Chapter 46: Longlin Visitor

Li Weiyi stood ramrod straight at the bow of the ship, the wind whipping around him, as he gazed at Jiuli City in the distance. The city walls were dark and towering. Dozens of enemy-watching towers, several times taller than the walls themselves, dotted the vast plain outside the city. Armored soldiers, riding flying beasts, occasionally emerged from these towers, soaring into the sky and vanishing into the clouds.

Along both banks of the great river below the towers, various houses and grand residences clustered together, stretching for dozens of miles. This was Jiuli City's suburban area, where the number of residents was comparable to that within the city itself.

At this point, the Sui River branched into four tributaries, flowing into the city through the four gates: "Cangli Gate," "Chili Gate," "Moli Gate," and "Qingli Gate." Additionally, a twelve-zhang wide moat had been dug, its waters encircling the city for defense.

The moat, city walls, watchtowers, and even the entire main Jiuli City were enveloped by layers of thin, veil-like light screens.

These shimmering light veils varied in depth and flickered erratically, much like the auroras seen at Earth's North and South Poles. They rose from the ground, reaching up to the sky, and served to defend against large-scale invasions by departed spirits and malevolent fiends.

Along the pier, boats of all sizes were docked, their masts and wind-blown flags as dense as a forest.

After disembarking.

Liling was surrounded, as if the center of attention, by a crowd of familiar faces. Everyone chatted and laughed freely. Some inquired with concern about the dangers of her journey, others offered praise and compliments, and some suggested going to the Sky Pavilion that night for a welcome dinner.

These young elites were among the most prominent individuals in the entire state. Each possessed either profound magical energy, extraordinary psychic abilities, or a pure immortal physique; none were ordinary. They were all accompanied by numerous servants and maids.

Li Weiyi observed that the old servants accompanying these prodigies all had keen eyes, and wisps of magical aura shimmered from the pores of their skin – a sign of overflowing magical power, typically only seen in cultivators who had reached the peak of the Seventh Spring of the Surging Spring realm.

Those who served these favored individuals were certainly not ordinary servants; they held a degree of status within their respective families.

He looked around but didn't see Gao Huan or Cai Yutong.

Cangli naturally noticed Li Weiyi and nodded to him from a distance. He initially intended to approach and offer a word of concern, but his friends, chatting and playfully nudging him, urged him boisterously towards the city. He could only instruct one of his elderly servants to go and greet Li Weiyi.

Liling had already been swallowed by the bustling crowd, gradually disappearing in the direction of the city gates.

The elderly servant dispatched by Cangli, named Li Qi, was not particularly old, only in his fifties. Surprisingly, he was an old acquaintance of Zhao Zhizhuo from their youth, though Li Qi had already reached the Seventh Spring cultivation realm.

He said, "Tonight, the Young Patriarch and the others are certainly going to the Sky Pavilion to host a welcome dinner for the Fourth Miss. That place is the most extravagant and romantic spot in Jiuli City, affordable only to the scions of great families and top martial cultivators. Brother Zhao, you've been there before, so you should be familiar with it. The Young Patriarch just gave instructions that you all may go together."

Li Qi was unaware that Li Weiyi had previously rendered a service to the Cangli clan. He simply thought the Young Patriarch was being overly generous and friendly. However, he knew that in certain social settings, the presence of the wrong people could lead to much awkwardness. So, while his words were an invitation, every sentence was subtly telling the people in front of him not to go.

As a servant, he could only express himself indirectly, not too bluntly.

Li Weiyi, for his part, had no desire to get too deeply entangled with the Cangli clan. He also knew that the lavish, romantic lifestyle of the Sky Pavilion was far beyond his current means or social standing. Forcing himself into a social circle where he didn't belong would only bring him shame.

Understanding social nuances, Li Weiyi smiled and waved his hand when Zhao Zhizhuo shot an angry glance his way. "We can't go," he said. "Common folk like us, in our simple clothes, wouldn't dare attend such a grand event. Wouldn't that just bring shame upon the Young Patriarch?"

An unnoticeable flicker of satisfaction crossed Li Qi's eyes; a young man who understood his place was far more agreeable.

"But since the Young Patriarch invited us," Li Weiyi said, "if we don't go, Elder Li might have difficulty explaining. How about this: convert the invitation into cash, and we'll find a place to eat and stay for the night ourselves. Old Zhao, if all of us were to go to the Sky Pavilion, how much silver would it cost?"

Zhao Zhizhuo caught on immediately. "If all of us were to go? That would be at least... a thousand silver!"

Li Weiyi smiled, looking at Li Qi.

They received a brocade pouch containing a thousand silver coins from a visibly displeased Li Qi, yet none of them felt the slightest bit of joy.

"It's a case of judging a book by its cover!" Zhao Meng, who had been bare-chested the entire time (his physique meant clothes had to be custom-made), remarked, "I understand. Tomorrow, we'll all get some better clothes."

Zhao Zhizhuo, recalling many past incidents, sighed deeply. "It's not just about clothes," he murmured.

On the ship, Li Weiyi had discussed the matter with Senior Coffin, who offered the following advice:

First, do not settle inside the city limits.

Before their finances were robust, they shouldn't purchase a manor. Instead, they could rent a large residence in the prosperous suburban area close to the city. The concentration of natural energy there would not be significantly lower than inside the city, yet the price would be considerably cheaper.

When Li Weiyi proposed the idea of renting a residence, Zhao Zhizhuo fully agreed.

"Inside the city limits, one wouldn't suffer attacks from departed spirits and malevolent fiends, making it seem safer," he said. "However, it also makes one more easily targeted by those we cannot afford to offend."

"While the suburbs are slightly more dangerous and a mix of all sorts, truly powerful figures don't reside there. Therefore, even if we are targeted, we would have a certain ability to cope."

"And even if, in the worst-case scenario, we faced a large-scale attack from departed spirits, as long as we live close enough to the city limits, we could escape into the city at the first sign of danger."

Zhao Zhizhuo understood that Li Weiyi was hesitant to become too deeply involved with Cangli and Liling, unwilling to leverage the influence of the Cangli clan. Therefore, Li Weiyi was seeking the optimal solution based purely on their own capabilities.

Over the next two days, Zhao Meng and Zhao Zhizhuo scoured the southern district of the suburbs and finally secured a residence.

The property, including both front and back courtyards, spanned three mu and contained over a dozen rooms. It was located only a few hundred zhang from the moat, in a prosperous part of the suburbs. All in all, everyone was quite satisfied with every aspect, except for the price.

The monthly rent was an exorbitant one thousand three hundred silver coins.

All the money Li Weiyi possessed combined was barely enough to cover less than a year's rent.

There was no other way; with Old Meng's six-meter tall physique, and the two deformed individuals, Old Liu and Old Guan, a smaller courtyard wouldn't provide enough space for everyone to practice martial arts.

Li Weiyi, of course, was not idle. Within two days, he made three trips to the city, visiting three different locations, and spent three thousand silver coins to purchase three Spring-Breaking Needles.

The cost was simply exorbitant.

Had it not been to suppress the Evil Camel Bell and urgently push through to the Fifth Spring, he genuinely would not have spent such a ridiculous amount.

When Zhao Zhizhuo returned with Old Liu and Old Guan, carrying various household items and food, Li Weiyi was sitting on a chair under the old poplar tree in the front courtyard—a tree so thick it would take two people to encircle it—counting money. He alternated between frowning deeply and sitting motionless in thought.

*Knock, knock!*

A knock sounded from outside the courtyard gate.

Old Liu quickly put down the items he was carrying and went to open the gate.

Upon opening the gate, Old Liu's face registered surprise at the three figures standing outside. Due to the language barrier, he didn't know how to address them.

The man leading the group outside appeared to be in his late forties or early fifties, with a pale, beardless face, resembling a scholar. Even though time had passed, it was clear he must have been remarkably handsome in his youth.

"Shi Chuan Yu, Banner Chief of the Changlin Gang, has come to pay respects to the master of this residence," the scholar said, bowing politely to Old Liu with a kind smile.

Li Weiyi quickly put away his money and approached the gate, smiling. "The master of this residence is my senior brother," he said. "How may I help you?"

Shi Chuan Yu bowed again, smiling. "We also live in this area. From now on, we'll be neighbors. Since you're moving into a new home, we naturally came to offer our congratulations. This is just a small token of our regard."

Shi Chuan Yu exchanged a glance.

Behind him, two gang members carrying gifts tied with red cords walked directly into the courtyard.

Under the old poplar tree, Old Meng, as the master of the residence, began conversing with Shi Chuan Yu.

The two men conversed amiably.

Seeing that the moment was right, Shi Chuan Yu adopted a serious expression and said, "You newcomers might not be aware, but the area outside the city is unlike the inside. It's frequently attacked by departed spirits and malevolent fiends. When things get bad, hundreds, even thousands, of residents can die in a single night. Fortunately, we have a group of powerful cultivators who quickly united to form various gangs, allowing us to resist these external dangers."

"The safety of this part of the city's outskirts is the responsibility of our Changlin Gang."

"However, running a gang costs money. Furthermore, many of our members are injured or killed while fighting departed spirits and malevolent fiends, and their medical expenses and family settlements are unavoidable."

"Therefore, everyone residing in this area, whether merchants or residents, contributes some money and provisions to us each month. This allows us to continue operating and better protect everyone."

Zhao Meng understood that this was a demand for protection money. "When we rented this residence," he said, "we paid city defense silver. Shouldn't attacks from departed spirits and malevolent fiends be the responsibility of the city guard?"

Shi Chuan Yu let out a hearty laugh. "The city guard is primarily responsible for the area *within* the city. If they truly put forth their best effort, why would the suburbs be in such disarray? In truth, our gangs emerged precisely because we have the backing of either the city guard or some prominent families. By the way, Brother Zhao, how long do you plan to rent this place?"

"Just for a month to start," Zhao Meng replied.

"Since it's a short-term rental, we'll waive the departed spirit silver and fiend silver. Everyone has their difficulties. Come to the Changlin Gang for tea tomorrow; it'll be my treat."

Shi Chuan Yu and the two gang members took their leave, waving goodbye and repeatedly telling Zhao Meng not to bother seeing them out.

After seeing them off and closing the gate, Zhao Meng felt uneasy. "Are local gangs really this polite?" he asked Zhao Zhizhuo, a sense of foreboding nagging him. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Zhao Zhizhuo's expression was grim. "He wasn't here to collect protection money," he stated. "He was probably here to scout us out, to gauge our strength."

"Are you saying," Li Weiyi began, "that Old Zhao means the Changlin Gang sees us as outsiders with no connections and plans to take advantage of us?"

Zhao Zhizhuo nodded. "That's what I think. Their visit means they've investigated us. If they had taken protection money, we could sleep peacefully tonight. Since they didn't, I genuinely won't be able to sleep tonight."

The three members of the Changlin Gang walked along the bustling, traffic-filled street.

Behind Shi Chuan Yu, a gang member who had opened his Fourth Spring couldn't help but ask, "Banner Chief, are we really not collecting the departed spirit silver and fiend silver from them? Those gifts aren't worth much, and our Changlin Gang isn't a charity!"

Shi Chuan Yu muttered to himself, "Those two have very strong accents; they're likely refugees from another state, with no real connections in Lizhou. But to be able to afford a thousand silver in monthly rent means they definitely have some family wealth. What a juicy target!"

Another gang member, also at the Fourth Spring, commented, "The one named Zhao, with his six-meter height, I fear his combat power is considerable."

Shi Chuan Yu scoffed. "It's all for show. I clasped his palm—he hasn't cultivated any magical power. No matter how large his physique, he's only good for manual labor. Tonight, we'll give them a proper send-off, making it look like an attack by ferocious insects, completely unrelated to our Changlin Gang."

"From this moment on, anyone who leaves that residence must be controlled. There must be no mishaps."

An elderly man, who had opened his Sixth Spring, approached them, bowing to Shi Chuan Yu. "Banner Chief," he said, "Miss Yang from the Yang family has arrived. The Gang Leader wants you to come at once; it seems to be very important."