VIP Guest Room

As Liu Shuyue looked at the floating text before her, her eyes widened.

"This... is a supreme ability?"

So abilities with gold rarity are called supreme in her view, Chen Xuan thought.

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

"Not bad, right? This is a rare ability... I don't usually show it to guests."

After carefully reading the ability's description, Liu Shuyue asked with some confusion, "It does seem extraordinary, but I don't understand... How can this ability resolve the plight of the people of Qingzhou?"

Taken literally, it was quite mysterious, even a bit sinister... If the description was accurate, it was a miraculous art capable of manipulating hearts.

Any official or general would be ecstatic to encounter such an ability, but she was neither involved in politics nor led troops. Acquiring this ability would be a waste.

Of course, Liu Shuyue knew not to believe the description entirely.

It was too brief and carried a clear tone of mockery.

Though she didn't understand why Chen Xuan would make the product descriptions so flippant.

"The reason is simple," Chen Xuan explained. "At this point, you can't possibly stay out of it. Either don't get involved from the start, or you have to go further and become the leader of these refugees. If nothing else, from what I just saw, the refugees fleeing to Zhangwei are a motley crew, even daring to commit violence in broad daylight to snatch food. Sometimes they're only a hair's breadth away from becoming bandits."

Liu Shuyue had no words to refute him.

It was the truth.

Or rather, if starved long enough, refugees would eventually turn into thugs... And if tens of thousands of thugs gathered here, Zhangwei City would also be in grave danger.

"If you want to help them, you first have to prevent them from becoming bandits... or even 'monsters' who have lost their humanity. This requires uniting the disaster victims fleeing from various places, eliminating divisions, and preventing them from accumulating hatred through infighting. In the face of any crisis, a strong group's ability to resist risk will always far exceed a pile of loose sand. With this ability, you can achieve this more easily, giving them a backbone to rely on. This way, at least you can prevent the refugees from killing each other or attacking the residents outside the city."

"But what's the use of that?" Liu Shuyue still didn't understand. "Even if I can manage them for a while, I can't manage them forever. They can still endure now because the relief porridge hasn't completely stopped. Once the food runs out completely, order will definitely collapse very quickly."

"I will solve the problem of food."

"What?"

"Once you confirm the transaction, this shop will solve the problem of relief grain supply for you," Chen Xuan repeated. "But before that, you need to manage these refugees properly and prevent them from becoming a thorn in the government's side."

Liu Shuyue froze for a second.

Then she realized, "You already had a way to solve the food problem, and the ability transaction was the price?"

She was indeed perceptive.

Chen Xuan nodded slightly. "Do you feel like I'm taking advantage of your desperation again?"

However, this time Liu Shuyue didn't glare at him with cold eyes. Instead, she waved her hand and put up four abilities.

"Heavenly Cloud Skill" LV8.

--People with an IQ below 150 are not worthy of learning it. It can permanently evolve the body, taking the first step towards ascension. Fortunately, with the help of ability trading, even fools like you can master it.

"Divine Eye Method" lv9.

--If you were assassinated every day, this would be an ability worth more than gold. Combined with a pair of iron hands, you would feel like crushing a flying bullet was nothing. Note: Excessive use of the eyes may lead to blindness and is not suitable for patients with congenital eye diseases.

"Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell Technique" lv1.

--Death cannot be escaped, but it can be escaped once with this.

"Thousand Thoughts Sword" lv10.

--It can be used for chopping vegetables, or for anti-tank warfare. At this level, the sword is no longer a sword in the narrow sense, but a euphemism for killing techniques.

Except for the Thousand Thoughts Sword, which was blue-grade, the other three were surprisingly purple.

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

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

"I've made many transactions with many people over the past five years, and I've found that clear pricing isn't necessarily a bad thing," she sighed softly, the fatigue returning to her brow. "As long as the ultimate goal is achieved and the other party doesn't renege, it's a good deal."

"If you trade these, what about yourself?"

"I still have backup cultivation methods. They are of similar grade, but with narrower applicability... like blessings, formations, and talismans... Of course, you can choose these too if you want."

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

Seeing her uncharacteristic generosity, Chen Xuan didn't pick and choose. After all, what he needed most were performance points, and the shop's evaluation of these four abilities was not low.

After clicking to confirm the transaction, he received another 5 performance points. Combined with the transaction with Joan of Arc and the remainder from the first transaction, he now had a total of 9 points, just one step away from applying for LV3 shopkeeper.

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

"No... I hope this can be pushed forward as soon as possible," Liu Shuyue said, looking him directly in the eye. "When will you have news? I don't want to say goodbye for five more years after this."

Just say you want to supervise my work.

Chen Xuan smiled, about to reply that it would take effect tomorrow, but then he froze. He suddenly remembered that he couldn't control where the shop door opened at will. After this parting, the shop would return to the residential complex, and he didn't know when he would be able to connect with Liu Shuyue's world again.

This time, if it were delayed by even half a month, the situation in Qingzhou could be drastically different, let alone five years.

Seeing him lost in thought, Liu Shuyue also became a little nervous. "You're not planning to go back on your word, are you?"

"How could I? This shop values integrity above all else," Chen Xuan suddenly remembered that the shop had opened a housing department, and a core aspect of accommodating guests was the ability to follow up with them at any time. Did this mean there was a function on the second floor for quick contact with guests? "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 not being able to find me."

She considered it. "Understood. I'll go inform the Prefect."

"Were you living at the Prefect's office all this time?" Chen Xuan asked curiously.

"Not exactly. I rarely stay in one place for more than half a month. The biggest advantage of living at the Prefect's office is not having to spend money." Liu Shuyue's expression suddenly tensed. "This place isn't free, is it? I don't have much extra money on me."

"Of course, it costs money. You can't eat and live here for free." He teased her. "But the accommodation fee is a separate matter, unrelated to ability transactions. If you don't have money, you can owe it and pay me back later... With a Sect disciple's skills, earning that small amount should be a piece of cake."

"So, how much is it?"

"It depends on the room grade you choose. But before that, you need to register as a VIP." Chen Xuan switched to the room booking page and aimed the scanning gun at her again.

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

"It means esteemed guest."

Liu Shuyue clearly didn't believe him. And then there was that "Mala Tang" sign... The things in this shop were mysterious, but their names were truly vulgar.

"I wanted to ask before, is this some kind of magic item?" she asked, pointing at the scanning gun and the monitor on the counter.

"You could say that." Chen Xuan went along with it. "There are many treasures in the shop."

She had to believe that.

The first time she entered the shop, she had noticed the bright and even lighting from above, with the light sources hidden in the corners of the ceiling, yet still illuminating the entire space. There were also the soft couches, covered in a material that looked like leather but wasn't, and was incredibly elastic... And the murals, decorations, and ornaments all had their own unique wonders.

Her Sect also had eternal spiritual flames, abyssal pearls that glowed continuously, and myriad-colored ice crystals as thin as cicada wings... but most of those were kept in the treasury. It was rare to see so many displayed openly in the main hall like this.

That's why she believed the shopkeeper must have a powerful background.

However, none of that compared to the magic item in the shopkeeper's hand.

It could make her see non-existent characters and images out of thin air. That was the truly top-tier treasure.

Like the "registration operation" before her.

Liu Shuyue glanced at the confirmation option and nodded silently.

As expected, there was an immediate response. "OK, registered. Room number 201. I'll show you."

What was "OK" again?

Compared to her last visit, she vaguely felt that the other party had become more casual... or perhaps, more approachable.

Chen Xuan led Liu Shuyue to the second floor and stopped in front of the door marked 201. The reason he had to come in person was that the guest room doors had all been locked, and he had no idea what the rooms were like inside. If they were dilapidated and old, he wouldn't feel right about charging the guests.

This time, the electronic lock on the door glowed green.

As expected, he thought, the door lock only activated after a guest was registered in the room management system.

Chen Xuan held the room card for 201 up to the lock.

With a soft beep, the lock clicked open.

"Please, come in."

The moment she stepped inside, Liu Shuyue was stunned.

"You... you're really going to let me stay in a room like this?"

Chen Xuan, following behind her, was also taken aback.

You're telling me this is a B&B in a residential building?

It was a completely different world inside!

Past the entryway was a large, flat natural bluestone slab, about ten meters long and wide. A large bed was placed on it, along with pillows and bedding that looked incredibly soft. In front of the bluestone was a pool of clear water—yes, there was a crystal-clear pool in the room! Fish were swimming in it!

Even more outrageous were the surrounding walls... They were all rocky mountain walls covered in moss. There was no ceiling, but rather an opening that formed an open-air space. Sunlight streamed in from above, shining directly onto the pool, casting a translucent jade-green hue across the entire surface. Small streams of water also flowed down from the opening, forming a sparse "curtain."

Chen Xuan had imagined what the rooms might be like. The worst-case scenario was a moldy, smelly partitioned room, and the best would be a beautifully decorated hotel suite.

But he never expected that the room would be like a grotto-heaven, with impeccable scenery and a complete absence of modern appliances and furnishings.

The bed was solid wood, the bedding was silk, the faucet had been replaced by a mini bamboo water wheel, the washbasin was entirely made of fired clay, and the toothbrush and toothpaste beside it had even been replaced by willow twigs and salt blocks!