11: Yunshan City

Three days later, outside Yunshan City,

Zhang Daobai arrived at the gates of Yunshan City, travel-worn and weary. He looked up at the city walls, which stood at least a hundred meters high.

"I've finally arrived."

Zhang Daobai withdrew his gaze and let out a sigh of relief.

Upon entering Yunshan City, Zhang Daobai felt as if he had returned to the ancient times of his previous life.

People bustled to and fro on the lively streets, where the cries of various street vendors and the chatter of pedestrians were noisily intertwined.

As soon as he entered, Zhang Daobai felt somewhat out of place compared to the people around him.

The people passing by all carried more or less of an Aura of Evil Qi—an Aura that only those who had truly experienced life-and-death battles would develop.

In contrast, Zhang Daobai, a newcomer who had just stepped into the world of cultivation, seemed like a raw recruit before them, appearing quite distinct.

Noticing the gazes sizing him up, whether intentional or not, Zhang Daobai felt like a monkey in a zoo being watched by a crowd.

"Forget it, I should find a place to stay first."

Zhang Daobai really couldn't stand those looks and didn't plan on wandering around any longer.

As Yunshan City was one of the major cities under the Cloud Sword Sect's jurisdiction, Lin Luoxue had naturally been here before.

Under Lin Luoxue's guidance, Zhang Daobai soon arrived at a shop that handled house rentals and sales.

The moment Zhang Daobai reached the entrance, a middle-aged fat man greeted him from the shop with a face full of smiles.

"Fellow Daoist, please, come inside!"

The middle-aged fat man warmly invited Zhang Daobai into the shop.

After they sat down and a cup of tea was poured, the middle-aged fat man introduced himself, "My surname is Jin. Those who know me well call me Fatty Jin or Steward Jin."

"I am currently in charge of this shop. If you have any requirements, Fellow Daoist, please feel free to tell me."

Zhang Daobai didn't want to waste time, so he spoke directly, "Rental, an independent courtyard, quiet environment, and secure."

Hearing Zhang Daobai's simple and direct conditions, Steward Jin's eyes darted around, and he quickly thought of something.

He then pulled a circular disc from his Storage Pouch and placed it on the table.

In the next second, a beam of light shot out from the disc, projecting an image of several houses onto the tabletop.

A holographic projection?

Seeing this scene, those two words couldn't help but surface in Zhang Daobai's mind.

Steward Jin lightly tapped the image with his finger, and the scene shifted to show an independent courtyard, which caught Zhang Daobai's eye.

"This house is located near the commercial district. It's equipped with a Dust-Cleansing Array, a Mist-Concealing Array, and a Sound-Isolating Array. It's quiet and comfortable!"

"Also, because it's very close to the commercial district, patrol teams often pass through the area. There's certainly no problem regarding security."

As Steward Jin spoke, he showed various details of the courtyard to Zhang Daobai.

Zhang Daobai examined the courtyard carefully and nodded in satisfaction.

The courtyard wasn't large, about three hundred square meters. There was a tree and a small flower bed in the yard; the greenery was quite nice.

As for the house, it was more than enough for both him and Lin Luoxue to live in.

"How many Spirit Stones per month for this courtyard?"

After considering for a moment, Zhang Daobai turned and asked Steward Jin.

"Three hundred and forty Spirit Stones per month, paid monthly."

Steward Jin directly pulled out a price list and pointed to the price for this courtyard.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Daobai immediately used the Spirit Taming Contract to consult Lin Luoxue inside the spirit taming space.

After confirming that this price was indeed fair, Zhang Daobai didn't hesitate and nodded directly.

"Alright, I'll take this one. I'll rent it for one month first," Zhang Daobai said with a nod.

"Fellow Daoist is indeed straightforward!"

Steward Jin immediately smiled and cupped his hands in praise.

Then, Steward Jin took out a Contract and handed it to Zhang Daobai, then placed a jade pendant on the table.

Zhang Daobai took the Contract and looked it over. After ensuring there were no hidden traps, he signed it.

"This is the key to the courtyard. Please keep it safe, Fellow Daoist."

Seeing Zhang Daobai sign the Contract, Steward Jin pushed the jade pendant forward.

Zhang Daobai then put away the jade pendant and took out three hundred and forty Spirit Stones from his Storage Pouch, placing them on the table.

"Steward Jin, here is this month's rent," Zhang Daobai said.

Steward Jin didn't even count them; he just put them away and smiled, "Fellow Daoist is straightforward! If there are any problems with the house later, you can come directly to me."

"Xiao Lan! Take this Fellow Daoist to move in."

Seeing Zhang Daobai preparing to leave, Steward Jin waved over a maidservant and gave her instructions.

"Senior, this way please!"

Xiao Lan looked at the address and then spoke respectfully to Zhang Daobai.

Senior?

Looking at Xiao Lan, who was at least in her twenties, Zhang Daobai couldn't help but fall silent for a moment.

But after sensing her cultivation at the Early Stage of Qi Refining, he felt relieved. It was well known that the cultivation world determined seniority based on cultivation level.

Under Xiao Lan's lead, Zhang Daobai soon arrived outside the courtyard he had rented.

"Thank you for leading the way."

After confirming the address was correct, Zhang Daobai turned to thank Xiao Lan.

Xiao Lan understood Zhang Daobai's meaning and nodded with a smile, "You're welcome. I wish Senior a pleasant stay."

With that, Xiao Lan turned and left.

After Xiao Lan left, Zhang Daobai looked up to carefully examine the courtyard.

From the outside, the courtyard walls were covered by a layer of white mist, making it impossible to see the situation inside.

The courtyard walls were also over three meters high, capable of blocking most prying eyes.

Then, Zhang Daobai took out the jade pendant key and injected a trace of spiritual power into it, binding the jade pendant with his own Aura.

Opening the door and entering the yard, Zhang Daobai found that there was no white mist inside.

Seeing this, Zhang Daobai vaguely guessed that it must be related to the Mist-Concealing Array Steward Jin had mentioned.

Closing the courtyard gate and entering the main house, Zhang Daobai released Lin Luoxue.

"Not bad."

Lin Luoxue looked around and nodded in satisfaction.

Zhang Daobai also said quite contentedly, "Let's rest for a bit. We'll go check out the Wanbao Chamber of Commerce in the afternoon."

He had been traveling for the past few days, and his body and mind were both tense; he had to get some good rest.

"Mm, you should rest first."

Lin Luoxue didn't care about this bit of time and nodded nonchalantly.

After taking a quick bath, Zhang Daobai fell into a deep sleep, while Lin Luoxue sat alone in the courtyard, her thoughts unknown.

When he woke up, Zhang Daobai found that it was already nearing dusk.

However, he wasn't in a hurry because, unlike the ancient times of his previous life, there were no curfews or anything here; most shops would remain open at night.

"You're awake? Have a cup of tea to clear your head."

Seeing Zhang Daobai come out of the bedroom, Lin Luoxue poured him a cup of tea.

"Sorry for the wait."

Zhang Daobai sat down, took the tea cup, and took a sip.