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"Hmm?"
Ishikawa Katori looked at Uzuki, who was sitting in front of his shop, slightly startled.
"You actually know how to come back!"
When Uzuki saw Ishikawa Katori, she stood up with a dissatisfied expression and complained, "What kind of request did you take on? You were out for an entire day."
"It's so late, why aren't you going back to rest? Why are you here?" Ishikawa Katori walked forward, took out his keys, and while opening the door, continued, "Don't tell me you can't sleep because you're thinking about strawberry milk?"
"Tch, as if I love strawberry milk that much."
Ishikawa Katori didn't reply. He entered the shop, lit the candle on the bar, then took out a box of strawberry milk from under the counter and placed it on the bar.
Uzuki's large eyes immediately lit up, making Ishikawa Katori unable to help but smile.
"What are you laughing at? I'm just getting my reward!" Uzuki's face flushed as she defended herself.
"Yes, yes, yes…" Ishikawa Katori made a gesture of invitation, "Drink it. Even if you want to ambush me tonight, talk while you drink."
"Your face is almost thicker than Byakudo Gate."
Uzuki spat, then frowned, "Did you offend someone? This morning when I passed by your shop, I saw a group of people lurking suspiciously in front of your shop, constantly peering inside."
"I thought they were here to commission you for work, so I went up and told them you were out working, and if it was a commission, I could help them relay it."
"But those few people looked at each other, stammered, and didn't say anything, nor did they leave. They stayed for a while before finally leaving. I found their secretive behavior a bit suspicious, fearing they might return after I left, so…"
Ishikawa Katori interrupted somewhat speechlessly, "So you sat in front of my shop all day?"
"Mm…"
"Next time something like this happens, just ignore it. Maybe they were just looking for me to commission some work that's not convenient to talk about."
Ishikawa Katori paused, then changed his tone, speaking seriously, "Moreover, even if they have ill intentions, don't get involved; because if they really are bad people, your actions could easily provoke them, and you'd be the one in danger. But… thanks, though."
"Hmph, that last sentence finally sounded like something a human would say."
Uzuki rolled her eyes at Ishikawa Katori, "When a friend helps you, a simple thank you is enough. You're nagging like an old man, I almost wanted to smash the milk in your face. And don't forget, I'm almost twice your age. I haven't even said you lack vigilance, and you're lecturing me instead."
"Yes, yes, yes, it's my fault." Ishikawa Katori readily admitted his mistake.
After chatting for a while, Uzuki got up and left.
Watching Uzuki leave, Ishikawa Katori's brows immediately furrowed.
A group of suspicious people?
If it were in the past, Ishikawa Katori wouldn't have cared at all, but the events of last night made Ishikawa Katori think a bit too much.
Of course, it was only a bit too much.
Because two seconds later, Ishikawa Katori threw it to the back of his mind.
With Ishikawa Katori's current strength, if Seireitei wanted to deal with him, it would be as easy as stepping on an ant. So, there was no point in dwelling on it. Instead of thinking about such messy things, it was better to think about what to eat for breakfast tomorrow.
Picking out a bottle of wine from the liquor cabinet, Ishikawa Katori walked towards the upstairs bedroom.
…
The next morning.
After Ishikawa Katori finished breakfast and hung the 'Open' sign outside the door, he immediately sprawled on the bar.
Having worked all day yesterday, he naturally hadn't received any new work. Although the Everything Store's reputation had spread, it wasn't as if requests came in every day.
Normally, when there were no requests, Ishikawa Katori would mostly go to the nearby mountains to cultivate, but yesterday he had consumed a large amount of experience points and needed some time to integrate the vast knowledge.
So Ishikawa Katori didn't go out to cultivate, but instead stayed in the shop, waiting for customers, a rare occurrence.
"I wonder if any requests will come in today."
Ishikawa Katori lay bored on the bar. He had to admit that when not working or cultivating, there were basically no entertainment options in Rukongai.
"If only I could go to the Human World freely, I could get more manga, novels, and game consoles to put in the shop. I could pass the time when I'm bored. At the very least, buying a few decks of cards would be better than just sitting here doing nothing."
Time spent doing nothing was extremely long. Ishikawa Katori sat at the bar all morning, and besides Uzuki dropping by for a stroll, no customers came.
At noon, Ishikawa Katori casually cooked a bowl of noodles, pulled up a chair, and sat at the shop entrance, using the midday sun as a side dish while enjoying a bowl of almost tasteless clear soup noodles.
"I want to go to a tavern… eat meat heartily, drink alcohol heartily… I really want to eat meat…"
Imagining the aroma of the tavern, Ishikawa Katori drank the soup in his bowl in one gulp, held the bowl in one hand, and pulled the chair back into the shop with the other.
As soon as he put the chair down, a noisy commotion came from outside the shop.
"Huh? Is it open today?"
"I don't understand you guys. What's there to see in this broken shop? With this time, you might as well practice Kido on the mountain together. Don't forget, assessments will begin once we return to the Academy."
"Well, well, well, we're just browsing anyway. Coming here to look won't waste much time."
"Besides, didn't you say yesterday that this shop owner is very arrogant? He actually dares to put such a discount sign on the door."
"…"
Accompanied by the clamor, several men and women of varying ages walked in from outside.
Seeing customers arrive, Ishikawa Katori showed his signature smile: "Ladies and gentlemen, is there anything I can help you with?"
Upon seeing Ishikawa Katori, all five of them looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze.
They didn't ask questions like 'Are you the owner here?' After all, they were all from West Rukongai. Even if they hadn't directly interacted with him, they had seen Ishikawa Katori's figure traversing all over West Rukongai, and not long ago, Junrinan's tavern owner had also introduced him to them.
"Shop owner, is the discount sign you put outside real?"
"Of course."
Ishikawa Katori's smile grew even wider. In fact, as soon as the few people entered the shop, he had already sensed the faint Reishi on them.
Even without wearing the Central Spirit Arts Academy uniform, combining it with their recent conversation, they should be Central Spirit Arts Academy students on holiday. This was the first time his Everything Store had such customers.
He had to keep them no matter what!
Thoughts raced through Ishikawa Katori's mind, but he showed no expression, smiling as he said, "All commissions undertaken by this shop have a certain discount for females: 10% off for females, 20% off for female Shinigami, 30% off for female Seat Officers, 40% off for female Vice-Captains, and female Captains are all half price!"
"Judging by your appearance, you should be students of the Central Spirit Arts Academy. The females among you can receive the same discount as ordinary Gotei 13 members, which is 20% off."
A young man immediately asked, "What about men?"
"Sorry, this shop's discounts are limited to females only."
"You, you…!"
The young man looked at Ishikawa Katori warily. He suddenly felt that the gentle smile on the shop owner's face revealed a strong sense of ill intent: "Do you have some dirty thoughts? Otherwise, since they're all Shinigami, why do females get such a big discount?"
Ishikawa Katori's smile remained unchanged, and he said in a gentle tone, "Customer, please mind your words. Even if you were God, I would sue you for slander!"
"Tch." The young man was very disdainful.
The man in his thirties next to him chuckled, "Since it's the Everything Store, do you take on missions to purge Hollows?"
"Yes, I do." Ishikawa Katori said without hesitation, then, without waiting for the others to react, continued, "But as far as I know, as students of the Academy, you should have only encountered simulated Hollows, not real ones, right?"
At this point, Ishikawa Katori looked up at the man who spoke, "Customer, false commissions come at a price."
These words directly made the thirty-year-old man gasp for breath, subconsciously wanting to argue, but when he saw the look in Ishikawa Katori's eyes beneath his gentle smile, his heart inexplicably trembled.
"I… I'm sorry… I just asked casually."
As soon as he said this, his companions couldn't help but cast surprised glances at the man, not understanding why he reacted that way.
The thirty-year-old man, or rather, Okubo, blushed under his companions' gazes and said somewhat embarrassedly, "We haven't actually encountered real Hollows, and we can't commission you, but you're just an ordinary person, you wouldn't be able to complete such a commission anyway!"
"Whether it can be completed or not is not for you, the customer, to consider, but for this shop to consider."
After Ishikawa Katori finished speaking, he no longer paid attention to the man but instead focused his gaze on the few women: "Ladies, if there's anything you need help with, or any troubles you have, you can tell me, and I will do my utmost to help you resolve them."
"Uh…"
The three women looked at each other. They hadn't come here with any commission at all. They were simply bored at home during their holiday, and combined with the discount sign they saw yesterday, it made them very curious, so they came here to take a look.
Originally, they just wanted to tease the interesting shop owner, but seeing Ishikawa Katori's serious expression, they felt too embarrassed to state their true intentions.
Moreover, upon reflection, he runs a business, and how he writes the discount list is entirely his freedom.
"Speaking of which," the more mature woman was the first to react, asking curiously, "How did you know we were students from the Central Spirit Arts Academy?"
"A feeling," Ishikawa Katori said casually.
The mature woman looked at Ishikawa Katori suspiciously, clearly not believing him, but she did not press further.
"Oh, that's right!"
The youngest girl among the three brightened her eyes and said, "The advancement assessment is after the holiday. Since this is an Everything Store, can you teach us techniques like Zanjutsu and Kido?"
At her words, the remaining four couldn't help but inwardly praise the little girl.
That's right!
Although they couldn't issue requests to exterminate Hollows, it didn't mean they had no other requests that "ordinary people" absolutely couldn't complete.
An ordinary resident of Rukongai probably wouldn't even know what Zanji Kenki represents, let alone teach them.
This request would not only curb his arrogance but also allow them to leave without feeling awkward if they didn't make a request.
"Sorry…"
Katori stuck out her tongue. She didn't intend to embarrass Ishikawa Katori; it was purely because of his phrase "you can tell me any troubles you have" that she subconsciously blurted out her own trouble, only realizing afterward that her words were a bit inappropriate.
"Shopkeeper, if you can't take it on, it's fine. I was being a bit unreasonable…"
"You can!"
Ishikawa Katori's eyes lit up: "The four basic techniques, tutoring fees will be calculated by the hour."
"Huh??? "
"Really?"
"No way, Shopkeeper, stop teasing us."
"…"
"Come with me."
Ishikawa Katori waved to the five people and turned to walk towards the back door of the shop.
The five exchanged glances and followed Ishikawa Katori, looking puzzled.
Pushing open the back door, they arrived at the small courtyard behind the house. The courtyard was spacious, and besides a few wooden targets, there was also a weapon rack in the corner with several sharpened wooden swords on it.
Under their puzzled gazes, Ishikawa Katori raised his arm and aimed at the target in the center of the courtyard.
His two fingers formed a sword, pointing forward.
"Hadō No. 4: Byakurai!"
Buzz~~
Lightning flashed, condensing before Ishikawa Katori's fingers, then shot out!
All this happened in an instant. Before the five could react, the target in the center of the courtyard exploded with a bang. What was even more unbelievable was that the beam of lightning, as if conscious, dispersed into Reishi the moment it was about to hit the wall after destroying the target, not harming the wall in the slightest.
The five stared dumbfounded at the scene before them, and it took a while for them to react, rubbing their eyes vigorously.
"It's actually real?"
"Byakurai… and it's a Kido without incantation…"
"Shopkeeper, are you a Shinigami?"
"…"
On the other side, Ishikawa Katori added 10 of the remaining 40 experience points to 'Zanjutsu,' raising Zanjutsu to the same level as Shunpo and Hakuda.
Zanjutsu: Low Level (0/1000)
This way, all four of his Zanji Kenki abilities reached Low Level, which was more than enough to teach a few ungraduated students.
"As I said before, off-campus tutoring is charged by the hour, 1000 rings per hour; if you study with me for more than three hours every day within a week, I can guarantee that you will make significant progress after one week!"
The knowledge bestowed by the system was extremely comprehensive, including many techniques that even teachers at the Central Spirit Arts Academy might not have mastered. To put it bluntly, the knowledge the system granted Ishikawa Katori at his current level could be said to be the limit of the 'Low Level' tier.
Ishikawa Katori had always relied on this knowledge for his own cultivation, and having thoroughly mastered it, his theoretical knowledge was more solid and better suited for teaching than most teachers at the Central Spirit Arts Academy.
"1000 kan an hour?" Everyone's faces showed signs of interest.
1000 kan an hour, while a bit expensive for them, was not unbearable, because during their time at the academy, the academy not only provided free room and board but also gave them a certain amount of living expenses during holidays.
Of course, this treatment only lasted for six years.
After six years, whether they successfully passed the Gotei 13 entry examination or were sent to the Human World for 'Soul Burial' work without a formal assignment, they would receive a good salary.
Besides these options, there were also departments like the Kidō Corps and Onmitsukidō to choose from.
So, for them, as long as they successfully graduated, they would have a stable income.
Studying three hours a day would be 3000 rings, and a week would be 21000 rings.
And if this shop owner wasn't lying, a week of continuous study could lead to great progress, making 21000 kan incredibly cheap, perhaps not even enough for a week of continuous meals at an izakaya in Junrinan.
Of course, they wouldn't spend lavishly at an izakaya every day either.
But if this money could help them graduate successfully, it would definitely be worth it!
Unlike Katori, the woman who was clearly more mature among the three, asked with a hint of suspicion, "Within a week, can we really make significant progress? What is the minimum standard? What if there's no progress?"
"If after a week, under my guidance, you make no progress whatsoever, I can refund half of the payment. Of course, to prevent anyone from taking advantage, once a refund is given, I will no longer accept your requests in the future."
"As for the minimum standard, it will be based on the assessment you mentioned. If you fail the assessment, you will receive a full refund, and I will continue to guide you until you pass the assessment."
"Um…"
The girl among the three who had not spoken until now said timidly, "Um… is the 20% discount… still valid?"
"Of course!" Ishikawa Katori nodded, "No matter how many years pass, no matter how many requests, as long as I accept the request, the discount list posted outside will always be valid."
['Kato' Favorability +1, gained 10 experience points]
['Izumi' Favorability +1, gained 10 experience points.]
['Nao' Favorability +2, gained 20 experience points.]
Ishikawa Katori observed and found that Kato was the youngest of the three, while Izumi was the mature woman. Nao who gained 2 favorability points, was the black-haired girl who blushed when she spoke.
"What about us?" the two men asked simultaneously.
"Sorry, this shop's discount service is only for females," Ishikawa Katori said with a smile.
"...This is blatant discrimination." The young man looked displeased, but finally gritted his teeth, "1000 kan it is, but if I don't pass the assessment after a week, I will definitely come back for a refund!!"
Although the gender-unequal discount greatly displeased the two gentlemen present, all five ultimately chose to pay.
"I will guide all five of you simultaneously. You can choose your weak points, or strong points you wish to improve further. I will focus on teaching you the skill you choose, and of course, while I focus on teaching, others can also learn together."
"However, there's one thing I need to explain beforehand."
Ishikawa Katori paused: "Unlike Zanjutsu, Shunpo, and Hakuda, if you need focused Kido instruction, I need to first see your mastery of Kido; simply put, you need to use 'complete incantation' to release the Kido you know in front of me, and then I will guide you based on the Kido you release."
"And what you haven't learned, I will not teach you," Ishikawa Katori said, then silently added in his mind, "Because I don't know it either…"
This was precisely Ishikawa Katori's purpose in keeping these students, even if it meant exposing his own strength.
To learn more Kido, these students were undoubtedly the best choice.
The only trouble was experience points.
However…
Ishikawa Katori looked at the three girls, his smile so gentle it almost dripped with warmth.
The wool comes from the sheep.
As long as he befriended these three girls, experience points should not be difficult to obtain, especially 'Nao,' who blushed when she spoke; her favorability should be easy to increase.
After Byakurai broke through to Intermediate Level, his knowledge in Reishi application was already extremely rich. As long as he activated the corresponding Kido with '50' experience points, the entry-level would barely suffice for initial guidance, and then he could gradually raise it to Low Level after gaining experience points.
...
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