253: Chapter 251 Settling Down

Another feature of Chengen Street—the underground auctions.

The government officially forbids private auctions, but the underground auctions on Chengen Street have never ceased. They occur once a month, as regular as clockwork. One cannot enter without an invitation, but every shop on Chengen Street can help with an introduction. Everything is available at the auctions: Cultivation Techniques, Medicinal Pills, Magical Artifacts, Spirit Beasts, slaves, information—even Spiritual Vein fragments and Secret Realm coordinates.

Yun Ming walked along Chengen Street, surrounded by a constant stream of people.

Cultivators, Mortals, merchants, peddlers, demon Cultivators, demonic Cultivators, the Righteous Path, Loose Cultivators, Sect Disciples, government spies—all kinds were present. Some were low-key, some were flamboyant; some wore bamboo hats, some wore veils, and some simply used transformation techniques to change their appearance. Everyone had their own purpose, and everyone had their own secrets. No one here cared who you were; they only cared about what you had and what price you were willing to pay.

Yun Ming walked very slowly. He wasn't in a hurry to buy anything; he just wanted to look around and understand how deep the waters of Tianyuan City truly were.

A fox lay on his shoulder, its nine tails hanging down and swaying. Ah Yuan followed behind him, looking around curiously. She didn't recognize those strange shop signs or understand the jargon, but she could sense that this place was not simple.

A thin middle-aged man walked over from the crowd and leaned in toward Yun Ming. He wore a semi-new grey short jacket, his face was piled with smiles, and his eyes darted around—clearly a veteran of this trade.

“Dear guest, what would you like to buy?” His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear. “Spirit Medicine, Magical Artifacts, Medicinal Pills, Materials, Spiritual Veins, Secret Realms, information—as long as you can think of it, Chengen Street has it. If you don't know what to buy, I can introduce you. If you want to sell something, I can also help you find a buyer.”

Yun Ming stopped and glanced at him. The middle-aged man's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes brightened for a moment, as if he were looking at a fat sheep. Yun Ming didn't answer. He turned his head and continued walking forward.

The middle-aged man didn't chase after him; he stood in place, watching Yun Ming's back with the corners of his mouth slightly upturned. He knew this person would return. People coming to Chengen Street for the first time always had that expression—expressionless, eyes indifferent, pretending they didn't care for anything. But Chengen Street had ways to make such people speak. As long as he kept walking, he would eventually encounter what he wanted.

Yun Ming, holding the fox and accompanied by Ah Yuan, disappeared into the sea of people on Chengen Street.

Yun Ming spent the entire morning wandering Chengen Street.

He didn't buy anything; he just watched. He looked at the goods displayed in the shops, the jargon written on the signs, and the expressions on the faces of the passing Cultivators. The water here was much deeper than he had imagined. Spiritual Veins, Secret Realms, Life Shops, Beast Markets—every trade had a complete industrial chain behind it, and the top of every chain was connected to the most powerful group of people in Tianyuan City. He had no interest in looking deeper, nor did he plan to get involved. He came here only to find one person.

In the middle section of Chengen Street, there was a fork in the road, and at the end of that fork was a small shop. The storefront wasn't large; the door panels were made of old elm wood painted with black lacquer, which was peeling in places. A plaque hung above the lintel with the four characters “An Jia Zhi Ye” written on it. The script was in clerical style, neat and orderly, neither flamboyant nor shabby. Yun Ming pushed the door open and entered.

The furnishings in the shop were simple. A long desk, a few chairs, and a map of Tianyuan City hung on the wall, densely marked with streets, markets, residences, and shops. Behind the counter sat a middle-aged man in his forties with a rounded face and a short beard, wearing a semi-new green Daoist robe. He was looking down and fiddling with an abacus; the beads were made of polished Spirit Stones, clicking and clacking. Hearing the door, he looked up, and a smile immediately spread across his face.

“Guest, you've arrived! Please, have a seat!” He stood up, walked around the counter, and pulled out a chair. “Are you looking to buy a house? Sell a house? Purchase land? Open a shop? Or rent? As long as it involves houses or land, I, Hou San, can handle it. A Chengen Street old brand, honest with both young and old.”

Yun Ming sat down in the chair, with Ah Yuan standing behind him holding the fox. The fox narrowed its eyes, its nine tails hanging down and swaying.

“You can handle anything?” Yun Ming asked.

Hou San patted his chest, his smile deepening. “Guest, look at what you're saying. I, Hou San, have been around Chengen Street for twenty years; what connections don't I have? Buying, selling, land, shops, renting, transferring titles—I can even arrange it if you want to fly in the sky. As long as—” He rubbed his thumb and index finger together, “—the Spirit Stones are in place, anything is easy.”

Yun Ming nodded. “I want to buy a house. A small courtyard, somewhere quiet. I also want a storefront to do a little business.”

Hou San's eyes brightened. He sat back down, took a thick ledger from a drawer, and flipped it open; it was densely packed with property information.

“Guest, for living quarters, there are many choices. Prices range from a few thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones to several hundred thousand. Tell me your budget first, and I'll give you a recommendation.”

Yun Ming thought for a moment. “Around a hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones.”

Hou San's hand paused. He looked up and sized up Yun Ming once more. A hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones wasn't considered a top-tier budget in Tianyuan City, but it was definitely not a small sum. An ordinary person could buy a decent courtyard for ten or twenty thousand. To start with a hundred thousand—this guest was not simple.

“Guest, a hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones is neither too much nor too little. Don't even think about the central area; the residences there easily cost millions of High-Grade Spirit Stones, some even tens of millions. But if we look toward the outskirts, there are still plenty of good places.” Hou San flipped through a few pages of the ledger and pointed at several lines. “I'll recommend three places for you to look at.”

“First, Qingluan Alley in the east of the city. It's near Tianbao Market, so shopping is convenient. The surrounding residents are all middle-class Cultivators; the environment is quiet, and the security is good. There's a two-entry small courtyard with three main rooms, two side rooms, and a small garden. The market price is one hundred and twenty thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones. I'm familiar with the owner, so I can push it down to one hundred and fifteen thousand for you.”

“Second, Zhugan Alley in the south of the city. It's near Chengen Street, so it's a bit of a mixed bag, but it's very convenient. The marketplace is right outside the door; you can buy anything. There's a detached small courtyard with two main rooms and two side rooms. It doesn't have a garden, but it has a small yard where you can plant some Spirit Medicine. The market price is ninety thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones; if I discuss it with the owner, we should be able to get it for eighty-five thousand.”

“Third, Huai Tree Alley in the north of the city. It's behind the Imperial Palace.” Hou San lowered his voice slightly. “It's remote, with few neighbors. It's truly quiet, but it's far from the city center, making shopping inconvenient. There's a small courtyard with three main rooms, two side rooms, and a medicinal field. The medicinal field isn't small—it's a full two mu. If you hire someone to manage it, it can produce quite a lot of Spirit Medicine in a year. The market price is eighty thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones; we should be able to get it for seventy-five thousand.”

Yun Ming thought for a moment. “The medicinal field is included?”

“Yes, the medicinal field comes with the courtyard. That field was originally the previous owner's livelihood; he farmed it for decades, and the soil is well-nourished. Later, he achieved a Golden Core Breakthrough and wanted to travel elsewhere, so he put the courtyard up for sale.” Hou San paused. “Guest, if you like peace and quiet, this place is indeed excellent. It's just a bit remote with few neighbors; even buying groceries requires a long walk. But if you can fly—oh, flying is forbidden in the city, forget I said that.”

Yun Ming didn't make a decision immediately. He stood up. “I'll take a look first. One should compare before buying.”

Hou San quickly stood up and took a ring of keys from the counter. “Guest, I'll take you to see the houses. Do you want to see the one in Huai Tree Alley first, or the others?”

“You wait here. I'll go see them myself.” As Yun Ming spoke, he turned and walked out the door.

Hou San was stunned for a moment. Before he could speak, the door had already closed. He shook his head, put the keys back, sat down, and continued clicking his abacus.

Yun Ming walked out of Chengen Street and turned into an empty alley. He activated the Fuli Heaven-Concealing Record, and his aura shifted; his entire person seemed to change. His moon-white robe was replaced by a grey Daoist robe, and his facial features blurred slightly. He walked out of the alley, returned to Chengen Street, and entered another agency. This one was called “Guangsha House.” The storefront was more grand than Hou San's, but the attitude of the receptionist was colder. Yun Ming asked a few questions, and the other party quoted several properties; the prices were all more expensive than Hou San's, and the locations were worse. He nodded and turned to leave.

He changed to another shop. Then another. And another. With each change, he used the Fuli Heaven-Concealing Record to modify his aura once. Sometimes he was at the Early Golden Core Stage, sometimes the Golden Core Middle Stage, and sometimes Foundation Establishment Perfection. His appearance changed too—sometimes young, sometimes middle-aged, sometimes with a beard. He visited five or six shops and got a thorough understanding of the property prices on the outskirts of Tianyuan City. The price Hou San gave was indeed the most fair.

Yun Ming returned to Hou San's shop. Pushing the door open, he found Hou San dozing off. Hearing the door, Hou San snapped his eyes open and piled on a smile again. “Guest, you're back? Have you made your choice?”

“For the one in Huai Tree Alley, is seventy-five thousand acceptable?”

Hou San hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth. “Fine! Seventy-five thousand! Since you're straightforward, I'll be straightforward too! I originally wanted to sell that courtyard for eighty thousand, but since you're supporting my business on your first time to Chengen Street, I'll consider it making a friend.”

“What about the storefront?” Yun Ming asked. “I want to rent a storefront on Heavenly Street to sell some general goods.”

Hou San flipped to another page of the ledger. “Storefronts on Heavenly Street are expensive. The closer to the city center, the more expensive they are. What kind are you looking for?”

“It doesn't need to be too large, as long as it's clean. The location should be decent, not too remote.”

Hou San's finger slid across the ledger for a long time before stopping on a line. “There's one here, in the middle section of Heavenly Street, near—uh—” He paused and looked up at Yun Ming. “Near the Vermilion Tower's territory.”

“Vermilion Tower?”

“That Vermilion Tower. The largest brothel in Tianyuan City. Madam Liu's territory.” Hou San lowered his voice. “Guest, don't think it's bad luck. The area around the Vermilion Tower has the best security. No one dares to cause trouble at the Vermilion Tower's doorstep. If you open your shop there, you'll have peace of mind.”

Yun Ming thought for a moment. “How much?”

“One thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones a year. Rent first, pay later, with a deposit of one month and three months' rent upfront. The minimum lease is ten years.”

“Ten years. Ten thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones.”

Hou San gritted his teeth again. “Fine! Ten thousand! I'll negotiate for you; it shouldn't be a problem.”

Yun Ming took a Storage Pouch from the map of mountains and rivers and placed it on the table. Inside were eighty-five thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones. Seventy-five thousand to buy the house, and ten thousand to rent the shop. Hou San took the Storage Pouch, swept his Divine Sense inside, counted them once, and confirmed everything was correct. The smile on his face became even more sincere.

“Guest, please wait a moment. I'll go handle the paperwork.” He got up and went into the back room, returning a moment later with a stack of documents. Deeds, house titles, land titles, and lease contracts—everything was complete. Yun Ming looked them over, found no issues, signed his name, and pressed his thumbprint. Hou San also signed and stamped them, then handed a copy of the contract to Yun Ming.

“Guest, from today on, that small courtyard in Huai Tree Alley is yours. As for the storefront on Heavenly Street, you can take possession at any time. The keys are here.” He took two rings of keys from the drawer—one tied with a red string and one with a blue string—and handed them to Yun Ming. “The red string is for the courtyard, and the blue string is for the storefront.”