Chapter 167: 167. Chapter 167: Accidentally Became a Noble

167. Chapter 167: Accidentally Became a Noble

"One hundred thousand gold Soul Coins, this is yours, here's the land deed; money in one hand, goods in the other." The old man took a Scroll from his chest, opened it cleanly, and showed it to Li Xuan.

It seemed that this old man was the lord of this place; Li Xuan examined him closely, and from the old man's attire could tell that the fabric was high‑quality, though a bit worn, suggesting the clothes had been worn for a long time.

But Li Xuan looked at the old man closely: his face was gaunt, his eyes dull, as if his spirit had been drained.

Li Xuan glanced over the old man's shoulder at the courtyard behind; the courtyard was spacious yet desolate and dilapidated, with broken floor tiles and crumbling walls everywhere.

Moreover, aside from the old man standing there, there was no one else in the courtyard, and Li Xuan wondered what had happened here.

Turning back, Li Xuan examined the scroll in the old man's hand.

It was not a land deed for this place, but a certificate of reward for this title.

With this sheepskin scroll, Li Xuan became the new Baron, and this land rightfully became his domain.

In the Star Luo Empire, titles cannot be traded but can be inherited; of course, that's just a different phrasing—the essence is still buying and selling land, only noble titles usually command higher prices.

Compared with buying land, purchasing a title is somewhat not worth the cost, since the value‑for‑price of a title is low.

And this land is extremely barren; one hundred thousand gold Soul Coins is not exactly cheap, but it's certainly not cheap either—the land is not worth that amount.

It's not that Li Xuan can't afford it; he simply doesn't want to waste money.

As a youngster of the new era, even if he doesn't know how to haggle, Li Xuan knows that a mid‑point cut never goes wrong, so he simply halved the price!

"Fifty thousand gold Soul Coins; if you agree, keep the certificate, if not, there's nothing I can do." Li Xuan thought for a moment, then said this to the old man.

Li Xuan's gaze was calm and steady, fixed on the old man, waiting for him to continue bargaining.

"Deal!" the old man unhesitatingly thrust the sheepskin scroll into Li Xuan's bosom.

Li Xuan thought, "Damn, what a loss! 'Never mind, never mind, a gentleman's word is hard to retract, here are the fifty thousand gold Soul Coins, take them.'" He then took five bags each containing ten thousand gold Soul Coins from the Void Pearl and placed them on the ground.

"You're so straightforward, kid!" the old man's eyes lit up, and he quickly loaded the gold Soul Coins into his Soul Guide Device.

Although his innate talent as a noble was modest, his bloodline granted him an Innate Soul Power Level, making him a soul master, and this Soul Guide Device had been passed down in his family.

"Come on, give me the scroll, I'll sign, and then you just need to go to Star Luo City to handle the title inheritance." The old man stretched out his hand and beckoned Li Xuan.

Li Xuan was puzzled, but still returned the scroll in his hand to the old man.

"What's your name? I need to sign here." the old man asked Li Xuan.

"My name is…" Li Xuan began to say, but suddenly realized his identity had been exposed, so the words were forced back into his throat.

The Seven Treasures Glazed Sect has probably already uncovered both his real name and the alias Li Feiyu.

"Your identity isn't safe?" the old man asked, looking at Li Xuan with puzzlement. Li Xuan said nothing, only nodded silently.

"This is the identity badge of my late son; consider it a new identity for you. I don't need to sign for you; with this badge, you can directly inherit the land here." The old man sighed, then pulled a Token from his chest and handed it to Li Xuan.

"What is this…?" Li Xuan asked, his face puzzled.

"You've already given me fifty thousand gold Soul Coins; what's the problem if I do you a small favor?" the old man said with a smile.

Li Xuan lowered his head and glanced at the object in his hand: palm‑sized, entirely jet‑black, with the two characters 'Ande' inscribed on it.

"Sir, why not stay here and work for me?" Li Xuan raised an eyebrow and asked. The old man was solitary and helpless, and Li Xuan felt a pang of compassion.

"I still intend to travel the clouds; I already have fifty thousand gold Soul Coins, why should I work for you!" the old man said irritably, then turned and left.

"Don't worry, kid; everyone here has left, no one knows my child's identity. Be cautious in the future, and after a few years you can venture out again." The old man sighed, his expression a bit despondent.

"By the way, sir, what happened here? Why is it so desolate? Where are the people?" Li Xuan frowned and asked.

"This is the Ande Family's garrison. Originally, the Ande Family held the barony in Ladi Canyon, but Ladi Canyon suddenly turned into a barren wasteland. The Star Luo Emperor, seeing our hardships, granted us this place. It used to be arable, but in recent years it has become increasingly infertile; no plant can grow here. The residents gradually moved away, leaving only me, an old man, to guard the place. Now that you've arrived, I can also leave." The old man smiled brightly, then prepared to depart.

Li Xuan no longer blocked the old man, merely nodded and saw him off as he left.

The old man's legs were swift; in no time he was gone, destination unknown.

Li Xuan laughed and shook his head, then glanced at the sheepskin scroll in his bosom. The old man hadn't deceived him; with this, he was a Baron recognized by the Star Luo Empire—though not a Duke or Earl with real authority, it was still a noble status.

After slipping the scroll into his chest, Li Xuan looked at the surrounding houses; they were already completely empty, the area utterly desolate, truly devoid of any person.

Moreover, Li Xuan entered the lord's manor and saw nothing inside; it seemed the old man had long intended to leave.

"But spending fifty thousand gold Soul Coins for an official noble title isn't such a loss." Li Xuan shook his head helplessly, wishing he had haggled harder.

He tucked away the sheepskin scroll and left directly; the place was now a ruin of broken walls, with nothing of value left.

Next, everything here will have to be torn down and rebuilt.

After all, it's no longer suitable for living.

As for the land issue the old man mentioned, Li Xuan slowly furrowed his brows; it seemed something was wrong here, and he'd have to find a way to solve it, otherwise planting crops would be impossible.

Boarding a carriage, Li Xuan headed straight back outside the canyon; the Yellow Turban Warriors had erected a large camp, bustling with comings and goings.

It seemed everyone was busy.

(End of Chapter)