Once Luo Chen entered the east wing room, he finally realized why his backroom only cost the cheapest rate of ten spirit stones per month.
Although the east wing room wasn’t very spacious, the layout was incredibly well-designed. Each window was positioned at the optimal lighting angles. Moreover, it wasn’t that cold at night here. Compared to the warm and cozy east wing room, his backroom felt like a warehouse combined with an ice cellar.
Luo Chen wallowed in a moment of self-pity before cheerfully settling at the dining table.
Feng Xia glanced at him and placed a bowl of spirit rice in front of him.
"Thank you, Sister Xia!"
Feng Xia replied, "No need to thank me; it’s Xiuxiu who’s hosting."
It was fine when she didn’t speak, but as soon as she did, her voice sounded like sandpaper scraping together.
Luo Chen furrowed his brows and cautiously asked, "Sister Xia, what happened to your voice?"
Bai Meiling sat down beside him, her tone somewhat melancholic. "It’s always been like this. Back in the day, Sister Xia tested medicines for Hall of Hundred Herbs and accidentally ingested a toxic herb. Although she was treated, her voice could only recover to this extent."
Only then did Luo Chen learn the backstory. It had to be said, working for a big sect wasn’t easy!
Hall of Hundred Herbs was merely one of the Medicine King Sect’s businesses, yet its jobs were often highly perilous.
Take Feng Xia’s job as a medicine tester, for instance, the pay was high, but so were the risks.
Common herbs often underwent mutations, due to their growth environment and coexistence with demonic beasts. At such times, it was fine if conventional methods could detect these differences. If not, cultivators had to rely on their bodies to conduct live testing.
That was exactly what Feng Xia’s job entailed.
Things have improved in recent years. Hall of Hundred Herbs in Dahe Market hired new testers, allowing her to shift to processing medicinal ingredients instead.
"What are you guys talking about? The atmosphere feels so heavy."
Fu Xiuxiu approached with a steaming plate of sliced meat.
"Try this, braised ribs of the scaled beast, I brought it back from the Divine Talisman Pavilion, have a taste."
After Bai Meiling recounted their earlier conversation, Fu Xiuxiu couldn’t help but sigh and say, "That’s how it is for us rogue cultivators, either we scrape by precariously in the outer city, or we’re at the mercy of others in the inner city. Any job with slightly better pay always comes with enormous costs."
Hearing this, Bai Meiling and Feng Xia’s faces turned somber.
Luo Chen, however, remained rather carefree.
At someone else’s beck and call? You’d need to have the qualifications to even be ordered around.
Take Spirit Herb Pavilion or Treasure Pavilion, for example. All their receptionists were young, attractive female cultivators.
For male cultivators, they didn’t even get the chance to be bossed around.
"That’s why we must help one another and band together for warmth."
Fu Xiuxiu picked up the wine jug and poured it for everyone. When Bai Meiling tried to do it herself, Fu Xiuxiu gently pushed her hand away.
"The fact that we all stayed here means we’re fated to meet. In the future, if anyone has difficulties in life or cultivation, let’s lend a hand whenever possible.
"Little Luo, even though you just moved in, since Senior Sun vouched for you, your character and temperament are surely fine.
"From now on, we’re practically family."
As she finished speaking, she raised her glass.
Bai Meiling and Feng Xia also lifted their glasses at the same time.
Luo Chen, however, was quite surprised.
After transmigrating to this world, all he had seen every day was the chaos and slaughter in the outer district or the cultivators in the marketplace nitpicking over cultivation resources.
To be honest, it was a bit brutal. But he had to admit, it fit his expectations of the cultivation world’s harsh reality. Yet here, in this little courtyard, there was such a heartwarming side to life.
What is this "Courtyard of Affection," cultivation world edition?
Not wanting to ruin the moment, Luo Chen raised his glass as well.
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
The crystal-clear liquor was smooth and mild, with a faint fruity aroma.
Fu Xiuxiu smiled faintly. "Eat up, don’t just hold your bowls."
Bai Meiling was the first to pick up her chopsticks. After tasting a piece of stir-fried demonic beast meat, her eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled.
"Sister Xiuxiu’s cooking is the best!"
"You, eat as much as you like if it’s good. Little Luo, don’t hold back either. There’s plenty of spirit rice in the pot," replied Fu Xiuxiu.
A soft spot in Luo Chen’s heart seemed to be touched as he responded, "Mm, okay!"
He lowered his gaze, and his speed at shoveling rice into his mouth unconsciously quickened.
Seeing this, Fu Xiuxiu picked up a piece of meat and placed it on his plate.
"It’s a pity the Qin family has gone to the Luoyun Sect. It’ll probably be a long time before we see Xiaohu again."
"Yeah, that kid Xiaohu has dual gold and water spirit roots. He's only twelve and has a clean background. Big sects love disciples like that," Bai Meiling said.
After living here for a few days, Luo Chen had come to know the family in the west wing room.
Qin Liangchen and Duanmu Qinglian, the husband and wife, were both at the ninth stage of Qi-Refining.