Chapter 673: Forced to Accept the Invitation
Why is it a bad idea?
Because the moment he appeared there, the patrons within the Celestial Shuttle Hub immediately went to announce his presence through the Bulletin Board.
Due to that, the disciples and elders of the Arctic Sea Palace stationed in the Frozen Spire Conduit Tower who heard the clamor mistakenly thought he had finally graced the north with his presence, accepting the invitation by the Arctic Sea Palace Master.
They lined up outside the hub, waiting for him to emerge.
At the forefront was the master of the Arctic Sea Palace disciple Shang Shuiyin, Elder Frost.
"Emissary Yu, is this young man..." The elder’s voice trailed off there as his gaze shifted to Lin Mo in his peculiar green and white uniform.
Hearing the doubt in his voice and seeing the scene before him, Lin Mo maintained his perfectly practiced, amiable customer-service smile. However, internally, he was already calculating how long it would take him to return to the store.
Since they were already alerted, he knew he couldn’t back out anymore. It had been more than a week since the Palace Master expressed her desire to invite him.
He even heard that even up until this point, she had never touched the Viewing Jade. And rallying behind her, most core elders of the palace had also refused it.
Only disciples and some Outer Palace Elders tried them out. But despite their experiences, the apprehension that the Palace Master initially expressed had never been lifted.
"Un. This is Shopkeeper Lin Mo of the Divine Convenience Store." Yu Qingyan answered as she introduced him.
Elder Frost’s eyes widened to the point that his frozen eyelashes nearly cracked. He stared at the young man, his gaze darting from Lin Mo’s incredibly mundane, crisp uniform to his relaxed, entirely unthreatening posture.
This was the Convenience Saint? The being favored by the divine beings and appointed as their mouthpiece through that store?
Just judging from his peculiar clothes that clearly had no business being worn in the current climate, the elder couldn’t help but feel skeptical.
He glanced at his disciple and saw her eyes sparkling in awe. The urge to scold her rose in his head but he held back.
Even though the young man before him looked like a mortal scholar who had taken a wrong turn on his way to a library, he was still that famous Shopkeeper. The Convenience Saint.
Even if the Palace Master still refused to acknowledge his ’convenience’, he had long observed the limitless potential brought about by the store’s products.
He knew better than to trust his basic spiritual senses against an entity that clearly operated on a conceptual level far beyond his comprehension.
"Shopkeeper Lin!" Elder Frost snapped out of his stupor, immediately clasping his hands and bowing towards him in greeting. "Forgive this old man’s failing eyes! The Arctic Sea Palace is profoundly honored by your visitation! The Palace Master has been awaiting your arrival with... great anticipation!"
Great anticipation, huh? Although Yu Qingyan worded it as an invitation, he knew quite well that it was like a summon from someone seated at a high place.
"Please, Elder Frost, there is no need for such formalities outside of store premises," Lin Mo replied, his voice projecting a soothing, professional cadence. "I was merely doing a routine logistical inspection of our new Celestial Shuttle Hub to ensure the passenger flow was optimal. But seeing such a warm welcome in this freezing climate, it would be a severe breach of customer relations to decline the Palace Master’s invitation any longer."
He glanced sideways at Yu Qingyan. The Verdant Sky Pavilion Emissary was politely covering her mouth with her sleeve, her shoulders trembling slightly as she suppressed a laugh.
Through the [Twin-Frost Resonance Ring], he could feel a wave of intense amusement radiating from her. She knew exactly how badly he had wanted to avoid this diplomatic headache today. How long had it been since her visit to the Arctic Sea Palace?
Even this previously perilous Valley of Frozen Whispers, where this Frozen Spire Tower Conduit Tower appeared, had already been stabilized.
Aside from the Celestial Shuttle Hub, the Arctic Sea Palace had already constructed a sprawling encampment and temporary barracks with regular checkpoints at the entrance of the valley.
The Palace was clearly trying to regulate the flow of non-Arctic Sea Palace cultivators and mercenaries flocking to the area, imposing their traditional sect authority over a resource that technically belonged to everyone and no one.
Of course, they couldn’t do anything much to the Celestial Shuttle Hub.
"I see the Palace has been busy," Lin Mo commented, gesturing towards the valley entrance where a line of cultivators, rogue and from some other sects, were waiting to be processed by stern-faced Palace disciples. "I understand this is within your territory and you must enforce order. However, is it not inconvenient to keep the tower from admitting more challengers?"
Elder Frost coughed, a cloud of icy mist escaping his lips. "The... the Palace Master insists on thorough vetting, Shopkeeper. To ensure no spies, opportunists and unruly elements disrupt the harmony of the North."
"Harmony?" Lin Mo smilingly shook his head, "Elder Frost, true harmony is a well-managed queue system. But we can discuss optimization strategies later. Please, lead the way."
"Yes, please follow me." After waving his hand, dispersing the disciples lined up in front of the hub, Elder Frost guided them to what could be the main encampment of the Arctic Sea Palace.
After talking to a few elders stationed there, a crystalline ship construct rose from the inside and moved towards them.
Looking up, Lin Mo could tell that its quality was not any lower than the ship construct the likes of the Verdant Sky Pavilion’s Spirit Severing Ancestor could produce.
Yu Qingyan communicated with him through their rings, "This type of ship construct is unique to the Arctic Sea Palace. In the Northern Arctic Domain, it was invincible. But outside, it would lose a lot of its speed and firepower."
"So, it’s a type of warship, huh?"
"Most ship constructs are. As for those used to transport people, they’re not common. Perhaps, only those major sects from the Western Sacred Lands would construct them." Yu Qingyan explained. "Our Pavilion’s ship constructs are also constructed as a type of treasure to be used in both defensive and offensive wars. Furthermore, they’re too costly to operate. When the Ancestor used our ship construct to aid the store during the Violethaven Temple’s attack, she used a tenth of our Pavilion’s resources."
Upon hearing that, Lin Mo inwardly nodded. If it’s truly too costly, it truly showed the attitude of the major sects. They were willing to come to the store’s aid in a crisis.
As for the Palace’s use of it now... he’d write it down and compensate them for it later.
As they walked toward the vessel, a young woman in the familiar blue and white robes of the Arctic Sea Palace broke from the ranks of other disciples to approach them. Her eyes shone with unspeakable reverence. Around her neck was a fluffy, bright-pink [Cloud-Fleece Scarf]. A spirit-grade artifact she brought from the store.
Yu Qingyan smiled at the girl and reminded Lin Mo of the girl’s identity.
"Shopkeeper! Emissary Yu!" Shang Shuiyin bowed in excitement as she nearly headbutted the frozen earth. "It is an absolute honor to see you in person, Shopkeeper!"
"The honor is mine, dear customer. Without you, the convenience will not reach this frozen place. Let me think, your handle is [FrozenTideAdept], I presume?" Lin Mo replied smoothly, remembering her username from the Bulletin Board. "I’m glad our products could provide the necessary convenience. Keep up the good work on the forums. Your engagement metrics are excellent."
Shang Shuiyin beamed as if she had just been handed a divine inheritance, completely ignoring the horrified, scandalized look on Elder Frost’s face. To be praised for ’engagement metrics’ by the Convenience Saint was a badge of honor she would likely boast about for the next decade.
Under the glare of her master, she guided them up the crystalline construct. Since Elder Frost was probably one of the elders stationed in this place, escorting him to the palace now rested on Shang Shuiyin’s shoulders, alongside a silent, grim-faced deacon who took the helm.
Once a few more disciples boarded the ship, it lifted off the ground. The protective arrays engaged, shielding them from the biting zero winds of the upper atmosphere, yet allowing a panoramic view of the desolate, breathtaking beauty of the Northern Arctic Dominion.
"The Palace is located deeper within the Everfrost Mountain Range, Shopkeeper," Shang Shuiyin explained, acting as their enthusiastic tour guide. Her nervousness seemed to have been entirely overridden by the thrill of having the Convenience Saint aboard her sect’s vessel. "It is a region where the spiritual energy is so cold it can freeze a cultivator’s marrow if they lack the proper technique."
Lin Mo listened to her patiently but at the same time, the ring on his hand kept on pulsing as his conversation with Yu Qingyan never stepped. Like the young disciple before them, she was also quite enthused that his initial plan of returning to the store right away had changed. Chu Yueying, her disciples and the caravan could wait. Accompanying Lin Mo to the palace became her priority.
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