Chapter 75: Buying the Estate

In the afternoon, the carriage finally came to a stop.

After Li Xuan jumped down from the carriage, he surveyed the surroundings; it was a plain, the terrain flat and ideal for farming, but overgrown weeds had taken hold, looking as if the land had not been tended for a long time.

But it's understandable on the Douluo Continent at this time—there's nothing but land, abundant land, yet no labor to cultivate it.

A few hundred meters away stood a vast estate, its tall walls overrun with climbing tigers, and the heavy iron gate was already riddled with rust.

"What a place, Mr. Fenglu, the house you introduced to me is quite old," Li Xuan said with a smile to Fenglu.

"Haha, this property has been in our tooth trade for a long time; its age‑related disrepair is normal," Fenglu replied with a grin.

"However, little master, you're right. Although we send people regularly to clean up, the place is still too dilapidated to live in, so let's pitch a tent outside tonight and stay there temporarily," Fenglu said, looking seriously at Li Xuan.

"Then I'll trouble you, Mr. Fenglu," Li Xuan replied, also feeling the house was unsuitable for habitation; even from a distance one could tell it had been unoccupied for ages.

"Haha, it's our duty. It's still early, so I'll take you to look around the surroundings and see what remains in the estate," Fenglu said, smiling and nodding, waving his hand as the attendant began erecting the tent and lighting a campfire.

Fenglu first led Li Xuan into the estate.

Pushing open the iron gate revealed a ruinous Courtyard; the fountain was dry, and the Chitang was filled with trash.

Nevertheless, the estate boasted pavilions, towers, and halls—once exceedingly luxurious before abandonment—but now only thick dust and spiderwebs clung to the walls.

"Mr. Fenglu, the people you sent to clean up can be taken back and buried alive; this is clearly a ruse," Li Xuan said with a light laugh, looking at the ruined Courtyard.

"Haha, little master is joking," Fenglu replied awkwardly, not answering Li Xuan directly.

Li Xuan naturally did not press further, surveyed the surroundings, and began inspecting the structures; despite the decay, the original materials were solid, and once cleaned they could be moved into directly.

However, Li Xuan wanted to build a Winery, and the existing buildings here should number at least a few.

"Little master, rest assured, the materials here are top‑grade; if you wish to reside, you can simply purchase a batch of slaves, clear the place, and I can move in directly," Fenglu said, doing his best to sell the property.

"Haha, Mr. Fenglu, I intend to build a Winery, so I'll have to demolish the existing structures; nothing will remain," Li Xuan instantly caught Fenglu's implication and retorted.

You still want to hike the price? Dream on!

Fenglu was stunned by Li Xuan's words; he hadn't expected the youngster to speak like that.

Then, after touring the entire Courtyard with Fenglu's explanations, Li Xuan was still quite satisfied with the estate; it seemed its former owner had been either wealthy or noble.

However, Li Xuan valued the thousands of acres of land outside the estate even more.

With this land, Li Xuan could not only grow medicinal herbs but also plant Dragon Tooth Rice; the wine brewed from these by the Dragon Kings has a certain strengthening effect on the flesh even without further refinement.

After touring the estate, dusk had already fallen, so Fenglu and Li Xuan decided to return to the camp to rest and inspect the surrounding land tomorrow.

Dinner was freshly grilled beef with assorted vegetables; Li Xuan, of course, ate heartily until fully satisfied before returning to his own tent to rest.

After returning to his tent, Li Xuan immediately took out the stalks of Dragon Tooth Rice, fetched the water jar he had, placed the stalks inside, and poured in some diluted Green Spirit Liquid to keep the seeds from dying.

Having done that, Li Xuan finally exhaled, then lay on the bed to rest; beforehand, however, he had placed several Burning Heart Seals on the tent's surface, so anyone touching the tent would instantly awaken him.

…Time passed quickly; when the first ray of morning sunlight struck the tent the next day, Li Xuan's internal clock woke him.

"Not bad; those people were fairly honest last night," Li Xuan said with a smile, shook his head, freshened up briefly, and left his tent.

Originally, Li Xuan had feared Fenglu's group would bully the youngster and steal from him at midnight, but it seemed he had overthought it.

At that moment, Fenglu, who was eating breakfast, looked up and saw Li Xuan.

"Little master is truly diligent, getting up this early," Fenglu said, setting down his utensils and smiling at Li Xuan.

"Mr. Fenglu, accompany me today to inspect the land near the estate; if suitable, we can sign the contract and transfer the deed today," Li Xuan said with a smile.

"Little master, you're generous; breakfast is ready, let's eat first and then go see the land," Fenglu said, gesturing to the servant preparing breakfast.

Li Xuan nodded without further comment; in truth he was quite convinced about the estate, and as long as Fenglu's price wasn't excessive, he could secure it.

After breakfast, Li Xuan and Fenglu boarded the carriage and set out to survey the land around the estate, since thousands of acres could not be covered on foot.

Li Xuan walked while examining the surrounding soil quality.

After a circuit of checks, Li Xuan was very satisfied with the soil; though not highly fertile, it wasn't barren, and planting two years of Dragon Tooth Rice would make the land quite decent.

After the tour, Fenglu stopped the carriage.

"Little master, we've surveyed the land here; how do you find it? Does it meet your standards?" Fenglu asked Li Xuan with a smile.

"Of course, I do like this place. Mr. Fenglu, give me a price; as long as it's reasonable, I won't haggle," Li Xuan said with a slight smile.

"One‑time price: thirty thousand Soul Coins!" Fenglu said without hesitation, stating the prepared offer.

"Mr. Fenglu, that's a bit unfair; given the location and the wasteland, asking thirty thousand Soul Coins seems excessive," Li Xuan said with a faint smile, his gaze steady.

Fenglu, having been in the tooth trade for years, naturally understood Li Xuan's thinking.

"Twenty‑five thousand Soul Coins! Can't go lower? Though remote, it's still within Tian Dou City's sphere, relatively safe, so the price is fair," Fenglu bargained with Li Xuan.

"Ten thousand Soul Coins, and I'll add a two‑thousand Soul Coin commission for you. How does that sound?" Li Xuan said with a slight smile, stating his price.

Fenglu was stunned upon hearing Li Xuan's words; he hadn't expected the little brat to be so shrewd and even offer him a commission.

"Fine, deal—ten thousand Soul Coins is ten thousand Soul Coins!" Fenglu slapped his thigh, agreeing to Li Xuan's price.

In fact, this estate had been lingering in the tooth trade for a long time; Fenglu had thought eight thousand Soul Coins would be a good sale, yet it fetched ten thousand, plus his two‑thousand commission—a sure‑profit, no‑loss deal.

Then the two signed the contract at the edge of the wasteland; the deed had to be processed back in Tian Dou City, so they wasted no time and set off for the city.

Ladies and gentlemen, happy Monday—time to resume the nightmare of school and work.

(End of chapter)