As he followed the carriage on his horse, Rain leaned forward and asked Lian, seated in front of him, "Do you know the man Bai Wu called Master Xia?"
Lian responded calmly, "He is a martial arts official and oversees the grain transport ships for this city."
Rain nodded, already familiar with how the Xia Dynasty categorized officials. They were divided into two classes: scholars, who earned their positions by passing exams on various subjects held annually, and martial arts officials, who achieved their ranks by participating in yearly martial competitions. The ranks ranged from 9 to 1, with 9 being the lowest.
"What rank is he?" Rain asked.
"Seventh rank, sir," Lian replied.
Rain's gaze shifted to the landscape. "I heard his house is on Iron Mountain. Which of these five mountains is Iron Mountain?"
The five peaks formed the shape of a pentagon, with the northern peak being the largest, towering above the rest and piercing the clouds. The renowned Black and White Holy Land was perched on its heights. The two mountains to the west were smaller and closely joined, with the harbor nestled between them at their base. To the east, one mountain had a peak that touched the clouds and stood close to the northern mountain, while the other was slightly taller than the western mountains but less steep, allowing for numerous buildings to be constructed on its slopes. Rain speculated that this mountain was Iron Mountain. However, Lian pointed to one of the western mountains, the one closest to the south. "That is Iron Mountain," she said. "There are a large number of iron mines in that mountain."
"I see," Rain replied.
Lian continued, "The Xie family used to own a small iron mine there, but it's been depleted. That's where they built their new home, the one you're going to buy."
As Rain followed the carriage down the road, he noticed a crowd gathered in front of a building with a sign that read *Fire Spear Martial Arts School*. Sitting atop his horse, Rain's height allowed him to see over the crowd, and he caught sight of two people engaged in combat within the school's courtyard.
Rain turned to Lian. "What's happening at the Fire Spear Martial Arts School?"
Lian glanced at the scene. "One of the other martial arts schools has challenged them to a competition. Judging by the uniforms, it's the Water Piercing Spear Martial Arts School."
"Does this happen often, and why?" Rain asked.
Lian nodded. "Yes, it does. There are many martial arts schools in the city because of the Black and White Holy Land. Every 10 years, the Holy Land opens its gates to accept new disciples. Disciples are ranked into five types: the lowest are miscellaneous disciples, then outer disciples, inner disciples, core disciples, and true disciples. The recruitment every decade focuses on miscellaneous and outer disciples. Anyone under 16 who has reached at least the mid-Gathering Strength Realm can become a miscellaneous disciple."
She continued, "Outer disciples are chosen through a competition among the selected miscellaneous disciples. The top 10 are promoted to outer disciples, and these competitions are held annually for the next 10 years. Those who fail to become outer disciples after 10 years are expelled from the Holy Land. Many of these expelled disciples, unwilling to return home in shame, join existing martial arts schools in the city or establish their own. This has led to a large number of martial arts schools competing for prestige."
Rain's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as Lian explained. She added, "These schools often challenge each other to prove their superiority and attract students. Parents send their children to these schools to train, hoping they'll excel in the Holy Land's entrance competitions."
Rain reflected that a new industry chain had formed under the Black and White Holy Land. "What are the strongest martial arts schools among them?" he asked.
Lian replied, "There are three that are known as the strongest: the Five Animal Boxing Martial Arts School, the Diamond Palm Martial Arts School, and the Feiyu Sword School. They're considered the best because, at some point in their history, each of these schools has produced a half-step grandmaster."
Rain's focus shifted as he saw the carriage enter a tunnel in Iron Mountain. He stopped talking to concentrate; the tunnel was narrow and crowded with travelers. He had to ensure he didn't lose sight of the carriage and needed to control his horse carefully to avoid bumping into people. The tunnel sloped upward as he rode, and after some time, Rain emerged into the open sky. The path soon led back into another tunnel.
After a minute, the tunnel split into three directions, and the carriage took the left path. Rain followed closely. A couple of minutes later, they emerged onto a mountain road. From this vantage point, Rain could see the entire city sprawling below. The carriage turned onto a steep, inclined path before the road leveled out again. Rain continued to follow until the carriage halted in front of a gated property. Bai Wu and Master Xia stepped out of the carriage, while the driver opened the gate. Rain stopped his horse, dismounted, and helped Lian down, leading his horse to join them at the gate.
"This is the house I'm selling," Master Xie announced. Rain glanced at the three-story structure behind the gate, facing the sprawling city below. The house, built from a mix of stone and polished wood, appeared almost new. Suspicion crept into Rain's mind as he wondered why the man would sell such a property at such a low price.
The carriage driver swung the gate open, and they stepped onto the property. The house was enclosed by stone walls on two sides, while the gate and the mountain formed the other boundaries. From behind the stone walls, the city stretched out like a painting beneath them.
They reached the front door, and Master Xie handed Bai Wu the key. Bai Wu unlocked the door, and Rain followed them inside while Lian remained outside, hesitant to enter. Inside, Rain noted the polished wooden floors and walls, supported by sturdy stone pillars. The living room was modestly furnished.
Master Xie gestured around. "The walls are made from dark ironwood, and the floors from white bark wood. You're welcome to explore the house. It has seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, two study rooms, this living room, and," he pointed to a door, "that's the kitchen."
Rain sat on a chair and asked, "What about water?"
Master Xie replied, "On the northern side of the house, there's a pond fed by a cascading stream from the mountain top."
Rain leaned back, contemplating. "I'm interested in buying this house, but I need to understand why you're willing to sell this property, situated on a 100-square-meter plot, at such a low price."
Master Xie fell silent for a moment, then spoke with a cold edge, "If I show you the problem, you must commit to buying it." A powerful aura radiated from him, subtly threatening. Rain, however, chose not to reveal his superior Grandmaster Realm aura, maintaining a composed facade while feigning fear in his eyes.
"I will buy the house, but I need to know what I'm dealing with," Rain replied evenly.
Xie Yu's expression shifted, impressed. "You can withstand my aura so calmly. You must be at the peak of the Gathering Strength Realm. For that, I will tell you my name—Xie Yu. And what's yours?"
Internally, Rain rolled his eyes, knowing he was stronger and a realm higher. "Yun Ting," he responded. He understood that an official identity and an identity plate—assigned to each newborn in the Xia Dynasty—were needed for property transactions.
Xie Yu stood up from his chair. "Follow me." He led the way outside, with Rain and Bai Wu following. The carriage driver and Lian joined them as they headed north. The house faced west, leaving a 10-meter gap between it and the western stone wall. To the north, a 30-meter expanse stretched between the house and the wall. Rain didn't measure this himself; the soul chip in his mind provided the precise dimensions.
In the northern space, a 10-square-meter pond glistened, and on the mountain wall behind it stood what looked like the entrance to an old tunnel, now blocked by massive stones.
Xie Yu gestured toward it. "This used to be our iron mine. After we built and moved into the house, strange sounds began coming from inside the mine. I removed the stones and went in to investigate. Inside, I found corpse monsters. I managed to kill some, but three master-level corpse monsters prevented me from venturing further. I sealed the entrance again and decided to sell the house. Now you know the truth."
He turned to Bai Wu. "Bring the land and house deed, along with the sale contract."
Bai Wu retrieved the papers and handed them to Rain. Rain examined the documents carefully and confirmed their authenticity. Satisfied, he pressed his fingerprint on the sale contract and wrote his identity number. For the sale price of the house, he wrote 1 gold coin and handed the contract back to Xie Yu.
Xie Yu's face contorted with anger as he released his aura. "Are you joking with me? I'm selling a house worth 1,000 gold coins for 100, and you wrote 1 gold coin?"
Rain's expression hardened as he released his full Grandmaster-level aura, directing it solely at Xie Yu. The pressure was overwhelming; Xie Yu struggled to stand upright, gasping for air, and the others, including Bai Wu and Lian, felt the suffocating weight. Lian, weakened from malnourishment, was visibly distressed. Noticing Lian situation, Rain withdrew his aura.
Rain spoke calmly but firmly. "You threatened me to buy the house, and now I'm threatening you to sell it. Is there a problem?"
Xie Yu trembled, his fear palpable. "No problem, Grandmaster. None at all."
Rain's eyes were unyielding. "Then sign your name and finalize the sale."
"Yes, yes," Xie Yu stammered, hurriedly stamping his fingerprint on the sale contract before handing it back. Rain then produced the remaining 99 gold coins and placed them before Xie Yu. He wanted to teach the man a lesson, not cheat him; he knew the house was worth ten times what he paid.
Rain's gaze swept over them. "Get out, all of you."
They scrambled to leave, relief on their faces. As they retreated, Rain's voice cut through the air. "Lian, you stay." He watched as the others disappeared down the path.