Ch 130: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

“We won!!!”

“Ahhhhh!”

“I freaking took down the Evil God!!!”

“This isn’t just a story for a thousand years!”

“A thousand? Not even ten thousand is enough!”

The celestials completed the sealing formation, and the Evil God was thoroughly suppressed beneath the Divine Suppression Trees.

The bloody mist shrouding the skies above Baixian Mountain dissipated, and the souls stolen by the Evil God flew out from beneath the Divine Suppression Trees, wandering aimlessly.

The ghost officials, snapping out of their immense joy at defeating the Evil God, pulled out their Soul-Guiding Ropes to gently guide the lost souls back to their bodies.

On the mountaintop, vendors, demons, and passersby who had been unconscious for three days began to awaken one after another.

On the third floor of the internet café, the mortals who had been forced to watch three days of raid livestreams hugged one another, crying and laughing in relief.

Lu Yao, sitting atop the little black dragon, remained oblivious to the celebrations around her.

Zeyuan was dead.

She had always known that in this world, they would eventually part ways, but she thought they would meet again in another world.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to end.

Why had the God-Slaying Arrow harmed Zeyuan?

Why were Yu Yao’s heart and Zeyuan’s heart connected?

Lu Yao’s mind swirled with unanswered questions and frustration, unable to stop thinking.

The short, round Alfred flew back from the Divine Suppression Trees, clutching two snow-white bones in his claws. With unsteady movements, he landed on the little black dragon’s back and dropped the bones into Lu Yao’s lap.

The bones, finding no solid grip, rolled down Lu Yao’s leg and onto the dragon’s back.

Snapped out of her daze, Lu Yao slowly turned her gaze to Alfred, then bent down to pick up the bones. “Where did you get these?”

She had almost forgotten about them.

Alfred perched on her knee, his stubby little claws tucked against his chest. “When I used the key, I found someone had hidden these bones inside the Evil God’s phantom. I retrieved them before the celestials completed the seal.”

To be precise, the bones had been tucked among the two rows of ribs beneath the phantom’s chest cavity.

If they hadn’t been discovered, the bones would have been sealed along with the Evil God. Recovering them later would have been nearly impossible. Thankfully, Alfred had noticed in time.

Lu Yao casually stored the bones and the paper with the clue, patting Alfred’s head. “Let’s head back to the café.”

Finally hearing Lu Yao speak, the little black dragon spread its wings, let out a long roar, and dived downward, landing back at the café.

Lu Yao leapt off the dragon’s back. Her emotions now in check, she carried on as if nothing had happened, calmly addressing the follow-up matters.

The Evil God’s descent had been a significant event, but with everyone confined to Baixian Mountain at the time, the news hadn’t spread.

By the time the outside world learned of it, three or four days had passed.

With the news came updates: the Evil God had been sealed, the Demon Emperor had perished, and the Demon Sovereign had died in battle.

For days, the Six Realms buzzed with discussions about the sealing of the Evil God. The Interdimensional internet café on Baixian Mountain became a sensation on the Floating World Continent.

The Demon Emperor’s role as the Evil God’s guardian couldn’t be concealed, leading to a sharp decline in the demon race’s reputation across the Six Realms.

The death of the Demon Sovereign, however, shocked everyone.

Someone had captured the sealing process of the Evil God—featuring the café owner, the Demon Sovereign, and the celestials—using a recording talisman.

Zeyuan, hailed as the strongest Demon Sovereign in tens of thousands of years, had fought the Evil God to a stalemate.

Some people noticed the unusual bond between the café owner and the Demon Sovereign, sighing wistfully.

During the Celestial-Demon Conference, the café opened the Heavenly Ladder to all cultivators to aid in sealing the Evil God.

As a result, the cultivators who participated in the battle against the Evil God significantly improved their abilities. Those who hadn’t participated in the conference heard about this and were filled with envy, flocking to the café in droves.

The Interdimensional internet café became a famous attraction on the Floating World Continent, drawing a continuous stream of visitors. This also brought liveliness to the small town beneath Baixian Mountain and Hengze Sect, which gradually became bustling.

After Xiong Pingping woke up, she didn’t return to other cities to run her stall. Instead, she used her savings from selling snacks to rent a small shop in Baixian Town. Selling food there was enough to support herself and her younger brother.

Xiong An’an continued to live in the café but occasionally visited his sister in town.

The battle against the Evil God greatly advanced the little bear demon’s cultivation, making him strong enough to stand on his own. However, he didn’t want to leave the café or part from Jiao Niang and his friends there.

…

On the third day after the Celestial-Demon Conference ended, Xie Zili emerged from the secret realm. Hearing about the Evil God’s descent, he rushed to the café to find Jiao Niang.

Jiao Niang, standing behind the counter, spotted Xie Zili immediately and called out, “Zili.”

Xie Zili quickly approached the counter and examined her. “Are you alright?”

Jiao Niang smiled. “I’m fine. Were you in the secret realm?”

Xie Zili lowered his head. “Yes. Do you… want to return to Leihai with me?”

In the secret realm, he had encountered opportunities that advanced his cultivation but also brought him close to death.

During those moments when he thought he wouldn’t survive, his greatest regret was not being honest with Jiao Niang.

When he miraculously survived, his only desire was to see her again.

But upon leaving the secret realm, he heard of the Evil God’s descent on Baixian Mountain, trapping demons and devils, with the Demon Emperor and Demon Sovereign both perishing.

Now that he was reunited with Jiao Niang, he wanted nothing more. He just hoped to return to Leihai with her and live as they had before.

Jiao Niang studied him for a moment, then turned and called Cheng Ye and Ji Feichen to watch the shop. She stepped out from behind the counter. “Zili, come take a walk with me.”

Xie Zili was puzzled but didn’t refuse.

…

Shortly after the battle, Mo Bao used his formidable strength to overpower the other devils and succeeded the position of Demon Sovereign.

The day before his ascension, Mo Bao instructed Xuanfeng to bring Lu Yao to the Demon Realm.

The young Demon Sovereign spent the entire day showing Lu Yao around the Abyssal Demon Palace, eventually bringing her to the Ninefold Demon Hall.

This hall had been Zeyuan’s residence, filled with countless rare treasures.

Mo Bao led Lu Yao through the long corridors, opening door after door. “These are all the treasures Father collected from the Six Realms. He originally intended to use them to propose to you after everything was over. Tomorrow is my ascension ceremony, and these items are an eyesore in this hall. Would you mind taking them off my hands?”

…

When Lu Yao returned from the Demon Realm, Immortal Lingxiao had been waiting for her.

The Evil God’s descent had come without warning, and even after the event, the celestials were uneasy. They conducted an investigation to determine the cause.

Immortal Lingxiao came to inform Lu Yao of their findings.

The Celestial Maiden Lotus Fairy, Yu Yao, had originally been an ordinary floating lotus by the Jade Pool. At some point, however, a wisp of the ancient Evil God’s consciousness attached itself to her.

By coincidence, Yu Yao encountered the Demon Sovereign Zeyuan and quietly entered his dreams, stealing a portion of his memories and power.

The Demon Sovereign had actually been the Evil God’s ideal vessel, intended to be taken over at the right moment. However, something went wrong.

Yu Yao, influenced by Zeyuan’s memories, fell in love with him.

Carrying the Evil God’s ambitions while being pulled by Zeyuan’s obsessions, she became increasingly distorted and out of control.

What Immortal Lingxiao didn’t know was that the theft of Zeyuan’s memories hadn’t been solely directed by the Evil God.

…

On the second day after the battle, Lu Yao, struggling against her inner demons, used Alfred’s key to return to the past. During the Evil God’s long slumber, she found Zeyuan from eight hundred years ago and the yet-unshaped Yu Yao.

On the day Yu Yao stole Zeyuan’s memories, there had clearly been a godlike figure in the void above.

Pitch-black chains extended from the figure’s clasped hands, gradually binding Zeyuan and allowing Yu Yao to enter his dreams.

Lu Yao didn’t have time to investigate further before a divine punishment descended from the void, forcibly ejecting her from the past.

The key was broken, and Alfred was damaged and unable to function. He had been sent to Nightlight City for repairs a few days earlier.

…

In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed since the battle against the Evil God.

Lu Yao had planted the Mustard Seed in the Mirage, fulfilling the Celestial-Demon Conference’s promise to the winners. She hadn’t been to the café in several days.

…

On the continent of Nitean, it was now the Season of Waning Moon. The tiny Nitean people had experimented with planting many stone yams and vegetable seedlings in Thorn Valley this year, and the crops were thriving.

With the Season of Waning Moon ending and the Season of Twilight Moon approaching, the little people began digging up yams, drying vegetables, and storing food for the winter.

Lu Yao crafted some new building blocks, assembling them into miniature farming machines.

With little to do, she often sat on the hillside, watching the thumb-sized people busy in the fields, operating their tiny harvesting machines.

Suddenly, she felt a tickling sensation on the back of her hand. Lu Yao glanced down.

Heici, now three millimeters taller, was carefully holding a large bundle of tiny purple flowers. When he saw her notice, he boldly placed the flowers in her hand. “Purple Dream Blossoms.”

Lu Yao opened her palm.

Heici placed the bouquet in her hand and then hugged her thumb, rubbing against it gently. In a soft voice, he said, “I’ll bring you flowers every day, so cheer up.”

The staff on the shopping street had all noticed that their owner wasn’t in good spirits lately. When they heard from the café’s non-human staff about the owner’s connection to the Demon Sovereign, they were shocked and unsure how to comfort her.

Only Heici, who went hunting every day, would bring her a bouquet of flowers upon his return.

Lu Yao lowered her head and sniffed the flowers in her hand. Their faint fragrance lingered in her nose. She extended a finger to pat Heici’s small head.

As the sun began to set, Lu Yao finally stood and leisurely made her way toward the hot spring inn, pulling two slips of paper from her pocket.

One read “Help!”, and the other was a regular clue.

After many days of rest, it was time to decide where to open the next store.

…

Thingyan: Ahhhh this is getting me anxious.

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