A Yard of His Own
A first-grade mid-quality spirit vein.
In truth, it was exactly what Jin Somyeong had been hoping for.
The plan he had put together would only benefit from him raising his strength as quickly as possible. Deep down, he wanted to move into a mid-quality cave residence, but he made sure not to let it show.
"I’ll admit, if there’s no deposit, it does sound tempting. But thirty Spirit Stones is a bit..."
When Jin Somyeong continued to hesitate, Ju Hong clenched his teeth and said, "For one year, I’ll lower the monthly rent to twenty-eight. This is normally absolutely impossible, but I’ll take a cut from my own share if I have to!"
"If you make it twenty-five, I’ll sign the contract today."
"That’s impossible! ...Twenty-seven! Think carefully. There may not be anyone looking to move into a mid-quality cave residence right now, but in a year or two, the situation will be completely different."
The situation will change soon...
It wasn’t difficult to understand what he meant.
"True. The closer we get to the opening of the secret realm, the more people will flood into Jeokyang Market."
"You’re quick on the uptake, so this is easy to explain. Give it just one year, and the market will be packed with countless cultivators who’ve come for that secret realm. When that happens, even if you want to move, it won’t be easy."
He wasn’t wrong. The rising price of Qi Condensing Pills was proof enough.
The price of every commodity changed with demand. Once people began pouring in a year or two from now, he would likely have to pay a premium just to move residences.
After letting the silence stretch for about five seconds, Jin Somyeong nodded.
"Very well. Since you’re showing me such goodwill, Steward, it would be rude of me to refuse. I’ll move in at twenty-seven Spirit Stones a month."
"That’s the spirit! You’ve made a truly wise decision. When shall we draw up the contract? The sooner, the better, as far as I’m concerned."
"Since we’re already discussing it, I’ll move in today. Ah, but what happens to the rent and deposit for the cave residence I’m living in now?"
"...I-I’ll refund them, of course. Normally that isn’t allowed, but I’ll handle it at my discretion."
Watching Ju Hong look as if every coin pained him to part with, Jin Somyeong clicked his tongue inwardly.
Now that he looked closely, the man was a miser to the bone.
For someone like this to lower the rent... he must really be desperate.
It almost made him curious how awful this so-called problem tenant had to be.
After they completed the necessary procedures and signed the contract, Ju Hong spoke at once.
"If you’re ready, let’s go right away! I’ll take you to the new residence myself. Heh heh... To think I can finally kick that damned bastard out. I feel refreshed already."
Ju Hong kept grinning to himself as he led the way. He could hardly stay still, walking so fast he was practically jogging, apparently thrilled at the thought of expelling the problem tenant.
After some time, a neat row of cave residences appeared along a clean, well-maintained avenue.
Each residence looked to be roughly eighteen hundred to twenty-one hundred square feet, though formations concealed their interiors from view.
"Here it is! What do you think? The location isn’t bad, is it?"
"It’s good. I like it."
Compared to his first-grade low-quality stone chamber, it was several times wider. He could already feel the difference in comfort.
"Public security is excellent, of course, and the market isn’t far, so it should be convenient to live here. Wait here for a moment. I’ll deal with driving out the problem tenant myself. Heh heh."
Ju Hong rubbed his palms together as though he had been looking forward to this for ages, then strode forward.
Bang, bang, bang!
He went to the formation entrance of the cave residence and began pounding on it without the slightest restraint.
"Baek Gwi! Get out here this instant! I’m settling this today!"
Some time passed before a man with a peevish expression emerged.
His face was twisted in annoyance, and he was at the fourth layer of Qi Refining, one level higher than Jin Somyeong.
"What is all this noise! Does being a steward give you the right to behave so rudely?"
"Hmph! Enough nonsense. Pack your things at once. Today is the last day you’ll be living in this residence. I won’t tolerate you any longer."
The man’s lips twitched, and he clicked his tongue.
"Didn’t I say I’d definitely pay the overdue rent next month? What am I supposed to do when I don’t have any Spirit Stones?"
"Silence! Do you think I’ll be fooled by your rubbish again? Cut the crap and get out of the residence immediately!"
"...If I leave, you’ll lose at least a month or two of rent. Can our famously frugal steward really stomach that loss?"
The man acted polite, but his tone was laced with quiet mockery.
It seemed he had long since figured out Ju Hong’s miserly nature.
Ordinarily, this would have been enough to make Steward Ju Hong back down. This time, however, he snorted. His voice was still full of force, his confidence unshaken.
"Hmph! That is none of your concern. I’ll give you exactly one hour to vacate the residence. Oh, and as of today, your overdue rent totals forty-two Spirit Stones."
"..."
"I won’t reduce it by even a single coin, so don’t think about running away. Not unless you want the Enforcement Squad chasing after you!"
The man’s eyes narrowed like a snake’s.
Seeming to sense something strange in Ju Hong’s confident attitude, he looked around. Soon, his gaze met Jin Somyeong’s.
"Who is that fellow Daoist behind you? Don’t tell me he’s a tenant aiming for my residence."
"Heh heh! And what if he is?"
"...You there, fellow Daoist. Are you truly thinking of moving into my residence? You look to be at the third layer of Qi Refining. I don’t think making an enemy of me would benefit you."
When the man abruptly shifted targets and began threatening Jin Somyeong, Ju Hong shouted firmly, "Enough! How dare you cause a disturbance in the Inner City! If you aren’t afraid of the Enforcement Squad, then by all means, continue!"
"Tsk. I merely offered him a few words of advice out of concern. Why are you overreacting so much? You and I haven’t known each other for just a day or two, Steward. This is rather hurtful."
"Hurtful, my ass! You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this day!"
"Sigh. Fine. I’ll pay the Spirit Stones. Then I can continue living here, correct? I would rather not quarrel with you over such a trivial matter."
"You’ll pay the Spirit Stones...? Didn’t you say you didn’t have any?"
For a moment, Ju Hong’s expression went blank.
He blinked as if he had heard something completely beyond imagination.
"I did have an urgent use for them, but since things have come to this, it can’t be helped. Here are forty-two Spirit Stones. I’ll pay next month’s rent by the due date."
"...Ah."
Ju Hong accepted the Spirit Stones with a dazed expression and hesitated. He looked back and forth between the man and Jin Somyeong, then pressed his lips tightly together.
Even Jin Somyeong, watching from behind, could clearly sense his inner conflict.
Tsk. Looks like that bastard’s rent is still the full thirty Spirit Stones. Will this miser of a steward really hand the residence over to me at a loss?
He wondered what he should do.
Human nature was a funny thing. Now that matters had reached this point, he no longer wanted to give up the mid-quality spirit vein.
There were probably other mid-quality residences managed by different stewards, but they would not waive the deposit for him.
Of course, there was a way.
He simply had to pay the normal monthly rent of thirty Spirit Stones. If he did, Ju Hong would naturally choose him over the problem tenant.
Haa. It can’t be helped.
Just as Jin Somyeong was about to step forward, Steward Ju Hong clenched his teeth and shouted.
"Enough! I’ve already made my decision, so clear out! As I said before, I’m giving you exactly one hour. Besides, the contract has already been signed, so there’s no taking it back now!"
"Hm?"
Ju Hong had made a decision that surprised everyone except himself.
The snake-faced man’s expression turned vicious in an instant. He shouted as though he had suffered some grave injustice.
"You’re evicting me even after I paid the rent? What kind of law is that! You’re a steward—are you allowed to violate the regulations?"
"Nonsense! Do you think I, a steward, know the regulations worse than you? According to the rules, anyone renting a cave residence must pay one year’s rent as a deposit. If you hand over an additional three hundred and sixty Spirit Stones, I’ll let you continue living here without a word of complaint."
The snake-faced man’s eyes bulged. He shrieked as if throwing a tantrum.
"What kind of—! Don’t be ridiculous! How am I supposed to suddenly produce three hundred and sixty Spirit Stones?"
"That is your problem! I am merely following the regulations. Wahahaha!"
Steward Ju Hong’s laughter was filled with pure satisfaction. He looked like a man who had lived solely for this day.
"You—!"
"Why are you still standing there? If you intend to empty the residence within the hour, you’d better hurry. Puhaha!"
The man’s face stiffened. His fists clenched, and his body trembled.
Unable to bring himself to attack a steward, he could only glare at Jin Somyeong, the root cause of his misfortune.
His gaze was persistent, as if he were trying to carve Jin Somyeong’s face into memory.
Jin Somyeong did not bother avoiding it. A cultivator at the fourth layer of Qi Refining did not frighten him in the slightest.
What a foul-tempered bastard.
If anything, he hoped the man would come looking for him later and bring a gift.
That would do wonders for his strained finances.
"Damn it! There isn’t a single decent thing in Jeokyang Market!"
Cursing, the man went back into the residence.
In just ten minutes, he came out again, threw down the formation token, and stalked off without so much as a farewell.
Ju Hong watched his furious back until it had vanished completely, then smacked his lips as though disappointed.
"Khehehe... He really is furious. Ah, that clears the chest. Oh! Daoist Yeo, if that Baek Gwi fellow picks a fight with you, tell me. I’ll speak to the Enforcement Squad and have them teach him a lesson."
"Yes. Thank you."
"It’s nothing. Now, let’s go inside. I’ll check whether that bastard damaged the spirit vein."
When he activated the token the man had thrown down, the formation opened.
The moment Jin Somyeong stepped inside the barrier, air fresher than anything he had ever felt welcomed him.
"Oh?"
As expected, a first-grade mid-quality spirit vein was clearly different. Spiritual energy entered with his breath and spread all the way to his extremities.
Even his dantian felt warm.
I didn’t expect much when they said it was twice as good, but this is better than I thought.
Unlike his previous low-quality residence, which had been a stone chamber, this place was a log cabin built from wood.
It even had a small yard, giving it a surprisingly cozy air. For the first time, he felt as though he had come to a home where people were meant to live.
Of course, the most important factor—the density of spiritual energy—was also satisfying.
If an ordinary mortal lived here, they could likely reach a hundred years of age in perfect health.
While he was feeling reasonably pleased, Steward Ju Hong, who had been inspecting the place, spoke.
"Fortunately, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong. Well, I suppose even that bastard wouldn’t have the nerve to damage the spirit vein."
A spirit vein was Jeokyang Market’s most precious asset.
The Foundation Establishment old monsters who ruled the market might not intervene in most matters, but they reacted with particular sensitivity to anything involving damage to a spirit vein.
After all, a spirit vein was the foundation that allowed a faction to endure for a hundred years.
"Ah, I’m not sure whether you knew this, but there’s a small spirit field in the backyard of this residence."
"A spirit field? There’s a field here?"
"Mm. It’s only about the size of a vegetable patch, but if you take the time to grow spirit rice, it’ll help quite a bit. If you sell the ripe rice, you should earn at least three Spirit Stones a month."
At this unexpected gain, a smile naturally formed on his face.
"Then the effective rent is twenty-four Spirit Stones."
"Exactly. Baek Gwi left a fair amount of spirit rice in the field, so decide for yourself what to do with it. For reference, I checked it, and there didn’t seem to be any problem."
"Ah... Thank you."
"Then I’ll be going now. Train hard."
After handing over the formation token, Ju Hong left, and Jin Somyeong hurried toward the backyard.
He wanted to see the condition of the first spirit field he had ever owned.