The Immortal Shopping Mall

Wang Mu and a group of six local cultivators from Yashan city, four from the city lord's office and two from the Chen family, entered the valley under the guidance of Chen Rong.

Looking around they found it to be heavily forested. The only notable clearing was around a large pond with an old crumbling house next to it. This was quite surprising as no one was aware of anyone living or having ever lived inside the Demon Tooth Mountains.

They slowly searched the valley, avoiding the house at first, and found nothing. There didn't even seem to be normal animals, let alone demonic beasts. Finally, all that was left was to search the old building as it became increasingly clear that whatever was causing such dense spiritual energy was inside.

As they approached the house, the spiritual energy grew ever stronger. It grew to such a degree that not even Wang Mu had seen its like before. Perhaps only the imperial family had access to such dense spiritual energy for cultivation.

The cultivators from Yashan city stayed outside, surrounding the building from all directions as Wang Mu entered.

The huge main gates hung open, covered in intricate carvings of mythical beasts and peeling red lacquer. Two stone lions towered over everyone on either side of the gate, covered in moss and ivy.

The spiritual energy increased in density again and again with every step Wang Mu took into the courtyard. In front of him, he saw an odd free-standing window beneath a large tree. Through the window, he could see a room made of white stone. As he approached this window his heart was pounding. What made all the demonic beasts flee if there was only this spiritual artifact? Was this an opening into a mystic realm?

Suddenly, the window smoothly slid open, and Wang Mu's spiritual sense was entirely blinded by the rush of cool air and spiritual energy that came rushing out. He heard a man's voice yelling.

"Come on! You dog! Do something!"

Wang Mu was confused. Was the man shouting at him?

The man continued to yell and Wang Mu inched closer, circulating his inner qi to its limit. Ready to fight or flee at the first sign of trouble.

"A customer!"

It was too late. Before he could react, a young man appeared in front of him and grabbed him by his shoulders, dragging him into the mystic realm.

"Come in! Come in! Welcome!"

Wang Mu struggled to escape. He used every ounce of his strength to resist being dragged deeper into the mystic realm but it was no use. The man's grip was as immovable as a mountain.

The spirit energy was so thick that Wang Mu felt like he was moving underwater.

Every word the man spoke shook like thunder and every one of his movements sent waves through the spiritual energy. It was like the spiritual energy was a part of the man's body.

Wang Mu felt like he could barely breathe as the immense spiritual pressure forced the spiritual energy through the pores of his skin and into his body. His meridians felt bloated and swollen.

Wang Mu felt his consciousness fading until a voice broke through the clamor.

"Brother, who's this?"

The man went quiet for a moment, he stopped moving. The pressure was still there, but the giant shaking the entire ocean was gone. Wang Mu felt like he could breathe again.

"A customer. He-,"

"Stop! Please stop! Stop talking!" Wang Mu begged.

The man went quiet.

"…Oh, I get it. Brother, let me show him around." The voice came again. Wang Mu looked down towards where it was coming from. It was a demonic beast. A talking demonic beast.

"But," The man looked over at Wang Mu with confusion as he flinched, "I'm the owner, I should-,"

"Brother, you said that it would be my job to advertise! Are you trying to take my job?"

"…No," The man sighed. "I'll just be… over there then." The man finally let go of Wang Mu's shoulders and stepped away.

"Sorry, sometimes my brother is a bit too strong for his own good."

Wang Mu panted as the man got farther and farther away. Finally, the pressure lightened marginally as the man neared the door.

"My name is Mei, what's yours?"

"I-," Wang Mu stopped as he realized, once again, that he was speaking to a demonic beast, "…My name is Wang Mu."

"Well, welcome, Mister Wang, to my brother's shopping mall. You're the first human, other than my brother, to enter."

Wang Mu was quiet for a long time as he struggled to come to terms with everything that had happened so quickly. Mei calmly sat there and didn't say anything.

"What is this? Who are you? Who is he?"

"This is a shopping mall. You can think of it as an indoor shopping street. Currently, there are no shops but there are vending machines.

"I'm Mei and my brother is Lin Feng."

"W-why is he…" Wang Mu trailed off, not sure how to voice his question. Mei wasn't quite sure which question he wanted to ask but it didn't really matter, they all had the same answer when it came to Lin Feng.

"I don't know, he doesn't talk about it much. He wants to make a shopping mall, and he can't leave. Which is why he reacted so strongly when you showed up. You're the first human he's seen since… Well, since before I got here at least."

"What does he want from me?"

Mei turned and looked at Lin Feng pacing anxiously in front of the door and laughed.

"Well, I think he wants you to buy something. Do you have spirit crystals?"

Wang Mu grimaced.

"Not with me."

"Oooh, that's not good. Do you have any way to get some?"

"I… I could ask the people waiting for me outside."

"Then let's go." Mei paused as she looked at Lin Feng, "I would be careful not to give the impression that you're going to run off. I don't know how my brother would react."

Wang Mu paled and gave a jerky nod.

——

The cultivators from Yashan city waited nervously outside. Wang Mu had entered the old courtyard house a while ago and then nothing had happened.

Chen Rong stood farther back behind everyone and fiddled restlessly with the jade slip in his hands. He was the weakest cultivator here and was initially only here to lead everyone else. Now, he had been given another job. Wang Mu had given him a jade slip and instructed him to break it if things were to go badly. It would send a message directly back to the imperial capital.

Now that Wang Mu had gone inside and nothing had happened, the people waiting outside didn't know what to think.

If whatever was inside was dangerous, was it so dangerous that a Golden Core cultivator was unable to resist for even a second? It must be said that a Golden Core cultivator was not weak. It should be impossible for a Golden Core cultivator to be completely suppressed without a strength in the Nascent Soul Realm.

If that was the case, then it wasn't just Yashan city that was in trouble, it was the entire Great Yan Dynasty. The Great Yan Dynasty was not like its neighbors. It was a small kingdom in a poor region. The number of Nascent Soul cultivators within its borders could likely be counted on one hand.

Just as the cultivators from Yashan city were discussing whether or not to send another person in, Wang Mu walked out of the building unharmed.

"Senior Wang! What happened?" The city lord called out in relief.

Wang Mu shook his head wordlessly as he walked closer with an odd look on his face. The city lord looked at him in confusion before noticing the fox following closely behind him.

"Yang Wen, quickly send someone back to Yashan city to get some spirit crystals. We've stumbled upon a senior's shop and we should buy something to show respect."

Yang Wen, the city lord, was stunned. Wang Mu had gone inside to investigate a potential Core Formation demonic beast and now he's saying that there's a store inside? A store that they needed to buy something from? Why would there be a store in the Demon Tooth Mountains?

"Senior Wang? Is everything okay? Now isn't the time for jokes. What is causing the demonic beasts to flee?"

"Everything is fine. I told you, a senior has set up a shop here and we should patronize it. Quickly, send someone to get spirit crystals."

Yang Wen's face crumpled in confusion. He opened his mouth and then closed it multiple times not sure how to respond to something so ridiculous sounding. Before he could decide how to respond, he heard a lighthearted chuckle coming from his feet.

"He's trying to help you. Do you have spirit crystals or not?"

A talking demonic beast.

Yang Wen's eyes widened comically and his heart caught in his throat. He gasped and stumbled backward before exaggeratedly turning to face Wang Mu.

"Wang Mu! What-"

Wang Mu had had enough.

"Shut up! Listen to what I'm saying." His Golden Core cultivation base pressed down on Yang Wen, freezing him in place. "We have stumbled upon a senior's shop. This fox is Senior Mei, she is an employee of this shop. We need to buy something. Send someone to get spirit crystals."

Wang Mu stared intensely at Yang Wen before gradually relaxing the pressure and allowing him to move once again.

Yang Wen panted heavily, looking like a frightened deer as he stared at Wang Mu and Mei in shock. After he finally understood what was going on he quickly spun around and looked over the other cultivators from Yashan city.

"Chen Rong! Come here!"

Chen Rong hesitantly walked forward.

"City lord, what is it?"

Yang Wen stepped forward and shoved a jade pendant into Chen Rong's hands.

"Take this jade pendant and go to my estate. Tell them to give you five…"

"Hmm," Yang Wen stiffened as Mei spoke up. "A bit more than that."

"…Ten?" Yang Wen stiffly turned his head to look over at Mei. Mei thought for a moment before nodding. "Tell them to give you ten spirit crystals, then bring them back here. Go! Quickly!"

Chen Rong looked uncertainly between the city lord, Wang Mu, and Mei before nodding.

As Chen Rong hurried away, Yang Wen shouted again.

"Quickly!"

That was when Lin Feng exited the main gates of the courtyard house.

"Brother Lin! They've sent someone to go get some money."

"Very good." Lin Feng took a deep breath as he watched Chen Rong get farther and farther away before turning to look at the remaining six people. "Come in, I'd offer you some tea but I don't have any. I have some water if you'd like."

The cultivators from Yashan city stood stiffly as they looked at Lin Feng. The spiritual energy gathered around him thickly. It surged and flowed with his movements like they were one and the same.

"We will have to accept Senior Lin's kindness this time." Wang Mu spoke up. "Come everyone, Senior Lin's shop is a sight to behold."

"Ah, you're mistaken. It's not a shop, it's a shopping mall." Lin Feng corrected.

"My mistake."