All day long, Fang Chen diligently practiced Tiger Subduing Fist,
Tiger Subduing Fist Proficiency +2! Tiger Subduing Fist Proficiency +2!
His proficiency steadily increased,
With the powerful medicine, each practice of Tiger Subduing Fist now increased his proficiency by two points,
Much faster than before.
Fang Chen did not slack off in the slightest. He remained focused and earnest with every practice session,
After each round, he did his best to digest the insights flooding his mind,
Striving to do better the next time.
During that time, Fang Chen instructed Luo Shuiling once and earned ten taels of silver.
Today, he left rather early,
His fellow disciples were somewhat surprised. After all, Fang Chen usually did not leave until very late.
Fang Chen offered no further explanation,
He planned to go look at a house today.
He had already contacted a realtor and asked him to help find a house,
He would buy one as soon as Fang Chen had the money.
He had originally thought he would have to save for a while before he had enough silver to pay,
But unexpectedly, killing Lu Jie yesterday had brought him more than four hundred taels of silver outright.
Adding the one-hundred-tael banknote Wang Yanshan had lost,
He now had more than five hundred taels of silver on him!
More than enough to buy a fine, comfortable mansion!
Some time later,
Fang Chen followed the realtor Old Zhang and stopped in front of a residence with gray tiles and blue-brick walls.
The gate tower was plain, exuding an air of stability.
Old Zhang deftly unlocked the door and pushed it open:
"Master Fang, take a look! It's a three-sided courtyard. The main house has three bright rooms, and each side wing has two rooms. More than enough space! The best part is the rear courtyard—"
He led Fang Chen through the central courtyard and opened the back door.
The view suddenly opened up.
A courtyard nearly twice as spacious as the front one came into sight!
The ground was level, tamped yellow earth. A few jujube trees stood in the corners, while the walls were high, thick, and sturdy, clearly reinforced especially for this purpose.
"Take a look!"
Old Zhang pointed at the rear courtyard,
"The previous resident was an old martial artist. He chose this place because the yard was large and private enough to practice fists and wield blades without anyone outside seeing a thing!"
"If you want to practice martial arts, this is absolutely perfect! Lay down some stone slabs, and you'll have a ready-made training ground!"
Fang Chen's gaze swept over the spacious courtyard, and he was satisfied.
It was large enough for him to unleash Whirlwind Blade Technique!
He remained impassive. "Let's go inside and look."
Old Zhang hurriedly agreed and led him around for a closer inspection.
The main house had three rooms: the central room was square and proper, the east room suited his father, and the west room was bright, so Fang Chen planned to live there.
The two rooms in the west wing would go to his sister, Fang Ting. The east wing could be used for storage or kept in reserve.
The house was somewhat old, but the beams and pillars were sturdy, the tiles and windows intact, and the doors and windows thick and heavy.
The well stood in a corner of the courtyard, its water fairly clear.
"The price." Fang Chen was concise.
Old Zhang rubbed his hands and smiled:
"Master Fang, you're refreshingly straightforward! This residence is in a good location, and the courtyard is spacious and practical! The original owner asked for two hundred and eighty taels! I'll lower it for you—two hundred and sixty taels! Transfer fees included!"
Fang Chen calculated silently, his expression calm:
"Two hundred and twenty taels. Brokerage and deed taxes are separate. We'll sign the deed today."
"Oh, Master Fang!"
Old Zhang's face puckered like a bitter melon, as though Fang Chen's offer would make him suffer a tremendous loss,
"That price is really... Could you add a little? How about two hundred and fifty taels?"
Fang Chen said nothing. He touched the waist token of a Three Rivers Gang steward at his waist,
Old Zhang narrowed his eyes at the token and swallowed, secretly astonished,
When did he become a Three Rivers Gang steward?!
Old Zhang pondered for a moment, then nodded,
"Done! I'll make friends with Master Fang! Two hundred and twenty taels! I'll fetch the deed right away!"
He jogged off.
Fang Chen stood alone in the central room.
Sunlight streamed through the lattice windows.
At last, he had a truly stable home.
Since he had revealed his identity as a Three Rivers Gang steward, signing the deed went smoothly.
But it still took some time,
By the time Fang Chen returned home, Father Fang and Fang Ting had already started dinner.
They were both puzzled about why Fang Chen had returned so late today.
Fang Chen smiled at them and said, "I bought a large mansion. We'll move tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Father Fang could not help widening his eyes, finding it somewhat unbelievable.
Fang Ting, sitting beside him, looked even more astonished. She asked uncertainly:
"A Chen, did you say you bought a large mansion?"
Under their astonished gazes, Fang Chen nodded.
Seeing the disbelief in their eyes, Fang Chen smiled,
He took the deed from his robes and handed it to them.
This time, the two of them finally believed him completely!
It was not that they did not believe Fang Chen's words,
It was simply that, to them, something like this was too dreamlike!
Father Fang and Fang Ting glanced at the shabby house around them,
Both felt inexplicably emotional,
Fang Chen had not been practicing martial arts for very long, yet all kinds of changes had followed one after another in their family,
Their lives were rapidly improving at a speed the two of them could scarcely believe.
Because of Fang Chen, they had both now become stewards, their status far higher than before.
And tomorrow they would move into a large mansion. It truly filled them with joy.
Inside the little house,
The dim lamplight could not conceal the smiles on their faces.
The next day,
At the new residence,
Father Fang's rough hand brushed over the sturdy doorframe and the chilly rim of the well,
Finally coming to rest in the spacious rear courtyard.
He looked at the level yellow earth, his lips trembling and his voice tight:
"A Chen... this house... this courtyard... how much silver must it have cost? Our family..."
Out of habit, he reached for the old cloth pouch at his waist that held his loose change, but his hand stopped in midair.
Sister Fang Ting's eyes sparkled:
"Father! Look how bright the west wing is! A Chen, the rear courtyard is so big. You'll have a wonderful time practicing martial arts!"
She had already begun imagining planting some easy-to-grow vegetables along the base of the wall.
Fang Chen looked at the complex emotions in his father's eyes—joy, unease, and disbelief mingled together—
Then he looked at the long-absent relaxed smile on his sister's face,
A deep sense of peace filled Fang Chen's heart.
He walked to his father's side and patted the solid courtyard wall:
"Father, Sister, from now on, this is our home."
As for the move,
Fang Chen directly had Li Hu and the others handle it,
The residence was not far from their old home. It was simply in a safer, livelier area,
And it was currently within the territory under his jurisdiction,
On ordinary days, he could have Li Hu and the others watch over his family, preventing any inconsiderate ruffians or local thugs from causing trouble.
It had to be said that once one's status rose, many small matters became much simpler.
It was just that the silver...
Fang Chen felt that silver truly did not go far. Buying a large mansion had cost him so much money,
Although the residence was indeed excellent and worth the price,
Perhaps because he had been poor for too long, seeing his silver suddenly diminish by so much made his heart ache for no clear reason.
Killing and arson put gold belts around one's waist—money really did come quickly that way.
But such opportunities were not common,
Now that he held an honorary position in the Three Rivers Gang, he received twenty taels a month,
And instructing the wealthy woman Luo Shuiling brought him ten taels each time,
Rich women really were the best...
Fang Chen shook his head and thought,
"It's not stable in the end. I still want to buy an inner-lined soft armor, hidden weapons, and poisons... There are still plenty of places that need money."
"I still need to find a side business."
"Junior Brother Zhou said he would help me find an escort agency. I wonder if he's found one yet."
After leaving the moving arrangements to Li Hu and the others, Fang Chen returned to the martial arts school.
Inside the martial arts school,
When Zhou Hai saw Fang Chen arrive, he immediately stopped what he was doing and asked with a smile, "Senior Brother, why didn't you ask me when you wanted to buy a house?"
Fang Chen smiled and shook his head,
"I'd already asked you to find an escort agency for me. How could I trouble you again over something as minor as buying a house?"
Zhou Hai laughed heartily,
"I was just about to tell you about the escort agency!"
"Three Rivers Escort Agency has recently been in need of escort masters. I recommended you to them, Senior Brother, and they agreed soon afterward."
"Find some time to meet their escort chief and see when they need you to accompany a convoy!"
Before you continue