VIP Guest Room

Seeing the floating words before her, Liu Shuyue's eyes widened.

"This is... an exquisite ability?"

So abilities of golden rarity were called exquisite abilities from her perspective, Chen Xuan thought.

The one he had chosen was "Liberty Leading the People" LV1.

"Not bad, right? This is a rare ability... I usually wouldn't bring it out for ordinary customers."

After carefully reading the ability description, Liu Shuyue asked in confusion, "It does seem extraordinary, but I don't understand... how is this ability supposed to resolve the plight of Qingzhou's people?"

Taken literally, it was extremely abstruse, even carrying a hint of the sinister... If the description was accurate, then it was a strange art capable of manipulating people's hearts.

Any official or general who encountered such an ability would have been ecstatic, but she was neither involved in politics nor commanding troops. Exchanging for such an ability could only be considered a waste.

Of course, Liu Shuyue also knew she couldn't completely trust the description.

It was far too brief and carried an obvious tone of mockery.

Although she didn't understand why Chen Xuan had made the product descriptions so flippant.

"The reasoning is simple." Chen Xuan explained, "At this point, it's impossible for you to remain uninvolved. Either you should have ignored everything from the start, or you have to go one step further and become the leader of these refugees. Putting everything else aside, from what I saw just now, the refugees who fled to Zhangwei were all kinds of people. They even dared to kill in broad daylight to seize food. Sometimes, they were only a hair's breadth away from becoming bandits."

Liu Shuyue was left speechless.

It was a fact.

Or rather, after going hungry for long enough, the refugees would sooner or later become rioters... Once hundreds of thousands of rioters gathered here, Zhangwei City would also be in grave danger.

"To help them, you first have to stop them from becoming bandits... or even inhuman 'monsters.' You need to unite the disaster victims who fled here from all over, eliminate the barriers between them, and prevent them from accumulating hatred through internal conflict. In the face of any crisis, a powerful group's ability to withstand risks will always far exceed that of a scattered mob. With this ability, you can accomplish that more easily and become the backbone they can rely on. That way, at the very least, you can prevent the refugees from slaughtering one another or attacking the residents outside the city."

"But what good will that do?" Liu Shuyue still didn't understand. "Even if I can manage them for a while, I can't manage them forever. They can endure for now because the relief porridge hasn't been completely cut off. Once there truly isn't enough food, order will collapse very quickly."

"I'll solve the food problem."

"What?"

"Once you confirm the transaction, this shop will naturally solve the problem of supplying your relief food." Chen Xuan repeated himself. "But before that, you have to keep this group of refugees under control. Don't let them become a thorn in the authorities' side."

Liu Shuyue froze for a second.

Then she reacted. "You already had a way to solve the food shortage, and the ability transaction is your price?"

She really was sharp.

Chen Xuan nodded slightly. "Do you think I'm taking advantage of your misfortune again?"

This time, however, Liu Shuyue didn't glare at him coldly. Instead, she waved her hand and directly placed four abilities on the counter.

"Heavenly Cloud Skill" LV8.

--Anyone with an intelligence below 150 is unworthy of learning it. It can permanently evolve the body, taking the first step toward Ascension. Fortunately, with the help of an ability transaction, even an idiot like you can master it.

"Divine Eye Method" LV9.

--If you're assassinated every day, this is an ability worth a fortune. Paired with a pair of iron hands, you'll feel that catching bullets in flight is nothing special. Warning: Excessive use of the eyes may result in blindness. Unsuitable for patients born with eye diseases.

"Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell Technique" LV1.

--Death cannot be escaped, but this can help you escape it once.

"Thousand Thoughts Sword" LV10.

--It can be used to chop vegetables, or to fight tanks. At this stage, the sword is no longer a sword in the narrow sense, but a synonym for the art of killing.

Aside from the Thousand Thoughts Sword being blue grade, the other three were all purple.

"Hurry up and trade. You can't go back on your word." Liu Shuyue urged him.

Chen Xuan was somewhat surprised. "...Why did you agree so readily this time?"

"Over the past five years, I've made many deals with many people. In the end, I realized that clearly marked prices weren't necessarily a bad thing." She exhaled softly, and weariness once again surfaced between her brows. "As long as the goal is ultimately achieved and the other party doesn't renege, it already counts as a good deal."

"If you use these for the transaction, what will you do?"

"I have backup cultivation techniques. Their grades aren't much different, but their applicability is narrower... Things like blessings, Array Formations, and talismans... Of course, you can choose those too."

"No need to change them. These four will do."

Seeing that the other party was being unusually generous, Chen Xuan didn't quibble either. What he needed most was Performance Points, and the Ability Store's evaluation of these four abilities wasn't low.

After confirming the transaction, he received another five Performance Points. Adding the transaction with Joan of Arc and the remainder from his first transaction, he now had nine Performance Points in total—only one step away from applying to become a LV3 shopkeeper.

"I've received the abilities. Would you like another cup of coffee?"

"No... I hope this matter can get moving soon." Liu Shuyue looked straight at him. "When will you have news? I don't want us to part this time and then not see each other again for another five years."

You could just say you want to supervise me while I work.

Chen Xuan smiled and was about to say that it would take effect tomorrow, but he suddenly froze when he remembered that he couldn't control where the shop door appeared at will. After they parted this time, the shop would return to the residential complex. He had no idea how many years it would be before he could connect to Liu Shuyue's world again.

Forget five years—even being half a month late could completely overturn the situation in Qingzhou.

Seeing him distracted, Liu Shuyue also grew nervous. "You're not planning to renege, are you?"

"How could I? This shop places the utmost importance on integrity." Chen Xuan suddenly remembered that the shop had already opened its accommodation department. One of the main benefits of providing lodging was being able to revisit customers at any time. Did that mean the second floor had a quick-contact function? "What I mean is... why don't you stay at the shop?"

"What?" Liu Shuyue looked around. "You mean... stay here?"

"Yes. There are guest rooms upstairs. That way, you won't have to worry about being unable to find me."

She considered it for a moment. "Understood. Then I'll go inform the Prefect."

"You've been staying at the government office this whole time?" Chen Xuan asked curiously.

"Not the whole time. I rarely stay in one place for more than half a month. The greatest advantage of staying at the government office is that it doesn't cost anything." At this point, Liu Shuyue's expression suddenly tightened. "This place isn't free, is it? I don't have much spare money on me."

"Of course I charge money. You can't expect to eat and stay for free, can you?" he deliberately frightened her. "But the accommodation fee is a separate matter and has nothing to do with the ability transaction. If you don't have money, you can owe it for now and pay it back later... With the abilities of a sect disciple, earning this little money should be effortless."

"Then exactly how much is it?"

"That depends on what grade of room you stay in. But before that, register for VIP." Chen Xuan switched to the accommodation page and once again aimed the Scanner Gun at her.

"V... I... P?"

"It means a distinguished guest."

Liu Shuyue clearly didn't believe him. There had also been that "Mala Tang" sign earlier... The things in this shop were wondrous, but their names were truly vulgar beyond belief.

"I've been meaning to ask—are these some kind of magical treasures?" She pointed at the Scanner Gun and the monitor on the counter.

"Something like that." Chen Xuan went along with it. "The shop has plenty of treasures."

On this point, she firmly believed him.

The first time she entered the shop, she had already noticed that the light overhead was bright and even. The light sources were hidden in the corners of the ceiling, yet they still illuminated every direction. Then there were the soft couches they sat on—the material covering them looked like leather, but wasn't, and was highly elastic... The murals, decorations, and ornaments all had their own marvels.

The sect also possessed undying spirit flames, Abyssal Sea pearls that could shine forever, and multicolored ice crystals as thin as cicada wings... But most of those treasures were kept in the treasury. It was exceedingly rare to see them displayed so openly in a shop's main hall.

That was why she believed the shopkeeper had an extraordinary background.

Yet none of it could compare to the magical treasure in the shopkeeper's hands.

It could make her see characters and drawings that did not exist in the air. That was a truly peerless treasure.

For example, the "registration operation" before her.

Liu Shuyue glanced at the agree option and silently tapped it.

Sure enough, the other side immediately reacted. "OK, you're registered. Room 201. I'll take you to look at it."

What was "OK"?

Compared with the last time she visited the shop, she vaguely felt that he had become more casual... or perhaps more approachable.

Chen Xuan led Liu Shuyue upstairs and arrived before the door marked 201. The reason he had personally come this time was that all the guest-room doors had previously been locked. He had never seen what the rooms looked like inside. If they were shabby and dilapidated, he would feel embarrassed asking a customer to pay for lodging.

This time, the electronic lock on the door was glowing green.

As expected, he thought. The lock only activates after a guest is registered in the accommodation management system.

Chen Xuan pressed the key card for Room 201 against the lock.

With a soft beep, the lock clicked open.

"Come in."

The instant she entered the room, Liu Shuyue was stunned.

"You... really intend to let me stay in a room like this?"

Chen Xuan, who entered behind her, couldn't help but stare blankly as well.

Are you telling me this is a guesthouse inside a residential building?

It was a completely different Cave Heaven inside!

Beyond the entrance was a huge, flat slab of natural bluestone, fully ten meters long and wide. A large bed stood on it, along with pillows and bedding that looked incredibly soft. In front of the bluestone was a pool of emerald water—yes, there was a crystal-clear pond inside the room! Fish were even swimming in it!

More outrageous still were the surrounding walls... They were all mountain rocks covered in moss. There was no ceiling above; instead, they curved inward to form an open-air cavern. Sunlight streamed in from overhead, shining directly onto the pond and turning its entire surface a translucent blue-green. Fine streams of water also flowed down from the opening, gathering into a sparse "curtain."

Chen Xuan had imagined what the room might look like. At worst, it would be a moldy, foul-smelling partitioned room; at best, a beautifully decorated hotel suite.

But he had never imagined that the room would resemble a secluded immortal's abode. The scenery was beyond reproach, and even modern objects and furnishings were nowhere to be found.

The bed was solid wood, the bedding was woven silk, and the faucet had been replaced with a miniature bamboo waterwheel. The washbasin was made entirely of fired clay, while even the toothbrush and toothpaste beside it had become willow branches and salt blocks.