Ch 101: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Wen Rong and Guan Zhong had clear goals—they were only buying skins.

With the money they earned from account boosting, they weren’t limited by the café’s exchange cap. Each of their accounts had accumulated a few hundred yuan, enough to buy two or three skins without issue.

Their rapid adaptation to the game and ability to reach a level suitable for taking orders were thanks to two factors. First, they had Zhong Lianjia, a former professional player, as their coach. Second, their progress was aided by their racial traits.

While gaming requires skill and awareness, demons and devils might lack the dexterity and strategic thinking of humans. However, they were no strangers to competitive combat. Their battlefields were often far more brutal—every fight could mean death, with little hope of resurrection. This ingrained fearlessness and aggression often surfaced during their in-game team fights.

Yet, their way of thinking differed. Even with skills that matched their awareness, coordinating with other players’ rhythms remained challenging for demonic and devil players. Without teammates from Six realm sect, their solo ranked match win rates dropped significantly. Thus, earning money through account boosting wasn’t easy.

Moreover, the volume of orders wasn’t high.

Zhong Lianjia managed the official account for Six realm sect, but at first, they struggled to secure boosting orders. To resolve this, he rejoined his old fan group chats to promote their services, slowly attracting paying clients.

This caused a minor stir online. Screenshots of Zhong promoting his services in the group were shared on forums like Big Eye, with netizens mocking him as a “fallen ex-pro forced to rely on account boosting for a living.”

Zhong remained calm and even used the attention to provide free advertising for Six realm sect.

As a result, more clients began approaching him. However, the sect’s five junior disciples were all highly “motivated,” and the number of orders wasn’t enough to satisfy their ambitions.

Given this context, Wen Rong and Guan Zhong approached their first microtransaction with care. After careful deliberation, they bought new outfits only for the heroes they used most frequently. After their purchase, they eagerly entered the canyon to show off their new looks.

Zhu Ying and Dan Xi, on the other hand, weren’t interested in in-game skins. They remained fixated on the lipstick and eyeshadow they had been eyeing.

Dan Xi also spotted a few trendy snacks online and bought some after careful budgeting.

The process of placing orders—selecting items, filling in addresses and contact information, and making payments—left them buzzing with excitement.

Before buying, they eagerly anticipated saving enough money to place an order. After buying, they couldn’t wait to receive their purchases.

Online shopping truly felt different from buying items in physical stores.

The anticipation alone was an emotional rollercoaster.

Jiao Niang, who worked night shifts and had less time to complete orders, couldn’t save enough money to buy both a microwave and an air fryer as planned. After much deliberation, she decided to buy the air fryer first and added some semi-prepared food items compatible with it to her order.

As for the power supply artifact, Jiao Niang had crafted one two days earlier.

Using spirit stones as the energy source, it resembled the power strips used in the café but was far sturdier and waterproof.

She tested it on her phone and the mini-fridge in the shop—both charging and powering devices worked flawlessly.

The supply artifact, with its replaceable spirit stone battery, functioned as an infinite portable power source. It didn’t require altering the air fryer’s internal structure; she simply plugged it in, and it worked seamlessly.

Seeing how Jiao Niang combined modern physics with artifact crafting to create the power supply artifact, Lu Yao began developing an interest in artifact crafting herself.

Lu Yao initially didn’t plan on learning repetitive skills, given her blessing from the goddess Fula and her ability to craft magical tools. However, the energy structure of each world differs, and so does the extent to which a skill can be applied.

In high-magic worlds like Alexander Continent, magical power dominates absolutely.

On Floating World Continent, a low-magic world, spiritual energy is the source of power, and cultivation is the norm.

If she could harness spiritual energy and acquire basic crafting knowledge, Lu Yao could modify artifacts just like Jiao Niang. With the Time-Distorting Mustard Seed Realm, she could easily utilize fragmented time to train within the illusion.

Besides artifact crafting, Lu Yao was also intrigued by alchemy and talisman crafting.

Hearing this, Jiao Niang took out a set of books covering basic cultivation knowledge from her Qiankun Bag, ones she had read during her time at the Xie residence in Ni City.

Lu Yao, without a sect or formal training and being of an advanced age to start, would need remarkable perception to succeed. Jiao Niang estimated it might take Lu Yao fifty years to achieve enlightenment.

Lu Yao placed the stack of books in the Mustard Seed Realm and read through them whenever she had time. Before she knew it, she had finished the set.

She began trying to meditate, focusing on absorbing spiritual energy around her. However, the spiritual energy at Baixian Mountain was thin, yielding no results for now.

Unhurried, Lu Yao found the knowledge in the books more fascinating than improving her cultivation. After finishing Jiao Niang’s books, she retrieved the ones she had purchased in Ni City for further reading.

Within the illusionary world where time slowed, a single lunch break allowed Lu Yao to meticulously finish several books.

…

Underworld, By the River of Forgetfulness

Xie Yi and Fan Song had just left the Underworld Court and were now sitting by the dim red riverbank, chewing on lollipops. The sweetness lingered on their tongues, and the pain from their back wounds seemed less intense.

Because the River Crossing Gate had opened during their watch, they were punished with lashings and sentenced to guard the gate for another hundred years. Meanwhile, the other ghost officials on rotation were reassigned to the more appealing task of reaping souls in the human world.

Fan Song idly picked up an unclaimed bone, drew a square frame on the ground, and began sketching mountains, rivers, and a square robot extending a mechanical arm inside the frame.

Xie Yi raised a brow. “What are you doing?”

Fan Song: “I’m analyzing my mistakes. If we had played faster and made fewer errors, we might’ve finished the match.”

At the time, they had stopped mid-match without much thought, but in hindsight, the regret lingered.

Xie Yi sighed. “By the way, there was a character in the game with a soul-reaping chain. Shame we didn’t get to play it.”

That hero wasn’t part of the week’s free rotation, and their accounts didn’t have it unlocked, though it had appeared in the AI lineup.

Fan Song: “If I used that hero, I’d be much better than this little robot.” It felt more relatable somehow.

Xie Yi gazed at the gray-yellow sky. “I kind of regret it.”

Fan Song glanced at him, puzzled. “Hmm?”

Xie Yi: “If we hadn’t listened to that little shopkeeper’s persuasion and gone online, we wouldn’t have known about the game, and we wouldn’t be missing it so much now.”

…

Ni City

A peculiar food cart was parked under a yellowwood tree at the street corner, emitting an enticing aroma that drew the attention of passersby.

Xiong Pingping placed the small speaker Lu Yao had given her in one corner of the cart, turned it on, and let it do the work:

“Come one, come all—pancakes, spicy chicken claws, fish cakes, snowy pastries, delicious treats that’ll make you lick your fingers clean~~~”

The loud and lively pitch startled nearby pedestrians, causing them to halt momentarily before continuing. Yet, the call never paused or wavered, overwhelming the shouts of other vendors along the street.

Gradually, the entire street was filled with the rhythmic call for pancakes and spicy chicken claws, while the aroma wafting from the little pot on the cart grew more irresistible.

A curious passerby finally gave in, approaching the cart. “What’s cooking in the pot?”

With a cheerful smile, Xiong Pingping lifted the lid, letting out a stronger wave of fragrance. The young man instinctively swallowed.

“House-special braised chicken claws. Ten low-grade spirit stones for a pair.”

The young man frowned. “That’s expensive.”

Xiong Pingping used a special wooden tong to lift a braised chicken claw covered in thick sauce from the pot. Its wrinkled surface steamed, soft and tender to the point where the tong, with just a slight squeeze, tore off a piece effortlessly.

She wrapped it in oil paper and handed it to the young man. “Try it.”

The young man raised an eyebrow but accepted it.

Normally, he rarely ate chicken claws—there wasn’t much meat, and they never absorbed flavor well, making them unenjoyable. Yet this claw, gleaming with oil, melted in his mouth, soft, flavorful, and richly savory.

Sadly, it was only a small piece, gone in one bite, leaving him craving more.

“Give me one pair of chicken claws—no, make it two pairs,” he said.

Xiong Pingping swiftly packed four chicken claws into an oil paper bag she had prepared beforehand. While handing over the bag, she took a freshly cooked taiyaki from the small griddle next to her and added it to his order. “To celebrate our grand opening, we’re gifting a free xiao yu shaobing. If you like it, come back for more.”

She had renamed the taiyaki to xiao yu shaobing (“little fish pastry”) because many inland towns didn’t know what a “tai” fish was. The new name was catchy and memorable.

Though Lu Yao had initially offered her a specialized mold and griddle for making taiyaki, Xiong Pingping had studied the design and decided to forge her own. She even adjusted the mold’s details, shaping the fish into the common carp seen in the area.

Her father, being a hunter, had always emphasized the importance of good tools. Xiong Pingping often delivered blades and arrowheads to the town’s blacksmith, and over time, she picked up some basics.

Both the food cart and the fish mold were her creations, forged using the blacksmith’s tools and furnace in exchange for some spirit stones. However, making a pancake griddle was beyond her ability, so she improvised by practicing on a large iron skillet, mastering the heat control to save on costs.

The idea of gifting snacks to customers, Xiong Pingping had learned from Lu Yao.

In her earlier business ventures, she wouldn’t have dreamed of giving away such valuable food to customers who might never return. But Lu Yao frequently gave small snacks to her internet café patrons, and the customers—especially the young demons—appreciated it immensely.

Having been on the receiving end of such gestures, Xiong Pingping knew firsthand how delightful it was.

The young man across from her froze for a moment before his expression shifted, a smile curling his lips. “Thank you, miss.”

He took a bite of the xiao yu shaobing, intrigued by its unique shape. Sweet and chewy, it had a filling unlike the usual pastries from local bakeries.

The filling was red, sweet and sour, slightly translucent, with a fruity aroma that was hard to place.

“This sweet pastry is quite good. I’ll have two more,” he said.

“Coming right up!” Xiong Pingping cheerfully poured batter onto the griddle.

As time passed, business at her little food cart gradually picked up.

Even though her prices were slightly higher than those of other street vendors, customers who tried her food often returned to buy more.

Whenever she encountered a Taoist cultivator in a robe, Xiong Pingping would gift them a dandelion seed.

…

At a nearby tea stall, Xie Zili sat waiting for his senior brother and sister to finish their errands.

The young man, dressed in a raven-colored robe, had a handsome face but carried a somber air, his expression listless.

Before long, Bai Ji and Zhong Jinglan returned from the direction of the yellowwood tree, carrying small packets of food.

Stopping at the tea stall’s outdoor table, Zhong Jinglan placed a xiao yu shaobing wrapped in oil paper in front of Xie Zili.

“A new food cart opened by the yellowwood tree. The line was long, but Senior Brother Bai and I managed to buy a few things. We’ll share them with the juniors later. Try this first,” she said.

Xie Zili picked up the pastry but didn’t eat it. Instead, he stood and said, “Senior Brother, Senior Sister, since you’ve finished your business, let’s return.”

Zhong Jinglan asked, “Zili, what’s wrong with you lately? Why are you always so restless?”

Xie Zili sat back down and replied, “It’s nothing.”

Bai Ji poured himself a cup of tea and opened a packet of chicken claws. “Let’s eat before heading back; I’m exhausted.”

Xie Zili suppressed his agitation and sat with his senior brother and sister as they ate.

Bai Ji and Zhong Jinglan tried all four types of snacks they had bought. Afterward, Zhong Jinglan stood up and said, “I’m going to get more. What we bought earlier won’t be enough to share.”

After about a quarter of an hour, Zhong Jinglan returned to the tea stall empty-handed. “They’re sold out. The vendor’s already packed up and left. The old man selling wontons next to her said the stall was incredibly popular. Many people went back for more, only to find it was all gone.”

Bai Ji nodded. “The snacks were exquisite and delicious. It’s no wonder they caused a frenzy.”

Zhong Jinglan turned to Bai Ji. “Senior Brother, didn’t the vendor give you one of those seeds? Take it out; let’s see what it does.”

Xie Zili kept his gaze low, nibbling on the xiao yu shaobing, but it tasted like wax to him. He had no interest in speaking.

Bai Ji took the dandelion seed from his storage pouch and injected a trace of spiritual energy into its fluffy tufts.

The seed burst open, and a small water screen, the size of a handkerchief, unfurled in the center of the table—

It displayed a scene within a bodhi tree cave atop Baixian Mountain, where an unusual establishment named “Lu Yao’s Interdimensional Internet Café” was located.

Recently, a guest arrived at the café, claiming to be “the strongest in the three realms” and declaring their only wish: “To finally taste defeat.”

Both the demon and devils clans had sent challengers, only for them to return in defeat.

Now, the café was calling for aid from the cultivation world.

Should anyone succeed, the café promised generous rewards: mountains of spirit stones, countless medicinal pills, and numerous top-tier artifacts, all available for the victor to choose from.

…

The scenes on the water screen were incredibly provocative. The mere title of “the strongest in the three realms” was enough to ignite tempers, while the displayed rewards—a mountain of spirit stones, an endless array of pills, and celestial-grade artifacts—tempted even the firmest hearts.

Zhong Jinglan frowned. “Claiming to be the strongest in the three realms is too arrogant.”

Bai Ji stroked his chin. “Something about this seems off—it could be a trap.”

Xie Zili stared intently at the water screen, just catching a glimpse of a figure resembling Jiao Niang flashing across it. He instinctively reached out to manipulate the screen, hoping to rewind and get a clearer look.

But unlike a recording crystal, the dandelion seed dissolved into water after conveying its message, leaving a puddle on the table.

Xie Zili stood, gripping his sword. “Senior Brother, Senior Sister, I must leave for urgent business.”

Atop Baixian Mountain, within the bodhi tree cave and the Interdimensional Internet Café, Jiao Niang must be there.

He should have realized it earlier—Jiao Niang had only been in contact with that young woman before disappearing.

Her name… it was “Lu Yao.”

…

In the Demon Palace, the Demon Sovereign Zeyuan had returned from the human realm two days prior and abruptly summoned the palace’s ceremonial officer and steward.

The Demon Sovereign, who hadn’t summoned them in over 800 years, left the two in a fluster as they hurried to attend.

After about an hour, the two emerged from the hall looking pale.

From that day, the entire palace fell into a frenzy of activity.

The following day, rumors spread throughout the palace: the Demon Sovereign was preparing for a wedding, prompting a grand refurbishment of the palace and the collection of a magnificent dowry.

Lu Yao, initially skeptical, found it hard to believe.

The Demon Sovereign Zeyuan carried the curse of solitude for 3,000 years, never having experienced genuine affection. His fate dictated he would die alone…

Yet when Lu Yao herself was assigned trivial tasks related to the preparations, she couldn’t resist seeking confirmation from Lady Zhuxiang.

Lady Zhuxiang set down her brush with a satisfied smile. “It’s not just a rumor. The Sovereign indeed has intentions.”

For nearly a millennium, the Sovereign had finally shown signs of change.

Lu Yao took a step back in shock.

How could this be?

Zeyuan, devoid of emotional roots or a red thread of fate, wasn’t supposed to feel love, let alone marry.

Even if, against all odds, he did fall for someone, it should have been…

Lu Yao left Lady Zhuxiang’s chamber in a daze, unable to make sense of it.

Where had things gone wrong?

Who did the Demon Sovereign fall in love with?

…

Ji Feichen woke up early. Cheng Ye had returned to the store street, and Ji Feichen had long stepped down from his role as a network administrator.

The courier’s workday started at 9 a.m.

When there were no deliveries, the courier could even take the day off and skip coming to the store.

However, today marked Ji Feichen’s official first day as a courier, and he couldn’t contain his anticipation for this new job, despite his usual composure from holding an important position within the Ji clan.

Yesterday, several deliveries had arrived at the Ji estate, containing items purchased by café patrons online.

In Yaoguang City, these deliveries were signed off at the Ji estate as their final stop.

Ji Feichen cross-checked the inventory with the intranet records, then transported the packages to the store street, labeled them with pick-up codes, and notified the customers via transmission jade to collect their items promptly.

With the launch of the online shopping service, the first batch of deliveries totaled fewer than ten packages, two of which were for café employees.

When Ji Feichen arrived at the store, he finished his work in under ten minutes.

Sitting on a chair in front of the shelves, he stared blankly into space.

Why was this faster than Zhu Bajie eating a ginseng fruit?

Meanwhile, Jiang Yan climbed the mountain to deliver medicinal pills to Lu Yao.

In their last mission, half the objectives failed, and half succeeded. Nonetheless, Lu Yao kept her promise and gifted Jiang Yan two game accounts.

Feeling that the few bottles of pills he previously gave her were a bit meager, Jiang Yan prepared a new batch.

He brought over three types of mid-grade pills and over a dozen bottles of low-grade pills, handing them all to Lu Yao.

The morning atmosphere at the café was lively and bustling, with patrons crowding the counter to buy breakfast and activate their machines. Jiang Yan dutifully stepped aside.

Compared to the unruly demons and devils, Jiang Yan was like the well-behaved student in school.

Zhu Ying sprinted through the door, shouting, “Store Owner! I’m here to pick up my delivery!”

Lu Yao glanced up at the spider demon hanging upside down from the ceiling.

Zhu Ying’s eyes brimmed with anticipation. “The pick-up code is ****.”

She had dashed over immediately upon receiving the transmission jade message.

Lu Yao quickly grabbed a cardboard box from the adjacent shelf and tossed it into the air.

Zhu Ying used her web to catch the box mid-air, pulled it to her chest, and promptly turned to run outside without lingering.

Curious, Jiang Yan followed her to the door, but Zhu Ying was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, two young cultivators stood on the teleportation array by the entrance. They wore sky-blue robes adorned with Kunlun’s signature cloud patterns embroidered on the collars and hems. Each carried a sword in hand.

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️