CHAPTER 491: BALANCING ACT

Stepping out of the opulent tent, they were immediately greeted by the chilly night air of the Southern Wilderness and the even chillier glares of two women.

Liu Xiaoyu and Wu Meiyu were waiting by the dying embers of a bonfire, their postures stiff. When they saw Lin Mo emerge, arm-in-arm with the Venom Master, Xiaoyu’s aura crackled with visible sparks of static electricity while Wu Meiyu narrowed her eyes.

"Boss," Xiaoyu said, her voice dangerously sweet. "You were in there for a while. Did you seal the deal? Or did you get... entangled in her webs?"

"We discussed business, Xiaoyu," Lin Mo replied calmly as he carefully disentangled his arm from Xun’s tight hold. "As I promised her when I gave her the task to come here, Venom Master Xun will become another partner to our store, separate from the cult she belonged to. I also agreed to her request to assist her in her breakthrough."

"Eh? I get her becoming a partner but assisting her? Boss, what did she tell you? Don’t tell me you agreed to... dual–"

Liu Xiaoyu tilted her head before frowning. She didn’t even finish her word as she glanced at the woman beside him, her eyes widening in scandalized realization. "Boss! You didn’t! Tell me you didn’t agree to dual cultivate with the Spider Queen!"

Beside her, Wu Meiyu appeared calm on the surface but she, too, came to the same conclusion. "Shopkeeper, while I understand the... eclectic nature of your staffing choices, I must advise that mingling personal cultivation practices with high-risk business partners is a recipe for... complications. The Royal Court has collapsed over less."

Venom Master Xun let out a rich, maniacal laugh, clearly delighting in their reaction. She leaned in, brushing a stray hair from Lin Mo’s shoulder in a possessive gesture.

"Oh, young misses. Your imagination is so vivid. It is merely a technical procedure. A... stabilization of volatile energies. The Shopkeeper has graciously agreed to be my pole. Though, if the mood strikes us during the process... who can say?"

"You–!" Xiaoyu took a step forward, her gauntlets materializing in a flash of light.

"Alright, enough. You, too, Venom Master Xun. Shall we not invite misunderstanding?" Lin Mo interjected, stepping between them and rubbing his temples. "Xiaoyu, it is simply an assistance. Not anything you may be imagining. With the store on my shoulder, will I have the gall to play around?"

"But... You’re not being very clear, Boss."

"Indeed. I may sound indecisive, too, right? But worry not, your Boss can handle himself. Have I not been keeping up with all of your shenanigans?"

"Eh?! Boss! That’s not... What do you mean shenanigans?! Ugh... Fine. Have it your way. You’re already an adult!"

Xiaoyu huffed and crossed her arms. While his words were true, part of her believed that Lin Mo understood that his connection to the women around him had been shaping up into something else. He’s just navigating through it all carefully. In other words, he’s not oblivious to that matter, he’s just pretending to be oblivious to it. After all, none of them were also being forward about what kind of relationship they wanted to have with him.

Except... Venom Master Xun.

Ever since she got her hands on a Viewing Jade, she had immediately set her sights on him. Their first meeting even ended up with the woman declaring her interest in a ’private’ audience.

And now, after completing the commission he assigned, the reward she requested from him was... ’to dual cultivate’.

Suddenly, a flick landed squarely on Liu Xiaoyu’s forehead.

"Ow!" The prodigious assistant yelped, her hands flying to cover the red spot as her indignation was cut short by the physical rebuke. "Boss! You can’t just flick away a maiden’s concerns!"

"I can when that maiden is letting her imagination run wild," Lin Mo smilingly shook his head and retracted his hand. He turned his gaze to Wu Meiyu. "Your Highness, your concern is noted. However, you of all people should understand the strategic value of a stable, Nascent Soul-level ally in this chaotic region. By assisting her, I am not ’playing around’. I am repaying the favor owed her. And in turn, I am ensuring that one of our strongest assets does not self-destruct or turn into a calamity that we have to put down later."

Xun pouted, the expression looking strangely alluring on her dangerous face. "You wound me, Shopkeeper. I am a woman of my word. Scheming against you won’t be profitable and it’s not in my taste to be put down like a dog. I’d rather be petted, you get me?"

Wu Meiyu sighed, the tension in her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Put that way, it is a sound decision. A calculated risk. But Shopkeeper, you’re threading a thin line."

Leaving it at that, Wu Meiyu took Liu Xiaoyu as they went back to the Branch Store.

Left behind, Lin Mo turned to Xun again, "Venom Master, I expect the first batch of that silk to be listed on the Harvester’s Guild by dawn. And send me the initial report on the hatchlings as soon as they emerge. Do not disappoint me."

Xun curtsied, a gesture that was both mocking and respectful. "Your will is my command, Shopkeeper. I will see you... very soon."

With a final, lingering wink at Lin Mo and a triumphant smirk as if she’s already imagining how she would wrap her fingers around him in the future, she turned and retreated back into her tent.

"She did that on purpose," Xiaoyu grumbled with crossed arms as he caught up with them. "Boss, she’s going to eat you alive. And not in a fun way."

"I can handle her, Xiaoyu. I handled a tribulation that wanted to erase me from existence; I can handle one ambitious Venom Master," Lin Mo said, though he mentally added ’I hope’ to that statement. He turned to Wu Meiyu. "Your Highness, are we ready to head back? I believe we have a long day ahead of us."

They made their way back to the Branch Store. Chi Yang was waiting by the portal, looking exhausted but determined.

"Shopkeeper. The transition is proceeding smoothly. Chieftain Akasha has sent runners to the other tribes. We expect the first envoys from the Emberfall collective within two days."

"Excellent work, Manager Chi," Lin Mo praised. "We are returning to the main branch. You have full autonomy here. Trust your judgment, and use the portal if you need anything urgent."

With final farewells said, Lin Mo, Xiaoyu, and Meiyu stepped into the Inter-Store Portal. The slightly dry atmosphere of the Southern Wilderness vanished and was instantly replaced by the cool, conditioned air of the Shopkeeper’s Quarters in Fanling City.

The familiar setting seemed to relax everyone. Xiaoyu flopped onto her bed immediately, while Wu Meiyu moved to the small kitchenette to brew a pot of tea, her movements graceful and automatic. Xiao Ya and Pan Ruo were already on their bed, meditating.

Lin Mo sat at his desk, pulling up the system interface. The day was technically over, but for him, the work never truly stopped.

He checked the logs. There’s the message from Yu Qingyan, telling him that the situation on the Frozen Spire Conduit Tower had already stabilized.

The Arctic Sea Palace had finished taking care of the remaining foreign creatures that appeared alongside the Tower.

Although she left her caravan to Chu Yueying, she already arranged the Verdant Sky Pavilion members, whom she brought with her, to split into a separate caravan, which would continue visiting the other cities of the Northern Arctic Dominion. Meanwhile, she’s also going to set up shop in front of the tower, just like what she did back when the Jade Hollow Conduit Tower had just appeared.

The meeting with the Palace Master would have to wait. She might still be skeptical but he believed that Yu Qingyan had already convinced her, otherwise, she wouldn’t let her take a step into that valley.

As for whether she’d also become a valuable patron of the store, that’s still up in the air. Should he bring her a gift? Like a heating pad? Perhaps, the Palace Master will come to realize how comfortable it is not to always coddle the cold she’s naturally emitting.

’Mhm. A heating pad. There’s already a version of it which contained a flame-bled sand which the development division of the Pantheon stuffed into a soft yet resilient cloth. Taihao’s noodles would also be good. They’d love the soup.’

With that, he started thinking of ways to instantly earn the goodwill of the Palace Master. While it felt he was actively making an effort for her, he attributed it to his making up for subtly threatening her palace. She definitely took offense to that and to prevent another ’Violet Haven Temple’ who was hell bent on denying the convenience and influence of the store, he had to appear sincere.

"Shopkeeper, here." Wu Meiyu softly called out to him, handing the cup of aromatic tea.

"Many thanks, Your Highness." He smiled as he took it.

Like that, they spent the next fifteen minutes just silently enjoying each other’s company while sipping the high-quality tea of the store.

After spending time with Wu Meiyu and finishing his drink, they walked back to the store proper to pick the location for the Celestial Hot Spring.

"This will be two million well-spent, right?" He wryly smiled as he watched it get deducted from the balance.