Divine Convenience Store

Lin Mo adjusted his sleeves with an air of nonchalance as if what he was wearing was a suit. Despite his usual professional smile plastered on his lips, Yu Qingyan and some customers who had interacted with him this past week could tell that he was not impressed.

As for the crowd which had been buzzing with tension, they suddenly felt a shift in atmosphere. Most of them only knew Lin Mo as the man behind the counter, checking out their items. Seeing him like this made them feel a sense of anticipation to see Lin Mo's methods.

"Am I seeing this correctly? Are you causing a commotion right outside our store? Has no one told you that it's bad manners to block an establishment's entrance?" Lin Mo sighed dramatically as he shook his head.

His words caused customers of the store, especially the five Golden Patrons to shudder.

Wait. Are they hearing him correctly? His words felt like it was directed at them. He was scolding them for blocking the store's entrance!

"S-shopkeeper. As you can see, we are not blocking the store. We're simply preventing rude customers from bringing trouble inside." The usually proud Yan Wei stuttered as he reasoned out and the rest of the Azure Gale Sect asserted it.

"Oh? Is that so? Should I thank you instead?"

"T-that's not…" Yan Wei looked like he was at a loss for words to retort.

Yu Qingyan stepped in, "Shopkeeper, are you misplacing your anger? We, your store patrons, are here defending you."

Lin Mo turned his gaze to her and raised his brows.

Somehow, Yu Qingyan felt like she shouldn't have said anything. It clicked on her that Lin Mo was truly out to scold them for disrupting the store's business.

He then smiled that for some reason didn't feel like a smile, "Oh? Indeed, Miss Yu. Let me thank all of you. However, have you forgotten my stance over my customers? Rude or not, our establishment will never discriminate."

Upon saying that, his gaze then shifted to Elder Chu and the two masters, still ignoring the Silver Lotus Hall who was seemingly dumbfounded at what was happening.

"I see. We have overstepped. You can resolve this easily. Is that it, Shopkeeper Lin?" Elder Chu coyly said while the two masters looked on expectantly.

Lin Mo nodded with a gentle smile as if pacifying a mischievous child. "Indeed. A Shopkeeper's duty is to serve all customers fairly, no matter their status or temperament. After all, we're here to profit and provide convenience in exchange."

The Golden Patrons and other customers exchanged glances, realizing that Lin Mo, despite his usual professional demeanor, had subtly taken control of the situation.

Even the members of the Silver Lotus Hall, who had been prepared to use force, hesitated as they found themselves completely ignored, treated as if they were simply part of the scenery.

Finally, Lin Mo turned his attention to them. He started with a light, polite nod before grinning like a crooked merchant looking at incoming profit.

"Now then, honored guests from the Silver Lotus Hall. You claim to have come under a royal decree to investigate our humble establishment, correct?"

The leader of the masked figures, who had been momentarily taken aback by the strange direction the confrontation had taken, quickly recovered and replied. "That is correct. We—"

Lin Mo raised a hand, cutting him off.

"Say no more. Our Divine Convenience Store fully respects the royal family and the authorities of the kingdom. However…" His voice took on a note of exaggerated regret. "You see, our store has a strict policy regarding inspections and investigations."

The masked figures stiffened slightly. "A… policy?"

"Yes, a policy!" Lin Mo clapped his hands together, his tone suddenly turning enthusiastic, like a shopkeeper about to upsell a gullible customer.

After all, why would he let them just come in as they please when they showed up throwing their weight around by bringing a royal decree? He had to earn something from them at least.

He was also planning to do the same if ever the Poison Demon Cult High Priest visits. He'll hook them to the point that they'll forego their wealth for the store.

"As an esteemed organization, surely you understand the importance of proper procedure. We do not just let people walk in and poke around as they please. That would set a terrible precedent, wouldn't it?"

The masked figures remained silent, uncertain whether they were being mocked.

But Lin Mo continued before they could argue.

"In order to ensure that our valued customers and inspectors fully experience the quality of our wares before forming any reports, all investigative parties must first fulfill one simple requirement."

At this point, his grin widened as he raised the volume of his voice, delivering the punchline.

"Each member of the Silver Lotus Hall must make a minimum purchase of ten high-grade spirit stones worth of items from our store. Otherwise, I will not let any intelligence you gather leave the store."

The crowd erupted into murmurs.

"Ten high-grade spirit stones?! Isn't that daylight robbery?"

"Wait, is he serious? That means their entire group has to spend at least a hundred high-grade spirit stones for their investigation!"

Then someone whispered, "We're lucky we're normal customers. We don't have enough to pay for that."

The Golden Patrons, who had just been scolded, had wry smiles on their faces. They couldn't help but admire and lament Lin Mo's sheer audacity at this moment.

What policy? He made that up on the spot!

Grandmaster Lian and Pill Master Ying even gulped down as they realized Lin Mo could've used the same method on them if they were a little bit more hostile.

The Silver Lotus Hall leader's expression darkened beneath his mask. "That is extortion."

Lin Mo gasped dramatically, placing a hand over his chest. "Extortion? Sir, please! This is simply store policy. We welcome all customers, but we must maintain our standards. If I let you enter after causing all this commotion that our loyal patrons have been disturbed and even stepped up to defend us, wouldn't that be unfair to them?

"I may have scolded them earlier but this is a separate issue. I must also answer them and show them that we're not a pushover. The policy is merely to ensure that no one can simply throw their weight around in our store. We're about to set a precedent, good sir."

He gestured toward Grandmaster Lian and Pill Master Ying. "Take these two fine grandmasters of their craft, for example. Not only have they purchased items, but they have also become Golden Patrons! Such esteemed figures understand the importance of supporting small businesses."

After he finished his words, Lin Mo shrugged his shoulders as if he hadn't just put out an act that made the spectators do an eye-roll.

Pill Master Ying's lips twitched. He had been dragged into this scam by association. Grandmaster Lian was already rubbing her temples. The urge to throw a talisman to block Lin Mo's mouth passed through her mind.

Yan Wei, however, was enjoying the show immensely. He already recovered from being scolded by Lin Mo.

"That's right! If you want to check the store, even a dog of the royal family should abide by their policy!" Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire

The masked figures hesitated. They clearly had not anticipated this level of shamelessness. They were an elite intelligence force, not wandering cultivators being tricked at a roadside stall.

Seeing their reluctance, Lin Mo sighed again and shrugged. "Well, I won't force you. If you truly cannot afford to meet the minimum purchase requirement, I understand. Not everyone has that level of financial freedom. You can pool your funds in one person though. That way, you can still accomplish what you were sent here to do."

The leader of the Silver Lotus Hall was clearly seething but forced his tone to remain calm. "The Divine Convenience Store is within the territory of the Southern Wu Kingdom. You are subject to the royal decree."

Lin Mo snapped his fingers. "We are complying with it, are we not? Esteemed sir, you can just say so if you didn't bring enough high-spirit stones with you. You can still come over on another day. Our store is always open. We won't run."

A deadly silence fell over the area.

The leader of the Silver Lotus Hall clenched his fists. That sounded suspiciously like Lin Mo was calling them poor.

After what felt like a long hesitation, the leader finally said, voice taut with irritation. "We will comply."

Gasps echoed in the crowd and they nearly lost it.

Yan Wei outright slapped his knee. "Oh, this is priceless! The mighty Silver Lotus Hall is being shaken down by a shopkeeper!"

The masked figures were now trembling, whether from anger or sheer disbelief could only hold their ground and wait for their leader's command.

Lin Mo's smile grew wider.

"Excellent! Welcome to The Divine Convenience Store. Please investigate freely. Just don't forget your minimum purchases, of course." He gestured toward the entrance where Liu Xiaoyu, Xiao Ya, Yangyang, and the customers inside stared at them as if they had just witnessed something incredible.

One of the masked figures hesitated as he stepped inside. "What if we simply force our way in?"

DING!

However, an invisible wave of pressure swept over him, suppressing his thoughts of violence.

The masked figure staggered as his legs buckled.

There it was. The Aura of Harmony.

As masked figures, customers and Lin Mo poured into the store, Wei Xian and Minister Shen who were watching on the sidelines finally stepped out, amusement playing on their eyes.

"...I think I like this shopkeeper," Left Minister Shen murmured while stroking his beard.

The City Lord exhaled as he shook his head. "Let's follow them in. But quietly."