Chen Hao was a 17-year-old disciple from the Blooming Iron Sect, and as a Low Establishment stage cultivator, he belonged to the outer sect.
His rough robes bore the same flower emblem that the girl named Xue Hanli wore, as she was a year older than him.
Of all the things Chen Hao owned, only his badge looked like it had gotten any care.
Having a stern face and a clenched jaw made him look like he was prepared to recite sect laws at any given moment.
And his head was shiny bald, not a strand in sight.
He was glancing between Noa and the shampoo display. "This… cleans hair?" he asked.
Noa smiled upon seeing his interest. He saw the familiar emblem, guessing that the sect operated somewhere close to the city.
"Not only does it clean hair, but also makes it softer than silk," he said.
"Softer than silk? How is that even possible?" Chen Hao exclaimed suspiciously.
Xue Hanli wasn't just a senior to him. She was someone he respected and, quite frankly, had a crush on.
He happened to hear her mention an expensive elixir she'd seen but didn't dare to buy.
As a bald young man, Chen Hao didn't need the shampoo, but he wanted to buy it for his senior, who had helped him greatly.
"Is the price really one True Spirit Coin?" he asked with hesitation.
Being a cultivator required significant resources, and as a new disciple, he had received only one True Spirit Coin.
"I think that's a fair price," Noa answered, his voice soft. "Do share your experience with me, I am confident it would meet your requirements."
Chen Hao nodded slightly and paid for the bottle.
He dropped the coins onto the counter, took the shampoo bottle, and turned it in his hands, feeling its coldness and gentle pulsing energy within. Fascinated, he nodded again. "This better be worth it."
Tucking the bottle into his satchel, he ran off, expecting Xue's reaction upon seeing the gift he got for her.
» [Sell Five Items from Earth Back on Another Dimension: 1/5]
As soon as the transaction was completed and Noa put the coin in his inventory, the system panel announced his partial success.
'Four more to go,' he thought eagerly.
While no other customer visited his vendor, Noa waited until the sun set. Expecting it to happen, he didn't lose his drive to do the same thing tomorrow.
Instead, he was happy with his first trade.
[Host, good job. But don't forget, it's only the beginning of your greatness. And don't forget to consider Karma!] the system advised.
"What do you mean by Karma?" Noa questioned, but only got a half answer out of it.
[Just wait until your first brunch opening. That's when you get more missions, milestones, and understand what being a Dimensional Tycoon really means.]
With no other options but to agree, Noa reached his temporary house. Eating at the inn wasn't that bad.
The moment he pushed the door of the bustling inn, the scent of the roasted spirit beasts and boiling soup greeted him. He slid into the desolated corner and took the steaming bowl of the aromatic stew.
Infused with poor qi-nourishing ingredients, the food cleaned his exhaustion away. Having blocked meridians, Noa not only couldn't cultivate, but even the heavenly treasures had no effect on him.
He glanced around the room, listening to the cultivators and merchants chatting about their business.
Most of the stuff Noa heard was far too advanced for him to understand. But the intensity of the Xianxia world didn't bore him.
Later, he went to his rented attic room.
Sleep took him quickly, but by dawn he was up again, refreshed to face another day.
Much like the previous days, not many people wandered by the area where his stall was, putting his mission at risk.
Just like that, the third, fourth, and almost the entire week passed. Noa sold only one more shampoo to the wealthy merchant who was interested in his product.
As the last day began, Noa felt the nervousness creeping in. No matter how composed he was, the thought of failing the task and losing his life didn't excite him in a good way.
Still, there was nothing he could do.
The system was controlling his every move, denying Noa's ideas to advertise or increase the chance of profit.
"Karma this, karma that," he said angrily after sitting through countless pointless explanations.
Time was ticking, and he needed results.
But because of the shitty spot the system chose, the unreasonable price, and the Karma Principles he still was ignorant of, Noa was in danger of failing the second mission.
Suddenly, he looked up from the neatly arranged shelves and saw four young women approaching, their sect uniforms fluttering lightly in the warm breeze.
Noa's gaze lingered on one of them—Xue Hanli, the cold Jedi beauty from the other day. Her bright eyes sparked with expectation.
Differing from the girls beside her, Xue Hanli's long black hair wasn't tied back, but moved through the wind with a slick sparkle.
Her expression was just as cold, but she looked to be in a great mood.
When her trailing eyes stopped on Noa, they stayed there, but her legs moved much quicker than before, as if afraid he would disappear.
"The elixirs," she stated, as the girls with the same robes giggled behind her. "You are still selling them, right?"
Noa didn't know what was going on. The girl before him had clearly used the shampoo—her shiny hair was proof of that.
'Did she obtain it from the merchant? Or did that bald boy give it to her?' he deduced.
Then, pointing at the full shelves, he said,
"As you can see, I am not out of stock. You and your friend can still buy from me."
"Please, give me four of them," the girl answered right away, and added, "Do you, by any chance, have something for the skin as well?"