Chapter 2 - 2 Chapter 1 Moving House_2 (1/2)

2 Chapter 1 Moving House_2

Translator: 549690339

Wooden Bridge Alley was already on the outskirts of White Stone City, and if even this place was unaffordable, the only option left was the shantytown further out.

There, filth and sewage were rampant, stench permeating everywhere, and rumors of hauntings were persistent with unidentified deaths occurring regularly.

Xu Mu wasn’t good at combat and was caring for his pregnant wife. If forced to move from here, they feared they might never come back.

A collective sigh of dismay resonated among the people!

…

White Stone City

Shanty Town

On the dilapidated streets, the post-rain air was filled with the scent of earth and a faint stench.

Xu Mu held an oil-paper umbrella, supported Ye Yingying, following a weasel-faced man in a blue robe, stepping cautiously down the alley.

“There it is! A spirit stone a month, if you’re willing, sign the papers!”

The man pinched his nose, pointing at the dilapidated house by the side.

He was a rent collector in the shantytown area: one of the Tooth People.

Xu Mu left Ye Yingying to wait outside, and he stepped into the house.

The interior had a total of four rooms: one bedroom, one kitchen, a living room, and a storeroom.

The house walls were all made of blue stone, seemingly sturdy enough to withstand a couple of attacks from spells.

The roof, made with poplar wood and tiles, had thick cobwebs collecting in the corner. The room’s only piece of furniture was a wooden bed, covered with a thick layer of dust.

The air was filled with the scent of decay and mildew; it appeared as if the house had been uninhabited for a long time.

However, Xu Mu had no choice but to grit his teeth and nod in agreement.

Having already checked out several places in the vicinity, he found them virtually the same. At least this one was well located.

After signing the contract and paying the spirit stone, the place became the new dwelling for the couple.

“Seeing how quickly you paid, I’ll give one final piece of advice. Try not to go out at night. I don’t want to be the one collecting your corpses the next time I come here!”

With that, the Tooth Man quickly left, as if reluctant to stay a second longer.

The man’s words weighed heavy on Xu Mu’s heart, the threat of danger clear, but he had no other options.

After tidying up the place, Xu Mu left Ye Yingying indoors and went to visit the local neighbors with small gifts.

His goal was to ascertain the social norms and local customs and avoid any faux pas.

As expected, all of his neighbors were fellow impoverished cultivators, even though there were a handful who appeared to be fierce and formidable individuals.

For instance, a pair of pale-skinned twins with piercing cold eyes and a strong smell of blood on them.

When Xu Mu knocked on their door, they only opened it a fraction, gave him a chilly glance, then shut it abruptly.

That brief exchange left a chilly sensation in Xu Mu’s bones and sent shivers down his spine.

“These two are likely cultivators who make a living through combat. I should avoid provoking them as much as possible,” Xu Mu reminded himself.

But some of the neighbors were quite amiable, like a young married couple living next door and an old Pill Master at the entrance of the alley.

Once he had finished paying his visits, Xu Mu returned home and briefed Ye Yingying about the situation in the alley. Then, he urged her to rest while he began to prepare for alchemy in the cleaned-up storeroom.

As an Alchemist, his livelihood depended entirely on his ability to manufacture pills.

Being an Alchemist, one could say, was the most lucrative yet cash burning profession.

Although Xu Mu had passed the initial cash draining period, he was still a long way from making a fortune.

Currently, he could only concoct two types of pills: Fasting Pills and Qi Gathering Pills.

Fasting Pills were the most common type of pill, providing the effect of staving off hunger for three days after consumption.

However,

Individual results may vary!

For Xu Mu, one Fasting Pill merely sufficed for a day!