After dividing the spoils, Lei Dong and the others returned to Heaven Ghost City, with the ten pounds of Ice Silkworm Silk they had hoped for.
With a bunch of local informants helping them gather news about the Nascent Soul level Netherworld Domain Devil Dragon and the Netherworld Ghost Flame, there was no need for Lei Dong and the others to make inquiries themselves. Each day, they either meditated and cultivated at the inn or wandered around Heaven Ghost City. But these strolls were by no means a waste of time; they continually deepened Lei Dong's understanding of how to survive in the Netherworld.
Heaven Ghost City was vast and powerful. Its long-term residents numbered no fewer than a million, and belonged to different races.
Heaven Ghost City provided housing for all its long-term residents. The annual rent ranged from a minimum of ten Low Grade Spirit Stones to a maximum of ten High Grade Spirit Stones. This one source of income alone brought the Heavenly Ghost King tens of millions of Spirit Stones each year, not to mention the various taxes. Heaven Ghost City's annual revenue was certainly no less than a hundred million. Of course, that figure had to be reduced by all kinds of expenses: city repairs, the upkeep of the guards and army, and the share paid to the Ghost Emperor, along with tribute.
There were no exact figures, but by Lei Dong's estimate, the Heavenly Ghost King's annual surplus should be around twenty to thirty million Spirit Stones. Such a vast, steady income was enough to make anyone envious. In truth, though, no city could generate such returns without years of careful management and upkeep. Sometimes, a city even ran at a loss, with expenses exceeding its income. At worst, it could be swallowed up