Author Archives: Thingyan

Before the match officially began, the Cultivator Team members uniformly switched to peripherals crafted by the Jiujue Sect.

Jian Buyi, a disciple of the Jiujue Sect, specialized in crafting intricate and ingenious items.

During their training breaks, he studied the peripherals used in the internet café and discovered they were all works of skilled artifact refiners.

He drafted blueprints and sent them back to his sect, requesting his master, senior brothers, and sisters to help craft new peripherals.

Creating top-tier artifacts was a time-consuming and resource-intensive process. Being away from the sect, Jian Buyi struggled to gather materials while balancing his training, leaving little time for crafting.

A few days ago, the finished keyboards and mice arrived from the sect. Jian Buyi meticulously adjusted each piece based on his teammates’ feedback. Now, each one was perfectly suited to its user.

It was rumored that the keyboards were tailored to each player’s position and hero traits. The switches on the keyboards had engraved patterns with unique effects, and the key layouts featured subtle enhancements. These peripherals weren’t just ideal for gaming—they could even double as legitimate weapons.

The Shopping Street Team members also brought their preferred peripherals, which they had been using during practice. Most opted for familiar equipment, except for Zhong Lianjia, who brought his professional tournament gear.

Still, everyone was curious about the Cultivator Team’s customized keyboards. Before the ban-pick phase, they leaned in, craning their necks to observe.

The Cultivator Team’s keyboards resembled the internet café’s in shape, being noticeably larger than standard keyboards.

However, they were far more refined in appearance, though their full capabilities weren’t immediately apparent.

…

Ji Qingyan: “K-King, they have custom peripherals.”

Zhou Su: “So unfair. Will they be faster than us because of those?”

Xiao Zhong: “Peripherals do affect individual performance, but as long as the match is on a physical level, even the most exaggerated peripherals won’t provide a massive advantage. Honestly, they haven’t played long enough to capitalize on even the smallest hardware boosts.”

Liu Tang: “K-King is pretty bold. Let’s hope the jungle carries us this time.”

Xiao Zheng: “When the shopkeeper came back earlier, K-King almost cried.”

Xiao Zhong’s face turned red. “Why bring that up? Weren’t you all happy, too?”

Ji Qingyan: “Of course we were! The shopkeeper escaping on her own was a complete surprise. When the Demon Lord exposed the fake, I thought it was game over. It was such a mix of relief and despair.”

Zhou Su: “Same here. The past few days, she kept messaging me to make complicated desserts that required fresh ingredients, all while managing customer orders. I was so annoyed!”

Liu Tang: “Do you think the shopkeeper started cultivating?”

The group froze. Given what had happened earlier, it seemed plausible. Otherwise, how could she have escaped?

But considering only a few days had passed, it felt a bit far-fetched upon closer thought.

Ji Qingyan: “No matter what, this is the best outcome.”

Xiao Zheng exhaled quietly. If the shopkeeper hadn’t returned, he was prepared to enter the Abyss and risk his life.

His wages were measured in time, and without the shopkeeper, it was a dead end for him.

Though he would face that reality eventually, he still hoped to delay it a little longer.

Xiao Zhong: “Let’s finish the match quickly. I want to sit and watch from the audience, too.”

On the other side, the Cultivator Team noticed the Shopping Street Team’s relaxed demeanor, chatting casually.

Jian Buyi (Support): “After the real shopkeeper returned, their mood completely changed.”

Tianyan Sect’s Female Sword Cultivator: “What of it? If we’re competing, we should give it our all.”

Zhu Qingyun (Top Lane): “I’m more curious about the fake shopkeeper taken by the devils.”

Mid Lane Monk: “There’s definitely something strange about her.”

Tianyan Sect’s Female Sword Cultivator: “She’s been taken by the Demon Lord himself. What more can we do about it? Let’s focus on the match.”

Jian Buyi: “Let’s finish this game first.”

The ban-pick phase ended, and just before the match officially began, the Shopping Street team members turned toward the viewing area, where Lu Yao smiled and waved at them.

Zhou Su sighed, “As long as the shopkeeper is sitting there, it feels safe.”

As the match began, Lu Yao shifted her attention back to Ji Zhixin’s report.

When Harold realized she was in trouble, he immediately returned to Alexander Continent and informed the staff. The nail salon staff convened, contacted Xiao Ji, and organized a meeting with the other employees to devise a plan. They waited for Lu Yao to return safely.

Initially, if another two days had passed without any word from her, they wouldn’t have continued indulging the fake shopkeeper. Instead, Harold and Budu would have restrained her and forced her to reveal Lu Yao’s whereabouts.

While the ordinary staff stalled the fake shopkeeper, Harold and Budu—being the only ones who could engage her without hesitation—actively sought Lu Yao’s location and her weaknesses.

Before they reached the worst-case scenario, Lu Yao’s escape was an unexpected relief.

Lu Yao gave Harold a hard pat on the back. “Even the most impulsive one didn’t lose it. You’ve really grown up.”

Harold turned sideways, his ears bright red, his voice irritable. “You’re so annoying. Stop interrupting my match-watching.”

Lu Yao chuckled and withdrew her hand, then hugged Budu tightly. “I’ve worried you all.”

Budu nuzzled her face and said quietly, “I just regret not getting rid of her. It makes me uneasy.”

Lu Yao reassured him, “Don’t worry. I’ll handle the rest.”

Lu Yao knew Yu Yao’s appearance wasn’t coincidental.

At first, she assumed Yu Yao approached her solely because of Zeyuan. But after this incident, it seemed more complicated.

The simplest fact: after obtaining her communication tools, Yu Yao didn’t immediately contact the person she supposedly adored, Zeyuan. Instead, she tried to take control of Shopping Street.

According to Ji Zhixin, Yu Yao had become enamored with the internet, particularly success-themed content, and exhibited extraordinary control tendencies while being impulsive and arbitrary.

Before Yu Yao was taken back to the Demon Realm, Yu Yao had instructed Xuanfeng with a few tasks and inquired about Lu Yao’s past.

As a court official in the Demon Palace, Yu Yao’s reputation among her peers had been excellent.

She was kind-hearted and clever, entirely unlike a typical devil. If Xuanfeng hadn’t witnessed her impersonation of the shopkeeper, he wouldn’t have believed it.

When Yu Yao was finally taken away, she appeared deeply shaken by the staff’s coordinated tactics, uttering curses filled with venom.

Lu Yao pondered this for a while, recalling the golden lotus earring she had seen through the recording jade. She suspected Yu Yao’s connection to her ultimate mission but had too little information to be certain.

Once Zeyuan returned to the shop, she planned to ask him about it.

The staff’s response to the crisis had been flawless.

Lu Yao leaned toward Ji Zhixin and whispered, “I’ve decided—this month, double wages, overtime calculated separately.”

Ji Zhixin immediately shared the news in the private group chat. While the players were still in the game, those spectating behind them celebrated with joy in the chat.

After watching the first match, Lu Yao informed Ji Zhixin and quietly left the arena.

Harold and Budu stayed at the internet café while Lu Yao returned to Shopping Street. Seeing the familiar but dilapidated streets, she felt an unexpected sense of unfamiliarity.

Though only three days had passed outside, she and Xiong An’an had spent years cultivating in the illusion realm.

Lu Yao touched the lotus earring on her ear. This ordeal hadn’t been without its gains.

The otherworldly employees from her other stores had no idea what had transpired at the internet café in recent days, and she didn’t want to disturb them. She walked along the broken old road and entered the nail salon.

Ji Zhixin had already informed the in-the-know staff of her return.

Mumu was fiddling with his phone, repeatedly reading the message confirming her safety.

When the front door opened, he heard the familiar footsteps and ran toward it, dropping his phone. “Ji-ji!”

The other staff looked up and, seeing the familiar figure, put down what they were holding and got up to greet her.

Lu Yao bent down to pick up Mumu, leaned forward to let Merulu and Puxiu nuzzle her cheeks, and smiled. “I’m back.”

Edward leaned on his short staff at the door. “Looks like everything is fine now.”

Si Jin, Tina, Ambrose, Clarissa, and the human employees of the store all came over to talk to Lu Yao.

Lu Yao stayed in the nail salon for half an hour, sipping red tea and enjoying two desserts before heading to the diner.

By lunchtime, the diner was fully packed with customers, with a long line of patrons waiting outside.

Seeing Lu Yao walk in, Xingzi couldn’t help but let out a sharp scream.

The other employees also noticed her arrival and immediately abandoned their tasks to gather around her.

After greeting everyone and assuring them she was fine, Lu Yao tied on an apron and began to help out.

Once the midday rush had passed, Lu Yao sat down to have a meal with the snack shop staff.

She left the snack shop around 3 p.m., long after the internet café’s match had concluded.

Shopping Street’s team had narrowly defeated the Cultivation Realm team with a 2-1 score.

Though Lu Yao wasn’t present during the match, she later listened to the staff’s recap.

The cultivators, with their sharp senses and swift reactions, were completely different from their first competition. The amateur Shopping Street employees barely held their ground. They only won thanks to their jungler’s exceptional play, carrying the team through two rounds to secure victory.

For the one round the Cultivation Realm team won, the MVP was their support, Jian Buyi.

Lu Yao opened her task panel and saw that the Cultivation Realm icon had lit up.

Now, only one icon remained, and she planned to contact Zeyuan soon to address it.

Back at the internet café, the buzz from the tournament hadn’t died down.

Guests gathered in groups to play games, discuss the matches, watch shows, or browse forums. The café was no longer just frequented by demons and devils—human cultivators had joined the mix.

Xiong Pingping was still there. Upon seeing Lu Yao return, she immediately got up to greet her.

“Shopkeeper.”

“I’m sorry,” Lu Yao apologized. “Bringing An’an with me ended up scaring him.”

Xiong Pingping shook her head. “You’ve misunderstood, shopkeeper. I’m here to thank you.”

Half-demons have a much harder time cultivating than pure demons. Those like Xie Zili and Xiong Pingping, who are born in human form, are rare. More often, they resemble Xiong An’an, whose demon blood overpowers their human side, leaving them in beast form from birth.

For a beast-form half-demon to achieve human form, it usually takes at least a century of cultivation, sometimes several centuries.

The little bear demon, however, was fortunate. In just three days, he achieved human form through cultivation in the illusion realm.

Xiong An’an had shared everything that happened in the illusion realm with Jiao Niang and Xiong Pingping, and Pingping was sincerely grateful to Lu Yao.

“Now that An’an can transform,” Lu Yao asked, “are you planning to take him with you?”

Xiong Pingping shook her head again. “An’an is still young, and it wouldn’t be safe for him to follow me around. Jiao Niang said she would train him. Leaving him at the internet café gives me peace of mind. He wants to stay here too.”

The little bear demon had kept Lu Yao company throughout their time in the illusion realm, and she found herself reluctant to part with him as well.

After discussing Xiong An’an, Xiong Pingping chatted with Lu Yao about her experiences running her food stall.

Her stall always did well no matter where it was set up. However, others had started selling snacks similar to hers. Though the taste was slightly inferior, they were cheaper, which attracted a fair number of customers.

Xiong Pingping planned to learn a few new recipes online and rotate her menu occasionally to offer her patrons something fresh.

From the morning escape to handling all the miscellaneous tasks in the shop, Lu Yao had been busy the entire day.

Before resting that evening, she used her communication jade talisman to send Zeyuan a message.

She waited a few minutes but received no reply.

Feeling drowsy as her tension eased, she fell asleep clutching the talisman without hearing back.

The next morning, there was still no reply.

Concerned, Lu Yao contacted Xuanfeng instead.

Xuanfeng responded promptly.

After Yu Yao was brought back to the demon realm, the Demon Sovereign personally interrogated her, with three enforcers present initially.

However, halfway through the interrogation, the Demon Sovereign dismissed everyone else.

Xuanfeng explained, “The item you asked me to find hasn’t been located yet. The Sovereign just returned from a secret realm and will likely be busy for a few days.”

Another day passed.

Early in the morning, Lu Yao was awakened by the proxy robot. Translated on hololonovels.

[Congratulations! You have successfully unlocked all six realm icons and achieved a revenue target of 20,000 superior-grade spirit stones. Task complete! Rewards: Popularity +60,000, Superior-grade Marrow Cleansing Pill +1, Superior-grade Puppet Talisman +1, Immortal Earth +1, Mustard Seed Realm +1. Keep up the great work!]

Lu Yao opened the system panel and saw that all six icons were indeed illuminated.

What’s going on?

In just a few days, Zeyuan had already gained a Demon Prince?

That evening, while resting at the hot spring inn, Lu Yao couldn’t fall asleep.

Before she could head to the internet café, Cheng Ye posted a photo in the group chat:

A young Mo Bao, wearing a golden crown, was sitting in the café’s main hall playing on the computer. Beside him, Zeyuan rested his chin on his hand, looking utterly bored.

[Interdimentional Internet Café Cheng Ye: The Demon Sovereign and his gamer gosling.]

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️

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.

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️

After discussing with the nail salon employees and the Ji family uncle and nephew, it was decided to first inform the snack shop staff and the other shopping street employees.

The snack shop was the central hub of the internal network. Since the impostor had access to Lu Yao’s phone and extraordinary permissions, the snack shop staff would need to notify the internal network administrators to restrict her access from the backend.

Although Budu had significant control over the internal network, his authority was limited to his phone. Thus, it was imperative to inform the internal network staff of the situation.

As for employees from shops in other worlds, informing them might not guarantee a smooth resolution. Carelessness could lead to exposure. Moreover, being spread across different worlds, these employees wouldn’t interact with the impostor directly, so it was better to keep them uninformed for now.

By restricting internal network communications through the snack shop, the impostor’s ability to manipulate shopping street via the network could be curtailed at its source.

The shopping street employees knew that the internal network was based in the snack shop’s world. However, Lu Yao had never disclosed the workings of the star gate to them.

Still, from casual observations and their own experiences with otherworldly shops, they had deduced a crucial fact: beings from other worlds couldn’t cross the invisible boundary of the shop to reach shopping street.

The staff reasoned that if the impostor couldn’t cross the boundary, her contact would be limited to the internet café staff, Harold, Budu, and the human employees of shopping street.

Therefore, the disappearance of the shopkeeper and the impostor’s occupation of the internet café needed to be communicated to all shopping street staff.

To avoid raising suspicion, they decided to hold a small meeting after work with only shopping street employees present.

While notifying everyone sooner would have been ideal, the team was concerned about the varied temperaments among the staff, particularly the newer employees. Shopping street’s work environment was relatively straightforward, and Ji Zhixin worried that someone might lose control of their emotions and inadvertently expose their plans.

By holding the meeting after work, employees would have the night to process the news, ensuring they could return the next day in a better state of mind.

The first priority, however, was contacting the snack shop staff. They couldn’t directly mention the matter in the employee group chat or in private messages for fear of being monitored by the impostor.

Uncertain about the level of control the impostor had over the internal network through Lu Yao’s phone, they deemed direct communication too risky.

Ultimately, they devised a discreet plan using a food delivery order.

Ji Feiming placed an order for dessert from the snack shop, leaving a note: “There will be a delivery vehicle in the afternoon. Please remind the assistant manager to accept it.”

The impostor’s most dangerous ability was likely her capacity to read memories. The group wasn’t sure how much of Lu Yao’s memories she had accessed, but after much deliberation, they settled on this cryptic message.

The snack shop typically received deliveries early in the morning. In over a year of operation, they had never received one in the afternoon. A perceptive employee would notice that something was amiss.

There was, however, another concern: if the snack shop staff’s memories were read by the impostor, all their preparations would be for nothing.

Shortly after receiving the order, the snack shop responded.

Xingzi, the acting manager for the week, noticed the unusual note on the order and hesitated for a long time before deciding to check the situation.

Under the eaves of the building, Ji Feiming explained what had happened to Lu Yao in detail.

Xingzi listened, her expression grave, and returned to the shop with a heavy heart.

Xiao Qie ran over to her. “What’s wrong?”

Xingzi’s face was grim. “The shopkeeper went missing at the new shop. Someone is impersonating her, seemingly trying to take over shopping street.”

Xiao Qie was horrified. “That’s impossible! Where’s Harold? What about that godling trainee? How could this happen?”

Xingzi sighed. “Apparently, Harold and Budu weren’t present at the time. The impostor must have planned this in advance.”

Meanwhile, Bai Jian, the head guard, was in the shop to buy food. Overhearing their conversation, he stopped in his tracks. “The shopkeeper is in trouble?”

In Dreamland, the hierarchy was simple: beneath the Demon God, the head guard held the highest authority.

The guards of Dreamland were originally guardians of the Demon God.

If something had happened to Lu Yao, it wasn’t a minor matter for Dreamland.

Involving the internal network meant that the head guard had to be informed.

Xingzi didn’t hide anything and directly explained the situation to Bai Jian.

Bai Jian’s expression turned grim.

Without the shopkeeper, could Dreamland ever adjust to a life without the snack shop?

The hot bowl of noodles in his hands gave off a comforting, familiar aroma that filled his senses with warmth.

For the wandering souls, and even for him, the thought of losing this comfort brought a suffocating darkness, a hopeless void.

Bai Jian wasn’t worried about the impostor affecting Dreamland—after all, the Demon God and Dreamland only recognized the shopkeeper’s soul.

Thinking that a mere resemblance could erase the shopkeeper’s existence was pure fantasy.

What concerned him was the shopkeeper’s safety.

If the shopkeeper died, the joy of the snack shop and Qingshan Noodle House would end immediately.

Xingzi succinctly explained the shopping street’s planned response.

She was genuinely surprised. The ordinary employees were more capable than she had expected.

Their reaction was swift and efficient—remarkable by the standards of living beings.

The only real concern now was the impostor accessing their memories.

Bai Jian suddenly frowned, setting the bowl of noodles on the nearby table.

The Demon God had issued an oracle concerning the shopkeeper.

Bai Jian asked Xingzi to pack the noodles for him. He needed to return to the park to handle the internal network and the shopkeeper’s situation.

…

Floating World Continent, Interdimensional Internet Café

Lu Yao spent an hour trying to recall the lock screen password for Lu Yao’s phone. It was such a mundane detail that it hadn’t left a deep impression in the stolen memories. After much effort, she finally remembered.

She entered the password and unlocked the phone.

As expected from Lu Yao’s memories, this “phone” was a tool through which she could contact all the shop’s employees.

Eagerly, Lu Yao opened the employee group chat. Over a hundred members were chatting away, completely unaware that their shopkeeper had been replaced.

Lu Yao didn’t speak. Simply watching them go about their conversations, oblivious, brought her a strange sense of satisfaction.

A mere human, yet so resourceful—running so many shops and gathering such extraordinary individuals.

Thinking about Lu Yao, Lu Yao’s expression grew complicated.

Her ability, Floating Life Like a Dream, allowed her to easily plunder an opponent’s memories. The deeper and more unforgettable the memory, the easier it was to extract. But that woman was different.

Lu Yao was certain Shopkeeper Lu Yao was the reincarnated lover of the Demon Lord Zeyuan, yet there were no memories of that lifetime in her mind.

Instead, she only saw Lu Yao walking through a strange door into the Floating World Continent, opening this peculiar shop, and completing strange tasks from an unknown source.

Lu Yao realized she hadn’t been able to steal all of Lu Yao’s memories.

But that woman was now trapped in the Mirror of Serenity.

With a mortal body, escape was impossible.

She planned to familiarize herself with the shop’s operations over the next few days and then deal with Lu Yao at her leisure.

From Lu Yao’s memories, she saw the shopkeeper’s first encounter with the Demon Lord at the internet café and the Demon Emperor Jizhuang. But for now, what intrigued her most was the internet.

Demons, devils, human cultivators, and even ghosts were drawn to this shop, spending their time gaming, binge-watching shows, chatting, and shopping online.

Lu Yao wanted to experience it for herself.

…

By evening, all 15 human employees of the shop street gathered at the nail salon for a meeting.

After learning of the shopkeeper’s predicament, the nail salon had closed early, hanging a “Closed for Rest” sign.

Apart from the Ji uncle and nephew, who were already aware, the other employees were completely stunned.

Liu Yixi shifted uneasily in her seat. “The cultivation world really is brutal—just like in those TV dramas!”

Mei Xue shook her head. “No, no, no. Even TV dramas wouldn’t dare write something this wild.”

The most bewildered of all was Xiao Zhong.

He blinked repeatedly. “Wait, I’m about to start my shift.”

Ji Zhixin replied, “We tried calling you all day to inform you earlier, but you didn’t answer.”

Zhong Lianjia scratched his head awkwardly. “I must have overslept.”

Cheng Ye added, “She’s been in the lounge all day and hasn’t come out much. But An’an still hasn’t returned. Jiao Niang might ask about it.”

Ji Qingyan sighed. “We’re okay for now, but the internet café staff is in more danger. Whether she’s a demon or a devil, being able to read memories is just terrible.”

Bai Yi suggested, “Everyone should avoid going to the internet café during this time.”

Bai Lu reminded them, “The tournament is already scheduled, and we’ll all need to be present.”

Liu Tang asked hesitantly, “Should we still go through with it if the shopkeeper isn’t here?”

Ji Zhixin replied firmly, “We can’t let her suspect anything. Everything must proceed as usual.”

Zhong Lianjia nodded. “The shopkeeper was very particular about this tournament. She kept reminding me that small events have deadlines and can’t go past them.”

Xiao Zheng asked hesitantly, “Will the shopkeeper come back?”

Harold slammed the table. “Of course she’ll come back! Where else would she go?”

The room fell silent, tension thick in the air.

Ji Zhixin clapped lightly. “Alright, everyone, calm down. The snack shop sent word—she’s currently not in danger. As for memory-reading concerns, avoid being alone with her to mitigate most risks.”

The message from the snack shop had been cryptic, including a line that read: “The lamb is not the only one bound by rules; behind the lamb, there are two wolves.”

Ji Zhixin couldn’t fully interpret it but shared the practical parts relevant to the staff.

After the meeting, Xiao Zhong anxiously headed to work.

The other employees stayed seated, visibly shaken.

It was their first time realizing the immense risks of running a shop in another world.

Had the shopkeeper known from the start?

…

Mirror of Serenity

Lu Yao sat cross-legged, holding a book on celestial spells while clutching a spirit stone. She carefully drew intricate patterns on the floor of her Mustard Seed space.

As the final stroke connected, she activated the formation.

Xiong An’an, who had been meditating nearby, opened his eyes. “It worked! The spiritual energy coming in is even denser now.”

The illusion they were trapped in seemed to be a spiritual gathering artifact, and Lu Yao’s Mustard Seed space, designed to stagnate time, amplified the effect when used together.

Inside the illusion, neither Lu Yao nor Xiong An’an felt hunger, thirst, or the passage of time.

By the time Lu Yao finished reading every book in the room, Xiong An’an came bounding over excitedly.

“Lu Yao, Lu Yao! I can talk now.”

His soft, youthful voice paired with his fluffy, innocent bear cub face was irresistibly adorable.

In this monotonous environment, he continually brightened Lu Yao’s spirits.

The little bear demon’s goal was to cultivate until he could transform.

After finishing all the books, Lu Yao began meditating and cultivating as well.

For some reason, Lu Yao’s memory had become extraordinarily sharp.

The tens of thousands of books she had read were now etched in her mind after a single pass.

She quickly learned how to absorb spiritual energy, stepping firmly into the realm of cultivation.

Now, she and Xiong An’an cultivated together, but the spiritual energy in the room was no longer sufficient.

She decided to weave a stronger spiritual gathering formation based on the techniques described in the books.

Perhaps due to her foundational knowledge of magic, having designed numerous intricate magic arrays before, her first attempt at crafting a large spiritual gathering array went off without a hitch.

What Lu Yao didn’t know was that while she and the bear demon had spent years cultivating within the illusion, only three days had passed outside.

On this day, the Cultivator Team officially issued a challenge to the shopping street team.

The cultivator team had assembled what they believed to be the strongest lineup, secretly training with cultivation artifacts to reach their peak state.

Lu Yao, receiving the challenge, directly contacted Ji Zhixin and instructed him to make arrangements.

Over the past few days, she had interacted most with Ji Zhixin.

From Lu Yao’s memories, she knew Ji Zhixin often assisted her with important matters. He was also the first person she contacted directly using the phone.

Although the young man appeared unassuming, he was efficient and competent—far more so than the other internet café staff. He suited her preferences much better.

Upon receiving the message, Ji Zhixin immediately set things in motion.

In less than half a day, the match’s arrangements and venue were ready.

To avoid excessive interaction with the impostor, the shop street team selected five starting players based on their training match results. The substitutes waited next door in Office Two, adjacent to the internet café.

Shop Street Team – Starting Lineup:

• Top Lane: Xiao Zheng
• Jungle: Xiao Zhong
• Mid Lane: Ji Qingyan
• ADC: Liu Tang
• Support: Zhou Su

Cultivator Team – Adjusted Lineup:

• Top Lane: Zhu Qingyun from the Kunlun Sect
• Jungle: A fellow from the Eastern Beast Taming Sect
• Mid Lane: A Buddhist cultivator
• Support: Jian Buyi (unchanged)
• ADC: A young woman in red from the Tianyan Sect, rumored to be a sword cultivator.

Thus, the internet café’s first “Strongest Showdown” (whispered under breath) officially commenced.

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️

Lu Yao put on the Illusionary Ring, but no door appeared.

She tried several times, confirming that the ring couldn’t take her out of the illusion or back to the snack shop. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was in a different world or trapped within a magical artifact.

Putting the ring away, she retrieved Xiong An’an from her spatial inventory and began considering other options.

She tested every tool in her arsenal—the Demon God’s finger bone, the black dragon hair clip, the eyeball bracelet, the Equilibrium Ring, the shadow butterflies, the Key of Time and Space, the wand, and even two combat nail sets—but none could break the illusion from within. The Blessing of the Gods had negligible effect, and the Key of Time and Space couldn’t form a door.

Lu Yao repeatedly rubbed the black dragon hair clip, contemplating the cause of her predicament.

Was Lu Yao’s artifact exceptionally powerful, or was it a restriction imposed by the world’s rules?

Since arriving in the Floating World, Lu Yao had noticed that abilities from other worlds were significantly weakened here, with the only exception being her full capabilities inside the shop.

Moreover, this world, like the snack shop’s, rejected independent entities.

Perhaps the Floating World didn’t just reject independent identities but also resisted all beings related to her identity, including the gods who granted her the half-body tokens.

She recalled the Dream Fulfillment System, which constantly urged her to focus on running her shop and ignore everything else.

She rarely followed its advice, but she had unknowingly adhered to that one.

Her countless experiences confirmed that only by steadily running her shop and completing missions could she reach her ultimate goal.

Most of her energy was spent managing the shop street’s daily affairs. With her tools, magic, the system, and Harold and Budu to rely on, she assumed that even in dangerous situations, she could overcome hardships and emerge unscathed.

But in reality, a slightly more dangerous world with a few restrictive rules could easily leave her isolated and helpless.

Without the system, tools, or companions, she was just an ordinary person.

Lu Yao wasn’t skilled in combat. Her use of magic and abilities was geared toward practical and life-oriented applications, primarily to aid in running her shop.

Now, it seemed that merely running shops wouldn’t be enough to achieve her goal. A certain level of combat strength was essential.

Harold’s absence suggested he either couldn’t locate her or couldn’t break this space from the outside.

Lu Yao looked down and returned her tools to the spatial inventory. Her priority was to find a way out.

Xiong An’an, noticing Lu Yao’s deep thoughts, stayed quiet for once, uncharacteristically subdued.

Lu Yao stood and began feeling along the walls again.

The room was enclosed by tall walls with no windows. In one corner, there was only a simple wooden bed, and nothing else.

Xiong An’an curiously followed behind her, letting out a soft hum. “Uh-huh?”

Lu Yao said, “I’m trying to find an exit.”

Xiong An’an pawed at her. “Uh-huh—”

Lu Yao raised an eyebrow. “Did you find something?”

The bear cub turned and led her to the bed, clawing at the wall behind it.

Lu Yao pushed the wooden bed aside and lightly pressed against the wall. With a rumbling sound, the wall shifted, revealing a narrow gap.

There was indeed a door.

Lu Yao pushed the wall with all her strength, opening the gap further. Beyond it was another room.

Unlike the empty room before, this one was neatly arranged, exuding an elegant and clean atmosphere. All four walls were lined with bookshelves.

Lu Yao hesitated for a moment before stepping inside. The shelves held thousands of books, meticulously categorized and spanning all six realms—humans, demons, devils, immortals, ghosts, and cultivators. Each section had its own designated space.

Unfortunately, this room also had no exit.

Lu Yao circled it twice, finding no clues, so she pulled a few books from the shelves and skimmed through them.

Meanwhile, Xiong An’an ran around the room, exploring excitedly. Lu Yao let him be, not bothering to stop him.

After some time, Xiong An’an came over, tugging at Lu Yao and leading her toward the center of the room.

The room had a peculiar feature: within a one-meter radius at the center, the spiritual energy was dense and abundant. Stepping outside this range, however, there was nothing—almost as if it were a specifically prepared cultivation area.

Xiong An’an seemed thrilled, explaining eagerly with his little hums and gestures.

Lu Yao asked, “Do you want to cultivate here?”

Xiong An’an nodded vigorously, “Uh-huh!”

When I achieve human form, I’ll take you out of here.

Lu Yao patted his ear. “Alright.”

Xiong An’an sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began meditating to absorb the spiritual energy.

Lu Yao took two books and sat at the edge of the spiritual energy zone, careful not to disturb the little bear.

After reading a couple of pages, a thought crossed her mind. She retrieved her Mustard Seed realm from her spatial inventory and placed it within the energy zone. Then, taking the books with her, she entered the Mustard Seed illusionary realm.

Her artifact was unique; inside the shop, it could even pick up Wi-Fi signals, and here, it successfully absorbed the rich spiritual energy from the cultivation zone.

Lu Yao pulled Xiong An’an into the illusionary realm as well. One of them cultivated while the other read, and though time stretched endlessly, their growing sense of calm eased away their anxiety.

..

Meanwhile, Lu Yao returned to the internet café and headed straight for the counter.

Ling Shan, a pill alchemist from Ni City, had arrived. When she saw the “shopkeeper,” she took out two bottles of pills from her Qiankun bag.

Ling Shan had met Lu Yao previously during a trip to Ni City with Zeyuan. At the time, they had discussed alchemy briefly on the roadside.

Today, Ling Shan had come to deliver the Slimming Pills and Rejuvenation Pills Lu Yao had ordered.

Lu Yao accepted the pills, paid with spirit stones, and said little else.

Ling Shan, who had hit it off with the real Lu Yao during their earlier conversation, had hoped to chat more this time, especially to share insights about the development of these pills.

However, the cold demeanor of the “shopkeeper” left her hesitant. After a moment of indecision, she remained silent.

Having used a teleportation scroll gifted by Lu Yao to come here, Ling Shan was visiting the café for the first time. She was surprised to see demons, devils, and cultivators mingling inside and had initially wanted to ask for an introduction to the internet. But sensing the shopkeeper’s mood, she dropped the idea and headed for the door.

Lu Yao casually placed the pills into her Qiankun bag, bypassed the counter, and went straight to the lounge.

Jiao Niang, who had volunteered to cover for Lu Yao while she was out setting up tire swings for Xiong An’an, asked curiously, “Where’s An’an? Why didn’t he come back with you?”

Lu Yao replied, “He got caught up playing. He’ll come back when he’s done.”

Shutting the door to the lounge, Lu Yao took out Lu Yao’s communication jade and phone from her Qiankun bag.

Having sifted through Lu Yao’s memories, she thought using the phone would be simple, but she couldn’t even unlock the screen.

Suddenly, a door materialized in the lounge, and a young man with black hair, blue eyes, and a high ponytail stepped through.

Lu Yao’s fingers paused briefly before setting the phone down calmly. She smiled faintly. “Harold, what brings you here?”

Harold glanced at her, then at the phone and communication jade on the table. “Budu wants to visit Mount Oras. I couldn’t reach you by phone, so I came to let you know.”

Lu Yao replied, “Budu doesn’t like heat. It might not be the best time for a trip.”

Confidently, Harold said, “Not an issue with me around.”

Lu Yao hesitated slightly. “Alright… just don’t stay out too long. I’ll worry.”

Harold left the café and returned to the Dragon Valley, heading straight for Tina.

Tina was sitting under the Sacred Tree, sharing the latest nail art designs with a few young dragons. Seeing Harold’s dark expression as he approached, she stood and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Come here,” Harold said tersely.

That morning, Harold had felt as though Lu Yao was calling him. The tip of his tail had been tingling non-stop, yet he couldn’t sense her exact location.

When he used the key she gave him to visit the café, he found a woman identical to Lu Yao.

Tina’s face grew serious. “That woman is impersonating Lu Yao?”

Harold’s brows furrowed tightly. “She deliberately called me by name, mimicking Lu Yao’s affectionate tone. Even without a soul imprint, I know she’s not Lu Yao. If Lu Yao saw me showing up at the internet café at this hour, she wouldn’t have such a pleasant expression. I tested her with Budu—she knew who Budu was and even knew he dislikes heat, yet she still let me take him to Mount Oras.”

Mount Oras, an active volcano on the Alexander Continent, was a favorite spot for fire dragons to soak in the lava during winter.

Last winter, Tina’s family had invited Lu Yao to visit Mount Oras with them.

Lu Yao, fully aware of how scalding the lava was, would never allow Budu to go there at this time of year.

Tina took a deep breath. “I’m surprised you held back and didn’t act on the spot.”

Harold clenched his claws. “It was almost impossible to hold it in.”

In the past, Harold’s fiery temper would have made restraint impossible.

Over the past year, however, Lu Yao had constantly reminded him to stay calm and not act impulsively in difficult situations.

Though he always appeared impatient with her advice, he had taken it to heart.

Now, whenever he thought about the possibility of Lu Yao dying, the feeling was indescribable—so overwhelming that even the destruction of the world would seem inconsequential.

Because of their soul bond, Harold knew Lu Yao was temporarily safe, which helped him barely keep his temper in check.

That woman definitely knew where Lu Yao was.

Tina asked, “What do we do now?”

Harold replied, “She knows me and Budu, so she must have accessed Lu Yao’s memories. She also has Lu Yao’s phone and communication tools. She’s likely planning to take control of the shopping street.”

Tina’s eyes flashed with anger. “That’s unacceptable!”

Although they were merely staff on the shopping street, the existence of the internal network had created strong bonds among the employees of different shops.

Neither the shopkeeper nor the shopping street itself could fall into the hands of an outsider.

For the dragon clan, allowing such a thing would be a lifelong humiliation.

Tina and Harold immediately returned to the nail salon in Emerald Town to inform the other non-human shop employees about what had happened at the internet café.

Since the impostor already had Lu Yao’s communication tools, the nail salon staff decided against using phones or the internal network to alert other shop staff.

Fortunately, Harold was the vice-manager of the nail salon, granting him the ability to cross the star gate in the short term.

Stepping outside the nail salon, Harold spotted Ji Feiming passing by and called out, “Ji, come over for a moment.”

Ji Feiming hesitated for a moment before walking over reluctantly.

Harold whispered a few words to him, and Ji Feiming’s face instantly darkened.

This situation was beyond outrageous.

Within three minutes, Ji Zhixin and Budu had received Ji Feiming’s notification and left their respective locations—the pet cafe and the Hot Springs Inn—to meet at the nail salon.

When Budu entered, the temperature in the room dropped abruptly, freezing the air itself.

Budu’s voice was cold and sharp. “If she’s still in the shop, why bother tolerating her? I’ll go now and rescue Mother myself.”

Harold glanced at him. “You can sense her?”

Budu remained silent.

Summer was already his weakest season.

The bond between him and Lu Yao wasn’t as strong as the one between Lu Yao and Harold. He could only faintly sense that she was still safe, though barely.

Harold gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Don’t act recklessly.”

Si Jin added, “The shopkeeper is the most fragile of humans. If she dies, even resurrection potions won’t work.”

Ambrose said grimly, “In that case, the only option would be to forcibly convert her into the undead. Little Budu, would you be fine with that?”

Budu clenched his fists tightly, gritting his teeth, unable to respond.

Only he knew that Lu Yao couldn’t be converted into the undead.

If she died, she would disappear completely.

Not a trace of her would remain in the mortal world.

Even those who cared about her, who loved her, would forget she ever existed.

He hated it.

Despite his presence, something like this had still happened.

Edward approached and gently patted Budu’s head. “Don’t feel so defeated. Your mother is stronger than you think.”

The others looked up in surprise.

Edward continued, “It’s the truth. As a human, Lu Yao is indeed fragile, but she doesn’t give up easily.”

Ji Zhixin had been pondering this as well.

The shopkeeper he knew would never simply surrender.

As staff privy to the truth, their responsibilities were clear. First, they needed to stabilize the impostor and uncover her true intentions. Second, they had to protect the shopping street.

During Lu Yao’s absence, they couldn’t allow the shopping street to become the impostor’s plaything.

Each of them had come to the shopping street for their own reasons, but they had all grown accustomed to its peculiar yet vibrant charm.

It wasn’t just Lu Yao’s asset—it was their treasure, too.

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️

A girl draped in a white cloak walked slowly toward Lu Yao with her head slightly lowered, her face obscured by the hood. She stopped in front of Lu Yao.

The little bear demon’s fluffy fur bristled as he trembled, paws planted firmly on the ground. Despite his fear, he stood bravely in front of Lu Yao, barking in an attempt to intimidate the stranger.

The white-cloaked woman finally stopped half a meter from the bear demon. She removed her hood, revealing a face that bore a five-to-six-point resemblance to Lu Yao’s.

The little bear demon turned to look at Lu Yao, his small beady eyes filled with confusion.

Lu Yao blinked in surprise, quickly recovering. “Yu Yao?”

The woman smiled faintly. “So you recognize me? But that was over a century ago. I abandoned that identity long ago. My name is Lu Yao, but not the same as yours. My surname is Lu with the ‘ear’ radical, and my given name is Yao, as in ‘jade nectar of the Celestial Pool.’”

Lu Yao’s pupils contracted, and she instinctively took a step back. This visitor didn’t seem friendly.

The smile on Lu Yao’s face deepened. She had been observing the internet café owner for several days now.

Lu Yao had a reputation for being calm and collected, so seeing her momentarily startled and wary was amusing.

At first, Lu Yao thought their resemblance to Yu Yao was purely coincidental. But now, she had a feeling this encounter wasn’t by chance.

The woman’s gaze landed on the golden earring dangling from Lu Yao’s left ear, and a trace of obsession flickered in her eyes. “To think this earring ended up with you. I searched for it for so long but couldn’t find it.”

Lu Yao’s instincts were sharp, and she immediately sensed danger. This woman, who resembled her, was definitely trouble.

She bent down to scoop up Xiong An’an, retreating slowly. Her hand brushed against the wand stored in her dimensional space.

While Lu Yao had many tools, her wand was currently her most effective weapon.

She even considered taking out the Illusionary Ring as a backup. If things went south, she could use the ring to retreat to her snack shop. However, she had never tried returning to the shop from this otherworldly realm. Plus, she’d need to bring Xiong An’an along, which meant figuring out how to fit him into her spatial inventory.

Just as she was planning her next move, her body froze mid-step.

The sensation was familiar—just like when she was caught by a spirit herb on the Nitean Continent. Her limbs turned stiff as stone, completely numb. She couldn’t call the Dream Fulfillment System or access her spatial inventory, but her consciousness remained sharp.

She had been immobilized.

Xiong An’an squirmed in her arms, whimpering as though about to cry. In the next instant, he froze in place, mid-struggle.

The bear demon was also immobilized.

“Don’t bother struggling. You can’t escape,” Lu Yao said as she circled around to face her. “I’ve already set up a formation around this forest. You can’t get out, and no one can come in. Would you be willing to hear me out?”

Lu Yao: “…”

Why are there so many yandere types in the cultivation world?

Though this celestial maiden resembled her, their personalities were vastly different. How did Ji Zhuang mistake her for Lu Yao?

Lu Yao didn’t push for a response, treating Lu Yao as a tree hole into which she poured out her tale of the past thousand years.

“I was nothing more than an ordinary lotus by the Celestial Pool,” Lu Yao began. “You must know that a lotus stalk is outwardly straight and internally hollow. Even the roots buried in the mud are riddled with holes. For thousands of years, I grew by the Celestial Pool, without heart, emotions, or thoughts.”

Lu Yao: “…”

I haven’t read much, but I’m pretty sure ‘outwardly straight and inwardly hollow’ doesn’t mean that.

“A thousand years ago,” Lu Yao continued, “a silver-haired, red-eyed young man sat idly by the Celestial Pool. For reasons unknown, he returned every ten days or so to sit by the water’s edge, always alone, gazing at me.

“For three hundred years, I finally understood why he liked sitting there, looking at the lotus flowers. He had once shattered a beloved vase, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t repair it. His first encounter with that vase was on a summer day when the lotuses were in full bloom. Because of that vase, he paid attention to his surroundings for the first time and saw the blooming lotuses in the mirror-like lake. He thought the scene was beautiful.”

Lu Yao’s eyes were filled with confusion.

The fairy’s storytelling style really matched the Demon Emperor’s vibe.

Lu Yao: “So, he didn’t truly love me.”

Lu Yao: “…”

After listening to such a lengthy tale, she still had no idea why this fairy had sought her out.

But since she couldn’t move, she was forced to endure the story.

“Yet, because of him, I gained a heart,” Lu Yao continued, raising her head. “Three hundred years ago, I finally got the chance to descend to the mortal world. We should have met, but we missed each other for no reason. When we met again, he had a new vase.”

“…” Lu Yao blinked rapidly, finding the whole situation increasingly absurd.

At first, she thought the fairy’s beloved might be the silver-haired, red-eyed Jizhuang. But the more she listened, the stranger it sounded.

If it were Jizhuang, they had already met and fallen in love three hundred years ago, so missing each other didn’t make sense.

And the mention of this “new vase”—surely that couldn’t refer to her, right?

Lu Yao took a deep breath, struggling to calm her shock. It seemed highly likely that this was one of Zeyuan’s lingering romantic entanglements.

Lu Yao leaned closer, brushing her hand against Lu Yao’s face. “You do resemble me more, but unfortunately, you’re just a replacement.”

…So, it turned out she couldn’t escape the fate of being someone’s substitute. And for what? A vase?

Lu Yao’s hand moved downward, stopping at Lu Yao’s chest. Annoyed by the little bear demon, she yanked him out of Lu Yao’s arms and tossed him aside. Her fingers transformed into verdant green stems, slowly piercing Lu Yao’s chest, drawing blood.

“Don’t worry, it won’t hurt much,” Lu Yao said, seemingly to herself, her eyes gleaming. “I’ve been observing you for days, watching you manage the café and handle mundane tasks. You’re indeed different from the humans I’ve encountered before. I’m just curious—what else about you is special?”

“…” Lu Yao frowned as a chilling sensation spread through her chest. Her mind involuntarily filled with a cascade of images, leaving her dizzy, nauseous, and in throbbing pain.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly. Her ears rang with a deafening yet distant noise, her vision filled with crimson, and everything else faded. It felt like she was plunging into a bottomless abyss.

Her consciousness began to blur, her senses dulled, and finally, her eyes closed.

Lu Yao snapped back to attention, catching Lu Yao’s fainted body, her face full of shock.

So that’s how it is.

Lu Yao’s expression grew complicated. With her fingers pressed together, she aimed for Lu Yao’s neck.

Xiong An’an’s tiny, beady eyes were filled with panic as he struggled against the immobilization, desperate to break free.

But the bear cub’s meager cultivation was insufficient, leaving him stuck on the ground, helpless.

When Lu Yao’s fingertips touched Lu Yao’s neck, drawing a bead of blood, she found herself unable to press deeper. An expression of sudden pity flickered across her face.

She tried several more times, but no matter what, she couldn’t harm Lu Yao further.

At that moment, the communication jade in Lu Yao’s pocket lit up.

Lu Yao retrieved it and pressed it open. Jiao Niang’s voice came through.

“Boss, a pill alchemist just arrived at the shop. He says he’s here to deliver the pills you ordered.”

Lu Yao replied, “Understood. I’ll return right away.”

Her voice had already been adjusted to mimic Lu Yao’s, and Jiao Niang didn’t notice anything amiss.

After setting down the jade, Lu Yao carefully examined Lu Yao, taking the communication jade and phone. She considered taking the golden earring, but the moment her fingers approached, a spark of golden lightning crackled across its surface, rejecting her touch.

She also noticed the black pearl bracelet on Lu Yao’s wrist, which seemed intriguing. However, it too appeared to be a bonded artifact and wouldn’t yield to her.

After a few attempts, she gave up. From her Qiankun bag, she retrieved a magical item. First, she placed Xiong An’an inside, then followed with Lu Yao.

Since she couldn’t harm or destroy her, raising her might not be a bad idea.

Lu Yao placed a hand over her chest, sensing that it was likely her heart that was causing this peculiar sentiment.

No matter—it seemed she had found a new source of entertainment.

Lu Yao spun in place and transformed into Lu Yao’s appearance.

This time, her disguise was flawless, indistinguishable from the real Lu Yao.

She waved her hand to dispel the formation and walked slowly toward the internet café in the distance.

…

“Lu Yao, wake up.”

“How much longer are you going to sleep?”

“This body is nearing its limit.”

“Isn’t it because the contract is too tightly bound?”

“She desires too much.”

“Her obsession runs so deep…”

A cacophony of voices filled Lu Yao’s ears. Exhausted, she didn’t want to open her eyes but was disturbed by the noise. She also noticed the cold, damp sensation beneath her and the strong metallic smell of blood.

“She’s awake.”

Lu Yao blinked slowly twice. The scene before her didn’t change—a landscape of deep ink and crimson, like the banks of the River of Forgetfulness, spread out as far as she could see.

She was lying in a pool of blood. Though she had heard many voices moments ago, now there was only silence. Floating around her head was a circle of tools, suspended midair.

The two shadow butterflies from the spirit herb were perched on her chest, near the finger-wide wound Lu Yao had inflicted.

Oddly, it didn’t hurt, nor did it bleed further.

Lu Yao looked around but didn’t see the little bear demon. Her spatial inventory was functioning again, but she had no idea why all these tools had floated out.

She gathered them and returned them to the inventory.

When she stowed away the item symbolizing the half-body of the gods, her vision abruptly went black.

Instinctively, she closed her eyes. Upon reopening them, her pupils constricted, and her expression grew grave.

The blood sea before her suddenly flipped upside down. Her feet couldn’t touch the ground, and her body began to float, slowly sinking into the sea.

As she sank to the bottom, her vision remained unobstructed. She could clearly see two enormous statues submerged in the depths of the sea of blood.

Lu Yao swam closer.

The statues were of a man and a woman. The man’s face was like that of a fierce demon, while the woman’s was obscured by a black veil, her features hidden.

Between the statues was a twisted birdcage, inside which a cluster of vibrant black flames seemed imprisoned.

The black flames, as if they had been waiting for Lu Yao for a long time, leapt joyfully when they saw her approach—like a small pet in a shop waiting for its owner to pick it up.

The closer she got to the statues, the more memories surfaced in her mind.

Lu Yao recalled her wish and walked straight to the birdcage between the statues, reaching out to touch the black flames.

The moment her fingertips brushed the flames, the wound on her chest healed instantly.

In the next moment, the birdcage shattered, the statues began to collapse, and the sea of blood trembled violently.

Lu Yao closed her eyes, letting her body sink slowly.

When she regained consciousness, she knew she would forget her wish again.

But it didn’t matter. What mattered was the future.

…

“Uh-huh! Uh-huh-uh-huh! Uh-huh-uh-huh!”

Her face itched, her ears were filled with noise, and her chest felt as if a heavy stone were pressing down on it.

Lu Yao opened her eyes and was met with the fluffy, round face of the little bear demon.

Xiong An’an was lying entirely on top of her, his small beady eyes streaked with deep tear stains.

Lu Yao braced her hands against the ground and propped herself up halfway. “An’an, you… you’re making it hard for me to breathe.”

Xiong An’an froze for a moment, lifting his head to stare at her. After a long pause, he suddenly burst out in loud cries, tightly hugging Lu Yao with his paws and burying his head in her chest, rubbing incessantly.

He thought she, like his mother, would lose her life right before his eyes.

Seeing how terrified the little bear demon was, Lu Yao hugged him tightly in return, patting his back repeatedly. It was then she realized the wound on her chest had somehow completely healed, leaving no scar behind.

She frowned slightly, feeling as though she had forgotten something. She thought about it for a while but couldn’t make sense of it.

“Where are we?” she asked.

Xiong An’an: “Uh-huh-uh-huh.”

“And Lu Yao?” she continued.

Xiong An’an: “Uh-huh.”

Yu Yao had taken her form and gone to the internet café. What was her plan?

Even if she intended to replace her as the shop owner, Yu Yao couldn’t pass through the star gate. She might deceive the regular employees, but Harold definitely wouldn’t be fooled.

Still, stealing the phone and communication jade was troublesome. She needed to leave as soon as possible.

Moreover, Lu Yao’s abilities seemed peculiar, akin to memory extraction.

A frown crept across Lu Yao’s face as a suspicion grew in her mind: could Zeyuan’s memory loss have been caused by something similar?

This place seemed to be Yu Yao’s magical artifact, but it felt more like an illusionary realm. Lu Yao and Xiong An’an had awakened in an empty room.

Standing up, Lu Yao walked two laps around the room to ensure her body was functioning normally.

She turned back, placed Xiong An’an into her spatial inventory, and retrieved the Illusionary Ring, preparing to attempt an escape.

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️

Xiong An’an became anxious as he saw four opponents heading to surround the bottom lane, letting out agitated cries.

As a small bear demon who had spent a long time in the internet café, his understanding of the game was better than Xie Zili’s, and he was even more distressed.

Even though dying in the game wouldn’t cost a real life, Xiong An’an couldn’t help but worry for Jiao Niang.

Lu Yao pulled him closer and reassured him, “Don’t worry, Jiao Niang can handle this.”

Xie Zili glanced sideways at Lu Yao.

The cat demon support noticed that the vision had been cut off. Luckily, there was a ward in their inventory, so they turned toward the river to place it.

That’s when trouble began. Before the ward was even planted, two opponents leapt out from the bush. The cat demon panicked, mashing the keyboard and throwing all their skills out randomly.

A support without a strong damage dealer to back them up is like a toothless tiger—its skills are practically harmless.

Being a novice, the cat demon forgot everything they’d learned in their panic. They couldn’t position properly, couldn’t keep track of cooldowns, and could only flee chaotically.

The enemy bottom lane duo seized the opportunity, controlling the minion wave and aiming to trap the ADC.

Without the protection of a support, an ADC is unbearably fragile.

The plan was simple: eliminate the support first and then take out the ADC.

But to their surprise, Jiao Niang didn’t retreat. Instead, she advanced, sidestepping a control skill and countering with precise attacks on the enemy support. She moved fluidly, landing one attack per step, her micro-movements both delicate and sharp.

The opposing support, Jian Buyi, hesitated briefly. He was adept at this kind of refined playstyle and had practiced positioning and casting range extensively during laning. He thought his adjustments had been flawless.

But the opponent was clearly even better, dodging effortlessly and retaliating.

Zhong Jinglan moved up to assist, while Jiao Niang ignored Jian Buyi and focused entirely on the ADC.

As the enemy jungler and top laner killed the demon team’s (red side) support, Jiao Niang secured the ADC kill and left the opposing support with only a sliver of health.

Simultaneously, a kill notification echoed through the canyon—blue side’s (cultivation team) mid-laner had been solo-killed by Zhu Ying.

On the minimap, the little leopard demon was working with the flower demon to push the wave under the blue side’s tower, taking the opportunity to attack it.

Coordinating a multi-person offensive is undoubtedly effective, but it comes with significant risks on other lanes.

Zhu Qingyun once again experienced the stark difference between playing against real players and AI. The demon team’s response to the gank wasn’t to save their teammates but to trade resources elsewhere.

Zhu Qingyun and Xiao Yi had no time to think further. They had to work with Jian Buyi to kill the opposing ADC; otherwise, the loss would be too great.

Jiao Niang retreated into the bush, using her only health potion to recover slightly. She maintained vision control and continued to attack and farm carefully.

Zhu Qingyun and Xiao Yi were blocked by the minion wave and had to take a detour.

In just a few seconds, Jiao Niang secured the kill on the enemy support, completing a double kill.

Bai Ji, observing from the fountain, curiously watched the bottom lane. He saw the enemy support get kited to death and couldn’t help but comment, “That mermaid’s movement is seriously impressive.”

Zhu Qingyun and Xiao Yi, having lost one-fifth of their health in the river skirmish, approached with all their skills off cooldown. Normally, a top laner and jungler could easily dive and kill a squishy ADC, even under the tower.

Their plan was flawless—except they hadn’t accounted for Jiao Niang’s exceptional mechanics, which were dazzling to witness.

After taking out the support, Jiao Niang’s health dropped to less than two-fifths, but her movement speed spiked dramatically.

Switching to long-range attack mode, she began kiting both opponents, occasionally throwing out small control skills. Her aim was near perfect, with every basic attack and skill shaving away at their health.

Retreating to a position just shy of her tower, Jiao Niang began to demonstrate the art of “baiting.”

A low-health ADC with nearly depleted mana staying in lane to farm, moving boldly toward the minion wave—who wouldn’t feel infuriated at the sight?

Xiao Yi held back twice, but the third time he saw Jiao Niang step out to attack a siege minion, he couldn’t resist any longer. He jumped in, attempting to start a fight.

Jiao Niang decisively used Flash to avoid the fatal control skill and immediately countered with a control skill of her own.

Xiao Yi was drawn into the defensive tower’s range and slowed, taking two hits from the tower, which left him with only a fifth of his health bar.

Zhu Qingyun followed up instantly—at this point, retreating was meaningless. Even if it meant giving away a double kill, they had to secure this takedown.

In his haste, he misjudged his range and missed the key skills, taking additional damage from the tower. Suddenly, Xiao Yi’s screen turned gray.

Vision revealed the opposing mid-laner crossing the river, heading toward the bottom lane.

Xiao Yi shouted excitedly, “Retreat! Retreat! Get out of there!”

But it was already too late.

Before Zhu Ying could reach the bottom lane, Jiao Niang used her ultimate and a basic attack to swiftly finish off the top laner.

The “Quadra Kill” announcement echoed throughout Summoner’s Rift, leaving the second-floor spectators stunned.

“Who’s that with the blue hair?”

“No idea, but they’re from the demon team.”

“This game is amazing! So thrilling!”

In the first-floor viewing area, the shop street staff were equally stunned.

Mei Xue exclaimed, “Oh my gosh, that was so cool!”

Zhou Su nodded repeatedly. “Demons really are amazing—even the women can be so powerful.”

Zhong Lianjia added, “Jiao Niang has great potential. She’s a bit like Zhu Ying—calm and meticulous in her play, not easily flustered. She’s only recently started learning. With more practice and experience, she’ll quickly transform into an entirely new level of player.”

Bai Lu chimed in, “She’s not just strong; she’s gorgeous too. The boss said she’s a mermaid—I’d love to see her tail.”

Lu Yao smiled. “Jiao Niang’s tail is pink—large and very elegant.”

Xiong An’an raised his furry paw and let out two emphatic “Uh-huhs,” signaling his agreement.

Among them, the most shocked was Xie Zili.

For the first time, he saw Jiao Niang brimming with confidence and vitality. It was also the first time he heard humans speaking about a demon in such a way.

They weren’t afraid of her, nor did they detest her—they admired her.

Xie Zili felt deeply conflicted.

…

After the four-versus-two skirmish in the second game, the outcome was clear.

The cultivation team had many flaws, but given that they had only been introduced to the internet and games a day earlier, the results were unsurprising.

The demon team was well aware of this too. Even the cat demon and flower demon had grown significantly during the match.

However, the impact of the match was undeniable. Even days later, customers in the café still occasionally discussed it.

On the surface, the cultivation team accepted their defeat gracefully, but privately, they were far from satisfied.

Their way of venting their frustration was to monopolize Xiao Zhong, insisting he coach them intensively.

Not only that, but they each reached out to cultivators they believed had potential, inviting them to the internet café to experience the game. They even vowed to challenge the demon team again.

This saved Lu Yao quite a bit of trouble—there was no need for elaborate advertising when potential customers came knocking on their own.

Although humans, demons, and devils initially clashed frequently, the café’s strict rules enforced absolute order. Anyone who caused trouble would face punishment and be expelled.

For those who had experienced the vast and colorful online world, being banned from the café was a harsh penalty.

Over time, customers in the café began to follow the rules more closely.

Even when conflicts arose, they were settled “the internet café way.”

The shopping street staff, feeling the pressure, secretly approached Lu Yao to request a few training matches with junior disciples from the Six Realms before the official competition. They wanted to feel more prepared.

For Lu Yao, winning or losing wasn’t important. As long as she could identify the strongest cultivator to complete her mission, that was enough.

However, since the shopping street staff rarely showed such enthusiasm, Lu Yao didn’t stop them and simply told them to ask Xiao Zhong to make the arrangements when the time came.

Lu Yao herself stayed busy. Over two days, she reworked the blueprint for the third-floor competition venue and spent another day upgrading and maintaining the space.

Using her abilities to enhance the dimensional space wasn’t as precise as the Dream Fulfillment System.

Even after the first upgrade, numerous adjustments were needed to refine the details.

The process was tedious and dull, so Lu Yao worked on it a little each day, taking breaks as needed.

During her breaks, Lu Yao sketched designs inspired by modern panda enrichment facilities and selected a clearing in the woods outside the internet café to build a small playground for Xiong An’an. It would serve as his enrichment area.

Xiong An’an was a young wild panda cub, albeit half-demon.

Technically, he didn’t need a dedicated enrichment facility in the wild, but he was starting to show signs of becoming an internet-addicted bear demon.

Although he couldn’t fully transform yet, he had dexterous paws far more agile than a sparrow demon’s.

Sometimes, he slacked off on his training and hid in the private rooms on the second floor to browse the internet.

The staff, fond of him, often turned a blind eye to his antics.

Lu Yao felt this couldn’t continue and drafted the designs. Whenever she grew tired of the “indoor renovations,” she would head outside to do woodworking.

She admired the durability and simplicity of zoo tire swings and decided to make a few for the little bear demon. To that end, she specifically asked Xiao Ji to buy old tires from the scrapyard.

Sometimes, Zeyuan would visit Lu Yao.

Since the café wasn’t the best place to chat, the two would talk casually while working outside.

Zeyuan refrained from using magic and instead diligently followed Lu Yao’s blueprints, sawing wood, planing shavings, and sanding down splinters by hand.

Mo Bao, cradled in Xuanfeng’s arms at the café entrance, was seething with jealousy.

“What’s so special about that little bear demon? Why does everyone like him?”

Xuanfeng consoled him, “The master doesn’t really like the bear demon—it’s just affection by association.”

Mo Bao gritted his teeth. “Look at him! Does he even have the dignity of a Demon Lord? He’s acting just like those groveling ‘licking dogs’ people talk about online!”

Xuanfeng quickly covered Mo Bao’s mouth. “Shh! Watch your words. The master has it tough—he’s only just started to understand such things after thousands of years.”

Mo Bao muttered, “Tough? I’d say he’s having it pretty easy.”

Even Xuanfeng couldn’t help but agree that Zeyuan had been lucky in this regard.

Ordinary women wouldn’t warm up to demons, and even a Demon Lord wouldn’t be seen as an ideal partner by most humans.

Yet the shop owner showed no aversion to him. In fact, one could say there was a subtle indulgence and leniency in her treatment of him. Whether Zeyuan had noticed this was another matter.

Sometimes, Zeyuan would visit daily for several days in a row. Other times, he would disappear for a day or two.

The other day, he mentioned heading to a secret realm to find something, which might take a few days.

…

On a cool morning, Lu Yao was in the woods setting up tire swings with Xiong An’an.

The forest was quiet, and Xiong An’an held a thick hemp rope in his paws, passing it to Lu Yao.

Suddenly, the bear cub bumped into Lu Yao’s leg, dropping to all fours and emitting a growl-like warning toward a particular direction in the forest.

Lu Yao looked that way, only to see a graceful figure stepping out from behind a thick old tree.

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️

Lu Yao had originally planned for the earliest match to be held three days later, as she had just designed new blueprints and intended to expand the third floor into a dedicated competition venue the day after.

Now, time was too tight, so they had to host an impromptu match in the first-floor lobby.

Coincidentally, the cultivation team had occupied two rows of seats for training earlier. They could now allocate one side to the demon clan team.

The shop had intended to hold a low-key match without disturbing other customers.

However, demons and devils had a penchant for excitement. Upon seeing the internet café staff clear a small area for the match, they stopped gaming altogether, gathered around, and watched the preparations instead.

Even for a temporary setup, there was plenty to do. Lu Yao sent a message in the employee group chat, summoning the staff members who were still training to come over and help.

Noticing the growing curiosity of the customers, Lu Yao decided to use a floating projection system to broadcast the real-time match on the second floor’s central area, allowing customers to observe from the upstairs hallway instead of crowding the lobby.

The staff, who had been playing poorly in their practice matches, immediately got up and rushed to the café upon receiving the message.

Liu Yixi and Mei Xue, who had just left Office No. 1 and were preparing to head home for some rest, also turned around and headed back upon seeing the message.

The match between the cultivation team and the demon clan team was not only entertaining but also an opportunity to observe the strength of future opponents.

Over a dozen young people from the shopping street came to help, quickly clearing out the competition area. The customers were guided upstairs to wait, leaving only the store staff and the competing teams on the first floor.

The café’s regulars were surprised to see the young people downstairs, who shared a similar attire and demeanor with the owner.

They had always assumed the staff consisted only of the owner, a network administrator, and a mermaid cashier, plus the recent addition of a temporary admin-cum-courier. Who knew the café had so many more employees?

Did these people all live in the world of the internet?

Regardless of the commotion on the second floor, the preparations on the first floor proceeded in an orderly fashion.

The cultivation team sent out Zhu Qingyun as the top laner, Bai Ji as the mid-laner, and Zhong Jinglan as the ADC.

With Xie Zili absent, the support role was filled by a fresh-faced customer who had arrived that afternoon, wearing a bamboo-green robe and introducing himself as Jian Buyi. The jungler was the boisterous Xiao Yi.

Despite being introduced to the café and its games only today, the cultivation team was composed and confident, showing no signs of panic in their demeanor.

On the demon clan’s side, the lineup included the leopard demon Wen Rong and the spider demon Zhu Ying as jungler and mid-laner, respectively.

Since the match was between the cultivation and demon teams, the devils couldn’t participate. Danxi and Guan Zhong could only watch from the sidelines, and with insufficient players, they brought in Jiao Niang as the ADC. The newly arrived flower demon and cat demon filled the top lane and support roles.

The flower demon and cat demon had only recently joined the Six Realms sect and had been introduced to the game just two days ago. By strict standards, they were still rookies, with skills not much better than their opponents, which helped balance the match.

With both teams assembled, the players lined up according to their positions to take their seats.

The cultivation team used newly created accounts, which lacked any characters to play.

The demon clan’s situation was slightly better, but still far from competitive standards.

Xiao Zhong sat at the bar for a few minutes before standing up and retrieving ten accounts, each with all heroes unlocked and matching ranks, to distribute to the players.

At that moment, facing over twenty pairs of utterly shocked eyes, Xiao Zhong couldn’t help but feel a bit smug.

After all, with five million followers, lending a few accounts was no big deal—it was child’s play.

As this was a temporary match, the venue and format were relatively simple, with a best-of-three series planned.

Lu Yao set up soundproof barriers and enchantments downstairs. During the match, players couldn’t hear the noise from the second floor or see the floating projection above their heads. Once they put on their headsets, they could focus solely on the game.

Both teams logged into the room, and the banning phase proceeded quickly.

After entering the canyon, the demon team’s jungler, mid-laner, and ADC, relying on their greater experience, schemed to create trouble.

This led to an old-school scenario on the field: the blue side (demon team) jungler led the mid-laner and ADC across the river directly to the opponent’s blue buff bush, where they crouched in ambush, even planting a ward at the triangular choke point.

Wen Rong said in the team voice chat: “He’ll definitely come this way. I taught him this jungle path this afternoon. They’ve only ever played against AI and have never encountered an ambush. This time, we’ll show them how treacherous people can be.”

Not even a minute passed before Xiao Yi, having purchased his equipment, headed into the jungle. He was reassuring the nervous Zhong Jinglan over voice chat when suddenly, he heard the kill notification. His screen went gray before he could react.

Xiao Yi: “…”

Zhong Jinglan, already on edge, was startled by the kill notification. Her hand shook, and she looked up to see that the first blood was gone.

Zhong Jinglan: “…What happened?”

Xiao Yi: “…That little leopard ambushed me. Three of them.”

With the limited vision on the field, the rest of the red team was caught off guard and unsure how to respond.

Upstairs, this was the first time the spectators had witnessed such a clear ambush. Some, unfamiliar with games or this particular title, were baffled as they watched the little red figure on the field get ganged up on by three blue figures moments after leaving spawn.

The blue ADC, having secured the first kill, waited for the blue buff to spawn, then helped the jungler take it before swaggering back to the lane to begin the match as usual.

From this point, the demon team’s advantage started to snowball. Xiao Yi found himself completely suppressed by the little leopard demon and, within ten minutes, had given away three more kills, growing increasingly frustrated.

Jiao Niang, who typically preferred roaming mid like Zhu Ying, was playing in the bottom lane this match. Her oppressive performance was terrifying, to say the least.

Although part of this could be attributed to the red team’s rookie bottom lane duo, Jiao Niang’s support frequently made mistakes, unintentionally taking her minions, missing critical crowd control, and still, Jiao Niang managed to secure kills through her precise movement alone.

The first match ended in less than fifteen minutes. The cultivation team’s jungle, mid, and bottom lanes had all been utterly overrun, with only Zhu Qingyun in the top lane managing to suppress the little flower demon opposite him.

But the canyon game is a team-based endeavor, where economy, equipment, power spikes, and synergy are all crucial.

Sometimes, a dominant jungler or top laner could carry, but as a total novice, Zhu Qingyun lacked that capability.

In the first match, the cultivation team crumbled quickly, giving the demon team their first win.

The cultivation team requested a pause and asked for external coaching.

External coaching—essentially a live tutorial from Xiao Zhong—was permitted for rookies like the cultivation team, as long as it didn’t exceed 30 minutes.

Even in a game, when victory is at stake, the fun quickly diminishes.

The atmosphere within the cultivation team grew much tenser compared to before the first match. Zhu Qingyun and Jian Buyi bombarded Xiao Zhong with questions, while Xiao Zhong, resembling a freshly hired elementary school teacher, struggled to explain basic concepts to these curious yet naïve students in simple terms.

Inwardly, Xiao Zhong was despairing. Given the cultivation team’s current state, why on earth had they suggested a match to the owner?

They didn’t understand the rules, hero abilities, or the map layout. Their fundamentals were nearly non-existent. Even if the demon team handed them five free kills at the start, they’d probably still lose.

However, faced with Zhu Qingyun and Jian Buyi’s earnest and determined gazes, Xiao Zhong swallowed his harsher words and did his best to address their immediate issues.

While the cultivation team underwent their crash course, the demon team waited leisurely, exuding an air of relaxed confidence.

Lu Yao, holding Xiong An’an, sat on the sidelines watching. Seeing the little leopard demon’s smug expression, she couldn’t resist walking over to give him a warning tap.

In the center of the field, an incense burner had been set up. When the ash burned out, the whistle sounded, signaling the end of external coaching.

Xiao Zhong stepped back as the second match was about to begin.

Just then, the door of the internet café was pushed open, and in walked a boy dressed in a daoist robe.

He hadn’t expected the café to look like this and froze in the doorway, unsure whether to enter or retreat.

Lu Yao waved at him. “Xie Zili, over here.”

Xie Zili noticed Jiao Niang seated in the middle of the lobby and instinctively wanted to head in that direction, but Lu Yao called him back, so he awkwardly walked along the wall toward her.

Lu Yao said, “They’re in the middle of a match over there. Wait here for a bit.”

Xie Zili thought he had misheard. “A match? What match?”

Lu Yao replied, “A match between the Cultivation Realm and the Demon Realm.”

Xie Zili hesitated. “…But I saw Jiao Niang there too—”

Lu Yao nodded. “Yes, she’s one of the players. You missed the last game; she played brilliantly.”

Xie Zili glanced toward the center of the lobby. Jiao Niang, wearing a simple hairstyle and light makeup, sat with headphones on, her fingers flying over the keyboard and mouse. She was smiling and chatting with the person beside her, her expression light and cheerful.

Xie Zili had never seen this side of Jiao Niang before.

In his memory, Jiao Niang was always melancholy, her gaze toward him filled with a complicated and suppressed love.

But now, she didn’t seem to notice him at all. She was fully immersed in this group of demons, competing against cultivators in a way he had never imagined.

It was as though she had shed her identity as a “mother” at some point, becoming purely a demon.

And he, unexpectedly, felt a bitter resentment well up inside him.

…

For the second game, the sides switched. The demons took the red side, and the cultivators took the blue side.

Xiao Zhong’s crash course seemed to have had an effect, though not a particularly significant one.

The cultivation team was clearly starting to strategize, but their plans weren’t exactly well-executed.

Perhaps learning from the previous game, they realized that the opposing top laner and support were less experienced than the other three players. They decided to target the top lane flower demon first.

The flower demon’s true form was a sensitive plant, and her personality mirrored that of her species: shy and introverted. When “harassed,” her instinct was to close up and hide.

True to the demon race’s instinct-driven nature, the flower demon never initiated attacks in the game. Her vision control was minimal, and upon sensing an ambush, she simply hid under her tower and refused to come out.

Xiao Yi and his support waited in the top lane for a long time but couldn’t find an opening.

After clearing a wave of jungle monsters and slightly upgrading their skills and equipment, the blue side’s top laner, jungler, and support decided to try again—this time targeting the bottom lane.

Zhong Jinglan was still unable to suppress Jiao Niang’s growth. The difference in experience and basic skills was simply too vast, and no amount of crash-course training could bridge that gap.

With Lu Yao providing a detailed live commentary, Xie Zili gradually gained a general understanding of the game’s dynamics.

But he wasn’t interested in anything else—his focus was solely on the bottom lane.

He knew that Jiao Niang’s in-game character was the one wielding the strange firearm.

When he saw the blue team’s top laner and jungler frantically signaling as they moved toward the bottom lane, Xie Zili couldn’t suppress his emotions any longer.

Four players setting up an ambush, trying to bait and surround two—this group of cultivators was utterly shameless.

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️

Jiao Niang carefully took the air fryer out of the box. Although she had repeatedly read the details and reviews before buying it, she was still surprised by its unusual structure and design.

It was larger than a typical makeup box, with a drawer-like compartment that slid out for use. Cooking required only brushing with oil and flipping the food halfway, requiring minimal effort. Yet, such a contraption was called a “pot.”

Jiao Niang picked up the fryer and headed to the break room to plug it in for a test run.

Some of the semi-prepared food she had bought required freezing, so she had also stored it in the break room.

For its first use, the fryer needed a pre-cleaning cycle, typically by placing lemon slices inside and running it with power.

Concerned Jiao Niang might not know how to do this, Lu Yao followed her in to assist.

The fryer worked fine when plugged into the café’s power. Jiao Niang also tested her modified version of a portable power supply for the Floating World Continent, powered by spirit stones. It worked seamlessly.

To create this device, Jiao Niang had even attended a few online lectures, combining modern knowledge with the local world’s spiritual resources, achieving a nearly perfect balance of safety and functionality.

After the pre-cleaning, Jiao Niang began preparing some semi-prepared foods based on recipes to let Xiong An’an, the panda cub, have a taste.

The little guy would eat anything and was incredibly curious. Ever since he realized everyone adored him, he had become quite spoiled, frequently acting cute to get extra snacks.

The staff on the shopping street had an infinite tolerance for the baby panda, incapable of feeling any dislike toward him in his fluffy form. Most of the time, they didn’t even need him to beg—just seeing him was enough to make them bring him treats.

Lu Yao sat on the sofa watching Jiao Niang bustle around, holding Xiong An’an in her arms and stroking his soft chest fur. “Have you spoken to Xie Zili recently?”

Jiao Niang shook her head. “I haven’t seen him since he came to the café.”

Lu Yao didn’t know what to say.

Jiao Niang poured a small bag of chicken strips and some crispy pork into a foil tray and placed it in the fryer. “As long as I know he’s doing well, I’m at peace. I don’t desire anything more. I stayed in the human realm too long, confined to the small courtyard at the Xie estate. Even my thoughts became as restrained as a human woman’s. Demons are not as blessed by the heavens as humans, but they also don’t have all those human rules. If Zili wishes to live as a human, I won’t be his obstacle. I am a demon, and I’ll live freely.”

Since arriving at Baixian Mountain, Jiao Niang had met many demons and some humans, which had changed her perspective significantly.

She truly seemed to have let go.

Mermaids naturally have long lifespans, and through cultivation, they achieve virtual immortality. There was no need to waste eternity on those few years in the human world.

The Xie family wasn’t worth her concern.

Knowing that Xie Zili had returned to Lingxiao Sword Sect brought her peace. Now, she wanted to gather materials to craft some protective artifacts for him.

As a half-demon walking the cultivation world, if his heritage were ever exposed, he’d need something to ensure his survival.

Seeing Jiao Niang so resolute, Lu Yao relaxed and stopped trying to persuade her otherwise.

Xiong An’an wriggled out of Lu Yao’s arms, waddled over to Jiao Niang, and hugged her leg tightly. He tilted his head up, his round, beady eyes sparkling with innocence. “Wuu?”

Jiao Niang bent down, scooped up the panda cub, and smiled softly. “What are you worried about?”

The baby panda clung to her shoulder, patting her back with his fluffy paws. He let out a series of incoherent murmurs, clearly trying to communicate something.

Seeing Jiao Niang smile at the cub’s antics, Lu Yao felt completely at ease. She left the break room and walked back to the café floor.

With the influx of cultivators, the usually quiet evenings had become crowded. More than a dozen cultivators had taken up half the main hall, leaving some regular patrons without seats, forcing them to watch from the sidelines.

Standing in a corner, Lu Yao spotted Zhu Ying and Dan Xi.

They must have arrived earlier, as they had quietly taken seats in a discreet corner by the wall.

The two heads were close together, not surfing the internet or playing games, leaving it unclear what they were doing.

Lu Yao walked down the aisle toward them and saw that Zhu Ying and Dan Xi had a handkerchief-sized water screen in front of them, along with a jade talisman the size of a mahjong tile on the table.

Realizing they were watching a recording from a memory talisman, Lu Yao quietly joined them.

She had to admit, the little spider was truly a natural at surfing the web. In such a short time, Zhu Ying had even figured out how to record unboxing videos, and she was doing it with a decent amount of professionalism.

Zhu Ying sensed someone behind her, turned to see Lu Yao, and grinned. “Perfect timing, Boss! Help me figure out how to use these things.”

The memory talisman displayed the items Zhu Ying had received as gifts with her recent purchase. When she’d arrived at the café earlier in the afternoon, Lu Yao had been in a meeting.

Lu Yao explained the items one by one based on the video, while Dan Xi listened intently, “stealing the lesson.”

Dan Xi had also bought products from the same series—lipsticks and eyeshadows—but in different shades. She regretted not recording an unboxing video herself after seeing Zhu Ying’s effort.

To make up for it, Dan Xi pulled out some snacks from her spatial pouch and shared them with Lu Yao and Zhu Ying. Spicy dried tofu, pineapple cakes, cotton candy, and wind-dried duck necks—most of her online purchases had turned out well.

Lu Yao accepted the snacks and casually pocketed them. She stared at Zhu Ying’s memory talisman for a moment before speaking up. “Little Spider, I just thought of another way for you to make money besides gaming. This might suit you better.”

Lu Yao had noticed earlier that Zhu Ying was wearing a new outfit today, paired with a striking purple-black spider-shaped hairpin. Her eyeshadow and lipstick had also changed.

The bold color palette of her makeup—difficult for most people to pull off—looked perfectly natural on her, even enhancing her unique beauty.

Combined with her knack for creating unboxing videos, Zhu Ying seemed to have potential as a content creator. Lu Yao resurrected an idea she’d shelved before.

“What is it? Tell me!” Zhu Ying’s interest was immediately piqued.

Though she didn’t mind playing games, the sect’s development was still in its early stages, and there weren’t enough tasks to go around. After her first successful online shopping experience, Zhu Ying’s wishlist had grown significantly longer. Relying solely on gaming made it difficult to earn enough for her purchases.

Lu Yao believed Zhu Ying had the potential to be a video blogger, and as a demon, her style would undoubtedly stand out. The challenge, however, was that this otherworldly network couldn’t connect to the broader internet, so making her unboxing videos profitable would require solving some logistical issues.

Lu Yao explained her idea to Zhu Ying, who listened intently.

Zhu Ying’s blue-violet eyes lit up with excitement. “I can post unboxing videos online too?”

“In theory, it’s possible,” Lu Yao replied. “I’ll figure out how to make it happen.”

Zhu Ying grabbed Lu Yao’s hand. “I want to do this. Please help me.”

“I’ll handle it,” Lu Yao assured her. “But for now, I’ll need you and Dan Xi to keep helping with the cultivators’ training.”

Dan Xi, nibbling on a duck neck, looked at Lu Yao with puppy-dog eyes. “What about me?”

“I talked to Xiao Zhong recently,” Lu Yao said. “A lot of games on the market need players to grind resources. For example, strategy gacha games often require gathering materials, PVP battles, and completing limited-time events. The sect might expand into these kinds of tasks soon. If you’re interested, you can ask Xiao Zhong for more details.”

“I want to look too!” Zhu Ying chimed in. Anything that involved earning money interested her.

Meanwhile, Jiao Niang had finished testing the air fryer in the break room. She brought out two trays of freshly cooked snacks and served them to the disciples of Floating World Six Realms, paired with dipping sauces.

By then, night had fallen, well past Lu Yao’s usual shift end time. However, the young staff from the shopping street had stayed after hours to train in the first office.

Apart from Ji Feiming and Ji Feichen, who hadn’t shown up, nearly everyone else was there:

From the pet cafe were Zhou Su and Ji Zhixin; from the Post-Production team of the Interdimensional Cinema were three members; from the Hot Springs Inn were Ji Qingyan, Xiao Zheng, and Bai Lu; two net administrators from the café itself; and finally, from the second office, modeler Liu Yixi and illustrator Mei Xue.

Including Lu Yao, there were thirteen people in total.

To handle potential emergencies, each position had at least two people assigned.

The team members in the second office had pressing work tasks and limited time for training. Additionally, Lu Yao wasn’t skilled at gaming and was often busy; her participation was mostly just to make up the numbers.

After leaving the internet café, Lu Yao checked in at the second office. Liu Yixi and Mei Xue had just finished their work and were tidying up to leave. When Lu Yao mentioned she was heading over to observe the training, they decided to tag along for a quick look.

They were too drained from the day to participate in training, so they only planned to observe briefly.

In the first office, nine people had split into two teams and were practicing as a group.

Lu Yao walked around the room and observed that while everyone was enthusiastic, their performance was terrible. Most of them usually played casually and had never trained formally.

On their first day of team practice, their coordination was non-existent, and their gameplay was even worse than the beginner disciples of Floating World Six Realms when they first started learning.

Lu Yao was relieved she had made them start training early. She even considered bringing the staff into the Mustard Seed Realm for intensive training if they were pressed for time.

Her Mustard Seed Realm was special; not only could it capture external sounds, but it also gathered spiritual energy from the outside world.

Lu Yao had conducted several tests with it, such as bringing a laptop inside. Surprisingly, the WiFi signal remained stable, making it an ideal space for overtime work.

Just then, her phone rang, displaying the name Zhong Lianjia.

It wasn’t a message—it was a call.

Before picking up, Lu Yao already had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, in the short time she hadn’t been supervising, a conflict had broken out between the cultivators and the demons, and it seemed like it was escalating into a fight.

When Lu Yao arrived back at the café, the cultivators and demons were in a heated argument, and some had even brought out their spiritual weapons.

Lu Yao calmly took out her trusty loudspeaker and turned up the volume. “No fighting in the internet café!”

The noise immediately quieted down. The demons and devils quickly backed off, while the cultivators continued to shout.

Lu Yao walked closer. “Keep shouting, and I’ll blacklist you.”

A cultivator in silver-green robes glanced at Lu Yao with disdain. “You’re just a mortal consorting with demons. Instead of keeping your head down, you strut around and even shield them? Don’t worry—we’ll deal with you along with them.”

The demons and devils silently retreated another step, bowing their heads as if they had suddenly gone blind, deaf, and mute.

Lu Yao took a deep breath, her expression unchanged. “Demons, devils, and humans who enter my shop are all guests. I suggest you watch your words, Daoist. Show some courtesy.”

The silver-green-robed cultivator spat at her feet. “Courtesy? Demons as guests? You ignorant little—ah—ugh—!”

Before he could finish, he let out a cry of pain as his mouth filled with the taste of blood. Moments later, his teeth began to loosen and fall out, and his tongue felt like it was being pricked by needles.

Within minutes, his mouth was a bloody mess, and he couldn’t speak.

Lu Yao exhaled slowly. “A few nights ago, my shop hosted two ghost officials after a ghost gate was opened. As a mere mortal, I had the rare chance to sit by the banks of the River Wangchuan and enjoy the cool breeze. It gave me some inspiration, which I used to inscribe a few restraining formations in the shop.

“So, I kindly advise all guests: no verbal abuse, no brawls, and no causing trouble in groups. Violators will face consequences. If you must prove your strength, please do so through the internet café’s methods.”

That night of the ghost gate had yielded more than just a minor task completion for Lu Yao.

Perhaps it was due to being cooped up in the underworld for too long, but Xie Yi and Fan Song had turned out to be surprisingly chatty.

They weren’t the proactive type of chatterboxes. On the surface, both appeared cold and aloof, but they were helpful and thorough when asked questions.

Lu Yao had learned a lot about the underworld and even obtained a small bottle of Wangchuan River water, which she used to craft a Temporal Key.

With this key, the history of the underworld unfolded before her like a scroll, always accessible to her.

She had used this newfound knowledge to re-establish the café’s formations, basing them on the blacklist system of the blind box store and the punitive measures of the underworld, while tailoring them to better suit the Floating World Continent.

The internet café operated 24/7, and it wasn’t feasible for Lu Yao to be present all the time.

When troublemakers appeared, and the staff couldn’t handle them, stronger measures had to be in place.

With the Dream Fulfillment System absent, these matters had to be managed by Lu Yao herself.

To enhance the punitive effects, she added numerous constraints when setting up the formations. The results were evident.

The green-robed cultivator, clutching his mouth, ran out of the café, turned at the door to weakly shake his fist at Lu Yao, and hurried toward the teleportation array.

The devils and demons in the café were silent.

Serves that arrogant cultivator right, they thought. He had it coming for messing with the shopkeeper.

The cultivators in the shop were young and had never encountered such a situation before. Their gazes toward Lu Yao shifted noticeably.

Earlier, they had witnessed the green-robed cultivator provoking the demons, his words crass and clearly meant to incite conflict.

They had expected a fight to break out immediately. However, while the demons had sharp tongues, they refrained from taking any physical action, much to the cultivators’ initial surprise.

Now, it was apparent these demons had likely been disciplined before. The thought that they kept coming back, despite the risk, was oddly pitiful.

As the commotion died down, the guests dispersed on their own.

Zhu Qingyun observed Lu Yao thoughtfully and approached her. “What do you mean by ‘the café’s way’?”

Lu Yao gestured to a nearby computer. “In the online world, all disputes should naturally be settled on the internet.”

Zhu Qingyun asked, “So, you fight using games?”

Lu Yao nodded. “Precisely.”

Zhu Qingyun’s expression froze. “…”

Suddenly, Lu Yao felt an inexplicable sensation, as if someone was watching her. She looked up but saw no one.

Zhu Qingyun turned back to speak with a few cultivators before returning to Lu Yao. “Shopkeeper.”

Lu Yao raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

Zhu Qingyun explained, “We’ve just discussed it. We’d like to use the café’s method to face off against the demons.”

Lu Yao blinked. “…What?”

Zhu Qingyun repeated his statement.

Lu Yao straightforwardly replied, “You’ll definitely lose.”

Xiao Yi, who had been eavesdropping while leaning over his chair, immediately jumped up and declared loudly, “Who says so? Your bias toward the demons is way too obvious!”

His tone was full of defiance and indignation. This mortal woman was blatantly partial, and it wasn’t subtle.

Lu Yao sighed. “…Fine. I’ll arrange it.”

Twenty minutes later, the café’s first impromptu mini-tournament—Cultivators vs.Demons —had its grand debut.

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️

Apart from the time spent playing games to earn money, Zhu Ying preferred binge-watching dramas, browsing Big eye forums, and recently even following reality shows and watching cut videos on alphabet websites. She could be described as a “self-taught” high-intensity internet surfer.

While browsing Big eye and watching short videos, she often stumbled upon other content—unboxings, recommendations, and critiques. Especially after placing online orders, she frequently came across reviews and recommendations for the products she had bought.

Zhu Ying selectively watched topics that interested her and gained a lot of new knowledge.

After placing an order and waiting for the delivery, she watched many unboxings and reviews about lipsticks and eyeshadows. When her package arrived in the morning, Zhu Ying immediately thought of those online videos.

Besides professional influencers, many ordinary people shared their shopping experiences online. Now, Zhu Ying finally understood what Lu Yao had said before: with online shopping, you can’t immediately get your items, and returning or exchanging goods involves time and risk. So, thorough preparation before shopping was essential, and other people’s reviews were highly valuable. Videos, notes, photos, and evaluations were excellent references.

However, Zhu Ying was immersed in the joy of her first online shopping experience. Like most internet users, she simply wanted to document and share her first unboxing.

Zhu Ying’s cave was a stone chamber deep within the forest.

She searched her cave thoroughly and found a nice light-colored fabric to lay on her stone table. Since the lighting in the cave was poor and she didn’t want to unbox outdoors, she rummaged through her belongings and found two fist-sized luminous pearls.

Years ago, Zhu Ying had acquired these pearls during her travels in the human world. She had once dismissed them as useless for cultivation and stashed them away, but now they found a purpose.

Zhu Ying placed the pearls into candle holders, repurposing them as “lamps.” She even draped fabric over the holders to create a soft lighting effect, like a diffuser.

After setting up her unboxing scene, she began wrestling with her memory jade.

The memory jade on the Fusheng Continent functioned similarly to a camera or phone’s recording feature, though far less convenient.

Zhu Ying’s jade was square, resembling a mahjong tile. It lacked a stand for support, had a wide field of view, and often captured her in the frame.

She wanted to emulate online unboxings, showing only her hands and the box. After much adjustment, she finally propped the jade up in place.

Suddenly, her transmission jade lit up.

It was from the store owner.

Several human cultivators had arrived at the café and wanted to learn how to play games. The owner asked her to teach one of the female cultivators.

This was akin to an assignment from her sect, with task subsidies included.

Getting paid without taking on a coaching gig was a rare opportunity.

Zhu Ying immediately agreed but wanted to finish her unboxing video before heading over.

Lu Yao, once again amazed at Zhu Ying’s dedication to online trends, said, “…Just come by in the afternoon. They’re still in beginner training.”

Newcomers usually required at least a day or two to get comfortable.

For residents of the Floating World Continent, adapting to gameplay mechanics was one challenge; adapting to electronic devices was another.

Devils and demons, after spending some time in the internet café, gradually familiarized themselves with the online world and began to explore their areas of interest.

In contrast, the disciples of Kunlun and Lingxiao Sword Sect dove straight into learning games with a strong sense of purpose. How much they could master in just a day or two remained to be seen.

After coordinating with the owner, Zhu Ying put down the transmission jade and resumed her unboxing preparations.

She placed the package on the cloth-covered stone table and adjusted the memory jade’s position several times before finding the right “angle.”

The memory jade operated entirely differently from a camera or phone. It lacked a viewfinder or preview display, so one had to ensure proper positioning in advance.

Zhu Ying had once used Jiao Niang’s phone and was amazed by its powerful functions—it was almost like a mini computer. She had even searched online for the price of such phones and found them to be astonishingly expensive.

Pulling her wandering thoughts back, Zhu Ying took a deep breath and prepared to begin her unboxing.

She carefully positioned the cardboard box, and with a light swipe of her fingertip, the fragile tape snapped open.

Inside the box, the first thing she saw were air-filled cushions crammed to the brim. Beneath them was a layer of raffia grass covering the bottom. The box looked large, but the actual contents were sparse.

Zhu Ying sifted through the raffia and pulled out two boxes along with a few scattered items.

She had purchased two products: a lipstick and a cyberpunk-themed eyeshadow palette—both endorsed by her favorite male actor from the same brand.

These items weren’t cheap. Adding in service and shipping fees, the cost converted into her currency felt even higher. Once unwrapped, the products were barely the size of her palm.

Zhu Ying first picked up the lipstick, a sleek black-and-gold tube that felt weighty in her hand. She twisted it open, cautiously swiped it on the back of her hand, and admired the rich purple color. It was slightly different in texture and shade from the one Lu Yao had given her.

This one had a slightly drier texture, and the purple was more intense—daring, even. It wasn’t a color everyone could pull off, as it could make some look as though they had eaten poisonous mushrooms.

She was tempted to apply it right away but remembered she was still recording the unboxing. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to save it for later.

Next, she picked up the eyeshadow palette. The box, slightly smaller than her palm, had a distinct texture unlike the porcelain jars common in human makeup shops. Inside were five colors and a tiny eyeshadow brush.

Zhu Ying had seen reviews of this palette online, though this specific color scheme was rarely mentioned. Most netizens deemed the colors too bold and unsuitable for daily wear. While some people bought it, it wasn’t particularly popular.

She peeled off the protective film under the lid, set it aside, and leaned in to examine the colors closely, even giving them a sniff. Unable to resist, she dipped her finger into one shade and applied it to the back of her hand.

The moment her fingertip touched the palette, she could feel its velvety smoothness. The powder was finely milled and soft—completely different from the powders found in human makeup shops.

When she spread it across her hand, it went on seamlessly, blending easily. The resulting color was unexpectedly stunning. She recalled a term frequently used by netizens: “good spreadability.”

The palette featured five shades: two basic highlighting and eyeliner shades, a deep purple, a fresh green, and a bold yellow with fine shimmer. The combination was undeniably daring and avant-garde.

One by one, Zhu Ying swatched the colors on her arm, growing more delighted with each shade.

She had always loved highly saturated colors like purple and green, and this was her first time encountering a shimmer shade. On her arm, the yellow shimmer looked glossy and radiant. It was absolutely mesmerizing.

The yellow shade, with its subtle base color, paired surprisingly well when layered with either purple or green.

While netizens found the palette impractical for everyday use, Zhu Ying thought the bold colors perfectly suited her style and personality.

Indeed, no amount of online browsing could compare to experiencing the product firsthand.

Thrilled with her purchase, Zhu Ying admired the shimmering colors on her arm under the luminous pearl light for a long while. She wanted to stop recording and immediately put on a full face of makeup.

But then she remembered the other small items in the box. Steeling herself, she sat back down and opened the remaining packages.

Inside were a crystal-clear handheld mirror, a 5ml foundation sample, a set of three mini perfume bottles, and a handful of small samples for primer and cleansing oil.

She knew these were freebies, as she had seen similar ones in other unboxing videos. Most people, however, glossed over these items and didn’t spend time introducing them.

For Zhu Ying, though, this was her first time receiving so many gifts with a purchase, and she was overjoyed.

However, the packaging was covered in human script, which Zhu Ying couldn’t read. Unsure how to use them, she decided to bring them to the internet café in the afternoon and ask the store owner for help.

Zhu Ying laid out both the purchased products and the free samples, filling the table with an organized display for a “long shot” close-up before finally removing the image-capturing charm.

She sat in place, reviewing the recorded footage from the charm, savoring her first unboxing experience before standing up to tidy the area.

Meanwhile, Xie Zili left the internet café to search for any trace of Jiao Niang.

The mountain was populated with many creatures, and the air near the Bodhi Tree was thick with mingled scents due to the frequent comings and goings of internet café patrons.

However, Xie Zili, having spent half a year living with Jiao Niang in the Sea of Tears and being half-demon himself, was highly sensitive to the aura of water-dwelling creatures. He quickly picked up a trail and followed it.

Jiao Niang’s temporary residence wasn’t far from the internet café. Along a mountain stream, wherever there was a pool of water, she could often be found.

She had set up a dwelling deep in the pool, but lately, she had been training Xiong An’an. At times, she brought the little panda cub to rest by the water’s edge.

Since Xiong An’an couldn’t sleep in the water, Jiao Niang had built a low shelter beside the pool using tree branches and vines. The little cub would sleep there, covered with an air-conditioning blanket conveniently “borrowed” from the internet café.

When Xie Zili followed the stream to this spot, he saw the mermaid demon sitting by the water with her large pink tail stretched out. She was lazily fanning the panda cub with a leaf the size of a palm frond, keeping away the mosquitoes.

The baby panda was already well protected with its thick fur and the insect-repellent sachet Lu Yao had specially commissioned from Jiang Yan. Mosquitoes were hardly a concern, and even if they bit, the little cub’s tough skin made it insignificant.

Jiao Niang’s actions were more an expression of fondness. Like the other staff at the internet café, she inexplicably adored the little cub.

She had no ties or attachments in the world, yet Xiong An’an clung to her, calling her “Master.” The cub would collect flowers while wandering, bringing one bouquet to the café owner and another to her. He even used the transmission charm to “call” Xiong Pingping, telling her he had found fruits she liked on the mountain and had picked a large batch to store in his storage bag for the next meeting.

Xie Zili stood beneath the trees, watching silently for a long time. Jiao Niang didn’t notice his presence.

He remained rooted in place, gazing at the scene before him. It reminded him of the past in the Sea of Tears, where Jiao Niang had cared for him in much the same way, though he had been less than appreciative at the time.

A gentle breeze rustled the branches. The little panda stirred in its sleep, its small paw reaching into the air as it let out a soft hum. Rolling over, it shuffled closer to Jiao Niang’s side.

Jiao Niang’s lips curved slightly as she stroked the fluffy ear of the cub. Then she used her demon magic to cast a protective barrier around them before leaning against the shore to close her eyes.

Xie Zili’s hands curled tightly at his sides, a dull ache filling his chest. He stood there for what felt like an eternity before slowly turning back the way he had come.

As he moved further from the pool, he stopped and tilted his head to the sky, his eyes clouded with confusion.

The Xie family manor no longer had a place for him, and Jiao Niang no longer needed him.

Where could he go?

Resolving to rejoin his waiting senior brother and sister at the café, Xie Zili inhaled deeply and resumed walking.

Returning to the internet café with a heavy heart, Xie Zili was certain his senior brother and sister must have grown impatient with his absence. However, upon entering, he was greeted by an unexpected sight: the two were seated at those peculiar black boxes, wearing strange devices on their heads, furiously clicking away, with Zhong Jinglan loudly cheering and drawing a crowd of onlooking demons and devils.

Approaching them, Xie Zili called out, “Senior Brother, Senior Sister.”

Zhong Jinglan didn’t even hear him, but Bai Ji glanced over briefly and promptly said, “Junior Brother, hurry and get a terminal and account from the attendant. We’re only waiting on you.”

Xie Zili: What is going on?

Seeing the two engrossed in their screens and utterly uninterested in him, he could only walk to the front desk for answers.

When Lu Yao noticed him, she found it odd. “You didn’t find her?”

Xie Zili lowered his head. “I did.”

Lu Yao’s curiosity deepened. “Then why did you return so quickly?”

After a moment of silence, Xie Zili muttered, “She was resting.”

Lu Yao had nothing to say to that. After some thought, she added, “She works the night shift—it makes sense she’d need rest. You can wait here for her to come tonight.”

Xie Zili: “…”

Lu Yao set him up with a terminal and game account before escorting him to his seat. However, instead of having him start the game, she opened a documentary on the terminal—specifically, an educational film about the physiological process of pregnancy and childbirth.

Xie Zili’s seat was tucked away in a corner, and he was unfamiliar with computers and the internet.

When the shopkeeper made him watch the documentary, he didn’t resist.

Wearing headphones, he watched for several minutes before realizing what it was about. Embarrassment and frustration surged as he yanked off the headphones, looking around for Lu Yao.

At the same time, Dan Xi arrived from the Demon Realm to pick up her parcel.

Lu Yao was engrossed in conversation with her and didn’t notice Xie Zili’s flustered expression.

The seat next to Xie Zili was occupied by a rugged-looking demon, intently focused on gaming. Xie Zili couldn’t bring himself to ask for help.

The screen was massive, and standing up would expose the “embarrassing” content to those around him.

Reluctantly, he put the headphones back on and continued watching, though hesitantly at first.

Initially, he was genuinely angry, but as time passed, he found himself drawn into the documentary.

When the screen went dark and the credits began rolling, Xie Zili finally snapped out of his daze.

Lu Yao returned to turn off the screen without saying anything, leaving Xie Zili to sit in silence for a long time.

…

Demon Realm, Demon Palace

Lu Yao held a recording charm in her hand, replaying an image of Xuanfeng and Mo Bao.

After much effort, she had learned the name of the person the Demon Sovereign admired: Lu Yao.

A human.

When she first heard the name, her chest tightened painfully.

It was said that Lu Yao had once visited the Demon Realm. On that night, the magic dragon streaked across the sky, and she accompanied the Demon Sovereign to the Ninefold Demonic Hall.

Unfortunately, Lu Yao had been unaware of the significance of that visit at the time.

Clenching the charm tightly, she dismissed the floating water screen.

She had to confirm for herself who this Lu Yao was.

…

Several more cultivators arrived at the internet café.

Using the same approach, Lu Yao encouraged them to activate terminals and accounts to begin practicing games.

Initially, the cultivators were hesitant. However, upon seeing disciples from the Kunlun Sect and Lingxiao Sword Sect diligently training, they begrudgingly followed suit. After a few rounds of gameplay, they found it surprisingly enjoyable.

When Xiao Zhong arrived for his shift, he saw two neatly aligned rows of cultivators, all intently focused on the terminals. He felt a surge of disbelief.

Previously, when Lu Yao proposed using a “Three Realms’ Strongest” identity to lure cultivators to the café, Xiao Zhong had thought the idea was far-fetched. At best, it might “trick” a few curious individuals.

While his colleagues had enthusiastically supported the idea, Xiao Zhong considered it a long shot, likely to fail. Now, reality had proven him wrong.

Lingering at the doorway for several minutes, he finally walked toward the counter.

Before he could reach it, Lu Yao called out cheerfully, “K King, you’re finally here!”

Hearing the title, Xiao Zhong hesitated for a split second before continuing forward.

Lu Yao wasted no time detailing the training and match schedules they had discussed earlier in the group chat.

While Cheng Ye was responsible for progress in the second office, the small tournaments in the café were entirely under Xiao Zhong’s charge.

What surprised him was how serious Lu Yao was about this. She even asked him to coach the cultivators’ team alongside the café’s own players.

Though it was clear that only a few days of practice wouldn’t transform the newcomers into seasoned gamers, Lu Yao seemed optimistic.

After coordinating with Xiao Zhong, Lu Yao grabbed a stack of documents and headed to the second office for a meeting.

The game’s foundational framework was now complete.

Although the game was designed based on the background of the Floating World Continent, it wasn’t entirely identical to it.

The game’s details were crucial for determining whether it could be officially launched in this world, and its systems and rules were subject to restrictions that only Lu Yao fully understood. She had to personally oversee and ensure compliance with every aspect.

After finishing up in the second office, Lu Yao returned to the café.

Behind the counter, Jiao niang and Xiong An’an were crouched together, unboxing a package.

Jiao niang’s air fryer and pre-prepared food items had arrived. Both were curious, but Xiong An’an was even more excited, holding a recording charm to film the unboxing process.

Lu Yao glanced around the main hall but didn’t see Xie Zili.

She had already informed Jiao niang about everything, and there was nothing more she could do.

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The boundaries between the mortal world and the cultivation world on the Floating World Continent are not distinct.

Mount Wanci and the River Wubei crisscross the land, with the human capital, Wufang City, at their center. Cultivation sects are scattered across the surrounding regions: Five Elements Sect lies to the east of Wufang City, Ch’anxin Sect to the west, Tianyan Sect to the north, and Hehuan Sect to the south. In the northeast resides the Beast Taming Sect, while smithing sects are sparsely located in the southwest. To the northwest stands the Kunlun Sect, the foremost sword cultivation sect.

Ni City and Mount Baixian are in the southeastern direction of Wufang City. Ni City falls under the territory of the Dan Sect, while Mount Baixian is located further south at the border. Sparse in spiritual energy and lacking the presence of major sects, the area mainly attracts rogue cultivators, with disciples from large sects rarely seen.

Logically, Jiang Yan, rarely leaving the Hengze Sect, wouldn’t necessarily recognize Kunlun disciples even with their reputation. However, being physically weak since childhood, Jiang Yan greatly admired sword cultivators, though he was unable to learn swordsmanship himself. His fellow sect members often brought him liuying yufu (shadow-recording talismans) capturing their journeys through various landscapes.

Through these talismans, Jiang Yan had seen many disciples from other sects. Kunlun disciples were particularly conspicuous wherever they went. Thus, when he saw their robes, he recognized them immediately.

Two young sword cultivators stood in the teleportation array, hesitating to step out. Upon noticing Jiang Yan, they carefully scrutinized him before approaching.

Jiang Yan felt slightly flustered.

When they drew closer, the older one with a jade hairpin shaped like bamboo leaves cupped his hands in greeting: “Fellow Daoist, may I ask if this is Mount Baixian?”

Before Jiang Yan could respond, the shorter youth beside him tugged at his sleeve and said, “Senior Brother, isn’t that the shop under the Bodhi tree?”

“I see it,” the senior brother nodded, keeping his stance. He turned back to Jiang Yan. “Fellow Daoist, do you know if the one who claims to be the strongest in the three realms is here?”

Jiang Yan froze. “The strongest in the three realms?”

The younger disciple frowned, glancing around the woods before jabbing his elbow at his senior. “Senior Brother, there’s demonic energy everywhere here. It must be hidden by a barrier. Could we have stumbled into a den of demons?”

Jiang Yan hastily said, “This is indeed Mount Baixian, but it’s not a den of monsters. As for the strongest in the three realms, they’re likely not here.”

As soon as he finished, the small leopard demon Wen Rong and a boar spirit passed by, pausing mid-step to glance at the group. After a quick look, they sped up, heading toward the internet café.

The voices of the small demons echoed in the open forest:

“Did that little alchemy cultivator bring friends?”

“No idea, let’s go tell the boss. Cultivators are such troublemakers. What if they’re here to cause a ruckus?”

“Who’s afraid of who? The boss even handled ghost officials. Why would a few measly cultivators be a problem?”

The younger Kunlun disciple heard this and was ready to chase after them with his sword drawn.

“Junior Brother, don’t act recklessly,” the senior brother called.

The younger disciple turned, his face angry. “Senior Brother, these woodland demons are audacious, speaking so disrespectfully. Let me see this so-called boss.”

Zhu Qingyun pondered for a moment before deciding to follow, leaving Jiang Yan momentarily ignored.

Being called “Little Alchemy Cultivator” by demons was enough to distance him from fellow cultivators in their eyes. Jiang Yan felt the coldness of their attitude but didn’t try to explain. He still had to deliver the pills he’d brought for Lu Yao, though it seemed he wouldn’t have the time to go online today.

He had once wrestled with guilt over mingling with demons and devils in the internet café but eventually couldn’t resist returning. He blamed his lack of resolve.

Sword in hand, Zhu Qingyun and Xiao Yi stepped cautiously into the Bodhi tree cave.

What they saw was beyond their expectations.

The shop was lined with rows of black boxes, identical to the images displayed by the dandelion seeds. But now, the place was bustling with demons, and there were even devils among them.

Wen Rong, the small leopard demon, squeezed through the crowd to the front desk to inform Lu Yao of the cultivators’ arrival.

Lu Yao looked toward the entrance. The two sword cultivators stood with grim expressions, ready to draw their swords and exterminate demons at any moment.

Lu Yao called for Ji Feichen and Cheng Ye to handle the customers buying items, then squeezed through the crowd toward the entrance. “Are the two of you here in search of the strongest in the three realms?”

Xiao Yi scrutinized Lu Yao, “You’re a mortal?”

Lu Yao replied calmly, “Yes. My name is Lu Yao, and I’m the owner of this internet café.”

Xiao Yi frowned, “Why would a mere mortal consort with demons and devils? Setting up a barrier in the mountains to shelter such creatures—what are your intentions?”

Lu Yao’s tone remained composed, “This humble establishment is open for business. Be they demons, devils, or humans, all are welcome guests. What intentions could I possibly have?”

Xiao Yi pressed further, “If you harbor no ulterior motives, then why set up a barrier in these mountains?”

Lu Yao explained, “It’s true that the presence of demons and devils here gathers demonic energy. Concealing it with a barrier is merely an effort to maintain the balance between the human and demon realms, preventing unnecessary disturbance.”

Xiao Yi sneered coldly, clearly skeptical, “Clever words, but unconvincing.”

Lu Yao remained undeterred, her tone steady. “Regardless of their origin, those who visit the café come solely for entertainment. They have never harmed anyone. If you doubt this, you’re welcome to investigate for yourselves.”

Zhu Qingyun, who had been silent, continued observing. While Xiao Yi confronted Lu Yao, his attention was fixed on her demeanor. She was, indeed, a mortal with no cultivation, and she appeared quite young.

For a mortal to run such an establishment, welcoming demons and devils, while also inviting cultivators, she clearly had her reasons. Without a word, Zhu Qingyun walked past Lu Yao into the café.

Xiao Yi glared at Lu Yao but followed his senior brother inside.

That morning, the café was mostly filled with demon customers. Many of them had spent the night cultivating and came out at dawn for fresh air, often stopping by the café to relax.

Some didn’t even use the computers; they simply bought breakfast, held their steaming meals, and stood behind chairs to watch others play games.

The demon faction had representatives like Wen Rong and Zhu Ying, while the devil faction boasted Guan Zhong and Dan Xi, both known for their loud voices. In just a few days, news about the Six Realms Sect had spread among the demon and devil patrons. Alongside this, the café’s pay-to-play services and online shopping offerings had also gained attention.

Yesterday, the sect welcomed two new junior disciples: a cat demon and a flower demon. Meanwhile, Xiong An’an and the little sparrows were eagerly lining up for a chance to join the Six Realms Sect.

However, Lu Yao had set one strict rule: while the sect accepted disciples regardless of their background, talent, strength, or race, the single mandatory requirement was the ability to take human form.

For Lu Yao, this was as basic as a regular internet café checking if a patron’s ID indicated they were 18 or older. Non-humanoid creatures could use the café but were not allowed to take on paid tasks within the sect.

…

Zhu Qingyun and Xiao Yi wandered around the café, even venturing upstairs to explore.

It was evident that the demons and devils were entirely absorbed in the glowing black boxes before them, showing no interest in anything else. Even upon noticing the cultivators, they would merely glance at them before returning their attention to their screens.

Xiao Yi’s brow furrowed deeply, “What on earth could be so captivating in those black boxes?”

Zhu Qingyun replied thoughtfully, “These black boxes are indeed intriguing. To truly understand their mystery, one might have to try them firsthand.”

Xiao Yi looked incredulous, “Senior Brother, you intend to use those black boxes? Besides the alchemy cultivator at the entrance and the mortal store owner and clerks, everyone here is either a demon or a devil. Why waste time? Let’s subdue them all.”

Zhu Qingyun shook his head, “As the lady shopkeeper said, the demons and devils here seem to be gathered only for entertainment, not causing harm. We cannot pass judgment without discerning right from wrong. Furthermore, did you not hear the demons at the entrance? They said, ‘The shopkeeper isn’t even afraid of ghost officials.’ There’s likely more to this situation than meets the eye.”

The two sword cultivators stood in the corner by the stairs, quietly discussing things while Jiang Yan was at the bar conversing with Lu Yao.

Lu Yao blinked. “Kunlun Sect?”

Those two did indeed carry an extraordinary presence, and to think they were disciples of the foremost sword cultivation sect.

Her loosely cast net had somehow caught two big fish. Perhaps, with this opportunity, the icon for the cultivation world on her task board could finally light up.

Zhu Qingyun and Xiao Yi descended the stairs and approached the bar to request computer access.

Having gathered plenty of information from their exploration of the café, they now understood that terminal codes, video accounts, chat accounts, and game accounts all required spiritual stones to activate.

Unlike the common folk, these disciples of a major sect had no qualms about spending. They acquired terminal codes and opened every possible account, burning through several hundred top-tier spiritual stones without so much as a blink.

Jiang Yan, watching from the side, could only gaze in admiration.

Lu Yao noticed Wen Rong seated next to the newly arrived mountain boar demon, teaching them how to game. Zhu Qingyun and Xiao Yi had taken the seats just to their left, so she suggested Wen Rong also help these two newcomers.

However, Zhu Qingyun and Xiao Yi declined politely.

Left with no other option, Lu Yao called over Cheng Ye to teach them how to use the computers. This time, the two cultivators made no objections.

Lu Yao then picked up her phone to send a message.

At that moment, three more cultivators entered through the door.

At the forefront, a young man immediately spotted Lu Yao and approached her. “Lu Yao, we meet again.”

Lu Yao looked up, not surprised. “Young Master Xie.”

Xie Zili scanned the lobby, his eyes searching. Not finding the familiar figure he sought, a wave of disappointment washed over him. “I… Where is Jiao niang? I saw her in the dandelion seed projection, so I know she’s here.”

Behind him, Bai Ji and Zhong Jinglan, who had initially paused at the sight of so many demons and devils gathered in the café, finally moved forward to stand by Xie Zili.

Zhong Jinglan asked curiously, “Junior Brother, who is Jiao niang?”

Xie Zili slightly tilted his head, avoiding eye contact with her, and lowered his voice. “An acquaintance.”

Lu Yao furrowed her brows slightly but said nothing.

Xiao Yi, overhearing this, raised his voice, his brows arched in disdain. “Proprietress, you just confidently claimed that no harm has been done by the demons and devils here. How then do you explain this fellow cultivator searching for his acquaintance?”

Bai Ji and Zhong Jinglan, recognizing the Kunlun Sect robes and emblems on Xiao Yi, were visibly taken aback.

Lu Yao replied calmly, “Perhaps it’s better for Young Master Xie to clarify. I’m just—”

Xiao Yi cut her off sharply. “Say what you mean and stop evading the question.”

Wen Rong, seated nearby, found Xiao Yi’s arrogant attitude insufferable. Just because he was born human, he acts as if he’s inherently superior to us demons.

Unable to resist, Wen Rong shot back, “The shopkeeper has done no wrong. Jiao niang works here under her employ. And I’d like to know—what business does a human cultivator have with a mermaid demon?”

Bai Ji and Zhong Jinglan were both stunned as they turned to look at Xie Zili.

They were aware of that incident—how Xie Zili had been abducted by a mermaid demon and held captive for over half a year. Everyone had presumed him dead.

Only half a month ago had he returned to Xie Manor with the elderly Madam Xie in tow.

When he subsequently rejoined the sect, they assumed the matter was in the past. Why, then, was he still seeking out the mermaid demon?

Even Xiao Yi seemed taken aback to learn Xie Zili’s acquaintance was a demon, his expression momentarily awkward.

With Wen Rong’s remark, Lu Yao saw no point in pretending Jiao niang wasn’t around. She simply said, “She works the night shift. Usually, she arrives closer to dusk.”

As for Jiao niang’s residence, Lu Yao kept her lips sealed. If Xie Zili truly wanted to find her, he would.

Xie Zili excused himself to Bai Ji and Zhong Jinglan, leaving alone to search for her.

Zhong Jinglan hesitated, wanting to accompany him, but Bai Ji stopped her.

The two cultivators wandered around the internet café out of curiosity and eventually decided to open two computers, sitting directly across from Zhu Qingyun and Xiao Yi.

Lu Yao taught them the basics and was about to leave when Zhong Jinglan stopped her.

“Shopkeeper, we actually have another matter to ask about.”

“Please, go ahead,” Lu Yao replied.

Zhong Jinglan hesitated, then asked, “Is the so-called ‘strongest in the Three Realms’ senior here in this café?”

Across from them, Zhu Qingyun and Xiao Yi froze, their hands pausing mid-click. They had completely forgotten their original purpose of seeking this supposed “strongest in the Three Realms.”

Lu Yao smiled faintly. “Ah, that ‘senior’ is indeed here in the café.”

Zhong Jinglan and Bai Ji exchanged incredulous looks, still half-convinced it was all a scam.

Lu Yao continued, “However, he has established a rule in this café. To meet him, one must first pass his trial.”

Her words immediately grabbed everyone’s attention, including the two sword cultivators sitting across the way, who stopped what they were doing to listen.

Lu Yao leaned forward and opened a folder labeled Beginner Tutorials on the computer screen, navigating to a subfolder for Six Realms training materials. “The trial is simple: defeat the café’s team in this game. If you win, you’ll get to meet the senior. But if you’re representing the cultivation world in this challenge, you’ll need a team of five cultivators. As of now, it seems you’re a bit short on members.”

Xiao Yi leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Add us, and the team will be complete.”

Bai Ji and Zhong Jinglan looked at each other, uncertain. The idea of “representing the cultivation world” felt like an enormous responsibility.

Lu Yao nodded. “With Xie Zili, that would indeed make five. Whether your skills are up to par, though, is another matter entirely.”

Xiao Yi’s face darkened with frustration.

Zhu Qingyun finally spoke, his tone calm but firm. “We’ve never played this ‘box game’ before. Using such a method for a trial seems rather unfair. Why not change the terms to a duel of swords or spells instead?”

Lu Yao shook her head. “Your opponents will be regular humans without any cultivation abilities, just like me. Even so, are you unwilling to accept the challenge? If that’s the case, then I must ask you to leave.”

Xiao Yi slammed his hand on the table. “Fine! A challenge it is. Who’s afraid of you?”

Zhu Qingyun pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly exasperated.

Lu Yao smiled faintly. “I won’t make it too difficult. The computers contain detailed instructional videos. Given your intelligence and knowledge, I’m confident you can learn quickly. If you have any questions, you can always ask the little leopard over there. He’s an expert.”

The small leopard demon huffed and turned his face away.

Xiao Yi mirrored his defiance, looking away as well.

Lu Yao turned to Zhong Jinglan. “Later, I’ll arrange for a tutor for you as well.”

“Can it be a woman?” Zhong Jinglan asked.

“Of course,” Lu Yao replied. “Jiao niang, Zhu Ying, and Dan Xi are all female and play even better than the little leopard.”

The small leopard demon couldn’t help but interject, “No one can beat my jungle stats.”

Having settled this matter, Lu Yao walked back to the bar and sent a message to the staff group chat.

[Lu Yao]: Recruiting for the ‘Strongest in Three Realms’ challenge team. If you’re available after work, sign up. Training required; overtime pay provided.

[Childhood Tutoring Center Bai Yi]: Someone’s actually challenging it already?

Lu Yao had previously explained her strategy of using the dandelion seeds to attract cultivators to challenge the café team, creating an opportunity to designate an MVP and potentially light up the Cultivation Realm icon.

[Lu Yao]: Yes, five challengers just arrived.

[Childhood Tutoring Center Bai Yi]: I can play support.

[Interdimensional Internet Café Mei Xue]: I’m decent at mid lane.

[Interdimensional Internet Café Liu Yixi]: I’ll jungle.

[Interdimensional Internet Café Cheng Ye]: Jungle is taken. We have a jungle king already.

[Interdimensional Internet Café Liu Yixi]: ???

[Interdimensional Internet Café Mei Xue]: By the way, one of our colleagues has the same name as K king, the recently retired pro gamer—Zhong Lianjia.

Zhong Lianjia, who was currently working the night shift this month, had yet to meet Mei Xue or Liu Yixi in person.

And in the group chat, everyone often followed the store owner in calling him “Xiao Zhong.” Mei Xue had always thought “Xiao Zhong” was just someone with the same name as K king.

[Hot Spring Inn Bai Lu]: “…You haven’t met him in person yet?”

[Little Pet Cafe Zhou Su]: “Fun fact: After retiring, K king got a job at the internet café as a network administrator.”

[Interdimensional Internet Café Mei Xue]: “…Xiao Zhong is K king?”

[Lu Yao]: “Jungle position is reserved for Xiao Zhong. You can all try out for the other roles. When the time comes, K king can even train you.”

[Interdimensional Internet Café Liu Yixi]: “…Excuse me.”

…

The store employees in the shopping street were especially enthusiastic about this kind of event and all signed up.

Lu Yao gave the game progress another nudge in the group chat, then pulled out a transmission jade talisman to message Zhu Ying and Dan Xi, intending to ask them to train Zhong Jinglan.

Dan Xi had returned to the demon realm last night and hadn’t come back yet.

Zhu Ying received the message just as she was setting up a recording with a memory jade in her cave dwelling.

She was about to document her first unboxing.

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