The Shop Suddenly Became Popular

Three factions had now become entangled with his Ruyi Zhai.

The first was naturally the Xiao Clan. According to the game setting, they were a friendly faction.

The second faction he had come into contact with was the Mittel Auction House. They were neutral, helping neither side, though cooperation could be considered.

As for the third party, it was the Jia Lie Family. He simply did not know what that old man intended for his Ruyi Zhai.

Although they had sent people to probe his background, they had not revealed any obvious information.

Sitting in his chair and looking at the street outside, Xiao Cheng considered his next concrete plans.

"According to the original plot, Xiao Yan should be cultivating hard right now. The plot will only change once he reaches the Seventh Stage of Dou Qi, and that's when the next phase begins."

However, with his involvement, that was no longer quite right. More accurately, the Peach Pastry and Peanut Candy should help Xiao Yan reach the Seventh Stage of Dou Qi earlier.

In the original plot, Xiao Yan had cultivated for more than half a year before reaching the Seventh Stage of Dou Qi. Now, he would probably get there in less than two or three months.

The last time he saw Xiao Yan, he had already sensed that Xiao Yan had reached the Fifth Stage of Dou Qi. His progress really was rapid.

"Looks like I need to make preparations early. That old man Jia Lie Bi definitely won't just be dealing with the Xiao Clan this time. Ruyi Zhai will get dragged in too. What a headache."

Neither of his two quests had been completed. The only Main Quest was still short by a small portion, and that small portion had completely stalled him.

Four days had already passed. If he failed to complete this quest, he would be finished.

"Ah, I still have to complete the quest before I can trigger a new one. Xiao Dian, you really screwed me over."

Host, please do not place your incompetence on my head. I refuse to take the blame. "Heh heh."

Xiao Zhan had already spread the news throughout the Xiao Clan that the Peach Pastry and Peanut Candy at Ruyi Zhai could enhance Dou Qi. Many of the clan disciples began discussing it in private.

"Did you hear? The Clan Head said there's a shop in Xiao Family Market selling things that can increase Dou Qi."

"I heard too. Apparently, the things in that shop have no side effects and work incredibly well."

"Yeah, yeah. They say the effects are comparable to first- and second-grade medicinal pills."

As the clan disciples discussed it, only Xiao Mei, Xiao Ning, Xiao Yan, and Xiao Xun'er knew the full story.

Xiao Xun'er stood in her room, gazing at the setting sun beyond the window. She seemed to be speaking to the empty air.

"Elder Ling, have you found anything from investigating Ruyi Zhai?"

"Miss, we found no useful information. From what I have learned, that shop seems to have appeared out of thin air. There was no sign whatsoever before it simply appeared in the market."

An aged yet respectful voice came from the air.

Upon hearing Elder Ling's answer, Xiao Xun'er fell silent. After a long while, she parted her red lips and said, "Stop investigating Ruyi Zhai for now. As long as it does nothing harmful to Brother Xiao Yan, there is no need to bother with it."

"Understood, Miss."

Elder Ling answered, though he sighed inwardly.

That boy had better not disappoint Miss.

Xiao Cheng was sitting in the shop, lost in thought, when he suddenly heard a commotion. By the time he looked up, he was utterly stunned.

More than a dozen people surged into the shop all at once.

Chattering voices immediately rose one after another.

"Is this Ruyi Zhai?"

"Shopkeeper, can the things in your shop really increase Dou Qi?"

"Shopkeeper, how many Gold Coins do those things that increase Dou Qi cost?"

Questions like these kept being thrown at Xiao Cheng.

Driven nearly mad by the noise, Xiao Cheng directly used his Dou Qi to shout, "Quiet!"

The moment those two words left his mouth, the surroundings instantly fell silent.

Seeing that everyone had quieted down, Xiao Cheng breathed a sigh of relief before smiling. "You are Xiao Family Disciples, right?"

Everyone nodded in acknowledgment.

"The things here really can increase Dou Qi. Let me introduce them to you."

He then carefully explained the effects of the Peach Pastry and Peanut Candy to these Xiao Family Disciples.

He placed particular emphasis on the newly introduced Peanut Candy.

"This Peanut Candy can help break through bottlenecks encountered below the Da Dou Shi realm. It also has another important effect: it increases the speed of Dou Qi cultivation."

Hearing that there was something capable of breaking through bottlenecks, the Xiao Family Disciples revealed excited expressions.

Among them, the strongest had only reached the seventh stage of Dou Qi. They dreamed of becoming Dou Zhe.

Now, with Xiao Cheng's Peach Pastry and Peanut Candy, their longing for the Dou Zhe realm—and even the Da Dou Shi realm—filled them with fighting spirit to pursue it.

Suddenly, one Xiao Family Disciple asked, "Then how many Gold Coins do they cost?"

"Not expensive. Peach Pastry costs eighty Gold Coins, and Peanut Candy costs sixty Gold Coins. This is a discounted price, so don't get it wrong. The discount is only for your Xiao Clan."

Hearing the prices, the Xiao Family Disciples hesitated somewhat. They were not wealthy in Gold Coins like Xiao Xun'er and Xiao Ning.

Suddenly, a young woman from the Xiao Clan said, "I'll buy one Peach Pastry and one Peanut Candy."

"Certainly, no problem."

Once someone took the lead in buying, a second and third person soon followed.

"I want five Peach Pastries!"

"I want three Peach Pastries and one Peanut Candy!"

"I want three Peanut Candies. I need to increase my cultivation speed!"

"I want ten Peach Pastries. Money is no object!"

The overlapping shouts drowned out Xiao Cheng's voice. Yet he was not upset in the slightest. Instead, he was overjoyed, and the smile on his face grew even brighter.

More than an hour later, Xiao Cheng slumped into his chair and let out a long breath. Looking at the completely empty Iron Trays, he said helplessly, "I never expected these Xiao Family Disciples to have such strong purchasing desires. Everything sold out in no time. Terrifying indeed."

Just then, a familiar voice rang out. Payne had arrived again with two guards.

"Shop Owner Xiao, give me five Peach Pastries. I heard there are new pastries, so give me five of those too. Money is no object."

Hearing Payne's lavish words, Xiao Cheng could neither laugh nor cry. He pointed at the Iron Trays beneath the glass cover and said, "Payne, you came too late. Everything is sold out. See for yourself."

Payne leaned forward and looked through the glass cover. Seeing that only a few crumbs remained in the Iron Trays, he said with slight disappointment, "Ah, forget it. I'll come again tomorrow. Shop Owner Xiao, remember to save some for me tomorrow."

"Don't worry. I'll make more tomorrow."

After seeing Payne off, Xiao Cheng eagerly opened his Personal Panel to check it.

Host: Xiao Cheng
Identity: Shopkeeper of Ruyi Zhai in Xiao Family Market
Shopkeeper Level: Novice Level
Realm: Ninth Stage of Dou Qi
Martial Skill: None
Items: None
Evaluation: You are merely a rookie who has just started out. You could be wiped out by a big shot at any time. Develop carefully for the happiness of everyone.

Main Quest: The host must learn and proficiently make God-Tier Honeyed Shortbread, then sell one hundred portions (103/100)
Quest Reward: Method for making God-Tier Honeyed Three-Knife Pastry
Quest Failure: The host will sing "Conquer" on the street
Quest Time: Seven days

Side Quest: The host must sell one hundred portions of Peanut Candy (43/100)
Quest Reward: One random pastry recipe
Quest Failure: The host will wear women's clothing for seven days and may not take it off
Quest Time: Seven days

Seeing that the Main Quest had actually been completed, Xiao Cheng decisively chose to claim the reward.

The method for making God-Tier Honeyed Three-Knife Pastry has been transmitted into the host's mind.

Then, the entire process for making Honeyed Three-Knife Pastry appeared in Xiao Cheng's mind.

After a while, Xiao Cheng finally let out a long breath. Looking at the sky, which had already begun to darken, he said with a smile, "Looks like I have no choice but to close early today. I'll make Honeyed Three-Knife Pastry tomorrow. I'm in an especially good mood."

Having completed the Main Quest, Xiao Cheng was in an exceptionally good mood. He closed the shop and went to rest.