Chapter 40: The Black Shop in the Desert
Western Regions, Desert.
Chen Xiyi got off the cart, stored it away, and gazed at the rolling yellow sand covering the ground, while the sun above beat down harshly on him.
This caused a high-temperature DEBUFF to appear in his status bar, making his satiety decrease faster. If his satiety dropped below 50, he would also suffer from a dehydration status.
The dehydration status would definitely deduct health points.
“I won’t mention the rest, but why would there be an inn in a place like this? They must be losing so much that they’re practically going bankrupt.” Chen Xiyi remarked as he looked at the old inn not far away, unable to help but complain.
The incomplete module he needed was inside this inn, and he suspected there was some connection between the inn and this incomplete module.
Otherwise, what were the odds? “There are four people in total: the shopkeeper, the runner, the cook, and the accountant.” Chen Xiyi observed the four white dots moving inside the inn on the map.
Currently, they were marked as white names, indicating no hostility or malice toward him, but that might change.
All of them had the prefix ‘black shop’ in their titles.
【Black Shopkeeper Ding Yu, Health: 100%, Status: Idle】
【Black Shop Runner Zhou Xin, Health: 100%, Status: Idle】
【Black Shop Cook Li Ge, Health: 100%, Status: Idle】
【Black Shop Accountant Zhao Sheng, Health: 100%, Status: Idle】
So, Chen Xiyi was contemplating whether to just eliminate this group of people outright.
But he was also worried that they might know something, which made Chen Xiyi feel conflicted.
In this desert, due to the temperature and other factors, the ability to control water in the Jianghu had significantly decreased.
Although the home game system is not scientifically accurate, it does adapt to the environment in some ways; after all, water easily evaporates in the heat of the desert.
“I could kill them, but it wouldn’t hurt to first ask about what I want and then eliminate them afterward.”
After considering, he realized that if he entered this black shop, he would definitely become a red-named NPC.
However, Chen Xiyi was still puzzled; was running a black shop in such a place really profitable?
It’s important to note that this world is a feudal society with low productivity, where 99% of people live their whole lives without ever leaving their hometown. Merchants also wouldn’t venture into a desert to trade.
This is not a martial arts world filled with desert heroes or bizarre plots that make this desert constantly crowded; the likelihood is that not a single person might pass through here all year round.
Aside from the sand and sun, there were only desert flora and fauna.
Therefore, Chen Xiyi believed that these four must know something; otherwise, how could they make a living here? Even just lying by the roadside and waiting for kind-hearted people to toss them copper coins would earn them more than working here.
Thus, Chen Xiyi speculated that they must have ulterior motives.
“Shopkeeper, bring me something special from your menu, and a pot of good tea as well.” Chen Xiyi sauntered in, his tone casual.
He saw the shopkeeper sitting at the counter chatting idly with the runner, while the cook listened with great interest and occasionally chimed in, and the accountant was off to the side reading a book, looking a bit bored.
As soon as Chen Xiyi entered, he naturally caught the attention of the four. Guests in this desert could hardly be described as common; they were rare.
However, when the group saw Chen Xiyi’s outfit, they were puzzled; his full armor appeared somewhat eerie.
The crowd couldn’t help but feel puzzled when they saw Chen Xiyi’s outfit; the armor looked a bit eerie.
However, eerie as it was, as long as it was a person, one dose of anesthetic would do the trick, and by then, even the hardest armor would be useless.
Although the runner was from a black shop, there was still some professionalism: “Alright, esteemed guest, please sit over here.”
Saying this, he took a cloth and wiped down the tables and chairs nearby before fetching a teapot and cup to pour a cup of tea for Chen Xiyi.
Seeing this, the cook also got up to head to the kitchen, while the accountant didn’t even lift his head, engrossed in the book in his hands.
Only the shopkeeper displayed a hint of curiosity: “Where do you come from, esteemed guest? Isn’t this armor a bit hot here?”
“Why do you care so much, shopkeeper? I have my own matters to handle,” Chen Xiyi retorted.
It wasn’t that he was being rude, but his status had changed from neutral to hostile; clearly, it was not in his favor, so why should he give the other party a pleasant face?
【Black Shopkeeper Ding Yu, 100% Health, Status: Annoyed】
【Ability 1: Excavation】
【Ability 2: Management】
【Experience】
【July: Doing nothing during the day, at night excavating treasures with Black Shop Runner Zhou Xin, Black Shop Cook Li Ge, and Black Shop Accountant Zhao Sheng.】
【July: Doing nothing during the day, at night with…】
【July:】
“.” Chen Xiyi clicked on this shopkeeper’s specific information; the experience was essentially the same: doing nothing during the day resting and excavating at night. No one came in this month, making the experience exceedingly dull.
However, judging by the situation, it seemed he hadn’t found anything yet; otherwise, he would have left long ago.
The missing module he needed should also be among these treasures, though he didn’t know what kind of treasure the shopkeeper was digging for.
“Just asking casually, if the esteemed guest doesn’t want to say, then forget it,” the shopkeeper said, though annoyed, he didn’t show it.
As a part-time treasure hunter in a black shop, the shopkeeper had quite high standards in this regard.
Moreover, who would argue with a dead man?
“Sure, if you have this free time, go in there and urge the chef to hurry with the dishes; I’m about to starve here,” Chen Xiyi shot back.
The shopkeeper was rendered speechless by this. Urge the dishes? The chef had just entered the kitchen, and at this time, the fire probably hadn’t even been lit.
“Please wait a moment; I’ll go urge him,” the shopkeeper said without rebuttal.
Meanwhile, he was thinking viciously about instructing the chef to give Chen Xiyi more anesthetic until he passed out.
【Black Shopkeeper Ding Yu is extremely dissatisfied with your actions and intends to use anesthetics to make you faint. Hatred Level +1, Hatred Level: 1 Star】
Although others had hostile statuses, none displayed hatred levels; just with this one retort, they directly placed the shopkeeper onto their enemy list.
“Runner, go prepare a room for me; I’ll be staying here today. Remember, it has to be clean,” Chen Xiyi said to the runner after watching the shopkeeper leave.
“Alright, esteemed guest,” the runner called out as he departed, giving a knowing glance to the accountant, signaling him to keep an eye on this fat sheep, not to let him run away.
“Looks like you’re the only one left,” Chen Xiyi said to the accountant who had just put down his book, his tone carrying a hint of significance.
The accountant couldn’t help but feel a sudden jolt at these words, sensing something ominous.
(End of Chapter)
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