Divine Convenience Store

"Well then, Shopkeeper, I must return to the Divine Pantheon before the First Heaven's Will strikes the store because of my presence here. I believe the next time we meet like this will be when you ascend there or I descend here with a divine incarnation like Zhenren Taihao, Lihua, and Huoling." Yangyang said as she stepped into the glowing portal that would take her back to the Divine Pantheon.

Lin Mo offered a small, knowing smile. "Don't work too hard, Miss Yangyang. And thanks for everything. We'll miss your… efficiency down here."

Liu Xiaoyu chimed in, "That's right, Sister Yangyang! Our quarters will now have a vacant bed. Boss and I will…"

Before she could finish her teasing sentence, Lin Mo's hand shot out, delivering a precise flick to her forehead. "Will be keeping it clean for the next employee. That's what you were going to say, right?"

Xiaoyu yelped, rubbing the spot with a pout. "Hmph! Killjoy! I mean, we'll keep it vacant for when she returns! Xiao Ya can have another bed. We'll get another expansion in the future, right?"

Yangyang let out a soft chuckle. "Do try to keep her in line, Shopkeeper. And Xiaoyu, you're doing a great job being the assistant manager. Keep him in check, too. If you need something, you can contact me through the Divine System Interface. Ask him to give you permission for more admin functions."

Before Xiaoyu or Lin Mo could say anything, she stepped towards the portal. Then, with a final, warm smile that seemed to momentarily outshine its glow, Yangyang disappeared completely.

The portal shimmered, then closed with a soft pop as if it had never been there.

Lin Mo stared at the spot where the portal had been. Like Yangyang said, contacting her won't be difficult but having her presence in the store was truly different.

"Well… that's that," Xiaoyu said, her usual boisterous energy softened. "It's gonna be quieter without Sister Yangyang becoming a voice of reason for you, Boss."

"You cheeky prodigy. Who's the voice of reason of who?" He shook his head before turning to the side where her little brother, Xiaoping, was quietly standing.

The boy grinned before expressly showing off his new clothes.

Right. Somehow, he's now wearing the green and white stripes of the Divine Convenience Store. Liu Xiaoyu had him wear it before telling him that the boy was also going to be a temporary employee like Princess Wu Meiyu.

"Shopkeeper Boss, what should I do?"

Lin Mo let out a small sigh before pointing at the stairs leading to the newly added second floor of the store.

"Go with your sister and check the layout of that floor. We're about to open soon. Also, go and pick your Celestial Duel Gear Bundle. They'll be sold out right away the moment our store opens."

Outside the store, a line of customers was already forming. They never truly disappeared. Residents of Fanling City simply returned home. Cultivators and merchants either returned to their sects or waited nearby.

No one used the Celestial Shuttle Network to travel to the store aside from them yet. Lin Mo set it up so that the hub inside the store will be disabled during non-business hours. It's still impossible to operate it 24/7 after all. Or rather, he just didn't want to add more workload for them.

"On it, Boss!" Xiaoyu saluted, grabbing Xiaoping's hand. "Come on, little bro! While we're at it, it'll be your time to learn the sacred art of shelf-stacking and snack-tasting!"

As they scurried off, Lin Mo let out a long sigh and slumped onto a counter stool.

The morning was fast approaching, and with it, another day of business.

News of the Celestial Shuttle Network had already spread like divine wildfire, and the crowd outside was even larger than the day before.

Furthermore, the Bulletin Board was a testament to the night's events:

[I Took the Celestial Shuttle! It's REAL! My Life is Changed! - ChipsEnthusiast01]

[The Shopkeeper is truly the Convenience Saint! All Hail the Divine Convenience Store! - BlueBloodBiku]

[The Spirit Severing Ancestors can also challenge the new Tower! - MysticFollower]

[Detailed Anchor Information - CeruleanSword]

The first two reacted to the appearance of the Celestial Shuttle Network. The Sect Masters had already disseminated the information to their sect and disciples, leading to a steady revenue that's slowly filling up the 5 million Dimension Essence he spent on it.

The third one was just a repeated post regarding the new tower.

And the last one, while it wasn't a post from Sword Fairy herself, it's someone from her sect, detailing the Anchor exploration they did earlier and the information about the Outer Realm. It also encouraged everyone to check for more of them as they were dangerous to be left alone.

Lin Mo guessed that the poster was either an Elder of the Cerulean Cloud Sword Sect or the Sect Master himself.

An hour later, Xiao Ya and Wu Meiyu arrived at the store. The former happily greeted Lin Mo before pouting about missing the events last night. She had her Viewing Jade, so… she was up to date with everything that happened. The latter came in with her usual graceful flair as royalty but she froze upon seeing the newly expanded interior of the store.

The most striking change was the grand staircase of polished white jade that spiraled upwards from the back of the main floor, leading to a second level.

"Shopkeeper… It seems the expansion went well."

"Indeed. Convenience, Your Highness must also have layers. You're free to check all the new additions in our store. Also, can you see that? Two more checkout counters."

With the expansion of the store, Lin Mo didn't need to request it anymore. The counters identical to the first one were automatically added now that the floor became wide enough to accommodate more of them.

The dining area also got more tables and mystical appliances that the customers could use.

"Unfortunately, we still lack employees to make use of them."

"Is that so? If you need temporary employees, I can ask my Royal Escorts to pick up the mantle."

Without waiting for Lin Mo to answer, she called for Captain Zhu Min and a female Royal Escort stationed outside the store.

Surprised, the two royal escorts' initially stoic mask of professionalism stiffened as they stepped inside.

Wu Meiyu instantly informed them of what she wanted them to do.

Almost instantly, a look of apprehension appeared on their faces before eventually succumbing to her royal authority.

They bowed deeply before taking a step in and clasped their fists in front of Lin Mo, "Shopkeeper, we are at your service."

Lin Mo glanced at Wu Meiyu who simply winked at him before waving his hand.

"Alright. I'll take you up on that offer. Captain Zhu and Miss Escort, I'll leave you to Your Highness's care. She'll handle your training and inform you of your basic tasks."

Not expecting him to hand them to her, Wu Meiyu's lips twitched, but she gracefully accepted the responsibility with a curt nod.

"Very well, Shopkeeper. Consider it done."

She turned to her escorts, her regal aura returning in full force. "Captain Zhu, Escort Ning, you will be assisting at the new checkout counters. Your duty is to the Divine Convenience Store and its patrons. Observe, learn, and maintain the honor of the Southern Wu Kingdom. Understood?"

"Yes, Your Highness!" They answered in chorus with their voices sounding a little crisp like a military-style affirmation that felt hilariously out of place amidst the convenience store background.

Xiaoyu and Xiaoping re-emerged from the second floor just in time to witness this.

As always, Liu Xiaoyu burst into laughter. "Boss, you're turning the royal guard into cashiers! What's next? Having the Sect Masters stock the shelves?"

Lin Mo merely shrugged. "If they volunteer, I won't stop them. Now, let's get these new temporary hands up to speed and give them their uniforms. Our doors are opening in five minutes."

With a sigh, Wu Meiyu took her two escorts to the nearest counter. Xiaoyu went over and demonstrated the scanning process. "See? You just aim the red light at this strange rune here, and beep! Convenience achieved! It's easier than casting a basic fireball spell."

Captain Zhu Min, who's actually a late Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, held the scanner as if it were a priceless, volatile artifact. He successfully did a mock scan and then handed it to the woman named Ning.

Once they're done, Wu Meiyu, who disappeared into the Shopkeeper's Quarters, returned with the new sets of green and white uniforms. Reluctantly, the two whose job was to protect the First Princess changed into it.

Just as the clock hit opening time, Lin Mo walked over and flipped open the sign before swinging the door open.

The wave of cultivators surged in, their energy and chatter instantly filling the newly expanded space as most of them gasped in amazement.

Although Yangyang returned to the Divine Pantheon, they got two new 'temporary' employees who could now handle the unending stream of store patrons.

And before he could relax, those curious about the store's recent expansion started asking him about the new services being offered, such as the rental training and cultivation rooms.

Like this, the danger of the Outer Realm and their invasion was momentarily set aside as the Divine Convenience Store became a bustling place in no time.