Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 205: Skeptical Crown Prince

The idea of the First Princess, Wu Meiyu, donning the store's green and white stripes and bustling around with Liu Xiaoyu and Xiao Ya was absurdly amusing. Her royal escorts would surely try to take his head if that happened.

In any case, he wasn't expecting her to take the offer seriously. A royal princess like her didn't exactly scream 'part-time worker' and she had pride to uphold.

It would be a sight to behold if she did though. More importantly, it'd keep her close, which might gradually turn her curiosity to an important asset rather than a nuisance, making it easier for the store's influence to invade the entire kingdom.

As the night continued to deepen, the store's interior glowed softly under the light of spirit-infused lights, casting a warm ambiance over the shelves stocked with talismans, candies, and Earth-inspired snacks.

The remaining customers browsing the store and lounging in the dining area kept the place lively. Their chatter blended with the soothing sensation brought about by the abundance of spiritual energy from the [Everlasting Spirit Fountain].

Lin Mo's spiritual perception swept the room again, catching a young cultivator eyeing an expensive talisman a little too long before reluctantly placing it back.

He nodded in satisfaction. Good choice.

After ringing up the last customer, he accessed the Bulletin Board again, his attention pulled back to the thread about the Crown Prince.:

- ThreadMasterX: Crown Prince Wu Tianlong just declared he'll clear the tower himself! Says he'll 'prove the store's deception' or some nonsense. Who wants to bet on how far he gets?

- NoodleLad: Floor 2, tops. He's got fancy gear but the Sword Fairy is on another level. No way he beats Floor 3. Not with his current attitude. He should eat some Spicy Taihao Noodles first!

- PavilionRat: Emissary Yu is laughing her head off. She's betting he'll throw more spirit stones at her stall once he gets slapped with the reality that the tower is no joke. She advises him to quickly convert spirit stones to buy an [Emergency Escape Talisman].

- Anon456: He's got a whole retinue with him. Dragon General is glaring at everyone like we're the enemy. Kinda tense out here. Think he can offend our sects?

Lin Mo smirked. Wu Tianlong's skepticism was truly a highlight of the day. Royalty often saw conspiracies where there were only opportunities.

Still, if the Crown Prince wanted to storm the tower, that was fine by Lin Mo. The moment he gets exposed to the store products, he's already a customer in his eyes. Furthermore, more challengers meant more sources of Dimension Essence and a high-profile figure like him could draw even bigger crowds.

Yu Qingyan would handle the sales pitch; she'd already turned his initial hostility into a soda-sipping pause. A few more store products and he'd be hooked like his sister. Eventually, the whole royal court.

Speaking of which, Wu Meiyu's reply popped up:

RainPlum: "Shopkeeper, you dare suggest I toil like a common clerk? I am a princess of Southern Wu! …Though, I admit, the idea has a certain charm. I'll consider it. Do I also get to wear your peculiar uniform? My guards will stay outside, as requested. Do expect me tomorrow."

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow. Was she actually entertaining it? He hadn't pegged her as the type to humor such a jab but her tone suggested more intrigue than offense.

That's good. She's going to be a walking advertisement if she stuck around and her presence might smooth over any friction her brother's retinue brought to Fanling City.

"Guess we'll see how 'royal' she feels when ordered by me. But knowing Xiaoyu, the First Princess won't be a problem." He muttered as he waved the interface away.

He stood, stretching his arms as he glanced at Liu Xiaoyu and Xiao Ya, who were now giggling over something on Xiaoyu's Viewing Jade near the snack aisle.

"Xiaoyu, Xiao Ya, wrap it up soon," He called out. "We're closing in an hour. Oh, right, the princess will return to observe tomorrow. I'll have you two to handle her."

Liu Xiaoyu spun around, her eyes shining with mischief. "Oh? She's going to return to observe? That's new. What? She's going to sit there and watch the store? Might as well dress her up as one of us!"

Lin Mo meaningfully smiled, "That's the thing. She might do that. So, I'm relying on you, Xiaoyu. That is… if you're not going to take your day off."

"The tower won't go anywhere! And that is more entertaining! Shall I drill her to become our future floor staff, Boss? Or maybe I'll challenge her to a noodle-eating contest! Inside the arena!"

Xiao Ya giggled, covering her mouth. "Sister Xiaoyu, she's a princess! Will she accept that?"

"Why not? I'm also a princess. Don't you know?" Xiaoyu huffed, crossing her arms. "Besides, everyone loves Spicy Taihao Noodles! We can try the Cheesy Curry flavor if she wants. Look, even the Crown Prince shut up after a soda. No one can resist our store's indulgences!"

Lin Mo lightly shook his head."Alright. You can do what you want. Just don't cause trouble. We're about to close up shop. You can take Xiao Ya and ask her parents about our plan tonight."

Xiaoyu saluted exaggeratedly and brought Xiao Ya out of the store, to ask her parents for permission to have her stay overnight. But not after converting some of her credits to buy dinner for the young girl's family.

Lin Mo shook his head, his gaze drifting to the [Heavenly Mirage Illusion Orb] embedded in the store's central formation. He's already imagining its promised simulated battles that were perfect for honing his nonexistent combat skills without risking his neck in the real tower.

If not for the chaotic day that kept him tethered to his duty as the Shopkeeper, he would've tested it out earlier. Tonight, though, he'd have the entire night dedicated to it.

A shopkeeper who couldn't defend himself would eventually become a liability, reincarnated or not.

Lin Mo accessed the Area Monitor, his eyes locking onto the pulsating dormant Anchor.

"Is it too much to ask for a peaceful and lazy life in this realm?" He mused as his Stillwater Perception helped him sort out his mentality.

—

Wu Tianlong stood before the Conduit Tower's tall doors. The foreign energy being radiated from its interior cast eerie shadows across his crimson gold armor.

His retinue opened a path for him, earning scowls and jeers from the surrounding cultivators. But he didn't care. The Dragon General stood a step behind him at his right, his grizzled features set in a hardened expression, while Scholar Weiwei scribbled notes at his left. A squad of soldiers had already secured a perimeter as they continued to draw the ire of the other cultivators.

Yan Chen and Zhao Jianshi hovered nearby, their Core Formation auras a quiet counterbalance to the Crown Prince's entourage's misconduct.

Yu Qingyan lounged at her stall, sipping her addictive [Heavenly Dew Soda] while tallying her inventory as she watched the spectacle unfold.

"Your Highness," Yan Chen said. "If you insist on pinning the Divine Convenience Store as the one responsible for the Tower's appearance, many will disagree with you. It might have just been a little more than a week since its appearance but it has already earned a lot of goodwill in our region. Not to mention, the Shopkeeper is always open to his intention to propagate convenience. This Tower is a mere trial ground. Rewards and all. And thanks to the Shopkeeper's goods, it allowed our juniors to bear the difficulty inside."

Wu Tianlong's eyes narrowed, his hand resting on the hilt of a spirit-grade saber at his waist. "A trial ground that conveniently funnels wealth to this Shopkeeper? I'll see the truth for myself. If it's as you say, Elder, then I'll conquer it and prove its worth. If not…"

He let the threat hang, his gaze flicking to Yu Qingyan. "The kingdom will have words with this 'Propagator of Convenience'."

Yu Qingyan chuckled, setting her soda down. "Go ahead, Your Highness. No one is stopping you from doing what you must. We did not lack in our reminders."

The Dragon General hissed but Wu Tianlong waved him off, his lips twitching into a faint smirk. "Much appreciated, Emissary Yu. As the future monarch of this land, I cannot blindly trust an establishment that popped up out of nowhere. It doesn't matter if it is backed by a divine being."

"I see. I admire your integrity, Crown Prince. But are you sure you don't want to stock yourself with the store's products? Although you can also buy some inside, it's cheaper here." Yu Qingyan meaningfully smiled as she showcased her wares. Little Spring and Qianmeng, who successfully cleared Floor 1 and broke through a minor realm, acted as her assistants.

Although tempted, Wu Tianlong gritted his teeth and shook his head, "I do not lack combat supplies, Emissary Yu." He tapped a jade ring on his finger that was clearly filled with his personal belongings. He has an abundance of talismans, pills, or even charms and formation flags. But does it hold up to the high-quality store products? Most likely not.

As long as his skepticism towards the store remains, he'll uphold his current stance of not relying on its lauded usefulness.

"General, Weiwei, with me. Men, hold the perimeter."

With a flourish of his saber as the Crown Prince pulled it out of its scabbard, he strode into the tower.

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The Dragon General and Scholar Weiwei trailed behind.

The obsidian doors shone, acknowledging the new challengers, swallowing the Scholar and the Crown Prince inside.

The Dragon General remained. He's a Core Formation Stage cultivator, after all.

With that, the crowd erupted in chatter as some of them instantly pulled up their Viewing Jades to discuss it at the Bulletin Board.