I don't steal, I borrow

Dai took a breath and stopped. She needs to think it through.

The voice could have been clearer about how and with what she should connect her shop. However, the reason why it had to be in the inner circle was clear. People had crystals here. And some cultivators would rather be interested in buying from her.

Crystals only became currency about hundred fifty years ago. They are considered fragments of the sky when the Purple Rift tore through heaven. Another and more scientific explanation is that it is crystallized energy coming from the Rift. Be that as it may, in both cases, the main performer is the Purple Rift.

Crystals are sorted by specific values ​​according to their grade and contain the most energy.

0. Grades are the lowest and are used mainly by the poor, like Dai.

Then there are crystals of 1. grade, 2. grade, and so on.

It also looks different; the higher the grade, the more the crystal turns purple. Except for the 0. grade crystal, which is pure white, the others already have a color. Dai could only see the purple crystals from a distance. And they had the most beautiful color. The color of wealth!

She walked through the streets and looked around. She didn't know exactly what she was looking for, but she thought she should try her luck in the business district.

Were there markets here? Probably not. Isn't everyone here rich? They probably wouldn't bother with flimsy stalls.

She just went with the flow and soon found a shopping street.

The street widened, and decorated shops lined both sides.

Most of the shops even had glass windows! Such an extravagance! Dai's eyes were shining with interest.

Dai approached the shop window of the nearest store to see what they had to offer—a clothing store. Dai was a bit disappointed before reading some of the fabric descriptions.

Carnivorous Moth Fluff Fabric? Diamond Tortoise leather chest armor? Cloak of Fire Cyclops hair? Her eyes were as big as plates when she saw the prize.

But unlike her shop, she didn't see any description of the effects.

She hesitated for a moment before walking into the store.

The woman behind the counter looked up with a smile as soon as she walked in. But as soon as she looked at her, the smile turned into a frown and a suspicious narrowing of her eyes.

Dai didn't let that derail her and walked over to the counter.

"Hello. May I ask about your item? I'm interested in the Diamond Tortoise leather chest armor. What effect does it have? Any bonus to defense?" she asked.

The young woman behind the counter frowned even more. She was quite pretty, with brown, slightly red hair, but her make-up made her look too flashy.

"Bonus? What bonus? Of course, it has naturally higher defensive properties and is somewhat resistant to blunt and slashing attacks." Dai wondered why the woman was angry. She just asked a simple question.

"I see. And what percentage is it? Does it have any other special abilities that can be activated?" Dai continued to ask.

A woman stood behind the counter. "Percent? Are you kidding me, you beggar?! Stop bothering me with stupid questions, and get out!"

Dai was surprised by the sudden attack that she took a step back.

Rage bubbled in her chest, and she gritted her teeth to resist saying anything.

Instead, she turned and obediently walked away. She couldn't do anything. She wanted to teach the woman that every person who walks through the shop door is a potential customer, but she might as well be throwing pearls to swine.

She would probably call a bodyguard on her and throw her out like a bag of trash.

No one will take her words seriously here. Only those with money and power could openly oppose. And she had neither.

She didn't linger in front of the store and continued down the street.

The saleswoman didn't seem to know what she was talking about. She thought about what she had learned. Is it possible that no one has been able to appreciate the items in as much detail as her shop?

She tried to look in other display cases but didn't see detailed descriptions for any of the items. But she didn't dare go and ask again.

She circled the shopping street for a while, making mental notes.

Finally, she focused on her original purpose. And to find a place for a shop.

No matter how hard she looked, she couldn't think of anything, and on top of that, she was beginning to feel that this place was... too public.

Of course, more people means more profit. But her shop is unique. She only needed to have a few customers to begin with. All she needed was a few filthy rich cultivators! And that will attract more! And before she knows it, her account will be full of Star Coins!

System: "Task Update. Strengthening your determination gives you a hint for the task. Find a suitable surface or door frame.

Note: Boss, your greed is amazing."

Dai stopped and looked out the window to see what appeared. She smiled. Was she greedy? Not that she minded. In the end, it will take from the rich to give to the poor. To herself.

She removed the window and walked away from the main street of the shopping district. She knew now that this was not the right place. She had already wasted enough time running around like a headless chicken. Not to mention her purchased time in the Inner Circle was also running out.

She went to side streets, less frequented.

From afar, the two men watching Dai watched her actions and felt... boredom. The woman acted like any average person who was in the inner circle for the first time.

The man sent by his young mistress to watch this woman did not fail in the task, but his mind slowly drifted to the question of what he would have for dinner tonight.

While the scholar, who had been intrigued by the whole thing at first, began to regret letting his curiosity convince him to follow the two. Still, he was not one to give up quickly and decided to wait a little longer. Once Dai disappeared from the main street, the two moved one by one.

The business district was more than just the main street. But there were plenty of hidden shops around.

Dai found many places she liked, but every time she approached the store, even randomly touched it, nothing happened.

However, it seemed this was not enough, and he had to do something else?

The voice could have been more helpful; it didn't respond to her questions at all.

Dai suddenly noticed some commotion in front of her.

A smaller crowd slowly gathered in front of her; she curiously approached them and tried to find out what was happening.

"What will happen to him now?" she heard a woman talking nearby.

"I don't know. He'll have to close, maybe." answered the man, probably a husband based on how close they were to each other.

"Oh, poor Grandpa Leonid." The woman sighed.

Dai walked a little closer to hear more.

"Who'd have thought this would happen to him? But he's got it from buying things from those street rats." came another voice that didn't sound like the previous pair. There was mischief in his voice.

"Don't be so mean. Grandpa Leonid is not a bad person." the admonition sounded.

"Bad or not. His good will brought him here. It doesn't change the fact that he was selling stolen goods in his shop that he bought from those dirty kids. The guards came and confiscated everything and forbade him to sell until the matter was investigated. And you know how long these things last. He's gone bankrupt."

"Tch. I'm surprised your tongue doesn't hurt from all that poison, boy." An older woman was condemning the previous man.

Dai was starting to get a picture of what happened. A merchant bought something stolen and sold it in his shop. And he was unlucky enough to be discovered. Consciously or not, it was a problem. Twice as much trouble if the owner of the stolen goods was a cultivator. But it probably wasn't because the shop was still standing.

Dai circled for a while longer, listening, but most were talking about similar things.

She seemed to have missed the main show as the guards took the merchandise out of the store, and the crowd slowly dispersed.

She was finally able to look around the building in peace.

From how her eyes shine with enthusiasm, one might think she was like that mischievous person who spoke severely. But that wouldn't be true. She was really excited, but because she got a great idea!

She saw the front of the store, which was now empty. No goods, no customer. She looked at the sign that said it was a luxury perfume shop.

For a moment, a thought occurred to her.... how did the robbed know that the product was his? Was the bottle marked with some personal crest? Or did you make some other mark on it? Who makes these things? And who is stupid enough to buy something like this from a shady person?

Dai didn't have much time left, so she was determined to make this happen!

She entered an empty store to find a sad, pale old man sitting on a chair beside the counter. He was staring blankly into space, and Dai was worried that he might release his soul at any moment.

Old Leonid was already old, which was quite a feat when the life of ordinary people was about 60 years.

Although human bodies after evolution were stronger, they also drained life energy much faster, and the bodies wore out. If you don't become a cultivator to prolong your life, you must live a fast life.

Grandpa Leonid has already passed the age of fifty. Dai found it rather sad that he had to deal with a crisis at such an age.

"Mr. Leonid?" she addressed him. She was no longer so surprised that someone could deceive the old man.

Leonid winced and focused his watery gray eyes on her.

His hair was cut short near his ears and was already completely white. His thin white mustache under his nose and his wrinkled face gave the feeling of a kind grandfather who always has something sweet for you. Even when seated, his figure still gave the impression that he must have had a respectable frame in his youth.

Leonid's face hardened.

"What do you want, scum?! Are you here to mock me? Get the fuck out of here before I kick your ass! What?! You think I can't do it?!"

Dai, all sympathy and a good impression of Leonito passed.

'What is wrong with the old geezer?!' She cried out in her mind.

Dai twitched the corner of her mouth as she controlled her soft smile and felt a vein pulsate on her temple.

"N-no. It's not…." She tried to say something, but Leonid was furious.

"I don't care anymore! I lost everything! And now you have come, and what?! Do you want to rob me of the little dignity I have left? You want to die?!"

Dai's eyebrows twitched.

'Damn, what joker claims that a geezer is a good person?!'

Dai took a breath and spoke loudly. "I don't steal; I borrow!"

Old Leonid fell silent and stared at her for a moment.

"What the fuck?!" he roared and stood up.

Dai stepped back; the old man was taller than he appeared. The originally pale man turned red in the face, his mustache bristling.

"Are you kidding me?!" Geezer suddenly grabbed a chair and lifted it over his head.

Dai's eyes widened, and she quickly jumped behind the counter before he could hit her with it.

"No! Old Gee… I mean old Leonid! I'm here with a business proposition that might help you!" she called behind the counter.

Leonid stopped swinging the chair and shot her a sharp look.

"An offer? What offer?" he asked.

Dai breathed a sigh of relief. She had little idea it might work. After all, old Leonid was also a businessman and didn't have much to lose.

Now to convince him. As far as possible from any furniture.

However, she was beginning to suspect that the previous group of people were actually all terrible villains. Only someone with a black heart could say in such a sorry voice that Leonid is a good person!