Chapter 22
Times Are Different
They walked all the way to the main road. Only then did Shen Ping completely relax. He came to the Deacon Hall of the market and cupped his hands to bid farewell to the cultivators of Red Willow Alley.
“Fellow Daoist Yu, it’s still early. Why don’t we find a restaurant to rest and have a meal?” He suggested, then added, “The restriction on the small courtyard has just been lifted today. There are probably more cultivators and it’s chaotic. It’s better to go over later.”
Yu Yan thought about it and nodded. “Alright, I’ll treat you to this meal.”
Shen Ping did not argue with Yu Yan. As long as he did not go to a big restaurant, a meal would not cost much spirit stones. Of course, if it was in the past, he would definitely be reluctant to eat it.
A moment later, the four of them sat down by the window of the restaurant.
Seeing Bai Yuying’s unnatural expression, Shen Ping could not help but ask, “Ying’er, what’s wrong?”
“H-husband, I-I shouldn’t have spoken before.” She lowered her head and pinched the hem of her dress like a child who had done something wrong.
“It’s fine. Just be careful in the future.” Shen Ping comforted her gently. With Bai Yuying’s cultivation and status, she did not have the right to speak at such an occasion. However, everyone had their own vanity. He understood very well.
But if it happened again or twice, he would have to reprimand her severely. This was because such a small matter did not seem to matter, but if it was placed in a specific situation, it might lead to a fatal disaster.
Yu Yan drank her tea and glanced at Shen Ping. She said softly, “Fellow Daoist Shen treats his wife and concubine so well.”
Shen Ping did not dare to reply. This meal lasted for more than four hours. Only then did they leave the restaurant. Then, they walked along the main street and arrived at the east side of the market at noon.
“Yunhe Alley!” Shen Ping raised his head and saw these words. They contained a special aura that seemed to be of the same lineage as Cloud Mountain Parlour, but the aura pressure was much weaker.
Cultivators entered and left the alley one after another. He took out the wooden token. On it was written: Room No. 2 in Small Courtyard No. 056C.
The 300 small courtyards in Yunhe Alley were clearly separated.
The 100 rooms in Building C were adjacent to the entrance of the alley. Shen Ping’s rented courtyard was located at the foot of Mount Yun in the north. From here, one could easily see clouds and mist lingering not far away. It was like the hall of an immortal palace. That was where the Golden Sun Sect was located.
Boom.
They had just stepped into the small courtyard when Shen Ping and Yu Yan immediately felt an abundant spiritual energy rushing towards them. The density made cultivators want to sit cross-legged and cultivate.
Compared to Red Willow Alley, the difference was like heaven and earth. No wonder so many cultivators had to fight their way in. The spiritual energy connected to the spiritual vein was really immersing.
He glanced at it. The doors of the other houses were tightly shut. It was unknown if there were any cultivators inside. The doors of the houses were protected by an isolation formation, making it very difficult for divine sense to penetrate and investigate.
“Let’s go into the house.” Shen Ping stepped forward. The array formation at the door of the second house quickly recognized the aura of the wooden sign and slowly opened with a crack.
Yu Yan, who was following behind, smiled. As the four of them walked into the house, the array formation locked onto their auras. In the future, they could enter and exit at will without using the wooden token.
“Wow, what a huge space!” Wang Yun and Bai Yuying could no longer suppress the joy in their hearts. They looked around the house curiously.
Two cubicles. A quiet room and a main room. Although there was no Spirit Gathering Array, the other facilities were very complete. There were also small functions like dust avoidance and water storage.
“Fellow Daoist Yu, we’ll go upstairs first.”
The structure upstairs was basically the same as downstairs, but there was an additional skylight, making the entire house appear much brighter. Shen Ping took out various things from his storage bag. His wife and concubine excitedly placed the wooden bed brocade and other daily necessities one by one.
After arranging everything, the sky outside had already darkened. Shen Ping stood under the skylight and raised his head to clearly see the dazzling stars in the night sky. “It feels good!”
He stood there for a moment. He closed the skylight and walked to the cubicle. Then, he took out the talisman paper, blood ink, talisman brush, and other talisman-making tools and placed them on the table. This cubicle was much more spacious than Red Willow Alley. It would not be a problem for him to rest inside.
He took a deep breath. Shen Ping closed his eyes to calm his heart. He moved to the marketplace, Yunhe Alley. His safety was greatly guaranteed, but this did not mean that he could rest easy. When he first came to the Cloud Mountain Swamp, he also lived in the market. However, after an accident, he could only move away.
“I can’t be careless. I can’t get carried away. I can’t relax. It’s still far from true safety.” After three consecutive hints in his mind, he felt that his mind was much clearer. The excitement of moving had completely calmed down. He calmed his mind, and started making the talismans.
Shen Ping returned to his work of crafting talismans.
…
A few days later, Red Willow Alley.
Matchmaker Ceng twisted her waist and looked at the closed door in front of her. She turned around and instructed a beautiful cultivator at the second level of Qi Refinement, “Don’t forget what I told you before. Remember, Fellow Daoist Shen likes to be obedient and sensible. Hmph, if you don’t listen and mess up, don’t blame me for introducing you to work in the mineral vein. The cultivators who mine there are very thirsty!”
The beautiful cultivator’s face turned pale, and she bit her lips tightly. “I will be obedient!”
The path to the Flame Gold Mine in the Cloudy Mountain Swamp had been cleared, but mining required a lot of cultivators. The Golden Sun Sect had already begun recruiting cultivators to mine, using all sorts of methods. Matchmaker Ceng was the first to learn of this news.
If she really went over, that would be a life worse than death.
Knock, knock.
Soon, the door opened. Matchmaker Ceng was stunned when she saw an unfamiliar cultivator walk out. “So where’s Fellow Daoist Shen, who lives here?”
The unfamiliar cultivator said warily, “Fellow Daoist, are you referring to Talisman Master Shen? He doesn’t live here anymore!”
Matchmaker Ceng frowned. “He moved away? Do you know where Talisman Master Shen moved to?”
The unfamiliar cultivator did not reply. Instead, he asked, “Are you a friend of Talisman Master Shen?”
Matchmaker Ceng chuckled and said, “I guess so. I’m here to introduce a marriage to Talisman Master Shen!”
The unfamiliar cultivator glanced at the beautiful cultivator behind him. “Then you’re late. Talisman Master Shen moved to a small courtyard on the east side of the market.”
“What? East courtyard?” Matchmaker Ceng’s eyes widened.
The beautiful cultivator behind her was also stunned. The small courtyard in the east! That was a place that many cultivators could not enter even if they wanted to. Initially, she was a little unwilling. A middle-aged cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refinement, even if he was a mid-grade Talisman Master, so what?
But now… she was filled with regret. If she had agreed earlier, she might be able to live in the small courtyard on the east side of the market now.
The unfamiliar cultivator ignored Matchmaker Ceng.
“Wait, Fellow Daoist, that Talisman Master Shen used to live here in poverty, but ever since I arranged two marriages for him, he’s now living in the small courtyard in the east. Fellow Daoist, do you want to consider marrying a wife? The person behind me—”
Bang!
The door of the house was tightly shut. Matchmaker Ceng shouted a few more times, but there was no response. She snorted. They left the wooden house.
The beautiful cultivator couldn’t help but say, “Senior Zeng, you’re a friend of that Talisman Master Shen. Why don’t you go to the market?”
Matchmaker Ceng sneered. “With your figure and looks, do you think Fellow Daoist Shen will like you? Things are different now. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Let’s go to the next family!”