"Karma!" Noa muttered softly.
He kept thinking about how to abuse his power and his advantages over the cultivators.
No matter how much he thought, the word Karma always resurfaced in his mind. As if the principles of the universe weren't here to limit his sales but to help him scheme something that would transform all of Hollow Jade City.
"It won't be easy," he mumbled this time. But there was conviction hidden in his voice. "Yet, I know I can do this."
[That's good to hear. It's about time you stopped being just a shopowner and became something more. A Tycoon shouldn't buy when he needs—he should sweep it for cheap.]
Noa was already bored hearing the system's philosophy countless times before.
But he also recognized that his soulless partner always had a point.
So, instead of wasting time on mindless thinking, he embraced the plan that had already been shaped in his head and waited for the right moment.
Thankfully, it was about time for his first chess piece to show up.
Chen Hao arrived at the store, bringing in his disciplined posture, robes neat, and eyes filled with silent determination.
"Good evening," he greeted politely and approached Noa before browsing through the products.
"Thank you again for the other day. It's rare to see such sincerity in this cruel world. I will repay this favor… I promise!"
He sounded more serious than ever. Either the prophecy had affected him, or something had happened within the sect.
'I will gladly use that,' Noa thought.
Then he blinked a couple of times before answering.
"Worry not. It was nothing. But I have another offer if you want," he tried to sound persuasive.
And it worked.
Chen Hao's sparkling eyes were proof of that. The boy said nothing and did nothing; he simply listened to Noa with interest.
"What if I took you as my disciple? Keep in mind, I won't go easy on you. The training will be harsh and demanding; weakness won't be tolerated, and laziness will be punished. What do you think, are you up for it?"
"This…" Chen Hao's heart pounded in excitement.
But there was a small problem.
"I am part of the Blooming Iron Sect. I have a master and fellow disciples. I can't just lea—"
Noa raised his hand and cut him off.
"I am not asking you to abandon everything. It's just I would like to have a student in this world I am trying to grow familiar with."
Hearing the offer from another direction, Chen Hao closed his mouth.
He no longer opposed it.
Not that he could dare do it twice.
However, even he was surprised by his boldness as he asked another question.
"Why me? You could have asked talented or already established cultivators. Why would you choose someone like me?"
Noa raised an eyebrow. A hint of amusement danced on his face.
He leaned back onto his chair, clearly aware but unconvinced by Chen Hao's words.
Then he sighed and stood up from his seat. His next action, which was a soft pat on the boy's shoulder, was meant to calm the boy down.
"There is no such thing as talent in front of me," Noa said casually.
It was up to Chen Hao to interpret it however he wanted.
Noa laid the foundation, and it was the young cultivator's turn to show more boldness.
Thankfully, Chen Hao realized how great and rare an opportunity he had gotten. Though he lacked the passion and drive to achieve greatness, he wasn't so dumb as to refuse this chance.
He got lucky, and he didn't want to waste that.
Somehow, even immortality didn't sound like a foreign dream. "What do you want me to do?" he asked. "Should I start right now?"
Seeing his eagerness and eyes that sparked with childlike wonder, Noa chuckled.
It was casual laughter. But for Chen Hao, it echoed like a god's divine amusement, as if he were mocking the mortal ignorance.
Still, Noa spoke in a friendly tone, further lowering his guard.
"It might be a training for you, but I want you to think of it as a path you need to follow."
Though Noa wanted an employee, he didn't really like Chen Hao as an option. But the boy still had some uses, and he would gladly exploit them to the limits.
"But for us to work and for you to get stronger, we need one simple ingredient you are lacking," Noa said, not looking at the boy.
"Is that my hair?" Chen Hao said in full seriousness. "Do you have something that can grow them back?"
Noa paused and laughed again. This time it sounded like a tide, ancient and eternal.
Instead of a straight-up answer, he then explained in his own way.
"It's about your reputation. You need to grow it for the sake of your future. And I can help you with that."
"What do you mean?" Chen Hao asked, trying to guess what Noa was trying to teach him.
But reading the god's mind was harder than catching the fleeting stars.
"When your cultivation improves overnight, people are going to ask questions. It's up to you what to say, but I will give you a hint," Noa said indifferently.
"Sometimes letting others know you have found something mythical does wonders for your reputation."
It was all he wanted to say. Chen Hao wasn't a dumb youngster.
He got the meanings behind the words Noa had said and nodded for every one of them.
"Thanks for your advice," he said and bowed.
Noa took the shampoo and two fidget spinner from the shelf and offered them to the boy. "Take them. Use the toy right here and right now. As for the elixirs, you should still remember what they do."
The boy didn't try to argue. He was obedient and immediately unpacked the fidget spinner.
Asking no questions, he spun it in his fingers.
Meanwhile, Noa greeted the system notifications that announced his mission completion.