Chapter 951: Chapter 331: The Return of the Young Master (Part 2)

The grade of a city is not determined just by its powerful individuals, population, resources, or livelihood. Only when all aspects combine to meet these requirements can it become a Third Level City.

The biggest difference between a Third Level City and other lesser cities is security. Only when it becomes a Third Level City will the Ten Halls Yama establish the Ten Temples Department to ensure the city’s security.

Although Dusk Manor is also within Mountain City, its location is extremely remote.

Looking at the tall trees on both sides, Chen Jiuge showed a trace of doubt on his face: "There are no other residents here. Could it be that this area belongs entirely to Dusk Manor?"

"Of course not!"

Mad Bear looked at the dense forest outside, showing a trace of fear, and said: "Thirty years ago, there was a great turmoil in Mountain City—an Abyss invasion!"

"An Abyssal Passage appeared here, causing a lot of casualties. Although the Abyssal Passage was eventually closed, the lingering Abyssal Qi is not so easily removed."

"These Light Trees are here to dispel the Abyssal Qi. Maybe in a few more years, it will be almost gone."

"If you, boss, have the money, you might buy some land here and expand the scale of Dusk Manor!"

"Haha, that’s a good suggestion!" Chen Jiuge nodded with a smile.

As the carriage went deeper, Chen Jiuge discovered the extraordinariness of these Light Trees.

At the crowns of the trees, dozens of meters high, there was a bright fruit, about the size of an adult’s head, surrounded by a small amount of black gas.

This black gas gave Chen Jiuge a very bad feeling, probably the Abyssal Qi that Mad Bear mentioned!

...........

Deng Han joyfully pushed open the door of the room, where a beautifully bound woman lay across the exquisite bed.

With a delicate face, eyes like stars, skin like White Jade, and an extremely alluring figure, just looking at her made Deng Han feel a rush of heat in his abdomen.

Ever since that Abyss invasion thirty years ago, when he seized the opportunity to take over Dusk Manor, women have not been a rarity for Deng Han. However, a beauty of this level still made his heart surge.

"Hehehe, little baby, let me properly........"

"Bang."

The door was pushed open hastily by someone: "Master, something’s wrong, someone has arrived!"

Deng Han, interrupted from his mood, wore a grim face: "Who?"

The newcomer was Deng Han’s confidant, also an accomplice in the seizure of Dusk Manor thirty years ago, he spoke barely audibly: "The Young Master has returned!"

"Young Master?"

Deng Han was taken aback, then his eyes widened, disbelieving: "Are you saying that the good-for-nothing who hasn’t returned for fifty years is back?"

"Master, he’s no longer a good-for-nothing now!"

"What exactly is going on?"

"Master, you’d better go see for yourself!"

"No matter what, first gather the men for me, if things are really out of hand...."

A hint of hatred flashed across Deng Han’s face. He now had influential figures backing him. Dusk Manor wasn’t a property that a steward could seize and hold onto for thirty years without someone powerful supporting it.

Dusk Manor is a manor similar in style to Chinese architecture, with ancient and elegant screens on both sides of the reception hall. On the wall opposite the main door hangs a majestic and grand calligraphy—"Things are accomplished by people."

Chen Jiuge took a casual look around and was quite satisfied, nodding: "Looks pretty good indeed!"

Mad Bear chuckled: "Of course, though Dusk Manor doesn’t seem large, its market price is nearly five million Life Money, so it naturally wouldn’t be bad!"

"Five million Life Money, huh?"

Chen Jiuge slightly furrowed his brow. Honestly, this price was beyond his expectations. He thought it was just a manor specializing in brewing, which wouldn’t be of much value in the seemingly technologically advanced Yellow Springs Realm, but five million.......

"Who are you? I’ve never heard of a Young Master like you at Dusk Manor!" Deng Han strode in, directly denying Chen Jiuge’s presence.

"Deng Han, the current owner of Dusk Manor, was reportedly the steward of Dusk Manor thirty years ago!" Xing Xia said blandly.

Among the three, Xing Xia had the strongest intelligence-gathering ability and knew a bit about Deng Han’s information.

"So this is a case of an evil servant usurping power."

In the Yellow Springs Realm, slavery exists, even more horrifying than in the Heavenly Gift Realm. Anyone in the Yellow Springs Realm without formal citizenship is a slave, and formal citizens can kill slaves at will, with only trivial monetary punishment.

"No, he’s not that bold. A slave without citizenship wouldn’t dare do this; he must have gotten instructions from someone else. But who this person is, I don’t know. It’s probably either the Ten Temples Department or those Political Affairs Department folks!" Xing Xia said disdainfully.

"The Ten Temples Department, Political Affairs Department, eh, that’s certainly a bit troublesome!"

Chen Jiuge looked at the old man in front, whose face was shadowed. His brows slightly furrowed. The Ten Temples Department originated from the Ten Halls Yama, mainly responsible for the city’s security and all unstable elements, being the largest force of violence.

The Political Affairs Department is mainly responsible for some of the city’s livelihood construction. Although their power doesn’t match up to the Ten Temples Department, their relationships are even more intricate. They encompass the combined strength of the strongest four veins in the Yellow Springs Realm.

Whether it be the Three Lives Stone, Nanke, the Other Shore Flower, or the Ten Halls Yama, all are present within the Political Affairs Department. In such a complex situation, even the more powerful Ten Temples Department wouldn’t want to provoke them, not out of fear, but because they are troublesome!

"Guards, drive these people out of here for me!"

Seeing Chen Jiuge and Xing Xia whispering and not paying attention to him, Deng Han’s face turned bright red.

He is not the same as he was thirty years ago— a slave whose life and death were not in his control. He is now the rightful owner of Dusk Manor, and these people dared look down on him!

"Thud, thud, thud."

Having experienced being unable to control his own life and death, Deng Han paid great attention to the guard strength of Dusk Manor. Each year, he allocated up to eighty percent of his profits on training his guards.

So compared to thirty years ago, Dusk Manor is now much stronger!

"Three Third Level Cultivators. Interesting. I remember back then, the strongest at Dusk Manor was just a Third Level Guard Captain!" Mad Bear looked with some surprise at the three burly men who rushed in.

"However, I won’t let you disturb our boss!"

Mad Bear steadied his mind. His massive, tiger-like body shivered slightly, and a vast Qi-Blood aura enveloped the three who had just entered.

"Impossible, a Fourth Level Martial Artist!"

This voice did not come from the three guards but from Deng Han, whose vision had broadened considerably after seizing control of Dusk Manor, although he remained a lackey for influential figures.

In Mountain City, each cultivator who breaks through to the Fourth Level possesses an extensive network, or is widely renowned, yet the Mad Bear before him was someone Deng Han had neither seen nor heard of.

"Wait, are you a Guard House’s guard?"

Although phrased as a question, Deng Han’s tone was quite certain. Only the Guard House could casually produce someone of Fourth Level strength.

Moreover, the Guard House’s power was tremendous, not part of the Yellow Springs Realm’s four great forces, but that didn’t mean the Guard House lacked the power to contend.

Or perhaps it’s normal for the vast Yellow Springs Realm to hide forces comparable to the four great forces known to the public.

"Aren’t you supposed to work for money? I’ll pay you. No matter how much this kid gives, I’ll pay double, no, triple!" Deng Han gritted his teeth.

Mad Bear gave a strange look: "Not to mention whether we would betray the Contract, do you even have that kind of money?"

Dusk Manor valued at five million Life Money represents its entire worth, not the manor’s profit. According to the intelligence provided by Xing Xia, Dusk Manor’s annual profit might not even reach fifty thousand Life Money.

And our hiring fee is ten thousand Life Money per month, amounting to a hundred and twenty thousand a year. That’s why, despite being a powerful Fourth Level Martial Artist, Mad Bear chose to be a guard.

Quick money, no stress, and ample time for cultivation.

"How much?" A bad premonition crept up in Deng Han’s mind.

"This amount!"

Seeing that Chen Jiuge seemed unhurried, Mad Bear couldn’t resist teasing Deng Han, stretching out a thick finger.

"A hundred thousand Dead Money?"

Mad Bear was speechless: "A hundred thousand Dead Money? It costs more than that to raise a Second Level Cultivator!"

A moment of embarrassment flashed across Deng Han’s face, and he realized he probably couldn’t solve this problem.

Hidden within his sleeve, he sketched a mysterious rune in the void, its invisible ripple dissipating.