Longevity with a Turtle

Chapter 110: Chapter 98: Settled in Qinghe

”Planning to take a Flying Ship, Senior? I’ve got cheap tickets right here.”

A grimy-looking boy, dressed in tattered rags, had a bright, sunny smile on his face.

Chen Jianghe took one look at the boy’s outfit and his Third-Layer Qi Refining Cultivation and knew the filthy appearance was deliberate.

He shook his head and turned to leave.

’I just arrived in Qinghe Marketplace. Why would I take a Flying Ship to leave so soon?’

The next moment, the boy caught up to him again.

”Immortal Sect Marketplace, Yunfeng Marketplace, Baiher Marketplace... I have tickets to all these Grand Marketplaces.”

Chen Jianghe said nothing, simply quickening his pace to get away.

The boy’s tickets were probably real, but Chen Jianghe had no intention of leaving Qinghe Marketplace—at least not before he had a chance to get his bearings.

He first made his way to the Hundred Treasures Tower in Qinghe Marketplace.

The five-story Hundred Treasures Tower looked much more imposing than the one in Jingyue Marketplace, but it wasn’t as opulent.

After all, the Hundred Treasures Tower in Jingyue Marketplace had been built with Gilded Crystal.

When it came to opulence, that one was likely second to none.

Upon entering the Hundred Treasures Tower, he discovered the first floor wasn’t a sales area, but a scenic corridor with the Qinghe River flowing through it.

Quite a few Cultivators were gathered there, admiring the view and chatting.

He, however, was in no mood for such leisurely pursuits.

’If I can’t get things settled today, I’ll have to spend another ten Spiritual Sand on an inn.’

It wasn’t that he was worried about the Spiritual Sand.

The main issue was just how crowded the inn was with other Cultivators.

Besides, he was truly short on Spirit Stones right now; his Storage Pouch held only nineteen Spirit Stones and fifteen Spiritual Sand.

’If I decide to settle down in Qinghe Marketplace... I’ll need to buy a gourd of Fasting Pills and pay a year’s rent. A single-room courtyard in the Northwest District is manageable at four Spirit Stones a year. If it’s in the Southwest District, it’ll be eight Spirit Stones. And I still need to buy talisman-painting materials, so nineteen Spirit Stones might not be enough. I might even have to sell that Cold Ice Talisman.’

He reached the second floor of the Hundred Treasures Tower, which, like the one in Jingyue Marketplace, was a general goods area.

Chen Jianghe walked straight to the Spirit Talisman Counter and bluntly asked about their buyback prices for Spirit Talismans, then went to the Material Counter to inquire about the cost of talisman-painting materials.

The Spirit Talisman buyback price was the same: 85 percent of the original value.

The materials were also mostly the same price, though the Spiritual Ink was a bit expensive at two Spirit Stones per box.

The Spiritual Ink produced in abundance at Jingyue Lake was refined from the blood of Cyan-Scaled Fish, a type of Spirit Beast, and Cinnabar.

But the Spiritual Ink in Qinghe Marketplace was made from Spirit Fox blood and Cinnabar. Spirit Foxes were more spiritual in nature and were Second-Grade High-Class Bloodline Spirit Beasts.

Using Spiritual Ink from a Spirit Fox to paint Spirit Talismans could slightly increase the Talisman Success Rate.

’Of course, the boost is probably minimal, perhaps not even half a percent. It might just be a marketing gimmick with no real boosting effect at all.’

’The buyback price for Spirit Talismans and the cost of materials are acceptable. Now it all comes down to whether I can rent a suitable courtyard.’

With this in mind, Chen Jianghe left the Hundred Treasures Tower and headed for the Qinghe Marketplace’s Housing Agency.

The Housing Agency was located on the northern section of Qing Street.

A short while later, he arrived at the Housing Agency. There were quite a few Cultivators here, and he had to get in line.

However, business was handled much more efficiently in the Cultivation Realm than in the secular world. Even with over thirty Cultivators ahead of him, it was his turn in less than a quarter of an hour.

”Are you here for a new rental, or to renew a lease, Fellow Daoist?” a Female Cultivator at the Sixth-Layer of Qi Refining asked with a faint smile from behind a crystal counter.

”A new rental.”

”Do you have a preferred district in mind, Fellow Daoist?”

”Are there any single-room courtyards left in the Northwest District?” Chen Jianghe asked.

”Uh... we’re out of those.”

”What about a two-room courtyard?”

”Sorry, we’re out of those as well. We do have a three-room courtyard available, would you be interested in renting that?”

The three-room courtyards rented out by the Housing Agency were the entire unit, and tenants could find roommates to share the rent after leasing it.

”Then are there any single-room courtyards in the Southwest District?” Chen Jianghe asked, clinging to his last hope.

”There is one single-room courtyard in the Southwest District, but it can’t be rented long-term.”

”Why is that?”

”Because that particular courtyard is already leased. The tenant has gone on a long journey and won’t be back for about five years. However, he paid a reservation deposit, so whenever he returns, you’ll have to move out.”

”However, when that Fellow Daoist returns, he won’t disturb you directly. He will come to the Housing Agency, and we will notify you to move out. And if it’s before your lease is up, we will refund you the remaining rent.”