chsdbacks 21. Settling down and buying a home
21. Settling down and buying a home
As dawn breaks, the remnants of night vanish.
The shopkeeper came to the door himself, climbed up the wooden ladder that the waiter had placed there, and carefully reached out to take down the stone hanging next to the signboard, afraid that it would fall to the ground.
The stone is cone-shaped and pure white in color, similar to jade, but its texture is more like that of ordinary pebbles.
Lu Feng was about to leave when he saw the scene before him. He greeted the shopkeeper and left amidst the shopkeeper's warm greetings.
As for the white stone, it was the answer to the riddle the shopkeeper had given earlier. According to Ke Xing's explanation, Yunxia Taoist Temple has specially made items that can ward off ghosts at night.
However, he added later that this was a lower method, and that the white stone was not omnipotent and would fail at times. It could avoid most dangers, but dangers still existed.
When Lu Feng asked why he hadn't seen the item in the outer city, Ke Xing withdrew his smile, his expression turned grave, and he sighed. He didn't give a reason, only saying that he had asked his master before, but his master hadn't answered.
The conversation ended abruptly there, with no follow-up.
Following the same route as yesterday, we stepped into the open main gate of the Taoist temple. As far as the eye could see, there were Taoist palace buildings of various sizes, but we did not see any Taoist disciples among them.
Yesterday, the only place I actually encountered disciples was the training pavilion. Because of the distance, I didn't see the writing above their heads.
As for that master, he must be of such a high level that no text information can be displayed in the martial arts section.
Standing in the open white jade square, walking along the flowerbeds on both sides, butterflies landed on the stamens of various small flowers, gathering pollen, the wind carried fragrance, and the mind was instantly calmed.
Relying on my memory, I first went to the Hall of Buddhist Robes.
When he came out again, his clothes were brand new. He wore a purple Taoist robe made of the finest brocade, which was cinched at the waist and was paired with a jade belt embroidered with gold and silver. A jade plaque with inscriptions of clouds and mist hung naturally from his side, and he wore brocade high boots.
His face was clean and his features were full. He had thick eyebrows and a sunny disposition. His hair was tied up with a straight crown. Looking at Lu Feng's whole body, his temperament was completely different, and he had an ethereal air about him.
Holding a bundle of old clothes in his hand, he briefly felt the new outfit. To be honest, it was indeed comfortable to wear. It was well worth the hundred taels of silver he had spent; the clothes were exactly what he was looking for.
Today I need to purchase a property in the inner city; this was decided last night.
With several hundred taels of silver tucked into his pocket, Lu Feng walked towards the Good Deeds Hall, his high boots clicking on the ground.
Shanggong Hall.
This is also a small Taoist temple, without any elaborate decorations. Four pillars support the whole structure, and at the top is a table with a statue of a deity. To the lower right is a middle-aged Taoist priest with a solemn face, also wearing a purple robe, sitting in a chair with a long table in front of him.
This man was the high-ranking elder in charge of the Good Deeds Hall, whose Taoist name was Xuan Kong. He was the one Lu Feng got a freebie from yesterday.
Upon seeing Lu Feng, Xuan Kong glanced at him and teased, "What, another item to sell today? Need me to appraise it?"
Lu Feng coughed twice, remaining silent about yesterday's events, but he knew in his heart that it would be difficult to get something for free in the future.
He stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Uncle-Master Xuankong, I've come today to inquire if there are any suitable residences within the inner city. This disciple would like to settle into one."
Houses are also a resource that Shangutang can circulate; the Taoist temple still has many new houses with property deeds.
"Oh?" Xuan Kong pondered for a moment, his gaze fixed on the long table.
These are arranged in a very orderly fashion, with wooden plaques made of driftwood, each about the size of a palm.
He stood up, pointed to his left, deliberately drawing a circle in the air, and then said, "This area is a place where houses can be traded. Disciples of the Dao Academy can buy them by paying silver; no merit points are required."
Lu Feng walked over and looked at the signs, mainly focusing on the prices of the residential areas.
"Fifth courtyard next to Hu's Silk Shop on the eastern edge of the city street, priced at 370 taels of silver."
"Second house in the back alley of the Li family mansion, by the Biming Pond in the west of the city, priced at four hundred and twenty taels of silver."
"A flat-roofed house in the east alley of Yunxia Taoist Temple on Pingjiang Road in the south of the city, priced at 1,300 taels of silver."
...
As you look through the listings, you can clearly see what kind of houses are for sale and what the prices are for different locations.
The lowest prices fluctuated around four hundred taels, which made Lu Feng's heart clench.
too expensive!
This is a benefit price that only disciples of the Taoist academy can enjoy. Why didn't the Pang family, where my second uncle used to live, give us a house?
Is it because the price is too high?
No.
They are not qualified; they are not qualified to purchase extra property in the inner city. If they want to settle down in the inner city, money is just the most basic requirement.
It could even be said to be the most inconspicuous and easiest threshold to reach.
Lu Feng pointed to a house priced at 390 taels and took out all the money he had prepared early in the morning, totaling 430 taels.
He carefully placed the 350 taels of silver notes, then took out one of the large money bags and took out two 20-tael silver ingots from it.
He put the rest back into the lining and then handed the silver to Xuan Kong with both hands.
Xuan Kong watched Lu Feng take out the silver, his serious face unable to suppress his excitement, and he took the silver.
"Take this sign, and this courtyard is yours, Mingxu. You have considerable talent, but you come from an outer city and have no special possessions to protect you. You should strive to improve yourself so that you can become a useful person."
Lu Feng was taken aback. He looked away from the sign and at Xuan Kong. After a few moments of thought, he bowed in response.
"I understand!"
"Okay, go ahead."
Lu Feng stretched out one hand, grasped the plaque, felt its smooth coolness, put it in his arms, and turned to walk out of the Taoist temple.
This trip took a considerable amount of time to properly manage more than half of the family business.
Now that the house is in hand, there's no rush. Today is the time to practice standing meditation, because strength is the foundation for survival.
Practice Pavilion.
He changed back into his old clothes and began practicing standing meditation. Today, Lu Feng was the only one in the six pavilions.
This left him with no opportunity to use martial arts points to replicate some useful talents or martial arts marks.
As the sun set, Lu Feng, who had been practicing stance training all day, took a Qi-regulating pill and felt his fatigue quickly dissipate before leaving the Taoist temple with satisfaction.
Back at the Biyun Restaurant, after taking a bath, he changed into a brand-new purple robe, dressing like a high-ranking disciple of the Taoist academy, just like Ke Xing.
After changing his clothes, the shopkeeper lowered his head even further, no longer daring to speak. He felt that Lu Feng's aura was too overwhelming, making it difficult for him to breathe.
While waiting for his relatives and friends to return, Hu Zi entered the restaurant first and brought Lu Feng the news he most wanted to know.
Inside the room, the two sat on stools. Tiger drank a cup of cold tea and whispered about the information he had gathered.
"From what I've heard, a total of twenty-eight households have died in the outer city during this period. According to what you told me, Fengzi, it definitely started from Sanya's house. The closer you are, the more families die!"
As he spoke, Tiger's eyes turned red. He still couldn't forget Sanya, and after confirming a certain situation, he felt extremely grief-stricken.
He couldn't kill the Night Demon; all he could do was hope that Lu Feng would kill this scourge in the future!