Chapter 20: 19: The Not-So-Friendly Female Neighbor

19: The Not-So-Friendly Female Neighbor

【You interacted with your wife Gu Xinyue for a night, Divine Sense +1.】x18

【Divine Sense: First-tier Intermediate (100/500)】

"Hoo~"

The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Chen An sat on a cotton mat in the woodshed and couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief, a look of gratification appearing on his face.

After working hard at training all night, he had finally achieved a breakthrough in his Divine Sense.

After steadying his mind a little, Chen An closed his eyes and carefully sensed the changes brought about by the breakthrough in his Divine Sense.

His hearing had become sharper.

Across a distance of over ten meters and through two thick wooden doors, he could still hear Song Huaying in the room talking in her sleep, murmuring "husband" over and over, her voice sounding muddled, filled with sleepiness and affection.

His sense of smell had also strengthened.

With just a light inhale of air, he could distinguish dozens of scents within it and precisely track the source of each one.

Slowly opening his eyes, he discovered that his vision had also been greatly improved.

Looking out the window, he could easily see mosquitoes more than a hundred meters away, and could even clearly see every single hair on their legs.

At the same time, his concentration, reaction speed, the processing power of his brain... and various other abilities had all become stronger.

Chen An got up and walked to the window, stopping to aim a Golden Light Projection at a mosquito in the air dozens of meters away.

The next second, the Gold Light struck the mosquito without the slightest deviation, blasting it into dust.

Hmm, his aim was more accurate.

Chen An felt slightly excited; he hadn't expected a breakthrough in Divine Sense to bring about such comprehensive enhancements.

"Husband, I want to drink water~"

Gu Xinyue, who was usually not good at expressing her emotions, suddenly said in a voice as thin as a mosquito's, her tone carrying a hint of coquettishness.

Chen An was somewhat surprised to hear this.

Having spent so many days and nights in bed together, this was the first time he had seen his little concubine, usually an ice-cold block, act like a spoiled child.

Although it was only a little bit of coquettishness, it was truly incredible.

"I will go pour you some water right away."

Chen An said while stroking Gu Xinyue's pretty face, and after speaking, he got up and walked out of the woodshed to the main room to pour her water.

He knew that Gu Xinyue wanted to experience the feeling of being pampered by her husband, and he was more than happy to satisfy this small request of hers.

【You poured water for your wife Gu Xinyue to drink, letting her feel your deep affection, marital bond +1.】

……

After finishing breakfast.

Chen An exhorted his wives and concubines at home, telling them to stay home and not go out.

After saying this, he took over 100 Low-grade Spirit Stones and went out to find Manager Zhang to look at houses.

A moment later.

As soon as the two met, Chen An raised his hand and gave 5 Low-grade Spirit Stones to Manager Zhang, saying it was a small tip for the trouble of taking him to see houses.

Manager Zhang said it wasn't necessary, saying this was his duty and that this was what he did as a Manager.

But after saying that, he still accepted the 5 Low-grade Spirit Stones with a smile, thinking to himself that this Chen An was a decent person, very well-versed in social graces, and worth befriending.

Soon, the two set off.

The Cheap Area where Chen An lived was a bit far from the Core Area.

It was a distance of about twenty-odd li.

Fortunately, both were cultivators, and their travel speed was dozens of times faster than that of an ordinary person.

In less than a quarter of an hour, they successfully arrived at the Core Area.

"Alchemist Chen, this is your first time in the Core Area, right?"

"Yes, first time."

"Then before we look at the houses, let me take you around the Market first; it won't take much time."

"I'll have to trouble you, Manager Zhang."

"Alchemist Chen, you're being too formal."

Manager Zhang said with a beaming smile.

Chen An also smiled, appearing very friendly.

Recalling how the other party had come to collect rent before, and how he had given him a cold look just because he opened the door a bit slowly, and comparing that to his current attitude—all smiles after receiving the 5 Low-grade Spirit Stones as a tip—he could only say that having money was truly great.

Soon, the two arrived at the Market in the Core Area and began to stroll through it.

A three-story women's accessory shop.

A four-story alchemy firm.

A five-story pleasure house...

As Chen An walked along, he saw many grand and imposing buildings.

Compared to the Market in the Cheap Area, the Market in the Core Area was bustling and prosperous, making one yearn for it.

"Alchemist Chen, how is the Market here? Isn't it much more colorful and diverse than the one in the Cheap Area?"

Manager Zhang said with a smile.

It was diverse, but compared to the metropolises filled with skyscrapers from his past life, it was far behind...

Chen An thought this as he calmly nodded and said: "It is indeed much more prosperous, and very popular."

Seeing that he didn't show any of the wide-eyed, shocked behavior of a country bumpkin entering the city, Manager Zhang couldn't help but praise him greatly in his heart, thinking that this Alchemist Chen was truly extraordinary and that his temperament was much more Wen than the average person.

Afterward, he said to him: "After you move to the Core Area tomorrow, Alchemist Chen, when you have time, you can bring your wives and concubines to stroll around the Market here. The Core Area has guards patrolling regularly, so safety is relatively guaranteed, and generally, no one will cause trouble."

Chen An smiled and said, "It's worth the price."

Manager Zhang laughed loudly: "That goes without saying, otherwise how would I dare to charge you a rent as high as 100 Low-grade Spirit Stones per month."

At this very moment, Chen An could finally deeply appreciate how valuable a safe and secure residence could be in this insecure world of cultivation.

The two continued to stroll along.

Along the way, facing every cultivator walking toward him, Chen An would unobtrusively and secretly sense the other party's cultivation level.

Although those at the Qi Refining early stage still made up the majority, the average cultivation level was significantly higher than in the Cheap Area.

First of all, cultivators at the Qi Refining Mid-Stage, who one wouldn't see even once in half a day in the Cheap Area, were quite common here.

Even cultivators at the Qi Refining Late Stage were encountered as many as eight times along the way.

And that was just the ones he sensed.

As for those he didn't sense, he reckoned there wouldn't be fewer than eight.

Seeing that they had strolled enough, Manager Zhang took Chen An to look at the houses.

After looking at more than ten houses in a row, Chen An finally chose one that was in a relatively remote location but had a much larger footprint.

Three rooms and a living room, two courtyards, and the kitchen, latrine, and such were all fully equipped.

"Alchemist Chen, are you sure you want to choose this house?"

Manager Zhang advised: "Although this house is relatively large, it is quite a bit further from the Market, so I don't really recommend choosing this one."

Bigger is better; I can house more people in the future...

Chen An smiled and said: "I personally still prefer this house, let's choose it."

Seeing that he insisted on renting here, Manager Zhang no longer tried to persuade him and began to process the move-in procedures for him.

It took nearly half an hour, and all the procedures were completed.

Manager Zhang handed the keys to the house to Chen An, and suddenly remembering something, he reminded him:

"By the way, Alchemist Chen, the person living next door to you is a female cultivator who is a bit difficult to get along with; no need to go out of your way to build a relationship with her, just treat her as if she doesn't exist."

"Is that so? Many thanks to Manager Zhang for the reminder."

After saying that, Chen An added: "Manager Zhang, there is one matter I might need to trouble you with again."

"Alchemist Chen, please speak freely."

"It's like this: I plan to bring my wives and concubines to move here tomorrow after lunch, and I would like to ask you, Manager Zhang, to come and escort us on the way here."

As he spoke, Chen An sensibly took out 10 Low-grade Spirit Stones and handed them to Manager Zhang, smiling as he said: "A small token for your trouble, I hope Manager Zhang won't mind."

"It's just an escort, nothing more than a small, effortless favor; there's no need to give me as many as 10 Spirit Stones, just give me 1."

Manager Zhang took one of the Low-grade Spirit Stones as a gesture; his intention to befriend Chen An was very obvious.

Chen An was also happy to befriend such a Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator, so he didn't stand on ceremony with him.

After chatting for a few sentences.

Manager Zhang said he happened to have some matters to handle here, so he bid Chen An farewell and left.

Chen An had nothing to do staying here, so he planned to return to the Cheap Area to pack the luggage for his wives and concubines to bring tomorrow.

Just as he turned to leave, he saw a beautiful woman walking toward him from the front.

She looked to be in her early thirties, with a dignified and noble appearance and a graceful, curvaceous figure; she was like a ripe peach, exuding a charming and mature woman's aura from head to toe.

Seeing Chen An sizing her up, the beautiful woman immediately glared at him and cursed: "What are you looking at? Keep looking and this lady will dig your eyes out!"

After cursing, she walked quickly past Chen An, entered the house next door, and slammed the door shut with a bang.

Is this my neighbor who is not easy to get along with?

Isn't this figure a bit against the rules?

Isn't this face a bit excessively good-looking?

Recalling the charming manner of the beautiful woman as she walked past him just now.

Chen An felt that a person as kind-hearted as himself would surely be able to get along happily with all kinds of people.

Even a female neighbor who was difficult to get along with could be dealt with well.

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