Dimensional Storekeeper

Chapter 206: It’s Not a Spear, Hua

As Dou Xinshi blinked and stopped vibrating in place, Old Tiger Zhao finally released him with a satisfied grunt.

Then –

WHOOSH!

A figure zoomed past them so fast that Dou Xinshi’s hair ruffled in the breeze.

A girl.

It was her.

Hua Feixue.

Arms raised high in the air, sleeves fluttering like banners in the wind, she sprinted straight into the new room.

“I SMELL SOMETHING INTERESTINGGG~!”

Her voice echoed down the storefront, full of color, energy, and mystery… even though she obviously couldn’t smell anything at all.

The rest of them just stood there for a second, unmoving.

No one questioned it.

“…Of course it’s her.” Dou Xinshi muttered, brushing off his sleeves.

“She always does thi.” Lin Yijun added from the side, strolling forward with both hands tucked behind his head.

“She probably did a whole lap around the city before coming here.” Xiao Lianfeng said with a chuckle.

Still, curiosity gnawed at all of them.

They followed and stepped into the room.

Rght in the center, standing absolutely still, was Hua Feixue, her bright eyes locked forward, her mouth slightly open in awe.

Everyone’s gaze followed hers.

There it was.

A green-felt billiard table.

Lin Yijun tilted his head. “…A table?”

“Fancy one.”

“Maybe it’s for eating?” Lin Yijun asked, poking one of the corners.

“This table is too tall.” Hua Feixue replied.

Xiao Lianfeng moved forward, scanning the edges with sharp focus. “Why are the chairs so far away?”

No one had an answer.

They circled the table slowly, inspecting it from every angle.

Lin Yijun ran a finger along the polished wood.

Dou Xinshi even crouched down and pressed his ear to the side of the table, as if it might whisper secrets to him.

Old Tiger Zhao tapped the surface with a knuckle.

Still, silence.

“It is some form of entertainment.”

Everyone turned their heads at once.

It was Yue Xueyan.

And standing quietly behind her… was the storekeeper.

“Right, senior?” she asked calmly.

“Yeah. It’s a game. It’s called billiard,” Hao replied, completely casual, as if he hadn’t just walked into a room full of cultivators surrounding a table like it was a sealed treasure.

He walked over, pressed a button on the side of the table.

Clack –

A set of colorful balls appeared neatly on the green felt, arranged in a tight triangle.

Hao went to the dispenser, pulled out a cue stick, and held it up.

“Alright. Lesson time.”

He walked them through the basics. Cue ball. Target balls. Pockets. Turn-taking. Rules of the break. The glorious importance of the 8-ball.

Simple instructions, nothing fancy.

Just straight, easy talk.

After a few minutes of pointing, poking, and miming shots, he leaned on the cue and looked at them.

“Pretty simple, right?”

“Any questions?”

Lin Yijun scratched his head.

“Is that… all of it, boss?”

He didn’t sound rude, not really. Just a little unsure. Like he expected something more exciting than a ball game with sticks.

Dou Xinshi’s jaw tensed.

He held back the urge to speak.

Lin Yijun was technically his senior here. He’d been a regular customer way before him.

But still –

Brother… how dare you question one of the store’s divine creations?

This place is a holy land. Everything in it must be blessed.

Even the floor is probably sacred.

Still, Dou Xinshi kept silent. Barely.

“Yes. That’s all.” Hao said, not bothered in the slightest.

He gave a lazy shrug. “Try it first before you judge.”

He stretched and yawned a little.

Really, he didn’t care whether they liked it or not.

Or rather, he was sure they would.

He had a feeling.

Once they started playing, none of them were going to want to stop.

Hua Feixue’s eyes lit up. “Senior Hao, how much to play?”

“Two crystals.” Hao answered.

“It’s a two-player game, so one crystal each. That’s all.”

He pointed behind him.

“You’ll get your token for the cue stick at the counter.”

“Eeeeh? That’s it? Cheap!” Hua Feixue turned immediately to Yue Xueyan and pounced.

“Senior Sister! Let’s try it!” she said, hugging her arm and looking up with sparkling, pleading eyes.

Yue Xueyan stared at her for a moment… then sighed.

If she didn’t agree now, her junior sister would definitely keep bugging her for the next hour.

“…Okay.” Yue Xueyan said, finally nodding.

She also wanted to see what was so special about this so-called “billiard game” herself.

Hua Feixue bounced with joy and dragged her toward the counter, clinging to her shoulder with the stubborn grip of a spoiled kitten.

Hao had already returned to his spot behind the counter.

After Yue Xueyan and Hua Feixue handed over two crystals, he opened the drawer, took out two tokens, and placed them on the counter in front of the girls.

The others remained in the billiard room, chatting and inspecting the table, except for Old Tiger Zhao, who walked off to grab his daily soft serve ice cream first.

Hua Feixue picked up one of the tokens.

It was made of the same smooth material as the one for ice cream, but this one was perfectly round.

In the center, a small carving of an 8-ball gleamed under the light.

Elegant. Solid. Kind of cool-looking for something that would just be used to get a stick.

“Senior sister, look at this craftsmanship…” Hua Feixue whispered in awe.

Then they both inserted their tokens into the cue dispenser.

Hua Feixue grabbed hers with both hands, eyes gleaming with excitement.

“Ohoho~ This feels almost too perfect as a spear!”

She twirled the cue around her wrist. The movement was sharp and fluid, as if she were mid-performance on a martial stage. The cue spun through the air with crisp control, making the others pause mid-breath.

Then –

It slipped.

The stick launched from her grip, hit the floor with a loud clack, and rolled into the far corner of the room.

Hua Feixue blinked, stunned for a heartbeat, before dashing after it, her face glowing pink.

“Traitor!” she hissed, scooping it up quickly and pretending nothing happened.

Yue Xueyan didn’t say anything, but her raised brow said everything.

She walked over and pressed the button on the side of the table, just as Hao had shown them earlier. With a soft whir, the balls were drawn back into place, resetting the game.

“This is where the break starts, right, Senior Sister?”