Chapter 47

Li Youyi stood straight on the bow of the ship, where the river wind was hunting, looking at Licheng in the distance. He saw that the city walls were pitch black and towering, and dozens of enemy-watching towers, several times higher than the city walls, stood on the vast plains outside the city. Soldiers wearing armor and riding flying birds flew out of the towers from time to time, disappearing into the clouds.

On both sides of the great river under the towers, various civilian houses and large mansions gathered, stretching for dozens of miles; this was the suburban area of Licheng, and the number of residents living there was no less than that inside the city.

The Suihe River splits into four tributaries here, flowing into the city along the four city gates—"Cangli Gate," "Chili Gate," "Moli Gate," and "Qingli Gate"—and another twelve-zhang-wide moat was excavated to lead the river water to surround and guard the city.

The moat, the city walls, the enemy-watching towers, and even the entire main city of Licheng were all shrouded in layers of gauze-like light curtains.

These light gauzes were of different depths and flickered, very much like the aurora that only appears at the North and South Poles on Earth. They rose from the ground and connected to the clouds and sky, capable of resisting large-scale invasions by departed spirits and baleful demons.

By the pier, all kinds of ships, large and small, were docked, and the masts and wind flags were as dense as a forest.

After getting off the ship.

Li Ling was surrounded like stars holding the moon; most of them were familiar, and everyone was talking and laughing. Some asked with concern about the dangers along the way, some praised and complimented her, and some suggested going to the Heavenly Pavilion tonight to hold a welcome party.

These young talents were the top small group of people in a province; either their magic power was thick, their mental power was extraordinary, or they had a pure immortal body. None of them were vulgar, and they were all surrounded by servants and maids.

Li Youyi observed for a moment; the old servants following these people all had eyes like torches, and their skin pores overflowed with strands of Magic Qi mist. This was a sign of magic power overflowing that only appears when the cultivation base reaches the seventh spring, the peak of the Spring-Gushing Realm.

Those who could follow these proud sons of heaven were definitely not ordinary servants and had a certain status in the family.

After searching, he did not see Gao Huan, Cai Yutong, and the others.

Cang Li naturally noticed Li Youyi and nodded to him from afar. He originally wanted to approach and show some concern, but was pushed and shoved by his friends who were talking and laughing, and they headed toward the city as if making a scene. He had no choice but to instruct an old servant beside him to go and receive them.

Li Ling had already been submerged in the bustling crowd and gradually disappeared in the direction of the city gate.

The old servant sent by Cang Li to receive them was not very old, only about fifty years old, named Li Qi. He was actually an old acquaintance of Zhao Zhizhuo when they were young, but the former was already at the seventh-spring cultivation level.

He said, "Tonight, the Young Patriarch and the others are definitely going to the Heavenly Pavilion to hold a welcome party for the Fourth Young Lady. That is the most luxurious and romantic place in Licheng, and only children of large families and top Wu Xiu can afford to consume there. Brother Zhao has been there before, so you should have some understanding. The Young Patriarch just ordered that you all can go together."

Li Qi did not know that Li Youyi had once done a favor for the Cang Li tribe, and only thought that the Young Patriarch was too generous and friendly. However, in some occasions, if the wrong people go, it will cause a lot of embarrassment. So, although he said he was inviting them, every sentence was telling the few people in front of him not to go.

As a servant, he could only speak more tactfully and not too bluntly.

Li Youyi did not want to get too deeply involved with the Cang Li tribe, and he knew even more that such romantic luxury was not something he was qualified to touch right now. If people from different classes force themselves to integrate, the only one who will lose face is themselves.

He understood some worldly wisdom, so when Zhao Zhizhuo looked over with anger, he smiled and waved his hand, "We can't go. We, a group of mud-legged people in plain clothes, dare not go to such a big scene. Wouldn't it be a disgrace to the Young Patriarch if we went?"

A look of satisfaction flashed imperceptibly in Li Qi's eyes; such young people who know how to advance and retreat are much cuter.

Li Youyi said, "But since the Young Patriarch has invited us, if we don't go, I'm afraid it will be difficult for Elder Li to explain. How about this, convert it into cash, and we will find a place to eat and stay for the night ourselves. Old Zhao, if all of us go to the Heavenly Pavilion, how much silver will it cost?"

Zhao Zhizhuo understood immediately and said, "If all of us go? That would cost at least... a thousand silver!"

Li Youyi looked at Li Qi with a smile.

From the hands of the unhappy Li Qi, they received a brocade bag containing one thousand silver coins, but everyone's mood could not be happy at all.

"Respect the clothes first, then respect the person! I can understand that. Tomorrow, we will all get some better clothes." Zhao Meng had always been exposing his upper body; with his physique, clothes could only be custom-made.

Zhao Zhizhuo thought of many past events and sighed, "It's not just a matter of clothes."

On the ship, Li Youyi had discussed with the Coffin Senior, and the other party's suggestion was:

Do not live in the city area first.

Before the funds are sufficient, do not buy a house first; you can rent a large mansion in the bustling area of the suburbs near the city area. The concentration of heaven and earth magic here is no less than that in the city area, but the price is much cheaper.

After Li Youyi talked about the idea of renting a house, Zhao Zhizhuo agreed very much.

He said, "In the city area, you won't be attacked by departed spirits and baleful demons, which seems safer, but it is also easier to be targeted by people we can't afford to provoke."

"Although the suburbs are slightly more dangerous and a mix of fish and dragons, who lives in the suburbs among the truly powerful figures? So, even if we are targeted, we have a certain ability to cope."

"Taking a step back, even if we encounter a large-scale attack by departed spirits, as long as we live close enough to the city area, we can escape into the city at the first opportunity."

Zhao Zhizhuo knew that Li Youyi did not dare to get too deeply involved with Cang Li and Li Ling, and was unwilling to borrow the power of the Cang Li tribe, so he was thinking about the optimal solution based on their own strength.

Over the next two days, Zhao Meng and Zhao Zhizhuo ran through the southern district of the suburbs and finally settled on the house.

Including the front and back yards, it covered an area of three mu and had more than ten rooms. It was only a few hundred zhang away from the moat and was in a bustling area of the suburbs. It could be said that everyone was very satisfied with all aspects, except for the price.

The monthly rent was as high as one thousand three hundred silver coins.

All the coins Li Youyi had on him added up to only enough to rent for less than a year.

There was no way; with Old Meng's six-meter-tall physique, and the two deformed human species Old Liu and Old Guan, if the yard was small, everyone wouldn't be able to move at all when practicing martial arts.

Li Youyi was naturally not idle. Within two days, he ran to the city area three times, spent three thousand silver coins in three different places, and bought three Spring-Breaking Needles.

It was ridiculously expensive.

If it weren't for suppressing the Evil Camel Bell and urgently impacting the fifth spring, he really wouldn't want to spend this unjust money.

When Zhao Zhizhuo brought Old Liu and Old Guan back with various household items and food, Li Youyi was setting up a chair, sitting under the old poplar tree that two people could embrace in the front yard, counting money, sometimes frowning, sometimes thinking motionlessly.

"Knock knock!"

The sound of knocking on the door outside the yard rang out.

Old Liu hurriedly put down various items and went to open the door.

Opening the door and seeing the three figures standing outside, Old Liu showed a look of astonishment. Because of the language barrier, he didn't know how to ask.

The leader outside the door looked to be in his forties or fifties, with a white face and no beard, looking like a scholar. Even though time had passed, one could still see that he must have been extraordinarily handsome when he was young.

"Flag Master of the Changlin Gang, Shi Chuanyu, comes to pay respects to the owner here." The scholar was very polite, with a kind smile on his face, and also bowed to Old Liu.

Li Youyi put away the coins, walked quickly to the door, and smiled, "The owner here is my senior brother. I don't know what advice you have?"

Shi Chuanyu bowed again and smiled, "We also live in this area. From now on, we will be neighbors. Since you have moved to a new home, we naturally have to come to congratulate you. A little thin gift, not a sign of respect."

Shi Chuanyu gave a look.

The two gang members behind him who were carrying red-rope gifts walked straight into the yard gate.

Under the old poplar tree, Old Meng, as the owner of the house, began to communicate with Shi Chuanyu.

The two talked happily.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Shi Chuanyu said with a serious expression, "You are all new here, and perhaps you don't know. This place outside the city is not like inside the city. It is often attacked by departed spirits and baleful demons. When it is fierce, hundreds or thousands of residents may die in one night. Fortunately, we have a group of powerful Fa-Wu Xiu who quickly united to form gangs, so we can resist these external dangers."

"The safety of this city area is the responsibility of our Changlin Gang."

"But the operation of the gang costs money. Dealing with departed spirits and baleful demons, even more gang members will die or be injured. Treatment fees and settlement fees are indispensable."

"So those who live in this city area, whether they are merchants or residents, will help us with some money and food every month, so that we can continue to operate and better protect everyone."

Zhao Meng understood; this was coming to collect protection fees, and said, "When we rented the house, we paid the city defense silver. The attacks of departed spirits and baleful demons should be the responsibility of the city defense camp, right?"

Shi Chuanyu laughed, "The city defense camp is mainly responsible for the inside of the city area. If they really tried their best, how could the suburbs be as chaotic as they are now? In fact, the gangs like us can come into being because there is support from the city defense camp or large families behind them. By the way, how long do you plan to rent, Brother Zhao?"

"Let's rent for a month first!" Zhao Meng said.

"Since it's a short-term rental, the departed spirit silver and baleful demon silver will be waived. It's not easy for everyone. Come to the Changlin Gang to drink tea tomorrow, my treat."

Shi Chuanyu and the two gang members said goodbye and left, waving goodbye, and repeatedly told Zhao Meng not to send them off.

After sending them away and closing the gate. Zhao Meng felt that there was a big problem, felt uneasy in his heart, and asked Zhao Zhizhuo, "Are local gangs so polite? Why do I have a bad feeling?"

Zhao Zhizhuo's face was quite ugly, "He didn't come to collect protection fees; perhaps he came to step on the spot and explore our reality."

"Old Zhao means that the Changlin Gang thinks we are outsiders, have no backing, and are preparing to wipe us out in one pot?" Li Youyi said.

Zhao Zhizhuo nodded, "That's what I think. Since they came to visit, it shows that they have checked us. If they collected the protection fee, we can sleep peacefully tonight. If they don't, I really can't sleep tonight."

The three members of the Changlin Gang walked on the bustling street with heavy traffic.

Behind Shi Chuanyu, a gang member who opened four springs couldn't help but ask, "Flag Master, are you really not collecting their departed spirit silver and baleful demon silver? Although those gifts are not worth much money, our Changlin Gang is not a monastery that does good deeds."

Shi Chuanyu muttered to himself, "Those two have very heavy accents. They should be refugees from other provinces and will not have any foundation in Lizhou. Being able to afford a rent of thousands a month, they definitely have some family background. What a fat sheep!"

Another gang member who opened four springs said, "That man surnamed Zhao has a physique of six meters, and his combat power is probably not to be underestimated."

Shi Chuanyu sneered, "It's just a facade. I've touched his palm; he hasn't cultivated magic power. No matter how big his physique is, he can only do hard labor. Tonight, send them off well, disguise it as being attacked by fierce insects, and it has nothing to do with our Changlin Gang."

"From now on, anyone who comes out of that house must be controlled by me, and there must be no accidents."

An old man who opened six springs came face to face, bowed to Shi Chuanyu, "Flag Master, the eldest daughter of the Yang family is here. The Gang Leader wants you to go over immediately; it seems there is something very important."

(End of chapter)