Chapter 54 Lightness and Weight:

The people at Lan Yuan Real Estate Agency were extremely efficient. Judging from the time of the emails, Rong Xie had barely left the agency when they sent their first email—compiling a list of houses in Lan Yuan at various price points, including their location, layout, and interior/exterior style.

The next few letters were sent every three to five days, informing Rong Xie of any new developments and each time also recommending similar houses with particular emphasis.

Rong Xie walked all the way to the study, his eyes dazzled by the sights, thinking that this was good and that was nice too.

However, his funds were limited, and he couldn't just buy whatever he wanted. The houses he liked were all too expensive for him to afford.

After careful consideration of the housing conditions and prices, Rong Xie finalized several affordable options, drafted a reply, and requested the real estate agency to provide more detailed information and the necessary documents for the transaction.

After writing the reply, the sun was already setting. Rong Xie thought for a moment and decided to deliver the letter himself.

A few more days passed, and there was still no news from Shen Bingsi, but Rong Xie's letters all received replies.

First, the real estate agency sent back the detailed information Rong Xie wanted and warmly invited him to Lan Yuan for a face-to-face meeting. One of the homeowners was in a hurry to sell, and if Rong Xie was willing to meet in person, they could negotiate a lower price.

In addition, the brokerage firm also sent a very detailed catalog of the materials needed for the house transaction, which included the exchange rates of spirit stones to silver coins at various money houses.

After reviewing the exchange rates offered by the brokerage, Rong Xie then obtained exchange rates from ten reputable banks in Shengjing, including Shengping Bank, the largest in the city. Comparing the two, the best option was Xuantian Bank, which was established by Xuantian Sect in Shengjing. It could offer certain discounts when large sums of money were exchanged, achieving the ideal exchange rate of ten spirit stones to one tael of silver.

"Ten spirit stones equal one tael of silver..." Rong Xie wrote and calculated on the paper with a sheep-hair brush, occasionally unfolding his asset list and checking the market price from the auction house, and finally calculated a number.

Ten thousand spirit stones.

Rong Xie had saved up over the years, and with cash and assets that could be sold, he could raise a total of 10,000 spirit stones.

The amount exchanged for silver is one thousand taels of silver.

A thousand taels of silver sounds like a lot, enough to rent a very nice house in Lanyuan, but Rong Xie doesn't need to enjoy it, but to live there long-term. He prefers to buy rather than rent.

Buying it at this price is a bit of an awkward situation. You can get a decent house, but after that, it won't be enough to cover the high taxes and maintenance fees...

Rong Xie was also unaware for the first time that buying a house in the mortal world would involve paying so many taxes and fees.

In reality, the price of a house that could be purchased was between six hundred and seven hundred taels.

In addition, Rong Xie couldn't put all his money into the house at once; he still had to set aside some for living expenses. Before finding a proper job, he needed to have some savings to feel at ease.

After deducting this amount of money, there are even fewer houses that can be purchased. Most of these houses do not have yards, or if they do, it is just a small piece of land enclosed in front of the house. It is very difficult to hang clothes to dry or drink tea outdoors in the yard, let alone enjoy the scenery of the courtyard.

"..."

Looking at the mansion he had longed for and the ordinary house he could actually buy, Rong Xie instantly felt the cruelty of reality.

So many years of carefree life have made him almost forget what it was like to live in poverty.

Rong Xie stood up and paced around the study.

"What if I sold that..." he muttered to himself.

Once again, he returned to his desk and rummaged through the pile of papers to find the reply from Yuanbao Auction House.

Find it in the price forecast line:

Photoelectric White Orchid - 25,000 spirit stones.

Twenty-five thousand spirit stones was the best price the auction house could offer, and Rong Xie had no doubt about that. After all, he was in a hurry to sell, so he would definitely want to offer a lower price than he had initially bid for at the auction.

Moreover, Yuanbao Auction House is backed by Liujin Sect, one of the three major sects, and is the most reputable and confidential auction house that Rong Xie could find. He couldn't possibly take the Guangdian Bailan to Lingjing Sect Auction House or the Sword Forging Alliance to sell. Otherwise, trouble would come knocking on his door before he could even make a move.

Twenty-five thousand spirit stones, equivalent to two thousand five hundred taels of silver, would allow Rong Xie to choose those large mansions he desired.

But……

But should he really sell the photoelectric magnolia that Shen Bingsi had painstakingly created for him?

Rong Xie hesitated.

On one hand, there was the precious gift that Shen Bingsi had meticulously planned for ten years to present. She even created a sword dance to give the gift. To this day, Rong Xie can still see the figure in cyan soaring through the air and plunging into the ground on the beach that night, with the giant orchid blooming wildly.

On one side is a private courtyard with a small garden overlooking the Blue Plain. Hot spring water flows directly into the house, eliminating the need for a heated kang (traditional heated bed) and keeping it warm and cozy even in winter. The second floor is bright and airy, with south-facing windows offering direct views of the snow-capped Zhongnan Mountains and north-facing windows overlooking the idyllic Blue Plain with its wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys.

Upon closer examination, it's not actually that difficult to discern which is more important.

"……never mind."

Rong Xie sighed and slowly closed the price list of Yuanbao Auction House.

"Let's just sell it."

After all, a house is something you'll actually live in for the next few decades, while a sword is something you won't need.

Rong Xie no longer expects to reach the Foundation Establishment stage. With things having fallen apart between him and Shen Bing Si, even if he were still willing to half-heartedly agree, Shen Bing Si would absolutely refuse.

Since there was no hope of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, the Light-Electrifying White Orchid was useless to him. Apart from occasionally taking it out to reminisce about Shen Bingsi and the painful experience of having his abdomen pierced in a premonition, it had no practical value whatsoever.

That night on the beach, Rong Xie made a vow to himself that from now on, he would prioritize protecting himself.

Maintaining one's quality of life occupies a crucial position in all aspects of self-preservation.

After making up his mind, Rong Xie sat back down at his desk and added 2,500 taels to his house-buying budget. Suddenly, the range of options he could choose from became much wider.

Rong Xie's mood also became more relaxed.

He selected several courtyards costing around 1,500 taels each, intending to conduct on-site inspections before making a final decision.

Next comes the last troublesome matter.

Rong Xie stared intently at the list of documents required for the house transaction.

Human life is short, but the procedures for getting things done are not reduced at all, and are even more troublesome than those in the cultivation world.

After watching for a while, his eyes felt tired and sore, so he had to pinch the bridge of his nose with both hands and close his eyes to rest for a while.

What is this...? And what is this...?

The list included many posts, forms, slips, and documents that were unheard of before.

It seems that to buy a house in Lanyuan, one must clearly explain every single detail of one's life from birth to the present, and verbal agreements are not enough; a paper document with an official seal is required.

Where is he supposed to find it?

He left Shenjiazhuang when he was a teenager. If these notices, forms, receipts, and documents still exist, they must be in Shenjiazhuang. Does he really have to go and ask those people in the Shen family for them?!

I thought everything was ready, but I was stumped by such a basic question.

Moreover, this is a problem that cannot be bypassed simply by thinking of a way.

If Rong Xie wants to buy property in the mortal world, he must have these paper documents. These documents are equivalent to his legal status in the mortal world. Without them, he cannot establish himself in the mortal world and cannot live a decent life.

What should we do?

Rong Xie stood up again and paced around the room, thinking. He thought for so long that the incense sticks he used to stay awake burned out, but he still hadn't come up with a good idea.

The only idea I could think of was to write back home and ask the Shen family for help.

But can the Shen family help with this?

Upon receiving the letter, they would probably gloat and try to find out what went wrong between Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi, and why they suddenly wanted to find their identity documents.

Considering the unpleasant scene when the Shen family came last time, it was clear that sending this letter would not end well. At best, they would just throw it away; at worst, they might deliberately cause trouble and destroy the identity documents that Rong Xie needed.

That would be troublesome.

No, we mustn't alert them.

After much deliberation, Rong Xie decided that he still needed to discuss this matter with Shen Bingsi.

If Shen Bingsi were to personally retrieve his identity documents, then even if the Shen family were unwilling to cooperate, they would still have to go through the formalities.

Once he obtains his identity documents and establishes his own household, he will no longer need to entangle himself with the Shen family.

Thinking of this, Rong Xie reached for the jade pendant at his waist.

He touched it a couple of times but couldn't find it, then he remembered that he hadn't used the jade pendant for a long time.

It turned out that the jade pendant that could transmit voices between hearts had become ineffective and had been thrown away by Rong Xie at the bottom of his personal pouch.

The ordinary sound transmission jade pendant used later, which was exchanged for the jade pendant of that Daoist couple when they were on the Southern Island, has already been given away.

Rong Xie doesn't have a single jade pendant that can be used for communication right now.

They haven't been in contact for a very long time.

Rong Xie didn't give himself much time to be sentimental.

He walked towards the front yard.

The three children were practicing spells on talismans in the courtyard when they saw Rong Xie come out and all looked at him with worry.

Clearly, the three children had noticed the frequent correspondence recently and knew that some things were probably about to happen, not just something Rong Xie had said was merely a precaution.

"Shen Yan," Rong Xie called out.

"Brother Rong!" Shen Yan put down the talisman in her hand, ran up to Rong Xie, and asked, "Brother Rong, is there anything you need?"

"Did you...see the Master of the Manor earlier?" Rong Xie asked.

"Huh?" Shen Yan was stunned for a moment. "Brother Rong, are you talking about when you just came back last month? I saw the arc of the Shengxie Sword. Before dawn, it headed towards the main peak."

“Alright… Do you know how to contact Elder Yunfeng?” Rong Xie said, “Help me make a trip and deliver a letter to Elder Yunfeng, saying… I need to see Shen Bingsi.”

Shen Yan's eyes lit up: "Don't worry, Brother Rong, I'll go right away!"

After instructing Shen Yan to leave, Rong Xie sat down in the courtyard, waiting for a reply while casually pointing out Long Shaoye and Fang Renji's spells.

Now Rong Xie has ample spiritual power, and with his mastery of magic being superb, he can guide the two children with ease.

Long Shaoye and Fang Renji benefited greatly from this, and their admiration for Rong Xie increased even more.

"Brother Rong," Long Shaoye said, looking radiant during a break, "Are you and the Master of the Manor making up?"

Fang Renji also looked over expectantly.

Rong Xie chuckled: "Why do you say that?"

"If neither of them is talking to the other, they're still sulking. If they start talking again, they're about to make up," Long Shaoye confidently shared his experience.

Fang Renji nodded vigorously.

Rong Xie didn't know how to explain it. If the estrangement between people could be resolved simply by communicating, then it wouldn't be considered estrangement.

While she was pondering, a flash of green light suddenly appeared in front of Huanxue Manor. Elder Yunfeng, Shen Bingsi's close friend in the Elders' Courtyard, had come in person.