled it, and scattered it on the ground.

The sparrow spirits, attracted by the spiritual energy, turned away and flocked to the crumbs in the grass.

The pastry Jiang Yan tossed wasn’t ordinary—it was a custom-made treat infused with spiritual herbs.

The sparrows, unfamiliar with such things, scrambled for even the slightest hint of spiritual energy.

As a pill cultivator who wasn’t skilled in combat but frequently needed to enter the mountains, Jiang Yan had specifically prepared these pastries to distract small spirits—a tactic that never failed.

Turning to the person still crouched on the ground, Jiang Yan gently reassured, “The sparrow spirits are gone now. You’re safe.”

When the figure stood up, Jiang Yan was momentarily taken aback.

He had assumed it was a man but realized upon seeing her face that it was a young woman.

Her shoulder-length hair was loose, her clothing thin and strange, and her left ear adorned with a golden lotus-shaped earring. She didn’t look like a cultivator.

..

Lu Yao raised her gaze to the boy in a light blue robe. He looked around seventeen or eighteen, his long hair tied into a bun with a jade hairpin, his features delicate.

Suppressing her scattered thoughts, she introduced herself. “I am Lu Yao, a mere woman who accidentally strayed into the mountain. Thank you, young master, for your rescue.”

Lu Yao had entered the new shop with Budu, but upon stepping through the Stargate, only she emerged.

Budu was unable to cross into this world and had been left in the shop.

Deciding to explore the area on her own, Lu Yao quickly discovered the shop’s location was far from ideal.

Looking back, she saw that the overly flamboyant and luxurious storefront she had carefully designed was almost entirely hidden inside a hollow tree.

The shop’s location was utterly bizarre—seemingly in some unknown, remote mountain forest. The shop itself was nestled within a massive, dead tree.

The ancient tree was so thick it would take ten people to encircle it.

Its roots had rotted, leaving a triangular door opening at the base. Above it hung a sign that read, Lu Yao’s Interdimensional Internet Café, creating an eerie contrast.

The shop was in a remote area, with no signs of human activity nearby.

Shortly after stepping out, Lu Yao was swarmed by a group of strange little sparrows, which relentlessly pecked at her.

She had initially planned to feign weakness and catch one to listen to its heartbeat.

But before she could act, the boy in front of her had already come to her rescue.

…

Jiang Yan stared at Lu Yao for a moment, confirming that she had no cultivation whatsoever, and relaxed. “Jiang Yan of Hengze Sect. It was a trivial matter—no need to thank me.”

From that single sentence, Lu Yao was certain this world was indeed the cultivation realm she had suspected.

The medicine attendant ran over and, seeing Lu Yao, was curious about her attire.

However, in the cultivation world, wearing eccentric clothes to showcase one’s individuality wasn’t uncommon. After a brief glance, the attendant said nothing.

Before Lu Yao could even ask, Jiang Yan took the initiative. He explained that after gathering their herbs, they would escort her down the mountain to Buxian Town at its base.

They were so considerate that Lu Yao repeatedly expressed her gratitude, even pulling out a handful of candies from her pocket to offer them.

With someone guiding her down the mountain, she didn’t have to bother finding her own way, so she decided to take the opportunity to better understand her surroundings.

Returning wouldn’t be an issue either—she carried the Space-Time Key and her Dragon Scale Hairpin. She could always call Harold to pick her up when needed.

Since he had someone with him, Jiang Yan decided not to linger in the mountains for too long. After collecting a few urgently needed herbs, he prepared to escort Lu Yao down the mountain.

The young medicine attendant initially found Lu Yao strange and didn’t want to talk to her. But after receiving the handful of candies, he began addressing her as “big sister” in a sweet, affectionate tone.

Lu Yao often carried various snacks, as the child in her family was fond of them—chocolates, fruit candies, milk toffees, beef jerky. A single handful was enough to win over the young attendant completely.

On the way down, Lu Yao chatted with the medicine attendant and learned that this was Buxian Mountain, with Hengze Sect’s headquarters located halfway up. At the base of the mountain was a small town called Buxian Town.

Buxian Town was home to both ordinary people and cultivators. However, due to the thin spiritual energy of Buxian Mountain, it didn’t attract many cultivators.

At the foot of the mountain, Lu Yao bid farewell to Jiang Yan and the medicine attendant and headed toward Buxian Town on her own.

The young medicine attendant gazed after her, licking his lips. “The candy this big sister gave me is unlike anything I’ve ever tasted elsewhere.”

Jiang Yan also had a handful of the candies in his herb basket, but he hadn’t tried them yet. Privately, he doubted they could be all that special.

The young attendant had spent his whole life at Hengze Sect, with the farthest he’d traveled being Buxian Town, so he hadn’t experienced much in the way of delicacies.

Jiang Yan, though not a frequent traveler himself, had gone on two trips with his senior brothers and sisters and had sampled a variety of fine foods in the outside world.

…

Buxian Town was a modest and unassuming place.

The majority of its residents were ordinary people without cultivation. Lu Yao spotted only a few stalls selling pills, weapons, or talismans, all casually set up by the roadside, with hardly any business.

She approached a few stalls to ask about prices. Whether the prices were high or low didn’t matter—everything in town required spirit stones for payment.

Having no spirit stones, Lu Yao didn’t buy anything.

After wandering around, she decided to head back the way she came. When she reached a secluded spot halfway up the mountain, she sensed someone following her.

The cultivation world was far from peaceful, and Lu Yao didn’t dare to let her guard down. She touched the Dragon Scale Hairpin she carried and pulled out the Space-Time Key.

A door appeared out of thin air, and through it stepped a high ponytailed boy clad in black robes, a lollipop in his mouth. “I was in the middle of a class.”

He sounded thoroughly annoyed.

Lu Yao: “Eating candy in class?”

Harold bit through the hard candy, crushed the plastic stick into powder, and scattered it with a flick. He glanced around. “Where is this?”

Lu Yao: “Near the new shop’s location. I just went out and seemed to have been followed.”

Harold turned his head. “There are indeed a few people nearby. Want me to bring them back?”

Seeing him appear, the followers immediately retreated.

Lu Yao: “Can you sense anything unusual about them?”

Harold frowned. “Nothing at all. They’re just a few greedy, useless humans.”

Lu Yao: “…Never mind, let’s head back for now.”

…

High up in the trees, a group of sparrow spirits perched on branches.

“That woman came back.”

“And she brought a boy with her.”

“Ha! Her running away this morning was hilarious!”

“She dares to come back? Let’s teach her another lesson!”

From her earlier conversation with the medicine attendant, Lu Yao knew the ones who had chased her in the morning were these sparrow spirits.

As the flock of little sparrows descended toward her again, Lu Yao casually remarked, “Catch them and roast them.”

The sparrows chirped noisily, as if mocking her.

The next moment, a black net dropped down, capturing all the little sparrow spirits in one swoop.

Lu Yao swung the net around twice. “Grilled sparrows for dinner, with drinks.”

Harold wrinkled his nose. “They’re so small. One bite each isn’t even enough to fill a tooth gap. What’s the point?”

The sparrows: “……”

When Harold caught sight of the massive, gnarled, and dead old tree with its signboard, his steps halted. “This is the internet café? Your new shop?”

Lu Yao sighed. “Yeah.”

Harold shot her a sidelong glance. “Why do you always open shops in such weird places? Can’t you pick a bustling town for once?”

Lu Yao: “I’d love to. But it never works out. Forget it, I’ll handle things here myself. You should get back to your class.”

Muttering something like “used and discarded,” Harold reluctantly walked away.

Inside the shop, Budu was seated, staring at the net in Lu Yao’s hand. “Mother encountered trouble?”

Lu Yao casually tossed the net onto the floor and shook her head. “Just a small issue. Nothing serious.”

After trekking up and down the mountain and exploring the town, Lu Yao was feeling tired. She noticed Budu was also wilting from the heat, so she brought him back to the Hot Spring Inn for a break.

…

“Back already, boss?” Bai Lu immediately ran over when she saw Lu Yao and Budu return, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Lu Yao patted Budu and sent him to rest in his room. “Yeah, just took a quick look at the new shop.”

Ji Qingyan handed Lu Yao a glass of water. “So it’s really a cultivation world?”

Lu Yao nodded. “The Floating World Continent, to be exact. The shop is located on a mountain with thin spiritual energy. There’s a small sect on that mountain called Hengze Sect.”

Xiao Zheng placed a tray of snacks in front of Lu Yao—freshly baked croissants and cream puffs—and then silently sat down beside her.

Ji Qingyan asked, “Hengze Sect? A sect for cultivators?”

Lu Yao: “Seems like it. On the way, I was attacked by a group of sparrow spirits, and a cultivator from Hengze Sect saved me. He looked like a pill cultivator, gathering herbs on the mountain.”

!!!

The three human shop assistants stared at her, wide-eyed.

Ah, yes! This is exactly the vibe!

While munching on her snacks, Lu Yao opened her phone and scrolled through the group chat, which was rapidly filling with messages. She casually uploaded several photos she had taken in Buxian Town.

…

[Lu Yao]: This town isn’t very bustling.

[Lu Yao]: Pill Stall.JPG Talisman Stall.JPG Everything’s expensive.

[Lu Yao]: Random Sword Cultivator.JPG This guy seems to be a sword cultivator. To maintain his “wife sword,” he sold his clothes and pills.

[Interdimensional Cinema Liu Tang]: The new shop sounds amazing! PS: Sword cultivators are always broke, hahaha.

[Interdimensional Cinema Kuba]: I want to work at the new shop…

[Childhood Tutoring Center Bai Yi]: Aaaaaah! This is too exciting! I can’t handle it!

[Childhood Tutoring Center Hu Jiao]: Lu Yao, buy some talismans and pills for us, please!

[Childhood Tutoring Center 444]: I want a “wife sword” too!

[Little Pet Cafe Zhou Su]: Oh my gosh! I want to go to the new shop too!

[Little Pet Cafe Piaopiao]: Waaaahhh?

Lu Yao chuckled at the enthusiasm flooding the group chat. Her new shop was already sparking plenty of interest, even among her existing team.

The staff group chat buzzed with excitement as employees enthusiastically expressed their eagerness to work at the new shop.

Meanwhile, Lu Yao pondered how to establish the internet café in such a remote and peculiar location.

She’d encountered similar challenges before—the Hot Spring Inn being one such example. However, the situation on the Floating World Continent was far more complex.

This world was home not only to cultivators and ordinary people but also to demons, monsters, and spirits, all thriving under a power-centric hierarchy. For Lu Yao, an ordinary human, attracting customers to her café while avoiding the predatory nature of the strong would be a daunting task.

Regardless of the challenges, setting up the shop—renovating the space, acquiring computers, and hiring staff—had to start somewhere.

[Lu Yao]: I’d like to hire two skilled system admins. If you have suitable candidates, feel free to recommend them.

After sending the message to the group, Lu Yao reached out to Ji Zhixin to help with researching and purchasing equipment.

Having had a quick bite, she headed back to the café alone.

The three connected storefronts were decent but still relatively small for an internet café. Given the current state of the Floating World Continent, Lu Yao decided not to expand the interdimensional space immediately. She planned to start small, with just ten computers, and see how things went.

Though the star gate and interdimensional space had already been upgraded, without the system’s assistance, the soft furnishings of the shop were entirely her responsibility.

Sitting by the window, she pulled out a notebook and began sketching designs.

The net of sparrow spirits was still tossed into a corner. Unable to break free from Harold’s sturdy net, the sparrows chirped incessantly, trying to attract Lu Yao’s attention.

She casually cast a silence spell over the corner, finally enjoying some peace and quiet as she focused on her work.

…

At the Hot Spring Inn

Ji Qingyan sat by the window, repeatedly opening and closing her chat interface.

In the nearby reading room, small books for the tiny customers were immensely popular. Bai Lu was working on a new set of books for them. Noticing Ji Qingyan’s rare expression of hesitation, Bai Lu asked, “What’s bothering you?”

Ji Qingyan turned her head, frowning as she mulled it over. Finally, she said softly, “The boss is hiring system admins. I actually know someone who might be a good fit. He’s a programmer like me and really skilled. But our relationship is… complicated. He might not even agree to an interview. If he does, I’m worried the boss might not hire him, and I’d end up stuck in an awkward position.”

Having gone through the hiring process for the street herself, Bai Lu completely understood Ji Qingyan’s concerns.

Thinking back on her own experience, Bai Lu encouraged her, “I get why you’re hesitant. But if you genuinely think it’s a good opportunity and want to recommend it to him, there’s no harm in trying. The boss is principled about hiring and won’t make things difficult for you. Look at me—I went through a whole roundabout journey, but I still ended up here.”

Realizing her words might sound self-deprecating, Bai Lu laughed sheepishly. “Honestly, I was way braver back then. I don’t know if I’d have the courage to do that again now.”

Ji Qingyan appeared thoughtful.

After a brief pause, she made up her mind. “Alright. I’ll give it a try and reach out to him.”

Unable to resist, Bai Lu asked curiously, “If you’re willing to recommend him for a job, why is your relationship complicated?”

Ji Qingyan hesitated for a moment before replying, “Because he’s my ex-boyfriend.”

Bai Lu: “……”

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️