Bayberry Market

Lu Wanyuan pulled Baili Qiuyue along as they raced without stopping toward Bayberry Market, heedless of everything else!

Perhaps fortune was on their side. Aside from that one interception, the two of them encountered no further ambushes and reached Bayberry Market without a single obstacle.

As they looked at the market town not far ahead, the terror gripping their hearts finally subsided.

"Husband, that was terrifying. We haven't offended anyone, have we? Looking at the two of us, what could we possibly have that anyone would want?" Baili Qiuyue asked in puzzlement.

"All right, wife, don't overthink it. Now that we've returned to Bayberry Market, we'll probably have to stay here for quite a while this time, rather than living as we did before!"

Lu Wanyuan spoke thoughtfully.

"Yes. But this time, we got our lives back. Until we have strength, we mustn't leave this market town—the outside is simply too dangerous. Still, I believe in your abilities, husband. It won't be long before we have the strength we need!"

Baili Qiuyue consoled him with a calm expression.

"Haha, you really are full of confidence in me. For that attitude alone, I'll definitely work hard and strive to reach that level as soon as possible. I promised Lu Shan and the others that I'd go back to see them in two or three years. I can't let several years pass without returning—that would be awkward beyond measure!"

"Mm, now that's the Lu Yuan I know!"

"Wrong. The Lu Yuan of old is already dead. I'm Lu Wanyuan now!"

"Ah? When did you change your name? How come I didn't know?"

"It's enough that you know now. I want to become an ancestor in my own right, so naturally I had to change my name. You should prepare to be a proper ancestress—give me plenty of sons and daughters. I want to create a great, ten-thousand-year Immortal Clan!"

Lu Wanyuan looked excitedly at Baili Qiuyue!

"Are you feeling unwell somewhere? You're actually dreaming something like this? It's still broad daylight, and you're talking about a Myriad Immortal Clan?"

"Are you trying to work me to death? I'm not a sow—I can't give birth to that many!"

Baili Qiuyue glared at Lu Wanyuan in displeasure.

"A great Cultivation Family isn't so easily established. We don't even know how to solve our food and lodging yet, much less have a place to put down roots. Husband, your heart really is enormous!"

"To establish a Cultivation Family, you need at least a place to stand, and it must have a Spirit Vein. Even if you want to establish one, you must obtain recognition from Qingyun Sect, the giant sect ruling this region. Only with the Clan Establishment Order they issue can a Cultivation Family be founded. But such a token isn't easy to obtain."

Under her stare, Lu Wanyuan's scalp prickled. He lowered his head awkwardly, not daring to look at her.

"Where there are dreams, there is hope. Without hope, life has no meaning. The road ahead is long. We're facing many difficulties right now, but I firmly believe that we'll slowly solve them all and realize our dreams. You'll see when the time comes!"

Thinking of the Golden Finger he possessed, Lu Wanyuan still spoke with forced confidence.

"Hmph. Solve the problems right in front of us first. Those dreams of yours can wait until later!"

Baili Qiuyue said coldly. How could she know that Lu Wanyuan had changed, that he possessed a Golden Finger? What concerned her now were the difficulties before them, and she was simply feeling somewhat irritable.

At that, Lu Wanyuan nodded!

The two then headed into the market town.

Bayberry Market was a small market town under Qingyun Sect's jurisdiction. It possessed a second-rank formation and was divided into an inner market and an outer market, with a boundary as clear as the Jing and Wei rivers.

The inner market was neat and clean, with patrols frequently passing through. The outskirts, meanwhile, were muddy and filthy, littered everywhere with foul excrement and choked with smoky miasma. Incidents of crime occurred regularly, because the outer market was where wandering Rogue Cultivators gathered. Its inhabitants were a mixed bag: desperadoes, bandits and robbers, as well as ordinary Rogue Cultivator families hauling their wives and children along.

They promptly asked for directions, then hurried without pause toward the market administration office.

Since they intended to develop themselves here, it would clearly be a long-term undertaking. Naturally, they had to settle their lodging first before handling anything else.

The man who received them was lean and wiry, with a mustache shaped like the character eight. His surname was Hu, given name Zhimin, and he was a market steward.

"Steward Hu, my wife and I would like to find a small house, around thirty or forty square meters would do. Do you have any recommendations, sir?"

Lu Wanyuan and Baili Qiuyue had discussed it beforehand. They would first find somewhere temporary to live, since neither of them had found work yet and their situation was far from stable.

Between them, they had only thirty Spirit Stones. Naturally, they had to spend carefully.

"Are you looking for a house inside the market town or in the outer market?"

"What's the difference?"

"Of course there's a difference. The houses inside the market town are all planned residences—comfortable, orderly, clean, and secure, with a fine environment. The houses in the outer market are much worse. Those houses were casually built by Rogue Cultivators themselves, with no planning at all. Their designs and building materials vary wildly, and public security is naturally poorer."

"Of course we want a house inside the market town. What are the prices like?"

"The prices of houses inside the market town vary greatly. The cheapest cost ten Spirit Stones a month, while the most expensive can reach two hundred Spirit Stones a month."

At those words, both Lu Wanyuan and Baili Qiuyue's faces darkened. Between them, they had only thirty Spirit Stones.

Aside from those thirty Spirit Stones, their entire worldly wealth consisted of a small Storage Bag each, along with the Ghost Head Saber artifact they had seized, which would likely sell for a dozen or so Spirit Stones.

Lu Wanyuan also had a Spirit Hoe and a low-grade Spirit Planter inheritance manual, nothing more.

Seeing their expressions, how could Hu Zhimin fail to understand? He had stayed in this market town for so long; what kind of people had he not met? Their reaction was entirely normal—they were simply short of money.

"How about this? I think you should first find somewhere to live in the outer market and ease your current predicament. The pressure would be much lighter that way. There's an empty room in Spring Breeze Lane outside the market that would suit you well. It's only two Spirit Stones a month. That shouldn't be a problem for you, should it?"

Hu Zhimin said considerately.

"No, Steward Hu. Please find us the cheapest house inside the market town instead," Lu Wanyuan said, looking at him with absolute resolve.

From Steward Hu's introduction just now, he had learned that the outer market was extremely unsafe. There were only the two of them, and they might often have to separate. If one of them had to live alone in such an unsafe place, he could not rest easy. He would rather spend more Spirit Stones for somewhere safer.

Besides, there should be more opportunities to find work inside the market town. Even if he took ten thousand steps back, he was a man with a Golden Finger. If he could not even manage the trivial matter of earning Spirit Stones, how could he speak of founding a Myriad Immortal Cultivation Clan?

At the side, Baili Qiuyue was completely stunned by Lu Wanyuan's decision and tightly gripped his hand.

They only had thirty Spirit Stones, and there would be other expenses besides. How were they supposed to get through the days ahead?

Lu Wanyuan took her hand and gave it a gentle pat, signaling for her to rest easy.

Hu Zhimin immediately grew curious about Lu Wanyuan, unable to guess what this fellow was up to.

"Are you sure?"

"Mm, I'm sure. Just help me pick somewhere cheaper!"

"Alright, then this one—Shangsha Lane No. 78. There's a small single room here, about thirty square meters. The monthly rent is ten Spirit Stones, plus a two-Stone management fee, making twelve Spirit Stones in total. What do you think?"

"Steward Hu, is this the cheapest room?" Lu Wanyuan asked again.

"Of course it is!"

"Alright, then I'll rent this one. Here's the rent for two months—twenty-four Spirit Stones!"

With that, Lu Wanyuan immediately took out twenty-four Spirit Stones and handed them over.

"Good, lad. You've got guts!"

Hu Zhimin accepted the Spirit Stones with a smile, then took out a token and handed it over.

"With this token, you can open the room's Forbidden Seal. Remember to pay the rent on time from now on. If you fall overdue, you'll be thrown out!"