Choosing a Cave Mansion

As they approached Wu Family Market, Lu Xuanji and his companion sensed some ill-intentioned cultivators nearby and became even more cautious.

Rogue Cultivators were very poor.

Because they were poor, killing people and seizing treasures was a common occurrence among Rogue Cultivators.

Many Rogue Cultivators possessed extensive combat experience, formidable killing skills, and extreme brutality.

Without much hesitation, Lu Xuanji stepped forward, paid two Spirit Stones, received an iron token, and entered Wu Family Market.

Wu Family Market sat at the foot of a Spirit Mountain. A mid-grade Level 2 Spirit Vein ran through the area, capable of supporting ten Foundation Establishment Cultivators in their cultivation.

After entering, Lu Xuanji took a breath and felt the dense spiritual energy.

The spiritual energy here was more than three times denser than outside, though it still could not compare to Ziyang Mountain. Settling down in Wu Family Market and cultivating with the aid of its Spirit Vein would greatly increase one's cultivation speed. After estimating it, he found that with the density of the Spirit Vein here, he would need eight years to advance one layer.

Scattered cultivators could be seen here and there.

The market contained shops, taverns, and all manner of trading venues. Cultivators filled the place, including many low-level cultivators at merely the Qi Refining First Layer, as well as the families of cultivators. The area was quite lively.

Killing was forbidden within the market.

Even those bold enough to defy heaven would not dare commit murder here.

As they walked, they found a large stone stele on the left side of the square, inscribed with roughly eighteen market rules.

On the right were the prices for Cave Mansions—housing prices. Cave Mansions were divided into three grades: a Level 1 Cave Dwelling cost ten Spirit Stones per year, a Level 2 Cave Dwelling cost twenty Spirit Stones per year, and a Level 3 Cave Dwelling cost thirty Spirit Stones per year.

Below that were various advertisements and job postings.

For example, renting Spirit Fields near the market came with a free Level 3 Cave Dwelling and an annual wage of ten Spirit Stones. Of the Spirit Rice harvested from the fields, thirty percent served as rent while seventy percent belonged to the cultivator.

For example, a certain Alchemy Master taught pill refinement, and it would not cost money.

For example, a certain master taught talisman crafting for free, and it would not cost money.

There were also postings recruiting outstanding Alchemists, Array Masters, Qi Cultivators, and the like. Not only did they offer an annual wage of thirty Spirit Stones, but they also provided various allowances and even a beautiful maidservant.

For example, a certain squad was recruiting members to hunt monsters together, offering one hundred Spirit Stones in advance as guaranteed pay.

All sorts of preferential policies were listed above. For cultivators, the conditions were practically excellent: food and lodging were included, along with all manner of benefits.

A hundred years ago, when an ancestor of the Wu Family implemented these policies, many people laughed themselves silly.

Teaching Rogue Cultivators the hundred arts for free? The Wu Family must have had nothing better to do. Letting Rogue Cultivators live in Cave Mansions for free, even giving them Spirit Fields to farm? Idiots. Before heading out to hunt monsters, they even gave out a hundred Spirit Stones as a deposit? They really had too much time on their hands.

A year later, those who had laughed at the Wu Family were dumbfounded.

After these policies were implemented, the flow of people through Wu Family Market increased.

The low-level Rogue Cultivators gained a guarantee of livelihood, and Spirit Rice yields increased.

The low-level Rogue Cultivators learned pill refinement, artifact forging, talisman crafting, and more. Although their skill levels were low, they gained a craft to support themselves with. The Spirit Stones in their hands increased, as did their purchasing power.

Whenever cultivators went out in groups to hunt monsters, the existence of guaranteed pay reduced the number of robberies and murders for treasure, improving security in the surrounding area.

In just one year, Wu Family Market's profits increased by fifty percent.

Not long afterward, other markets began following suit, and their profits improved considerably as well.

"That ancestor of the Wu Family was truly remarkable."

Lu Xuanji sighed inwardly.

In the past, Rogue Cultivators and aristocratic clans stood opposed to one another. Cultivation families often exploited Rogue Cultivators, while Rogue Cultivators frequently ambushed and killed clan cultivators. Their relationship was tense.

But after that Wu Family ancestor treated Rogue Cultivators kindly, the relationship between the two sides eased somewhat.

As their relationship eased, things became more orderly.

In an orderly environment, it was also easier to make money.

As for the various preferential policies granted to Rogue Cultivators, they seemed to benefit the Rogue Cultivators, but the Wu Family gained even more.

If you wanted to shear wool, you had to wait until the sheep had grown fat.

Only then would shearing it be all the more satisfying.

After glancing at the stele a few times, they strolled along the streets.

The shops here were quite prosperous, but unlike elsewhere, each shop sold only one type of pill.

Entering a shop, Lu Xuanji asked about and inspected the pills. They included low-grade pills such as Jade Emperor Pills, Grain Abstinence Pills, Meridian Opening Pills, Blood Vitality Pills, and Blood Activating Pills, yet all were of the finest quality.

They were plentiful and inexpensive.

These pills had all been refined by Rogue Cultivators.

When clan cultivators refined pills, they mainly focused on grade, raising the quality of the pills. A single high-grade pill could sell for thousands or even tens of thousands of Spirit Stones. Rogue Cultivators, however, focused on quantity and quality. They refined only one kind of pill, and through repeated refinement, pushed both its success rate and pill quality to the limit.

The quality of the low-grade pills refined by these Rogue Cultivators was enough to make even some high-level Alchemists feel ashamed of their inferiority.

Lu Xuanji made his move, purchasing Jade Emperor Pills, Blood Vitality Pills, Blood Activating Pills, and more. He bought eight bottles in total, ten pills per bottle, for only five Spirit Stones.

After leaving, he went to find a Cave Mansion to live in.

All the land and Spirit Fields here belonged to the Wu Family. They could not be bought or sold, only rented.

As they walked, they arrived at a shop in the center of the market.

The shop was not luxurious, but it possessed an imposing air. Four large characters were written on the plaque: Wu Family Shop.

Upon entering the shop, they saw a woman in white palace robes behind the counter, calculating something. Judging by her aura, she had already reached the Qi Refining Seventh Layer.

"Fellow Daoist, are there any vacant Cave Mansions for rent?"

Lu Xuanji stepped forward and asked.

"Of course." The woman in palace robes said, "Wu Family Market has abundant spiritual energy and has opened many Cave Mansions. But what grade of Cave Mansion do you want? If you want Spirit Fields, you may rent a Cave Mansion for free. If you do not want Spirit Fields, then you must pay Spirit Stones. Rent is paid once every ten years. As for Spirit Fields, you must cultivate at least one hundred mu and cannot allow them to lie fallow."

"I want a Cave Mansion with Spirit Fields."

Lu Xuanji said.

"Fellow Daoist is already at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, so you should choose a Level 2 Cave Dwelling." The woman in palace robes asked again, "What profession does Fellow Daoist practice?"

"I am a Spirit Planter."

Lu Xuanji said.

"A Spirit Planter?" A trace of astonishment flashed through the woman's eyes as she asked curiously, "Spirit Planters are very rare. A cultivator needs a Dual Spirit Root to clearly perceive the fertility of soil and understand the growth conditions of spirit plants. Outstanding Spirit Planters are even scarcer than Alchemists and Array Masters."

"For instance, White Yang Rice yields two hundred jin per mu. How much do you yield per mu?"

"My yield is two hundred and thirty jin per mu."

Lu Xuanji said.

His actual yield was two hundred and fifty jin per mu. He claimed two hundred and thirty only to avoid frightening her.

"Two hundred and thirty jin? Impressive."

The woman in palace robes showed a hint of shock as she said, "Next, you will cultivate three hundred mu of Spirit Fields. Can you take proper care of them? If you fail, you will be punished. Foundation Establishment Cultivators specifically inspect Spirit Rice yields. If the yield fails to meet the standard, you will be punished. But if it meets the standard, or even exceeds a certain threshold, you will be rewarded."

The people regarded food as heaven.

Agriculture centered on Spirit Fields was the most important industry of cultivation families, without question.

Pill refinement, artifact forging, talisman crafting, arrays, and the rest all extended from the foundation of Spirit Fields. Without increases in the yield of Spirit Rice and spirit herbs from Spirit Fields, those industries could not expand or grow stronger.

"This is the land deed. Keep it safe."

The woman in palace robes directly drew up the land deed. It listed the Cave Mansion's location, area, furnishings, and the three hundred mu of Spirit Fields. There were two copies: one kept by the Wu Family and one by the guest. Should a dispute arise, the land deed would determine who was right and who was wrong.

Taking the land deed, Lu Xuanji examined it carefully. The contract lasted ten years and contained various clauses. It was fairly reasonable, without any slave-like provisions.

He directly signed his name on it: Lu Xuanji.

In another corner was the name of the woman in palace robes: Wu Yueqin.

Seeing the name on the contract, the woman in palace robes frowned slightly. Could this man be from the Lu Clan?

She hesitated only briefly and did not ask further.

Do more and say less—this was the proper way to conduct oneself.

Many people brought disaster upon themselves through loose tongues.

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