Welcome to the Ability Shop!

Chapter 20 Big Improvement

Chen Xuan didn't go outside the city to get involved in distributing grain. He believed that Liu Shuyue was capable enough to handle the matter. Besides, as the shopkeeper, he was an outsider in Qingzhou and even in Liu Shuyue's world, and shouldn't get too involved.

However, Liu Shuyue would chat with him about the details of the grain distribution every day when receiving a new batch of goods.

Around three or four in the afternoon, he and the other person would each have a cup of coffee and sit at the bar for half an hour to chat, which has become the norm for the past few days.

As it turned out, Liu Shuyue handled the matter better than he had anticipated.

"I never expected you would agree to refugees buying and selling relief noodles," Chen Xuan said, refilling her coffee as he praised her.

"Actually, I thought of this possibility the first time I tasted it," the girl said happily. "Simply brewing a few packets of seasoning with boiling water can create such a delicious taste. Even for wealthy families, it is a novel experience. Although grain prices are still rising, they never worry about not having enough to eat or not being able to afford grain. For the sake of freshness, young masters of noble families can always spend a large sum of money."

"You wouldn't believe it if you didn't go and see for yourself, but now many restaurants and eateries in the city have introduced Lianyun hot and sour noodles. Rich people have to queue up to eat it. Fine fish and meat are no match for the relief food given to famine victims. It just goes to show how absurd this world is."

"So, are we still distributing grain and flour now?" Chen Xuan asked.

“We’ve stopped releasing them. It’s better for me to negotiate the prices with them than to let them sell them individually. This way, we can avoid being pressured by merchants to lower the prices.” Liu Shuyue didn’t hide anything. “Now, I’ll keep half of the noodles you’ve given me and sell the other half. I’ll use the money from the sales to buy rice and flour pancakes, which are more filling than a pack of instant noodles. I’ve calculated that about one serving of noodles can be exchanged for five to six servings of grain, which is quite a good deal.”

This is Liu Shuyue's marketing strategy.

Relying on the two gimmicks of "miracle food from immortals" and "refugee food that tastes better than restaurant food," instant noodles quickly became famous throughout the city. When wealthy people came eager to try them, they were essentially falling into Liu Shuyue's trap. The relief noodles became commodities, and their price skyrocketed several times over. In return, they received various dry rations and cured fish and meat that were not so delicious but could last longer.

Chen Xuan had thought he could only supply for about half a month, but now it seemed that Liu Shuyue could last for a month without any major problems.

If he had provided rice instead of instant noodles from the beginning, it probably wouldn't have had the same effect.

It can only be said that the disciples of the sect are indeed quite skilled.

"But what's the situation with the prefect? ​​You said he's seemed preoccupied lately?"

Liu Shuyue nodded. "Yes, he may feel that he is no different from usual, but the chaotic aura surrounding him indicates that he has some hidden worries."

He should be laughing in his dreams, since someone is clearly solving the disaster relief problem for him. Chen Xuan immediately concocted a grand drama about a local official embezzling a large sum of disaster relief funds.

However, this doesn't make logical sense, because the disaster relief funds and supplies are still en route. Besides, Liu Shuyue's resolution of the refugee problem didn't consume Zhang Weicheng's resources; it was entirely beneficial to him. Now that he had effortlessly dealt with the refugees, he should feel even less pressure to embezzle the disaster relief funds.

"You think there's something wrong with him?"

“I have done a brief investigation and found nothing. Shen Fang has had a very good reputation since he took office as the prefect of Zhangwei. He is known for his integrity, fairness and impartiality in handling cases. The people privately call him Shen Qingtian (Shen the Upright Official).

Perhaps the "Voice of Trust" obtained from Joan of Arc could be of some help? Chen Xuan thought to himself. Although it could not distinguish lies, it could sense whether the other party harbored hostility.

Before he could speak, Liu Shuyue waved her hand and said, "Never mind, I don't really care about his thoughts. I just found out that the first batch of disaster relief grain from Qingzhou will arrive in Zhangwei in two days, and then my goal will be achieved."

Yes... the disaster victims were not her responsibility to begin with.

She stepped forward to take over this mess simply because she didn't want to see so much suffering.

Once the funds and supplies allocated from other regions arrive, the crisis here will naturally be resolved.

"Where are you planning to go next?" Chen Xuan asked casually. "No plans yet. I heard there are evil cultivators lurking in Yuanzhou next door, maybe I'll go there to check it out." She smiled and took a sip of coffee. "In the end, this matter was resolved so smoothly thanks to you. If I hadn't been so well-versed in history, I probably wouldn't have come up with the idea of ​​promoting Lotus Cloud Immortal Noodles; without the freedom to guide the people, I wouldn't have been able to unite thousands of refugees in a single day."

"It's not like I gave it to you for free." Chen Xuan shook his head with a smile. "You paid a price for these, so the fruits of your labor should belong entirely to you."

"Really?" Liu Shuyue glanced at him furtively. "I remember this store has a rule: if you're not satisfied with the service, you can get a full refund within a month?"

Chen Xuan's smile froze on his face.

"Um, this... do you want a refund?"

"Hmm... no, I'm very satisfied with both of these abilities." Seeing him unconsciously breathe a sigh of relief, Liu Shuyue suddenly felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

These have been the most relaxed days she's had in recent years, not only because her new home is so spiritually vibrant and idyllic, but also because she suddenly has someone with whom she can exchange ideas. Solving the disaster relief problem isn't a solo endeavor; the thought of this mysterious shop providing support behind the scenes fills her with confidence.

In her eyes, Chen Xuan was no longer just a businessman, but more like a friend.

Even if it was just her illusion, she hoped that the illusion could last a little longer.

After all, who knows how many years it will be before we meet again after this farewell?

After Liu Shuyue finished chatting and went upstairs, Chen Xuan finally had some free time. He had been busy contacting suppliers to buy instant noodles these past few days and hadn't had a chance to properly appreciate the new abilities in his inventory. Now he finally had the opportunity to experience them.

As soon as he got his hands on the "Heavenly Cloud Skill", he switched it to his own body, replacing the previous "Heart-Clearing Technique", but the overall feeling did not change significantly.

He could sense that this mental cultivation method far surpassed the Mind-Cleansing Technique in complexity, but it wasn't a complete replacement in terms of functionality. For example, besides calming the mind, the Mind-Cleansing Technique could also regulate body temperature, making one impervious to heat in summer and cold in winter—comparable to a portable air conditioner, a convenience that the Heavenly Cloud Technique lacked. Its amplifying effect on other spells was stronger; if the Mind-Cleansing Technique leaned towards support, then this was more combat-oriented.

He didn't grasp the essence of the description of evolving oneself and ascending to immortality.

His understanding of this ability came entirely from Liu Shuyue, but Liu Shuyue naturally wouldn't understand what ascension meant.

Perhaps the store's evaluation of ability is itself full of nonsense and cannot be regarded as truth.

In short, it is a secret cultivation method of the Lotus Cloud Sect, which only the most outstanding disciples are qualified to master. Now that this cultivation method has fallen into his hands, Liu Shuyue has, in a sense, seriously violated the sect rules. Of course, Liu Shuyue had also discussed this with him. She neither taught him the incantation, nor copied the template, nor even explained the most basic techniques of circulating qi. It cannot be considered an outsider's transmission at all.

It must be said that she is quite flexible in her standards of conduct.

The other three abilities, "Divine Eye Technique," "Golden Cicada Shedding its Shell Technique," and "Thousand Thoughts Sword," are much more accessible. After equipping the Divine Eye Technique, Chen Xuan discovered that he could easily see clothes drying on balconies hundreds of meters away and could also capture the moment a bird leaves a branch. This ability is similar to a cybernetic eye, greatly enhancing the breadth of his visual information capture.

The "Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell" technique is a life-saving spell with a rather mysterious principle. In Liu Shuyue's words, it uses one's fate to avert a certain death, and its effect isn't entirely automatic. If the caster cannot foresee their own death, it still won't take effect. This non-passive nature disappointed Chen Xuan; if it couldn't prevent sneak attacks, its practical value would undoubtedly decrease significantly.

As for the Thousand Thoughts Sword… it truly lives up to its name. When cultivated to a high level, it can summon a thousand meditation swords, each sword resembling an extension of consciousness. It can attack from any direction, making it extremely flexible to use. Chen Xuan casually tried it out in the shop and felt that this sword was somewhat like an alternative drone, emphasizing its unpredictability.

Unfortunately, at his current level, he can only summon two or three qi swords at the same time. Any more and he gets dizzy and can't concentrate.

According to the explanation of the store manager level, a LV2 store manager will limit the ability of those traded items to no more than LV2. That is to say, if you give it to someone else, it is a Thousand Thoughts Sword LV10, but if you use it yourself, it will only be at the LV2 level.

Is this store afraid of the manager's ability to embezzle?

(End of this chapter)