Li Yinyi was still contemplating on whether she should run away or wait for the patrol, when the pink dye began to move. "That feels way too familiar," she yelled, while her eyebrows shot up in alarm.
The remains of Shou reassembled again, creating him anew. The moment he had a mouth, he screamed, "Fine then Si, you deadbeat system, we will do it your way!"
"Ah, don't curse at me, don't curse me, it wasn't my fault! Blame the system not me."
"You are the system." Shou gritted his teeth.
Li Yinyi stared at the healthy-looking shop-owner in front of her. Her brain had shut down from the overload of information, and she remained motionless, with her mouth hanging low.
Shou soon remembered that there was someone else, too. He looked at the spooked girl and waved his hands. "Hello, are you all right? Oh shit, we broke her."
Suddenly, the blank expression on her face turned weirdly passionate. She jumped, up, almost stumbling, and with a trembling voice asked, "That illusory world, does it exist in reality?" Her face flushed red in excitement as she was so agitated, blood had rushed to her head.
"It does," Shou replied. He found no reason to hide it.
The two words were like thunderbolts, striking her very core. "The flower field, the witch and that magic, it all exists somewhere?" She grabbed Shou's hands.
"Not somewhere, it's here. It's not magic, it's a cultivation technique."
Immediately, Li Yinyi threw herself to the ground and bowed down. "Great master—no, grand ancestor please me teach me that disintegrating magic—I mean, the cultivation technique. I am willing to study under your tutelage forever!" She bowed deeper. The girl had been completely conquered by the witch's ability. She had been dejected since everything was fantasy. Now it turned out to be true after all! That meant if she tried hard enough, she could learn it too! She didn't care if she had no talent, or if she could learn only a fragment of it. Having such a cool attack was enough to boast for a lifetime.
"Eh, don't you want the revival technique?"
"No, it is impressive, but I don't care about that. However, that blast was way too cool. I'm shivering just from imagining it." And she really did shiver. In her mind she was in the yearly family competition; while everyone fought with swords and kicks, she threw out explosions, deleting her opponents from the world. That was too cool!
"Oh, I see..." Shou turned just a bit sadder. He then thought about it. He wasn't sure if she could learn it, and if she could, it certainly would not be from him, since he didn't know what the technique was.
He planned on rejecting her, but Si's voice stopped him from doing so. "She can," Si said, "if they stay in the world and fulfill certain quests, such as changing fate or complete the impossible, I (the system) will give them the treasures and techniques of the memory they finished. Of course, they can also simply learn from the simulations inhabitants, but that would take a lot longer. The only thing I can't offer is that imperishable status of yours."
"Oh, that is a good idea." Shou nodded. "It would create an incentive for the customers to return." He turned to the expectant Li Yinyi and told her, "I can't teach you, but you can learn it on your own in the illusory world. If you complete certain missions, there will be rewards too. Come back tomorrow, where the store has had an overhaul, and I can explain it better to you."
When Shou had started the sentence, Li Yinyi felt like all hope in the world was lost, but when he continued, her expression turned brighter and brighter. "That is it?" she asked, "I don't have to call anyone master, I don't have to abide any rules, go into a sect, or flatter any seniors? I just have to pay and can have fun while doing so?"
Shou nodded.
Damn, that is way too easy. She would have come even if it weren't for the cultivation techniques since it was fun to discover a new world, but now it was practically a must. If she still hesitated afterward, she would truly call herself stupid.
The rain was completely gone now, but it was still dark. Li Yinyi realized that night had long approached. "Crap, I need to go, or Papa will be mad at me!" She bowed once more, to the unfathomable store-owner and quickly ran out.
"First Chain Quest Completed. Second Chain Quest will be issued shortly. Ask Host to prepare for reward."
"Oh, nice."
"Well, it has been a long day, but everything seemed to have gone fine. Didn't I tell you that there was no need to worry? [puffs out chest]. Anyway, you should go to sleep now, I will revamp the store, since the business is clearly a lucrative one hehe."
Shou didn't like it when Si behaved this smugly. It was like seeing the kid you always beat up gloating after he won once. However, he did have to give that to her—the thing really worked. "Revamping the store, how will you do that with no body?"
"You don't have to worry about it, just leave it to me and go to sleep."
"I'm kind of interested though, I think I am going to pass the night by watching you."
"Damn it, show some decency and go to sleep [angry face]. Don't you know not pry into a lady's business?"
...
Li Yinyi didn't remember how she got home.
The whole time, she remained immersed in the dreamlike experience she just had. When she stirred her Dantian, she realized that her cultivation had slightly increased and the Spiritual Qi turned richer, nearing toward the bottleneck of hers. She didn't know what the exact reason was, only that it was thanks to the store. It astonished her, that there could be such a method to attain breakthroughs, but in all honesty, she was already numb to the shock. Not even the moon exploding could rattle her much at this point.
After 10 more minutes, she finally arrived at her home.
If Shou and Si saw it, they would have been surprised by the sheer size of it. The house had a giant gate, on each side a statue of a magnificent lion. Inside, there was a garden, surrounding the palace-like structure in the middle. Servants and guards were bustling around, even though it was late at night.
Li Yinyi gulped nervously. Ah, if someone saw her returning this late, she would have to deal with her fathers fury. She hid behind the gate-wall and slowly sneaked in, hoping to do so without attracting unnecessary attention.
"Oh my, so you still remember you have a family," someone suddenly called out, and through the shadow, a young man walked out.
Li Yinyi stiffened up. "Big brother."