The rain outside stopped earlier than Lin Li expected.
By noon, the weather had cleared. The dark clouds obscuring the sky vanished completely. If not for the wet ground, it would seem as if the heavy downpour had never happened.
The food at the inn wasn’t particularly good. It was mediocre at best.
Lin Li and Qin Muqing had lunch together. Afterward, he told her to pack her things so they could go to the house he had just bought.
In truth, Qin Muqing didn’t have much to pack. Her only possession was her backpack.
After checking out of their room, Lin Li and Qin Muqing left the inn.
Bright sunlight fell upon them, feeling a little warm, but thanks to the recent rain, the street remained pleasantly cool.
Lin Li glanced up at the massive sun hanging in the sky.
Staring directly into the blazing sun made him squint. He had the urge to pull out a pair of sunglasses but quickly dismissed the idea, thinking, ’Walking down the street in sunglasses would draw way too much attention.’
He hailed a horse-drawn carriage by the side of the road. After they boarded, Lin Li didn’t head straight for the new house. Instead, he asked the driver to take them to a shop that sold daily necessities.
The new house was already renovated and furnished, but it lacked essentials like bedsheets, duvet covers, pillows, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.
Since they were about to move in, they had to purchase these necessities.
Following Lin Li’s directions, the driver brought them to a bustling, three-story shop that covered over a thousand square meters.
"I didn’t expect this world to have places like department stores too!" Lin Li stood at the entrance, gazing at the rows of shelves laden with goods. The sight immediately reminded him of the department stores on Blue Star.
Qin Muqing stood quietly beside him. Noticing the surprise on his face, she felt a flicker of confusion. ’It’s just a department store. Why is Mr. Lin so shocked?’
"Let’s go in," Lin Li said to Qin Muqing, then took the lead and walked into the Otherworld department store.
The first floor of the department store sold various foods, including the oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar Lin Li was looking for.
After asking an employee, he learned that the bedding was on the second floor. Lin Li decided they would buy the bedding first, then come back down to get the cooking supplies.
"Sir, miss, all of our bedding is made from the finest materials. The quality is absolutely guaranteed.
You can use it with complete confidence. If any quality issues arise within six months, you can return it for a full refund."
The experienced salesperson could tell these two were serious buyers, so she launched into a fiery, enthusiastic sales pitch.
Lin Li didn’t know much about the quality of bedding, but he figured you get what you pay for. Since the prices weren’t low, the quality couldn’t be that bad. He nodded, ready to make the purchase.
Just then, Lin Li felt a tug on his sleeve.
He turned to see Qin Muqing tugging at his sleeve.
"What is it?" Lin Li asked, looking at her in confusion.
"Mr. Lin, you don’t have to buy such nice pillows and blankets for me. Those over there will be fine," Qin Muqing said quietly, pointing to a nearby pile of bedding marked "Special Offer."
Those "special offer" items were likely clearance stock. While the quality might be acceptable, Lin Li clearly wasn’t interested.
Hearing Qin Muqing’s words, the enthusiastic salesperson’s heart sank. ’This isn’t good,’ she thought.
To keep the commission she was about to earn from slipping away, she prepared to thoroughly disparage the clearance items and convince Lin Li not to change his mind.
But before she could say a word, her anxiety vanished. Lin Li showed no signs of changing his mind because of what Qin Muqing had said.
"Those ’special offer’ items don’t look very good. Let’s just stick with the ones I chose," Lin Li said to Qin Muqing. He then gestured for the salesperson to prepare his purchase.
"Sir, miss, please come this way." The salesperson deftly gathered the items Lin Li wanted and led them to the counter to pay.
After they paid, the smiling salesperson offered to help Lin Li carry his purchases downstairs. But right there on the spot, Lin Li simply made everything he’d bought vanish into his Mysterious Small Island. The move left everyone present staring, wide-eyed in astonishment.
At that moment, everyone who witnessed the scene realized Lin Li was a Cultivator—and one who had awakened a Storage Space Superpower.
Lin Li was already accustomed to such reactions. It was all within his expectations.
He’d seen this sort of thing happen many times, after all. He failed to notice, however, that while Qin Muqing—standing right behind him—also saw him stow the items away and had a peculiar expression, she wasn’t shocked like everyone else.
...
A little after two in the afternoon, the carriage carrying Lin Li and Qin Muqing turned onto a sparsely populated street.
The carriage rolled slowly along the street paved with bluestone.