Ch 110: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Lu Yao repeatedly reviewed Lu Yao’s memories but couldn’t grasp the method to upgrade the shop’s interdimensional space.

She attempted to use illusions to create realms, but illusions remained ephemeral, unable to solidify like the interdimensional space. The two could not merge, forcing the expansion of the internet café’s third floor to halt.

For this small tournament, they had to reuse the setup from the last event, with the competition held on the first floor and spectators watching from the second floor.

The original plan called for using holographic projections to display the live competition on the second floor. However, Lu Yao didn’t understand holographic technology, the regular staff lacked the knowledge, and there was no way to contact Eden Sea’s 1041 group. She had to resort to using water curtain projections from the Floating World.

The water curtain shimmered like a lake’s surface, but the visuals were blurry, and there was no sound. The projection quality was far from ideal.

When Lu Yao suggested the water curtain, she was slightly uneasy.

However, Cheng Ye and Xiao Zhong raised no objections and immediately informed Jiao Niang to prepare.

Due to the event, the shop was busy, so Jiao Niang had also come in during the day to help.

Being an aquatic being, a mermaid demon like her was the most suitable for setting up a water curtain.

But Jiao Niang had been in low spirits these past few days. Ever since Xiong An’an had gone out, he hadn’t returned.

She had asked the shopkeeper about him multiple times, but Lu Yao showed no concern, brushing her off each time.

Jiao Niang grew suspicious but couldn’t find any answers. After work, she would search nearby areas, but the little bear demon was nowhere to be found.

She suspected Xiong An’an had left Baixian Mountain altogether, but the reasoning eluded her.

Why would Xiong An’an, who loved the internet café and everyone here so much, leave without a word?

The shopkeeper’s behavior was also strange. She used to adore Xiong An’an and would worry if he was gone for even half a day. Now, after several days, she seemed indifferent.

Jiao Niang sighed. Humans are truly cold-hearted. Resolving to take matters into her own hands, she decided that if Xiong An’an didn’t return after the tournament, she would take leave to search for him.

If no one else cared, she couldn’t ignore it.

Heavy with worry, Jiao Niang climbed the stairs to prepare the water curtain.

At the corner of the stairs leading from the first to the second floor, she saw a grayish ginseng demon squatting quietly.

A few sparrow demons perched on the ginseng demon’s head, chirping noisily.

Jiao Niang initially ignored them but noticed a small puddle of water beneath the ginseng demon’s roots. She approached and asked, “What’s wrong?”

The ginseng demon sobbed softly, unable to speak.

The leader of the sparrow demons fluttered down into Jiao Niang’s palm and chirped out the story.

About half an hour ago, the sparrow demons had been eating discarded ginseng roots in their cage—roots full of spiritual energy, generously provided by the shopkeeper that morning.

They were happily feasting when the ginseng demon came to the counter to buy something. Upon seeing a small piece of ginseng root fall from the cage, she suddenly became dejected.

It turned out the ginseng roots were pieces the ginseng demon had plucked from herself as a gift for the shopkeeper.

When the ginseng demon first visited the internet café, she had no spirit stones. The shopkeeper had generously let her use the internet and even treated her to instant noodles and grilled sausages.

Having cultivated for over a thousand years, the ginseng demon, whose true form was a living treasure of immense value, could sell a single small root for thousands of spirit stones.

Later, she grew wealthy by selling her roots but still remembered the shopkeeper’s kindness. Wanting to return the favor, she carefully selected the best roots from her body as gifts.

The sparrow demons, unknowingly eating these discarded treasures, had upset the ginseng demon.

Ginseng demons grew slowly. After a thousand years of cultivation, this one had taken on the form of a soft, doll-like child, irresistibly endearing.

But now, overwhelmed by sadness, she couldn’t hold back her tears. Not wanting to be seen by too many, she reverted to her true form, crouching in a corner and sobbing while plucking more roots from herself.

Jiao Niang gently stroked the little ginseng demon. The shopkeeper has been acting so out of character lately.

It reminded her of her time at the Xie Residence, leading her to wonder if human hearts were simply this fickle.

For the first time, Jiao Niang began to feel that the internet café might not be a place worth staying in for the long term.

On the first floor’s lounge, the five members of the shop street team, Ji Zhixin, and the shopkeeper sat around on the sofa, an odd tension in the air.

Just minutes earlier, Xiao Zhong had used the last bit of time to review strategies and motivate his teammates.

No matter what, they didn’t want to lose.

Even if their opponents were cultivators—ones who, rumor had it, had specially crafted keyboards and mice for the match.

Then the shopkeeper suddenly entered and announced her intention to replace Liu Tang as the ADC for the match.

The atmosphere in the room instantly became heavy.

In the past few days, the impostor shopkeeper’s influence on shopping street had reached every corner.

She seemed to have read extensively about success strategies online and applied those techniques on the employees.

In just three days, shopping street staff were swamped with overtime meetings and bombarded with private messages from the shopkeeper, filled with promises and lectures.

The employees’ private gripe group chat was overflowing with negativity.

They used to think of shopping street as a wonderful place—great benefits, a simple environment, and stress-free work. They’d imagined working there until retirement. But now, with a new boss, they felt like quitting every minute.

Ji Zhixin spent his days pacifying everyone in the chat group.

Many had even taken to frequenting the pet cafe and the Hot Springs Inn for comfort.

After intense training, the team was looking forward to relaxing once the match was over. But now, the impostor shopkeeper wanted to insert herself into the competition.

Xiao Zhong scanned his teammates, all of whom avoided eye contact and collectively blocked out the situation.

“…,” Xiao Zhong exhaled deeply, suppressing his frustration. “Shopkeeper, this seems a bit rash. You haven’t participated in any team practices.”

Lu Yao dismissed his concern lightly. “It’s fine. I’ve been playing a lot recently. I won’t drag you down.”

Xiao Zhong’s shoulders slumped.

Based on his few days of working with the impostor, he knew further persuasion would be futile.

The impostor might look identical to the shopkeeper, but her personality was entirely different. Yet she seemed oblivious to the discrepancy.

Ji Qingyan clenched the fabric of her pants, barely containing her emotions.

Liu Tang adjusted his glasses and volunteered, “Let the shopkeeper play. It doesn’t matter whether I’m in or not.”

Lu Yao smiled. “I’ll play one game. If I don’t do well, you can take over.”

Xiao Zhong pinched the bridge of his nose and silently prayed for the real shopkeeper’s swift return.

…

Mirror of Serenity

While Xiong An’an meditated, Lu Yao sat with her back to him and opened her system interface.

They had been in the illusion for so long that she’d lost track of time. Suddenly, she remembered that the task timer on the system panel might offer a clue.

The task deadline still had over ten days remaining, meaning she and Xiong An’an hadn’t spent as much time in the illusion as it seemed.

Before closing the system panel, Lu Yao opened the task compendium to calculate how much time she could spend leaving the illusion without risking failure.

Then she froze, staring at the icon for the celestial race.

She exited the panel and reopened it to confirm.

The celestial race icon had been activated.

Celestial race.

Lu Yao could think of only one person.

It seemed the “celestial maiden” had been thoroughly enjoying herself in her shop during this time.

“Pop—”

Behind her, there was a sound like a cork being pulled from a bottle, followed by Xiong An’an’s panicked voice. “Don’t turn around!”

Lu Yao asked calmly, “What’s going on?”

Xiong An’an scrambled to pick up a bag of holding from the ground, shaking out its contents. Snacks, toys, comic books—various trinkets, all gifts from employees and her sister, spilled everywhere.

He muttered nervously, “I’m… not wearing clothes.”

“You transformed?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Lu Yao retrieved a modern children’s outfit from her inventory. “These are Budu’s clothes. Wear them for now.”

Xiong An’an quickly snatched the clothes and spent a few minutes dressing. “All done.”

Lu Yao stood and stepped out of the Mustard Seed space with Xiong An’an, returning to the initial room. She tilted her head back, gazing upward.

Having read all the books in the illusion, Lu Yao now understood that this was a trial artifact.

The solution to break free was hidden in the study next door and was actually not too difficult to figure out.

…

Outside the lounge, there was a knock on the door. Cheng Ye stood at the entrance. “It’s about to start. Are you ready?”

Zhong Lianjia took the lead, getting up and heading toward the door.

Outside, the members of the Cultivator Team stood confidently by the counter, their presence commanding.

Seeing the shopkeeper walking together with the opposing team surprised them.

Over the past few days, the shopkeeper had often slacked off during their training sessions, playing games poorly.

If she were to join the match, their chances of victory would undoubtedly increase.

The two teams briefly exchanged glances before heading together toward the competition area.

At the entrance, a girl with an innocent, slightly clumsy appearance burst in. Her panicked gaze swept across the main hall until it landed on the shopkeeper. She ran over immediately.

Xiong Pingping: “Shopkeeper, I heard that An’an is missing?”

Lu Yao felt irritated. Why was everyone so worked up over a mere half-demon?

“He’s just playing around. He’ll probably come back in a few days.”

Xiong Pingping: “But Jiao Niang said she searched all over Baixian Mountain and couldn’t find him.”

Under the gaze of everyone present, Lu Yao forced herself to remain patient. “Don’t worry. The shop is busy right now. Once the tournament is over, I’ll help you look for him. An’an is at an age where he loves to play; he’s probably just gotten too absorbed somewhere to remember to come back.”

Xiong Pingping’s distress was palpable, as though her heart was being gnawed by a thousand ants. Summoning her courage, she pressed further, “But that morning, An’an went out with you. How is it that only you returned, and he’s nowhere to be found?”

The competition participants hesitated to take their seats, and the guests upstairs, tired of waiting, grew noisy and restless.

The Cultivator Team, now at the front, stopped and turned to look back at the shopping street players.

Lu Yao’s face flushed slightly.

She had never taken the half-demon cub seriously, so she hadn’t even bothered to prepare a substitute explanation for his absence. This oversight was now causing her embarrassment.

…

From outside, a black streak wrapped in golden light shot into the shop, landing at the forefront of the crowd and transforming into a young man clad in black with long dark hair.

Zeyuan had returned from who knew where, his robes covered in dust and grime.

With a wave of his hand, he cast a cleansing spell, then turned to Xiao Zhong at the front of the group. “Where is your shopkeeper?”

Xiao Zhong froze. “…”

Lu Yao hadn’t contacted Zeyuan in the past few days, as she knew the real Lu Yao rarely reached out to him first. She had been waiting for his return, but now that he was here, she abandoned dealing with Xiong Pingping and stepped forward quickly with a soft smile. “You’re back.”

Zeyuan glanced at her briefly, his tone indifferent. He repeated his question to Xiao Zhong. “Where is Lu Yao?”

Lu Yao’s smile froze.

A strange tension spread through the room. Members of the Cultivator Team slowly turned back to observe.

The red-robed sword cultivator from the Tianyan Sect asked, “What’s going on?”

Under the weight of Zeyuan’s oppressive gaze, Xiao Zhong reluctantly pointed toward Lu Yao. “…The shopkeeper… is here.”

Zeyuan looked at her again, his voice turning icy. “That’s not her.”

Lu Yao stepped forward, attempting to sound calm. “Zeyuan, you must be tired. Let’s talk in private.”

Without waiting for a reply, she added, “Liu, you’ll play this round. I won’t join for now.”

But as she reached out to grab Zeyuan’s hand, he stepped back, avoiding her touch.

In an instant, a golden lotus branch materialized in the air, coiling tightly around Lu Yao.

The branch sprouted sharp thorns that easily pierced her skin, digging into her flesh and staining her clothes with blood.

Within seconds, cold sweat drenched her body, her brows furrowed in pain, and her lips turned pale.

“You… how do you know… I’m not her?”

Zeyuan’s crimson eyes were as cold as ice, his voice sharp and unyielding: “The one I care for, I would never mistake.”

Xuanfeng and Mo Bao, who had just caught up, barely managed to steady their breath before hearing their lord utter such an embarrassing statement.

Even the Cultivator Team was stunned.

Zeyuan’s fingers tightened, and Lu Yao’s clothing was instantly stained with blood. “Where is she?”

Lu Yao forced a smile, her voice weak. “You’re too late.”

Zeyuan’s brows furrowed deeply, his murderous aura spilling forth.

Xiao Zhong mustered his courage to interject: “Your Lordship, please don’t act rashly!”

Ji Zhixin also spoke up: “The shopkeeper is not in danger.”

Lu Yao froze, lifting her gaze to the shopping street employees in disbelief. A chill ran through her, as if her chest had been punctured with countless holes. “You… deceived me?”

The employees remained silent.

Lu Yao stared blankly for a moment before suddenly laughing wildly: “Fine, fine, fine! I will personally take care of her!”

Ji Zhixin closed his eyes heavily, regret washing over him.

They had tread carefully, enduring humiliation and suppressing their emotions to avoid provoking her and endangering the shopkeeper. Yet, it all seemed to have been for naught.

Zeyuan, however, was unfazed by such threats. He raised his hand, summoning nine small lotus-shaped daggers. The poisoned blades pierced mercilessly into Lu Yao’s chest.

His voice was cold and calm: “Where is she?”

Pain wracked Lu Yao, her hateful gaze sweeping over the shopping street employees one by one. She resented them more than the Demon Lord—this hypocritical, deceitful group of humans.

She thought of the Mirror of Serenity. If she crushed it now, both the shopkeeper and that foolish half-demon would never escape.

Focusing her energy, she struggled to remain calm. All she needed was an opening…

A faint cracking sound broke her thoughts.

“Crack—”

The noise grew louder.

“Crack, crack, crack—”

The silver mirror in Lu Yao’s qiankun pouch fell to the ground, shattering into countless fragments. A tall and a short figure emerged from within.

“Shopkeeper!!!” Xiao Zhong exclaimed in delight, hurrying forward. He instinctively reached out to Lu Yao but awkwardly pulled back at the last second, tears welling up. “You’re finally back.”

The shopping street employees stood stunned for a moment, before they seemed to come alive, rushing to surround Lu Yao.

Lu Yao was overwhelmed by the sudden wave of enthusiasm, unable to move.

Jiao Niang noticed a small boy in a plaid shirt being pushed aside.

The child’s face was round and endearing, with jet-black, mischievous eyes and a rounded nose. Despite his youthful features, dark circles under his eyes lent him an oddly pitiful look.

She approached quickly. “An’an?”

Xiong An’an looked up, spreading his arms as he leapt into her embrace. “Jiao Niang, I’m back!”

Spotting Xiong Pingping hesitating nearby, he waved enthusiastically. “Sister, sister! I’m here!”

Xiong Pingping approached cautiously. “An’an?”

Xiong An’an threw himself into her arms, nuzzling against her before boasting with a wide grin: “The shopkeeper and I were trapped in an illusion by a bad woman. Thanks to my hard work cultivating, I managed to transform and rescue us both!”

Lu Yao, still surrounded by the employees, was startled by their warmth. She glanced at the Cultivator Team, who stood waiting nearby. Walking over, she patted each of their shoulders, offering comfort: “Thank you for your patience these past few days. Please, everyone, take a moment to collect yourselves. What’s the current situation in the shop?”

The employees snapped out of their daze, faces flushing as they realized how they had been acting.

After learning the small tournament was underway, Xiao Zhong hesitantly asked if they should postpone it for a couple of days.

Given how much time had already been delayed by the celestial maiden’s antics, and with the task nearing its deadline, Lu Yao decided the sooner it was completed, the better.

However, the recent commotion had caused quite a stir. In the end, the tournament was delayed by an hour to allow for calming guests and resetting the second-floor projection equipment.

Xuanfeng identified Lu Yao as a courtier from the Demon Palace and requested Zeyuan’s permission to take her back to the Demon Realm for questioning.

The cultivators from the Cultivator Team also inquired about the incident, to which Lu Yao provided a brief explanation.

…

An hour later, the much-anticipated human-demon tournament officially began.

Lu Yao sat in the front row of the spectator area on the first floor, holding Budu in her lap. On her right, Harold occupied the seat with an air of possessiveness, while Ji Zhixin sat quietly to her left, whispering updates about shopping street’s recent affairs.

The other shopping street employees filled the seats behind her, relieved to finally watch the match in peace.

Xiong An’an, having transformed into his human form, felt that his charm had greatly diminished—something he couldn’t quite understand.

Nonetheless, Jiao Niang and Xiong Pingping sat on either side of him, clearly delighted by his return. They alternated handing him candies and fruits.

Xiong An’an munched on his snacks, the sound of crunching accompanying his lifted spirits as his earlier frustrations melted away.

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️