Chapter 183: The Obsessed Shopkeeper Xia Li
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 183: The Obsessed Shopkeeper Xia Li
After a brief chat, Sister Bai received a message and bid me a slightly apologetic farewell.
"It’s fine! I live so close anyway, just a few steps and I’m home. You don't need to go out of your way to walk me back, Sister Bai. Bye-bye~" I said, gently nudging her back to encourage her on her way.
Since she had business to attend to, I couldn't let her waste time on me. Otherwise, I’d feel far too guilty.
"Sigh... alright then."
Bai Yu shook her head with a smile, eventually departing with a lingering look of reluctance.
"You two really have a great relationship," Ying Shiqian remarked from the side, watching our interaction.
"We do. In the entire Witch Academy, Sister Bai is the one who treats me best. She was the one who brought me here in the first place," I replied earnestly.
However, just as I was about to continue the conversation, Shopkeeper Xia Li called out to me.
"Xiao Han, come here for a moment. I have something to discuss with you."
"Eh? Oh, okay, Shopkeeper." I hadn't expected her to suddenly approach me.
To be honest, I didn't have much contact with the Shopkeeper at the Red Velvet Bakery. Sometimes I even kept a respectful distance, perhaps due to our difference in status or simply because we hadn't spent much time together.
It felt like she cared much more about Tan Han. Others might see it as favoritism—after all, we were in the same club, and the President favoring one member over another was obvious—but I understood it.
I wasn't particularly close to Shopkeeper Xia Li. I spent most of my time hanging out with Senior Sister Ying Shiqian and the others.
Moreover, it seemed the Shopkeeper had personally scouted Tan Han, so it made sense she’d be more invested in her.
But now, seeing the Luck Threads draped over her body, I felt I finally understood the real reason.
"It's not convenient to talk here. Let's go to the back," Xia Li said, glancing around the shop before leading me toward the back door.
Beyond the kitchen, the rest of the area belonged to the Baking House's private grounds. Back when I was working part-time, I used to wander around here occasionally.
"Shopkeeper, where are we going?" I followed her silently, wondering what she was up to.
I trailed behind her, realizing this was actually a perfect opportunity.
I carefully counted the threads on Senior Sister Xia Li. Although they were tangled in an exaggerated mess, there were only eight or nine in total.
The most prominent one was wound tightly around her neck.
I reached out cautiously and flicked the thread. The end of the line swayed under my touch.
It was a surreal sensation. These Luck Threads weren't affected by external forces like wind, the friction of clothing, or the swaying of her gait, yet they responded to my hand.
I pinched the end of the thread and pulled. It felt like unraveling a silk cocoon as I drew it out.
At that moment, Shopkeeper Xia Li spoke without turning around.
"Xiao Han, you must be curious about where I'm taking you, right?"
"Eh? Ye—yes. Where are we going, Shopkeeper? If you just want to say something private, couldn't we just find a quiet corner?" I was startled by her sudden question but recovered quickly, acting as if nothing had happened.
After all, what I was doing wasn't exactly easy to explain. It felt a bit like I was committing a sneaky crime.
"I'm taking you to my Private Stash. I'm sure Ying Shiqian and Yihan mention it to you all the time, don't they?"
"Oh? That’s true." I nodded honestly. The Senior Sisters did mention the Shopkeeper's Private Stash frequently, saying it contained everything imaginable—even so-called [Transcendent Knowledge].
But... why was she suddenly taking me there?
"I want to ask a favor of you, Xiao Han. It's not that I'm being partial, but regarding your joining my Baking House..."
"And?" I watched as the Shopkeeper turned around. She started to speak in a certain tone, but then she froze.
I looked down at the Luck Thread in my hand. The strand that had been pulled taut just a moment ago now lay limp and lifeless across my fingers.
"Ahem... what was I saying? Oh, right. You've been in the Baking House for a while now, and I've neglected you. You don't blame me, do you?" Xia Li’s expression was odd, and even her way of speaking had shifted from a moment ago.
I took it all in. Did the Shopkeeper change this much just from one Luck Thread being unraveled?
Based on her starting with "It's not that I'm being partial," the next part should have been something like, "But I am partial, so what?" That would have been the natural progression.
Since the Shopkeeper herself admitted to being partial, I thought back—had I actually been treated unfairly?
Without comparison, there is no unfairness. With comparison... well, naturally, it exists.
Especially when compared to Tan Han.
I constantly reminded myself not to dwell on the treatment I felt I "deserved." Any kindness or preferential treatment given by others is usually because they see something to gain from you.
If I didn't think this way, I feared my inner balance would be shattered by resentment. But I knew well that the only person who can truly hurt me is myself. As long as I ignore certain things or remain a cold bystander, they have nothing to do with me.
Most problems can be solved this way. When faced with sarcasm, nitpicking, or veiled insults, a simple, flat "Oh" is usually enough to make the other person explode with frustration.
But I wasn't about to be that cold to the Shopkeeper.
"It's fine. I should thank you for helping me when I was in a tough spot, Shopkeeper. I don't really mind the other stuff," I replied with a standard, polite platitude.
Then, I discarded the thread I had just unraveled from her. I didn't know the difference between this Luck and the strand I couldn't shake off myself; if it could entwine Shopkeeper Xia Li, it might entwine me too.
However, I soon realized I couldn't throw it away. It hovered near me, just like that other strand of Luck.
"If that's how you feel... We didn't have many members in the Baking House before. I've been a hands-off manager for so long that I haven't fulfilled my responsibilities. Recently, a bunch of new members joined just to follow the trend, seemingly because of you and Tan Han. It scared me so much I didn't dare promote the club like I used to. I’m really afraid I won't be able to manage everyone."
As Xia Li spoke, she led me to a place I had never been before.
"Wait here."
She stopped in front of a wall. At first glance, it looked like any other wall at the end of a corridor.
But since Shopkeeper Xia Li had stopped here, it clearly held a secret.
Without waiting for her to act, I used my Spirit Vision to peer through it. As expected, it wasn't a normal wall. It seemed to be some kind of alchemical item.
It was large, the size of a door. Or rather, it was a door integrated into the wall.
Behind the door was a massive space. It wasn't a hidden room behind the wall, but rather an overlapping space attached to the door. Even if you looked behind the physical wall, you’d just see more wall.
The only way to enter that space was through this door.
It felt similar to the entrance to Sentiment Street, though the mechanics were clearly different.
Xia Li tapped her wand against the wall, and the phantom image of a door emerged.
I had already seen this through my Spirit Vision, so it felt like watching a magic trick when you already know the secret. Still, the moment it manifested was quite impressive.
"Both you and Tan Han made it to the end of the Freshman Competition. I really didn't expect that—especially your match against her in the first round. That was a real shock."
"I didn't anticipate what happened at the Arena today either. But in the end, I was the one who brought Tan Han to the Witch Academy, so I wanted to ask you for a favor."
"A favor?"
I looked at Shopkeeper Xia Li, a bad feeling rising in my chest, especially when she emphasized bringing Tan Han here.
She couldn't be asking me to hold back in the upcoming matches... no, that wasn't right. Most people thought Tan Han was superior to me anyway. Maybe she wanted me to help Tan Han? Or tell me not to fight her for first place?
I waited silently for her to continue. Were these words coming from her heart, or were they the interference of Luck?
"Yes. The upcoming Exchange Competition involving over twenty academies is a grand event rarely seen in the academy's history. Although I feel it was organized a bit hastily, you can't deny the scale of it."
"And so...?" I prompted.
"And so... Xiao Han, you are the only one in this freshman class who can currently stand beside Tan Han. I want to ask if you could, if possible, lend Tan Han a hand during the Exchange Competition?"
"Uh... cough, haha. Shopkeeper, what are you even saying?" I let out a low cough and gave an awkward laugh. How did the plot manage to align perfectly with my prediction?
"What about me?"
"Xiao Han, I'm sorry. I know this Exchange Competition is a very important event, but it's ultimately a game of politics between academies. Tan Han is our Witch Academy's best shot at taking first place. If there's no internal friction between you two, and if she even has your support..."
"Shopkeeper... what about me?" I leaned against the wall, gradually sliding down until I was crouching in the corner between the floor and the wall, repeating my question.
"Xiao Han, I think I've made myself clear..."
"Why can't I be the one to win? Honestly... I'm not necessarily that much worse than Tan Han, am I?"
"But your duel..."
"I only used standard consumption spellbooks, you know. My most used spell was just a Fireball Spell. But Shopkeeper, if you’d followed my matches, you’d know my repertoire isn't limited to that. I even have high-consumption spellbooks. I didn't use any of those trump cards."
I cut Shopkeeper Xia Li off directly. I wanted to see just how much more shocking her words could get.
I wanted to see exactly what was driving her to say this.
"But your Mana Sources..."
"I've already reached over seven hundred. You don't need to worry about that, Shopkeeper." I smiled and interrupted her again.
Then I stood up. A new idea had taken root in my mind.
To be honest, I actually had a good impression of Xia Li. I preferred to believe this was the interference of Luck, just like the things Tan Han had said to me back then.
Didn't Tan Han eventually come and apologize to me?
The Shopkeeper was likely speechless after my rebuttal. She was probably thinking of other ways to persuade me, or perhaps she’d resort to more forceful methods.
But rather than worrying about that, I wanted to try something else.
"Shopkeeper Xia Li, I'm just an ordinary person. I know you care deeply for Tan Han, but Senior Sister Xia Li, you need to realize what you're doing right now. You are trying to stifle the ambition of a freshman who is just as driven and full of hope as Tan Han."
"Shopkeeper, I should be very angry that you're even asking this. But you're the Shopkeeper, and I respect you. You want me to abandon my path, which is impossible. But you brought me to your Private Stash, so your intention is quite obvious, isn't it? And I understand what you mean."
I took the initiative, my words leaving Shopkeeper Xia Li looking a bit bewildered.
Of course, I was mostly talking nonsense. What "path"? What "stifled ideals"? It was all made up. I didn't care about those things. All this glory was hollow. Once I knew the "Script" existed, I realized competing for such things was meaningless.
Even if the glory was fake, my understanding of the Transcendent and the power I held were real.
However, my interest in the Shopkeeper's Private Stash was very real. Thanks to the influence of the Senior Sisters, I was genuinely curious about what she had in there.
Especially that so-called [Transcendent Knowledge]!
I actually possessed a piece of [Transcendent Knowledge] myself, but I had no idea what to do with it. I only knew it was "dormant" inside me. I didn't dare touch it for fear of causing trouble. When dealing with the unknown, it’s best to be cautious.
"Shopkeeper, there's only one thing in your Private Stash that I'm interested in."
"What is it?" Xia Li asked, though she seemed to guess the answer quickly.
"[Transcendent Knowledge]," I said with a smile. "You value Tan Han so much, Shopkeeper; I'm sure you'd do almost anything for her. [Transcendent Knowledge] is just an object, after all. If you give it to me, I'm willing—more than willing—to help Tan Han."
I said this to gauge the value of [Transcendent Knowledge] in her eyes. Sister Bai had described it as if it were some terrifying monster, but now that I was encountering a second piece, I didn't mind seeing how much it meant to someone.
"That... that won't do..." Xia Li’s face was a mask of conflict and struggle. "Pick something else. I have plenty of Mana Sources! I have spellbooks! High-consumption spellbooks! Over-consumption spellbooks! Yes! An over-consumption spellbook—that's the most important reward for this competition! I can give it to you in advance!"
"Shopkeeper, you're being a stranger now. That's just the reward from the Witch Academy's side. This Exchange Competition is being held by many academies together; the rewards won't be calculated like that." I gently dismissed her offer with a smile.
At this moment, Xia Li seemed truly obsessed, showing shades of how Tan Han had acted back then. This only made me more certain of my theory.
I watched the Luck Threads as they began to tighten. Right now, Shopkeeper Xia Li truly looked like a string puppet.
But with the thread around her neck missing, the scene looked somewhat absurd and comical.
"Shopkeeper, in your hands, [Transcendent Knowledge] is just a collectible. In mine, it can realize its true value."
"No... no... that's for Tan Han... I—what am I even saying..."
"I see..." Hearing her become incoherent, I felt a bit of pity. So it really was prepared for Tan Han. Did I just uncover a piece of a future "Script"?
"Then, Shopkeeper, give it to me, and I will help Tan Han. In the future, I'll find another piece of [Transcendent Knowledge] to pay her back. Shopkeeper, you know my strength. I'll have the ability to find another one later," I continued. "I can sign a contract. Otherwise, I'll just return the piece you give me to Tan Han later."
"A contract?" That seemed to strike a chord with Xia Li.
"Yes, Shopkeeper. A contract. We can sign a contract. But first, can I see this [Transcendent Knowledge]? Once I've seen it with my own eyes, we'll sign the contract exactly as I described. With my support, I don't think anyone will be a match for Tan Han in this Exchange Competition, right?"
"Fine! But you can't go back on your word!" Xia Li said, her voice full of hesitation as if she were making a monumental decision. However, her body was more honest than her mouth; she walked straight toward a massive safe at the very back of her Private Stash.
I followed her inside. Though she called it a "Private Stash," the interior was surprisingly vast!
It was filled with all sorts of things. Just as she said, there were Mana Sources, spellbooks, alchemical items, transcendent artifacts—so many things it made my head spin. I even saw a safe specifically for piles of Orichalcum and Mithril coins.
My Spirit Vision allowed me to see everything inside the safes clearly.
But I shouldn't be distracted. I had something more important to do: unraveling the rest of the Shopkeeper's Luck Threads.
Once they were all gone, I wondered what kind of wonderful change she would undergo.
"Hmm? Xiao Han, what are you doing behind me?" Xia Li asked, noticing my unusual behavior.
"Oh, nothing. It looks like there's a loose thread. I'm just helping you get rid of it."
"A loose thread? Impossible. My clothes were custom-made recently; there's no way there'd be a mistake like a loose thread!"
As I pulled away the Luck Thread from her right arm, her hand—which had been busy entering the code for the safe—faltered and stopped mid-motion.