Bu Lige's previous frustration faded as his eyes lit up with excitement.
Did this mean… he only needed to pay a portion of the spirit crystals up front to obtain Chixiao?
Was there really such a good deal in the world?
"Boss, I've decided—I'll pay in installments!" Bu Lige declared with sparkling eyes, full of resolve.
Luo Chuan glanced at him, his expression as calm as ever. "During the installment period, repeated failure to repay the spirit crystals on time may affect the system's assessment of your creditworthiness. It could even lead to… compulsory measures."
"Compulsory measures?" Bu Lige instinctively shrank his neck like a turtle retreating into its shell. That did not sound good.
His enthusiasm visibly deflated, replaced by a cautious seriousness. "Boss, I think I'd better… read through the terms carefully first."
Luo Chuan nodded approvingly.
With a wave of his hand, a shimmering light curtain materialized before Bu Lige, displaying detailed installment plan information—number of payments, interest rates, penalties for late repayment, and more.
Bu Lige began studying the contents seriously.
Luo Chuan, on the other hand, was silently thinking about convenience.
Using the light curtain to explain everything was efficient, but if every customer asked for a breakdown like this, was he supposed to explain it personally every time?
He glanced at the wall of the shop thoughtfully.
Maybe he should just post the information there for future reference.
...Later. When Yao Ziyan returned.
Right now, he wanted to relax a little.
After a few minutes of intense reading, Bu Lige looked up. "Boss, I've made my choice—ten installments."
Luo Chuan nodded. "Very well."
After a moment of contemplation, he added, "Since you're the first customer of Origin Mall to opt for an installment plan, I've decided to give you a bonus."
"A bonus?" Bu Lige blinked in disbelief.
The boss—that boss—who treated rules like sacred scripture, was giving him a benefit?
Had he hit his head in those ancient ruins? Had his personality changed?
No… he still looked like the same old boss.
Still, Bu Lige couldn't help but get excited. "Boss! What kind of benefit?"
"You'll find out after you sign the contract," Luo Chuan said with a mysterious smile.
With another flick of his wrist, a blank sheet of paper appeared out of thin air, suspended in the air as if held up by invisible hands.
An unseen force stirred, and mystical golden runes began to etch themselves into the surface of the paper.
Bu Lige watched in awe.
With his current cultivation level, he couldn't sense the laws in play—only that this was clearly no ordinary piece of paper. It radiated mystery and solemnity.
The content on the sheet was familiar, matching the terms he had read earlier on the light curtain. So, he didn't question it too much.
What he truly cared about was still the "bonus" the boss had promised.
"Infuse it with a trace of your spiritual power," Luo Chuan instructed.
"Oh, right!"
Bu Lige raised his hand. A pale stream of white spiritual energy emerged from his palm and gently sank into the contract.
At that moment, he felt an inexplicable connection with the paper, as if it were now bound to him in some profound, unspoken way.
The contract accepted his spiritual imprint.
Of course, this wasn't the only method of identification. A contract like this could also be signed with a signature, a drop of blood, or any form of true identity recognition.
Luo Chuan had simply chosen spiritual power because… it felt more elegant.
And because, well, he liked the aesthetics of it.