Chapter 102: 100. Asking for Opinions (3/3)

100. Asking for Opinions (3/3)

After wandering around for a while, Chen An and the others spotted an inn and walked in together.

The price of the guest rooms was very expensive.

The cheapest tier cost 30 Low-grade Spirit Stones per day.

The middle tier cost 50 Low-grade Spirit Stones per day.

The most luxurious tier required 1 Middle-grade Spirit Stone, which meant 100 Low-grade Spirit Stones per day.

Thinking that he would only be staying for a few days anyway, Chen An opened a room in the luxurious tier.

After all, they were a family of five, and he was afraid it wouldn't be comfortable enough if it were too small.

Besides, things were not like before; they were much wealthier now, so he certainly had to reward himself occasionally and enjoy life a bit more.

"Alchemist Chen, I won't be staying here. I have a friend in this Red Cedar Forest, and I plan to stay with her for a while. Let us meet again another day."

Seeing that Chen An had finished booking the room, Shen Qingyi bid him farewell and turned to walk out the door.

Seeing this, Chen An called out, "Fellow Daoist Shen, wait a moment."

"Is there something you need, Alchemist Chen?" Shen Qingyi asked, stopping and turning back.

Chen An said, "Fellow Daoist Shen, now that we are in a strange land, we are among the few acquaintances each other has. We should visit each other more often in the future, but I don't know how to contact you when I want to reach out."

Shen Qingyi took a Sound Transmission Talisman from her Storage Bag and handed it to Chen An, saying, "Alchemist Chen, take this Sound Transmission Talisman. You can contact me via sound transmission at any time in the future."

Chen An took the Sound Transmission Talisman.

After testing it to confirm he could send a sound transmission to Shen Qingyi.

He moved his thoughts and stored it away in his Storage Bag.

Shen Qingyi bid farewell again, "Alchemist Chen, if there is nothing else, I will be going now. Let us meet again another day."

"Fellow Daoist Shen, wait a moment."

"Is there something else, Alchemist Chen?"

"I just wanted to ask, is your friend a man or a woman? So that if I go to visit one day, I can choose a gift."

"She is a female cultivator."

"Fellow Daoist Shen, take care. Let's gather often when you have time."

"Alright."

After saying this, Shen Qingyi turned and walked out of the inn.

She did not actually have any female cultivator friend; it was entirely because she did not have many Spirit Stones on her right now, and she had to be frugal until she found a way to make a living. She planned to find some place with few people to sleep in the open for a few days to ease her financial pressure.

Once she found a way to make a living, she would rent a house and settle down in the Red Cedar Forest.

Chen An did not know her thoughts.

Otherwise, he would have insisted on paying to open another room just now to let her stay at the inn.

After booking the room and settling his wife and daughter in.

Chen An went downstairs alone, slipped the innkeeper 1 Middle-grade Spirit Stone, and asked him about the situation in this area.

After some inquiry, he learned.

Most people in this area made a living by hunting monsters.

The largest hunting party was the Heaven and Earth Sect.

Below them were various gangs and families.

Further below were the rogue cultivators.

Unlike the Bamboo Leaf Forest, although the Red Cedar Forest was attached to the Heaven and Earth Sect, the Heaven and Earth Sect did not manage the Red Cedar Forest, nor did it provide protection.

Simply put, the Red Cedar Forest was not a residential area developed by the Heaven and Earth Sect, but rather a residential area that had gradually grown and formed after some gangs, families, and rogue cultivators in the past had moved in close, thinking that it was good to enjoy the shade under a big tree.

It was just that the Heaven and Earth Sect had no objections to this and simply let these people live on the outskirts of their sect.

It was not that the Heaven and Earth Sect was easygoing, but rather that the Heaven and Earth Sect felt this was mutually beneficial.

For example, when recruiting sect disciples or purchasing various materials, the Heaven and Earth Sect could complete these tasks directly in the Red Cedar Forest, without having to specifically send people to travel the world as they had done long ago.

Because the Heaven and Earth Sect did not manage affairs, the Red Cedar Forest was basically divided and occupied by various gangs and families.

Like the inn where Chen An was currently staying, it was opened by a Golden Core family in the forest.

With so many gangs.

And so many families.

There would inevitably be conflicts of interest.

Therefore, although the Red Cedar Forest was attached to the outskirts of the Heaven and Earth Sect and would not be harmed by monsters, internal chaos occurred from time to time, and various power struggles frequently arose.

People dying and such happened from time to time.

After learning all this, Chen An's brows furrowed tightly.

Living in the Bamboo Leaf Forest before, although life was a bit bitter, at least it was quite stable.

He had lived there for ten or twenty years before being forced to move away because of the war between the Bamboo Leaf Gang and the Black Iron Villa.

And now, hearing the innkeeper say this, it seemed that this Red Cedar Forest was not very stable.

Chen An fell into deep thought.

He wondered if, as a Foundation Establishment expert now, he could go outside and find a place with no one around to establish his own sect?

In this way, he could avoid many unnecessary power struggles.

But then he thought, this path would not work.

The Mountain Sea Domain was not like the Great Thousand Domain.

In the Great Thousand Domain, a Foundation Establishment cultivator could establish their own sect and protect a region.

But in the Mountain Sea Domain, Foundation Establishment monsters would come out to forage at every turn, and occasionally even Golden Core monsters would come out to forage.

The so-called Foundation Establishment experts can barely even protect themselves here.

Let alone Foundation Establishment experts, even Golden Core titans dare not establish their own sects in some desolate, uninhabited areas; they must all rely on Nascent Soul sects to survive.

After thinking this through, Chen An still decided to settle down in this Red Cedar Forest.

It was just a matter of where exactly to live, which would require some effort to look into.

After all, the forces in the Red Cedar Forest are intricate and complex; if he chose the wrong place to live, he feared he would inevitably be caught up in various factional disputes later on.

Thinking this, Chen An asked, "Shopkeeper Zeng, I am a rogue cultivator who moved here from the Great Thousand Domain, and I know a bit of alchemy. I would like to settle down here in the Red Cedar Forest; I wonder if you have any good places to recommend?"

This Shopkeeper Zeng was also an honest man; he smiled after hearing this and said, "Alchemist Chen, if you want me to make a recommendation, then I would certainly recommend the Zeng Family to which I belong."

"If your alchemy skills are superb, you can apply to become an Alchemy Guest Elder of my Zeng Family."

"At that time, we can provide you with a free place to live."

"If we get along well, we could even arrange a marriage to deepen our relationship."

"By the way, the ancestor of my Zeng Family is a Golden Core Mid-stage titan, one of the top powerhouses in the Red Cedar Forest."

When he said this last sentence, a look of pride could not help but appear on Shopkeeper Zeng's face.

Chen An was very good at handling people; after hearing this, he boasted about the Zeng Family a few times, which left Shopkeeper Zeng feeling quite pleased with himself.

Afterwards, he asked, "Shopkeeper Zeng, if I do not wish to join any faction and want to settle here as a rogue cultivator, are there any good places to recommend?"

Shopkeeper Zeng replied quickly, "As for places for rogue cultivators to live, currently there is only Baicao Lane in the Red Cedar Forest. There are always private houses for rent or sale there; Alchemist Chen can go take a look when you have time."

"Many thanks for the information, Shopkeeper Zeng."

Chen An said with a smile, and soon took his leave.

He returned to the guest room to discuss his upcoming plans with his wives and concubines, asking for their opinions.

The wives and concubines were all very sensible, saying that they would listen to their husband in everything.

After chatting for a while, his young wife Song Huaying suddenly asked, "Husband, that... did you take a fancy to Fairy Shen?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Wen Zhiyun and Gu Xinyue both cast their gazes onto Chen An's face.

Chen An did not hide it either, and said truthfully, "To tell you the truth, I have indeed taken a fancy to Fellow Daoist Shen."

After speaking, he asked his three wives and concubines, "I wonder what you three think; do you feel this Fellow Daoist Shen is acceptable?"

Song Huaying did not even think about it, her face full of smiles and anticipation as she said, "Husband, that Fairy Shen has such a dashing temperament; I want to acknowledge her as my older sister. Could you work hard and marry her home quickly?"

Gu Xinyue had no objections, saying, "As long as Husband likes her, that is fine."

Wen Zhiyun was not very willing in her heart, but as a concubine, she knew very well that she could not make the decisions, so she could only say with a look of compromise, "Husband, we don't know much about that Fellow Daoist Shen yet; it would be better to learn more about her first."

PS: Setting out my bowl, begging for monthly tickets and recommendation tickets!