Ch 73: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Mo Bao and Xuanfeng squeezed up beside Zeyuan, effectively shoving Jizhuang out the door.

Jizhuang’s expression darkened, his face a mix of gloom and irritation, as he raised his gaze to look at Lu Yao.

Lu Yao was caught in self-doubt.

Even though the only resemblance Zeyuan had to Lu Mingxiao was his crimson eyes, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was him.

Her instincts had always been sharp, a subtle yet distinct sense of connection.

When she first encountered Jizhuang, she didn’t feel this way; otherwise, she wouldn’t have repeatedly confirmed things with Wuling at the time.

But if the Demon Lord was indeed Lu Mingxiao, his reaction this time was unusual, far from their previous reunions. Something was off.

She couldn’t tell if she had mistaken someone else for him or if Lu Mingxiao had encountered a unique situation in this world.

Mo Bao, now in his small creature form, hopped straight into Zeyuan’s arms. His bright red eyes sparkled. “Did you come to fetch me, Sovereign?”

Zeyuan looked down at him absentmindedly, uttering a faint “Mm.”

Xuanfeng, feeling conflicted, wanted to speak but hesitated. This trip to the human realm had been too embarrassing—an utter disgrace to their Sovereign’s name. He didn’t know how to begin.

As he wavered, Xuanfeng suddenly noticed that Zeyuan’s gaze seemed to be wandering.

Puzzled, he followed Zeyuan’s line of sight and saw it land on the shopkeeper, Lu Yao.

Not giving it much thought, Xuanfeng proactively introduced her, “Sovereign, that’s the shopkeeper, Lu Yao. Due to certain events, Mo Bao and I will need to stay in her shop for a few more days.”

Zeyuan nodded slightly. “Lu Yao.”

Lu Yao smiled faintly. “Sovereign?”

Zeyuan lowered his eyes. “Zeyuan. Call me by my name.”

Xuanfeng turned his head, and Mo Bao looked up.

Both demons simultaneously felt that something about their Sovereign was… off.

He seemed unexpectedly easygoing.

Jizhuang, left outside and ignored, stepped back in with a frown. His gaze swept over the two of them before settling on Lu Yao. “Come with me for a moment.”

Lu Yao stood still. “The shop is busy, and I have things to do. If the Demon Emperor has something to say, why not say it here?”

The Demon Lord’s identity wasn’t urgent, but Jizhuang was becoming a headache.

Lu Yao thought she had clarified things last time, but the Demon Emperor seemed intent on lingering.

Jizhuang hadn’t expected such defiance from her, increasingly irritated by how she bore such a resemblance to Yu Yao yet acted entirely different.

And now, with Zeyuan here watching the scene unfold.

Before Jizhuang became the Demon Emperor, he had met Zeyuan once.

At that time, he was still just a flower demon in the mountains, when Zeyuan was already the Demon Lord.

Zeyuan had been traveling alone in the human realm and was ambushed by a group of bone demons.

The bone demons, having cultivated for ten thousand years, sought to seize Zeyuan’s physical form and power. Instead, they were crushed—demon cores shattered, their cultivation dispersed.

That was Jizhuang’s first encounter with the mercilessness and might of demons.

Demons were beings without hearts.

Not long after, Zeyuan led the demons out of the human realm and sealed the gate between the two worlds.

In the blink of an eye, five hundred years had passed. Now, the Demon Lord had returned to the human realm.

But for what purpose this time?

Jizhuang frowned, his suspicions deepening, but he still said to Lu Yao, “I have something to say to you. Come with me outside. Don’t worry, I won’t eat you.”

The three or four of them crowding the doorway was indeed making it difficult for customers to come and go.

Suppressing his growing impatience, Jizhuang followed her to a quiet corner, casting several soundproof and visual-blocking spells.

The internet café had only reopened after three days of closure, and the addicted demons were too absorbed in their screens to notice what was happening nearby.

Meanwhile, Mo Bao nestled comfortably in Zeyuan’s arms, rolling around without realizing how unusually patient the Sovereign was with him today.

Xuanfeng, sensing the shift, whispered his thoughts to Zeyuan. “The Demon Emperor once had someone he was deeply infatuated with. Did you know, Sovereign?”

Zeyuan glanced at him, puzzled. “Why should I know?”

Xuanfeng patiently elaborated on the Demon Emperor’s love affair from three hundred years ago. “…Actually, it’s like this… After some digging in Liuxian City, I discovered something interesting.”

Zeyuan, his face unreadable, replied with feigned indifference. “Speak.”

Xuanfeng explained, “The celestial maiden Yu Yao vanished after ascending to the Immortal Realm, and neither heaven nor earth could locate her. The shopkeeper happens to resemble her greatly. I suspect the Demon Emperor might see her as a vulnerable human woman without support, resembling his lost love, and harbor… certain feelings.”

Zeyuan frowned. “What kind of feelings?”

Xuanfeng, knowing his Sovereign’s lack of emotional understanding, felt a twinge of regret. Why was he sharing gossip with someone so clueless about love? He might as well chat with the internet café staff instead.

Yet Zeyuan suddenly said, “Xuanfeng, from the moment I saw her, she felt… familiar. But I cannot recall where I’ve seen her before.”

Xuanfeng froze. “…Who?”

“Lu Yao,” Zeyuan replied.

Xuanfeng fell silent.

…

In the corner of the café, Lu Yao patiently waited for Jizhuang to speak.

Running the shopping street over the past year had tempered her patience and demeanor. She wasn’t passively resigned but had found a sense of inner peace.

She was willing to give the Demon Emperor three more minutes.

But Jizhuang merely stared at her with a look of longing, saying nothing.

Her patience wore thin. Lu Yao sighed softly and said, “Jizhuang, I don’t know how much I resemble that celestial maiden. But I am not her. Beyond appearance, every being—whether human, demon, or devil—has traits that make them unique. You cannot cling to me solely because I look like her. It’s troubling.”

Lu Yao’s tone was calm, her reasoning irrefutable.

But Jizhuang’s desolate expression seemed to light up. He tossed her a jade talisman.

Lu Yao asked, “What is this?”

The talisman was old, its surface smooth and polished, as though it had been handled often.

Jizhuang’s voice was hoarse. “Her.”

Just look, and you’ll see—it’s more than just resemblance.

A faint water screen emerged, showing a pond of lotus flowers. But before Lu Yao could see more, Jizhuang snatched the talisman back, dispersing the image.

Turning abruptly, he walked away, his crimson eyes clouded with self-loathing.

What was he doing?

Lu Yao stood there speechless.

Behind her, Zeyuan was now seated on a rocking chair by the counter, sipping tea. When he saw her return, he casually remarked, “That flower demon is annoying. I’ll set up a barrier so he can’t come back.”

Lu Yao shook her head and sat across from him. “No need, Sovereign. He might have already figured things out.”

Zeyuan leaned forward slightly, his crimson eyes locked on her.

Lu Yao grew wary. Was the Demon Lord about to thrust another storyline at her?

Zeyuan’s expression turned serious. “Have we met before?”

Lu Yao didn’t blink. “Sovereign must be mistaken.”

Zeyuan leaned back into his chair, his face clouded with confusion. “…How old are you?”

“Twenty-two,” Lu Yao replied.

…Zeyuan gave up.

Lu Yao recalled a matter she needed help with. Since Xuanfeng and Mo Bao were unwilling, she decided to ask.

“Sovereign, as it’s your first visit to the café, shall I give you a tour?”

Xuanfeng and Mo Bao, keeping a close watch, were shocked by the Sovereign’s approachable demeanor—and even more so by the shopkeeper’s audacity.

In the six realms over countless millennia, she was the first woman brave enough to invite the Sovereign for a stroll.

To Lu Yao, whether it was the Demon Emperor, the Demon Lord, or the mountain’s demons, they all seemed to be just customers.

Zeyuan put down his teacup and rose to follow Lu Yao.

Xuanfeng was so shocked that he dropped Mo Bao onto the floor.

Mo Bao rolled around before scrambling back to his feet, too stunned to even scold Xuanfeng. “Why is the Sovereign listening to Lu Yao?”

Xuanfeng shook his head with an air of mystery. “…Lu Yao is just a fragile human. The Sovereign probably doesn’t want to argue with her.”

Mo Bao retorted, “The same ‘fragile human’ who locked up both demons and demon cultivators to fight each other?”

Xuanfeng: “…”

Lu Yao led Zeyuan around the main hall, where about 90% of the customers were engrossed in games—single-player games, simulation games, and online multiplayer browser games all had their fair share of fans.

A few customers were watching dramas, while others, new to chatting apps, slowly and painstakingly typed messages with two fingers.

Nearby, a little leopard demon who had been playing a female character in Dream of Jianghu waved over a staff member, eager to try a newly added game.

Cheng Ye helped him create an account and guided him through the tutorial.

The small sparrows perched throughout the shop immediately perked up when they saw the leopard demon open a familiar icon.

This was the game they’d seen Brother Zhong playing with the two demons a few days ago.

Unlike other games, this one had a steep learning curve and was fiercely competitive, making every victory immensely satisfying.

The sparrows, still captivated from watching last time, chirped with excitement as they gathered around the leopard demon’s screen.

The leopard demon adjusted his keyboard to match the shop’s layout and began the beginner’s tutorial.

Playing as an archer, he learned to clear minion waves and push towers. Shooting down one minion at a time was simple and satisfying.

After finishing the tutorial, he immediately jumped into a bot match.

In the beginner bot mode, all opponents and teammates were AI, but this didn’t dampen his enthusiasm.

Unlike Mo Bao and Xuanfeng, the leopard demon was more familiar with the controls. Within five minutes of the match, he secured his first kill.

As the in-game notification announced his kill, the leopard demon raised his hands off the keyboard in triumph, shouting loudly and drawing the attention of other customers.

Zeyuan, having observed quietly, turned to Lu Yao and said, “I want to play too.”

A row of five computers along the wall had just freed up after two butterfly demons finished their session.

Lu Yao seated Zeyuan and accessed the internal network to generate a terminal code for him.

Recalling her own experience with the game, Lu Yao realized she’d forgotten her old account and password after so much time away.

She turned to borrow Zhong’s account.

Zhong, groggy from his night shift, gave her the login credentials to his main account over the phone.

Lu Yao logged in, ignoring the flood of notifications. Once Zeyuan completed the tutorial, they entered a bot match together.

Lu Yao, who preferred long-range characters, took the bottom lane with Zeyuan. He casually chose one of the free rotation heroes.

By the time Xuanfeng and Mo Bao wandered over, a crowd had gathered behind the two players, fixated on their screens.

The bot match had been set to hard mode, with their teammates now real players. Lu Yao and Zeyuan continued to dominate the bottom lane.

Through her headset, Lu Yao called out, “Control the AD, about to hit level six.”

Zeyuan, perfectly timing his hook, snagged the enemy’s AD. Together, they secured a double kill.

Although it was just a bot match, the demons and demon cultivators watching were fired up.

“Net manager! I want a new account!”

“Hey, net manager! Come here! I want to play this game too!”

“Hurry up, net manager! I can’t wait! Get me an account!”

…

Competitive games had a unique ability to ignite people’s fighting spirit, and MOBA games were no exception.

For the demons and demon cultivators, battling it out on a small map was even more exhilarating than real weapons or spells.

Cheng Ye struggled to handle the influx of demands. Lu Yao logged off, giving up her seat for another eager player, and joined the staff to help manage the rush.

With Lu Yao stepping aside, Zeyuan also seemed to lose interest. He relinquished his seat without fuss and returned to the counter, sipping tea in a leisurely manner.

The café bustled with activity as dozens of demons from the Floating World Continent created new accounts to enter the battlegrounds.

Elsewhere, someone recorded a video of Lu Yao and Zeyuan dominating their bot match and uploaded it to a video-sharing platform with a clickbait title:

“Shocking! Famous pro player Killerclown’s tragic post-retirement life: breaking down in bot matches to regain form!”

A highly upvoted comment below read: “The support is the real MVP!”

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