Chapter 108: Moving House

No one wants their personal space to be suddenly probed by another’s divine sense. Once such an intrusion occurs, unless there is a vast disparity in cultivation levels, it almost always ends in a fight to the death. As a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Thick Earth Sect, Master Chengshan naturally understood this well. Therefore, he would not idly use his divine sense to probe his surroundings.

Because of this, even if He Song had chosen a courtyard closer to Master Chengshan, he would not have needed to fear his secrets being discovered. However, out of an abundance of caution, He Song chose a courtyard that lay outside the range of Master Chengshan’s divine sense. Only by doing so could he ensure that even in the unlikeliest of scenarios, his secrets would remain safe. Given his naturally cautious disposition, he naturally made the choice best suited to him.

"I choose this one. Although it is on the periphery, I do not care for noise, and this quiet little courtyard suits me quite well."

As He Song pointed to his chosen courtyard, his gaze drifted to the token in his hand. "As for the token... I shall come to the Spirit Construction Pavilion to keep Brother Wei company, how about that?"

After informing Wei Fan of his choice, He Song tucked the token away and looked at him. He saw Wei Fan’s previously furrowed brows instantly relax, replaced by a trace of a smile.

"Would you reconsider, Fellow Daoist? The closer you are to the center, the higher the concentration of spiritual energy. That place is quiet, yes, but the spiritual energy density there is significantly lacking compared to the center."

Although He Song had already stated that he disliked noise, Wei Fan still persisted in his attempt to persuade him. For a cultivator, the concentration of spiritual energy was of paramount importance. To Wei Fan, the reason He Song gave was trivial. Like quiet? Just pick neighbors who don't make noise. With him as a deacon of the Spirit Construction Pavilion, He Song could choose any courtyard on the map he desired. Unfortunately, he did not know that He Song’s preference for quiet was merely an excuse; the true reason could not be spoken aloud.

"No, no, I will stick with this one. Once I return, I shall pack my belongings and move to that courtyard. I must trouble Brother Wei to record it."

Waving his hand in refusal, He Song, fearing that Wei Fan would continue to press him, quickly added, "As for my position as a deacon, let it be at the Spirit Construction Pavilion. With Brother Wei there, I won't have to worry about being dismissed if I ever have urgent matters to attend to."

Seeing He Song’s firm attitude and his swift change of subject, Wei Fan understood that his mind was made up. With no other choice, he nodded and ceased his persuasion.

"Very well. I shall report this to the Master today. You may handle the token and the courtyard arrangements yourself. I expect that by tomorrow, you will be a deacon of the Spirit Construction Pavilion."

After finalizing the courtyard and his position, the two parted ways. Wei Fan needed to report the matter to Master Chengshan. The appearance of a new late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator in Zhushan Immortal Market—especially one native to the market—naturally required official arrangement. Courtyards and official posts required the Master's approval. However, since it was a local cultivator reaching the late stage of Qi Refinement, there would be no harsh scrutiny; on the contrary, Master Chengshan would likely just take a glance and nod. That would suffice. The treatment of cultivators native to the Immortal Market was relatively favorable. However, if a rogue cultivator in the late stage of Qi Refinement wished to join the market and become a deacon, it would not be nearly so easy.

After parting with Wei Fan, He Song returned to his home on the outskirts, packing all his belongings into his small cargo storage bag. At this moment, He Song still only possessed two storage bags: a small one, with just enough space for daily necessities, and the cargo bag, which held sixty-six thousand catties of spiritual rice along with other miscellaneous items. Fortunately, the cargo bag was spacious enough to hold everything from his room. However, it was not convenient to carry around, and He Song decided that after his next sale of spiritual rice, he would certainly purchase a large, portable storage bag. That way, he would no longer need to haul this cumbersome cargo bag back and forth.

As for now, the spirit stones he had on hand were needed for other purposes, and he lacked enough to purchase a large storage bag. Such an item cost a thousand spirit stones, and if he bought it, he would have no funds left to upgrade his mid-grade magical tools. For the sake of his safety, he decided to make do for now and exchange it after his next sale.

Soon, after some navigation, He Song arrived at his new residence. It was located in the inner circle of the Immortal Market, yet on the outermost edge, more than three miles away from where Master Chengshan resided. It was adjacent to Zone A of the outer market, separated only by a barrier. The spiritual energy here was denser, and the environment was much better. The courtyard was surrounded by trees, hiding it from view and making it quite secluded. Furthermore, the nearest neighboring courtyard was over a hundred meters away, making it truly far from the hustle and bustle.

Surveying the trees around the courtyard, a look of satisfaction appeared in He Song’s eyes. It was exactly as it had appeared on the map at the Spirit Construction Pavilion. If this detached courtyard hidden among the trees were in his past life, it would be called a detached villa. As he stepped into the courtyard, his eyes lit up. There were rockeries and flowing water, a small plot of cultivated land, and a two-story house. He Song was no stranger to this layout, having lived in Wei Fan’s home for a time. He wondered if his own house would be arranged similarly.

Entering the building, He Song toured the two-story house. It contained one master bedroom, two secondary bedrooms, one servant's room—four bedrooms in total—along with a reception hall, two meditation rooms, a study, a kitchen, and a practice room. After finishing his tour, He Song shook his head in silence. He had indeed overestimated the Spirit Construction Pavilion of this world. His courtyard was essentially identical to Wei Fan’s home, with only minor details changed. Every courtyard in the inner circle seemed to have been cast from the same mold, from the room distribution to the placement of the rockeries and water features.