https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-22-A-Bunch-of-Paupers-Playing-with-Their-Lives/12831391/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-25-The-Jade-Green-Blade-and-the-Mandarin-Duck-Halberds/12831459/
Chapter 23: Your Move Wasn't Small Either
Chapter 23: Your Move Wasn't Small Either
The sky was vast and the air crisp, the waters calm and serene.
On a large ship, the leader of the Great River Gang, Wang Haichao, stood at the bow, listening to his subordinates' reports from behind.
"Last night, we attacked seven outposts of the Broken Mountain Gang in the outer city, and the results were impressive!"
"A second-rank beast hide, over a thousand low-grade spiritual materials, and tens of thousands of spirit stones."
"The brothers' personal gains haven't been accounted for, as per your orders, whoever looted it gets to keep it."
"Boss, this time we made a huge profit!"
Wang Haichao didn't even turn his head. "It was just a minor skirmish. We managed to draw their attention to the mountains, which is why we had such a good haul."
He sighed, somewhat disheartened, and patted the railing.
"Xiao Gao, how were our losses last night?"
The subordinate called Xiao Gao was far from tall, with a stocky build and a fierce expression.
Clad in black, his short sleeves accentuated his bulging muscles.
"Our losses were minimal. Only a few dozen disciples at the Qi Condensation Fourth to Fifth Layer died. None of those at the Seventh Layer or higher were even seriously injured. Oh, and Ding Yilong had a bit of bad luck. He ran into Wang Yuan and the Broken Blade returning from the mountains, and their two swords destroyed his high-quality magical tool and his Spirit Turtle Shield."
Xiao Gao laughed, his face becoming even more menacing when he did.
Wang Haichao smiled. "That was indeed a significant loss. From this haul, allocate him a high-quality magical tool. We can't have him fighting without a proper weapon."
After speaking, he frowned.
"The two blades of the Broken Mountain Gang are quite troublesome."
The Broken Mountain Gang had over a thousand members, with nearly a hundred at the late Qi Condensation stage.
Their leader, Old Man Mi, was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, just like Wang Haichao. He rarely got involved in the day-to-day operations, leaving those to his subordinates.
The headquarters had two blades, and the seven outposts had seven man-eating tigers.
Among the seven experts, the two blades were the thorn in the side of the Great River Gang.
Wang Yuan, the Mad Blade, and Xu Renke, the Broken Blade.
Xu Renke had been a well-known figure for years, having wandered through many marketplaces before being recruited by Old Man Mi to settle in the Great River Market.
But Wang Yuan had only been practicing for ten years.
In his debut battle, he single-handedly overpowered several mid-stage cultivators who had robbed him.
After that, he went into the mountains to hunt, often getting into conflicts with others. Eventually, Old Man Mi personally recruited him into the Broken Mountain Gang.
Since then, Wang Yuan didn't do anything particularly spectacular.
Instead, he handled the dirty work for the Broken Mountain Gang, selling dubious second-hand magical tools and cultivation techniques.
It wasn't until recently, when he single-handedly took down three members of the Great River Gang, that people started to take notice of this man who had been doing the dirty work for years.
Initially, it was thought to be a stroke of luck.
But no one expected that in the following month, he would single-handedly guard the mountain pass, causing chaos for the Great River Gang.
Even experts at the same stage were no match for him, and Luo Renjie, at the Qi Condensation Eighth Layer, died at his hands.
Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Great River Gang couldn't defeat him in a prolonged battle.
In just a month, he had solidified his reputation as the Mad Blade.
Even the Broken Blade admitted that Wang Yuan's combat prowess was on par with his, and he had the potential to reach the Foundation Establishment stage.
With the Broken Blade's endorsement, Wang Yuan earned the title of one of the two blades of the Broken Mountain Gang.
Hearing the boss's words, Xiao Gao fell silent.
As the first among the Great River Gang's subordinates, he was always highly confident.
Against the Broken Blade, he had a fifty-fifty chance, and if they fought on the river, he was sure he could overpower him within a hundred moves.
But the Mad Blade was a different story.
He had heard that the guy was also a formidable water fighter.
Why did such a person exist?
If he reached the Qi Condensation Ninth Layer, wouldn't he be able to challenge a Foundation Establishment cultivator?
"Never mind, we're just doing someone else's dirty work. There will be others to deal with those two blades."
Wang Haichao stretched lazily and asked casually, "Where's your little brother?"
"I don't know. He said he wanted to get a storage bag. He participated in the attack on the seven outposts of the Broken Mountain Gang last night, but he hasn't returned yet."
"Aren't you worried he might have run into trouble?"
"Haha, I gave him the Earth Shield you gave me. As long as he doesn't face a Ninth Layer cultivator, he'll be fine." Xiao Gao wasn't worried at all and added, "And he has a Swift Travel Talisman. If he needs to run, even a Ninth Layer cultivator can't catch him."
Wang Haichao nodded. With the Earth Shield and the Swift Travel Talisman, no one below the Foundation Establishment stage could threaten Xiao Gao's little brother.
"Alright, keep a close eye on things in the gang. The Broken Mountain Gang might launch a counterattack soon, but our reinforcements are on the way."
Reinforcements?
Was he referring to the experts from the Lianyun Merchant Alliance?
Xiao Gao pondered this.
In the inner city of the Great River Market, in a small room at the top of the Jade Tripod Sword Pavilion, Sun Shou was tearing strips of beef jerky and putting them in his mouth.
"Even though it has no spiritual energy, the taste is really good. Xiao Luo, if you ever decide not to cultivate, you could open a beef jerky shop in the secular world. It would definitely be popular."
Luo Chen smiled shyly.
Go back home?
That was impossible in this life.
He didn't even know where home was.
Finishing the beef jerky in his hand, Sun Shou clapped his hands and opened his mouth, which had only a few teeth left.
"Spill it, what do you want? Your rent isn't due yet."
"I want to rent a place!"
"Hmm, that's understandable. The southwest corner is too remote and dangerous."
"Speak up, where do you want to rent a place? I won’t take your beef jerky for nothing; I’ll find you a spacious and safe place."
As he spoke, he casually picked up a compass.
Infusing it with spiritual energy, the compass instantly lit up with a dense array of lights, numbering in the thousands at first glance.
But with a wave of his hand, nearly ninety percent of the lights dimmed.
The remaining lights indicated vacant rooms in the outer city.
Luo Chen’s eyes lit up, "A spacious one?"
"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, he was indeed old enough to be Luo Chen’s grandfather.
Of course, Luo Chen didn’t mind the title.
It was just a formality; he even called Old Daoist Chen “Uncle” every day.
As long as Sun Shou could find him a good place to rent, he would call him “Grandpa” all day long!
"I want to rent a place in the inner city!"
"Inner city, let me see... Hmm? The inner city?"
Sun Shou looked at Luo Chen suspiciously, "You used to live in a place that cost half a spirit stone a month and rent a stall for the same price. Now you want to switch to the inner city in one go?"
After a careful inspection, he suddenly smiled.
A different robe, a faint but noticeable aura of Malevolent Qi.
This kid must have pulled off a big job!
Now, he wants to enjoy the inner city.
"Alright, I’m not just talking. For an inner city house, we need to see it in person. I’ll take you there."
He put the compass back into his storage bag and shakily stood up.
Luo Chen quickly supported his shoulder, fearing the old man might fall and die.
He didn’t know what sins he had committed to deserve this. At his age, he should be enjoying his retirement in the sect, not working in this remote place.
Truly, he lived and worked until the end, dedicating his life to the Jade Cauldron Sect!
"This house is big enough, right? It’s close to the Heavenly Fragrance Tower. You’ve probably never experienced anything like this."
"Too expensive."
"What about this one? The previous tenant was a sect’s Body Cultivator. The space is large enough for regular training."
"Too expensive."
"It seems you want something cheaper. The houses in the northern part of the city are affordable. Let me show you."
Two hours later.
Sun Shou pulled away from Luo Chen’s hand, looking irritated, "It seems your big job wasn’t that big. Why come to the inner city to spend money?"
Luo Chen argued, "There are constant gang wars outside. I’m afraid I might end up dead on the street."
"Fine, I’ll keep my word and find you a big house!"
Sun Shou clenched his teeth and led Luo Chen into a narrow alley.
They walked for a while, and occasionally, female cultivators would greet him warmly.
Suddenly, the path opened up.
A four-sided courtyard appeared before them.
Entering the gate and passing the screen wall, Sun Shou walked straight to the largest and widest room.
"Here it is, the back house. It’s the largest, and even if you squeeze in, it can fit seventeen or eighteen people."
Luo Chen examined the room with satisfaction. The area was comparable to his previous house with a small courtyard.
The only drawback was the lack of natural light, making it feel gloomy.
"How much does it cost?"
"The lowest price is ten low-grade spirit stones per month, with one month’s deposit and three months’ rent upfront."
One month’s deposit and three months’ rent upfront meant he needed to pay forty spirit stones at once.
It was a bit painful, but finding such a large and affordable place in the inner city was indeed difficult.
If it weren’t for Sun Shou’s familiarity with the housing market in the Great River Market, no one else would have found this place.
"Additionally, you need to pay one spirit stone per month for management fees and one for latrine cleaning."
Luo Chen’s eyes widened, "Management fees? What’s that?"
Sun Shou rolled his eyes, "Someone has to handle the waste you produce, right? If there are disputes, I’ll have to mediate, so I should get some compensation, right?"
"But—"
"No buts."
"What about the latrine?"
"Do you want to defecate anywhere like in the outer city, where the smell of excrement is stronger than the aura of spirit energy?"
Alright!
I give in!
When you’re under the roof of the Jade Cauldron, you have to bow down!
"Oh, and one more thing to remind you."
"Another one?"
Luo Chen’s fists tightened, but remembering that the old man was at the Ninth Level of Qi Cultivation, he relaxed.
Can’t fight, can’t fight.
Sun Shou pointed to a pile of firewood by the main house’s door.
"If you want to cook, remember to use smokeless wood. If you use wood that produces smoke, I suggest you rent a smoke-absorbing magical artifact from me."
"What’s the reason for that?"
Luo Chen was thoroughly confused.
"Ha, where are we? This is the inner city, a cultivation site built on a first-grade spirit vein. Too much impure air will hinder your cultivation, don’t you think?"
Even in the cultivation world, they have to care about the environment?
Luo Chen, dazed, took a magical artifact called the Light Mist and Sparse Rain Pavilion from the old man.
It was square with a pointed top, and you could place it at the boundary between the inside and outside of the house.
After signing a contract and paying forty-three spirit stones, the large house belonged to Luo Chen for the next four months.
As he saw the old man off, Luo Chen casually asked, "Although the lighting is a bit poor, it shouldn’t be this much cheaper than other houses of the same size, right?"
"Why do you think?"
(End of Chapter)
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