The next morning.
Xu Xian packed his belongings... which were essentially nonexistent.
Leaving with empty hands, it didn't take long for him to arrive at Zuiwan Residence.
On the day he visited the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, Xu Xian had heard the person in charge mention that there were only thirty-two immortal abodes in the entire Wendao Sword Sect.
Among them:
Tianjian Peak had twelve.
Falling Cloud Peak had thirteen.
Zhujian Peak had five.
Sword Inquiry Peak and Zhijian Peak each had one.
As for Burial Sword Peak, that was a graveyard, and the Ancestral Peak was a place only the Pavilion Elders could set foot on. There were grotto-heavens there, but no immortal abodes.
The one on Sword Inquiry Peak was called the Peach Blossom Immortal Abode, which was Ye Xianyu's residence.
The one on Zhijian Peak was Zuiwan Residence, Li Qingshan's home.
Last night, from a brief chat with Wen Qingxue, Xu Xian learned that the thirty-two immortal abodes were ranked within the Wendao Sword Sect.
Peach Blossom Immortal Abode was ranked second.
Zuiwan Residence was ranked third.
Although the starting annual rent for the thirty-two immortal abodes was three hundred thousand, both the Peach Blossom Immortal Abode and Zuiwan Residence actually cost nearly five hundred thousand merit points per year.
Ordinary people could not afford to live there.
As for the one ranked first, it was called the Baicao Garden. It was rumored that this single immortal abode occupied an entire small hilltop on Falling Cloud Peak.
The spirit herb fields inside spanned several thousand acres.
The Elixir Hall rented it for Elder Yao.
Elder Yao was the sect's top alchemist and could even be ranked in the top ten across the entire Fanzhou. He was also Yao Xiaoxiao's ancestor.
Baicao Garden was an immortal abode, but its scale far exceeded the normal definition of one.
Upon hearing this, Xu Xian couldn't help but think that it was no wonder Yao Xiaoxiao was so generous; her family was loaded.
Zuiwan Residence was situated in a corner of Zhijian Peak. Unlike the Peach Blossom Immortal Abode, which was filled with peach trees, Zuiwan Residence was planted entirely with bamboo.
Moreover, it was the nobility of bamboo: green spirit bamboo.
This type of bamboo didn't grow very tall and was about as thick as an arm. The stalks were as green as jade, and the leaves were as vibrant as emeralds.
Rumor had it that it was the favorite plant of herbivorous spirit beasts.
Unfortunately, the Wendao Sword Sect didn't raise spirit beasts. They did, however, eat their meat.
Xu Xian knocked on the door of Zuiwan Residence, shouting at the top of his lungs in the early morning:
"Nephew Qingshan..."
"Nephew Qingshan..."
Thump, thump, thump!!
"It's me, your Little Martial Uncle! Hurry up and open the door!"
The immortal abode was protected by wards, so Xu Xian certainly couldn't force his way in.
After knocking for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the door opened.
Li Qingshan stood at the entrance with a numb expression, his eyes cold. He stared at Xu Xian, showing no sign of emotion.
Seeing the door open, Xu Xian didn't stand on ceremony. He squeezed his way inside while lecturing:
"Little Nephew, it's not that I want to nag, but the start of the year is in spring, and the start of the day is in the morning. Look at what time it is, and you're still not up? My hands are numb from knocking. You can't let this happen next time..."
Li Qingshan's face darkened as he said coldly, "What are you doing here?"
"Wait," Xu Xian raised his voice. "Are you trying to back out of what you said last night?"
Li Qingshan closed the door and began walking forward. "Didn't you say you needed to think about it?"
"I've thought it over. I have to give you this face. Just as you said: ten thousand merit points a month, room and board included."
Li Qingshan remained silent.
Xu Xian followed closely behind, looking left and right. Honestly, compared to Wen Qingxue's place, one was in the heavens and the other was on the ground. This place was about on par with Ye Xianyu's home.
The buildings were well-arranged, the courtyard was spacious, and it featured rockeries, ponds, and pavilions. It was a proper luxury mansion.
"Not bad, this is even bigger than I imagined."
However...
The pond was overgrown with weeds, and the shaded areas of the courtyard were covered in moss. As for the fallen bamboo leaves, they were scattered everywhere.
At first glance, it was indeed a luxury mansion, but upon closer inspection, it looked like a deserted house that hadn't been lived in for a long time.
"I say, Nephew, how long has it been since anyone lived here? You don't deal with the weeds, no one sweeps the leaves, and this pond—are you raising fish or breeding mosquitoes?"
As they walked, Xu Xian talked incessantly, critiquing and complaining about everything.
Li Qingshan replied indifferently, "I live alone, I don't care about these things. If you want to tidy up, then tidy up. If not, just let it be..."
"So, where do I stay?"
Li Qingshan pointed to a room in the main courtyard. "Anywhere except that room is fine."
"Oh!"
"Alright, stop following me."
"Aren't you going to give me a tour and help me get familiar with the place?"
Li Qingshan frowned. "Is that necessary?"
Xu Xian countered with a question, "What do you think?"
Li Qingshan suddenly grabbed Xu Xian's shoulder.
"What are you doing?"
Li Qingshan said nothing. He took Xu Xian and leapt, landing on the highest roof of Zuiwan Residence.
Standing with his hands behind his back, Li Qingshan pointed to the surrounding courtyards one by one, explaining perfunctorily:
"That's the main courtyard, those are the side courtyards. The well is there, the small pond, the bamboo forest..."
"The kitchen, the washroom..."
"Alright, the introduction is over. Anything else you want to know?"
Xu Xian was speechless!
But he had to admit, the efficiency was truly high.
Pointing to a patch of open ground behind the houses, he asked, "What's that area covered in grass?"
"A spirit field," Li Qingshan said calmly.
Xu Xian was stunned and asked skeptically, "A spirit field?"
"Yes."
"Then why is it covered in weeds?"
Li Qingshan looked at Xu Xian as if he were an idiot and said leisurely, "Because it's neglected, so weeds grow."
"You don't farm it?"
Li Qingshan said, "I don't have the time."
"How many acres?"
"Ten."
Xu Xian clicked his tongue. Ten acres of spirit fields, just left to waste.
Li Qingshan glanced at him. "Anything else? If not, I'm leaving."
Xu Xian held up a finger and asked the question burning in his mind, "Just one question..."
"Speak!"
"You don't farm the spirit field, you don't sweep the courtyard, and the rooms are all empty. Why did you rent such a large place? What's the point?"
Li Qingshan looked straight ahead and said in a heavy voice, "For the sake of face!"
"That's it?"
Li Qingshan gave Xu Xian a deep look. "You don't understand. What I live for is face."
Xu Xian remained silent.
He truly didn't understand renting such a massive immortal abode just for prestige. Over five hundred thousand merit points a year! He suddenly felt that scamming the guy for ten thousand a month was too little.
Li Qingshan stepped off the roof and drifted to the ground.
Xu Xian hurriedly asked, "When do I get my salary?"
"At the end of the month."
"Can I farm that spirit field?"
"Up to you!"
"Then..."
Before he could finish, Li Qingshan's door slammed shut ruthlessly.
Xu Xian swallowed the words he was about to say and gave up with a shrug, muttering to himself, "He's got personality. I like it."
Standing on the roof, surveying the surroundings as the morning breeze blew gently, Xu Xian felt exceptionally refreshed.
He was very satisfied with this immortal abode.
"This is the kind of house an immortal should live in!"
And there were ten acres of spirit fields.
The farming plan he had previously shelved could now be put back on the agenda.
Earning merit points didn't necessarily require fighting and killing.
Farming, alchemy, and forging were all viable options...
He jumped down from the roof, found a courtyard furthest away from Li Qingshan, and chose a room.
When he pushed the door open, it was covered in dust. The air was thick with a musty smell.
"Cough, cough!"
He didn't delay. He used the Telekinesis Immortal Art: water came, a basin came, a breeze came, and a rag came.
In just a few moments, a side room was spotless, and a small courtyard was neat and tidy.
After settling into his living quarters, Xu Xian headed straight for the spirit herb field. Looking at the desolation before him, Xu Xian rolled up his sleeves, pulled out a hoe, and spat into his palms.
"Pfft!"
Full of drive, he said, "It's time to show my true skills..."
Xu Xian only wanted to say that as a transmigrator, no one understood farming better than he did. He could do without a wife, but he couldn't do without farming.
Rate on N.U.
