Since Wang Chen's new home had been completed and occupied, it had never been this lively.
All five members of Zhang Mushan's family had come at his invitation.
Madam Zhang voluntarily took over the kitchen work, leaving her husband to drink tea and chat with Wang Chen.
Zhang Zhuanghu kept his two twin younger sisters company as they played in the courtyard. Their bright laughter rang out from time to time, adding a touch of life and vigor to the place.
Wang Chen's home stood outside Feixu Valley, where land could be enclosed at will. His house was simply built, but the courtyard it enclosed was quite spacious. He had even transplanted several large trees from the nearby mountains.
The weather was still hot at the turn from late summer to early autumn, yet a cool breeze drifted through Wang Chen's courtyard. Sitting idly and gazing at the rolling mountain ranges in the distance, one could not help but feel refreshed and at peace.
Zhang Mushan sighed. "Living outside the valley is still more comfortable."
Although Feixu Valley was quite large, the cultivators of Feixu Camp mostly lived clustered together within a rather narrow area. Thus, most people's homes, including Zhang Mushan's, were not large.
This was necessary for defense. Otherwise, if every household were scattered about, the Defense Array would have to be built on an enormous scale. Neither the resources required nor the daily upkeep could be borne by a small Rogue Cultivator faction.
Moreover, if Feixu Valley came under attack, cultivators living together could rise up and resist in the shortest possible time.
With greater safety, living comfort naturally declined greatly.
There was nothing to be done about it—one could not have both fish and bear's paw!
Zhang Mushan was only speaking casually, of course. He had