Ch 126: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

The café’s third floor, after renovations, now resembled a stadium. The circular, tiered seating in the viewing area was packed with spectators—humans, demons, devils, and cultivators—all squeezed together, gazing with excitement and curiosity at the countless floating rectangular screens in the center. Each screen corresponded to a different trial arena.

Guests who had purchased tickets to the café received a numbered wristband at the entrance, which also featured a small screen.

Using the wristband, guests could freely select livestreams of matches they were interested in, focusing on one or several specific games.

Newly arrived human guests played around with the wristband, swiping their fingers across the screen. They dragged bubbles representing different matches into a row and removed the rest, leaving only their selected matches visible on the wristband screen.

“This wristband is so interesting. It works without spiritual energy.”

“That’s nothing. If you’ve never been online, you’re missing out. The internet has even cooler stuff.”

“Years ago, we’d avoid places frequented by demons and devils. Where did this strange café even come from?”

“I suspect the café’s owner and those bald-headed staff are from the online world and came here to open a shop.”

“True. None of these things exist on the Floating World Continent, nor have we ever seen people like them. But there’s plenty of this online.”

…

Compared to demons and devils, the ghosts sat farther from the humans.

Dressed in identical black robes, with pale faces and dark eyes, they occupied a single area, radiating a chilling aura.

It couldn’t be helped. Beings who didn’t enter the cycle of reincarnation after death and became ghosts underwent significant changes in appearance and constitution.

When visiting the human realm without official duties, ghosts would voluntarily keep their distance from humans.

Among the six realms, humans were the weakest. Prolonged exposure to ghostly energy could harm their lifespan.

A few celestial beings had also arrived, though their numbers were small, only about thirty or forty.

Clad in uniform white Daoist robes, they sat in a small area near the screens, their expressions indifferent, interacting with no one.

Seeing the celestials, the nearby humans didn’t dare approach or disturb them.

About half an hour later, the conference officially began. The countless floating screen fragments merged into one, displaying the café’s network manager, Xiao Zhong, whose visible awkwardness was hard to miss.

“Who’s this?”

“No idea. Judging by his hair and clothes, he looks like café staff.”

A demon nearby added, “That’s Brother Zhong, the café’s network manager and also the sect leader of the Six Realms Sect.”

“Network manager? Is that impressive?”

“Very. For one, Brother Zhong is the best gamer in the café. To this day, no one has beaten him.”

“What kind of sect is the Six Realms Sect?”

“It’s a sect known for being gaming pros. I once played a canyon game and failed to rank up after three tries. I got someone from the Six Realms Sect to help, and they finished it in less than two hours.”

“I heard the boss is also very skilled. How does she compare to this network manager?”

The demon’s expression turned awkward. “The boss is like an ancestor. Don’t mess with her if you value your life.”

Most of the inquisitive humans were newcomers who had just learned about the café. Some had visited a few times before the Celestial-Demon Conference but weren’t familiar with the boss’s reputation. Hearing the demon’s words, they thought he was exaggerating.

They had seen the boss—a young woman in her twenties with cultivation only at the Golden Core stage. She seemed clever and good at business, but nothing extraordinary.

The human spectators didn’t take the demon’s warning seriously.

Meanwhile, Xiao Zhong stood at the podium, expressionless, attempting to look composed. Inside, he was more nervous than he had been when accepting the MVP award onstage during his esports career.

With the thought of six thousand spectators from six different realms watching from the third floor and countless participants observing the livestream, he clenched his fists and took a deep breath to calm himself.

Then, trying to sound steady, he began, “In esports, the truth is not that the strong always win… Observation, decision-making, and teamwork—all can rewrite the outcome of a match. Don’t underestimate yourselves or give up easily… Victory belongs to the truly strong. That’s all.”

…

In the café’s lounge, Shi Yan’s team was also watching the livestream. Some were fans of Xiao Zhong.

An older team member chuckled so hard his eyes nearly disappeared. “Who would’ve thought K-King, a retired champion for a few months, would still be this much of a dramatic youth.”

A colleague laughed. “People online still talk about K-King, calling out their own players: ‘If you don’t take your pro career seriously, you’ll end up like him—retired and working as a network manager.’”

The older teammate, unable to hold back anymore, burst into laughter. “And here he is, managing networks and giving profound speeches as an esports elder in the cultivation world. Good thing no one in the six realms uploads videos. Otherwise, he’d be trending with a full 360-degree HD angle of his speech!”

“Are we sure this isn’t just embarrassing history?”

“Hahaha, we’ve got the livestream recordings.”

Outside, Xiao Zhong, who was just about to come in, froze, his face blank, and his toes curling in his shoes.

He hadn’t known the boss would call him up to speak at the last minute. His mind had gone completely blank when he stood on stage.

He somehow managed to finish the speech, and judging by the audience’s reaction, it seemed to have gone over well. His shaky confidence was somewhat restored.

But now, back in the lounge, a few remarks from his colleagues completely broke his composure.

Was it really that cringeworthy?

Xiao Zhong tried to recall his few minutes on stage but abruptly stopped himself.

No, he couldn’t dwell on it—there was still work to do.

He knocked on the door, paused for a few seconds until the noise inside died down, and then entered.

But the group showed no restraint, teasing him right to his face.

“…” Xiao Zhong felt like he couldn’t catch a break with this crew.

At that moment, his die-hard fan asked, “Brother Zhong, I heard someone from the café is participating too?”

Finally, a change in topic. Xiao Zhong let out a sigh of relief.

“The boss has something she wants to test in the Mirage. An’an, Little Ginseng, and Qiuyu want to play as well, so I’m tagging along,” Xiao Zhong said.

Since the café staff and disciples from the Six Realms Sect had reserved slots for the Heavenly Ladder, they hadn’t planned on competing with others for spots. With the café organizing the tournament, they were already busy enough and decided to focus on their duties.

The shop’s participants weren’t entering the individual battles. Lu Yao planned to take a few of the little ones and play a couple of rounds on the 5v5 map.

Their team included the little bear demon, Little Ginseng, Lu Yao, Xiao Zhong, and a ghost official.

The team heard that the panda cub and the festive doll would also be participating, which sent the strait-laced programmers’ excitement through the roof.

Shi Yan, who had been silently listening, suddenly looked up and asked, “The dragon girl and the piglet aren’t going?”

Qiuyu had transformed shortly after exiting the Heavenly Ladder and, being newly hatched, still appeared as a young girl. Unlike the cute festive doll Little Ginseng, the little demon dragon had a cool, fiery personality. She was exquisitely beautiful, with a commanding presence and a bold, independent demeanor.

Shi Yan had been deeply impressed by her.

“They’re going,” Xiao Zhong replied.

The situations with Qiuyu and the Tangkang piglet were more complicated, so Xiao Zhong didn’t elaborate further.

…

The conference had officially begun, and everyone’s attention quickly shifted to the trials and matches displayed on the screens, leaving little room for idle chatter.

Spectators at the venue could use their wristbands to follow specific matches closely, while also glancing up to see the overall state of all ongoing matches.

Every two hours, the individual screens would merge into one for a 20-minute intermission, during which the cumulative scores and rankings were announced.

To make things more engaging, Lu Yao borrowed from modern tournament formats and included live interviews.

The host conducted pre-arranged interviews with participants during match breaks, recording snippets to be shown on the big screens during intermissions.

For both the competitors and the audience, this new form of interaction was a refreshing and exciting experience.

On the first day of the tournament, during the morning’s first break, the café announced the standings for both the individual and team competitions, followed by interviews with the top-ranked participants in each category.

The top scorer in the individual competition across all six realms was a devil, none other than Xuanfeng, the aide to the ruler of the Demon Realm.

Though a devil, Xuanfeng had a clean and handsome appearance, with an air of grace and clarity that didn’t match the typical human stereotype of devils.

In response to the host’s questions, Xuanfeng remained composed and polite, answering with precision and charm, earning considerable goodwill from the audience.

After Xuanfeng’s interview came the interview with the leading team in the group competition. This team had won three consecutive matches in the morning, leaving their competition far behind in points.

Standing in a line before the screen, the five members immediately drew the attention of all spectators and waiting participants.

…

On the first morning of the Celestial-Demon Conference, many teams were still adjusting.

In the individual competition, participants were adapting to the illusion realm and learning to react to its challenges.

The team competition was more complex, but most participants were already familiar with MOBA-style games. Teams generally formed based on role needs, with members coming from the same race.

For example, a typical five-person cultivation team might include a sword cultivator, a talisman master, a refiner, and possibly a body cultivator paired with a healer, or maybe an aural cultivator or Buddhist practitioner.

This was a traditional gaming lineup: main damage dealer, mage, tank, support, and healer—widely recognized as balanced and effective. Translated on Hololo novels.

However, the current top-ranked team was strikingly different. Their main tank was a demon, their main damage dealer a devil, with a ghost and a talisman master handling support, and another demon refiner who brought along spirit pets.

The only thing this team didn’t include was mortals or celestials.

During the interview, the host asked, “Why did you decide to team up?”

A young demon answered, “When the café first appeared at Baixian Mountain, I was already living on the mountain. I started playing games as soon as I visited the café, trying out single-player and multiplayer games, each with its own charm.

“After playing for a long time, my favorites became canyon games and Tales of the Six Realms—games that require both skill and strategy. As the network manager said, there are no absolute strong players in games, but those who win in the end are undeniably strong.

“We don’t have the many concerns of humans, nor are we bound by the inflated pride of celestials. Why team up? Because we want to win. That’s all.”

The interview was short, but it left participants in the waiting area deep in thought.

By the afternoon, similar team configurations began appearing in the team competition.

Even in the individual competition, some participants started seeking cooperation to tackle difficult missions.

The individual competition map occasionally generated tasks to defeat powerful bosses. Since solo players couldn’t handle these bosses alone, clever participants began using in-game loudspeakers to call for allies, forming temporary teams to defeat the boss, share the materials and rewards, and then part ways.

This increasingly diverse approach to teamwork added unpredictability to the matches, making the competition more dynamic and engaging for spectators.

However, humans and celestials seemed excluded from this growing trend, as no one invited them to team up.

Humans took it in stride. As the weakest of the six realms, without even the qualifications for cultivation, they were long accustomed to this “hierarchy of disdain.” Simply watching the matches was enough to make them happy, and they didn’t dwell on it.

The celestials, however, couldn’t let it go. The interview was like a thorn lodged in their throats—impossible to swallow or spit out.

That young demon, ignorant of the lofty heights of the celestial race, had become arrogant after a few wins in the illusion realm and dared to mock the celestials.

During the midday break, celestial teams exiting the illusion realm saw the interview, their anger boiling over. Quietly, a plan for targeted retaliation began to take shape.

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