Ch 139: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

The room fell into an eerie silence. The security team stared at Lu Yao in astonishment, unable to maintain their assertive stance.

Liu Jing, standing a bit further from the team but closer to Lu Yao, had a clear view of how the god seal was brushed away from the shopkeeper’s hand like dust.

Cai Yuxing, standing beside Jiang Lin, finally realized something that had escaped her earlier—this shopkeeper was different.

She wasn’t an ordinary store owner. She didn’t rely on the church or the administrative office, and she could even effortlessly erase a god seal.

The ghost street was a world belonging to Him, where humans were like crops in a field—ripening, then rotting away. If by some miracle they weren’t consumed, their ultimate fate was still to decay in the dirt, never to escape.

But this newly appeared shop was something extraordinary.

Jiang Lin’s consciousness had almost fully recovered, though his movements remained sluggish. He slowly walked over to Lu Yao, his words deliberate and clear: “Thank you, shopkeeper.”

The security team turned their heads in unison, eyes brimming with caution as they focused on Jiang Lin. It was Qin Qiuming, their leader, who spoke first.

“You… are you conscious?”

Jiang Lin raised a shaky hand to rub his forehead, looking fatigued. “Yes.”

Ren You couldn’t help but ask, “Do you remember anything?”

Jiang Lin glanced briefly at Lu Yao before continuing. “I sank to the bottom of the sea, and ahead of me was a long, dark, and winding path. I wanted to follow it deeper, but voices kept calling my name, chattering incessantly and making it impossible to focus. I don’t know how, but somehow I strayed from the path. By the time I realized it, I had surfaced, and when I looked up, I saw the sky filled with fireworks. Eventually, the water that had surrounded me retreated entirely.”

It was during the fireworks display on the street that Jiang Lin regained his clarity, though he had still been groggy at the time.

The security team stared at him, stunned into silence. Their expressions, however, spoke volumes, practically shouting: That’s it? That simple? You were about to fully transform, and now you’re just… back?

Cai Yuxing ran to Jiang Lin, throwing her arms around him as tears streamed down her face. “This is amazing! You’re okay! You’re really okay!”

Jiang Lin looked down, his lips curving into a shy smile as he murmured, “It’s okay, don’t cry.”

Qin Qiuming, however, remained wary. “I’ve seen hundreds, if not thousands, of transformations. For someone at your stage, it’s absolutely impossible to escape Him so easily.”

The security team’s relief quickly turned to grim determination. There had been similar cases in the past—transformed individuals regaining apparent clarity, as if breaking free through sheer willpower. But each time, it had proven to be another trap, luring more people into His grasp.

Lu Yao seemed to be deep in thought. “This is worth monitoring. Tonight, I’ll stay with Jiang Lin the whole time.”

There were seven security team members, plus Liu Jing, Cai Yuxing, Jiang Lin, and Lu Yao, making a total of eleven people.

The shop had three operation rooms, which could be rearranged to accommodate everyone for the night. Across from the rooms were restrooms.

The security team explained a crucial rule to Lu Yao: no more than six people could stay in one room.

The number “6” seemed to be something He favored. When a room’s occupants equaled or exceeded six, it often attracted His attention.

Lu Yao recalled the first task listed in the shop’s guidebook and thought it made sense. Apparently, He did like the number “6.”

The room assignments were finalized as follows: Liu Jing and Cai Yuxing in Operation Room 1, five security officers in Operation Room 2, and Lu Yao, Jiang Lin, Qin Qiuming, and Xu Zhengrong in Operation Room 3.

After everyone was settled, it was still early.

The shop’s door remained open, and the security team gathered near the entrance. People bustled about outside, but it was as if the team was sealed in a glass jar—unable to leave and unseen by those passing by.

As midnight approached, the streets grew quieter.

Lu Yao rose and locked up the shop on time.

The makeshift guest rooms were simply furnished. Lu Yao handed out thin blankets for the air conditioning, leaving it up to each person whether to sleep on the floor or on the chairs.

Qin Qiuming and Xu Zhengrong huddled in the corner with their blankets, keeping as much distance from Jiang Lin as possible.

They could have avoided staying in the same room with Lu Yao and Jiang Lin, as the main hall was also available for resting.

However, as the security chief and an experienced veteran, they decided it was their duty to oversee Jiang Lin with the shopkeeper despite her intimidating display of power.

Lu Yao reclined in a chair against the wall, draping a blanket over her legs and closing her eyes to rest.

Jiang Lin sat not far from her, leaning against the wall.

When the lights were turned off, darkness engulfed the room like an encroaching tide.

Lu Yao hadn’t planned to sleep, only to rest her eyes, but drowsiness overcame her, and she eventually drifted off.

…

Midnight

Half-asleep, Lu Yao stirred awake, her ears catching a strange, vaguely familiar sound. It was a wet, squelching noise—like someone walking on a slippery, water-covered floor in damp slippers or a slimy tongue lapping at food.

The operation room was pitch black, with blackout curtains drawn over the windows. The air was heavy and oppressively still.

Lu Yao remembered there was a switch near the wall to her left. She reached out, only to feel something cold and slimy, like mucus, coating her hand.

Suppressing a gag, she took a deep breath, trying to steady herself against the nausea.

The next moment, she felt a powerful force. Something slick and wet coiled around her left wrist, yanking her with brutal strength.

While the unknown naturally induced fear, Lu Yao had a hunch about what had ensnared her wrist.

She recalled similar encounters in the theme park game she had once played. Perhaps she had become numb to this level of fright—her mind raced with bizarre, disconnected thoughts as she prepared to test her strength against whatever was dragging her.

All she needed was light. Once the room was illuminated, the monstrous entity hiding in the darkness would be exposed.

Gripping the chair’s armrest with her right hand, Lu Yao leaned left, stretching her fingers toward the switch.

“Click.”

A faint warm yellow light spilled into the room, driving back the darkness.

Lu Yao’s pupils constricted as she took in the scene before her.

Jiang Lin was nowhere to be seen. The entire room had been invaded by a massive, golden-yellow abomination.

Its enormous body filled the space, covered in open, pale gold eyes. Thick, muscular tentacles adhered to the walls, dripping viscous fluid that filled the air with a nauseating stench of wet decay.

Qin Qiuming and Xu Zhengrong were crammed into a corner, their eyes bulging as if on the brink of suffocation.

The creature seemed uninterested in them, its enormous, fist-sized eyes fixated solely on Lu Yao.

Its translucent, mucus-covered skin glistened under the dim light.

Lu Yao steadied her breath, her hand slipping behind her back to retrieve the Regulation Rod.

The creature rotated its myriad eyes, as if scrutinizing her every move.

Lu Yao’s tightly pressed lips curved faintly upward, forming an almost imperceptible smile. Her fingers brushed over the golden vines etched on the staff’s surface.

A thin veil of black mist dissipated from the staff’s grip, revealing a shrouded deity figure. The figure’s lips parted, spitting out eighteen pitch-black orbs.

Lu Yao activated the orbs. They transformed into cone-shaped spikes, sharp at the bottom and rounded at the top, scattering with a swift “whoosh.”

“Splat!”

The spikes pierced the creature’s eyes, and viscous, deep blue ichor oozed from the wounds. Its tentacles flailed violently, shaking the room as if in an earthquake.

The eighteen spikes locked firmly into its eyes. It lifted a massive tentacle, slamming it down with tremendous force.

Lu Yao raised the Regulation Rod, holding it over her head to block the strike.

“I’ve confirmed it,” she said calmly. “In this space, even you are not my match.”

As she spoke, she pushed the tentacle back with a surge of strength, spinning the staff deftly in her hand before plunging its blade deep into the creature’s body.

“Squelch—”

The grotesque, flesh-like mass of the mutated octopus deflated like a punctured balloon, gradually collapsing until only its skin remained.

In the corner, Qin Qiuming and Xu Zhengrong were on their knees, their faces streaked with tears and saliva, their bodies soaked in sticky fluids.

Lu Yao’s gaze remained fixed on the octopus skin, its gold, paper-like surface faintly pulsating beneath.

Jiang Lin was nowhere to be seen.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Yao stepped forward and lifted the skin. Beneath it lay the boy, stripped bare, his limbs and shoulders pierced by eighteen black spikes. Blood pooled beneath him, mixing with the viscous fluids to form a grim tableau of despair.

Jiang Lin’s eyes were cloudy, but he forced his neck upward to meet Lu Yao’s gaze. With great effort, he rasped, “Truly… thank you.”

Lu Yao froze, her face paling.

Xu Zhengrong staggered over, his face equally drained of color, his voice hoarse. “After a divine descent, the vessel doesn’t survive for long.”

A divine descent. A god’s manifestation in this world.

Yet no one had ever seen the true form of Him. Whenever He appeared, He would use a human body as a vessel.

Once discarded, these vessels would rapidly wither away, like desiccated gourds, leaving only empty shells.

A torrent of potential solutions raced through Lu Yao’s mind. She had seen and experienced enough in various worlds to keep calm in the face of such a dire situation.

Activating the Regulation Rod, she first removed the divine spikes pinning Jiang Lin’s body. Then, using a healing spell imbued with light magic, she closed his wounds. Finally, she crafted a bracelet of Tears of the Deep Sea Goddess and Divine Pearls, fastening it onto Jiang Lin’s wrist.

Qin Qiuming and Xu Zhengrong slumped to the ground, rendered speechless.

Lu Yao checked Jiang Lin’s breathing with her hand, exhaling softly, “He should be fine.”

Xu Zhengrong, snapping out of his stupor, scrambled to his feet, nearly slipping in the process. He practically threw himself toward Jiang Lin, his voice trembling with disbelief. “Really?”

Lu Yao nodded. “He’ll need a few days to recover. As long as he wears this bracelet, he won’t be possessed again or lose himself.”

The Tears of the Goddess were imbued with the divine power of the Sea Goddess Emerald Star. While usually reserved for nurturing divine seedlings, they were more than sufficient to heal Jiang Lin.

The Divine Pearls were crafted from the Divine Wood used to seal the evil god of the Floating World. After the deicidal war, the Celestial Realm, for reasons unknown, gifted Lu Yao numerous rare treasures.

She had little interest in them but specifically requested some Divine Wood from Immortal Lingxiao. Three days later, a small box of Divine Wood arrived, reportedly collected from the last remaining tree, which had withered a thousand years ago.

The bracelet Jiang Lin wore had only one genuine Divine Pearl; the rest were imitations crafted by the deity figure on the Regulation Rod.

Still, paired with the Tears of the Goddess, it was sufficient.

Lu Yao walked to the door, turning on the lights and opening it.

The occupants of the adjacent rooms, startled by the commotion, hesitated to move.

Hearing footsteps in the hallway, they huddled together in fear, trembling until they recognized Qin Qiuming and Xu Zhengrong’s voices. Slowly, they peeked out of their rooms.

When Lu Yao emerged from the bathroom after washing her hands, the clock read past 5 a.m. A crowd stood stiffly at the entrance to the third operation room, resembling wooden stakes planted in the ground.

The tragedy inside was not unfamiliar to those who lived and worked on this street.

What baffled them was the result.

Despite the aftermath of a divine descent, not only had the shopkeeper, the security chief, and Xu Zhengrong survived, but even the young boy who had become the vessel was still breathing.

What had just happened here?

Lu Yao retrieved a clean towel from her personal storage and handed it to Ren You. “Chief Qin and Xu are shaken. Help bring Jiang Lin out, give him a wash, and I’ll fetch him some clean clothes.”

Her voice was calm, yet the stunned crowd took several seconds to react.

As Lu Yao walked down the hall, turning on lights and unlocking the shop’s main door, the security team assisted Jiang Lin, Qin Qiuming, and Xu Zhengrong to the bathroom.

Liu Jing and Cai Yuxing remained in the hallway, still trembling with lingering fear.

After a few minutes, the security team helped Jiang Lin out, but Lu Yao still hadn’t returned.

Liu Jing fetched the blanket from their room to wrap around Jiang Lin. When Qin Qiuming and Xu Zhengrong came out, she grabbed the blankets from the security team’s room as well.

The group hurried to the hall, their faces filled with panic when they saw the open shop door but no sign of Lu Yao.

Ren You, as if splashed with cold water, stammered in a trembling voice, “It’s barely five o’clock—where could she have gone?”

Cai Yuxing added, “The shopkeeper said she was going to get clothes for Jiang Lin. I thought she had spare clothes prepared.”

One of the security members couldn’t help but chime in, “She’s a woman living alone—why would she have clothes for a young man lying around?”

Seeing the half-open door, Cai Yuxing seemed on the verge of tears, muttering, “Could she have gone out to buy clothes for Jiang Lin?”

The rule that no shops in Ghost Street could operate before six o’clock was absolute and unbreakable.

Liu Jing tried to reassure them. “Don’t panic. Lu Yao knows the rules.”

Xu Zhengrong, wrapped in a thin blanket, strode to the door.

At this time of night, Ghost Street wasn’t a place for humans. Just glancing outside could mean he might never return. But he had to confirm Lu Yao’s situation.

He pulled the blanket tightly around him, took a deep breath, and cautiously looked outside. His tension and anxiety eased when he saw the scene beyond the door.

Xu Zhengrong froze, then raised a hand to rub his eyes vigorously before looking again, confusion overtaking his expression.

The others, still at a distance, couldn’t understand what he was seeing and dared not approach.

Ren You noticed Xu Zhengrong’s strange expression and whispered nervously, “Xu-ge, what’s going on?”

Xu Zhengrong glanced at him, then back outside. After a moment, he motioned for Ren You to come over.

Ren You hesitated but shuffled to stand behind Xu Zhengrong. When he peeked outside, he mimicked Xu Zhengrong’s earlier actions, rubbing his eyes furiously.

Liu Jing, increasingly anxious, asked, “What’s going on? Did you see Lu Yao?”

Ren You quickly wiped his eyes and gestured to the others.

They carefully approached the door, leaving the unconscious Jiang Lin in a chair in the hall.

What lay beyond the door was not the familiar Ghost Street but an unfamiliar and desolate street, lit by orange streetlights that stretched the visible horizon.

Across the cracked concrete road were scattered shops—a cybercafé, a tutoring center, a blind box store—each bearing a name they recognized: Lu Yao.

The quiet street lacked the bustling facade of Ghost Street but felt authentic and endearing.

It was nothing like the eerie, superficial cheer of Ghost Street.

One of the security members tentatively reached out, only to have their hand stopped by a transparent, invisible barrier at the doorframe.

They still couldn’t step through.

Another security member asked, “What is this place?”

Liu Jing’s face shifted as she recalled the food Lu Yao had served them, her voice low as she speculated, “Could this be the world outside Ghost Street? The food in Lu Yao’s shop wasn’t better because she found good sources—it might be because it didn’t come from Ghost Street at all.”

Ren You struggled to process the situation. It was far beyond his understanding. Shaking his head vigorously, he hesitated before asking, “Are you saying Lu Yao came from outside?”

A teammate couldn’t help but remark, “What’s the big deal? Everyone comes from outside.”

Ren You retorted, “She’s different. She can still go back.”

Qin Qiuming and Xu Zhengrong, recalling the events during the divine descent, realized their initial assumptions might have been completely wrong.

Just then, Lu Yao emerged from the dimly lit night, her shadow stretched thin under the streetlamp. She walked through the serene, dark street, passing shop after shop, heading straight for the DIY workshop.

The group at the door grew restless and hurriedly retreated, helping Jiang Lin up and quickly returning to the operation classroom.

Standing at the door of the first operation room, Qin Qiuming lowered his voice, “Don’t spread word about tonight’s events. Let’s investigate the shopkeeper’s origins before filing any reports.”

The group’s minds buzzed with curiosity, yet they understood the stakes.

They didn’t know why Lu Yao had come to Ghost Street or why she could traverse freely between two worlds.

But they hoped this was a chance. Or at least, they desperately wanted it to be.

Lu Yao entered the shop and handed a few sets of clean clothes to Xu Zhengrong. “Change into these first. How’s Jiang Lin doing?”

Qin Qiuming replied, “He seems to be asleep.”

Lu Yao glanced over and nodded. “He’ll need some time to recover. It’s almost dawn. I brought some breakfast—help yourselves if you’re hungry. By six, you can leave.”

She opened the boxes, revealing freshly made crispy stuffed pancakes—both savory and sweet—along with buns, fried dough sticks, shumai, and soft tofu pudding.

The aroma filled the room, and the security team, despite their usual politeness, couldn’t resist. After a few words of thanks, they eagerly grabbed the pancakes and tofu pudding, eating with gusto. Some even shed silent tears while savoring the meal.

Liu Jing and Cai Yuxing sat together, nibbling on shumai and fried dough sticks, sipping tofu pudding more gracefully than the men, though they, too, occasionally wiped at their eyes.

It was as if they had glimpsed a glimmer of hope, though they didn’t dare to expect too much. None dared to ask Lu Yao outright about her intentions, afraid it might shatter what seemed like a fragile fantasy born of desperation.

Yet the warmth of the food in their hands, the richness of its flavor, felt so real.

Lu Yao ate just a few bites before the thought of the mess in the third operation classroom made her restless.

Before sunrise, she needed the room cleaned and ready for business.

She donned rubber boots and went in, placing cleaning charms along the walls and floor. After scrubbing the room three times, inside and out, she finally deemed it satisfactory.

Before the security team and the others left, Lu Yao produced a stack of confidentiality agreements.

The contract required everyone to keep silent about everything they had experienced and witnessed at the DIY shop that night.

Qin Qiuming and his team hesitated only briefly before signing. Liu Jing and Cai Yuxing also added their signatures without objection.

Jiang Lin remained unconscious, so Cai Yuxing guided his hand to press a fingerprint on the contract.

Jiang Lin and Cai Yuxing left with the security team for the church, while Xu Zhengrong and Ren You escorted Liu Jing back to the management office.

At 7 a.m., the group, having spent the night at the DIY workshop, departed with a swirl of indescribable emotions.

Lu Yao placed the advertisement board back outside and returned to the shop to continue cleaning.

The little fireworks ad from last night—she wondered if it had any effect. With more time, she could have made it even flashier.

“Boss, there are two of us. We’d like to join the hands-on activity advertised outside.” A clear voice rang out behind her.

Lu Yao turned around. At the door stood an elderly woman and a young man.

The elderly woman wore gray, finely striped pants paired with a dark red floral tunic. She was petite, slightly hunched, and her thin, wrinkled face was pulled into a dry, faint smile.

Lu Yao was a bit surprised.

She hadn’t seen any guests this old on the street.

Next to the elderly woman stood a young man, likely around Jiang Lin’s age. He was tall and slender, with an impassive expression—the speaker earlier.

Lu Yao brought out the registration book. “Participants need to register.”

The young man’s name was Song Wen, and the elderly woman, surnamed Xu, was his grandmother.

After taking their details, Lu Yao went to fetch some tea. When she returned, there were four more people standing at the door. Translated on Hololonovels.

They had also come to participate in the fireworks-making activity.

In under half an hour, all the free spots for the second day’s activity were filled.

Lu Yao greeted the guests warmly, completed their registration, and led them to the first operation classroom.

…

North District Management Office

Liu Jing was packing her belongings in the office.

Chen Huisheng had gone out for fieldwork and wasn’t around.

Fang Cong had been in the office but left for the smoking room after Liu Jing arrived. This left only a newcomer in the office.

The newcomer, facing such a situation for the first time, seemed unsure of what to do.

Liu Jing calmly packed up her things. None of her older colleagues were around when she finished, so she only managed to bid the newcomer a brief farewell.

When Fang Cong returned from the smoking room, Liu Jing had already left.

That afternoon, Chen Huisheng returned from his fieldwork in low spirits. “Du Xiao from Team Three is showing signs of transformation and cognitive decline. The church will come to collect him shortly.”

Yesterday, Liu Jing left.

Today, it was another. He couldn’t shake the heavy feeling in his heart.

Fang Cong remained silent.

The newcomer, seated in a corner, hesitated for a while before speaking in a quiet voice: “This morning, when Sister Jing was leaving, she said something to me.”

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