touchnovel 008 Buying a House, Buying a Slave
008 Buying a House, Buying a Slave
The dragon formed from the well water was solid and compact; if Ning Kui wanted to, it could easily reduce the entire courtyard to ruins!
However, not long after, the majestic water dragon began to tremble, and then shattered into a shower of water droplets that fell from the sky.
The courtyard looked as if a torrential rain had fallen, turning it into a muddy mess.
With his current physical strength, he could only maintain his supernatural powers for about a hundred breaths.
"Huff, huff..."
Ning Kui, leaning on his dragon-scale halberd, was somewhat pale. He was panting heavily as he grinned at Li Qijue and asked, "Does Lord Li still stand by his word?"
"Hmph, of course it counts."
Li Qijue let out a faint snort; he had never broken his promise before.
He then put the remaining techniques into his Seven Star Bag, leaving only the "Raging Sea Dragon-Suppressing Halberd" as a gift to Ning Kui.
"Place the jade slip between your eyebrows, and the moves of the cultivation technique, as well as the corresponding mental cultivation method and body-refining secrets, will automatically enter your sea of consciousness."
You must memorize this quickly; after repeating it three times, the technique will automatically be destroyed.
"Three times...that's enough."
Ning Kui put the jade slip into a hempen money bag, and suddenly the image of Li Qijue's Seven Star Bag, which seemed to contain countless treasures, appeared in his mind.
He rubbed his hands together and chuckled, "Well, Lord Li, that bag of yours..."
Sensing the probing meaning in Ning Kui's words, Li Qijue scoffed and snorted, "Don't dream. This is a treasure personally crafted by Lord Huang, the head of the Heavenly Craft Academy. There are only one hundred and eight of them in total, distinguished by the number of stars."
The bag in my hand is embroidered with the Seven Stars, and its interior contains a space of seven zhang in diameter.
"You think you can have it?"
The storage bag, with a diameter of seven zhang (approximately 33 meters), could easily fit the entire courtyard inside; it was truly a generous gesture.
Crafted personally by the head of the Heavenly Craft Academy, each piece is limited to 108, making it something even royalty and nobility could dream of possessing.
Ning Kui was well aware of his own limitations.
However, what virtue or ability did Li Qijue, a rebellious envoy in a remote and impoverished town, possess?
He stared intently at Li Qijue, his face full of doubt.
Gradually, Li Qijue, with his thin skin, began to struggle to withstand this blatant contempt and skepticism.
"Ahem, this Seven-Star Bag was passed down to me by my master, he..."
Before he could finish speaking, Li Qijue abruptly shut his mouth, raised his eyebrows, and snapped, "What am I saying to you? Get back to your training! We're going to the West Market to catch ghosts tomorrow. Don't blame me if you die!"
Well, he's putting on an act again. So what if he has a powerful master as a backer?
Ning Kui raised an eyebrow and took a round-necked long robe commonly used by the Zhenni Division. It was black with gold trim and embroidered with a mythical beast on the chest.
The moment a person stands there, they exude an aura of authority that says, "I represent the law."
After changing his clothes, he immediately asked for leave and left early.
He also needs to settle his concubine, buy her a house and maids.
Tomorrow is dangerous; we must secure everything today.
The first thing to buy is a maid. She doesn't need to be too pretty, but the key is that she must be clean and quick.
The slave trader saw that Ning Kui was dressed in an intimidating official robe and carried an eight-foot-long dragon-scale halberd on his shoulder, and he was incredibly docile.
Before half an incense stick had burned, the slave trader with a mole on the corner of his mouth led several maids in their early teens to see Ning Kui: "Master Kui, I've brought all the girls who meet your requirements. Please choose whichever you like!"
Behind him were three different girls. The one on the left had darker skin and a thicker waist, indicating she was capable of heavy work.
The girl in the middle was dressed simply, her face was unmade-up but clean, and although she was young, her figure was already graceful and swaying.
The one on the far right is so thin he looks almost unrecognizable, and his restless, fidgeting fingers are covered in calluses and cracks.
"What are the prices?"
Ning Kui glanced at the three of them and asked casually.
The slave trader immediately bowed and fawned, "Master Kui, the one on the left is strong and worth eight strings of cash; the one on the right is thinner, but he is the most hardworking and worth five strings of cash as well."
The middle one, with the best looks and figure, and capable of doing some simple work, deserves twenty strings of cash.
Twenty strings of cash is equivalent to ten taels of silver, enough for a well-off family to live on for a year.
Keep the one on the far right, discard the rest.
The slave trader was taken aback and looked up at Ning Kui in surprise. According to his calculations, the two on the left and right were supposed to be green leaves to set off the flowers in the middle worth twenty strings of cash.
The girl standing in the center also raised her head somewhat defiantly, her eyes filled with anger, and it must be said that she had a rather endearing appearance.
Seeing that she dared to show resentment towards her master only strengthened Ning Kui's resolve not to buy her.
The sturdy girl on the left seemed completely unconcerned.
She was strong and healthy, and had no trouble finding buyers. Ning Kui didn't want her, but there were plenty of wealthy families who needed strong women.
Only the thin girl on the far right had tears welling up in her eyes, her lips trembling as she didn't know what to say.
Finally, she knelt down with a thud, her forehead hitting the ground heavily: "This servant thanks the young master for taking me in! I will never forget your great kindness!"
Including Ning Kui's selection this time, she has been chosen nine times. If she is not selected again, the brokerage firm may break her hands and feet and sell her to the Beggars' Sect to be a beggar.
Ning Kui didn't buy her as a slave; he saved her life.
Taking in the expressions of the three men, Ning Kui knew he had made the right choice.
What he was looking for was a grateful, reliable, and dependable maid.
After paying the pawn fee and receiving the indenture, Ning Kui led the frail girl to see a house.
Along the way, the girl followed closely behind Ning Kui, as if afraid that if she slowed down, she would be abandoned.
Several times she nearly bumped into Ning Kui, and was so frightened that she kept letting out a soft "ouch".
"Um, what's your name?"
Seeing her so nervous, Ning Kui casually started a conversation to lighten the mood.
The girl shook her head, gently biting her lip: "I don't have a name, my parents just call me 'little brat'."
"You brat? Ha, that's bad luck!"
Ning Kui, carrying the enormous dragon-scale halberd on one shoulder, his heavy footsteps causing the gravel on the bluestone slabs to tremble: "Then I'll give you a name!"
Just then, a breeze picked up, bringing a rare touch of coolness to the sweltering air. The cicadas chirped, their calls conveying a sense of joy at finally surviving.
"How about we call you Cicada?"
"Xia...Cicada? My name is Xia Chan? I have a name now? Thank you, young master!"
Xia Chan jumped and danced happily, tears welling up in her eyes again; she was quite the crybaby.
I wonder how she survived all those years of being enslaved and abused by others.
Before long, the two arrived at a two-courtyard house, led by the broker.
The courtyard was located in the southern part of the city, a wealthy area where officials and merchants gathered, and it was only five hundred steps away from the Zhennisi (a local administrative office).
Moreover, the decoration is quite nice, with a pond in one corner of the courtyard, two artificial hills, and a few trees such as banana trees and crabapple trees.
In addition to the main house, there are also east and west wing rooms.
Ning Kui was very satisfied with everything, except that the price was a bit high; the brokerage firm was asking for 180 taels!
They really calculated his wealth balance meticulously!
If he buys this house, he won't have a single hair left.
With the help of the Dragon Scale Halberd, the house was eventually sold for 170 taels of silver.
After seeing off the dentist who looked like he'd just eaten shit, Ning Kui turned to Xia Chan and asked, "Xia Chan, do you know how to tidy up the house?"
"Of course, young master. Xiao Chan does these kinds of work all the time, so you can rest assured and leave it to me!"
Xia Chan immediately rolled up her sleeves, revealing her thin arms covered in bruises, looking ready to fight.
I wonder if I'll collapse from exhaustion while working.
"You just need to make room for three people to sleep, and you can take care of the rest later."
Ning Kui, still worried, gave her a word of advice, fearing she might overwork herself and die suddenly.
Before leaving, he gave her another hundred coins so she could buy herself some food nearby. The southern district was a thriving commercial area with plenty of restaurants and teahouses.
Ning Kui then hired a horse-drawn carriage and hurriedly headed towards Wumin Lane.
I've been out for most of the day, and I don't know if my little sister has woken up yet.