SWNOVELXO Chapter 146: Arrangements
Chapter 146: Arrangements
As night fell, Xu Lian stayed alone in a separate room. With so many female companions around, it wouldn’t be appropriate to share a room, especially since the Lin family was in mourning. Basic customs had to be observed.
Xu Lian sat cross-legged on the bed, taking out the Spirit Fruits he had gathered from his spatial bag. He was happily counting them when the White Fox Quarry Patrol inspector arrived. This made him feel a bit awkward – should he put them away or leave them out?
Xu Lian stood up and cupped his hands in a respectful greeting, then asked tentatively, “Would the Quarry Patrol Inspector like some spirit fruits?”
The White Fox Quarry Patrol Inspector didn’t even glance at the fruits. Instead, she stared at him intently and said, “It’s only been a few months since we last met, and you’ve already reached the Transformation Strength rank. Now I’m beginning to think that you’re not just a genius, but a reincarnated powerhouse.”
“…” Xu Lian didn’t know how to respond, so he simply said, “Whether I’m a genius or a reincarnated powerhouse, I remain loyal to the Quarry Patrol Inspector.”
The White Fox Quarry Patrol Inspector didn’t comment. Instead, she said, “Fortunately, the Yi Sect sent me to quell the chaos. If they had sent someone else, you might not have survived today.”
Xu Lian also felt that looting the spirit fruits was a bit reckless. Of course, he had his own trump cards – the Sword of Destruction and the Heavenly Serpent Grass. These would be enough to protect him against ordinary experts, as long as it wasn’t someone as “unbeatable” as the White Fox Quarry Patrol Inspector. “I acted without thinking it through and caused trouble for the Quarry Patrol Inspector,” he admitted.
Then he asked, “What exactly are these spiritual fruits for? Why are so many people fighting over them?”
The White Fox Quarry Patrol Inspector was silent for a moment. “You didn’t even know what they were for, and you still went to steal them?”
Xu Lian explained, “I thought that since so many people were fighting over them, they must be valuable… so I took advantage of the chaos.”
The White Fox said, “These are Longevity Fruits. They’re quite valuable – worth several million Spirit Stones each. Eating one can extend your life span by ten years. You can take up to ten of them to extend your lifespan by a hundred years, but any more than that won’t have any effect.”
Xu Lian’s heart stirred. He cultivated quickly and didn’t need to worry about his lifespan, but many of his female companions cultivated slowly or weren’t cultivators at all. They couldn’t withstand the passage of time and would eventually need these fruits. Unless it was absolutely necessary, he couldn’t sell them.
The White Fox continued, “The current Town Guard Commander of the county failed to protect the Spirit Tree and has been dismissed from her post. She’s been transferred elsewhere. The higher-ups have appointed me as the new Town Guard Commander of Pingyang County. From now on, I’ll be staying near the Spirit Tree.”
“I don’t have much time to manage the spirit residences on First Street, so I’ll appoint you as the manager of First Street. You’ll be responsible for renting and selling the spirit residences.”
“Apart from the monthly spirit stones that need to be handed over to the Yi Sect, you can keep any extra for yourself. Now that you’ve reached the Transformation Strength rank, the cost of cultivation resources will increase. These Spirit Stones can be used to buy resources and improve your strength.”
Xu Lian was overjoyed. “Thank you for your guidance, ma’am.”
The White Fox said, “Most of the infiltrators from various sects and the demonic creatures have been killed by me. The rest have been captured by the county magistrate and are now imprisoned in the dungeon. You’ll be in charge of overseeing their executions. This will help establish your authority as the manager of First Street and make it easier for you to manage it in the future.”
Xu Lian replied with a firm “Yes.”
The White Fox said nothing more and turned to leave.
Xu Lian put the spirit fruits away. In the end, the chaos caused by the infiltrators and demonic creatures had benefited him the most.
He couldn’t help but laugh to himselfself-this was like an old lady getting into bed and giving him a good laugh.
With the White Fox now serving as the Town Guard Commander of Pingyang County, and given her hands-off approach to management, the real power of the position would fall to him…
He was the Town Guard Commander.
He was also the inspector.
It was no exaggeration to say that he now held absolute power in Pingyang County.
He could turn his hand to create clouds or rain.
Those who obeyed him would prosper, while those who opposed him would perish…
He was practically the “local emperor” of Pingyang County.
The next day, Xu Lian publicly announced his appointment as the manager of First Street. He intended to actively improve the cultivation environment for his female companions.
Everyone except Jiang Yunyan was happy for Xu Lian and for themselves, knowing that with Xu Lian in charge of First Street, he wouldn’t treat them poorly.
Xu Lian immediately made arrangements. “Now that I’m the manager of First Street, I’ll make sure that you all have the best spirit residences to use.”
“The first house on First Street is occupied by the inspector… I can’t do anything about that. So let’s start with the second residence.
The second residence, I plan to allocate to Zhaoxi, that is, the Pei family.
The third residence will go to Sister Wan, the Lin family.
The fourth residence will be given to Xixi.
I’ll keep the fifth residence for myself. I plan to bring my family from Green Bamboo Town to live in the city, so I won’t have to travel back and forth anymore”.
Using his authority for personal gain so blatantly…
“Thank you, husband.”
Pei Zhaoxi was delighted.
Of course, she had heard about the value of the Class A residences on First Street in Pingyang County. Only the wealthy and powerful families of the county could afford them!
If the Pei family acquired such a residence with high spiritual concentration, it would greatly benefit their development!
Of course, what made her even happier was the fact that Xu Lian had allocated the residences with her first, which clearly showed her position in his heart.
Xu Lian smiled and gently tapped her nose. “I’ve said it before, Zhaoxi is my treasure. Of course I’ll treat you well. Don’t be stubborn with me in the future.”
Pei Zhaoxi nodded with a soft “Mm”.
Lin Wan, representing the Lin family, thanked Xu Lian with a smile. “Thank you for your generosity, husband.”
Having been with a man before, she was well aware of her position and had no intention of competing with Pei Zhaoxi. Moreover, Pei Zhaoxi had been with Xu Lian for longer, so it was impossible for her to compete anyway. As long as Xu Lian treated her and the Lin family fairly, that was enough for her.
Xiao Xixi said, “Xu Lang, I’m alone and don’t need a whole mansion. Just one room will be enough for me.”
She had been sold into a brothel at a young age, and after a stroke of luck, she became a cultivator and bought her freedom. She had long since cut all ties with her family.
Xu Lian replied, “Every one of my wives is given a Class A residence, and you’re no exception. If you don’t need the whole house, you can rent out the extra rooms and use the Spirit Stones you earn to buy cultivation materials.”
Seeing his insistence, Xiao Xixi didn’t argue any further.
In fact, even the Pei and Lin families wouldn’t use all the rooms in their mansions for themselves. It would be too wasteful and extravagant. They would probably rent out some rooms to earn spirit stones for cultivation resources and family development.
Of course, how the Pei and Lin families used their residences was their own business. Xu Lian wouldn’t interfere.
Everyone’s eyes couldn’t help but turn to Jiang Yunyan. Pei Zhaoxi, Lin Wan, and Xiao Xixi had each received a Class A residence, but she hadn’t. This made everyone curious about her relationship with Xu Lian.
Jiang Yunyan blushed and snorted, “Why are you all looking at me? My Jiang family is a prominent clan in Taizhou Prefecture. We could buy all of Pingyang County if we wanted to. Why would I need a residence from him?”
Except for Xiao Xixi, everyone was surprised. They hadn’t expected her background to be so impressive.
However, Jiang Yunyan’s words seemed strange to Xu Lian. It wasn’t a matter of whether the Jiang family needed a residence or not. The key point was that she wasn’t his woman… She hadn’t addressed the real issue.
Xiao Xixi also noticed the flaw in Jiang Yunyan’s words, but she didn’t point it out. Instead, she smiled and said, “Miss Jiang, why don’t you stay with me in the fourth residence?”
Jiang Yunyan nodded. “Alright.”
So, she wasn’t going to Ghost Child Ridge anymore? Xu Lian finally understood her intention.
After the Lin family buried their deceased relatives, everyone began to move and prepare to move to First Street.
That was the way of the world – the dead were quickly forgotten, and no one could afford to mourn for too long. After all, life itself was a struggle…
Just as everyone was settling into their Class A residences on First Street, Lin Ying arrived.
There was no trace of sorrow on her face as she smiled lightly. “I’m like my elder sister now, returning to the Lin family’s old residence.”
Hua Rongjun sighed. “You didn’t leave any descendants in the Tong family, so it’s inconvenient for you to stay there. It’s good that you returned.”
This wouldn’t have been a big deal, but Lin Ying kept hovering around Xu Lian, her intentions obvious. This made everyone look at her strangely.
Lin Yue and Hua Rongjun pretended not to notice, clearly giving their silent approval.
Perhaps out of pity for Lin Ying, Lin Wan didn’t say anything either.
But Xu Lian wasn’t satisfied. He kept avoiding Lin Ying, subtly rejecting her advances.
In this harsh world, people were often opportunistic and pragmatic for survival, and he could understand that. However, Lin Ying was too calculating, her ambition to climb the social ladder too intense. She wasn’t the type he liked.
Seeing him constantly avoiding her, Lin Ying directly confronted him. “Didn’t you say earlier that you would take me as your concubine? Now is the perfect time for me to become your concubine.”
Xu Lian frowned. “Those were just angry words spoken in the heat of the moment. Don’t take it seriously.”
Lin Ying’s eyes reddened. “Are you looking down on me? My elder sister had been with a man before, and you don’t look down on her. Why are you looking down on me? If it’s because I offended you before, then I’ll apologize. You can punish me as you wish.”
Xu Lian said, “I don’t look down on you because you were with a man. It’s just that our personalities don’t match… You should find a suitable man.”
Lin Ying pleaded and grabbed Xu Lian’s arm. “But I think we’re a good match.”
“I don’t care what you think. It’s what I think that matters.”
Xu Lian shook her off and left.
He left First Street and took a boat back to Green Bamboo Town, avoiding Lin Ying’s persistence. Of course, his main purpose was to bring Wang Cuiyun and the others to the county town.