"Ah! Welcome!" Mo Fanglei glanced at the man, his face instantly shifting into a merchant's signature smile—warm, friendly, yet calculating. "You're my first customer. Please, please come in," he said.
The small bell above the door—which had appeared at some unknown point after the renovation—rang softly, ting…, as the man stepped inside. A breeze from outside carried a bit of street dust, but it was quickly subdued by the now clean and polished interior.
"Thank you." The person's voice was deep yet sounded young. "I was just curious… Why is it that in a small city like Hunan, there's rarely a place with such a… unique name?" he replied, his eyes scanning the surroundings. The building was clean… too clean for a place that from the outside looked dilapidated and unconvincing.
His steps were light—almost soundless. His black robe brushed gently against the floor. A sword hung at his waist—its sheath simple, yet emitting a faint aura that made the air around him feel slightly heavy.
"You mean… True Cultivator Entertainment?" Mo Fanglei chuckled softly—heh heh. "The name may sound a bit strange, but trust me, what's inside won't disappoint you," he said, though internally he was praying: Please don't be the type who destroys arcades when losing.
"A sword at his waist, dark aura, wearing a hat that hides his identity. I hope he's not the type who gets angry when he loses and destroys my arcade in an instant," he muttered internally, praying his first customer wouldn't be that kind of person.
Outside, the sounds of Hunan City's market echoed faintly—vendors shouting, footsteps passing by, conversations blending into a lively hum… bustling… noisy… Yet inside the shop, the atmosphere was calmer—only the faint electric buzz of the arcade machine—bzzz…—and the breathing of two people observing each other.
The man fell silent for a moment and he looked toward the right side of the shop. A square object with a glowing screen and strange buttons he couldn't comprehend.
"What is that?" he asked quietly.
The arcade screen displayed the words INSERT COIN blinking softly—even though coins did not exist in this world.
"The object beside me is called Brick Block Puzzle, a game from… my hometown." Mo Fanglei patted the arcade machine proudly—tap tap. "Would you like to try it? It's free for my first customer," he said with typical merchant tactics.
The man hesitated briefly—his shoulders slightly tensed—but curiosity drove him forward.
"Very well. I'm standing in front of this object now. What should I do next?"
Mo Fanglei pressed the start button—click! The screen changed—the familiar game music began playing softly, tin-tin-tin-tin…
"It's simple. You see the blocks falling slowly? Rotate them, move them, and arrange them neatly below. If a layer is completely filled with blocks, it will disappear," he explained enthusiastically to his first customer in this new world.
"Understood."
And so it began… A mysterious black-robed cultivator, whose fingers were accustomed to gripping a sword after years of honing, now found those same fingers busy pressing buttons with a tense and serious expression—as if facing a powerful cultivator in battle.
Tik! Tik! Click!
The first block fell—thud. He moved it carefully.
The second block—thud.
He rotated it—click—slightly late, almost crashing into the stack below.
A thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead—even though this was merely a simple game.
Mo Fanglei held his breath for a moment—watching closely. If this man got angry and destroyed the machine, his EP would vanish just to repair it.
But what happened was the opposite.
The man's eyes narrowed—his focus sharpened. Each block was placed with precision. When a full layer vanished—cling!—a small victory sound echoed.
The man's body flinched slightly.
"Interesting…" he muttered almost inaudibly.
---
One hour later, the man was still engrossed in the arcade machine—arranging block after block to clear the level.
The background music continued looping—tin tin tin tin…—yet it did not feel repetitive. Instead, its rhythm sharpened his focus.
Outside the shop, two people briefly glanced in—curious about the strange sounds coming from within. But seeing only one person playing and no crowd, they continued on their way.
"Fortunately, he's not the angry type but the curious type. He's completely absorbed in Brick Block Puzzle," Mo Fanglei thought, observing the man with a faint smile.
DING!!
The system's voice rang clearly in his mind—distinct from the arcade's sound.
Effectsapplied to customer:
+0.1% Concentration increase
-0.1% stress fatigue reduction
+0.1% cognitive and spatial enchancement within 24 hours.
System Evaluation:
This customer has potential to become regular of the Host
"Wait? Does entertainment have effects like that?" he wondered inwardly, his face confused.
Entertainment indeed has effects according to its grade—the higher the grade, the better the effect, Host.
Customers may obtain rare permanent effects with a probability of 1 in 1000.
Mo Fanglei fell silent—processing the information slowly. If his entertainment could enhance a cultivator's concentration and cognitive abilities, then this was not merely a game—this was a concealed training tool.
Mo Fanglei took a moment to digest this information, then smiled.
He noticed the man nearly failing—the blocks were stacking dangerously high.
Tik tik tik… cling!
Another layer vanished.
Mo Fanglei placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "Would you like to increase the level for more of a challenge?" he asked seriously, encouraging the customer to prove his abilities.
The man remained focused, then paused briefly. "How?"
"It's simple. Clear ten layers, and the level will rise as you clear more layers," he explained.
The man stared at the screen—blocks falling relentlessly. His hands moved faster—click click click!—as if performing invisible sword techniques.
But suddenly—
Thud!
The game ended. The words GAME OVER appeared with a small sound—tuuut…
The man fell silent. The faint losing tone of Brick Block Puzzle echoed. He felt himself becoming addicted to the strange game he had only tried for an hour. He decided to stop for now and return another day.
He took a long breath—steadying his heartbeat, which oddly felt more stable than before.
"Ah… another time. And this is the payment, for making me interested in your game," he said with a slightly wider smile, taking out several mid-grade spirit stones from his hand.
A gentle glow radiated from the stones—their spiritual energy pure. The air inside the shop vibrated faintly.
Mo Fanglei froze—then beamed with excitement. "Very well! Thank you for participating in my entertainment!" He gave his merchant smile while tightly gripping the spirit stones.
Inside, he almost burst into laughter. These were far more valuable than ordinary EP.
The man gave a small smile. "Oh yes. My name is Wei Fan. I enjoy your entertainment. Perhaps next time I will bring some fellow disciples." He then walked away and disappeared.
The doorbell rang again—ting…
Mo Fanglei stood alone in the now-quiet shop.
DING!!
You have gained 100 EP from a new customer.
You have gained 75 EP potential return bonus.
Mo Fanglei clenched his fist lightly—filled with excitement.
At the same time, two new people took notice of the shop.
Their footsteps could be heard outside—blending with the city's bustle.
"Senior brother, that place looks interesting from its name!" one exclaimed.
"True Cultivator Entertainment? Strange name, but worth trying," the other replied as they slowly approached from the crowd.
A small gathering began forming in front of the shop—some people glanced at the signboard, others whispered.
"What is entertainment?"
"Is it a new place?"
"It looks old from the outside, but inside it's clean…"
Mo Fanglei turned toward the door—his merchant's smile reappearing.
The arcade beside him was still on—bzzz… tin tin tin…
And for the first time since arriving in this world—
He felt alive again.
To be continued....