Despite the few quirky customers during the morning, the Divine Convenience Store gradually became alive with a steady hum of activity.
Customers trickled in, drawn by the rumors spreading like wildfire through the city. Or so Lin Mo heard from a customer; a housewife who bought a packet of another type of instant noodles because she was too lazy to cook for their lunch.
He was surprised she produced spirit stones despite not being a cultivator.
However, when he thought about the boy from earlier who even had a cracked spirit stone, he realized that spirit stones weren't as rare as he thought they would be.
To clear his doubts, he called Xiaoyu to confirm.
"Boss, I thought you're aware… The spirit stones our customers are paying are of different qualities. That woman who just bought an instant noodle paid you a low-grade spirit stone. Yu Qingyan paid you a high-grade spirit stone for her noodles. Could you not tell the difference? I thought you were purposely being vague to rip off our rich patrons."
Lin Mo blinked, staring at Liu Xiaoyu as if she had just sprouted another head. "Wait. There are different grades of spirit stones?"
Liu Xiaoyu facepalmed, groaning theatrically. "Boss, I'm in awe of you. I should've expected you to be this ignorant. Yes, there are! Low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, and even supreme-grade! Didn't the system tell you this?"
Lin Mo's eye twitched as he muttered under his breath, "Of course, the system conveniently left that out."
The system chimed in almost mockingly:
[System Reminder: Spirit Stone Grades Influence Exchange Value. Host is advised to refine pricing strategies accordingly.]
Lin Mo sighed, rubbing his temples. "Great. So I've been pricing everything the same, regardless of stone quality. Perfect. Just perfect."
Liu Xiaoyu grinned, clearly enjoying his misery. "Don't worry, Boss. You've probably been overcharging the rich and undercharging the poor. It all balances out!"
"That's... not comforting," Lin Mo deadpanned.
As the afternoon wore on, Lin Mo's Celestial Providence began to manifest in subtle yet impactful ways. Furthermore, it started to get picked up and conveyed to him by the system.
A merchant entered the store, his face lined with worry. He explained he was looking for something to protect his caravan from bandits on the road. Lin Mo recommended a box of basic protective talismans in the form of stickers.
The merchant hesitated, muttering about the cost and the aesthetic of the supposed, but eventually handed over the spirit stones.
For the record. He still left on the quality of the spirit stones and the merchant gave him 50 pieces of mid-grade quality for a box of ten sticker talismans.
As he left, the system chimed.
[Celestial Providence Activated: Customer has been blessed by your luck. The bandit group waiting for his caravan's passing has been hit by lightning]
[Customer Satisfaction Enhanced: +1 Spirit Stone Credited to Personal Balance.]
Lin Mo blinked at the notification. "Wait. What the hell is this? Does this mean I'm indirectly saving lives now? First, it was Zhou Rui and that boy… now…"
"Heh. Boss, you're like a hero in disguise!" Liu Xiaoyu teased, holding up a bag of chips like a trophy. "A hero who sells overpriced snacks and talismans."
Lin Mo rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress a small smile.
Later, a young cultivator stumbled in, clutching his side. He explained he had been feeling constipated the whole day. He was even embarrassed to say it out loud in fear of Xiaoyu hearing it. Lin Mo quickly sold him a packet of laxatives with the additional effect of freeing his energy channels which he swallowed on the spot.
Moments later, the cultivator's stomach started growling and he quickly ran away to find a bathroom.
[Celestial Providence Activated: Customer's opponent who secretly caused his constipation accidentally took the same solution and was now hurting. As they will be having a duel later, the customer's win probability has been enhanced.]
[Customer Satisfaction Enhanced: +1 Spirit Stone Credited to Personal Balance.]
"That works too?! Boss, your luck is rubbing off on everyone!" Liu Xiaoyu exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.
"Great," Lin Mo muttered. "I'm a walking rabbit's foot. Maybe I should start charging extra for the Providence tax."
As the afternoon wore on, Lin Mo's Celestial Providence: Heaven's Favor continued to create ripples of good fortune around him even if it was as significant as the first few.
A clumsy scholar accidentally knocked over a jar of pills but miraculously caught it mid-fall without spilling a single one.
A weary traveler, who had been searching for his lost pouch of spirit stones, found it lying untouched near the store's entrance.
Even Liu Xiaoyu, while "testing" her Heaven's Reflex by juggling snack packets, managed to catch every single one without breaking a sweat.
"Boss," she said, grinning as she balanced a bag of chips on her head. "I think your Celestial Providence is rubbing off on everyone. Maybe you should charge extra for just standing near you!"
Lin Mo smirked. "If only it worked that way. Now put those chips back before you eat our profits. By the way, Xiaoyu. Can you look for a cultivation manual on our shelves? There should be one there, right? Let me try my hand at it. I should be the one benefiting from my providence."
"Oh! On it!" Liu Xiaoyu saluted before disappearing into the aisles.
As Liu Xiaoyu darted off to scour the shelves, Lin Mo leaned against the counter, massaging his temples. The notifications from the system had been relentless all day, each one reminding him of the strange, domino-like effects of his Celestial Providence.
As Liu Xiaoyu darted off to scour the shelves, Lin Mo leaned against the counter, massaging his temples. The notifications from the system had been relentless all day, each one reminding him of the strange, domino-like effects of his Celestial Providence.
"Who knew selling laxatives could change the course of a duel?" he muttered, shaking his head.
The doorbell chimed again and Lin Mo instinctively straightened, putting on his best "welcome" face.
A middle-aged woman entered, clearly someone from the neighborhood.
Her expression was a mix of curiosity and hesitation. She wore simple but neat robes and carried a small basket filled with herbs.
"Welcome to the Divine Convenience Store," Lin Mo greeted. "How can we help you today?"
The woman approached cautiously, her eyes darting to the glowing shelves and the array of items that seemed both mundane and mystical.
"I... I heard about this place from my neighbor," She with a trembling voice. "She said you sell... unique things?"
Lin Mo nodded. "That's right. What are you looking for?"
The woman hesitated before speaking. "My husband... He's been bedridden for weeks. The healers who looked at him said it was a spiritual imbalance after encountering a spirit-type creature. But we can't afford their treatments. Do you have anything that could help?"
Lin Mo pulled up the system panel, typing in the query. A few options quickly appeared as usual.
[Available Remedies for Spiritual Imbalance:
-Harmony Pills (Basic Grade): Balances minor spiritual disruptions. Price: 5 Spirit Stones
-Spirit Alignment Elixir (Standard Grade): Restores balance for moderate cases. Price: 12 Spirit Stones
-Soul Rejuvenation Crystal: Cures severe spiritual imbalances and restores vitality. Price: 50 Spirit Stones]
Lin Mo glanced at the woman's modest appearance and the basket of herbs. He doubted she had more than a few spirit stones to her name.
Before he could speak, Liu Xiaoyu reappeared, carrying a thick book labeled Beginner's Guide to Cultivation: For the Totally Clueless.
"Found it, Boss!" The young woman chirped, plopping the book onto the counter.
Lin Mo gave her a quick nod before turning back to the woman. "We have a few options, but for your husband's condition, I'd recommend the Harmony Pills. They're effective for minor spiritual disruptions and cost five spirit stones."
The woman's face first had a spark of hope in her eyes but upon hearing the first, it fell once again as she clutched her basket tightly. "I... I only have three spirit stones. Is there any way I could...?"
Lin Mo sighed inwardly, already anticipating the system's chime.
[Suggested Action: Offer a barter or alternate transaction to build goodwill.]
"Do you have anything else to trade?" Lin Mo asked, gesturing to her basket.