Immortal Master (Thanks to BreakupXD for the Alliance Leader)

He should have been panicking—he had no idea what rural wilderness the shop had flown to, there was hardly a soul outside, and if real danger struck, screaming himself hoarse probably would not help. Worse still, he had run into a ruthless character who lived by the blade. Whether the blood on her sword belonged to humans or beasts made no difference to an unarmed man like him. Now this dangerous figure was looking at him with ill intent, as though she might slash at him over a single wrong word. It was like he had suddenly found himself standing at the edge of a cliff.

Yet Chen Xuan was exceptionally calm at that moment, calm enough to surprise even himself. From the moment she entered the shop until now, the smile on his face had not faded in the slightest.

"Don't mind it. We were in Tianlu Residential Area one second ago, but that doesn't mean we're still there this second... Just as river water flows every moment, it's perfectly normal that I didn't notice the subtle changes."

He spoke slowly.

"As for what kind of shop this is... it's difficult to explain clearly in just a few sentences. But if you need some kind of ability, or want to improve certain shortcomings, then you've come to the right place."

"Ability?" the girl repeated skeptically.

"That's right. Would you like a cup of coffee?" Chen Xuan walked past her openly, as though he had not seen the blood-dripping sword behind her at all.

For some reason, a thought in his mind grew increasingly clear.

"She is a customer."

And the kind of customer chosen by the shop.

No one who could enter this shop was ordinary!

The girl hesitated.

What she hesitated over was clearly not whether to drink coffee. Rather, the sharp killing intent in her eyes was no longer as aggressively pressing as before.

Ignoring her answer, Chen Xuan made himself a cup of coffee and returned behind the bar. "If you still don't understand, ask yourself this first: since this shop is located in such remote wilderness, why did you come here? It's late at night now... It isn't exactly safe for a girl like you to travel through the night."

He had noticed that the shop must have suddenly appeared in the mountains, and only the shop entrance should have changed. Even now, the appliances inside were still operating normally, and the concealed light strips in the ceiling had not gone out. That meant the building was still connected to the power grid.

The other party had most likely been drawn here by the light behind the door curtain.

Why had it attracted her rather than someone else?

In other words, why had the shop door appeared in some wilderness instead of a major city?

"Treat every customer warmly."

The first rule of the Shopkeeper's Rules surfaced in Chen Xuan's mind.

Conversely, that meant every customer who entered this shop was worth receiving warmly.

"Ordinary people can't hurt me, and I had no intention of coming here in the first place." The girl only answered after a moment of silence. "I saw two shattered carriages on the road and followed the traces of fighting all the way here. Only after I wiped out a band of bandits did I realize I had entered deep mountain forest."

So... the fresh blood on her sword had been left from slaughtering bandits?

Could something like that happen in China? Obviously not.

Then this mountain was not Foothill Mountain behind the residential area either.

"Someone was robbed... and then what? Are they still alive?"

"I arrived too late. Everyone who was abducted was dead." She shook her head regretfully. "Every one of them was covered in wounds. They must have been tortured until every last bit of value had been squeezed out of them. The bandits never intended to leave any survivors."

"What a pity." Chen Xuan sighed softly.

"When people murder and rob goods, naturally there are others who buy and sell stolen goods. I originally suspected this shop was engaged in such filthy business, so I came to confirm it myself." She looked at Chen Xuan again. "But your steps are unsteady, you have no strength even to truss a chicken, and you speak like a literate man. You probably aren't with those bandits."

"Even if you suspected me, you shouldn't have suspected this shop." He chuckled. "With the tastes of mountain bandits and brigands, they could never arrange a storefront this elegant."

Now he understood why her expression had been so cold when she entered, and why she had looked at him so scrutinizingly.

The girl nodded slightly. "Indeed. From the first step I took inside, I could sense that this place was extraordinary. Even compared to... where I came from, it is no less impressive. But appearances are easy to fake, so I still had to confirm it with my own eyes."

"I understand." Chen Xuan took a sip of coffee. "Drawing your blade to aid those in need, and not forgetting to clean up afterward even after punishing evil—you truly are a righteous and courageous person. But what I mean is that the reason you came here was not because of those bandits, but because you have an affinity with this shop. You should know that not everyone is qualified to enter. This opportunity belongs only to a fortunate few."

"Affinity? Where does it come from?"

"From the doubts in your heart! You wanted to save them, but failed. Though you killed the bandits, you could not restore those poor people's lives. Perhaps you ask yourself whether you did everything you could, whether there is some ability that could prevent such things from happening again. For example, swifter movement techniques, sharper martial arts, or even foreknowledge, allowing you to stop tragedy one step in advance—"

"You can foresee the future?" the girl interrupted crisply.

"Those are only examples." Chen Xuan spoke patiently. "If there really were an ability to foresee the future, it would certainly be extremely valuable. This shop is such a place... one that can fill in customers' gaps and deficiencies in ability. If you do not know what kind of ability you need, I can also provide the relevant consultation service."

Her eyes widened, and for the first time, surprise appeared on her face. "Do you mean that this shop can treat abilities as merchandise and freely trade them to customers?"

"Correct."

At least, that was what the Shopkeeper's Rules said.

The girl could not help sinking into thought. After a while, she glanced at the lucky cat on the bar, then raised her head to look at the softly glowing light strips overhead before finally speaking. "I do indeed have doubts."

"My name is Liu Shuyue. I am a Cultivator of the Lotus Cloud Sect. I did not introduce myself earlier. My apologies."

"Chen Xuan." Chen Xuan smiled.

"May I ask whether you are the shopkeeper or the owner?"

"The shopkeeper. You may consider me both."

"Hmm..." Liu Shuyue looked thoughtful. "But you have never heard the name Lotus Cloud Sect? This shop's decor is so uniquely conceived that I thought its owner must possess extraordinary powers and knowledge. It seems I was arrogant."

Was this sect really that famous, so famous that everyone who heard its name would tremble?

"Fame is not worth mentioning in the River of Time. One second, it may resound throughout the universe; the next, it may vanish like smoke." He spoke in his most confident tone. "Of course, if you are willing to introduce it, I would be glad to listen. Oh, would you like a cup of coffee? It's a drink that can refresh you and relieve fatigue, similar to tea."

This time, she understood. "The thing you're drinking?"

Chen Xuan nodded.

"Please."

Seeing that she agreed, he took out a new cup and began preparing coffee. From that moment on, he truly regarded himself as the shopkeeper of this mysterious shop, while the girl was his first customer.

"The Lotus Cloud Sect is not some reclusive sect. I have nothing to hide." Liu Shuyue spoke openly and forthrightly. "It stands atop the Kunlun Cloud Sea, and its mountain gate opens once every hundred years. Several Lotus Cloud Sect disciples depart from there, travel below the mountain, and choose one nation to assist. There are currently Six Nations in the world, so there are six disciples in total."

That description alone did not match any history Chen Xuan knew.

"You are one of those disciples?" He vaguely guessed the answer.

"Yes." The girl admitted it frankly.

"Are there no other sects in this world?"

"Not on this land. The rest are either charlatans trading on false reputations or evil cultivators, not worth mentioning at all. As for elsewhere, the Abyssal Sea separates us, so I do not know."

This was a monopoly industry...

In other words, she was an officially certified immortal cultivator. Her status truly was no small matter.

Chen Xuan handed her the warm latte. "Then what do you generally do when assisting a ruler? I assume the sect has trained you in this?"

"Of course. For the past decade or so, I have been studying such matters. They include conducting sacrifices, praying for rain, slaying demons, and comforting the people. The purpose is to avert misfortune and seek fortune, allowing the dynasty to prosper." She accepted the cup, cautiously sniffed it first, then took a light sip. The instant the coffee entered her mouth, her delicate brows furrowed tightly. "So bitter..."

Spitting it out would undoubtedly have been impolite, and she was already doing her utmost to conceal her distaste.

Yet only moments later, her brows relaxed, and a trace of surprise appeared in her eyes.

Clearly, she had tasted the latte's distinctive lingering sweetness and rich aroma.

Chen Xuan smiled slightly. "Only those four things? But why do I feel... that things aren't so simple?"

"Why do you say that?" Liu Shuyue's gaze sharpened.

"Since the matters of assisting rulers are all matters of immortals, you are clearly the most professional people for the job. You merely need to do as the sect teaches you. Where would the doubts come from?" he analyzed. "But your attitude doesn't seem to be that way... When you mentioned the role of assisting a ruler, you obviously hesitated a little. Not much, just a little... but I'm guessing it has nothing to do with those four duties."

Seeing the girl fall silent, Chen Xuan knew he had guessed correctly.

Besides, it was not difficult to guess.

What set cultivators apart most from ordinary people? Of course, their combat power! He could see from the fact that she dared travel alone at night and pursue a whole group of bandits by herself that her strength far surpassed ordinary people's. How could a dynasty's ruler waste such a "sharp sword" on trivial chores? Once they had a sword, anyone could guess what they would use it for. A Cultivator did not even need to be powerful enough to summon wind and rain. Being able to serve as a sniper rifle was terrifying enough.

"I have indeed heard several seniors say... that some Lotus Cloud Sect disciples also become involved in court affairs and forget their original intentions... But how did you know?" After a moment, she asked in confusion.

"If I did not even understand this much, how would I dare run this shop? You are worried about an unknowable future, because it is a field you have never studied. Perhaps you wish to remain independent and only shoulder the responsibilities that belong to a Lotus Cloud Sect disciple, but a few words left behind by your seniors suggest that sometimes, events often develop beyond one's control." Chen Xuan deliberately made himself sound mysterious. "Let me guess further. The current Six Nations probably do not have a long history, right? They either emerged from the division of one dynasty, or several dynasties merged into one?"

"...You truly know nothing about us?" Liu Shuyue asked suspiciously.

"I truly had not heard of you before." Chen Xuan spread his hands candidly.

"Then do you believe this shop can answer my doubts? Do you have the ability to fill this gap?" she pressed.