The stone tablet of Xilin County wasn’t as ostentatious as the one in Canglan City. If its huge size was ignored, it could even be said to be ordinary.
This ordinary stone tablet made Lou Xingyao feel a bit stunned.
It was a journey of over a month, but he didn’t find it difficult at all. Perhaps it was due to Wen Hanshan’s company.
It wasn’t until he saw this stone tablet that Lou Xingyao suddenly realized he had been on the road for over a month without realizing it.
“Are you still playing?” Wen Hanshan naturally saw the scene outside the window.
Lou Xingyao looked at the messed up chessboard on the table and shook his head. “It is getting late. Let’s settle down first.”
“Huh? No regrets?” Wen Hanshan raised an eyebrow with a bit of surprise.
“What to regret? Regret not taking the opportunity when you went easy on me?” Lou Xingyao smiled. Wen Hanshan’s move just now wasn’t very clever.
It wasn’t difficult for the two of them to restore the chessboard, but as early as when he had repeated defeats, Wen Hanshan had made it clear that the world seen by cultivators and mortals was very different.
As far as a simple go game was concerned, a cultivator could easily memorize what they saw. Meanwhile, this was rare among mortals. Lou Xingyao had never been able to beat Wen Hanshan in chess. It wasn’t because Wen Hanshan was smarter than Lou Xingyao, but due to him taking advantage of his status as a cultivator.
Therefore, when playing against Wen Hanshan, Lou Xingyao actually preferred the feeling of racking his brains to find a way out and finding the opponent’s loopholes rather than winning or losing. The result was secondary.
Wen Hanshan just smiled lightly at being seen through. Then he waved his sleeves and put away the chessboard on the table. “Let’s enter the city.”
The moment the wildebeest entered the territory of Xilin County, Lou Xingyao had noticed the difference between this place and Canglan City.
If Canglan City was a representative of order and rules, then Xilin County was like a symbol of disorder and chaos.
From the moment he entered the city gate, Lou Xingyao could clearly feel the tense atmosphere in the city.
Even if there were two or three pedestrians gathered together to talk, they were in a state of vigilance as if they would swing their weapons directly if the other party showed any abnormality.
From time to time, irregular black and red stains could be seen on the ground. Lou Xingyao, who had worked in the city bureau for eight years and had inspected countless scenes, could tell at a glance that it was the traces left after a large amount of blood was accumulated, dried, and washed.
Lou Xingyao had known that Xilin County was a chaotic place with a mixture of good and bad people before entering the city, but he still couldn’t help feeling nervous when he saw it with his own eyes.
Wen Hanshan was obviously accustomed to everything in front of him. There was no change in his expression. He directed the wildebeest to drive to a market in the county.
Next, Lou Xingyao once again witnessed Wen Hanshan’s efficiency.
Just like the day when he left the Zhou family to buy the blue flame wildebeest, Wen Hanshan found a broker in only two hours and bought a yard in the southern part of Xilin County.
The broker saw that Wen Hanshan was unfamiliar and young, but he drove a blue flame wildebeest carriage when entering the city. This made the broker want to cheat him.
However, the broker’s idea was completely dispelled the moment Wen Hanshan showed a bit of his cultivation.
Almost all the people in Xilin County were cultivators, but due to the chaotic order, cultivators with slightly higher cultivation were unwilling to stay here for long.
Wen Hanshan’s cultivation was at the eighth stage of qi condensation. He might not be able to overturn things in Xilin County but it was enough that people didn’t dare to easily provoke him.
In Xilin County, knowing how to survive was one of the most essential qualities.
In the end, in order to apologize to Wen Hanshan, the broker even took the initiative to give a discount. The original price was 3,700 taels of gold, but he only asked for 3,000 in the end.
He didn’t say anything else once the transaction was completed. He just handed the house deed and other items to Wen Hanshan and left in a hurry. He looked as if he was afraid that Wen Hanshan would chop him up directly if unhappy.
“Look at you. Why did you scare people like that?” Lou Xingyao couldn’t help teasing when he saw the back of the man leaving in a hurry.
“Who made him have evil intentions?” Wen Hanshan raised his feet and walked into the yard in front of him.
Lou Xingyao followed closely behind and looked around.
The whole courtyard was composed of two parts. In front was a two-entry quadrangle. There was a main house and two side rooms in the courtyard. In the front of the house, there was a large open space and a piece of black land the size of a side room in the corner near the west. A well was opened next to the black land.
The previous owner of the yard seemed to use this place only as a place to rest. Except for the main house that showed slight traces of life, the rest of the quadrangle was almost as good as new.
The black soil in the courtyard was also covered with weeds, revealing a look of no one taking care of it.
Behind the courtyard was a piece of farmland that was around three acres. Just like the l and in the courtyard, it was overgrown with weeds. It was obvious that it had been abandoned for a long time.
Lou Xingyao looked around the entire courtyard and couldn’t help wondering, “Why did you choose this place?”
This courtyard wasn’t the best among the several places recommended by the broker, no matter whether it was the geographical location or the price.
The southern part of Xilin County was almost the farthest place from the Endless Forest in the entire county. It could be known that those who chose to settle here either weren’t very skilled or were short of money.
But when it came to price, this courtyard wasn’t cheap due to the three acres of farmland.
3,000 taels of gold could even buy a slightly smaller courtyard in the center of Xilin County.
This location was poor, and the price wasn’t competitive. Over time, the yard had been idle. Before the broker brought Wen Hanshan here, he never thought he could make a deal.
Lou Xingyao even suspected that the broker reduced the price by 700 taels of gold not just to make amends to Wen Hanshan but also because he was afraid that he would never meet another fool willing to spend a lot of money to buy this yard.
Unexpectedly, Wen Hanshan looked at Lou Xingyao with doubts. “Don’t you like it here?”
Lou Xingyao never thought it would be due to this and was a bit stunned for a moment.
Among all the places recommended by the broker, Lou Xingyao really did like this place more.
Maybe it was because the people living around here had a relatively low cultivation level or because it was the place farthest from the Endless Forest, but the tense atmosphere that lingered everywhere in Xilin County was diluted a lot.
Lou Xingyao was born in a peaceful era, so he naturally didn’t like the explosive smell in the city. However, Wen Hanshan didn’t care about it and even accepted it well.
As if sensing his thoughts, Wen Hanshan said at the right time, “I have no requirements for living. Since you are living with me and we call each other brothers, I naturally need to consider your feelings.”
Before this, Lou Xingyao always thought that the brotherhood mentioned by Wen Hanshan was just to facilitate the introduction of the relationship between the two of them in front of outsiders.
However, at this moment, he saw Wen Hanshan acting as if it was natural, and Lou Xingyao realized that the man in front of him had clearly included him in the scope of protection.
Lou Xingyao realized this and suddenly felt differently as he looked at the yard in front of him.
If he just thought of himself as a passerby living here, now he really had some idea that he was the other owner of the yard. Thanks to this mood, even the black soil covered with weeds in the yard had become more pleasing to the eye.
Suddenly, Lou Xingyao seemed to have thought of something. He returned to the carriage and handed over the brocade box that He Wanqing had given him when he left the He family to Wen Hanshan. “In this case, it isn’t good for you to bear the price of this yard alone. Use this hundred taels to add some furniture to this courtyard.”
A trace of regret appeared on Lou Xingyao’s face when he said the last part. This yard was worth 3,000 taels, and the broker reduced the price by 700 taels at once. In comparison, his 100 taels were really a bit embarrassing.
“If you give me all your money, what are you going to do?” Wen Hanshan didn’t mean to show dislike. He knew better than anyone that this was all of Lou Xingyao’s property.
“I’m sure Brother Wen won’t leave me alone, right?” Lou Xingyao blinked.
“You are smart. You want me to support you from now on for just 100 taels?” He said this, but he still took the brocade box.
Wen Hanshan originally wanted to put it directly into the storage bag, but he felt that the center of gravity seemed to be a bit wrong. He subconsciously opened it and found that in addition to a few gold bricks, there were also two small jade bottles in the box.
Before he could ask, Lou Xingyao’s slightly annoyed voice rang in his ears. “I almost forgot. This is the top-grade meridians reconnection pill sent by Miss He. She said that we should each have one.”
“You can forget a fourth-grade pill?” Wen Hanshan’s tone was a bit strange, but he didn’t doubt it. If he had intended to conceal it, he wouldn’t have given the brocade box just now.
“Didn’t too many things happen later?” Lou Xingyao scratched his head with embarrassment.
The next moment, Wen Hanshan took out the two jade bottles from the brocade box. He opened them, checked them, and threw them back into Lou Xingyao’s arms. “This meridians reconnection pill is suitable for you. I will take you to see an alchemist tomorrow. If you can bear the effects of the medicine, then take it as soon as possible.”
Lou Xingyao handed one of the jade bottles to Wen Hanshan. “One is enough for me.”
Unexpectedly, Wen Hanshan didn’t take it and just asked, “Do you think my injuries can be solved by one meridians reconnection pill?”
“Then… two?” Lou Xingyao thought for a moment before handing the other jade bottle in his hand to Wen Hanshan.
“If you give them all to me, what are you going to do?” Wen Hanshan’s tone was a bit strange.
“There is always a way out. Even if there is no way out, Brother Wen can find another one for me when you recover your talent.”
Lou Xingyao didn’t need this one. He still had the well water in his portable space. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have forgotten about these two pills for nearly two months.
However, Wen Hanshan didn’t know what he was thinking. He only knew that Lou Xingyao was willing to give him this pill that could completely change Lou Xingyao’s fate. His expression was a bit complicated for a while, and there was an indescribable meaning in his eyes when he looked at Lou Xingyao.
“No need.” Just as Lou Xingyao was feeling scared by Wen Hanshan’s eyes, he saw Wen Hanshan raise his hand and give him a light tap on the forehead.
Before Lou Xingyao could persuade him again, Wen Hanshan’s next sentence followed, “My meridians injury has healed a long time ago.”
“Then why did you ask the Zhou family for the best-grade pill?” Lou Xingyao was full of disbelief.
“Just to make them unhappy.” Wen Hanshan snorted coldly. His tone was very matter-of-fact.
So you are…” Fully recovered now?
Before he could finish speaking, Wen Hanshan knew what he wanted to ask and gave a direct answer. “Don’t worry, I won’t die.”
What did it mean that he couldn’t die? Was he fully recovered or not?
As Lou Xingyao was still thinking about what Wen Hanshan meant by this, he was hit on the forehead again, and Wen Hanshan told him, “Don’t worry. You don’t have much flesh to begin with. If you keep thinking about it, you will become a skeleton.”
Wen Hanshan didn’t say it, but after spending some time together, Lou Xingyao could tell at a glance that Wen Hanshan had a rough estimate of his injuries.
He didn’t know the exact situation of Wen Hanshan’s injuries, but he could infer something from the plot in the novel.
In the novel, Wen Hanshan had already reached the foundation building stage when he first appeared at the age of 22, so it shouldn’t be a big problem.
Lou Xingyao thought of this and finally felt relieved. He raised his hand and rubbed his forehead. “Why do you always like to hit me on the head?”
“Who made you look so stupid?” Wen Hanshan didn’t give Lou Xingyao a chance to refute it and pointed to the room next to his. “It is getting late. Go choose a room.”
The two of them had entered the city pretty late. After finding the broker’s store and buying a yard, the sky had already darkened.
The courtyard had been abandoned for a long time. After choosing a room, they still needed to buy furniture. If they didn’t move quickly, they might have to spend the night in the carriage.
Lou Xingyao didn’t hesitate after hearing this. He looked around the courtyard. The main room must be left to Wen Hanshan. The remaining two side rooms were almost identical, so he casually pointed to the one to the east. “I will take this one.”
“Yes.” Wen Hanshan nodded slightly and walked to the room chosen by Lou Xingyao.
Before Lou Xingyao could react, he swept away all the dust in the room with a wave of his hand. Then he took out a series of items such as a table, chairs, and a bed from the storage bag.
In the blink of an eye, the empty room was neatly arranged. “See if there is anything missing?”
“You put such things in the storage bag?” Lou Xingyao was almost stunned by Wen Hanshan’s series of actions. Storage bags weren’t cheap in Tianming Continent, especially large-capacity ones. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that every inch of land was worth a lot of money.
Ordinary people would only put important things in storage bags. Who would put a bunch of furniture in it?
“You weren’t convinced when I said you were stupid.” Wen Hanshan glanced at Lou Xingyao, whose jaw was about to drop in shock. “I bought it on the way.”
“When did you…” Lou Xingyao stopped talking halfway. He suddenly remembered that on the way to Xilin County, Wen Hanshan had stopped several times in the county towns they passed by.
There were several times when he disappeared during the trip, and it wasn’t known what he was doing. Now that Lou Xingyao thought about it, he should be going to buy those things.
“It seems that you aren’t completely stupid.” Wen Hanshan snorted when he saw that Lou Xingyao had completely figured it out. “See if there is anything else you need?”
Lou Xingyao heard this and looked around the room. He found that everything, from large items like the bed, table, chairs, and benches to small items like candlesticks and oil lamps, were all available.
Even if Lou Xingyao came by himself, he probably couldn’t prepare all these items at once. It was enough to show how careful Wen Hanshan was.
“There is nothing missing. Thank you, Brother Wen.” As he said this, Lou Xingyao couldn’t help smiling at Wen Hanshan.
“Rest early.” Wen Hanshan raised his hand and gently tapped Lou Xingyao’s head. Then he turned and left the room.
Lou Xingyao saw from the door that wasn’t fully closed that Wen Hanshan didn’t go back to the main room directly. Instead, he took out a few formation plates and set them up in the room.
From his movements, Lou Xingyao could tell at a glance that it was a defensive formation and warning formation that Wen Hanshan often used along the way.
The defensive formation could resist attacks from outsiders. According to Wen Hanshan, this defensive formation could resist the strongest blow of a peak stage foundation building cultivator. Meanwhile, the warning formation could issue a warning to the people inside the room when outsiders entered the yard.
After everything was arranged, Wen Hanshan opened the door of the main house and walked in. At this time, Lou Xingyao finally closed his door and prepared to rest.
Avid fan of danmei novels! If you want access to advance chapters, you can subscribe on Patreon. Thanks!
https://www.patreon.com/WhiteLily476
Thanks for the chapter!
Thank you for the chapter
Thank you for the chapter.