71: Chapter 71 Spending a fortune to purchase a mansion

Upon first entering Baifeng City, the most urgent priority was to find a place to settle down.

Gu Yan did not wander around the city like a headless chicken with his massive caravan.

He simply had the caravan temporarily stop at a post station near the city gate, while he himself, accompanied by Steward Gu Zhong and two guards carrying heavy chests, headed straight for the largest and most reputable real estate agency in Baifeng City—the Sihai Agency.

The Sihai Agency was wealthy and influential; its shop occupied a three-story pavilion in the most bustling area of the city center, appearing exceptionally grand.

As soon as Gu Yan's party stepped into the agency's entrance, a manager wearing a silk shirt and sporting a handlebar mustache sauntered up to them lazily.

He first looked Gu Yan and the others up and down.

When he saw that their clothing, while clean, was made of extremely ordinary material (due to the difference in clothing styles between the Kumu Region and Baifeng City), the initially somewhat enthusiastic look in his eyes quickly cooled.

"Are you esteemed guests looking to rent or buy a property?" His tone was indifferent, carrying a hint of programmed perfunctoriness.

"Buy," Gu Yan said calmly. "I need a mansion that can accommodate over a hundred people. It must be well-located, have a quiet environment, and most importantly… it must come with its own Spiritual Vein."

Upon hearing this, the manager was stunned for a moment, and then, the corners of his mouth curled upward uncontrollably, with a look of undisguised contempt in his eyes.

Good heavens! Asking right off the bat for a large mansion that can accommodate over a hundred people, and it must have a Spiritual Vein? Where did this country bumpkin come from, running to Baifeng City to daydream?

He couldn't even be bothered to ask about their budget, because he knew very well that nine out of ten such people were just here to talk big and waste the time of employees like them.

"Esteemed guest, your requirements… are not low," the manager said with a forced smile. "Mansions with their own Spiritual Vein are all astronomically priced! I advise you to take a look at the small courtyards in the west of the city first. Although they are a bit small, they have the advantage of being cheap. If you squeeze in, a hundred or so people… can also fit."

His words were full of sarcasm and mockery.

Gu Yan did not get angry. He didn't even look at this manager, who looked down on people, again.

His gaze fell directly onto the exquisite scrolls hanging on the walls of the agency's hall, which depicted the appearances of various mansions.

Eventually, his gaze settled on the scroll in the very center, which was also the largest in size.

On the scroll, there were pavilions and towers, small bridges and flowing water, and winding paths leading to secluded spots, appearing just like a fairyland. In the corner of the scroll, four small characters were clearly marked in vermilion ink—Fourth-Grade Spiritual Vein!

"How much for this one?" Gu Yan asked calmly, extending his hand and pointing at the scroll.

The manager looked in the direction his finger was pointing, and the look of sarcasm on his face deepened.

"Oh, you have a good eye, esteemed guest!" he exclaimed exaggeratedly. "This is a top-tier luxury mansion that ranks among the best in our Baifeng City—Gu Garden! Not only is the location superb and it covers a hundred acres, but it also possesses a top-tier Fourth-Grade Spiritual Vein! Let alone living a hundred people, even a thousand could live there with plenty of room to spare!"

"As for the price…" He deliberately drew out the sound, extending five fingers. "This number! Fifty thousand… Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"

"Moreover, such a mansion is priceless. It was consigned to our agency by the Chen Family, one of the three great Families in the city. The Chen Family head has declared that he will not sell it to anyone who lacks fate with it!"

The implication was: You country bumpkin, stop daydreaming!

Fifty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones! This astronomical figure made Steward Gu Zhong, who was following behind Gu Yan, involuntarily gasp.

He knew that Spirit Stones were precious, but he didn't expect that in Baifeng City, a mansion could be this expensive!

This was an amount they had barely managed to scrape together after selling off their entire Family business in Luoyun Town!

However, after hearing this quote, the expression on Gu Yan's face did not change in the slightest.

He just nodded slowly.

Then, he calmly gave an order to the two guards behind him who had remained silent all along.

"Open them and show him."

"Yes, Old Ancestor!"

The two guards stepped forward in response and placed the two incredibly heavy large wooden chests in their hands heavily onto the counter in front of the manager!

Bang! Bang! Two muffled thuds shook the entire counter!

The manager was stunned by this sudden change of events.

He looked at the two large, ordinary-looking wooden chests in front of him, a look of confusion on his face.

"Esteemed guest, what… is the meaning of this?"

Gu Yan did not answer him.

The two guards had already expressionlessly opened the locks on the chests.

Then, under the gaze of the increasingly confused manager.

They directly tilted the two huge wooden chests violently toward the counter!

Clatter-clatter-clatter—!!!

A sound like a flash flood, or like gold beads and jade plates falling to the ground, crisp and pleasant to the extreme, suddenly exploded!

It instantly drowned out all the noise and discussion within the entire agency!

Golden light, mixed with the unique, crystal-clear radiance of Spirit Stones, blinded everyone present at this moment!

They saw countless gold notes printed with huge numbers pouring out of the chests like snowflakes, instantly piling up into a small mountain on the counter!

And amidst the torrent of gold notes, there were countless pieces of crystal-clear, pure Spiritual Qi-radiating… Low-Grade Spirit Stones!

They washed down like a waterfall, colliding with each other and making crisp sounds, finally piling up on the counter into another… even more brilliant, even more dazzling… mountain of Spirit Stones!

The entire Sihai Agency fell into absolute silence at this moment.

Everyone's movements froze.

Everyone's faces were filled with… extreme… shock that could not be described in words!

What had they seen?! Money! Money… piled up like a mountain!

A terrifying fortune… enough to buy half of the Sihai Agency!

And the handlebar-mustached manager, who had been arrogant and looked down on others just a moment ago, was now pale as a sheet, his whole body trembling like a sieve!

His eyes were wide open to the extreme, and his pupils reflected the gold and crystal clear light that was enough to completely drown him.

His mouth was open unconsciously, wide enough to fit an egg.

His mind was a blank slate.

"Here are twenty thousand taels in gold notes and thirty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

Gu Yan's calm voice slowly rang out, breaking the dead silence.

"It should… be enough."

He looked at the manager, who was already scared silly, his voice without a single ripple.

"Full payment. Process the paperwork now."

The manager's legs could no longer support the weight of his body.

With a "thump," he collapsed softly and knelt before the mountain of wealth.

All the previous contempt, all the sarcasm, all the arrogance… at this moment, had turned into endless, bone-deep… fear! And… sycophancy!

"Im… Immortal Master… Immortal Master, spare me!"

He crawled over on his hands and knees, clutching Gu Yan's thigh, crying and wailing with snot and tears.

"It is I who was blind and failed to recognize a superior person! It is I who looked down on others! I beg the Immortal Master to be magnanimous and spare this lowly one this time!"

[Host, this kind of spendthrift behavior of yours is usually called a 'big spender' in the neighboring urban plane. But in my opinion, it is pure 'sucker' behavior.]

In his mind, the System's snarky comment rang out at the right time.

[This crappy house doesn't even have as good a price-performance ratio as the space station sea-view room that my colleague's host bought in the Nine Heavens! But well… looking at how scared silly the manager is, this act of showing off…]

[I give it 82 points. The remaining 18 points are sent to you in the form of 666.]