Divine Convenience Store

When Luhan opened his eyes again, he found himself in a dark room. He squirmed and found his limbs tied up into a pillar and next to him, his companions were still unconscious.

"T-this..." He exclaimed as light suddenly flooded up ahead as the door to outside opened.

But instead of hope, he felt despair as a figure entered the room.

"I'll give you three a chance. Spit out everything you know about your cult. It doesn't matter if you're bound in a contract, inside these walls, the influence of the divine being holding onto your life was nonexistent," A cold voice echoed, sending chills down Luhan's spine.

The figure stepped into the light, revealing the Shopkeeper, Lin Mo with his arms crossed. He didn't look like the amiable young man who was always smiling behind the counter. Behind him stood the bespectacled woman who outed their identity, her glasses glinting ominously as she adjusted them.

Luhan's heart raced. He could feel the oppressive energy in the room, a suffocating weight that he knew left him no room for lies or evasion.

The divine protection granted by the cult had vanished. At the moment, he was left vulnerable and exposed.

Before coming to the store to execute the mission given to them, he already knew that the mission given to them was impossible. And sure enough, they were instantly identified as part of the Poison Demon Cult.

He couldn't help but think that they were already exposed yesterday. They only managed to leave the store because it advocated welcoming everyone regardless of their affiliation or standing in society.

"W-we're just lowly Poison-bearers!" Luhan started, his voice trembling. His life was already forfeited the moment that they were caught. Why not hold onto the hope of living another day by telling what he knows?

"We… We are indeed spies from the cult But we don't know much! We were only ordered to monitor the store and report back. The High Priest also ordered us to gather samples while preparing for a takeover, but we don't know the full plan! Maybe they will do it after breaching the walls of the city!"

Lin Mo's eyes narrowed. "A takeover, huh? Your High Priest must've taken interest in our products. You know what, we welcome anyone as a customer of our store. But if the said customer will endanger our operation, we'll naturally not tolerate it."

Luhan flinched at his words as he nodded before forcing himself to continue. "Y-yes. You were generous and kind, Shopkeeper. But our hands were tied. We had no other choice but to follow orders, if not, we'd become food for a demonic spider."

"Mhm. I heard about your lot from the Crimson Vale. Miss Yangyang, is it possible to sever their link to the divine being?" Lin Mo turned to the functionary from the Celestial Realm.

Her response was a swift shake of her head, "I'm afraid not. I peered into their souls. They were bound to that contract. Should you tamper with it, they would die."

"I see. Can't they renounce the divine being?"

"That's not how it works, Shopkeeper Lin. They're not faithful believers, they were chained the moment they received that baptism or what they called it in their cult. However, there's a way to release them from the contract."

"What is it?"

"The divine being their cult worships is not present in this realm. That means they're spreading their influence through an intermediary. Someone like you. Someone who has a link to the said divine being. Those contracts should be held by them. If you can convince that intermediary to void their contracts, they'll be freed." Yangyang answered.

"Oh. So, it's like that, huh? I have an idea."

As Luhan listened to their conversation, he couldn't help but tilt his head. He was expecting to be tortured or to be sent to the authorities but suddenly, hope swelled from his chest from the information he heard.

"Shopkeeper, I advise you not to think you can convince someone easily, especially a believer of a Chaotic Deity."

"Miss Yangyang. Our Divine Convenience Store will never discriminate. If there's a potential customer then by all means, I will extend my hand on them. Besides, didn't you hear? That High Priest took an interest in our products. We'll lure him in and convert him to be a devout believer of the Pantheon."

"T-that's a bold idea. But why would you trouble yourself to do that? You can eradicate followers of a Chaotic Deity. They're better off not living in this realm." Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire

Lin Mo sighed, rubbing his temples as he glanced at Yangyang.

"Miss Yangyang, the Divine Convenience Store is a business. And it does not deal with eradicating people. It's about providing convenience and building connections. Even if they're followers of a Chaotic Deity, they're still potential customers. If we can convert them, we gain more than just their business. We gain influence."

Yangyang adjusted her glasses as a skeptical expression occupied her pretty face.

"Shopkeeper Lin, you're treading a dangerous path. If this High Priest is as devoted as I suspect, convincing him will be nearly impossible. And if you fail, the consequences could be dire."

Lin Mo shrugged, his confident smile returning. "Impossible? Maybe. But we'll never know until we try. Besides, it's not just about him. If we can show his followers a better way. Better products, better opportunities. Their beliefs will also be shaken. That's where we start."

Luhan, still tied to the pillar, couldn't help but interject. Even though this concerns his life, Lin Mo is too optimistic in his eyes, "Shopkeeper… are you really saying you'd risk dealing with the High Priest? For what? To sell him snacks?"

Lin Mo chuckled, "Not just snacks, dear customer. You've seen it. We do not just offer snacks. We'll be offering everything in the name of convenience. If your High Priest is as smart as he seems, he'll see the value in what we offer. Everyone has a price, dear customer. The key is finding out what it is."

Yangyang crossed her arms, clearly unconvinced. "And what if he refuses? What if he attacks instead?"

"Oh. He won't. They won't get past the defense of every force in the area. The walls of Fanling City are also sturdy. Before they can reach us, they'll have to sacrifice a lot. Not to mention, I doubt you or Taihao will let this establishment fall to the hands of someone else."

Yangyang sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Your optimism is… unique, Shopkeeper. I hope you know what you're suggesting. Is this something you brought from your old world?"

"Perhaps," Lin Mo shrugged, "Taihao put me in this position to manage and grow the influence of the store. That's all I'm doing, Miss Yangyang. Of course, it would be foolish to just let them go. We will hand them to the City Lord and let them act like they're still doing their task to fool their higher-ups."

Lin Mo then turned his attention back to Luhan and his companions who had also woken up, "As you heard. If you want a chance to live and be freed, you'll follow my words. That's your only choice."

Lin Mo's idea was simple, since they were tasked to act as a customer, he'd allow them to do just that. They would send more samples to that High Priest and in turn, cultivate the High Priest's interest in the store's products.

He's also not optimistic that mere snacks can break the High Priest's faith but the tiniest possibility is more than enough to go and attempt it. He's also handing them to the City Lord, anyway. Dangling hope like this will make them more cooperative.