This Place Is Ours to Run From Now On

It was six days later that Yue Zheng returned to the Douluo World.

During that day of waiting in real time, he had thought of many ways to handle things.

He could move somewhere else and stay away from Spirit City for the time being.

He could gather his old followers back together.

If all else failed, he could say Luo Xiao had fooled him too. A player had already died once; who would insist on hounding someone who had already been punished?

But when Yue Zheng saw his status, his vision went dark.

Level nineteen.

He had been level twenty-two. After losing three levels of Soul Power, rounded up, he had dropped straight back to a level where only his First Soul Ring could be used.

His Second Soul Ring was still there, but its abilities had been sealed. Jaw Split, the move he had been so proud of just days ago, was completely unusable now.

He would have to cultivate back to level twenty-one before he could use the power of his Second Soul Ring again.

Yue Zheng stood there for a long time before opening his contacts and reaching out to the people who had followed him before.

Few replied.

One took ages to answer.

[Don't contact me again. I didn't know you'd run errands for a wanted criminal, and I've already told them everything I know. From now on, we go our separate ways.]

Yue Zheng was so furious that his hands shook.

Another replied quickly, but only said he had just moved and wouldn't be going out anytime soon.

He didn't say where he had moved to.

Yue Zheng didn't know that the man was sitting outside the gates of the Red Pine Courtyard at that very moment, holding a bowl of hot water and waiting to ask when the next assisted hunt would set out.

The Red Pine Courtyard had indeed been livelier than usual these past few days.

The first to arrive were the two players Wen Zhao knew. After obtaining their First Soul Rings, they had brought gifts especially to give their thanks and stayed for two nights.

After that, an acquaintance of Jiang Shi's came too.

Jiang Shi had only mentioned in the channel that he'd obtained his First Soul Ring, but people had pressed him for details: who had led him, whether they were reliable, and whether they had suddenly changed their terms halfway through.

Jiang Shi answered them one by one.

In the end, he simply sent them the location of the Red Pine Courtyard.

No one knew about the arrangements Xu Sheng had made in Soto early on, and no one went around broadcasting the full story. All they knew was that a small team called the Blood Angels in the west had helped people hunt for rings and joined forces to kill a fugitive Soul Elder.

The news hadn't spread throughout the whole city, but it was enough to bring people with the same difficulties to their door.

Xu Sheng had just reached the courtyard gate when three people surrounded him.

"Do you take level tens?"

"Do I have to join Spirit Hall before I can stay here?"

"My Martial Soul isn't bad. I started at level eight, and I'm fourteen now. Can I give it a try?"

The more Xu Sheng heard, the happier he became.

Lu Song brought a long bench out of the house and set it down in the shade, then went to fetch bowls. Ren Yu moved the visitors' bundles over to the wall so they wouldn't block the entrance.

No one asked Uncle Qiao anymore whether they could move this or use that.

They had lived here for days, repaired the house and swept the grounds, and when they were injured, they had been brought back through this gate by cart. Now, when they saw someone visiting for the first time, they naturally greeted them and offered them a seat.

Xu Sheng watched Lu Song hand out water and suddenly wanted to bring the old wooden sign from Soto outside the gate, where visitors could see it at a glance.

But when he looked up and saw the Red Pine Courtyard plaque, he held back.

Forget it. Uncle Qiao finally stopped nagging me. No need to have the old man chasing me around for ages over a sign.

Come on, all of you!

Whether you stay or not is another matter. There's no harm in telling me your Martial Soul and Soul Power first!

He was just about to fetch a stool and sit down to question them at leisure when Uncle Qiao called to him from inside.

"Someone's here from the city, looking for you!"

Xu Sheng turned and saw that the Soul Master delivering the documents was already standing in the courtyard.

The approval had come through.

The Red Pine Courtyard was reinstated as a permanent support station for field operations, with Xu Sheng leading the team stationed there. The Blood Angels were to be staffed up to the previously authorized limit of ten, with Xu Sheng submitting the names for registration and verification. Their regular duties included patrols, support and assigned assisted hunts, with corresponding supplies provided for each assignment.

The documents had come with medicine, ropes, spare protective gear and a batch of materials for repairing the courtyard.

They could use all of it right now.

Xu Sheng read the documents from beginning to end, then flipped back and read his own name again.

"The stone house in the back is ours to arrange too?"

"Every part of the courtyard is to be used for its intended purpose, and the keys are all being handed over to you. You'll be responsible for supporting field personnel passing through."

"Can we expand the training ground a little?"

"For anything inside the courtyard walls, submit a renovation request."

The corners of Xu Sheng's mouth rose higher and higher.

This was a whole different thing from staying at a guest courtyard!

He could choose his people, assign the space and lead his own team out on assignments. There were seven officially enrolled at present. Once they had a full roster and the place was fixed up, what need would they have to worry about not having room to show what they could do?

The Soul Master delivering the documents took out a short note.

"Elder Yue Guan said that once your injury has healed, you're to bring Ji Juechen over again. You can tell him yourself how the sword is working out then."

Xu Sheng hurriedly accepted it.

"Thank you!"

Ji Juechen had been standing under the veranda, but he had already come over on hearing this.

"When?"

"When my shoulder's healed."

"How many more days?"

Xu Sheng looked at his suddenly shining eyes and couldn't help laughing as he scolded him. "Can't you ask whether it still hurts first?"

Ji Juechen looked seriously at his shoulder.

"Does it still hurt?"

"...It's much better."

"That's good."

Having answered, his gaze fell back on the note.

Xu Sheng tucked the note into his robes, keeping it out of his sight.

Hmph, so eager to find someone to test his sword against!

Once the messenger had left, everyone gathered around the table to look at the official approval in turn.

Lu Song read the slowest, tracing his finger from the first line to the last before looking up.

"Then we don't have to move?"

"We're not moving!"

"My bed's still missing a leg. I'll ask Uncle Qiao to fix it tomorrow."

Mo Yifan was already talking about leaving a flat spot on the roof where he could rest after flying back. Ren Yu, meanwhile, had set her sights on a patch of ground against the wall in the rear courtyard, planning to clear it so she could practice with her vines without easily tripping passersby.

Cen Zhao listened for a while, then turned to ask Xu Sheng, "How many more are we recruiting?"

Xu Sheng counted, then beckoned Jiang Shi over.

"Are you putting your name down?"

Jiang Shi set down the arrow in his hand, hardly hesitating.

"Yes."

"You've thought it through? Once you join the team, you'll have to take your share of regular assignments."

"I have."

Jiang Shi went to the table, took the brush and wrote his name, stroke by stroke.

Eight people.

Xu Sheng nodded with satisfaction, then looked at Wen Zhao.

Wen Zhao had known all along that Xu Sheng would look his way. He picked up his tea bowl and took an unhurried sip.

"I won't put my name down yet. I still need to tell the deacon who used to lead me."

This time, Xu Sheng didn't press him.

"All right, I'll save you a spot."

"I didn't say I was definitely joining."

"I've already saved you a bed. What's one more spot?"

Wen Zhao was left speechless.

He glanced at the room he was staying in. Clothes were hanging behind the door, a cup sat by the window, and his freshly washed boots stood neatly against the base of the wall.

If he said he was only staying temporarily, it seemed even he wouldn't quite believe it anymore.

Inside Spirit City.

Yue Guan put the report he had read back on the table and tapped a few of the names lightly.

"Those one-ring Soul Masters all did their part too."

Bibi Dong looked at the account of Luo Xiao in the documents, then turned to the team roster.

"He didn't leave anyone behind and claim all the credit for himself."

"He even made a point of watching as the names were written down, afraid someone might be left out."

As Yue Guan said this, he recalled Xu Sheng's expression when he had asked for a sword and smiled faintly.

"Greedy as he is, he still knows to ask for the people around him."

Bibi Dong closed the documents.

"Then let him continue. We'll see how many people he can keep and how much he can accomplish later."

In the courtyard, Xu Sheng was flattening the newly updated roster.

A notification appeared before his eyes at that moment.

[Organization development stage achieved: acquired a permanent base and led your team on its first field assignment from the base.]

[Stage reward: one Golden Recruitment Token.]

Xu Sheng's hand froze.

A Golden Recruitment Token!

The last time he had used one, it had brought him Ji Juechen.

Who would come this time?

He didn't take it out in front of everyone in the courtyard, merely closing the interface, but he could no longer suppress the grin on his face.

They had a courtyard, they had openings, and now a new talent was about to come right to their door!

What more could he want from life?

"What are you grinning about?" Mo Yifan leaned over from the side.

"Extra dishes tonight!"

Xu Sheng waved a hand grandly and turned toward the kitchen.

He had to tell Uncle Qiao first.

To set out an extra bowl and pair of chopsticks.

They might just need them tonight!