Divine Convenience Store

As the afternoon wore on, the bustling activity in the store had settled into a steady rhythm.

Eventually, the Daily Tasks had been filled in with repeat customers bringing in their fellow disciples as new customers. Furthermore, curious citizens of the city had also started checking out the store. Unfortunately, most of them were mortals who didn't have any spirit stone in their possession. They produced gold coins that the system couldn't accept.

Those coins were just pieces of useless metals minted as a form of currency for mortals, after all. Spirit stones, on the other hand, contained spiritual energy and were the more common currency in the Realm of Nine Heavens.

From what he heard from Xiaoyu, that currency was set by the current Emperor of the Mortal Kingdom reigning within the region. Weirdly enough, royals and government officials are all cultivators. So setting that form of currency was nothing more than a way to separate mortals from cultivators. If a mortal has talent with cultivation they'll either enter a sect or get recruited by the government or army and get nurtured by them.

Nevertheless, it wasn't impossible for mortals to earn spirit stones, it's just difficult because oftentimes, even cultivators will pay in gold coins in stores or inns run by a mortal. They can work on Spirit Stone mines but those were heavily regulated and more often than not, too taxing of a job for a mortal.

'The Divine Pantheon is clearly not running a charity, however, won't they miss out on influence if they discriminate against those who lack the means to earn spirit stones? Unless the Divine Pantheon doesn't care about them…' Lin Mo mused as he while away his time, silently feeling

Lin Mo remained leaning against the passive effect of his Silent Stream Breathing Technique as he waited for the customers inside the store to finish browsing.

Suddenly, the system chimed as it seemingly accepted his thoughts as an inquiry.

[System Inquiry: Serving Mortals]

[Spirit Stone is the common currency of the Realm of Nine Heavens. While mortals lack the means to cultivate or produce spirit stones, their inclusion in the Divine Convenience Store's target audience has been noted. The system can implement a barter system, allowing mortals to trade valuable resources, rare herbs, or other items of interest in exchange for store credit. This feature is currently under evaluation and will require Shopkeeper approval to activate.]

"My approval? This system is becoming more mysterious…"

Lin Mo blinked at the sudden notification. A barter system. That was an interesting proposition.

He had seen how eager the mortal customers were to purchase the items in the store, but their lack of spirit stones always left them disappointed. Only a few could pick something and leave with it.

"Boss, you're spacing out again," Liu Xiaoyu's cheerful voice broke his thoughts as she appeared beside him, holding a small jar of what looked like a jar of honey. It's the Spirit Honey. Another product that… Xiaoyu thought it was a snack. She's scooping it up with a spoon and at each mouthful, a comically elated expression would show on her face.

"What's on your mind? Thinking of ways to squeeze more spirit stones out of the customers?"

Lin Mo smirked, shaking his head. "Not this time, Xiaoyu. The system just suggested implementing a barter system for mortals. What do you think? Should we allow it? We won't earn that much from them but at least, they won't come in and leave empty-handed, right?"

Liu Xiaoyu tilted her head, her ears twitching thoughtfully. "Heh. My stingy boss is concerned about the mortals? What did you eat during lunch? I thought you only knew how to squeeze out our rich patrons."

Lin Mo's lips twitched and flicked her forehead.

"Aw! What was that for, boss? Am I wrong?"

"Yes. Who are you calling stingy? And I've never thought of squeezing them dry. I…" He paused mid-sentence, realizing that he was indeed squeezing them dry. If he could earn another high-grade Spirit Stone from Yu Qingyan by teasing her, he'd definitely do it.

Seeing his reaction, Liu Xiaoyu burst out laughing, "Pfft. See? Just accept it, boss. It's not a bad thing. You're just doing your job.?"

"Alright. I won't argue anymore. But let's get back on topic. What do you think?"

Liu Xiaoyu meaningfully grinned as she scooped up another spoonful of honey before answering, "Hmm, a barter system could work! Mortals might not have spirit stones, but some of them might have rare herbs, minerals, or other valuable items. Just like that lady two days ago! Wasn't her herb accepted by the system? Plus, it would make the store feel more inclusive. You know, like it's not just for cultivators."

Lin Mo nodded, considering her words. "You're right. I still feel the Divine Convenience Store doesn't really care too much about profits. All it needs is to spread its reputation. Mortals may be weak and poor but they should make up 90% of the population in this world, right?"

"Yes? Everyone is born a mortal, even if the child is an offspring of a cultivator."

"Mhm. It could also help us build goodwill among the mortal population. Sure the system can evaluate the value of what they're offering. Scamming this store by bartering useless things will be impossible."

Upon saying that, the system chimed again, filling up the details of the Barter System. Lin Mo couldn't help but wryly smile as read it. Somehow, he couldn't help but think that someone was operating the system behind the scenes, listening and observing them.

[Barter System Features:

[Automatic Valuation: The system will assess the value of offered items based on their rarity, quality, and market demand.]

[Exchange Rates: Bartered items will be converted into store credit, usable for purchases within the store.]

[Fraud Prevention: Items deemed counterfeit or of insufficient value will be rejected.]

[Pilot Program: The barter system can be activated as a trial, allowing adjustments based on initial feedback.]

"Impressive. If I am still on Earth, I'll probably think I just talked to an AI chatbot. The speed it answers is too quick" Lin Mo muttered, crossing his arms before turning to his quirky assistant, "What do you think, Xiaoyu? Should we give it a shot?"

"Absolutely, Boss! Imagine the look on the mortals' faces when they realize they can finally buy something from here. Plus, it might bring in some interesting items we wouldn't normally get!"

"Alright, let's do it. System, activate the barter system as a trial."

[Barter System Activated: Trial Phase(3 days)]

[The system will be adjusted after the trial period]

[Notification: A new sign has been added near the entrance, informing customers about the barter system.]

Sure enough, a new sign materialized near the store's entrance. Written in elegant script, it read:

"No Spirit Stones? No Problem! Mortals can now trade valuable resources for store credit. Ask the Shopkeeper for details!"

Lin Mo and Liu Xiaoyu checked it out and immediately made the young woman laugh while holding her stomach before patting Lin Mo on the back, "Boss, good job!"

"This girl… Are you making fun of me?"

"Of course not! I'm thoroughly impressed by my boss. Only you will come up with this kind of idea." Upon saying that, she dashed back inside the store, leaving behind her merry giggling.

—

As the next group of customers entered, Lin Mo noticed a few mortals among them eyeing the sign with curiosity. One of them, a young man carrying a small pouch, hesitantly approached the counter.

"Shopkeeper," He began, his voice tinged with nervousness. "I saw the sign. Does it mean I can trade this for something?"

He opened the pouch to reveal a handful of dried herbs, their faint aroma suggesting medicinal properties.

Lin Mo glanced at the system interface, which immediately assessed the herbs.

[Herbs Identified: Low-grade Healing Herbs (Common)]

[Value: A bundle of three stalks is equivalent to 1 low-grade spirit stone]

Lin Mo smiled at the young man. "Yes, you can. These herbs are worth one low-grade spirit stone per 3 stalks. Looking at how many you have. That's enough to buy a small snack or the cheapest pills we have in stock. What would you like?"

The young man's eyes widened in disbelief. "Really? I can actually buy something?"

Liu Xiaoyu noticed it bounded over again, her energy was still seamless, "Yup! Go ahead and browse. I'll help you pick something!"

As the young man eagerly explored the shelves, Lin Mo couldn't help but shake his head. The barter system might be a bit of extra work, but it was already proving its worth.

"Maybe this will work out after all," He muttered to himself, watching as the mortal customers began to approach the counter with newfound hope.

Not long after, the door chimed as a new customer entered the store. It was a man with an imposing aura around him. Just looking at him reminded Lin Mo of those brawny generals from the warring states era. He's not like the usual cultivators who were wearing their sect robes instead, he's decked in full armor as though he was charging into a battlefield.

"Who is this new customer?" Lin Mo wondered as the man stepped further into the store, his gaze clearly taking in the modern interior of the store.