Chicken Coop Lv. 2

Ji Yuan's door could not be repaired, so he thoughtfully removed Deng Yunliang's door and installed it on his own house.

He then threw those few shattered boards into Deng Yunliang's courtyard, making it look as though someone had broken in by force.

As for an investigation... the Water Dragon Sect would only investigate those with family members, or those who had not been wiped out entirely. Solitary people like Ji Yuan and Deng Yunliang—

The Water Dragon Sect would most likely just sigh and say, "The dead deserve respect."

The three gamblers together had contributed only five Spirit Stones. As for Cultivation Pills and Talismans, there was even less to mention. They were paupers through and through.

Ji Yuan could imagine that if they had possessed even the slightest savings, they would have immediately thrown themselves back into the gambling den.

So the most valuable thing was the Bronze Nail artifact.

But to Ji Yuan, the thing was just a burden. With his current cultivation and spiritual power, controlling the Blackgold Blade and the Deathbringer Needle was already about his limit.

Thus, once he reached Zengtou City, the first thing he did was exchange the artifact for Spirit Stones.

It was not much—only twenty Spirit Stones.

Afterward, Ji Yuan bought some talisman paper and Half-Spirit Fish. When he finally returned home after finishing his errands, he discovered that Lin Hu and his wife had returned early as well.

Moreover, both of them had a trace of barely concealed delight in their eyes.

"Brother Ji, you went to Zengtou City?"

Lin Hu came forward, then jerked his chin toward Deng Yunliang's home and whispered, "Looks like his house got robbed."

"Oh?"

Ji Yuan turned to look, his face full of surprise. "It really did."

"I knew it. Those gambling addicts are all like that. Once they cannot repay their debts, they start thinking about going into other people's homes and taking things to settle what they owe."

Lin Hu snorted, seeming to have completely forgotten that just days ago, he had been a gambler no different from Deng Yunliang.

"Will you gamble again?"

Wu Qin, who also seemed to be in a good mood, glanced at Lin Hu from behind him and gave a cold snort.

"No. Never again."

After chuckling sheepishly, Lin Hu immediately said to Ji Yuan, "Brother Ji, wait here. I'll be able to repay your Spirit Stones soon."

"Spirit Stones? There's no rush."

If Lin Hu had not mentioned it, Ji Yuan would have forgotten about it already.

Just two Spirit Stones. He could earn that back by drawing a single Water-Repelling Talisman. It was easy.

Lin Hu ignored him, smiled at Wu Qin, and immediately ran toward Zengtou City.

Seeing the way he looked, Ji Yuan guessed that he had probably come into some kind of windfall.

Sure enough, not long after Ji Yuan returned home and put away his things, Lin Hu came knocking at his courtyard gate, panting heavily as he held out two Spirit Stones with both hands.

"Brother Ji, thank you."

When Lin Hu saw Ji Yuan accept the Spirit Stones, he solemnly bowed again.

"It's nothing."

Seeing Lin Hu's family pull through left Ji Yuan somewhat happy as well.

Just as Ji Yuan was about to turn around and head back inside, he saw Lin Hu looking as if he wanted to speak but hesitated.

"What is it? If you have something to say, just say it."

"Well..." Lin Hu scratched his head. "Didn't your family used to be on good terms with the Lu Household?"

"The Lu Household? Which Lu Household?"

The moment Ji Yuan asked, he remembered. "Lu Wan?"

"Yes, yes, their family."

"What happened to them?"

The last time Ji Yuan had seen Lu Wan was at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion. At the time, she had come with Wu Yan.

She could be considered a friend of his, so hearing Lin Hu mention her inevitably made Ji Yuan worried.

"I just heard someone mention her in Zengtou City. They said she and the Wu Family seemed to have fallen out, and someone heard Master Wu Wenbin scolding her for not knowing what was good for her."

"Why?"

Lu Wan had always been Wu Wenbin's prized disciple. He had even intended to have her join the Water Dragon Sect. How had things turned out like this?

"I'm not sure either."

"I heard Master Wu wanted Lu Wan to become Dao companions with his son, but Lu Wan refused no matter what. That was why things ended up like this."

After saying that, Lin Hu shook his head, looking utterly confused. "What is there to be unwilling about when it comes to becoming Master Wu's daughter-in-law?"

Ji Yuan recalled their two previous encounters.

It really did seem that way. Wu Yan had looked at Lu Wan with deep affection, while Lu Wan had always remained politely distant toward him.

Still... Ji Yuan had not expected Lu Wan to dare refuse him to his face.

The Lu Household had only Lu Song at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refinement, and he had not even reached Late Qi Refining. Yet before the Wu Family, what difference would it make even if he had reached Late Qi Refining?

Wu Wenbin could already draw first-rank high-grade Talismans, not to mention that he himself was a Late Qi Refining cultivator.

With such a gap between them, Lu Wan had still dared reject them to their faces...

She had quite the backbone.

But faced with something like this, Ji Yuan could not offer any help. He could only hope that the Wu Family would not go too far.

No one knew what treasure Lin Hu had obtained, but he returned home beaming from ear to ear.

Ji Yuan gave Deng Yunliang's neighboring courtyard one final look. With matters here concluded, he closed his courtyard gate and once again began his life of cultivation.

The day after Deng Yunliang died, Lin Hu came to share good news.

He had successfully advanced to the Third Layer of Qi Refining.

That same day, Wu Qin also advanced to the Third Layer of Qi Refining.

Only then did Lin Hu tell Ji Yuan the truth. While fishing in Cloud-Rain Marsh, he had unexpectedly discovered an earthly treasure—the Jade Lotus Root.

He had taken it to Zengtou City and sold it for a full thirty Spirit Stones.

With both husband and wife at the Third Layer of Qi Refining, they would be able to catch more Half-Spirit Fish when they next went out on their boat. That was the long-running stream of water.

Ji Yuan naturally congratulated them, though he politely declined their invitation to dinner.

The days of bitter cultivation were difficult to endure, but Ji Yuan's life was extremely fulfilling. He cultivated and ate Spirit Eggs, rested during the day, and while finding time to draw Talismans, he also studied other basic spells.

On the fifth day after Deng Yunliang's death,

A new family finally moved into that courtyard. Unlike Huang Laotou and Deng Yunliang, who had lived alone before, this time it was a family of three.

A young couple with an adorable daughter.

Ji Yuan had no intention of getting deeply acquainted with them. After they introduced themselves, he continued his secluded cultivation.

Ever since Deng Yunliang's death, Ji Yuan's life had settled down.

That made sense. He was not the sort to stir up trouble. He kept to himself and rarely went out; he had not even visited Cloud-Rain Marsh. Even if he wanted trouble, it would have been difficult to find.

Moreover, Qiu Qianhai had shouldered the only major trouble he had ever caused all by himself.

Like a mere bystander, Ji Yuan remained hidden in the tiny market town of Zengtou City, cultivating silently on his own.

The heavens rose and fell, and the great sun turned in its cycle.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye. Even Cloud-Rain Marsh had become a scene of frost-bitten withered lotuses, and most of Zengtou City's fishermen had entered their winter hibernation.

If not for the fact that their residence fees were truly running short, they would not take their boats out again.

Having eaten three Spirit Pigs, Ji Yuan no longer knew what cold was. Still, to avoid standing out, he changed into a thick cotton outfit.

That day, he stepped beneath the morning sun and arrived at a shop in Zengtou City called the Treasured Goods Pavilion.

Though the outside of the market town was dangerous, some powerful cultivators formed merchant caravans and traveled between market towns to trade.

The Treasured Goods Pavilion was a shop with such backing.

The person who received Ji Yuan was a female cultivator with graying hair, but he still smiled and called her, "Sister Wang."

"Sister Wang, has the Centennial Parasol Wood arrived?" Ji Yuan asked with a smile.

"It has, it has. Our caravan made a special trip to Quiet Peace Ward yesterday just to buy this little bit of Centennial Parasol Wood. It was all for Fellow Daoist Ji."

Damn it, she made it sound better than a song. Ji Yuan looked at the piece of wood she took from her storage pouch, its dense wood-attribute spiritual energy radiating outward, and roughly measured it with his eyes.

Though it was a little small, once cut into boards, it would still be enough to build a Chicken Coop.

Over the past three months, aside from cultivation, Ji Yuan had asked many people in Zengtou City to seek information and gather the Centennial Parasol Wood, Rotbone Flower, and Cold Iron Sand.

He had gradually collected one jin of Cold Iron Sand.

There was still no news of the Rotbone Flower.

He had only found the Centennial Parasol Wood today.

"Sorry for the trouble, Sister Wang. Then the price..."

"Just pay the price we agreed on last time." Sister Wang said with a broad smile.

Ji Yuan inwardly relaxed. He then paid twenty Spirit Stones and took the piece of Centennial Parasol Wood.

Once he returned this time, the first Level 2 building should finally appear.