Long Xiao was impressed by Zhingsha's ability to appear and disappear using the shadow technique. He didn't think that mortals were completely useless but they just couldn't help themselves without the Gods' guidance. It's a completely different thing.
"Oingling, I mean Teacher, what did Brother Zhingsha mean by 'the others'?" Long Xiao asked hesitantly as he followed Qingling's lead by arranging the spiritual treasures with his divine powers.
Qingling paused mid way at his question before dropping an ancient artifact on its shelf.
"He meant that..." She clapped twice. "If you have neither mastered the Art of Insanity nor been blessed by Scarlet's star, you're useless to the Madam and you shall end up like Lina soon." She walked to the store's entrance.
"Student Long, the sun's high in the sky. So are our customers and occasional robbers so beware at all times. The Madam doesn't take losses lightly." She affirmed, the robes she changed into after the clap becoming appeasing to Long Xiao's eye.
"Hey, why do you get to wear those nice robes and I don't?" Long Xiao pouted as he thought of his robes lying alone in the drawer.
Qingling smirked, adjusting the robes to make long Xiao jealous as she walked back to the counter.
"Is this the Mistveil Antique Store?" A man in a hat and a mask who had just entered the inn asked.
"Yes, esteemed merchant." Qingling's smirk immediately turned into a broad smile.
"We've got the finest spiritual herbs and weapons in the city." She gestured to the shelf.
"Is there something specific you're looking for?" She tilted her head.
"We're here to help." Her eyes darted at Long Xiao who was looking at himself in a mirror for sale.
"Yours truly is still so dashing even in rags." He muttered, wearing a proud smile.
"I heard you've got a wide range of resources. I've traveled across three realms to find this. I'm looking for the Salt of the Silent Realm." He stated, adjusting the mask.
"Salt of the Silent Realm, what's that?" Long Xiao whispered in Qingling's ear.
"Excuse me sir." Qingling smiled sheepishly, dragging Long Xiao into the corner.
"Salt of The Silent Realm is a specific salt that purifies cursed objects or people. It can only be found in the legendary Silent Realm: a secret thirteenth realm that exists among the twelve. We don't know if it's just a rumor or if it actually exists. It's every cultivator's wish to go there. The thing's that we don't have that particular salt. We could offer to find it for him or give him an alternative." She whispered.
"This is your first task." With her cultivation, she brought down a grey box with strange markings from a shelf.
"No matter what you say, sell him this salt from the Lianxu Realm. Remember, it's equally as powerful." She smirked.
"Now go but be careful, this customer looks like they're in the Nascent Soul Realm." Her smile turned maniacal.
"I've dealt with crying goddesses. Of course, I can tell a single lie. Plus Qingling said the customer is always right." Long Xiao walked over to the customer and showed the box.
"Esteemed customer," He mimicked Qingling's earlier actions.
"Uhmm this is the Salt of the Lianxu, I mean the Silent Realm." He hesitated, beads of sweat forming on his face as he struggled to lie.
The customer stared in suspicion and confusion.
"I-I can't lie. If I do, I lose merits. No merits, no Long Xiao. I can't even phantom." Long Xiao swallowed.
"We ran out of that." Long Xiao rasped.
"However, this salt is from the Lianxu Realm. It can also purify cursed objects and people just like that of the Silent Realm. We're yet to import more." He laughed nervously as he opened the box to present the salt.
"Oh..." The man in the mask muttered disappointedly.
"How about I pay you now and come for it after five hundred years?" His voice sounded hopeful.
"Good." Long Xiao smiled, not realizing that his teacher was fuming in the corner the whole time.
The man brought out three big boxes with his cultivation. He opened them and lo and behold, they were full of gold bars.
"Beauties, how nice of you to pay me a visit. " Long Xiao's eyes sparkled as he saw the gold bars shine.
Without wasting a second, he said, "You've got yourself a deal." Long Xiao kept the box aside, lost in the sight of the beauties that lay in the box.
"My radiant beauties. Look at you, Golden Blossom… and you, Miss Shiny Spirit… come to daddy." He chuckled, his eyes sparkling as he picked one up.
The customer disappeared in the same manner as he arrived; unnoticed.
"Where have you been?" He brought it against his chest.
"XIAO LONG!" Qingling stormed towards him.
"Do you realize what you just did?" Qingling scowled, folding her arms.
"Uhmmm scoring us these three boxes of gold bars? You said the customer is always right." Long Xiao clutched onto the gold bar gently as he tried to figure out why Qingling was angry.
"No. You just earned us the opportunity to be the dirt swept away today." She rasped.
"By dirt, you don't mean..." Long Xiao trailed off as he realized what she meant by that.
"But didn't you say the customer is always right?" He wrapped his hand around his neck protectively.
"We're screwed. What do we do now?" She gritted her teeth.
The shelves rattled with each step she took, jars threatening to topple as the spiritual pressure spiked. Long Xiao swallowed, pulling the gold boxes closer protectively, as if they could shield him.
"Right." Qingling exclaimed, raising her hands up.
"You made the deal. I'll tell the Madam exactly what happened here and maybe just maybe I'll escape punishment for your incompetence." She glared at Long Xiao who was still hugging the gold bars.
"XIAO LONG!!" Qingling called out furiously.
She channeled her qi into a needle which she was about to shove into the clueless Long Xiao's fragile neck.
Until...
"Sister Qingling, I think you should let the Madam worry about Brother Long's neck and you worry about yours." A voice laughed faintly.