The path to immortality through martial arts begins with being forced into marriage!

This period of travel lasted for three days.

After arriving in Donghai City, Xu Yunyan and Tang'er had already become close friends with Lin Zhiwei.

In addition, Xu Yunyan and Lin Zhiwei are of similar age, and the two have become close friends who can talk about anything.

However, Lin Songshan had official business to attend to, and Lin Zhiwei was also a member of the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce, so naturally they couldn't stay with them for long.

"Young Brother Cui, I must return to the Chamber of Commerce to report on my work, so I will not keep you any longer today."

"If there are any problems in Donghai City that cannot be resolved, you can send someone to inform the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce."

"Although I have no cultivation, I still have some connections in Donghai City."

Lin Songshan spoke with great sincerity, and there was no hint of hypocrisy in his words.

"Then I, Cui, will thank Manager Lin in advance!"

"You're too kind!"

Lin Songshan waved his hand repeatedly, "Young man, you can come to the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce to collect your reward first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Young brother, you're new to Donghai City, so you must need to find a place to stay."

"This Donghai City can be roughly divided into two parts: the inner city and the outer city."

"The inner city is adjacent to the prefectural governor's mansion, the branch of the Demon Suppression Bureau, and the residences of major sects and families. It is the safest place, and the spiritual energy is relatively abundant."

"However, the downside is that land is extremely expensive and there are status requirements. It is difficult for the wealthy, noble, or those with official positions to move in. It often costs thousands or even tens of thousands of taels of silver, which is not something we can consider at present."

"The outer city area is vast and populated, but the security is relatively good. Purchasing an ordinary two- or three-courtyard house would cost between five hundred and fifteen hundred taels of silver, depending on the location and the age of the house."

"If you, young man, want some peace and quiet, and are on a limited budget..."

Lin Songshan lowered his voice and pointed to a remote area in the west of the city, "You could consider the Qingshuifang area. It's close to the city wall and is considered the edge of the city. Most of the residents are craftsmen or low-level cultivators, so it's a bit of a mixed bag, but the price is cheap."

"You should be able to buy a detached house with a small courtyard there for around three hundred taels of silver. After some minor renovations, you can move in. If you're lucky, you might even be able to buy a house that someone else is currently living in."

"Thank you for your guidance, Steward Lin. I already have a plan in mind," Cui Yi said, bowing in thanks.

"Haha, no big deal!"

"Then please get back to work, young man. See you at the Chamber of Commerce tomorrow!"

Lin Songshan laughed heartily, then boarded the carriage with Lin Weier and left.

After seeing off the Lin family, Cui Yi didn't linger. After finding out the route, he headed straight towards Qingshuifang in the west of the city.

Staying in a guesthouse is a considerable expense for ordinary families, not to mention there's no need for it.

As Lin Songshan said, Qingshuifang is located on the western edge of Donghai City, close to the tall city wall.

The streets were much narrower than the main thoroughfares of the outer city. The shops were mostly low wooden and stone houses, selling daily necessities and ordinary ironware. In some corners, you could also see cheap pills and talismans.

As Lin Songshan said, with the silver he currently has, it would be more than enough to buy a house on the outskirts of Donghai City.

only......

Where do we even begin?

Cui Yi scratched the back of his head. Going directly to someone's house to ask if they were selling the house would be too presumptuous.

"Young man, you look unfamiliar. Is this your first time visiting Qingshuifang?"

Just as Cui Yi was struggling with this, a middle-aged man by the roadside approached him with a smile and said, "Look at you looking around like that, are you... looking for a suitable place to stay?"

Cui Yi's heart skipped a beat, but he remained expressionless and turned to look at the middle-aged man: "I am indeed new here and would like to find a quiet courtyard to stay in."

"May I ask who you are...?"

"Hey, just call me Old Sun, buddy!"

Upon hearing Cui Yi mention that he was looking for a house, the middle-aged man quickly cupped his hands in greeting, his smile widening. "To be honest, I've been around Qingshuifang for many years and know all the neighbors. I know a thing or two about which houses have vacant rooms and which people want to sell their properties."

"I barely manage to make a living by connecting newcomers to Donghai City with others."

"intermediary?"

The word instantly popped into Cui Yi's mind, but Old Sun didn't understand it and continued with a laugh, "We don't call me a real estate agent here; we usually call me a broker!"

"However, the customer is king, so the waiter can do whatever he wants!"

After thinking it over, Cui Yi couldn't come up with a better solution, so he had Old Sun take him to see a few houses.

Anyway, it doesn't cost any money to look at it.

After walking around the neighborhood, seeing all sorts of things, big and small, new and old, Tang'er was so tired from walking that she pouted with a bitter expression.

In the end, Cui Yi chose a house located in a secluded spot in Fangwei.

The house doesn't look very big, but it's a detached house with its own courtyard. The gray brick walls are taller than a person, and although they look a bit old, they are still quite intact.

Pushing open the slightly mottled wooden door, you'll find a courtyard that's about half an acre in size.

The ground was paved with bluestone slabs, and some stubborn weeds grew in the gaps because they had not been carefully maintained for a long time.

In the corner, there was an abandoned stone well and a half-dead old locust tree. Although they seemed to serve no purpose, they added to the scene and at least made it look less empty.

Excluding the courtyard, there are three main rooms and two side rooms on each side, making a total of seven rooms.

Moreover, they all have green tile roofs, which look quite impressive. The wooden doors and windows have some signs of insect damage, but the main structure is still acceptable and can be lived in after a little repair.

There was also a small patch of wasteland in the backyard, which Xu Yunyan had her eye on.

In her words, this is a small piece of land that can be cultivated into a vegetable garden to grow some vegetables.

Most importantly, it's quiet enough here!

The neighbors on the left and right are quite far apart, and they don't seem to be home often, so it's roughly equivalent to a detached villa.

"Sir, this house is in a somewhat remote location, but it's quiet, spacious, and has its own private courtyard!"

Old Sun rubbed his hands together and laughed, "The original owner has fallen on hard times and urgently needs money, so he only needs three hundred and twenty taels!"

"If you are truly interested, three hundred taels will be enough for the immediate transfer of the land and property deeds!"

"Two hundred and forty taels."

Cui Yi countered, his tone indifferent.

These business people won't give you a bottom price right away. If you don't bargain, you're just a sucker who's eager to give away money.

Seeing that Cui Yi immediately cut off sixty taels, Old Sun looked troubled.

After some haggling, the deal was finally struck at 266 taels of silver, and Cui Yi also demanded that Lao Sun include all transfer fees.

After confirming that everything was correct, Cui Yi paid the money on the spot.

Old Sun was efficient; he quickly found the original homeowner from somewhere, verified the land deed and house deed to be correct, and signed a sales contract on the spot.

From then on, this secluded little courtyard located at the end of Qingshui Lane came under Cui Yi's name.