The sky was vast, the breeze is still, waves are quiet

On a large ship, the leader of the Dajiang Gang, Wang Haichao, stood at the bow, listening to his subordinate's report from behind.

"Last night, we attacked seven Poshan Gang outposts in the outer district and reaped great rewards!

"A second-tier demonic beast tiger pelt, over a thousand of low-tier spirit materials, and tens of thousands of spirit stones.

"The brothers' personal spoils haven't been counted yet. As per your orders, whatever they grabbed is theirs to keep.

"Boss, we really hit the jackpot this time!"

Wang Haichao didn't even turn around as he spoke, "It's nothing more than a minor operation. We only got this result because we drew their attention to the mountains."

He let out a sigh of disinterest and patted the railing.

"Little Gao, what were our losses last night?"

The subordinate called Little Gao was anything but tall. He had a short, stocky build and a fierce expression.

Dressed in a black short-sleeved outfit, his arm muscles were sharply defined, standing out in striking detail.

"Our losses were minor. Only a few dozen fourth and fifth stage Qi-Refining cultivators died, and no one above stage seven was seriously injured. Oh, Ding Yilong was unlucky, though. He ran into Wang Yuan and the Broken Blade Swordsman rushing back from the mountains. Between the two of them, they wrecked his high-grade artifact and spirit turtle shield."

Little Gao spoke with a grin, though his smile only made him look fiercer.

Wang Haichao chuckled. "That's quite a loss for him. Give him a top-grade artifact from this haul. We can't have him without a decent weapon in future battles."

After speaking, his brow furrowed slightly and muttered under his breath, "The Two Blades of the Poshan Gang are starting to get annoying."

The Poshan Gang had over a thousand members, with nearly a hundred at the late-stage of Qi-Refining.

Their leader, Old Man Mi, was also a Foundation Establishment cultivator like himself and rarely took action in person.Their elite subordinates usually handled everything.

The Two Blades were stationed at the headquarters, while each of the seven outposts was guarded by a man-eating tiger.

Compared to the powerful members from the seven divisions, the Two Blades were what truly made the Dajiang Gang uneasy.

The Two Blades were Mad Blade Wang Yuan and Broken Blade Xu Renke.

Broken Blade Xu Renke had been famous for years, wandering through various towns before being recruited by Old Man Mi to settle down in Dahe Market.

On the other hand, Mad Blade Wang Yuan had only been cultivating for ten years.

In his first fight, he single-handedly won against people of higher cultivation realms than him. He had killed several mid-stage cultivators who had robbed him.

Afterward, he hunted in the mountains and clashed with others multiple times until Old Man Mi personally recruited him into the Poshan Gang.

Yet after joining, Wang Yuan hadn't done anything earth-shattering.

On the contrary, he spent the years doing dirty work for the Poshan Gang. He specialized in selling second-hand artifacts and techniques of questionable origin.

It wasn't until recently, when he faced three opponents alone and brought back the heads of three Dajiang Gang members, that people began paying attention to this man who had spent years doing dirty work.

Most assumed it was a stroke of luck. No one expected that over the next month, he alone would guard the mountain pass with his blade, cutting down the members of the Dajiang Gang and throwing them into disarray.

Powerful cultivators of the same stage couldn't withstand one move against him, and even Luo Renjie, an eighth stage Qi-Refining cultivator, fell by his hand.

A ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivator from the Dajiang Gang personally took him on, but after a fierce fight, the ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivator lost.

In just one month, he built his reputation as the Mad Blade.

Even the Broken Blade Xu Renke admitted that Wang Yuan's battle prowess rivaled his own and suggested that he had the potential for Foundation Establishment.

With Xu Renke's endorsement, Wang Yuan earned the title of one of the Poshan Gang's Two Blades.

Hearing the boss's words, Little Gao fell silent.

As the top figure under the leader of the Dajiang Gang, he had always held himself in high regard.

He was evenly matched with the Broken Blade Xu Renke, but if they faced off on the rivers, he was confident he could defeat him within a hundred exchanges. However, the Mad Blade was someone he couldn't quite pin down.

Rumor had it that the man was an expert of naval combat as well.

Why did someone like that even exist?

He was already so formidable at just seventh stage Qi-Refining, if he reached ninth stage, wouldn't he dare challenge Foundation Establishment cultivators?

"Forget it. We're just working for someone else. Those Two Blades will eventually be dealt with."

Wang Haichao stretched lazily and casually asked, "Where's your younger brother?"

"No idea. He said he wanted to get a storage bag. He joined last night's raid on the Poshan Gang's seven divisions, but he hasn't returned yet."

"Aren't you worried something might've happened to him?"

"Haha, I gave him the Earth Shield you gifted me. As long as he doesn't run into a ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivator, he'll be fine," Little Gao said confidently before adding, "Plus, he has a Swift Talisman. If he wants to run, even the ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivator won't be able to catch him."

Wang Haichao nodded. With the Earth Shield and Swift Talisman, no one below Foundation Establishment could pose a threat to Little Gao's brother.

"Alright. Keep an eye on the gang's affairs. The Poshan Gang might retaliate soon, but our reinforcements should be arriving shortly."

Little Gao fell into thought.

Reinforcements? Is he referring to experts from the Lianyun Trade Alliance?

In the inner city of Dahe Market, inside a small room atop the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion—the tallest building—Sun Shou tore pieces of beef jerky into small strips and popped them into his mouth.

"It doesn't have much spirit energy, but it tastes amazing. Little Luo, if you ever give up cultivation, you could open a beef jerky shop back in the world of mortals—it'd be a hit."

Luo Chen gave a sheepish smile.

Go back home? That is never going to happen.

He didn't even know where home was anymore.

After finishing his beef jerky, Sun Shou clapped his hands and grinned, showing his almost toothless mouth.

"Alright, what's the matter? Your rent's not due yet."

"I want to rent a place!"

"Good. You should. That southwestern corner is too remote and dangerous. Tell me where you want to rent, and I'll find you somewhere spacious and safe. Consider it a favor for your beef jerky."

As he spoke, he casually picked up a compass.

As he infused spirit power, the compass lit up with a dense array of glowing points—there were thousands at first glance.

With a swipe of his hand, the densely packed lights dimmed, leaving only a small fraction still glowing.

The remaining lights indicated vacant properties in the outer district.

Luo Chen's eyes lit up. "Spacious ones?"

"What's the matter? Don't you trust Grandpa Sun?"

Sun Shou was 121 years old, an outer disciple of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect. By age alone, he could genuinely be Luo Chen's grandfather.

Of course, Luo Chen didn't care about that. It was just a title. He called Old Man Chen "Uncle" every day anyway. As long as Sun Shou found him a good place, he'd happily call him "Grandpa" all day!

"I want to rent a place in the inner city!

"The inner city? Let me check... Wait, the inner city?"

Sun Shou looked at Luo Chen suspiciously. "You used to rent half-a-spirit-stone-per-month housing and a stall for the same price. Now you're suddenly jumping straight to the inner city?"

He looked him over for a moment and then broke into a smile.

The robe is different from before, with a faint, lingering aura of menace. This kid must've pulled off something big! And now, he wants to live the good life in the inner city.

"Fine. I'm a man of my word. We'll have to inspect inner-city properties in person. I'll take you there myself."

Stowing the compass into his storage bag, he stood up shakily.

Luo Chen quickly supported his shoulder, afraid that the old man might fall and die on the spot.

Who knew what karmic fate had led this elderly man to work in such a backwater instead of enjoying retirement in his sect? Truly, he was living and working to the very end, dedicating his life to the sect.

"This place is big enough, isn't it? It's near Tianxiang Tower. Bet you've never had a proper feast before, huh?"

"Too expensive."

"What about this one? The last tenant was a physical refinement cultivator from the sect. It's spacious enough for all their physical training needs."

"Still too expensive."

"Seems like you're looking for something cheaper. The northern part of the city is more affordable—come, I'll take you to check it out."

Two hours later…

Sun Shou shook off Luo Chen's hand, huffing, "Looks like that big job of yours wasn't that big after all. What are you doing running to the inner city to splurge?"

Luo Chen defended himself, "The gangs are fighting every day out there. I don't want to end up dead in the streets by accident."

"Fine! I'm a man of my word. I'll find you a big house!"

Gritting his teeth, Sun Shou led Luo Chen deep into a maze of alleys.

They weaved through the winding alleys for what felt like ages, passing female cultivators who cheerfully greeted the old man as they walked by.

Suddenly, the willow trees cast their shade, and the flowers bathed in light.

A SiHeYuan[1] appeared before them.

After entering the gate and passing the screen wall, Sun Shou headed straight for the largest and widest room in the house. "This is it. The backroom. It's the largest—you could fit 17 or 18 people here if you squeezed a bit," he said.

Luo Chen looked around the room with satisfaction. Its size was no smaller than his previous house with a small courtyard. The only downside was the lack of natural light, which gave the room a slightly gloomy feel.

"How many spirit stones?"

"Lowest price—10 low-grade spirit stones a month, with one month's deposit and three months upfront."

One deposit and three months upfront meant he had to hand over 40 spirit stones all at once.

He had to admit, it stung.

However, it was not easy finding such a spacious and affordable place. If not for Sun Shou's extensive knowledge of Dahe Market's housing, most people wouldn't even know this place existed.

"Also, there's a monthly management fee of one spirit stone and another for night soil disposal."

Luo Chen's eyes widened. "Management fee? What's that for?"

The old man rolled his eyes. "Someone's got to handle your waste, right? And if there are neighborhood disputes—since fights are forbidden—I'll end up having to mediate anyway. I deserve some compensation!"

"But…"

"No buts."

"And the night soil?"

"Do you want to live like those in the outer district, relieving themselves anywhere, where the stench of waste overpowers the scent of spirit energy?"

Fine! I concede! Under the Jade Cauldron's roof, one must bow their head!

"Oh, one more thing to remind you."

There's more?

Luo Chen clenched his fists, but remembering the old man was at ninth stage Qi-Refining, he backed down.

Can't beat him, can't beat him.

Sun Shou pointed to a pile of firewood in front of the main house.

"If you're cooking, use smokeless firewood. If you're burning smoky wood, I suggest you rent a smoke-collecting artifact from me."

"Huh? Why?" Luo Chen was completely baffled.

"Heh, where do you think you are? This is the inner city, built atop a first-tier spirit vein. It you cause too much pollution, do you still think anyone could still cultivate properly?"

Even the cultivation world cares about environmental protection???

Feeling dazed, Luo Chen took an enchanted artifact from the old man. It was called the Gentle Smoke and Sparse Rain Incense. It looked square and pointed and could be placed where the interior met the exterior when in use.

After signing the lease and paying 43 spirit stones, the large house was Luo Chen's for the next four months.

As he saw the old man off, Luo Chen casually muttered to himself, "Sure, the lighting's bad, but it's not enough to make it so much cheaper than similar houses, is it?"

"Why don't you guess why?"

1. Siheyuan is a courtyard surrounded by buildings on all four sides. Refer to Link. ☜