Chapter 13: Collecting Rent

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

In these five days, Yu Zhangsheng had fed chickens to accumulate another 675 points of Essence; adding the 300 points remaining from last time, he had a total of 975 points.

This amount was enough for him to raise the Wind Travel Technique to Mastery.

However, Yu Zhangsheng intended to save them for now; after all, this Essence was hard to come by, and he would need it in the future to transform Spirit Beasts and fuse them.

Moreover, his Spirit Refining Art required a large amount of Essence; compared to that, spending it all on an uncertain danger was not worth it.

For now, his methods were sufficient for self-preservation; when he truly needed the Wind Travel Technique, he could just add points temporarily then! At the end of the year, the day for collecting rent arrived.

Twenty Outer Disciples gathered in the courtyard and, led by an Outer Sect Disciple, headed to the Yu Fang City Za Ren Tang.

At the Yu Fang City Za Ren Tang, besides Yu Zhangsheng's group of Outer Disciples, there were many other Outer Disciples from the Outer Peaks; everyone curiously sized each other up and whispered from time to time.

Normally, the Outer Peaks did not contact each other much; it was rare for so many Outer Disciples to gather, and for a while it was quite lively.

"Hey, isn't that Zhuang Yan? Haha, it's been five years since we joined the Sect together!"

Hearing his name, Zhuang Yan turned to look and saw a rugged-looking man walking over, shouting uncertainly: "Wu Shang?"

"It's me; haven't seen you in five years, are you starting to not recognize me?" Wu Shang came to Zhuang Yan's side and said with a loud laugh.

"You are a bit hard to recognize; I remember you were skin and bone before, but I didn't expect you to become so sturdy now; it seems you've been doing quite well in the Outer Peak."

Zhuang Yan hadn't expected to run into an acquaintance, and a smile appeared on his face.

Wu Shang's gaze swept over the Outer Disciples behind him, and he said in a low voice: "It's all thanks to luck; two years ago, a noble took a liking to me and brought me to Yu Fang City to work; I've been getting along swimmingly on the streets and earned quite a bit in tips."

"Otherwise, how could I have my current Realm?"

Hearing this, Zhuang Yan only then noticed that the other's Realm was actually already Qi Refining Fifth Layer, and he was greatly surprised.

In the past, both had joined the Wanxiang Sect together, and he had still been one small Realm ahead of the other; he hadn't expected that after five years, he would actually be surpassed.

In his heart, for a while it was a mix of feelings.

At this moment, Wu Shang seemed to see his dejection; the corner of his mouth curled into a smile as he said: "This rent collection is actually also an opportunity."

"Oh? How so?" Zhuang Yan raised his head and asked somewhat surprisedly.

Yu Zhangsheng and the others couldn't help but prick up their ears.

Seeing several Outer Disciples gathering around, Wu Shang did not drive them away; instead, he smiled even more broadly and said: "Think about it; the Sect lets us collect rent—ten Low-grade Spirit Stones per house per year; those Loose Cultivators in the slums aren't all able to come up with that."

"For those with stronger Realms, we can be cautious and report to the Sect to have Outer Sect Disciples drive them away; but for the weak ones, if they can't pay the rent, aren't they just left for us to slaughter?"

"Outside the slums is a dense forest; I don't need to say the rest, you all understand, right?"

Wu Shang narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly.

Everyone understood the chill in that smile; they looked at one another—some Outer Disciples were tempted, some remained silent, and some, like Yu Zhangsheng, furrowed their brows.

"If they can't pay the rent, the Sect only commands us to evict them; if we do this, wouldn't we be blackening the Sect's name and going against the Sect's intentions?"

Zhuang Yan widened his eyes, looking at the other, and felt a sense of strangeness.

Was this still his playmate from five years ago? Wu Shang didn't think so and said: "Who would know if they died? Besides, we Outer Disciples find cultivation harder than ordinary disciples; if we don't strive and act, when will we ever enter the Outer Sect or Inner Sect?"

"But, to kill innocent Loose Cultivators for some resources"

Zhuang Yan felt somewhat stifled; gritting his teeth, he said: "It's still an Evil Path!"

Wu Shang's gaze looked him over; seeing that his expression was serious, he gave up on continuing to persuade him and said with a smile: "They'll die at someone else's hands sooner or later anyway; fine, since you're unwilling to do this with me, just honestly collect the rent. I still have some influence here; I'll help you get an easier assignment."

After speaking, he patted Zhuang Yan's shoulder; he didn't know if there was a threat in those words, but as long as one was a normal person, no one would go report it.

After all, this kind of thing was too common in this cruel world; reporting it would only be thankless hard work, and at most the instigator would be punished a bit.

Zhuang Yan also didn't intend to offend Wu Shang; he nodded and said: "Then I'll thank Brother Wu."

Wu Shang's smile didn't diminish; he waved his hand and said: "Wait for me here."

After he left, Zhuang Yan looked at the others and said earnestly: "You few all heard what was just said."

"I don't know if anyone was tempted, but you call me Senior Brother Zhuang; some things that should be said must be said; don't get involved in this matter—the Loose Cultivators in the slums are a mix of true and false; you Qi Refining Third Layer ones can't see through them, so those who are tempted should back out; I don't want to collect your corpses."

Hearing this, several Outer Disciples' complexions changed slightly; one of them smiled and said: "Rest assured, Senior Brother Zhuang; we know; honest cultivation is the right path."

"Yes, yes; those Loose Cultivators who can linger on death's door here—how many of them are good sorts? We won't be foolish enough to deal with them."

"Hahaha, Junior Brother Yu, you say so, right?"

Yu Zhangsheng nodded and said: "Only by surviving and developing can one live long."

Soon, that Wu Shang brought back several assignment sheets and keys.

"Come, this is yours."

He handed out the items one by one, saying: "Collect according to the numbers on this; one person is responsible for about a hundred houses; collect and hand them in here before tomorrow morning."

"If you encounter danger, you can ask nearby Outer Disciples for help; everyone isn't too far apart."

Yu Zhangsheng took an assignment sheet and a string of keys from his hand.

The sheet listed Xilong Street numbers 550 to 650 in the slums; behind it were the tenants' names, registered Realms, and the rent required.

Some of them owed two or three months of rent; if they wanted to continue living in the slums, they had to pay ten Low-grade Spirit Stones for a year and make up the arrears; if they didn't want to continue living there, they still had to make up the arrears, and then they were ordered to move out tonight.

Yu Zhangsheng roughly looked it over and had a clear idea in his mind.

"Time waits for no one; everyone start."

Wu Shang clapped his hands and shouted: "Those from Xilong Street, follow me."

Inside the Outer Sect Hall, hundreds of Outer Disciples set out under the command of their respective leaders,

"Slap slap slap!!!"

"Rent collection! Rent collection!"

The rough knocking on doors sounded one after another in the slums.

Yu Zhangsheng had never collected rent in his previous life; following Zhuang Yan and the others into Xilong Street, holding the list and matching the numbers, he was just thinking about how to open his mouth when

a Cultivator inside who heard the noise opened the door and knelt before him with a pale complexion.

"Adults, Adults!"

"I went out hunting Demonic Beasts a few days ago and suffered severe injuries; all the spirit stones on me were spent buying medicine, I truly cannot produce any — Huan Qing, please grant me a few more days' grace!"

(Chapter End)