Meeting the Enigmatic Clerk

Yao Ziyan greeted the three new customers with a radiant smile as they walked into the store.

"Welcome to Origin Mall," she said warmly.

With their arrival, the shop's business was gradually picking up. Since Ying Wuji and his group had left, the store had been quiet, leaving Yao Ziyan to mind the counter alone.

Wei Yi, Liu Ruyu, and Wu Ying turned toward the source of the voice, and their eyes landed on the woman behind the counter.

Standing there was a breathtakingly beautiful woman, her presence almost ethereal. She looked like a being from another world, her violet hair cascading over her shoulders, and her amethyst eyes sparkling with an otherworldly glow.

For a moment, the three were stunned. Even Liu Ruyu, who prided herself on her beauty and poise, felt an unfamiliar twinge of inferiority.

"This is a woman who shouldn't exist in this world," Liu Ruyu thought to herself, struggling to keep her composure.

"I'm Yao Ziyan, the clerk of Origin Mall. If you have any questions, feel free to ask," she said, her smile as warm as the morning sun.

Her demeanor was calm and composed, clearly accustomed to the reactions her appearance provoked.

It took a moment, but Wei Yi and Liu Ruyu managed to recover. Both coughed lightly to mask their embarrassment at being so entranced.

Wu Ying, however, narrowed his eyes slightly, as if contemplating something.

"You're the clerk here?" Liu Ruyu asked, incredulous.

The thought of such a stunning woman working as a mere shop clerk baffled her.

Yao Ziyan nodded simply, her smile unwavering.

Suddenly, Liu Ruyu had a revelation. No wonder the boss outside had been so indifferent to her earlier—compared to this woman, her charm might as well be nonexistent.

"You're not human, are you?" Wu Ying asked abruptly, his tone measured but firm.

Wei Yi and Liu Ruyu stiffened, their gazes snapping back to Yao Ziyan.

When they'd first seen her, they'd been struck by her unusual violet hair and eyes, but they hadn't thought much of it. Now, however, Wu Ying's words cast her in a completely different light.

Yao Ziyan nodded lightly, her expression unbothered. "That's correct. I'm part of the Demon Race."

The Demon Race!

Wei Yi and Liu Ruyu exchanged wide-eyed glances. For a moment, their minds raced with questions. A member of the Demon Race—a lineage renowned for its incredible power and rarity—working as a shop clerk?

"Of course," Wu Ying muttered under his breath. Though he was surprised by how easily she admitted her identity, he let the matter rest. For most cultivators, the Demon Race was more a source of curiosity than hostility.

Wei Yi's curiosity got the better of him. "If you're from the Demon Race, why are you working here as a clerk?"

Yao Ziyan tilted her head slightly, as if giving the question genuine thought. Finally, she answered with a faint smile, "Perhaps because I like life here."

Wei Yi blinked. "What?"

Her response was so unexpected, so simple, that it left him momentarily speechless.

Fortunately, he knew better than to press further. A Demon Race member capable of taking human form had to be at least at the level of Pathseeker—an incomprehensible gap compared to their current Soul Dominion cultivation.

And if this was just the clerk… what about the boss?

All at once, the significance of Origin Mall loomed larger in their minds.

"What kind of products does this store sell?" Liu Ruyu asked, attempting to steer the conversation back on track.

She'd noticed earlier that Origin Mall didn't resemble a typical weapon or alchemy shop.

Yao Ziyan's eyes brightened. "We currently have two categories: physical goods and virtual goods.

"Physical goods include cola, spicy noodles, instant noodles, and jelly. But we're currently out of stock on jelly. As for virtual goods, we offer the Tower of Trials and a cooking tutorial."

For a moment, silence hung in the air as the three processed her words.

"Physical… goods? Virtual… goods?" Wei Yi said slowly, his tone laced with confusion.

The terms seemed simple enough on their own, but when combined, they felt utterly alien.

The only familiar concept was the cooking tutorial, but even that seemed out of place.

"Wait," Liu Ruyu finally said, frowning slightly. "Are you saying this store teaches people how to cook?"

Yao Ziyan's serene smile didn't waver. "That's correct."

The three stood frozen, their disbelief palpable.

This shop was becoming stranger by the second.