Relocation

Relocation

Li Yuan asked for more details. From his conversation with Cai Ze, he gained a rough understanding of the Blood Saber Sect's basic operations and structure.

The Blood Saber Sect roughly had two types of disciples.

One type cultivated the Blood Saber Sect's techniques and did not engage in production. These were the Inner Sect Disciples and some Outer Sect Disciples.

The other type maintained the functioning of the Blood Saber Sect's territory. These were the Outer Perimeter Disciples, along with some Outer Sect Disciples of mediocre cultivation aptitude. Cai Ze belonged to this type.

Now that he had successfully obtained a Residence Permit for Silver Stream Village, he was already immensely grateful. An Outer Perimeter Disciple was fine.

As for the four choices, he first ruled out the Martial Shop.

It was exhausting work with no profit in it. There was no reason to stubbornly insist on doing that.

Next, he ruled out the government office.

Putting on an official uniform meant running all over the place to collect taxes elsewhere.

Though there would surely be plenty of profits and plenty of people currying favor with him, the chance of coming across cultivation techniques would be minuscule.

That left the choice between the Open Market and the Black Market.

The former offered comfort and free benefits.

The latter carried some danger, but it also allowed him to see many goods. If he could not find cultivation techniques among those goods, he would not find them anywhere else either.

Since the Blood Saber Sect would not formally accept him into the sect, he had to give himself something to hope for.

Besides that, disciples assigned to guard places would guard them, while cultivating disciples would either repeatedly practice within the sect or head out in groups to gain experience through real combat. Once they reached a certain level, they would enter seclusion.

This reminded Li Yuan of the memories from when he had used skill points to break through.

Breakthroughs in beginner and intermediate skills were usually accompanied by memories of extensive practice. Advanced skills came with memories of actual combat. Expert-level skills came with memories of sudden enlightenment. Grandmaster-level skills required guidance from an expert.

At the same time, they involved great expenditure.

Those memories vaguely matched the situation before him.

Were those disciples repeatedly practicing in the sect not breaking through beginner and intermediate skills? Were those heading out in groups to gain experience not breaking through advanced skills? And those in seclusion were seeking "sudden enlightenment."

Li Yuan could not help sighing.

Sure enough, everything in this world required effort and time to obtain.

He glanced at his current Spare Points.

He had ninety-six points again.

Perhaps it was time to work on adding points next time.

But there was no rush.

Li Yuan felt that if he possessed ten parts of strength, he should reveal only three. At the same time, he needed to reserve some power to "burst forth" when necessary. Only then would he feel somewhat safe.

Those ninety-six Spare Points were precisely that reserve power.

After receiving the two tokens and bidding Cai Ze farewell, Li Yuan happily headed straight for Little Ink Village.

Though he had not formally become a disciple of the Blood Saber Sect.

Though he still needed to live in the shantytown.

Being able to move smoothly to Silver Stream Village was enough to make him breathe a sigh of relief.

His first small goal had been achieved.

This was also a rise in social standing.

When he returned home, Yan Yu was washing clothes. Li Yuan embraced her from behind.

Yan Niangzi let out a startled shriek and raised a hand to grab the pouch of lime at her waist. But when she turned and saw that it was her own man, she coquettishly scolded, "You're terrible! Why did you scare me like that?"

Li Yuan lifted her up, spun her around in the air a few times, then told her everything that had happened today.

Yan Niangzi became happy as well.

Though they would be living in the shantytown, it was still Silver Stream Village. And her man had actually become an Outer Perimeter Disciple of the Blood Saber Sect.

The young couple sat in the courtyard and began discussing their future life.

Li Yuan said, "When you're home in the future, I won't have to worry so much.

During the day, I'll either assist with watching the Black Market or go hunting on Little Ink Mountain.

At night, I can take you strolling through the county streets.

We won't have to lie in bed as soon as night falls anymore.

Oh, and you won't need to do all these chores yourself. I was thinking of buying a maid to take them over.

You can do whatever you want, all right?"

"Buy a maid?" Yan Niangzi froze for a moment.

Li Yuan said, "We'll live in the main house, and the maid can live in the side room next door. Though it's a shantytown, those settling in the Silver Stream shantytown aren't just any random people. Other households surely have maids too."

Yan Niangzi fell silent. Her pretty face maintained its happy expression, but her eyes held a trace of sadness.

Still, now that the family had some money, they were moving to Silver Stream Village, and Li Yuan was an Outer Perimeter Disciple of the Blood Saber Sect, buying a maid was indeed not excessive.

She pressed her long legs, tightly wrapped in black trousers, together and leaned lightly against Li Yuan's side. "All right," she said softly.

Li Yuan said, "You buy the maid."

"Huh?"

Yan Niangzi cried out in surprise.

"You should go buy her. How would I know what kind you like?"

Li Yuan said, "It's not like she'll be sleeping in my bed, so why should I be the one to like her?

"I'm often not home during the day. The maid will spend more time with you and help you with your work, so naturally you should choose her."

Yan Niangzi wrapped her arms around her man's waist and said softly, "Yuan Ge'er, you're so good to me. For this life and the next, I'll only be good to you. My heart will hold only you."

For this life and the next?

Li Yuan glanced at his "Eternal Life."

Mm. For this life and the next, then.

He held his woman tighter and softly answered, "Mm."

The next day.

Yan Niangzi woke in Li Yuan's arms, her long legs lightly pressed against him as they gently rubbed against the skin of the man beside her.

She lazily yawned, shifted up a few inches, and moved close to Li Yuan's ear. With a playful glint in her eyes, she smiled and said, "Husband."

Li Yuan said, "Why did you change what you call me?"

"I got used to calling you Yuan Ge'er before, so even after we got together, I kept calling you that.

"Now, I want to change it." Yan Niangzi said.

Li Yuan said, "I haven't heard other women call their men husband."

"You don't like it, husband?" Yan Niangzi spoke in a somewhat coquettish tone.

After making love last night, she had thought about many things.

She was ultimately a literate woman, naturally different from the village girls who only knew how to toil in the fields.

Now that her man had become capable, she wanted to be more charming, more seductive, and even dress herself up a little.

Yan Niangzi knew that dull old women could not hold a man's heart. Rather than let young girls outside seduce her man, she might as well act first, prepare for trouble before it came, and nip the source of disaster in the bud.

Li Yuan said, "I like it."

Yan Niangzi said, "I want to save you the money for a maid."

Li Yuan said speechlessly, "Why are you referring to yourself as this concubine now?"

Yan Niangzi coquettishly asked, "You don't like it?"

"Oh, I like it." Li Yuan did not really care. If his wife wanted to play around, he would let her. "How are you going to save it?"

Yan Niangzi said, "How about I bring Aunt Wang along as our maid?

"I'm familiar with Aunt Wang, and I'm the person she's closest to in the village. If I leave, and her man is gone too, she won't be able to get by."

Li Yuan hesitated. "She has two children, and they'd have to live in the side room too. It's a small place. Will they fit?"

He had seen the houses in the shantytown. They were not large.

Yan Niangzi said, "If you don't like it, husband, then forget it."

Li Yuan said, "As long as you like it."

At dusk, a fast horse hurried into Little Ink Village and stopped before Li Yuan's home.

The rider was a man in black robes, the edges of his garments blood-red, giving off an aura distinctly unlike that of ordinary people.

Hearing the commotion, Li Yuan hurried outside.

The black-robed man looked Li Yuan over and smiled. "My name is Yu Mao. You can consider me your senior brother."

As he spoke, he took a case from behind him and said, "Inside are the Blood Saber Sect's clothes and saber. From now on, Junior Brother Li can wear these clothes when traveling outside.

"Ordinary folk should know when to advance and when to retreat upon seeing this outfit. It should save Junior Brother Li quite a bit of trouble."

"Thank you, Senior Brother Yu." Li Yuan glanced at the "24~25" beside the man, bowed, then had Yan Yu go inside to bring out some cured meat.

"It's a poor place with nothing much to offer, just some homemade cured roe deer meat."

The black-robed man glanced at it but did not accept it. "I only came to notify you, Junior Brother. There's no need to be polite.

"The sect is giving you three days to settle into Silver Stream Village. Three days from now, go to the Black Market.

"The Black Market is a mixed bag. Currently, a Li Gongfeng from the sect is stationed there.

"Once you arrive at the Black Market, report to him.

"Oh, as for a house in the shantytown, Junior Brother Li can use his identity token to obtain the right to reside in one for free.

"This is also the Blood Saber Sect's consideration for Outer Perimeter Disciples.

"Li Gongfeng will tell you the rules afterward."

Since the other party did not accept the roe deer meat, Li Yuan was not embarrassed and put it away.

It was perfectly normal for others to look down on such things. It was also perfectly normal for others to look down on him for coming from Little Ink Village. There was nothing to complain about.

He thanked the man and watched as the black-robed man rode away in a cloud of dust. Only then did he return to the house, open the case, take out the black clothes with blood-red trim inside, and try them on. They fit perfectly.

Yan Niangzi stared blankly at him, then said sweetly, "Husband, you feel completely different wearing these clothes. You have an air of authority about you."

Li Yuan smiled, took out the saber, and looked to his side.

His overall number immediately changed from "9~10" to "12~13."

He set down the saber and picked up his iron bow. The number changed again to "39~40."

He withdrew his gaze and muttered, "The Black Market... all sorts of items. I'm actually looking forward to it."

Note: I adjusted the update schedule over the weekend. It was originally one chapter at 5 PM and one at 8 PM. Now both chapters will be released at 5 PM, which should also make things more convenient for everyone to read.