CHAPTER 59: CHAPTER 59: SETTLING

Seeing Lu Ren’s keen interest, Zhang Yan, who was well-versed in this place, introduced fluently: "Chentai City has nine squares and an Inner City. We entered from the South City Gate, and this place is called Bai Han Square, famous for poetry, painting, qin, and chess. Many literati and scholars gather in this square. Did you see the lanterns by the streets? The light inside is emitted by warm stones.

However, the most alluring and unforgettable place is the Nine-Eyed Square, which features brothels and inns. Those ladies truly have figures both slender and round, dressed in..."

"Uncle Zhang!!" Chen Ling beside him interrupted Zhang Yan with a tone full of reproach.

Zhang Yan quickly put away his lascivious expression, coughed twice, and said, "Hero, I don’t know your name yet. Your honorable surname?"

"I’m called Lu Yi." Lu Ren replied casually.

Using a pseudonym while traveling is much safer.

"Brother Lu, is it okay to call you that?"

"Whatever."

Seeing that Lu Ren didn’t mind, Zhang Yan was overjoyed and said: "We’ve been in the Underworld for so long, already starving; let me host today, shall we grab something nice?"

Lu Ren nodded: "Sure."

Zhang Yan found a restaurant, ordered a full table of dishes, then stood and patted the wooden box containing Cold Condensing Grass, laughed: "Brother Lu, take your time eating, I’ll be back soon, won’t take long at all!"

Then he turned to Chen Ling and said: "Little Ling’er, accompany Brother Lu well here, don’t offend him!"

He still remembered that this person had fought their way out of the Ghostly Battlefield!

Chen Ling, who was stuffing food into her mouth, nodded repeatedly, her attention mostly on the full table of food.

Lu Ren noticed this, but inwardly admired Zhang Yan’s meticulous nature; from their interaction, Zhang Yan was clearly among the bottom of Underworld hunters, and he carried Chen Ling, a burden.

No martial arts, no money.

It’s entirely risking their lives; these two are pitiful people.

What surprised him was Zhang Yan’s familiarity with the environment of the Underworld and even quite the Seven-Aperture Exquisite.

The dishes in this Otherworld didn’t attract Lu Ren much; Highly Concentrated Nutrient Pills provided quite a good sense of fullness and added a certain effect to fist technique training.

But with the Skill Level System’s bonus, this was rather trivial for Lu Ren.

He kept using a detector to check each dish, ensuring there were no harmful substances, then picked up the chopsticks to eat; because of the nutrient pills, Lu Ren only had a taste and left the rest for Chen Ling to finish.

This world had a tendency for sweetness, yet Lu Ren preferred sour, spicy, and salty food.

After about half an hour, Zhang Yan ran over drenched in sweat, holding a bag out to Lu Ren.

He panted heavily: "Brother Lu, wasn’t it that you wanted to find a place to stay? I know a broker, why not go and see; he knows of quite a nice courtyard!"

Lu Ren didn’t delay, put down his chopsticks, and nodded: "Let’s go."

"Wait, wait, let me shovel down some rice first! Otherwise, I’d starve on the way."

Zhang Yan chuckled a few times, picked up a rice bowl, and started stuffing his mouth rapidly.

Lu Ren opened the money bag to see three gold coins and over ten hefty silver ingots.

Zhang Yan, speaking unclearly, said: "Brother Lu, those Cold Condensing Grass were of good quality, although many were torn leaves and broken stalks; it didn’t affect the medicinal properties and exchanged for nearly four hundred taels of silver, these gold coins are one hundred taels each, and in Chentai City, one hundred taels could buy you a decent courtyard!"

Lu Ren nodded slightly, tossing a gold coin casually to Zhang Yan.

Zhang Yan clumsily caught it, his face full of surprise and joy: "Brother Lu, how can I accept this?!"

Lu Ren casually said: "Consider it a hardship fee, no need to decline."

Zhang Yan was indeed good at dealing with people, although his eyes revealed greed and reluctance, he managed to suppress the desire strongly.

Everyone has desires, the key is to control them; although Lu Ren didn’t want to maintain such a superficial relationship, the other’s attitude pleased him greatly.

Having seen that Lu Ren’s tone carried no insincerity, Zhang Yan was excited and said: "Thank you, thank you!"

While speaking, he hugged Chen Ling, "Little Ling’er, we can move to a new place!"

Chen Ling was equally thrilled.

"So I can have my own room!"

"Definitely!" Zhang Yan said with full confidence.

Seeing the two, one big and one small, Lu Ren’s originally cool gaze softened considerably, at least the relationship between these two was genuine, without falsehood, which was rare.

Such people cannot be too bad.

Within the next hour, Zhang Yan settled the bill, then eagerly took Lu Ren to find the property broker of this era, the so-called broker, found a peaceful courtyard near a small river, with four rooms, a garden, surrounded by a wall, about 300 square meters.

"Mr. Lu, since you’re referred by Zhang Yan, I won’t cheat you, this courtyard can be bought for just one hundred and twenty taels, the surrounding neighbors are high officials and wealthy merchants, good security, environment facing the river, quite nice; across the river is Changlong Street, cross the bridge to a commercial street, truly a rare peaceful spot amidst the hustle and bustle!"

"And buying now includes furniture and bedding, essentially move-in ready!"

Lu Ren wasn’t fazed by the broker’s boasting; after inspecting the three rooms, he felt quite satisfied, a main hall, two bedrooms, a kitchen, with a large yard and a covered well in the corner, with a separate toilet built next to it, with drainage directly to the river.

Without hesitation, he paid, signed, each holding a copy, and waited for the broker to go to the government to confirm the signature the next day.

No need for Lu Ren to handle this, the broker would manage it seamlessly.

After Zhang Yan and Chen Ling thanked Lu Ren thrice and bid farewell, they excitedly followed the broker to see their new house, leaving Lu Ren alone in the courtyard.

By now, the bright moon had risen.

Approximately eight o’clock at night.

The daily cycle in this Otherworld was almost identical to the real world, making Lu Ren suspect whether all the worlds he encountered shared the same sun and moon with the real world.

...

...

That night, the Governor’s Mansion in Chentai City was still brightly lit.

The current governor, Li Bing, wasn’t the usual civil official type, donned in Bright Armor, sword girded at his waist, tall and strong, moving with tiger-like strides, evidently a Martial Path expert.

Yet, Li Bing’s face was full of worry at this moment, his eyes unable to conceal his concerns.

Beneath him was a captain, orally reporting urgent news.

"Governor, urgent news from the Imperial City, they’ve sent the Demon Extermination Bureau, a black-clothed envoy, three cyan-robed envoys, and sixteen blue-clothed envoys to confirm within two days."

Hearing the captain’s words bearing good news of substantial weight, Li Bing’s tightly furrowed brows relaxed, instructing earnestly: "Keep watching the Yang Membrane all the time, if there’s any movement, report immediately!"

"Yes!"