Chapter 803 --803

Chapter 803: Chapter-803

The digital lion cub remained suspended in the dim, trash-filled alley long after Heena had turned around and disappeared into the bustling streets of the West Market.

For several seconds, it didn’t move. Then its glowing holographic face twisted into an expression of profound distress.

Slowly, it turned its head toward the eastern end of the market, where the magnificent, gilded rooftops of the Lu family estate rose above the surrounding buildings.

A long, static-filled sigh escaped its audio processors.

"That was close," the system muttered. "Way too close."

Its golden tail drooped as it recalled what had just happened.

It had deliberately manifested in a panic, grabbed Heena by the shoulder, and caused her to stumble into a pile of rotten buckets. It had been a selfish, desperate maneuver, but what else could it have done?

If Heena had looked inside that carriage and recognized the man sitting there, the consequences would have been disastrous.

The system shuddered.

"If she finds out I deliberately stopped her from seeing him, she’ll tear my core code apart. Byte by byte."

It glanced toward the Lu family estate again.

"I can’t let her see him. Not yet."

The system knew exactly who was sitting inside that lacquered carriage. It possessed the data regarding this world’s overarching plot, and it knew what would happen if Heena recognized the monster hiding behind those piercing blue eyes.

She wouldn’t simply open a grocery store, earn money, and fulfill the original owner’s wish of finding a suitable partner.

No.

She might decide to burn the entire capital to the ground.

"Please, Host," the system whispered miserably. "Just open your little grocery store peacefully. Is that too much to ask?"

Its golden tail twitched.

"Although, knowing you, even opening a grocery store might turn into a national crisis."

With one final glance toward the estate, the digital lion cub accelerated through the air, hurrying after the black-cloaked figure who had already disappeared into the market crowd.

It could only hope that its deception would buy them enough time.

Because if Heena discovered what it was hiding, even the system’s emergency evacuation protocols might not be enough to save this world.

Meanwhile, Heena had more pressing concerns than the mysterious man in the carriage.

Her first priority was survival.

And in every world she had ever transmigrated into, survival ultimately came down to one fundamental question.

How much food did she have stored?

It was a lesson she had learned the hard way through countless missions, from surviving devastating famines to enduring brutal sieges and apocalyptic winters. Gold could lose its value. Silver could be stolen. Even a thriving business could collapse overnight.

But a warehouse full of properly stored grain?

That was security she could actually count on.

Here in the capital, stockpiling food wasn’t considered strange. Wealthy households routinely stored enough staple crops to last an entire year, sometimes longer.

Heena intended to follow that custom.

She had no idea how long she would remain trapped in this matriarchal empire, nor could she predict when the Lu family might decide to make trouble for her again. Depending entirely on the daily market for food was simply foolish.

What would happen if prices suddenly skyrocketed? What if a shortage struck the capital? And what if someone deliberately interfered with her supply lines?

No. She wasn’t going to wait until disaster arrived before preparing for it.

With that decision made, Heena headed straight for the Grain Exchange.

The district was considerably larger and noisier than she had expected. Merchants shouted prices over one another, laborers hauled enormous sacks across dusty roads, and transport carts rattled between warehouses. The air was thick with the smell of grain, dried earth, and livestock.

Heena spent hours inspecting different merchants’ supplies.

She checked sacks of unpolished rice, winter wheat, and millet, paying close attention to their quality. She wasn’t interested in purchasing grain only to discover that half of it had been ruined by moisture or eaten by weevils.

After approaching one merchant, she pointed toward a stack of sacks.

"How much for these?"

The merchant rubbed his hands together and smiled.

"For you, miss, I can offer a special price. One silver coin for—"

"How much for the entire lot?"

His smile faltered.

"The entire lot?"

"Yes. The rice, wheat, and millet. I want enough to last three people for at least a year."

The merchant stared at her.

"A whole year? Miss, are you preparing for a famine?"

"Would you lower the price if I said yes?"

He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Heena pointed toward one of the sacks.

"Open that one. I want to inspect the grain before we discuss the price."

"Miss, you can trust my goods! I’ve been in this business for twenty years!"

"I don’t know you. Why would I trust you?"

The merchant fell silent.

"Now, open it."

Grumbling under his breath, he untied the sack.

Heena crouched down, took a handful of grain, and examined it carefully. She checked for moisture, discoloration, and signs of pests before moving on to the next batch.

The merchant watched her with growing disbelief.

"Miss, are you a grain merchant yourself?"

"No."

"Then how do you know so much about inspecting grain?"

"I know enough not to pay good money for spoiled food."

That effectively ended the conversation.

Heena continued inspecting supplies, negotiating prices, and arranging transportation. She wasn’t willing to trust a merchant simply because he smiled at her, nor would she purchase an entire warehouse of grain without checking its quality.

By the time she finished, the afternoon had nearly passed.

However, the results were worth the trouble.

She had secured enough staple grain to feed herself, Ren, and Madam Lin for the next eighteen months.

Eighteen months.

Just thinking about it made her feel considerably more at ease.

At least she wouldn’t have to worry about starving anytime soon.

"Now that’s what I call preparation," Heena murmured as she reviewed the arrangements.

A nearby laborer glanced at her.

"What’s that, miss?"

"Nothing. Just admiring my own wisdom."

The man stared at her for a moment before returning to his work.

Heena paid him no further attention.

With her food supply taken care of, she finally turned her attention to the real reason she had come to the capital.

Her shop.

The two-story building had originally been registered as an apothecary, but years of abandonment had left its commercial license in a rather unfortunate state.

Fortunately, the original owner, Lu Heena, had submitted preliminary paperwork to renew the license shortly before her exile. The application was still being processed by the district magistrate.

Unfortunately, the district authorities weren’t known for their speed.

When Heena had visited the office earlier, the clerk had barely looked up from his desk.

"Your application is still being processed."

"How long will it take?"

"When it’s approved, you’ll be informed."

"And when will that be?"

"When it’s approved."

Heena had stared at him.

The clerk had stared back.

After several seconds of silently questioning her life choices, Heena had left.

Wonderful. Truly wonderful. The efficiency of these government offices is enough to make a dead person come back to life just to die again.

But she wasn’t going to waste precious days sitting around waiting for a seal.

She needed merchandise.