Chapter 113 - 106: Ten Fleeting Years, the Eve of the Great Calamity

Thankfully, the journey was without any major incidents.

Aside from running into a few Little Demons who were driven off by the escorting Cultivators, nothing else happened.

"We’re here! We’ve finally made it to Jiangnan Prefecture."

One of the Traveling Merchants gazed at the great city at the end of the main road, his face filled with excitement.

Hearing this, Wang Xiao looked up and saw a colossal city stretching between Heaven and Earth.

The city stretched for countless miles from east to west. Its walls stood at least a few hundred feet tall, built from gray-green bricks that radiated a heavy, ancient aura.

This was Jiangnan Prefecture, the largest prefectural city in Yu State!

Jiangnan Prefecture was a hub, connecting all four corners of the land.

It was the transportation hub of Yu State, with nearly a million people passing through its gates each day.

Outside the city flowed a wide river, bustling with an endless stream of boats and horse-drawn caravans, a picture of ultimate prosperity.

Compared to Yangzhou, Yu State was vast and sparsely populated.

County towns were five hundred li apart, and prefectural cities a thousand.

Across the entire state, there were only about three hundred cities in total.

Due to the presence of Demon Ghosts, cities had become the gathering places for humanity.

"Brother Wang, didn’t you say you were going to settle down in Jiangnan Prefecture? Have you found a place to stay yet?"

One of the Traveling Merchants turned to look at Wang Xiao.

His name was Li Youcai, and his home was right here in Jiangnan Prefecture.

He’d been traveling north and south for many years and, with some good luck, had managed to build up a small fortune.

Wang Xiao shook his head. "I’m used to being spontaneous. It won’t be too late to find a place once I’m actually in Jiangnan Prefecture."

Li Youcai chuckled. "How long do you plan on staying in Jiangnan Prefecture, Brother Wang?"

Wang Xiao replied, "Once I settle down this time, I don’t plan on leaving for a while. I’ll probably stay for a few years, maybe even longer."

He had been traveling for five years now, the time passing without him even realizing it.

He had collected an untold amount of the Ten Thousand Lights.

’It will likely take a great deal of time to absorb it all, which will help me achieve the state of Five Viscera Concealed God and break through to my seventh Limit Breaking.’

Wang Xiao couldn’t say for sure exactly how long it would take.

However, he was in no hurry.

Over the years, he had been using his Talent, Analyze All Things, to constantly verify his methods, so he knew he was on the right path.

For now, he was simply accumulating power. Once he had gathered enough, the breakthrough would come naturally.

Li Youcai said, "That’s perfect. A few years ago, I bought a residence for my mother to live in. Unfortunately, she passed away before she could move in, so the house has just been sitting empty. If you don’t mind, Brother Wang, I could rent it to you cheaply."

"What’s the neighborhood like?" Wang Xiao asked.

’I’m settling down this time to focus on Refining the Five Viscera, so I don’t want to live in a bustling, noisy area again.’

’Something a little more quiet and secluded would be ideal.’

"It’s in an alleyway. There are some other merchants around, but it’s not too busy. My own home is right across from the house," Li Youcai explained.

Wang Xiao nodded. "Alright, I’ll go take a look with you."

Li Youcai smiled. "Great. If you have any requests, Brother Wang, just let me know. I’ll definitely give you a good deal."

"Thank you, then."

Wang Xiao smiled and said no more. He followed the crowd, strolling into Jiangnan Prefecture.

The city was enormous.

To get home sooner, Li Youcai hired a horse-drawn carriage and had Wang Xiao get in.

「Half an hour later.」

Li Youcai finally brought Wang Xiao to the front of a house and said:

"This is it."

With that, he opened the door to the house and led Wang Xiao inside.

Wang Xiao glanced around and saw that the house wasn’t very large.

The entrance opened into a main hall, with a few rooms off to the sides.

There was also a backyard, suitable for growing flowers or planting a small vegetable garden.

’Still, the location is quite good. It won’t be too noisy.’

"Alright, I’ll take it. Here, let me give you a deposit for two years, Brother Li. This should be enough, right?"

Wang Xiao took a gold ingot from within his robes and handed it to Li Youcai.

Li Youcai’s eyes widened. "This is far too much! This is enough for four or five years, let alone two! I’ll go find a broker right now to draw up the contract. My house is right across the way, so if you need anything, Brother Wang, just say the word."

’I hadn’t expected him to be so wealthy, just casually pulling out a gold ingot like that.’

’This much money was more than I could earn in a whole year.’

"Alright. Thank you, Brother Li," Wang Xiao nodded.

"Not at all, not at all. You’re too kind, Brother Wang."

After accepting the deposit, Li Youcai became even more enthusiastic.

It took less than an hour for him to take care of all the necessary paperwork.

He also went ahead and helped Wang Xiao procure a new set of bedding and some furniture.

"Brother Wang, why don’t you come over to my place for dinner? We can consider it a welcome meal," Li Youcai offered.

"Some other time, perhaps," Wang Xiao said. "But I was wondering, Brother Li, do you know where I can buy some wood? I’m planning to open a wood carving shop."

’Of course, his wood carving wasn’t for business. It was a way to temper his mind.’

’The wood carvings could bear his Spiritual Will, allowing him to polish his Gang Qi until it was perfectly smooth and integrated.’

’Only then could he better succeed at Refining the Five Viscera and ultimately achieve the state of Five Viscera Concealed God.’

"Oh? I didn’t realize you had such a skill, Brother Wang," Li Youcai said heartily. "That’s simple enough. I know a few merchants in the wood business. I’ll take you to meet them tomorrow."

"In that case, thank you very much," Wang Xiao nodded.

And just like that, Wang Xiao settled down in the alleyway known as Spring Willow Lane.

After Li Youcai introduced him to some wood merchants, he successfully opened his own wood carving shop.

However, business wasn’t exactly booming. The number of people who visited his wood carving shop each day was few and far between.

Wang Xiao, however, didn’t mind.

Every day, without fail, he would carve a single wooden figure and place it on the display stand.

These carvings depicted the various people he had met over the years.