Chapter 240

Chapter 240: Renting a House

Faced with Wang Lang’s invitation, Zhou Luo initially wanted to refuse.

But he couldn’t withstand the sheer enthusiasm of this guy. It felt like if Zhou Luo refused, the other might throw himself on the ground and throw a tantrum right there in the street.

In the end, Zhou Luo agreed.

After all, this man had already lived in Immortal City for over ten years. Perhaps he could even gather some useful information from him.

As for whether Wang Lang had ulterior motives, Zhou Luo wasn’t concerned.

He’d noticed Wang Lang was only at Qi Refinement seventh level. Staying vigilant would be enough.

A short while later, Wang Lang led Zhou Luo to a private room on the third floor of Zhencui Lou.

"Brother Zhou, don’t stand on ceremony. Order whatever you please," Wang Lang declared with hearty generosity.

Zhou Luo politely ordered a few signature dishes.

After finishing, Wang Lang couldn’t contain his curiosity. "Brother Zhou, you haven’t changed a bit."

"Perhaps because I’ve been regularly taking the beauty potion," Zhou Luo replied without further explanation.

When he decided to come to Immortal City using his true appearance, he’d already prepared to encounter acquaintances.

He just hadn’t expected one of them to be Wang Lang.

Wang Lang didn’t press him. Instead, he changed the subject. "Let me tell you, the spiritual turtle meat in Zhencui Lou is truly exceptional. You must try it later."

"My thanks for your hospitality," Zhou Luo answered with a polite smile.

"Not at all. Truthfully, I ought to be grateful to you," Wang Lang waved it off. He then asked curiously, "May I ask why you’ve come to Immortal City this time, Brother Zhou?"

"A family elder entrusted me to search for Foundation Establishment materials," Zhou Luo replied, not revealing his true purpose.

"Foundation Establishment materials? Those are hard to come by," Wang Lang remarked thoughtfully.

"Precisely. So I plan on staying a while to see if anyone puts them up for sale," Zhou Luo nodded.

"Aaah, so you’re looking to rent a place?" Wang Lang raised his voice in surprise.

Zhou Luo did not deny it.

"Well then, this is perfect! Turns out there’s a vacant spot for rent right in our Linglong Neighborhood!" Wang Lang instantly perked up with enthusiasm.

"Oh?"

Hearing the name "Linglong Neighborhood," Zhou Luo’s interest was piqued.

Earlier, he’d learned that Linglong Neighborhood was one of the fifteen residential areas in the inner city, positioned at a mid-range level.

Its spiritual energy environment was comparable to the core spiritual vein territory of the Lin Family.

He’d initially intended to rent there himself. He hadn’t expected Wang Lang lived there.

But was he truly just earnestly helping out?

Zhou Luo could only mentally put a question mark on that.

Still, there was no harm in going to look.

After eating, Zhou Luo followed Wang Lang toward a somewhat secluded alleyway in the Immortal City.

If not for knowing the other man’s level of cultivation and the rule prohibiting violence within the Immortal City, he would have almost suspected he was being led to a remote spot to be robbed.

Soon, Zhou Luo laid eyes on Wang Lang’s room.

It was a small space, just a little over a hundred square meters, without a courtyard. Built adjacent to other houses, it resembled part of a mansion that had been divided into separate dwellings, offering limited privacy.

Cheerfully extolling the room’s virtues, Wang Lang emphasized its cozy, inviting atmosphere despite its modest size—far better than an oppressively large and empty abode.

When the two men stepped inside, they encountered three attractive, simply dressed women.

Spotting Wang Lang, they swiftly bowed in unison, greeting him sweetly, “Husband.”

Wang Lang gestured dismissively for them to withdraw.

“Brother Wang, such refined taste,” Zhou Luo remarked with a light chuckle.

“Indeed, indeed! Though still no match for you, Brother Zhou,” Wang Lang replied with offhanded indifference.

He’d heard well that Zhou Luo entertained many wives and concubines and fathered numerous sons.

In that particular domain, Wang Lang could only admit inferiority.

Zhou Luo simply offered an awkward smile, offering no further explanation.

"Brother Wang," inquired Zhou Luo, "earlier I noticed a rather spacious compound nearby. Do you know who occupies it?"

Even before arriving here, he had seen a mansion standing distinctly apart about seventy or eighty meters away.

It occupied a full half-acre of land, its pavilions grand and imposing. A top-level first-grade formation hummed visibly around it, marking it as extraordinary at a glance.

"Ah, that would probably belong to that guy Geng Feng," Wang Lang said casually after sipping his spirit tea, a hint of disdain flickering across his face.

As he elaborated, Zhou Luo learned Geng Feng was a top-level first-level Pill Master, apprenticed to the renowned Pill Master Sun within the Immortal City.

According to Wang Lang, however, the man was merely pretentious—erecting such an enormous residence only to live there alone with his servants, without a single woman by his side.

“Perhaps he seeks to devote his time to cultivation solely,” Zhou Luo suggested.

If not burdened by his own unique circumstances—"the system"—he doubted he would have taken many wives and concubines either.

After all, it squandered precious cultivation time, and not everyone possessed a dual cultivation technique to mitigate the cost.

“Nonsense! That kid pines after the woman Xu Tian constantly! Yet, burdened by cowardice, he remains utterly unsuccessful,” Wang Lang countered, his voice thick with contempt and clear disrespect for the man.

Zhou Luo brushed aside the tone and asked, prompted by a sudden thought, “Geng Feng is termed a top-level Pill Master? But his Master…?”

“His Master is a second level Pill Master,” Wang Lang stated casually. Abruptly remembering something, he slapped his thigh. “Right! Should the older generation of your family need a Foundation Establishment Dan refined, they could turn to him.”

Zhou Luo felt a stir within.

During the past twenty years, he’d attempted the “lottery draw” over a dozen times, yet the coveted Second Level alchemy skill remained elusive.

Should he fail to attain it before his own Foundation Establishment, outsourcing the task within the Immortal City would be his sole option for obtaining the pill.

If Geng Feng’s Master was already a second level Pill Master… this presented a plausible solution.

He swiftly decided then and there; he would rent near that very neighborhood—specifically adjacent to Geng Feng’s estate.

He recalled noticing a vacant house right beside the ostentatious compound and promptly voiced his intention.

“You wish to rent a place near him? That might not come easily,” Wang Lang cautioned.

Through his explanation, Zhou Luo grasped the problem: the asking price for the house was inflated.

For the same cost, one could easily secure livelier or more desirable quarters elsewhere. That prime location sat persistently vacant.

Money mattered little to Zhou Luo; Geng Feng’s status proved infinitely more alluring.

If proximity offered any chance to befriend Geng Feng, thereby creating a connection to the esteemed Pill Master Sun, securing an extra safeguard for his own Foundation Establishment Dan—he wouldn’t hesitate.

Securing that pill constituted his primary purpose for visiting the Immortal City, after all.

Foundation Establishment Dans rarely surfaced outside large-scale auctions.

Considered strategic resources indispensable to powerful Immortal Sects and elite long-life families, they were seldom openly traded.

Even within prominent auction arenas, competition often proved ferocious.

During Zhou Luo’s attendance at the latest major gathering, he’d witnessed factions nearly erupt into conflict over a single pill’s procurement.

Ultimately, an unknown faction secured it, paying a substantial, undisclosed sum to clinch the prize.

However, acquiring it under intense public scrutiny had sparked immediate covetous battles; reports of near a dozen ambushes occurring along their escape meant its safe delivery felt uncertain.

Outside explosive auction bidding quietly commissioning a second level Pill Master ensured lower costs and greatly enhanced discretion.

Yet therein lay the overwhelming difficulty: gathering the essential ingredients for crafting the Foundation Establishment Dan was tedious beyond measure.

Zhou Luo had experienced firsthand just how arduous the process was these past few days.

The original plan was simple: secure Second Level alchemy skills himself and bypass any reliance on others.

Given current delays, however, preparing for every contingency had become necessary.

Seeing Zhou Luo withhold firm insistence regarding renting near Geng Feng, Wang Lang moved the discussion forward.

As daylight still held ample strength, he guided Zhou Luo toward the Immortal City’s inner core.