Xu Qiuhui.
Li An had truly not expected to hear that name again after eight years—especially in White Tiger City.
Back then, when the Demon Sect had broken through the Clear Sun Sect, they had specifically targeted the sect's Foundation Establishment cultivators. And yet, she had survived?
Still, Xu Qiuhui had been the cleverest person he had encountered in the Clear Sun Sect. That she had managed to survive was not entirely surprising.
What was more, despite the Clear Sun Sect’s collapse, she had continued to thrive, eventually becoming the disciple of a Core Formation cultivator—Master White Tiger.
After some detailed inquiries, Li An learned more.
Xu Qiuhui had arrived in White Tiger City five years ago.
Upon entering the city, she endured numerous trials to gain entry into Master White Tiger’s tutelage. Just half a year ago, she finally earned his formal approval.
Before long, the official disciple ceremony would take place, and she would become Master White Tiger’s seventeenth disciple.
Master White Tiger treated his disciples extremely well. In addition to guidance on cultivation techniques and advancement, he allowed them to collect the entry tax from within their respective sealed districts as a source of spirit stones for their cultivation.
From now on, Xu Qiuhui’s status would rise even higher.
Even back in the Clear Sun Sect, she had never enjoyed such privileges.
Among all the remaining disciples of the Clear Sun Sect, she had likely achieved the greatest success.
“Alright, I’ll take this one,” Li An said. “I’ll pay for ten years in advance.”
At the current rate of twelve spirit stones per month, ten years amounted to just 1,440 spirit stones.
But if the area truly became a sealed district, that figure could double to nearly 3,000. Locking in the current rate was a massive bargain.
“Brother Wei, you’re so straightforward! I knew I wasn’t wrong about you,” Manman said with a warm smile. “Come, I’ll take you to pay.”
Very soon, Li An paid the fee and received the verification jade token for the courtyard. Manman then personally escorted him to the house he had rented.
The courtyard was situated at the foot of a small mountain. The scenery around it was quite lovely and serene. It stood alone, and there were a few similar residences not far away.
Aside from the slightly weaker spiritual energy, every other condition was excellent.
“What do you think, Brother Wei? Not bad, right?” Manman asked, her gaze somewhat complicated as she looked at the little courtyard.
In truth, she had originally set this property aside for herself—planning to live here after her marriage.
But three months ago, her fiancé had died on an expedition to the Cloud Mirage Mountains. With her personal resources, she could no longer afford the rent.
So it had remained unused.
Seeing Li An’s generosity and the benefits he’d given her, she had finally decided to recommend it to him.
“Manman, this place is wonderful. Thank you,” Li An said with a smile. Then, he suddenly pulled out a storage pouch and handed it to her. “If you ever need anything, come find me. If I can help, I will.”
Inside the pouch were one hundred spirit stones.
Despite staying in the city for several days, Li An had found it difficult to gather information on White Tiger Mountain’s internal affairs. Yet Manman had easily provided him with news about Xu Qiuhui. That alone proved how well-connected she was in the city.
People like her were valuable allies.
“Brother Wei, you’re so generous… you’re too kind to me!”
Even though Manman had worked in this field for many years, she still couldn’t help but get a little emotional.
The tips Li An had given her during this time added up to almost a full year’s wages!
“It’s nothing. You just remind me a lot of my younger sister. Whenever I see you, I think of her,” Li An said.
“If you don’t mind, how about we treat each other as siblings from now on?”
Manman’s eyes shimmered with emotion. “Brother!”
Li An chuckled and responded to the call.
Manman then offered him plenty of useful information—clearly going the extra mile. She even warned him about certain people and matters in the city he should be careful of.
To Li An, that hundred spirit stones had already paid off.
Only after a long while did Manman finally leave.
Li An tidied up his new residence.
The courtyard wasn’t large, but it had a stone well, a willow tree, and enough space for a stone table. The house itself had two rooms, a kitchen, and a main hall.
After cleaning, Li An laid down two high-grade formations.
One focused on defense, the other on offense—they complemented each other.
Of course, a single formation could theoretically cover both offense and defense. But Li An knew better—unless it was a Second-Rank formation or higher, most Qi Refining-level formations that tried to do everything ended up being weak at everything.
It was better to use multiple specialized formations together.
After resting in the courtyard for a while, he went to visit the nearby residences.
Since he’d be living here, it was necessary to get to know the neighbors.
He knocked on the door of the first courtyard. A middle-aged man answered, looking a bit puzzled.
“Greetings, fellow Daoist. I’m Wei Ming. I just rented the house here for ten years and came to greet my good neighbor,” Li An said with a smile, handing over a low-grade First-Rank formation. “Just a small token of courtesy.”
The middle-aged man immediately beamed. “I’m Liao Cheng, a physician. Daoist Wei, are you a formation master? Please, come in!”
Li An stepped inside and stayed for a short chat over tea before departing.
Liao Cheng was quite courteous. Before Li An left, he even gifted him some basic medicine for treating bruises and injuries. He added, “Oh, and by the way, Daoist Wei, no need to visit the next courtyard—Miss Xiaoxiao isn’t in at the moment.”
From Liao Cheng, Li An learned that aside from himself, four people lived in the area:
Physician Liao Cheng, Talisman Master Wang Can, Alchemist Luo Yong, and a woman named Guo Xiaoxiao.
Liao Cheng said little about Guo Xiaoxiao, only that she was beautiful and rarely stayed here.
But that alone told Li An plenty—
It meant Guo Xiaoxiao probably had other places to stay in the city.
Wang Can, now over sixty, looked weathered and aged. When he learned that Li An was a formation master, he subtly probed whether he also crafted talismans.
After all, formations and talismans shared common foundations.
Li An replied that he didn’t, which clearly relieved Wang Can—his talismans were the top sellers in the area, and a new competitor would threaten his business.
He then gifted Li An two of the most basic talismans as a return gesture.
Finally, Li An arrived at Alchemist Luo Yong’s residence.
He knocked for a long time before a gruff voice answered, “Who is it?”
When the door opened, a rotund man with a face full of irritation appeared. He looked to be in his thirties or forties, dressed in expensive robes, and regarded Li An with a haughty gaze.
“I’m Wei Ming. I recently rented the house next door for ten years and came to greet my neighbor. Just a small token of courtesy,” Li An said, presenting a low-grade Spirit-Gathering formation.
Luo Yong barely glanced at it. “Oh, I see. No need for the gift.”
Clearly, he didn’t think much of it.
Alchemists were in high demand—he had reason to be proud.
He didn’t invite Li An in for tea either.
“Alright,”
Li An still maintained a warm smile. “I look forward to your guidance in the future.”
Luo Yong replied with a few dismissive words before shutting the door.
Back at his own residence, Li An now had a good sense of the people around him.
Aside from the absent Guo Xiaoxiao, Liao Cheng, Wang Can, and Luo Yong posed no significant threat—they were all late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.
Liao Cheng’s depth was hard to gauge for now. Wang Can was narrow-minded. Luo Yong was arrogant and complacent. But none of them posed real problems.
Now, he could finally settle down and focus on cultivating.
(End of Chapter)