Divine Convenience Store-Chapter 186: Truth behind the Store
As though the presence of Lihua also disappeared from the minds of the other customers, the store operation immediately returned to normal the moment the sound-concealing formation settled around them.
It appeared as a translucent veil that muted the clamor of the store and possibly cloaked their presence. Except Yangyang who followed inside, even Liu Xiaoyu and Xiao Ya stopped looking in their direction.
Lin Mo gestured for Lihua and Yangyang to sit down and he followed suit.
To his surprise, Lihua didn't have any qualms at matching his gaze, her luminous golden robes swaying enticingly as she took her seat. Meanwhile, Yangyang hesitated and eventually decided to just stand behind her superior. Although they're both from the Divine Pantheon, she's extremely mindful of her position of being a mere functionary.
Lin Mo didn't pry at that and simply put his hands on the table separating them as he stared at Lihua's eyes directly.
"Zhenren Lihua, first, may I apologize for my inquiries these past few days? It must've taken you a great deal of time to accommodate me. It even reached this point that you visited again while the store was still in operation."
Lihua waved a hand dismissively, her golden sleeves swishing fluidly with her motion, "No need for apologies, Shopkeeper Lin. Your curiosity drives the store's purpose forward. And your insight is something Taihao and I appreciate. Most of your questions also align with the Pantheon's intent. I'd rather you ask than stumble blindly, especially now, with the Conduits and Anchors slowly stirring within the realm."
Lin Mo nodded, leaning back slightly as he processed her words. "Fair enough but I still want to apologize. You've been very patient and agreeable to me. Unlike Taihao…"
He trailed his voice there, earning him a soft laughter from the goddess.
"Is Taihao not agreeable to you?"
"Well, not exactly. But you know how he is. He's quite impulsive, especially when he chose me among the billions of individuals on Earth. He could've picked a veteran Store Manager, you know? Or a very successful businessman, one who can grow an empire from nothing. Yet… here I am. An ordinary human in an ordinary city, living my ordinary life with an ordinary purpose. I can't even recall the recipe of my mother's favorite dish, let alone the lessons I learned from college – which is far from business administration."
"That's enough 'ordinary', Shopkeeper. You're far from that. I've been observing you closely and you excel at anything you do." It was Yangyang who replied to him, nudging her glasses as her eyes narrowed to glare behind the lens.
"Certainly not because of my own merit." He shrugged.
Yangyang shook her head as her eyes shifted to someone outside the enclosed space, "Oh please, you'll make Xiaoyu cry if she hears you saying that. That talented girl thoroughly believes in you."
"She did?" Lin Mo tilted his head, finding that a little unbelievable. Granted, she was always in awe of everything he did but he took that as the girl finding a fleeting fascination.
But before Yangyang could reply, Zhenren Lihua interjected, raising her hand, causing a cool breeze to brush against his face.
"I, too, am of the same mind, Shopkeeper Lin. Taihao didn't make a mistake in choosing you."
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He scratched his cheek and nodded, "Alright. Let's drop that topic. Not like Taihao can shuttle me back to Earth, after all. And I… I've already grown accustomed to my life here. Except… these changes that pop up like mushrooms as time passes.
"You're referring to the Towers and Anchors?"
"Yes. But not only that. Zhenren Lihua, am I really just going to manage this store? Because at this point, I doubt this will be the end game here."
Lihua stared at him for a moment as though contemplating how to answer. Eventually, she nodded.
"Indeed, management is merely a part of the grand scheme of things. Let me preface you with this as I don't want you to be overwhelmed with too much information. You too, Yangyang. You can record this and together, you two can discuss and decide together how you want to move forward."
Lin Mo and Yangyang straightened their backs. Neither of them opened their mouths as they waited for what Lihua was about to reveal.
"Our Realm of Nine Heavens is in trouble and we are currently surrounded on all four sides with other realms of a similar level as ours. You've heard about the Fractured Planes and Towers but Anchors originated from those realms that take everyone in this realm as their enemy. Or at least, people they want to subjugate."
"... I see. So, if I took Anchor literally… that means the space inside it is like a passageway connecting our realm to theirs?" Lin Mo couldn't help but put up a conjecture.
Lihua's golden eyes glimmered with approval as she nodded. "Precisely, Shopkeeper Lin. The Anchors are indeed passageways. Breach points forged by the Outer Realms to infiltrate and destabilize the Nine Heavens. Unlike the Conduits, which are trial grounds born from fractured remnants of other ruined realms' history, the Anchors are deliberate intrusions. They're chains, as I've said, meant to bind us to their influence or drag us into their domains."
Lin Mo put a hand on his chin as he digested this information, "So the Conduits are… internal challenges we can control, while the Anchors are external threats we have to suppress?"
"Close enough," Lihua replied, her voice steady. "The Conduits serve a dual purpose. They temper our cultivators and yield resources, like the Dimension Essence you've begun collecting. They're a natural phenomenon, chaotic but manageable. The Anchors, however, are weapons. If left unchecked, they'll become an entryway for an invasion, spilling out forces that could overwhelm even the strongest sects.
The one beneath Fanling City is dormant now but its activation could summon entities far worse than that flesh golem you saw in Jade Hollow Plains."
Yangyang adjusted her glasses, her expression tightening. "Zhenren Lihua, how many Anchors are there? And why now? The Nine Heavens have stood for countless years. And why in the First Heaven?"
Lihua's gaze darkened slightly, though her composure remained unshaken. "The exact number is unknown even to the Pantheon and the followers of the Heavenly Law. The Outer Realms have been probing our boundaries for eons but their efforts have intensified recently ever since the heavens above ours seemingly became isolated by something. The Fractured Planes that surround our realm have weakened our barriers, giving them openings to plant these Anchors. As for why now and why here… let's just say, they only managed to breach the First Heaven. But once they create their foothold here… they'll use that to conquer and climb up to higher heavens. The store's emergence may be called an experiment. But this is all in preparation for this Shopkeeper Lin. Rebuilding our Temple will take a long time, especially if we want to gather faithful believers."
Lin Mo's brow furrowed, his Stillwater Perception keeping his mind clear despite the weight of her words. "Alright… I think I can get the gist of it. The First Heaven will be the poor vanguard and because Immortal and Divine Beings like you cannot just descend to defend us, the Divine Convenience Store became the means for you to arm us. Because obviously, spreading influence through these products is more effective than converting believers and followers to be blessed by you."
Lihua's lips curved into a faint smile. "See that, Shopkeeper? Your insight is marvelous. Yes. The Divine Convenience Store is a fulcrum, a tool to bolster the Nine Heavens against these threats. Its 'convenience' isn't just for profit. It's a means to empower cultivators, to spread influence, and to gather resources like Dimension Essence from Conduits. And the Anchors… they're why we need you to grow beyond a mere shopkeeper."
Lihua paused for a moment and grabbed Lin Mo's hand before continuing, "But I like your slogan more, Shopkeeper. Everything the store offers is for our customer's convenience."
