Kurome’s first stop was the corner where her children were huddled.
She crouched beside them, her tail swaying playfully as she struck a proud pose, subtly showing off her new uniform.
The two kittens blinked up at her in awe. One gave a tiny “meow,” the other followed with a louder “mrow,” their tones carrying clear jealousy.
Kurome let out a soft purr, amused.
’Train hard. You’ll earn yours one day.’
After that, she slipped back outside.
Her duty wasn’t inside the store – that was her master’s domain. No one would dare cause trouble with Hao around.
But outside? That was her responsibility.
Kurome stepped out into the alley, her senses sharpening at once.
Her spiritual sense spread out, brushing against every surface it could reach. Her nose picked up scents riding the wind, her ears flicked at the sound of shifting gravel, and her eyes scanned each corner and shadow.
Then, she went further.
She activated her innate ability, Vein of Shadow.
Unlike spiritual sense, which could be blocked by certain tricks or techniques, Vein of Shadow didn’t rely on spiritual qi.
It read the world through shadows, sensing movement and life force.
As long as two shadows were connected, even through walls or underground, she could feel anything moving between them. It didn’t matter if someone hid their presence.
If they touched the shadows, Kurome would know.
In this alley, full of dark corners and overlapping shadows, her perception was nearly flawless. Nothing could pass by unnoticed.
Of course, Kurome understood that she wasn’t meant to stop anyone who simply wished to enter the store, nor would she prevent a suspicious-looking person from entering unless they caused trouble.
That wasn’t her role.
Her master was the one who judged who was truly a threat and who wasn’t. It wasn’t her responsibility to decide who should or shouldn’t be allowed into the store.
Her task was simpler – keep the peace.
Her job was to make sure the alley remained calm, ensuring no one disturbed the customers or caused any trouble.
If anyone did try anything suspicious, she would step in to stop them, but as long as they respected the store and its customers, she had no reason to interfere.
Inside the store, Hao stood behind the counter, checking his mission progress.
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Main Task 1: Sell 50 Spicy Version and 30 Original Version of Beef-Flavored or Chicken-Flavored Instant Noodles.
Progress: 0/50 Spicy & 0/30 Original → 0/50 Spicy & 2/30 Original
────────────────
Side Task 1: Accumulate 150 crystals from Cola or Lime Fizz.
Progress: 0/150 →15/150
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Side Task 2: Hire 2 store guardians. Leaving the store defenseless isn’t exactly a good idea, is it?
Progress: 0/2 → 1/2
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Hao sighed. “Still a lot of selling to do.”
The day passed like usual. Some customers came in but quickly left without buying anything.
It wasn’t because they were poor. The issue was the prices.
They were just ridiculously too high!
Even the cheapest product cost a single crystal? That was out of reach for many!
As night fell, Mo Xixi finished her cultivation session. She felt stronger, the spiritual qi flowing through her in a new way.
She had finally reached the 6th Stage of the Heavenly King Realm!
It felt like stepping into an entirely new world.
Mo Xixi decided to have instant noodles for dinner. However, after eating, she didn’t feel the usual burst of enlightenment. For a moment, she was confused.
Then she realized it wasn’t the noodles. Now that her realm had advanced, she needed more to enter the enlightenment state.
She wasn’t disappointed. It was just how things worked as she progressed.
Mo Xixi walked over to the counter.
“Little Xixi, Kurome is officially a member of the store now.” Hao said casually as he ate his noodles in the corner.
“She’s the first guardian of our store.”
Mo Xixi had already guessed this would happen, but she hadn’t thought it would be so soon.
She smiled to herself. Thinking back, she had also been hired quickly – even faster than Kurome, as she had been recruited the first time she entered the store.
She glanced toward the door, knowing exactly where Kurome was.
Kurome wasn’t inside because her role was to stand guard outside.
Well, that was to be expected. Kurome was much stronger than most, and it made sense that her duty would be to protect the store from outside threats.
Anyone who dared to cause problems outside would quickly regret it. They’d be dead meat before they even understood what was happening.
After all, Kurome wasn’t someone you wanted to mess with.
Outside, Kurome stayed alert as she stood beside the store door, her senses fixed on the two women walking toward the alley’s entrance.
Their footsteps were light and unhurried.
From what she detected, these two girls posed no threat. Their cultivation realms were low – just ordinary people, most likely just passing through or looking for a place to shop.
But something didn’t sit right with her.
There was a third presence trailing behind them!
A man.
The man wasn’t walking casually. His figure was hidden by a mist-like presence that cloaked him, suppressing his spiritual qi and rendering his movements nearly imperceptible.
He wasn’t trying to hide physically, but his very presence was masked.
If it weren’t for her Vein of Shadow, Kurome wouldn’t have noticed him at all. The concealment technique he was using should be very rare – sophisticated enough to fool even the most expert cultivators.
His mastery over such an ability spoke volumes about his level of skill.
Not quite above her level, but probably dangerously close.
The fact that he was employing such a high-level concealment technique told Kurome that he was no ordinary person. He was a professional, and whatever his business was, it was important.
The man was Xie Feiyan.
A member of the Shrouded Blade – a secretive, elite assassin faction directly under the Emperor of the Shrouded Cloud Empire.
Operating in the shadows, they were an invaluable tool for the Emperor, executing covert missions with deadly precision.
They were tasked with eliminating threats to the throne, neutralizing political rivals, and ensuring the Empire’s absolute power.
