Chapter 156: Elder Brother, Don't Leave Today

Su Ji'an had always believed that there wouldn't be too many people of such utter foolishness, but today truly broadened his horizons.

Before long, he came face to face with Luo Xiaomi, who now carried an even stronger scent of powder and cosmetics than when they had first met.

Yet, contrary to his expectations, Luo Xiaomi was alone in her room, with no one else present.

Could it be that upon seeing him approach, others had hidden away?

Instantly, Su Ji'an unleashed his spiritual sense. With the current range and strength of his spiritual awareness, he could effortlessly encompass Luo Xiaomi's entire room.

He did not miss a single corner, yet he found nothing.

"Long time no see, Big Brother. How have you been?" Luo Xiaomi asked tentatively.

"How did you recognize me?" Su Ji'an asked directly.

There was no longer any need for flat denials. Since the other party could pierce through his disguise with a single word, she must have been entirely certain.

Luo Xiaomi explained, "Big Brother's attire, posture, and bearing are identical to when we last met. Although your facial features are different, I guessed that Big Brother might have used some sort of art of disguise."

Her impression of Su Ji'an was exceptionally deep. Although she couldn't be completely sure, she had decided to take a chance. After all, she had nothing to lose. If this truly was Su Ji'an, running into him here might trigger some kind of hidden quest.

Regardless of how prominent her current reputation was, it remained confined strictly to the mortal realm. Her horizons, naturally, were not so limited. She intended to make this entire world tremble beneath her feet!

Su Ji'an: "......"

His expression instantly became unnatural. He never could have imagined that his cover would be blown simply because he hadn't changed his clothes. Of course, the more significant factor was his unmistakable aura.

He had been careless... In the future, he would need to change his outfits frequently, especially after altering his appearance.

Luo Xiaomi asked, "Why isn't Big Brother speaking?"

Su Ji'an casually replied, "I was merely thinking how clever you are. Now that you've summoned me here, surely it cannot be just to catch up?"

He offered her a word of praise along the way.

"Could little sister possibly harbor any ulterior motives toward Big Brother?" Luo Xiaomi cast a playful, reproachful glance at Su Ji'an, then continued with a deeply affectionate expression:

"Since Big Brother has graced little sister's quarters, little sister must naturally fulfill the duties of a host. If not for Big Brother's kindness in recognizing my potential back then, little sister would certainly not be where she is today."

She needed to build up the NPC's favorability first; doing so would naturally make obtaining hidden quests much easier.

Su Ji'an saw right through her intentions, but felt no blame in his heart. It was a good thing for players to possess ambition and drive.

Su Ji'an waved his hand and said, "It was merely a trivial matter, hardly worth mentioning."

Luo Xiaomi pressed her advantage while the iron was hot, saying, "Big Brother, don't leave today. Little sister promises to arrange everything for you impeccably."

Although Luo Xiaomi's warm hospitality was hard to turn down, Su Ji'an politely declined, "That won't be necessary."

Luo Xiaomi continued, her face full of emotion, "Big Brother, little sister only wishes to repay your kindness in discovering me. Please just give little sister a chance."

Could it be that the other party was actually a man of strict moral integrity, she wondered? This NPC was giving her a truly extraordinary feeling.

Su Ji'an sighed lightly, "Very well. The business at my Immortal Guest House has not been very good lately. I hope Miss Luo can think of a way to help attract some customers."

Since she was so eager for a quest, he would grant her wish. Luo Xiaomi's popularity was quite decent at the moment; employing her as an endorser might yield astonishing results.

With so many wealthy, foolish, and obsequious young masters around, it would be an absolute waste not to exploit them. However, as for the specific methods, Su Ji'an couldn't be bothered to interfere directly; he only needed to provide a slight nudge.

Immediately after, Su Ji'an began editing the quest.

[The business of the Immortal Guest House has been poor recently. Having received great kindness in the past, it is only right that you repay it. Use your personal connections to attract customers for the Immortal Guest House.]

[Quest Reward: A spiritual defense armor capable of withstanding a full-strength blow from a cultivator at the Void Return Stage.]

[Quest Penalty: Loss of facial beauty and rapid aging.]

Upon receiving the quest, Luo Xiaomi's face instantly lit up with joy. Yet, the moment she laid eyes on the quest penalty, her expression darkened.

Why was the penalty so malicious? Truly, beautiful people were bound to be envied wherever they went. Even this quest system was so unfriendly to her—how detestable.

Still, this task was by no means difficult for her. She could easily achieve it simply by lifting a finger and uttering a few words.

She immediately expressed her stance, "Big Brother, just watch and see. Leave this matter entirely to little sister; I will definitely handle it to perfection."

Su Ji'an nodded, "If you need any help with anything, just let me know."

Luo Xiaomi immediately put forward a request: "Big Brother, can you let Ruoshui come and be my assistant? That will surely make the work twice as effective with half the effort."

The mere thought of Ruoshui acting timid and submissive in front of her made her thrill with excitement. This was even more gratifying than being the center of universal attention.

Su Ji'an: "......"

What kind of bizarre hobby was this? But since it was just a minor detail, he saw no reason to object. In other words, this could also serve as a form of encouragement for Ruoshui.

Ruoshui's cultivation progress was actually quite decent; she had already reached the sixth layer of Qi Refining. The main issue was that working a "9-to-5" schedule every day to attract customers for the Immortal Guest House took up a significant portion of her cultivation time.

For such diligence, Su Ji'an typically rewarded her with extra cultivation resources. Therefore, her cultivation progress had fundamentally not fallen behind.

Shortly after, Su Ji'an issued a quest to Ruoshui as well.

It was none other than assisting Luo Xiaomi with the publicity campaign for the Immortal Guest House.

...

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the next day arrived.

Luo Xiaomi had already made a public announcement the previous day:

"In light of everyone's boundless affection, this young lady is deeply flattered. However, given the vast number of people, this young lady is truly spread too thin."

"Therefore, to ensure everyone enjoys a fairer environment, the top five daily spenders at the Immortal Guest House will be granted the opportunity to meet with this young lady in succession."

Just like that, the desperate and bootlicking admirers who had previously failed to secure a spot suddenly saw hope and rushed directly to the Immortal Guest House.

In a single day, the sales volume of the Immortal Guest House far surpassed anything in the past.

As for Ruoshui, she was responsible for distributing the purchase vouchers.

However, those actually consuming at the Immortal Guest House were merely the dozen or so individuals fiercely competing for the top five spots. The rest, knowing they stood no chance, naturally refused to squander useless money there.

Su Ji'an thought about it and realized this method still had a slight flaw that needed refinement. For instance, he could add a cumulative spending mechanic: as long as one persisted in consuming enough over a certain number of days, they would likewise earn an opportunity to meet her.

By then, countless broke grinder-type players would inevitably emerge.

Without delay, Su Ji'an quietly sought out Luo Xiaomi and informed her of this adjustment.

Upon hearing this, Luo Xiaomi thought of the several individuals who had fought head-over-heels for the top five spots, and she fell into deep contemplation.

It seemed she had gotten the short end of the stick in this business deal. She deserved at least a cut of the profits.

Although there was a quest reward, that reward wasn't coming from Su Ji'an's pocket. She felt extremely disgruntled about being freeloaded, but since nothing had been clarified beforehand, it was inconvenient to bring it up now.