Yao Ziyan nodded with a smile. "Yes, those are the store rules."
Zhou Hu shrugged helplessly. "Alright then. One of each it is. I suppose that saves us quite a bit of spirit crystals."
The group of five each selected one cola, one pack of spicy noodles, and one cup of instant noodles before heading to Yao Ziyan to pay.
---
As they were settling their purchase, Zhou Hu noticed a silver-white machine sitting quietly in the corner of the shop. His curiosity piqued.
"What's that machine over there?" he asked.
"That's a hot water dispenser," Yao Ziyan explained.
But as she spoke, she glanced at Luo Chuan, silently asking for help. She only knew the name of the device; the boss hadn't explained the rest.
From outside the shop, Luo Chuan's calm voice answered, "The hot water dispenser is exactly what it sounds like—it stores hot water."
He paused for a moment, then added, "Combining hot water with instant noodles will enhance their effect, increasing your cultivation speed."
---
Zhou Hu and his group exchanged skeptical looks.
"Enhance? How does that work?"
Luo Chuan sighed. This is the downside of living in another world—people here lack basic common sense about these things.
He got up, walked into the shop, and grabbed a cup of instant noodles from the shelf. With practiced ease, he tore open the packaging, sprinkled the seasoning, and took out a disposable fork.
Then, he placed the cup under the hot water dispenser, filling it halfway with steaming water.
"Alright, now just wait five minutes," Luo Chuan said, covering the cup with the disposable lid and fork.
He looked up and noticed the odd expressions on everyone's faces.
"What's with those looks? Did I do something wrong?"
---
Zhou Hu wasn't the only one staring in disbelief—Yao Ziyan was also at a loss for words.
"Boss," she finally said after swallowing hard, her voice trembling slightly. "The water from the hot water dispenser… Is it what I think it is?"
Luo Chuan replied casually, "Oh, that's just ordinary vitality spring water."
---
"Ordinary… vitality spring water?!"
Yao Ziyan felt like she was going to faint.
Vitality spring water was an incredibly rare and treasured resource, known for its ability to boost cultivation. It was said to come from ancient monster royal springs before their evolution. The spiritual energy contained within was leagues beyond most elixirs.
When it occasionally appeared at auctions, even a single sip could sell for hundreds of spirit crystals.
---
"Do you want hot water with your instant noodles?" Luo Chuan asked Zhou Hu and his group.
"Yes!" they replied in unison, without hesitation.
Yao Ziyan glanced at Luo Chuan, utterly exasperated but unable to say anything. After all, the boss makes the rules, and I'm just the clerk.
"The hot water dispenser charges 100 spirit crystals per use," Luo Chuan added in his usual nonchalant tone.
---
"Boss, isn't this a bundle deal?" Zhou Hu asked, half-amused and half-serious.
Still, he couldn't deny that the vitality spring water contained far more than a single sip. It might even be worth more than the instant noodles themselves.
---
A few minutes later, the five mercenaries were seated outside the shop, each with a steaming cup of instant noodles in hand.
Luo Chuan watched them, feeling a strange sense of familiarity with the scene.
The five men opened their cups, and a fragrant mist burst forth, carrying both dense spiritual energy and an intoxicating aroma.
They exchanged a look before digging in. The alley soon filled with the sound of vigorous slurping.
---
Meanwhile, Yao Ziyan sat inside, savoring the instant noodles Luo Chuan had prepared for her. She ate slowly, appreciating the flavor and effect.
Luo Chuan leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. He had eaten more instant noodles than he could count in his previous life and wasn't particularly eager to relive those memories...