"Shopkeeper Tong!" A voice called out. Shopkeeper Tong turned to see an acquaintance and offered a smile along with a clasped-fist salute. "Shopkeeper Jin!"
Shopkeeper Jin was also a half-aged elder, a Second-Order cultivator just like Shopkeeper Tong — the sort of unremarkable warrior who had languished at the bottom of the Three Thousand Worlds for as long as anyone could remember, scraping and clawing for petty profits, wracking his brains over a handful of Open Heaven Pills here and there.
But now, both men practically glowed with vitality. They were old foxes, seasoned by years, and if Shopkeeper Tong could see the brilliant future awaiting the Void Star City, then Shopkeeper Jin was no less perceptive. All they needed to do now was wait — wait for the crowds to flood in. When that day came, they would spread their wings and make their mark.
"Something on your mind, Shopkeeper Jin?" Tong asked. The old scoundrel never got up before there was gold to be had. The two had done business in the Star City for years and crossed paths more than once; each knew the other's temperament inside and out.
Shopkeeper Jin grinned. "Jin has come to offer his congratulations."
Shopkeeper Tong chuckled. "What congratulations could there be?"
"The Void Land is making a major move — the Star City has a tremendous future ahead. Those of us who stayed behind will naturally get the first taste of the profits. Isn't that cause for celebration?"
Shopkeeper Tong nodded. "Congratulations to us both, then. You stayed behind too, didn't you?"
Shopkeeper Jin let out a wistful sigh. "Indeed. I had no choice but to linger. Heh — who would have thought that fortune would turn from disaster into blessing? If Shopkeeper Sun and the others knew, they'd be kicking themselves raw."
The Shopkeeper Sun he referred to was one of those who had cut their losses and fled the Star City when things looked grim for the Void Land. The fortunes of the Void Domain shifted like the wind — utterly unpredictable.
"What is fated to come will come; what is not cannot be forced." Shopkeeper Tong chuckled softly.
Shopkeeper Jin pointed toward the bustling Star City before them. "Shopkeeper Tong, I made some inquiries with that Lord Chen. For those of us shopkeepers who remained, we'll each receive a brand-new storefront on our original site — and no rent required. In other words, the shop becomes ours. No one can take it from us."
Shopkeeper Tong's eyes lit up. "Truly?"
Jin nodded solemnly. "Word of honor. Lord Chen Tianfei said it himself."
"That's wonderful news." Shopkeeper Tong clenched his fist with satisfaction. After all, while he had managed to secure a shop here before, it had only been a lease — he never held the title. But now the Void Land was outright gifting them new storefronts. That was an enormous windfall. A shop of one's own could be run as a business or rented out — either way, profit was guaranteed.
After a brief pause, Tong asked, "What about Shopkeeper Sun and the others?"
Shopkeeper Jin's lip curled in a cold smile. "When the Star City's popularity was at its lowest, that was precisely when we all needed to band together. Shopkeeper Sun and his lot abandoned ship early. Even if they come crawling back, there'll be no shop left for them."
Tong nodded. "The Void Lord does seem to reward and punish fairly."
Whether they had stayed by choice or out of sheer necessity, the fact remained — they had stayed, keeping the Star City's dwindling spark of activity alive. That was why the Void Land was willing to gift them new storefronts. As for those who had fled? The Void Land had no reason to care about their interests.
Shopkeeper Jin went on, "Now the Void Star City has expanded more than fivefold — storefronts are springing up everywhere, the planning is impeccable. Just imagine, this place will be packed to the rafters before long. Every inch of land here will be worth its weight in gold!"
"Couldn't agree more," Tong said, nodding in agreement.
Jin turned to look at him. "Shopkeeper Tong, you and I are both without backers. All we've ever managed are small-time operations — petty trades, nothing worth mentioning. This is a rare opportunity. Don't tell me you have no ambition to go bigger."
Tong furrowed his brow slightly. "Neither of us has connections. How could we scale up?"
Jin clenched his fist. "With capital, anything is possible! But with the funds you and I have on hand, even with a storefront, we'd still be constrained — same small-time games as before, nothing presentable."
Tong frowned and sighed. "Exactly what I've been worrying about these past few days, Brother Jin. No matter how you slice it, it all comes down to a lack of capital."
A fierce flame burned in Jin's eyes. "Getting that capital is simple enough — the only question is whether you're willing to take a gamble with me, Brother Tong."
Tong's gaze flickered. "You mean..."
"Tomorrow is the Void Star City's auction. The Void Lord himself announced that a Heaven Origin True Seal Pill will be up for bid. This is our chance!" After delivering those words, Jin fixed Tong with a meaningful look. "I noticed you've been selling off your stock these past two days — practically giving it away. Don't try to tell me you have no interest in that Heaven Origin True Seal Pill."
"Ahem..." Tong silently cursed the old fox for being as cunning as ever. The moment he had made his moves, the other man had seen right through him. There was no point denying it now — Jin had already seen the writing on the wall. He nodded. "That's right. I do have my eye on the Heaven Origin True Seal Pill. But the pill is incredibly precious, and my purse is thin. I can only do my best and leave the rest to fate."
Shopkeeper Jin smiled. "Why don't we join forces?"