"Young Master, I successfully bought a few Viewing Jades the moment I saw they were for sale! Is this the same as yours? To whom should I give the rest?" Chen Suyun announced upon returning to the Azure Gale Sect and arriving before Yan Wei's courtyard.
Ever since his loss to Zhou Rui, Yan Wei had thrown himself into another closed-door cultivation. He was striving to reach the second layer of the [Blossoming Lotus Breathing Technique] to match his current stage, while also polishing his [Azure Gale Steps]. The latter had proven inadequate when his opponent was bolstered by Divine Convenience Store products.
Normally easygoing in his cultivation and prone to spending spirit stones to flaunt his status within the sect, Yan Wei still held favor with most disciples and even his father for one reason. He'd work tirelessly to improve himself after every defeat.
Though his conflict with Zhou Rui ended with both of them becoming loyal patrons of the store, the fires of competition still blazed within him. Once his training was complete, he planned to challenge Zhou Rui again, up on that wondrous stage inside the store where they could go all out.
Yan Wei emerged from his courtyard, his robes slightly wrinkled from his intense cultivation session but his demeanor was as confident as ever. A faint glow of spiritual energy lingered around him, a sign that his efforts were bearing fruit.
His sharp eyes landed on Chen Suyun, who stood before him clutching a small stack of Viewing Jades, their golden inscriptions shimmering under the morning light.
"Well done, Junior Sister Chen," Yan Wei praised as he took one of the Viewing Jades from her hands. He turned it over, inspecting it closely.
"Mhm, these are indeed the same as mine. The Viewing Jades straight from the Divine Convenience Store. The craftsmanship is unmistakable. Did you manage to get them before the rush?"
Chen Suyun nodded eagerly, her cheeks flushed with pride and a hint of embarrassment,
"I did, Young Master! The line was already forming when I got there. But it's embarrassing. The young girl that the Shopkeeper hired said supplies are abundant. I bought five: one for myself and four extras. My spirit stones weren't enough for more."
Yan Wei chuckled, a rare softness in his usually haughty expression. "You still did a good job, Junior Sister. Have you activated yours yet? Tell me your username, I'll send you a direct message."
"Oh! Yes, Young Master, I activated it on the way back. My username is… uh, 'SilverBreeze.'" She fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve, clearly unused to the casual tone Yan Wei was taking with her. "I wasn't sure what to pick, so I just went with something simple."
Yan Wei smiled, activating his own Viewing Jade with a pulse of spiritual energy. The golden inscriptions flared briefly before the holographic display emerged.
He tapped through the interface with practiced fingertips, navigating to the direct messaging feature. "SilverBreeze, huh? It suits you, Junior Sister. Alright, I'll send you a test message. Check it."
A moment later, Chen Suyun's Viewing Jade chimed softly. She glanced at the screen, her lips curling into a small smile as she read the message aloud: "'Good work, Junior Sister. Keep up with me next time.' Oh, Young Master, you're too kind!"
"Kind?" Yan Wei raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Don't get used to it. I just don't want my subordinates falling behind. Now, about these extras…"
He gestured to the four remaining Viewing Jades in her hands. "Take two to my father and Second Uncle. They'll definitely be interested in it. Another to Senior Brother Hao. He'll want to analyze this thing inside and out. The last goes to Junior Sister Shui. She's got a sharp mind for strategy and might figure out more uses for it. And here's your compensation for them."
Chen Suyun nodded quickly as a few high-grade spirit stones landed in her hand. It was more than the amount she spent to purchase them.
"Understood, Young Master. I'll deliver them right away. Should I tell them anything specific?"
"Just say they're from me, and they'd better not slack off. Well, don't say that to my father and Second Uncle!" Yan Wei hurriedly corrected himself before, his tone shifting back to its usual commanding edge. "The Divine Convenience Store's influence is growing, and I won't have the Azure Gale Sect left behind because someone's too lazy to adapt. Oh, right. Tell my father to check the Store Bulletin Board."
"Got it!" Chen Suyun saluted playfully, then hesitated. "Young Master… are you really planning to challenge Zhou Rui again? I thought you two made up? Also, I heard the Crimson Vale Sect's been stocking up on store products too. They're not sitting idle either."
Yan Wei's eyes gleamed with competitive fire. "Good. The stronger he is, the better. I'll still crush him next time. The Banana Peel Incident won't happen again. The [Divine Arena] gives us a level field, and I've got a few tricks up my sleeve now that I'm refining the [Azure Gale Steps]. He won't catch me off guard again. I will be visiting the store to find myself a weapon too."
Chen Suyun grinned, clearly feeding off his confidence. "I'll cheer for you, Young Master! Maybe I'll place a bet on the stall again. I'm still confident that you will win!"
Yan Wei laughed, waving her off. "Go on, then. Deliver those Jades and get back to training. We've got work to do."
As Chen Suyun scampered off, Yan Wei turned back to his Viewing Jade, scrolling through the Store Bulletin Board.
He paused as his gaze lingered on the first posted and pinned thread in the Community section titled [Your Prodigious Assistant's Daily Product Recommendation]. It was posted by someone named FlowingStar.
"Hmph. The Shopkeeper's assistant truly knows how to draw more eyes to the store. Let me leave a comment."
Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire
A while later, Yan Wei nodded in satisfaction as he reread his comment multiple times before sending it. He wasn't the first commenter but the moment his name popped up, the prestige of being the Golden Patron once again appeared beside his name.
After leaving many comments on different threads to flaunt his status, he started writing his own.
[Exhibition Match Challenge - UnrivaledGale]
"To the cultivators of Fanling City and beyond, Yan Wei of the Azure Gale Sect issues an open challenge for an exhibition match in the store's [Divine Arena & Exhibition Hall]. Zhou Rui, Liu Xiaoyu, or anyone brave enough to step up, I'll be waiting. No banana peels this time. Just pure skill and store products! Name your terms down below. Let's give the crowd a show worth their spirit stones."
He hit [Post], a satisfied smirk spreading across his face as the thread went live.
The Viewing Jade chimed softly, and within moments, comments began trickling in. Some taunting, others eager to see the rematch.
Back at the Divine Convenience Store, Lin Mo shook his head as he closed Yan Wei's thread. More threads and a flood of comments kept popping up. Thankfully, Yangyang had already set up some moderating rules that could automatically filter, delete or mute disruptive posts.
"Let's see. They're so quick at adapting to the Bulletin Board, unlike the Earth's early internet era, where people took ages to figure out forums or even navigating their computer monitors with mouse and keyboard," Lin Mo muttered to himself as a faint smirk tugged at his lips before continued to pace around the store.
The cultivators of this realm, with their sharp minds honed by cultivation and competition, had taken to the Viewing Jades like fish to water. It was both impressive and mildly chaotic.
"Shopkeeper, can we also message you on the Bulletin Board?" A customer fiddling with his Viewing Jade called out to him as he passed by.
"Ah. No, dear customer. I'm only going to post announcements you can see at the front page. Feel free to connect with the other users but mind the rules and ensure you're not endangering yourself if ever you put up your personal information."
The customer nodded, albeit with a hint of disappointment, before returning to his Viewing Jade, his fingers tapping eagerly across the holographic display.
Lin Mo continued his rounds as his [Stillwater Perception] kept him attuned to the flow of spiritual energy within the store.
The atmosphere was lively, a blend of curiosity and excitement as customers explored the Viewing Jades and debated the merits of the latest products. Of course, there were still a few troublemakers that would be instantly dealt with either by the other customers or the [Spirit-Dispersing Beacon]
As he neared the counter, he pulled up the Day 10's daily tasks and checked their completion progress.
[Returning Customers: 55/100]
[Sell Viewing Jades: 46/100]
[Sell five different products in one transaction: 15/20]
Satisfied, Lin Mo closed it before turning to the message from the [Communication Hub] from Yu Qingyan. She should be on her second caravan trip as the store's Official Distributor.
'Did she sell everything out so quickly again?' Lin Mo mused as he tapped it open. But contrary to his expectation, her message bore a different subject.
Yu Qingyan: Shopkeeper, I apologize for using this to contact you but this is urgent. It seems a Tower has finally appeared in our region.