As soon as tonight passes, he will be able to restock and fill the appointment gap.
However, this thought is still premature. Up to this point, only the bishop and Worris have been able to make large purchases. With Aebul joining them, the three of them all have ample connections; if they don’t need the items for themselves, they can give them to their subordinates.
When Worris expressed his desire to stock up during the sale at Calderra, Luo Sian couldn’t give him a discounted price due to the system’s marked price, so he allowed him to sell at a price that was ten percent higher than the original. The extra profit would belong to Worris’s caravan.
So far, the Floating Life Grocery Store still lacks reputation, and very few merchants have come to collaborate.
Luo Sian thought he had to find a better way to spread the word.
It seemed that this idea was noticed by Rong Qing, who quietly came online and said, “Master, once the energy coins reach three hundred thousand, this issue can be resolved.”
He paused slightly and smiled, saying, “That’s good; it looks like I need to save money slowly.”
Lying on the bed, Luo Sian casually pulled a pillow to rest behind his head and chatted with him nonchalantly, “By the way, do you have a physical form, or are you just in a data form?”
Rong Qing replied in a neutral tone, “Hmm, I am just the consciousness of this store. I was created a thousand years ago and then integrated into the dimension you are in, until I bound with you.”
“What about the person who created you?”
“The era is so distant that I’ve long forgotten. The only memories I have left start from when I came to Earth.”
Luo Sian paused and changed the subject, “So you’ve always maintained this form? No physical body?”
“Perhaps when you possess enough energy coins, you can exchange them for a body.”
What Rong Qing didn’t mention was that the price would likely be very high, and it could take a long time to resolve.
He had become accustomed to being in a data form and… no longer expected to have a body.
*
After a good night’s sleep, Luo Sian stretched and began a new day of work.
Every day, there were customers arriving early outside the store, waiting in front until Luo Sian opened the doors at eight.
He had tried to persuade them a few times, but it seemed ineffective.
Today, when he opened the door, a crowd gathered, all looking at Luo Sian with a mix of respect and fear, carefully making their purchases before leaving.
The whole process was quiet, each person taking their turn without Luo Sian having to say anything.
The only thing he could do was sit at the counter, accepting the gold coins that were handed to him one by one.
Once he sent this batch of people who had been waiting outside away, he was much freer.
Until the next customer arrived—no, rather two people. A frail man led a little girl about seven or eight years old, who looked curiously into the store.
The frail man was clearly a priest, dressed in the same white robe with golden trim as the bishop.
The little girl was simply and old-fashioned attire but clean, her clothes washed to the point of dullness, and she hid behind the priest.
The priest took out a large bag of coins and handed it to Luo Sian, whispering, “Shopkeeper, His Excellency the Bishop sent me to buy the previously reserved milk tea. Here are all the coins.”
A total of thirty cups, three thousand gold coins.
This wasn’t a small sum, and even the church couldn’t easily produce it. In the end, it was the bishop who took from his own funds to cover part of it.
The priest also brought a special box to ensure it was tightly sealed, ensuring that not a single coin would fall out.
These items, it is no exaggeration to say, could change a person’s destiny.
When the bishop mentioned buying milk tea for the ordinary people under church protection, it caused quite a stir.
Some priests disagreed with such actions; they were used to protecting their own kind and felt that ordinary people becoming warriors would threaten the church’s status.
They merely tried to persuade the bishop using the future development of the church to stop his actions.
However, when this news spread outside, many people gathered around the church, clutching the only valuables they could muster, tears streaming down their faces, trembling hands thanking the bishop and the church.
Those people could no longer utter refusals; the principle of the Church of the Bright God is to protect everyone. Since they had the ability to give more people the power to protect themselves, they should do their utmost.
Although the Church of the Bright God had gradually become a weapon for some to wield power, and had corroded from within, Vistar City was too remote, and the influence was minimal. They had long gradually detached from the headquarters’ erosion.
Additionally, the bishop had always treated ordinary people well, having built shelters to protect them, which positively influenced many priests, leading to good relationships with ordinary folk.
When the bishop proposed to use part of his gold coins, no one else opposed it anymore.
These three thousand gold coins were hard-earned and held the hopes of many.
From the day they were born, they were constantly told they had no talent, no magic core, and could only live as ordinary people, teetering on the brink of life and death. They could never have imagined such good fortune—to fight against monsters as warriors.
Without the demon shop and the bishop’s kindness, they wouldn’t have been able to realize this day.
Just as the transaction was completed and the priest was about to leave, unexpectedly, a sweet voice interrupted him. The previously quiet little girl peeked out.
“Shopkeeper, I really like you! Everyone says it was you who saved us. Can I have candy every day? Thank you!”
The priest clearly didn’t expect her to speak up. He quickly pulled the little girl behind him, fearing that the demon would feel offended. He explained to Luo Sian, “Sir, she is one of the children adopted by the church. This time, she insisted on coming to the Abyss to see you. Please don’t be angry.”
Luo Sian waved his hand, stepped forward, slightly squatting down, and reached out to pat the girl’s head. “What’s your name? How old are you?”
“Sir, my name is Bellamy, and I’m nine years old!”