Chen Xuan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Chen Xuan (陈玄) 3
Alias(es)	Lushan Hermit — name used by Liu Shuyue in her travelogue 27
Species/Race	Human 2
Gender	Male
Age	26 at the time the Ability Store manifests 1
Affiliation	Ability Store
Occupation/Role	Shopkeeper; ability trader and proprietor 1 3
Status	Alive 50
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
The ??? Shopkeeper LV1	2	Legendary, non-tradable shopkeeper ability. Chen Xuan gains access to Ability Butler, the store inventory, and ability transactions.
The ??? Shopkeeper LV2	11	Opens the second-floor residential area for guest callbacks and raises ability synchronization to LV2.
The ??? Shopkeeper LV3	37	Opens the third-floor catering department; unlocks Shopkeeper’s Invitation, Shopkeeper’s Return, and LV3 ability synchronization.

Background / History

Chen Xuan repeatedly dreamed of an exquisitely furnished shop from childhood. The dream included an iron box whose countdown finally reached zero when he was twenty-six; upon opening it, he woke as usual, only to later find himself physically transported into the dream shop. 1

Before becoming a shopkeeper, he had worked at a large technology company, unsuccessfully attempted game development with colleagues, and later took odd jobs, including work at a fast-food restaurant. The shop’s licenses name him as its legal representative, leading him to accept that it had been established specifically for him. 1

After finding the Shopkeeper’s Rules and the Ability Butler program, Chen Xuan learned that abilities were the store’s main commodity—and that he himself was initially its sole ability provider. His first visitor, Liu Shuyue, confirmed that the store could shift between worlds and receive guests with extraordinary needs. 2 3

Personality

Chen Xuan maintains a practiced customer-service demeanor even in dangerous situations. When Liu Shuyue first enters carrying a bloodied sword, he remains calm, polite, and observant enough to identify the doubts that brought her to the store. 2 3

He is pragmatic about money, inventory, and bargaining. He prices abilities according to urgency rather than rarity alone, treats performance points as essential to the shop’s growth, and looks for practical ways to turn abilities into income. 4 6 36

Despite his commercial instincts, Chen Xuan consistently extends help beyond completed transactions. He treats Joan of Arc’s wounded soldiers, arranges relief supplies for Qingzhou’s refugees, joins Joan’s rescue, and risks himself to save Lin Qing in space. 11 16 22 39

Abilities & Skills

The ??? Shopkeeper

Chen Xuan’s legendary shopkeeper ability binds him to the Ability Store and governs its growth. It cannot be traded or transferred; its listed status condition is simply that the shopkeeper remains alive. 2 11

• Lets him act as an ability provider and temporarily equip abilities from store inventory. 5
• Initially limits him to four active ability slots at once. 5
• Raises the level at which he can synchronize equipped abilities as his shopkeeper level increases. 11 37
• Unlocks new store facilities and travel functions through promotion. 11 37

Ability Trading and Appraisal

Using Ability Butler and a scanning gun, Chen Xuan can inspect guests’ abilities, negotiate transactions, and move acquired abilities into store inventory. 4 5

• A non-transactional scan reveals no more than four abilities from a target. 21
• He can freely move inventory abilities into his own active slots, though the number of slots is limited. 5
• Trading away an ability does not completely erase ordinary knowledge or basic life functions associated with it. 6
• He evaluates value by need and circumstance, not rarity alone. 4

Alchemy

After acquiring Alchemy LV2 from Liu Shuyue, Chen Xuan learns to distinguish herbs, identify their properties by taste, and refine pills. 4 5 7

• Refines Blood Oranges, healing pills capable of rapidly treating serious wounds. 8 9
• Refines Sweet Jade Clear Pills for pneumonia and respiratory illnesses. 8 12
• Adapts cultivation-world techniques to modern equipment, using pressure cookers as furnaces and a gas stove for controlled heat. 8
• Sells twenty-six pills to Hundred Herbs Hall, gaining the funds needed to sustain and restock the store. 12 13

Heavenly Cloud Skill

Acquired from Liu Shuyue as Heavenly Cloud Skill LV8, this cultivation method enhances Chen Xuan’s body and allows him to sense nearby auras. 16 23

• Gives him the physical reinforcement needed to withstand Lin Qing’s powerful grip. 41
• Detects strong individuals and locates targets through sensed energy signatures. 23
• Its usable level is restricted by Chen Xuan’s current synchronization limit. 23

Divine Eye Method

The Divine Eye Method grants Chen Xuan a danger-triggered “divine vision” state, slowing his perception enough to observe attacks in extreme detail. 16 25

• Allows him to perceive bullets, muzzle flashes, and projectile trajectories in apparent slow motion. 25
• Lets him react to Fei Wuniang’s gunfire and concealed attacks during combat. 43
• Overuse risks eye damage or blindness; he also loses control of the technique under the pressure of a robot attack. 16 38

Thousand Thoughts Sword

Chen Xuan acquired Thousand Thoughts Sword LV10 from Liu Shuyue. Unlike the Spirit Sword Technique, it can form physical qi swords directly in empty space. 16 25

• Blocks gunfire and explosive projectiles with manifested qi swords. 25
• Provides ranged offense against the red-haired witch. 26
• Functions as an anchor and propulsion tool while Chen Xuan rescues Lin Qing in zero gravity. 39
• Pins Fei Wuniang’s marked coin during their final Coin Toss wager. 44

Liberty Leading the People

A golden-rarity ability traded from Joan of Arc. When Chen Xuan’s ideas align with another person’s beliefs, it helps him gain their favor and support. 10 11

• He trades it to Liu Shuyue so she can organize the Qingzhou refugees. 16
• Its effect depends on conceptual alignment rather than unconditional control. 11

Voice of Trust

Traded from Joan of Arc as Voice of Trust LV5, this ability lets Chen Xuan sense whether a speaker approaches him with goodwill or malice. 10

• Does not directly expose lies; a well-intentioned lie may still register positively. 10
• Confirms Lin Qing’s goodwill after her arrival at the store. 41
• Reveals Fei Wuniang’s intense malice despite her frightened facade. 43

Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell Technique

A defensive technique obtained from Liu Shuyue, described as allowing its user to evade death once. 16

• Chen Xuan equips it alongside Heavenly Cloud Skill, Divine Eye Method, and Thousand Thoughts Sword for his confrontation with Fei Wuniang. 43

Forbidden Abilities

Chen Xuan acquires Black Magic from Gilles de Rais after trading away Can Eat a Lot. The ability extends life through sacrifice but carries severe curse-related consequences. 30

• He gives Black Magic to the dying Liu Shuyue, using the freshly slain Azure Dragon’s heart as the ritual’s key sacrifice. 33
• He then trades for Blessed Maiden, granting Liu Shuyue protection from curses and allowing her to survive the ritual without suffering Black Magic’s curse. 33
• Coin Toss, acquired from Fei Wuniang, forces a best-of-three wager in which the loser forfeits all abilities; it is also designated forbidden by Ability Butler. 44 46

Abilities Taken from Fei Wuniang

After winning Coin Toss, Chen Xuan receives six of Fei Wuniang’s abilities and fragmented memories of her past. 45

• Dance Prodigy
• Innate Charm
• Immunity to Poisons — a green-rarity ability identified as a possible component ability. 46
• Union Technique
• Strong Seize
• Coin Toss 45

Equipment / Store Facilities

• Ability Butler — store-management software handling inventory, transaction records, employee contracts, and ability-provider lists. 2 46
• Scanning gun — used to inspect abilities and initiate transactions. 4 21
• Ability Store — a mobile, reality-shifting shop that adapts its exterior to its surroundings. 2 13 22
• VIP guest rooms — residential spaces with abundant Spiritual Energy; Room 201 can connect to a guest-designated dwelling. 17 34
• Shopkeeper’s Invitation — summons one designated guest to the store per day regardless of distance or difficulty. 37
• Shopkeeper’s Return — returns Chen Xuan to the store once per day regardless of distance or difficulty. 37

Relationships

• Liu Shuyue — Chen Xuan’s first major customer and a VIP guest. Their relationship develops from a wary ability trade into a dependable partnership centered on refugee relief, Mala Village, and protecting her interests against the King of Qi. 3 16 36
• Joan of Arc — customer whom Chen Xuan aids during her military crisis. She regards him as a divine envoy, and he later helps rescue her from Chinon Castle. 8 11 22 24
• Gilles de Rais — customer seeking to save Joan of Arc. Chen Xuan accepts his abilities as payment and coordinates the rescue effort. 22 30
• Lin Qing — future-era guest Chen Xuan saves in space; later hired as an Ability Store employee. She supplies intelligence on the Dimensional Limit Organization and works with him on plans against it. 39 46 47
• Fei Wuniang — hostile wanderer and ability thief. Chen Xuan defeats her through Coin Toss, receives her abilities, and is troubled by the memories transferred with them. 43 44 45
• Shen Fang — Prefect of Zhangwei. Initially mistakes Chen Xuan for an assassin, but later works with him and Liu Shuyue regarding Mala Village. 13 35
• Fu Jiaolu — former hunter from Mala Village who asks Chen Xuan to connect his room to the village; he later assists with store renovations and the Shajiang River performance. 48

Story Role / Major Arcs

Becoming the Shopkeeper

Chen Xuan discovers that his recurring dream shop is real, becomes its legal shopkeeper, and learns that its business is the acquisition and exchange of abilities. He resigns from his ordinary job and seeks ways to keep the store financially viable. 1 2 6

Transactions with Liu Shuyue

His first transaction with Liu Shuyue earns him cultivation techniques, alchemy, and sword arts. He later supports her Qingzhou refugee-relief effort by providing instant noodles, a VIP residence, ability trades, and access to modern supplies. 4 16 17

Joan of Arc’s Crisis

Chen Xuan trades abilities with Joan of Arc, provides medical support to her troops, and helps alter the outcome of her immediate military defeat. When Gilles de Rais seeks help, Chen Xuan and Liu Shuyue infiltrate Chinon Castle to rescue her from the red-haired witch. 9 11 22 23

Mala Village and the Azure Dragon

After Qingzhou’s refugees are abandoned, Chen Xuan helps Liu Shuyue establish Mala Village in the Myriad Mountain Great Wilderness. Following the Azure Dragon’s death and Liu Shuyue’s near-fatal backlash, he devises a Black Magic ritual protected by Blessed Maiden to save her life. 30 31 33 34

Conflict with the Dimensional Limit Organization

Chen Xuan rescues Lin Qing from space and learns of the Dimensional Limit Organization’s future threat. He defeats Fei Wuniang, hires Lin Qing, and begins planning to expose the existence of abilities rather than confront the organization openly. 39 44 46 47

Public Revelation Campaign

With Lin Qing, Liu Shuyue, and Mala Village residents, Chen Xuan stages a supernatural performance on the Shajiang River to draw public attention to abilities. The Dimensional Limit Organization responds by manipulating online discussion through its AI, “Cow.” 48 50

Notable Quotes

“Because you are a distinguished VIP.” 22

“Of course, serving VIP customers is our establishment’s consistent principle.” 36

Trivia

• Chen Xuan’s automatic “Welcome!” greeting comes from his previous customer-service work. 2
• He began with four tradeable abilities: Can Eat a Lot, Can Sleep a Lot, Broadly Read Through the Ages, and The ??? Shopkeeper. 2 5
• Liu Shuyue considers his habit of clear pricing reliable, even when the terms are expensive. 16
• He regards Mala Village’s developing cultivators as long-term clients and earned 450 performance points from its first ability-adjustment convention. 36