Versatile Sword Cultivator

The inn was divided into four types of decor: low-end, mid-range, high-end, and luxurious.

Each style required a different amount of spirit stones.

Lin Jichen chose the luxurious decor, spending two hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones to transform his grand inn into a magnificent establishment, rivaling the Drunken Immortal Pavilion in opulence.

As soon as it was completed, it attracted a large crowd of players who stopped to admire it.

Players initially thought it was an official inn set up by the government, but then they noticed the inn's sign: Fuqiang Grand Inn.

Although the name was quite ordinary, it immediately made the players think of one person.

That person was Lin Jichen!

The names of Lin Jichen's shops were all very casual, such as Harmony Pharmacy, Honest Auction House, Friendly Equipment Store, and Free Pet Shop.

It seemed he was too lazy to think of names and just went with the core values of China.

But this had become Lin Jichen's style. Seeing the name Fuqiang Grand Inn, everyone immediately wondered if this was Lin Jichen's new shop.

Just as they were thinking this, Lin Jichen walked out of the inn, confirming their suspicions.

Seeing so many people outside, Lin Jichen decided to open the inn for business right away.

He didn't bother with any grand opening ceremony or promotional stunts.

The inn's traffic was stable, and so was its income.

Lin Jichen simply posted hourly full-screen ads on the game's public chat as usual.

He left the inn's management to a few newly hired NPCs.

After settling everything, Lin Jichen headed to the royal city to buy a few more shops.

He still had over six million spirit stones in his pocket, plus more than fifty thousand reputation points left over. After clearing the Secret Realm of Wind and Snow, he gained another twenty thousand reputation points.

He could easily buy three Golden Shops and didn't want to let so much money sit idle and depreciate.

Familiar with the route, he arrived outside the royal city, where many players were lined up, including Jiang Luoyu.

Seeing Lin Jichen approaching, Jiang Luoyu teased, "Boss Lin, here to restock again?"

Lin Jichen walked over, chuckling, "Aren't you here to restock too, Boss Jiang?"

"I don't have that kind of clout. My reputation isn't enough. I just got a few thousand points from the Secret Realm the other day, so I'm here to see if I can pick up any shops you don't want," Jiang Luoyu joked.

The two burst into laughter.

"Alright, I'll go line up first. We'll chat later," Lin Jichen said.

"Sure, go ahead."

Lin Jichen walked towards the back of the line.

Most of the people here were familiar faces, many of them old acquaintances from the last auction.

Naturally, those who came to the City Administration Hall to buy shops were all wealthy players.

Seeing these people lined up to enter the royal city, it was clear they were here to buy shops.

Indeed, wealthy people never let their money sit idle; they always find ways to make more money.

Lin Jichen's arrival surprised them, but they quickly reacted and greeted him.

As the top player on the wealth leaderboard, Lin Jichen had gained another twenty thousand reputation points the other day, so it was obvious he was here to buy new shops.

Many people were envious, as their limited reputation points only allowed them to buy small shops. Few could afford medium-sized shops, and large shops were even rarer.

With the recent update of six new Secret Realms, the first clear of each realm awarded reputation points, varying by difficulty.

Seeing Lin Jichen, everyone knew he was here to buy Golden Shops again.

Many were both envious and jealous.

Some even asked Lin Jichen if he was interested in selling them a large shop, saying the price was negotiable.

Unfortunately, Lin Jichen didn't agree and brushed them off with a laugh.

Just as Lin Jichen was about to line up, a patrolling guard captain walked over and immediately recognized him.

He approached respectfully, "Young Master Lin, are you here to enter the royal city?"

Lin Jichen was taken aback but nodded.

The guard captain immediately invited him, "Why wait in line? I'll personally escort you in."

He then scolded the nearby guards, "You fools, next time you see Young Master Lin, let him through immediately, understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the guards responded in unison.

The guard captain turned back to Lin Jichen with a smile, "Young Master Lin, please follow me."

Lin Jichen didn't stand on ceremony and stepped out of the line, saying, "Thank you."

"It's my pleasure," the guard captain replied, smiling even more as he led the way. Lin Jichen followed him into the royal city.

"Hey, that's not fair! What about first come, first served? This is abuse of power!" a disgruntled player shouted.

Lin Jichen recognized him; it was Wang Fuchun, the fake rich guy who had clashed with him at the auction.

Ever since Wang Fuchun was refused a shop by Lin Jichen at the auction, he had been holding a grudge but still wanted to buy shops to make a profit and cover his company's financial gaps.

Through constant inquiries and showing off, he managed to buy some reputation points and acquired a few shops, but lacking business acumen, he had to rent them out.

Surprisingly, he made a decent income, though it was nothing compared to the money he had embezzled from his company. Still, it was a good start.

So he continued buying shops to rent or sell, hoping to make a quick return.

But reputation points weren't easy to come by, and he spent millions to buy them and the shops, digging himself deeper into a financial hole.

Despite this, Wang Fuchun knew it was better than just spending money.

Buying and selling shops was a guaranteed profitable business.

This time, he had spent a fortune to acquire a few hundred reputation points, planning to buy another small shop.

Seeing Lin Jichen chatting warmly with his new 'goddess,' Jiang Luoyu, made him furious.

Ever since Wang Fuchun saw Jiang Luoyu, he had considered her his goddess and tried to pursue her.

But he never succeeded and was even beaten up by Moon Shadow Guild members outside the city, who warned him that if he continued harassing her, they'd kill him and send him back to the novice village.

Wang Fuchun then gave up on the idea, knowing he wasn't worthy and couldn't win her over with money.

Although he no longer dared to bother Jiang Luoyu, his feelings hadn't died.

Old grudges and new grievances surged in his heart, and he couldn't let Lin Jichen enjoy this privilege.

Proofreader & Editor: Lotas