Divine Convenience Store

Having her proposal accepted by Lin Mo a day before, Venom Master Xun quickly went to work. She called Marrow Weaver, along with the few elite Priests of her Arachnid Branch, to bring her full expeditionary resources from their territory in the Inner Abyssal Circle to the edge of the Southern Wilderness.

Now, she stood on the same cliff overlooking Sunstone Village, the arid wind whipping at her dark indigo robes. The sunstone ores embedded in the cliffs around her pulsed with a gentle, latent heat. Below, the village went about its nightly routine, oblivious to the envoy sent by the Shopkeeper observing them. But her focus wasn't on the villagers. It was in the silk-choked canyon to the north.

"Little bird," Venom Master Xun melodiously called, carrying an undercurrent of command. "Report."

The bone-armored woman, Marrow Weaver, materialized silently beside her, her form blending with the red rock. Behind her were a few skeletal constructs of both humans and beasts. "Mistress, my Bone Constructs have mapped the outer nest. The Crystalweb Tyrant has over three hundred broodlings of varying sizes. They might not emit a wisp of cultivation but their strength could be gauged based on the pressure of their foreign energy. The weakest is at the early Spirit Condensation Stage, while the strongest should be at your level, the peak Core Formation Stage."

"However, I believe that with the power of the store's convenience, you can subdue it easily. They patrol in shifting, unpredictable patterns. Their silk is remarkably tough. It was infused with their foreign energy that disrupts normal spiritual qi, making it difficult to cut or burn even for a spirit-grade artifact." Marrow Weaver added before stepping back.

Next, a priest robed in moss-green stepped forward, his face obscured by a veil of toxic mist. "Venom Master, we have analyzed the 'tribute'. The sunstone ores are not being consumed. They are being woven into the Tyrant's main nest, acting as heat capacitors. The creature is terraforming its lair, creating a warm, stable environment for its brood. A clear sign of high intelligence and long-term planning."

Venom Master Xun nodded as she fixed her gaze on the pulsating purple glow of the nest. Intelligence. Long-term planning. Sure enough, it was a rival queen establishing her domain. If she didn't tame her Doom Broodmother, it would also carve its own territory and grow into something more terrifying than it already was. At the moment, that one had yet to reach its full potential. When it matured enough, there was a possibility for it to evolve further and even get a humanoid form.

Naturally, this Crystalweb Tyrant was still filled with unknown. However, its ambition seemed to be about carving a territory within this foreign realm. Most likely, to create a staging ground for its kin from the Outer Realm it originated from.

"And the candidate? 'SunnyDay'?" Xun asked, her tone shifting slightly.

Marrow Weaver stepped forward again. "A mortal woman named Chi Yang. She is… impressive. She is the one who negotiated the 'protection tribute' with the Tyrant's broodlings. She traded the stones for the village's safety. And the reason she's looking for seeds at the Bulletin Board is for sustenance. If I'm not wrong, the Shopkeeper must've found her resourcefulness to be valuable for the position of Branch Manager."

"Apt observation, little bird. Let's see if she's as sharp as the Shopkeeper believes." Venom Master Xun's lips curved into a smile of someone looking at a prey.. She pulled out her own Viewing Jade, its glow casting an eerie light on her face, and sent a private message.

The recipient: SunnyDay.

ArachnidMistress: "Little Sun, are you interested in a conversation? I represent a new power interested in the sunstone trade for spirit-infused seeds. I am also aware of your 'landlord' in the canyon. Here, I will offer you a better deal. A business proposition.

Down in the village, inside the Community Hub, a mortal woman with weary but intelligent eyes looked up from the crude clay tablet she was writing on. The Viewing Jade on her table, her only connection to the outside world, chimed softly. Her expression tightened with suspicion as she read the message. A new power?

However, she recognized that name. She's the one many called Venom Master Xun of the Poison Demon Cult. The one who's obsessed with the Shopkeeper's attention.

Just the fact that she's from that cult already made her wary but upon recalling the recent threads regarding the alliance, which also included the cult she came from, that wariness lessened slightly. Still, she decided to be cautious about dealing with her.

Meanwhile, Venom Master Xun watched the village through the amplified vision of one of her constructs, a tiny, bone-white spider perched on the roof of the hub. She saw the woman, Chi Yang, hesitate, then type a cautious reply.

SunnyDay: "Who are you? What kind of deal?"

Venom Master Xun's smile widened. She was hooked.

ArachnidMistress: "Ah. First of all, if you are an active user of the Bulletin Board, you may have already heard about me. Now, I am contacting you as a purveyor of convenience. The deal is simple. Allow me to remove your landlord. Permanently. In return, your village will work for the store. For the Shopkeeper. Not as tributaries, but as employees. You will have safety, sustenance, and a salary.

She watched as Chi Yang read the message, her face a mask of shock and disbelief.

How did she get the attention of the Convenience Saint? She might not have visited the Divine Convenience Store yet but the Bulletin Board wouldn't pass a day without someone making a thread glorifying the Shopkeeper, Lin Mo.

"She won't believe it," Marrow Weaver murmured. "It sounds too good to be true. A trap. She may question the legitimacy of your offer, Mistress."

"Of course, she should be vigilant. I am what I am. If not for that man, I won't trouble myself with this errand," Venom Master Xun replied, her voice laced with amusement. "Which is why we must provide her proof… Take a few priests with you, little bird, and go down to that village."

She paused, then added a single, chilling instruction. "Do not engage the villagers. Engage the landlord's rent collectors. They should be coming by tonight. Bring our candidate a gift. A... token of our sincerity. And make sure she's watching."

Marrow Weaver bowed, a grim understanding in her eyes. "As you command, Mistress."

She and three moss-robed priests melted into the shadows, descending the cliff face with unnatural speed.

Down in the Community Hub, Chi Yang's heart pounded. An offer of salvation from a Venom Master of the Poison Demon Cult and she represents the Shopkeeper? It was madness. It had to be a cruel joke, or a prelude to something worse.

But she couldn't help but believe it slightly. After all, what could Venom Master Xun gain from them, a mortal village? The sunstone ore wasn't even a valuable commodity.

Her finger hovered over the Viewing Jade, about to type a refusal, when a commotion erupted outside.

Shouts of fear echoed through the village. Chi Yang rushed to the doorway, her stomach twisting into a cold knot.

She saw them. Three of the Crystalweb Tyrant's broodlings, each the size of a large wolf, had scuttled into the village square. It was the weekly tribute collection. Their terrifying mandibles clicked impatiently as the villagers, trembling, began to haul sacks of sunstone ore towards them.

But something was different this time.

From the alleys between the mud-brick houses, four figures emerged. Marrow Weaver stood at the forefront, her bone armor and crackling necrotic energy gleaming under the moonlight. The three priests flanked her, along with smaller-sized spiders with green, glowing patterns on their carapaces that crawled silently at their feet. They radiated an aura of death and decay that was somehow more chilling than the alien presence of the broodlings.