A few minutes later. Lin Mo escorted the group of Rising Sun Ocean Pavilion to the door.
The prodigy Xue Yuan was thoroughly humbled by Xiao Ya. While it took three rounds for him to concede, she technically won already at the end of Round 2. That kind of humiliating defeat would definitely be etched in his mind.
"Dear customer, once again I apologize for this turn of events." Lin Mo said to Elder Shen Liang with a polite bow. "It was never my intention to cause your disciple distress. However, as I mentioned before, [Celestial Duel] is a game of strategy rather than raw power."
Elder Shen Liang stroked his beard. His sharp eyes landed on Xue Yuan, who remained silent with his fists clenched in frustration. "No need for apologies, Shopkeeper Lin. This was… a necessary lesson."
Xue Yuan tensed at his elder's words. He had expected some sort of defense or encouragement, but instead, it seemed like Elder Shen Liang agreed with the humiliating defeat.
He was taught a lesson about humility. He may be a lauded prodigy of their sect, but today, a Spirit Gathering Stage young girl put him in his place when it comes to strategic thinking.
Seeing this, Xiao Ya grinned, placing her hands on her hips. "Hey, Young Master Xue, don't be too upset. You just need more practice! Maybe next time, you'll actually bring my Celestial Energy to half before I win!"
Xue Yuan's face darkened. "You—"
Elder Shen Liang raised a hand, silencing him before he could lash out. "That's enough."
Lin Mo also lightly pinched Xiao Ya's ear, telling her to be humble and not gloat at her opponent.
Seeing how he dealt with the girl, the Storm Elder thoughtfully nodded at Lin Mo.
"This [Celestial Duel] of yours has tons of potential. It can't just be used as a form of entertainment. It can also be a tool to sharpen the minds of our disciples."
Lin Mo's lips curled slightly. "Oh? Does that mean the Rising Sun Ocean Pavilion is interested in purchasing our [Celestial Duel Gears] and [Starter Decks] when it is released?"
"Perhaps. But first, I must consult with the Pavilion Master. If this game can train our disciples to think critically and develop battlefield awareness, then it may be worth integrating into our training regimen. Unfortunately, our Pavilion is located at the southern side of the region. It may take weeks for us to return. Can something be arranged?"
"We do have an Official Distributor who can peddle our products to places too far from this city. However, the [Celestial Duel Gears] will not be available to be distributed like that. It must be purchased in person here in our store. It is to ensure that you will receive the authentic product."
"That does make sense. Quality control is important, after all. I assume these [Celestial Duel Gears] are not easily replicated?"
"Not at all. Every set is crafted with precision and imbued with special formations that ensure its function. A counterfeit would be nothing more than an ordinary trinket."
Xue Yuan, still fuming but somewhat subdued, finally spoke up. "Then… if I were to return in the future, I could challenge Xiao Ya again?"
"Of course. You're always welcome to try again. And who knows? By then, maybe there will be more advanced strategies for you to master."
Xiao Ya grinned and gave a thumbs-up. "Better start practicing, Young Master Xue. I won't go easy on you next time either!"
Xue Yuan's eye twitched, but he simply huffed and stomped away. He had no choice but to accept this loss, but deep inside, he was already thinking about how to improve.
Elder Shen Liang turned to Lin Mo. "Very well. When we return to our Pavilion, I will discuss this with our Pavilion Master. If this game is as revolutionary as it appears, we may very well invest heavily into it."
Lin Mo clasped his hands together, his smile deepening. "I look forward to that, Elder Shen Liang."
"By the way, Shopkeeper. You have my gratitude for making this trip of ours meaningful. We've been staying as a guest in a hidden immortal lineage in the area this past week. Alas, our objective to meet their prodigy never happened. According to them, she disappeared and no one knows where she went."
"A prodigy?" Lin Mo's interest couldn't help but be tickled. The face of a certain energetic young woman immediately popped up in his head. No wonder she doesn't want to show her face to them.
"Yes. She visited our Pavilion years ago and showed extreme prowess. Xue Yuan has been striving to be better all these years to challenge and ask for her hand. Alas, the constant praise he received from us made his ego inflate. I now believe that it is more fortunate for us to not meet her and visit this store instead. He can further improve before he can challenge her."
Hearing all that, Lin Mo couldn't help but glance at the closed door to the Shopkeeper's Quarters where Xiaoyu was currently hiding. If she's the one they're talking about, her arrival at the store coincided perfectly with the Rising Sun Ocean Pavilion's visit.
Did her parents truly arrange for her to come to serve Taihao or did she run away by herself?
In any case, Lin Mo didn't pry too much about the hidden immortal lineage and the prodigy. He simply listened and acted the same as ever.
With that, the Rising Sun Ocean Pavilion members took their leave, though Xue Yuan shot one last look at Xiao Ya before disappearing from view.
As soon as the door closed, Xiao Ya stretched with a victorious sigh.
"That was fun, Boss! I can't believe I actually won so easily."
Lin Mo ruffled her hair. "You did well. But don't get overconfident. Xue Yuan will probably read a lot of books about strategy and come back stronger."
She pouted, fixing her hair. "I know, I know. But still! I beat a genius!"
Zhou Rui, who had been tallying the results of the betting pools, laughed. "And made quite a few people richer in the process! A lot of folks bet against you, thinking you were an easy win. The odds were completely in Xue Yuan's favor."
Xiao Ya blinked. "Wait… does that mean…"
Zhou Rui smirked, tossing her a small pouch of spirit stones. "A good amount of winnings for the store. Benefactor, please accept this."
He handed a spatial pouch and upon inspecting, it was more than the spirit stones he earned from the earlier duel between the Sword Fairy and the Ironclad Blood Sect Elder.
Lin Mo inwardly grinned, "Have you taken your cut yet?"
"Yes! Now, I must excuse myself and indulge in the store products again. My juniors are all waiting for a snack."
'What are you? Their father?' Lin Mo couldn't help but comment in his head as he watched Zhou Rui get a shopping basket and disappear into the aisles.
Shortly after that, Lin Mo noticed Liu Xiaoyu stepping out of the quarters.
"Yes, Miss Prodigy. You can go back to work now. Let Xiao Ya rest for a while. She did great in that duel."
With an awkward laugh, Xiaoyu saluted and took over the cash register.
As Lin Mo began walking back inside, he noticed that his inbox connected to the Store Bulletin Board was already filled with messages from the five Golden Patrons owning a Viewing Jade. On top of that, Yu Qingyan also sent a message through the Distributor Interface's [Communication Hub].