Before Taking Office

The second option is a 100-square-meter house located very close to the town center. It costs only two hundred gold coins and has excellent surrounding facilities with great ventilation, but the total area is too small and it lacks a courtyard like the other two properties.

The third house is located right next to the town hall. It was formerly the residence of the previous mayor, but after he left office and Shengdelu became the new mayor, he didn't move in, leaving it vacant.

It is the most expensive at four hundred gold coins, but it possesses all the advantages of the other two houses. Linley didn't take long to think before speaking directly to the manager.

"I'll take the third one. Take me to see the house now; if it's suitable, I'll buy it on the spot."

"You got it."

The manager was delighted, as it was clear that Linley was sincere about the purchase. He gave a few instructions to his staff and led Linley out.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the Pear Garden, they were greeted by two lifelike stone lions that looked quite fierce. Judging by the weathered outer layer of the stone, they had been there for a very long time.

Linley and the manager stepped inside. Everywhere he looked, the structures were built from the precious Snow Pear Wood. He turned back to touch the main gate, which was forged from refined iron; the gate alone was worth three or four gold coins.

Linley didn't head straight to the main building but instead went to the backyard. There were two wells, and looking down, he could still see traces of water. He drew a bucket, and the water was clear and transparent. He took a sip and found the taste quite good, reminiscent of the bottled water from his past life.

As Linley walked through the entire Pear Garden, he indeed saw many varieties of pear trees: the Title Page Pear Tree with its red flowers, the Jade Luo Pear Tree with white flowers, and the Fragrant Orchid Pear Tree with purple flowers—countless varieties of all kinds.

Linley took a quick look around before heading to the main building. The furniture was still complete, and aside from some paintings and calligraphy that had been removed, all the large items remained.

"Not bad."

Linley was very satisfied after the tour. A faint smile appeared on his otherwise calm face; it was clear that this house was excellent.

"Register here, and once you've finished and paid, you can move in today."

The manager said this while handing Linley a form, which he always carried with him when he went out.

Linley didn't haggle. The Pear Garden house was a bit pricey, but it offered guaranteed security.

Money can always be earned later. Leaving this for Avril and the others will save them a lot of trouble.

Linley thought to himself. After registering, he took out his coin purse and paid the full price for the Pear Garden. The manager handed him the keys after receiving the payment, adding, "Sir, do you need any servants? We have first-class housekeepers and maids available."

"No need."

Linley waved his hand in satisfaction, took the keys to the Pear Garden, and strode away, parting ways with the manager at the entrance.

Linley thought to himself.

Father and Mother certainly wouldn't be used to being served by others at first. Giving them this house and letting them manage it according to their own wishes is much better than me just imposing servants on them.

He looked at the sun in the sky; it had passed its zenith and was heading into the afternoon.

Linley stopped wandering around and went straight to the meeting spot he had agreed upon with Shaqima: the small stalls at the town gate.

Looking over, he saw a thin figure standing by a place that sold flatbreads. A closer look revealed it was none other than Shaqima.

"What did you buy? Why don't you have anything on you?"

Linley walked over quickly to greet Shaqima. He looked him over; his clothes and pants were exactly as they had been when they parted, and his hands were empty. It was clear he hadn't bought a thing.

"Don't tell me you didn't spend that gold coin?"

Linley asked in disbelief, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

"Yeah."

Shaqima nodded shyly, his hands fidgeting with the hem of his pants, too nervous to keep them still.

"You didn't just leave the restaurant and come straight here to wait for me, did you?"

Linley asked again in astonishment.

"Yeah."

Shaqima nodded again. The simple boy hadn't gone anywhere else.

Linley was speechless, clutching his forehead. He had never expected to meet someone who wouldn't spend money when given the chance.

"Why didn't you use the money?"

Linley asked out of curiosity. A normal person with a large sum of money would usually be buying everything in sight; it was rare to find someone as rational as him.

"I'm giving it to my dad. Our house needs repairs, and we need this gold coin."

Shaqima gave a simple smile, and his plain face revealed an emotion that made Linley envious. Linley fell silent.

He had been in this world for eight years and had a deep understanding of the hardships faced by farmers. Every year, they not only had to work the fields but also guard against various Magic Beast attacks and hostile races.

If fate took a turn for the worse and a drought year occurred, the entire year's harvest would be for nothing. And this was within the Flower Territory, the interior region of the human race. If it were in places like the Iron Bear Territory, which bordered the Beast Race, Night Elf, and Dwarf lands, life would be even more miserable, with small skirmishes breaking out every few days.

The land there was fertile, but every inch of territory was built on white bones, soaked in the blood and corpses of both the other races and the humans, which was why the soil had become fertile enough.

In an instant, many thoughts crossed Linley's mind. Looking at Shaqima's still-bright smile, his own mood turned somber.

"Let's go."

Linley took a deep breath, stopped the conversation, and signaled for Shaqima to head out of town and back to the village.

On the way, perhaps because Linley was dressed so brightly, the usually rare bandits appeared like rabbits; they encountered five or six groups along the way.

These bandits were dirt poor, without even a decent set of clothes on their backs. The only group that looked somewhat organized only had two members at the Bronze rank, and both were merely low-level warriors of the first or second stage.

Linley didn't have to lift a finger the entire time. As soon as Ah Huang saw these people, he rushed out impatiently, biting the group of poor bandits until they howled in misery, chasing them from one hill to the next. None of them could withstand a single round against Ah Huang.

Linley stood quietly in place, comforting the somewhat trembling Shaqima. Shaqima had a great personality in every regard, except for being a bit too timid.

It was clear that these bandits were not heinous criminals. Ah Huang did not use lethal force, and within five minutes, it had scared them off and returned. Linley bent down to stroke its head.

This made Ah Huang, who was already having a good time, wag its tail even more comfortably.

Linley did not let this delay him for too long on the road, returning to the village before dusk and parting ways with Shaqima at the village entrance.

As soon as Linley returned home, he saw Aguda busy sorting through the wheat just harvested from the fields. Avril and Alyosha were also helping him; the family had not abandoned their own crops just because Linley had hunted a Silver Magic Beast.

"Woof."

Having just entered the door, Ah Huang headed straight for Avril. In this household, besides Linley, Avril was the one who treated it the best, so it ran over and pawed at her legs.

"Red Fire, you're back."

Avril looked with pleasant surprise at Ah Huang, who had suddenly appeared at her feet. In Avril's words, it had a more formal name, Red Fire, which sounded infinitely better than its nickname.

However, Linley still preferred calling Red Fire "Ah Huang"; he was used to it, and it felt comfortable.

Hearing the commotion, Aguda and his wife also looked toward the door. If Red Fire was back, then Linley must have returned as well.

Sure enough, Linley was standing on the threshold with a smile on his face. The power of Yang Jian allowed him to stand steadily on the threshold without swaying or falling.

"Brother."

Avril put down the playful Ah Huang, leaving it looking bewildered as she jumped up and threw herself into Linley's arms. Linley patted her back in a comforting manner.

Linley had never left home alone before, and Avril had always been with him. Although they had only been separated for a day, it had made her miss him dearly.

Linley did not stand at the door for long. After exchanging greetings, he found a stool and sat down next to Aguda and the others, helping them process the wheat—a chore he had often done in the past.

As Linley busied himself with the farm work, he recounted to Aguda and the others what he had seen while selling the bear.

"I sold the bear to Miss Alice, the daughter of the lord of Flower Territory, for a total of five hundred gold coins. She also gave me a waist medallion to enter Flower Territory."

Linley paused, observing the expressions of Aguda and his wife. This honest and simple couple did not show any major emotional fluctuations over the money; perhaps, in their eyes, five hundred gold coins and ten gold coins were the same.

Linley continued, "She wants me to go to Flower Territory to serve as a Centurion. Should I go?"

Deep down, Linley wanted to go. With the King Character System, he could only improve through combat, but he truly could not bear to leave Aguda and the others behind. After eight years together, he had developed deep feelings for them.

"Go, you must go."

Upon hearing Linley's words, Aguda and Alyosha strongly encouraged him to go to Flower Territory. Only Avril was reluctant to see Linley leave, making a fuss on the side.

She was then scolded by the usually gentle and kind Alyosha, which sent Avril running off in tears. Alyosha chased after her, leaving Linley and Aguda alone.

At this moment, Aguda stopped what he was doing and looked at Linley with a solemn gaze, saying every word with weight.

"You must go. Don't worry about us; we've lived our whole lives like this, so what is there to fear? I know you've never been content with being a farmer. This is the best opportunity. With a noble to guide you, it would be hard to get ahead even if you knew some magic..."

Aguda mistook Linley's transformation for a wizard's spell, and Linley did not explain, simply listening silently as the usually taciturn man offered him pearls of wisdom. Today was perhaps the day he had spoken the most in his life.

Finally, Linley nodded, indicating that he would definitely go. As he spoke, he took out the key to the Pear Garden in the small town.

"I used the money from the bear to buy a house. You should move there tomorrow. You don't need to take too many things; you can buy more once you reach the town..."

Aguda did not refuse and took the key from Linley's hand.