Chapter 026: Ten Thousand Gold

Upon entering, the first thing Yun Xi noticed was the strong surge of spiritual energy and the absolute purity of the air, free of any contamination from eerie miasma.

Only then did she take in the clean and spacious environment.

The floor was laid with beautiful, glossy white tiles, which sparkled under the illumination of spirit-energy-powered lights.

As soon as Yun Xi walked in, a staff member promptly approached.

“Honored guest, welcome!”

“Hello, I’m here to look at properties. Any recommendations?” Yun Xi replied. She didn’t specify whether she was renting or buying, as she wasn’t sure what kind of listings were available.

Logically speaking, since she wasn’t sure how long she’d be staying in Qinglan Town, renting would be the better option.

But if there was a good-quality property at a fair price, buying was also fine. After all, she was no longer the same person she was in her past life—she didn’t lack money.

Most importantly, there was a major difference between renting and buying: purchasing a property would automatically register her as a resident of Qinglan Town.

Her identity badge would no longer mark her as an adventurer, but as someone equivalent to a native in the eyes of the locals.

If she were merely a temporary resident, her badge would still identify her as a newcomer adventurer.

While adventurers weren’t discriminated against, there was still a stereotype among the locals: “no background.”

As Yun Xi had considered before—if she always carried the identity of an adventurer and one day a high-level appraiser happened to scan her abnormal stats, it would undoubtedly spell major trouble.

However, if she registered under a town’s household system, the trouble from such exposure would at least be cut in half.

The only drawback: once registered in one town, it might be difficult to register in other towns or cities later.

Each town had its own policies, and restrictions varied.

“Honored guest, may I ask if you’re already registered as a Qinglan Town resident?” the staff member asked, as expected.

“If you are, there are currently some special discounts for locals purchasing property here.”

“But if you’re not, that’s fine too—I’ll make sure to negotiate the best deal for you. And if you pay in full, we will process your residency registration free of charge.”

“I just arrived in Qinglan Town and don’t know the local policies well,” Yun Xi said. “Can I ask—if I register now, and later want to purchase property or settle in another city, will there be any restrictions?”

“There’s no need to worry about that,” the staff replied warmly. “Here in Qinglan Town, we value freedom. Did you see the statue of the goddess at the town gate? That’s a statue of the Goddess of Freedom, whom we worship.”

“Because of that, there are virtually no restrictions on registering or leaving household residency.”

“If you ever want to leave Qinglan Town, all you need to do is sell the property back to us. The buyback price is 90% of the original price…”

“If you’re worried about losing money, don’t be. Our property prices in Qinglan Town have been steadily rising—this year’s average price is already 10% higher than last year. You’re guaranteed not to take a loss.”

“And there are no other restrictions?”

“None,” the staff assured her. “The only reason we require properties to be sold back to us is to avoid long-term vacancies. You see, some geniuses and powerhouses move to big cities and never return, leaving houses empty, which causes trouble.”

“So anyone wishing to register elsewhere must sell their house back to us first.”

In this regard, Yun Xi didn’t have to worry about being lied to.

Whether buying property or registering as a resident, it all had to be done through binding contracts—with all terms clearly written.

If the staff tried to lie, it would be obvious from the contract.

“Rest assured, dear guest,” the staff continued enthusiastically. “Qinglan Town has the best public security in the entire region. Choosing to settle here is a far better option than other small towns…” Clearly trying to sell the town hard to close the deal.

“Alright then, please give me some recommendations,” Yun Xi said. “My requirements: the area must have the best public security and preferably be quiet.”

Hearing this, the staff’s eyes lit up.

…

After some discussions and browsing, Yun Xi finally chose a property in a neighborhood just off Central Avenue—No. 26 on Feilan Street.

It was a two-story townhouse, not very large. Together, the upper and lower floors added up to just about 100 square meters—just enough for Yun Xi’s personal needs.

But the price? Outrageously high: 10,000 gold coins, and it could only be purchased with gold.

To convert that:
10,000 gold = 1,000,000 silver = 100 million copper…

Meanwhile, other slightly better houses in Qinglan Town typically ranged from a few hundred to a few thousand gold coins. Some could even be bought with silver coins.

As for lower-end properties, they were even cheaper, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand silver coins. The cheapest house in Qinglan Town could be bought for just 80 silver.

In contrast, the only downside to the house Yun Xi had her eye on was its price.

Feilan Street was known as Qinglan Town’s cleanest and safest residential area, generally reserved for noble families.

The No. 26 property Yun Xi selected had an elegant and luxurious design, built and furnished with non-toxic, eco-friendly materials, and was move-in ready.

According to the staff, this was the only vacant house on Feilan Street. It had been specially built and decorated by the former town mayor as a home for his daughter.

Now that the mayor’s entire family had relocated to another city, the property had been reclaimed by the Qinglan Town government and put back on the market.

But due to its steep price and small size, most wealthy buyers had passed on it, leaving it vacant.

Yun Xi followed the staff to tour the house—and was extremely satisfied.

It matched the description perfectly, and seeing it in person made it even more convincing.

The house wasn’t just pretty—it had simple spiritual runes painted onto the walls using special pigments.

No wonder the price was so high. It was clear the former mayor had truly spoiled his daughter.

Back at the real estate center, Yun Xi began to negotiate.

“You mentioned earlier that you’d help me get the best possible discount on this property. I’d like to know—how much of a discount can I get?”

She might not lack money, but that didn’t mean she didn’t care about prices. And she couldn’t let herself appear like someone who spent lavishly without care—that would only draw unwanted attention.

“Ah, this… this house is indeed very expensive,” the staff stammered, “but don’t worry—since I said I would try my best, I absolutely will. Please wait a moment while I check with my supervisor.”

“Alright, I’ll wait,” Yun Xi replied.

She didn’t mind even a tiny discount. After all, even 1 gold coin saved was 10,000 copper coins.

And at the moment, with her daily recharge, she was only earning 648 copper coins a day…