"This is way too expensive!"
Jiang Che said with a frown.
He had just managed to get his hands on a huge sum of money and had even thought for a moment that he wouldn't have to worry about finances for a long time.
But now, this house was five hundred silver right off the bat!
He even suspected that this old man had somehow heard a rumor that he had exactly five hundred silver on him!
"This is already considered cheap. Young Master, you're free to go ask around. This is the going rate for this neighborhood.
"If you really want something cheaper, there are plenty in the South District, but you probably wouldn't want to live there, would you?" the old man explained.
Jiang Che understood the logic, but five hundred silver was truly beyond his budget.
"Forget it. I'll think about it some more."
Jiang Che turned to leave.
The old man hurriedly grabbed him. "Young Master, wait! The price is negotiable. We can discuss it."
"Oh? What's the lowest you'll go?" Jiang Che stopped in his tracks.
He hadn't actually intended to bargain; he was genuinely planning to buy one later.
He had worked hard to earn this money and didn't want to spend it all at once.
After all, he still needed to buy supplies for his cultivation.
To him, increasing his strength was the foundation of everything.
"Four hundred and eighty silver."
"Never mind, that's still too expensive." Jiang Che shook his head.
"Four hundred and fifty silver!" the old man said, gritting his teeth.
Normally, this house would be worth at least six hundred silver.
But for some reason, over the past two months, the wealthy households in the city had begun moving out of Lin Yuan City in droves.
The old man had taken the opportunity to buy several nice properties at a low price.
He thought he would make a huge profit, but he found that no one was buying!
Later, he heard a rumor that the city was about to descend into chaos.
Now he was panicking. If chaos really broke out, the house would be worthless!
So he couldn't afford to be picky. He had to sell it quickly, even at a loss, or it would be stuck on his hands!
"Four hundred silver. That's the most I'll offer," Jiang Che said.
The old man stared at Jiang Che's face and saw that he really didn't look desperate to buy.
Thinking that this was a rare opportunity he couldn't miss, he stomped his foot.
"Fine! Four hundred silver it is!"
Jiang Che was a little surprised. He had inquired about the market rates beforehand, and four hundred silver was definitely a very cheap price.
He had only said it as a negotiating tactic, not expecting the old man to actually agree.
But why the old man would go so low, as if he were afraid Jiang Che wouldn't buy, made Jiang Che a bit suspicious.
However, Jiang Che really did need this house right now. Even if there was something fishy going on, at least the price was a genuine bargain.
"Deal."
Jiang Che nodded in agreement.
Afterward, the old man took Jiang Che to the brokerage to handle the deed transfer.
Jiang Che counted the silver left in his pocket. Including what he hadn't spent before, he had a total of one hundred and eighteen silver.
Even if the Low-Grade Exotic Beast Meat wasn't discounted, at ten silver per pound, he could still buy more than ten pounds.
That was enough to last for two months.
'I'll have to start thinking about how to make money again...'
Jiang Che sighed.
Only after his breakthrough with Qi Blood did he realize just how expensive cultivation was.
One hundred silver might seem like a lot, but it could be spent in a flash on some Exotic Beast Meat or supplements!
Still, looking at the large new house he had just bought, Jiang Che finally felt a sense of stability.
'I wonder how that little girl Ling'er will react when she finds out.'
At this thought, a smile couldn't help but appear on Jiang Che's face.
「Upon arriving at the Martial Arts Hall.」
His younger sister, Jiang Ling, was pouring tea for Luo Kun.
Luo Kun, in turn, was watching Jiang Ling with a kindly expression, so much so that even the centipede-like scar at the corner of his eye seemed less frightening.
Jiang Che was a bit surprised. In his memory, his master was always stone-faced and extremely stern.
'Who would have thought he could make an expression like that?'
When she saw Jiang Che arrive, Jiang Ling's eyes lit up. She put down the teapot and ran over.
"Brother, you're back!"
Thanks to the improvement in her diet, her face was no longer pale and had a healthy, rosy tint.
Jiang Che patted her head and smiled.
"Yeah, I'm back."
Then he stepped forward to bow to Luo Kun.
"Disciple greets Master."
Seeing Jiang Che, Luo Kun's expression returned to its usual sternness.
"Was your journey uneventful?"
"Reporting to Master, I encountered a Black Beast along the way. Fortunately, the Escort and I were able to kill it together. It was a close call, but we came out unscathed."
"Mm, you can consider it a good experience," Luo Kun nodded.
An Escort usually had the strength of the Peak of Bull Skin Realm, and an ordinary Black Beast was also just at the Bull Skin Realm.
He guessed that Jiang Che had probably just provided some support from the side, perhaps not even needing to act at all.
But since Jiang Che said they killed it together, he didn't feel the need to call him out on it.
"My sister has troubled you for some time. Now that I have returned, I will take her home."
"Mm. When you have time in the future, you can bring Ling'er to visit again."
There was a rare note of reluctance in Luo Kun's tone.
Jiang Ling was very sensible and diligent.
She reminded him of his own daughter when she was young.
But his daughter had long since married into another family and rarely came back to see him, which was a source of worry for him.
"I will, Master."
After bidding farewell to his master, Jiang Che led Jiang Ling home.
Leaving the Martial Arts Hall, Jiang Ling looked back, a little reluctant to leave.
Before, when she was home alone, she was constantly on edge.
But here, she had felt a rare sense of security.
Besides, the Hall Master was very kind.
'Still, this isn't my own home, after all.'
She shook her head, pushing the thoughts away.
Back at their home, just as Jiang Ling put down her bundle and was about to start tidying up, Jiang Che called out to her.
"Don't bother tidying up. We're moving."
"Moving?"
Jiang Ling was surprised.
'Didn't we just get back from the Martial Arts Hall? Where are we moving to now?'
Jiang Che's lips curved into a smile. "Don't worry about it for now. Just pack your things. You'll find out soon enough!"
Jiang Ling suppressed her curiosity and obediently helped Jiang Che pack up the house.
Seeing Jiang Ling packing up a lot of junk, Jiang Che shook his head and stopped her.
"We don't need this stuff. We'll buy new things later."
"But..." Jiang Ling was hesitant to part with it.
"No buts. Your brother has money now." Jiang Che pulled out a gold leaf from his robes, wearing the smug look of the nouveau riche.
Jiang Ling's eyes went wide.
"Brother, where did you get so much money?!"
"Shh... Your brother is a big shot now. The Escort Agency even called me a great hero!" Jiang Che tilted his chin up.
"Mhm!" Jiang Ling's face flushed, her eyes filled with excitement.
After they finished packing, Jiang Che realized that without all the junk, there wasn't actually that much to take.
Jiang Che then called for a horse-drawn carriage, loaded up their luggage, and headed for their new home.
Watching the dilapidated little bungalow recede into the distance, Jiang Che felt a bit melancholic.
He had lived in this place with his family for sixteen years, and he might never come back again.
Jiang Ling was also a little quiet.
「Arriving at the front of the new house.」
Jiang Che took out the key and opened the two large, black-lacquered gates.
Jiang Ling's eyes widened as she stared at the spacious courtyard, her voice trembling slightly.
"Brother, you didn't make a mistake, did you? Is this really our house?!"
Jiang Che laughed. "Why would I lie to you? If it wasn't our house, where would I have gotten the key?"
Jiang Ling looked here and touched there, her excitement plain to see.
Jiang Che then opened the door to the main house. Jiang Ling ran inside, letting out gasps of amazement.
In the end, Jiang Ling chose a side room near the rear courtyard.
Jiang Che chose one next to the front hall.
This put some distance between them for privacy, but if she called for help, Jiang Che would still be able to hear her immediately.
In the following days, the two of them bought a lot of new furniture, quilts, and other daily necessities.
Jiang Che also set up some training equipment in the courtyard, such as wooden stakes.
All of this cost nearly twenty silver, leaving him with ninety-eight silver on hand.
But looking at their new, fully furnished home, Jiang Che instantly felt an immense sense of security and peace.