Settling in

"Hm? What is it?"

An old man's voice came from inside, sounding weak and listless.

Creak~

The door opened, but the figure who came into view did not match the voice. Though his hair and beard were white, his body looked powerfully built.

Tiegu nodded when he saw Jiang Chi and Jiang Yan behind him.

"You're here? This is that younger clansman of yours? Let's head over, then."

This time, Tiegu led the way. The three returned to the courtyard entrance, where he pointed to the room on the right side of the gate.

"There, the same one you rented back then. Nothing inside has been touched, and the rent hasn't changed. Twenty Spirit Stones a year."

Jiang Chi pushed open the door and went inside. Only after inspecting it carefully did he come back out and settle the matter.

"We'll rent it for a year first."

He took out a bag of Spirit Stones and handed it to Tiegu to count and confirm, then signed two copies of the agreement.

"Mm. If you need to buy anything, come find me in the back courtyard."

Tiegu seemed quite displeased with Jiang Chi's inspection. Once he confirmed there were enough Spirit Stones, he left those words and turned to go.

Zhang Yunhong had not closed the door of the room on the left, and she took in everything that happened.

"What, Fellow Daoist Jiang? Hoping your cousin can catch some of your good fortune and find himself a wealthy household too?"

Jiang Chi ignored her entirely and led Jiang Yan into the room.

The room was not spacious, consisting of just one undivided space.

There was a window on either side, a bed in the corner, and one table with two chairs.

Jiang Chi pointed at the bed boards and began explaining.

"The most important thing in this room is this bed.

Look, Yan. There's a Spirit Gathering Formation carved into the bed boards. Without it, cultivation would be terribly inconvenient.

That old man Tiegu looks honest, but he's crafty as can be. If you want to buy household necessities, don't go to him."

Only after giving that warning did Jiang Chi sit down in a chair.

"Have a seat. You probably have plenty of questions. I'll give you a general idea of the Prefecture Academy's situation first."

Jiang Yan sat in the other chair as instructed.

"Our prefecture conquered this plane, so the Prefecture Academy named it the East River Realm. The natives of this realm were named the Scale Feather Clan.

Five Prefecture Academies are stationed in this realm, and our East River Prefecture Academy is the strongest among them.

The population isn't as dense as in the Dao Realm, but I imagine the five towns together must have twenty or thirty million people."

"The East River Realm strictly enforces the 'Immortal Dynasty Wartime Regulations.' Every area under the Prefecture Academy's control is placed under curfew after nightfall.

No one is allowed on the streets in town then, and the Dao Army patrols outside town as well."

"Unless they have a Command Tally authorizing travel at night, Daoists who get caught will be punished at best. In serious cases, they can even lose their lives.

You must remember this! If you really can't get home in time, just find any inn along the road and rent a room for the night."

"Also, no one is allowed to prey on new disciples like you during your first month here. That's a rule the Prefecture Academy set, and no one dares break it.

But starting from the second month, they won't interfere anymore. Be extra careful in your dealings with others.

Killing is forbidden in town, but those people always have other ways to get you under their thumb."

As he said this, Jiang Chi's expression dimmed. He had clearly been through something.

Still, he rallied himself and continued:

"Every year, the Prefecture Academy organizes all its disciples to spend a month training in territory controlled by the Scale Feather Clan. It's similar to the County Academy's annual examination."

"I suggest you find opportunities to go out exploring a few times as soon as possible, so you won't be caught unprepared when the time comes."

"If you want to buy anything, go to the markets in town. Head east out of the courtyard, and there's one about a quarter of an hour away."

Having said all that in one breath, Jiang Chi instinctively raised his hand to pick up a teacup.

His hand found nothing. It couldn't be helped; Jiang Yan had only just moved in and had yet to buy anything.

"That's about it, Yan. Is there anything else you want to ask?"

Jiang Yan thought for a moment, then said:

"How many of the people in town are Prefecture Academy disciples?"

"One or two in a thousand, perhaps. The rest aren't Dao Academy disciples.

Most were relocated or exiled here by the Immortal Dynasty. Disciples who have been struck from the rolls generally don't want to go back either, so they stay here.

Over time, the population grew to this size. It's much the same in the other four towns."

So that was it. No wonder there could be twenty or thirty million people. Jiang Yan nodded in understanding.

"If I wanted to find a way to supplement my living expenses, would you have any suggestions, Cousin?"

"If you want work, the restaurants and teahouses in town and the shops in the markets all hire workers. You can simply go there.

But that's no long-term solution. I suggest you take up a supplementary art to support your cultivation.

The higher arts include pills, formations, talismans, and artifacts; the lesser arts include Spirit Farming, Spirit Cuisine, Insect Rearing, and so on.

My method... is somewhat special, so I can't let you use it.

If you're interested, go buy one at the Prefecture Academy's shop in the market. If you don't have enough Spirit Stones, I can lend you some."

"I still have enough to live on for now, so there's no need to trouble yourself, Cousin. Oh, right."

Jiang Yan took the bundle filled with letters from home out of his ring.

"Do you know where Cousin Yunyao and the other clansmen are? These are letters the clan asked me to bring."

Jiang Chi's smile froze. He opened the bundle, carefully picked out the letters addressed to him, and tucked them into his robe.

"It's somewhat inconvenient for me right now. Go to the Spring Breeze Tower in town when you have time. It's near that square we were at today. Yunyao works there."

"Is that so? All right. Thank you for clearing things up for me today, Cousin."

Jiang Yan did not question him, merely offering a solemn bow.

Jiang Chi stepped aside rather than accept it, a strained smile on his lips.

"No need to thank me... so long as you don't curse me later."

Leaving those words behind, Jiang Chi strode quickly out of the room. By the time Jiang Yan followed him out, he was already seated on his spirit beast.

Yet the spirit beast beneath Jiang Chi was actually a rabbit with long pink fur. He looked utterly out of place sitting on it.

Jiang Yan did not stare. His expression unchanged, he cupped his hands in farewell.

Jiang Chi had been rather embarrassed, but fortunately, seeing no change in Jiang Yan's attitude, he let out a breath of relief.

The two exchanged hasty farewells, and Jiang Chi rode away on the pink-furred rabbit.

Watching his retreating figure, Jiang Yan finally showed a trace of puzzlement in his eyes.

But he shook his head and did not dwell on it. He had only just found his footing at the Prefecture Academy.

Whatever the matter was, he could ask Jiang Yunyao tomorrow after registering for ordination.

He turned to go back inside, only to find Zhang Yunhong, who lived opposite him, leaning in her doorway again. He did not know when she had appeared.

"Little brother, are you wondering about Jiang Chi?"

Zhang Yunhong no longer called him a fellow Daoist, using Jiang Chi's name outright instead. The two seemed quite familiar.

"Do you know what happened, Fellow Daoist Zhang?"

Jiang Yan did want to learn about Jiang Chi's situation, regardless.

This cousin had indeed treated him well, not only picking him up from the square but also explaining all these matters to him.

He had even paid out of his own pocket to rent Jiang Yan a room for a year. If he could, Jiang Yan was willing to help him.

"What could have happened to him? He's latched onto a wealthy household now, and his Dao Path is bright indeed. It's just a question of whether his surname will still be Jiang in the future."

So that was it. Jiang Yan understood at once.

Jiang Chi had become a live-in son-in-law, and might even have to change his surname and enter their household register.

His attitude today was most likely because he felt he had let down the lineage that had nurtured him.

After all, the Jiang Household had invested considerable resources in him, yet now he was going to join someone else's household.

But though the Jiang Household was not wealthy, surely it was not struggling to survive. Besides, Jiang Chi was already at the eighth rank. There was probably more to it.

Jiang Yan asked no more. There was little point in exposing his own cousin's private affairs with someone else.

His cousin Jiang Yunyao had entered the Prefecture Academy alongside Jiang Chi and would only know more. He could ask her tomorrow.

Still, Jiang Yan raised his hands toward Zhang Yunhong in acknowledgment.

"Thank you for clearing that up, Fellow Daoist Zhang."

Watching Jiang Yan go straight into his room, Zhang Yunhong rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Tch. Face people when you need them, turn your back when you don't. You're cut from the same cloth as that cousin of yours."