Chapter 23: The Job You Pulled Wasn't That Big, Kid

The sky was high and the air was clear; the wind was calm and the waves were still.

On a large ship, Dahe Gang leader Wang Haichao stood at the bow, listening to the report from his subordinates behind him.

"Last night, we attacked seven strongholds of the Mountain-Breaking Gang in the outer city area; the harvest was huge!"

"One second-order demonic beast tiger skin, over a thousand pieces of low-grade spiritual materials, and tens of thousands of spirit stones."

"The brothers' gains were not calculated; according to your instructions, whoever grabbed it keeps it."

"Leader, this time we can be considered to have made a fortune!"

Wang Haichao didn't turn his head. "Small skirmishes, that's all. It was only because we attracted their attention to the mountains that we had this result."

Sighing with a lack of interest, he patted the railing.

"Little Gao, what were our losses last night?"

The subordinate called Little Gao wasn't short at all; he had a short, stocky build and a fierce expression.

Dressed in black, his arm muscles were highlighted to the fullest.

"The losses were very small, only a few dozen gang members at the fourth or fifth layer of Qi Refining died, and none of those at the seventh layer or above were even heavily injured. Oh, Ding Yilong was a bit unlucky; he ran into Wang Yuan and the Broken-Blade Guest who were rushing back from the mountains to rescue, and two blades chopped his high-grade magic artifact and Spirit Turtle Shield to pieces."

Little Gao said with a smile; not smiling was one thing, but smiling made him look even fiercer.

Wang Haichao smiled. "Then his loss is indeed a bit big; take a high-grade magic artifact from this harvest and give it to him! Don't let him not even have a handy magic artifact in future battles."

After saying that, he frowned again.

"The two blades of the Mountain-Breaking Gang are getting annoying."

The Mountain-Breaking Gang had over a thousand members, and nearly a hundred late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.

Gang leader Old Man Mi and he were both Foundation Establishment cultivators, and they rarely took action themselves.

Generally, it was their capable subordinates who did the work.

The headquarters had two blades, and the seven strongholds had seven man-eating tigers.

Compared to those seven halls of experts, what made the Dahe Gang feel like they had a bone stuck in their throat were those two blades.

Mad Blade Wang Yuan, Broken-Blade Xu Renke.

Broken-Blade Xu Renke had been famous for many years, having mixed in multiple markets, and was only left in the Dahe Market after being recruited by Old Man Mi.

But that Mad Blade Wang Yuan had only been cultivating for ten years.

In his debut battle, he killed several mid-stage cultivators who had robbed him by himself.

After that, he hunted in the mountains, had conflicts with people many times, and finally was personally recruited by Old Man Mi to join the Mountain-Breaking Gang.

But after that, Wang Yuan didn't do anything earth-shattering.

On the contrary, for all these years, he had been doing dirty work for the Mountain-Breaking Gang.

Specifically selling those second-hand magic artifacts, cultivation techniques, etc., of unknown origin.

It wasn't until not long ago, when he fought three people alone and brought back three heads of the Dahe Gang, that people noticed this man who had been doing dirty work for years.

They originally thought that time was just good luck.

But no one expected that for the next month, he would guard the mountain road with one blade, actually beating the Dahe Gang into a mess.

Peers and experts were not his match for a single blow, and eighth-layer Qi Refining cultivator Luo Renjie died at his hands.

Even a ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivator of the Dahe Gang took action personally, and after a fierce battle, was not his match.

In just one month, he completely established the name of Mad Blade.

Even the Broken-Blade Guest stated directly that Wang Yuan's combat power was not below his, and he had the potential for Foundation Establishment!

It was precisely because of the Broken-Blade Guest's affirmation that Wang Yuan had the title of the two blades of the Mountain-Breaking Gang.

Hearing the leader's words, Little Gao fell silent.

As the number one person under the Dahe Gang leader, he had always thought highly of himself.

Broken-Blade Xu Renke was only a match for him, and if they fought on the great rivers and lakes, he was even more confident of taking down his opponent within a hundred rounds.

But that Mad Blade, he was a bit unsure.

He heard that guy was also a good hand at water battles.

Why would such a figure appear?

He was so fierce at the seventh layer of Qi Refining; if he were allowed to cultivate to the ninth layer, wouldn't he dare to challenge Foundation Establishment?

"Forget it, we are just doing things for others; there will naturally be someone to deal with those two blades."

Wang Haichao stretched and asked casually: "Where's your little brother?"

"I don't know; he said he wanted to get a storage bag, and he also participated in the attack on the Mountain-Breaking Seven Halls last night, but he hasn't returned yet."

"Aren't you worried something happened to him?"

"Haha, I gave him the Earth-Shield I got from you; as long as he doesn't meet a ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivator, he won't be in danger." Little Gao wasn't worried at all, and added: "And he has a God-Speed Talisman; as long as he wants to run, even a ninth-layer one can't catch him."

Wang Haichao nodded; Earth-Shield plus God-Speed Talisman, below Foundation Establishment, there really was no one who could threaten Little Gao's brother.

"Fine, keep an eye on the gang's affairs recently. There might be a counterattack from the Mountain-Breaking Gang next, but our reinforcements will arrive soon."

Reinforcements?

Did he mean the experts from the Lianyun Alliance?

Little Gao was thoughtful.

Dahe Market, inner city, in a small room of the highest building, the Yuding Sword Pavilion.

Sun Shou tore at some beef jerky, putting it into his mouth in small strips.

"Although there's no spiritual energy, this taste is truly not bad. Little Luo, if you don't cultivate immortality in the future, you can open a beef restaurant in the secular world; it will definitely be booming."

Luo Chen smiled shyly.

Return home?

It was impossible to return home in this lifetime.

He didn't even know where the road home was.

After finishing the beef jerky in his hand, Sun Shou clapped his hands and opened his mouth, which didn't have many teeth left.

"Speak, what's the matter, it's not time to pay the rent for your house yet."

"I want to rent a house!"

"Mm, renting a house is as it should be; that place in the southwest corner is too remote and too dangerous. Speak, where do you want to rent? I won't eat your beef jerky for nothing; I'll find you a spacious and safe one."

As he spoke, he casually picked up a compass.

Spiritual power was injected, and dense light suddenly lit up on the compass; at a glance, there were actually ten thousand.

But with a wave of his hand, nearly ninety percent of the dense light dimmed.

What was still lit were the vacant rooms in the outer city area.

Luo Chen's eyes lit up. "Spacious?"

"What's wrong, you don't trust your Grandpa Sun?"

Sun Shou was one hundred and twenty-one years old, an outer-sect disciple of the Yuding Sword Sect; in terms of age, he was truly qualified to be Luo Chen's grandfather.

Of course, Luo Chen didn't take it to heart.

Just a title, he called Old Daoist Chen uncle every day too.

As long as he could really rent a good house, he could call Sun Shou grandpa for a day!

"I want to rent one in the inner city!"

"Inner city, let me see... hmm? Inner city?"

Sun Shou looked suspiciously at Luo Chen. "You kid used to live in a house for half a spirit stone a month, rented a stall for half a spirit stone a month, and now you're switching directly to the inner city in one breath?"

After a look, he suddenly laughed.

The magic robe different from before, that faint murderous aura.

This kid had pulled off a big job!

Now, he wanted to come to the inner city to enjoy himself.

"Fine, I'm not just talking empty words. You have to see the houses in the inner city in person; I'll take you there myself."

Putting the compass into the storage bag, he stood up tremblingly.

Luo Chen hurriedly supported his shoulders, fearing that the old man would accidentally fall to the ground and die.

He didn't know what kind of sin he had committed to be this old and not stay in the sect to retire, but run to this poor and remote place to work.

Truly living to old age, working to old age, dedicating his life to the sect!

"Is this house big enough? It's close to the Heavenly Fragrance Tower; I'm afraid you haven't tasted meat yet."

"Too expensive."

"How about this one? The previous tenant was a body cultivator from a sect; even when practicing his physical body, he had enough space to stretch out. It's definitely big enough."

"Too expensive."

"It seems you want a cheaper one; the one in the north of the city is cheap enough, I'll take you to see it."

Two hours later.

Sun Shou pushed Luo Chen's hand away and said angrily: "It seems the job you pulled wasn't that big, kid; why run to the inner city to squander?"

Luo Chen spoke with reason: "There are gang fights every day outside, I'm afraid I'll end up dead on the street by accident."

"Fine, I'm a man of my word; I'll definitely find you a big house!"

Sun Shou gritted his teeth and took Luo Chen into the depths of the alley.

Winding alleys, walked for who knows how long; from time to time, female cultivators appeared on the roadside, enthusiastically greeting the old man Sun.

Suddenly, the willows were dark and the flowers were bright.

A one-entry courtyard appeared in front of them.

Entering the gate, bypassing the shadow wall, Sun Shou walked straight toward the longest and widest big room.

"This is it, the inverted house, the largest area; squeeze a bit, and it's no problem to fit seventeen or eighteen people."

Luo Chen looked at this room with satisfaction; the area was no less than the house with a small courtyard he had before.

The only drawback was that there was no lighting, making it look gloomy.

"How many spirit stones?"

"Lowest price, ten low-grade spirit stones a month, pay three months in advance with one month deposit."

Pay three months in advance with one month deposit, that was forty spirit stones in one breath.

One had to say, it was a bit heart-wrenching.

But wanting to find such a large area and such a cheap house in the inner city was indeed not easy.

If it weren't for Sun Shou being extremely familiar with all the housing sources in the Dahe Market, an ordinary person really wouldn't be able to find this place.

"Also, you have to pay a management fee of one spirit stone every month, and one spirit stone for clearing the night soil."

Luo Chen's eyes widened. "Management fee, what is that?"

Old man Sun rolled his eyes. "The waste items you produce always need to be handled by someone, right? Neighbors are not harmonious, and fighting is not allowed; sooner or later, you'll come to me to coordinate, so you should give some reward, right!"

"But..."

"No buts."

"Then clearing the night soil?"

"Do you want to learn to defecate everywhere like in the outer city area, and have the smell of shit and urine be thicker than spiritual energy?"

*Fine! *

I accept!

Under the eaves of Yuding, one has to bow their head!

"Oh, there's one more thing to remind you."

"There's more?"

Luo Chen's fist hardened, but thinking that this old man was at the ninth layer of Qi Refining, he softened again.

Can't beat him, can't beat him.

Sun Shou pointed to a pile of firewood at the door of the main room opposite.

"If you want to cook, remember to burn that kind of smokeless firewood. If it's one that produces smoke, I suggest you rent a magic artifact that can collect smoke from me."

"Ah, why is that again?"

Luo Chen was completely dizzy.

"Heh, where is this? It's the inner city, a place of cultivation built on a first-order spiritual vein. Too much turbid energy, do you still want to cultivate or not?"

The cultivation world also has to pay attention to environmental protection?

Luo Chen was dizzy as he took a magic artifact from the old man's hand, called the Pale Smoke and Sparse Rain Tower.

Square, with a pointed top, just install it at the intersection of the inside and outside of the room when using it.

Signed a contract, paid forty-three spirit stones, and this big room belonged to Luo Chen for the next four months.

When sending the old man away, Luo Chen asked casually.

"Although the lighting is a bit poor, it shouldn't be so much cheaper than other houses of the same specification, right?"

"Guess why?" ===== CHAPTER 24 =====