This man was no commoner, but neither was he noble. He did not hail from a great family; rather, he was a rchant striving to provide a decent life for his family. He had never heard of the Great Marshall of the Beast Army. There was no need for him to know, as he was rely a clerk in his family’s marketplace. But his employer was different. As he patrolled the shop floor, his heart leapt to his throat upon spotting a white-haired young man in his store. He hurried to the counter instantly, his eyes turning cold as he saw the contempt on his clerk’s face and the amusent twinkling in Yan Xiaobao’s eyes.
"My lord!" he called out before reaching them, his voice loud and his arms outstretched as if preparing to embrace the two figures he had noticed. Everyone on the first floor fell silent for a mont, turning to observe the man. Each clerk was stunned to see such a polite smile play across their boss’s face. They were astonished to witness him display such friendliness, especially considering there were clearly no nobles in the room. They knew the nobility of Muchuan City well, yet glancing around, all they saw were rchants who had climbed into the upper classes through trade. The only uncertainty lay with the blue-and-white-haired youth. "Could they be important figures?" they wondered while most remained seated in the area.
"My lords, it is an incredible honor to see the two of you step into my humble store. Are you planning to settle in Muchuan City? If so, it would be our utmost privilege to assist you in finding the most stunning luxury mansion," he said, rubbing his hands together and bowing deeply to Yan Xiaobao. When he stood back up, he noticed the sa disdainful and bewildered expressions lingering on his staff’s faces behind him.
As Yan Xiaobao’s eyes grew kinder than ever, the store owner chuckled and guided the young man toward his office. Everyone in the store witnessed the entire interaction, and rumors began to spread. Whispers about the two people of mixed heritage, supposedly possessing the status of lords or perhaps even the title of Building King—how they were treated with such deference—echoed through the room.
"Please, have a seat," the lord said, gesturing to the two chairs in front of his desk. Yan Xiaobao and Deng Wu sat down, eager to hear what was on his mind. Turning his back to them, the shopkeeper began searching through an array of mory Stones. Every now and then, he would pick one up, examine it, and then set it aside. Finally, with nine stones in his hands, he walked toward the desk. Placing the mory Stones on the table, he motioned for Yan Xiaobao and Deng Wu to examine them. "These are the most remarkable properties we currently have for sale," he said apologetically. "Their prices are steep, but they’re absolutely worth it. Please, take a look."
At his words, Yan Xiaobao shrugged, picked up a mory Stone, and placed it against his forehead. A silver-blue light shimred, and vivid images filled his mind—photos, floor plans, servant and guard rosters. It all rushed into his thoughts. This particular mansion was a five-story building with a large park at the rear. Within the park were trees, ponds, and other typical features of such an environnt. The structure itself was quite old but had been well-maintained. Built years ago in a pagoda-style design that was once highly popular, the top floor was designated for servants. The fourth and third floors housed suites for the owner’s family and guests, while the second floor was reserved for a library, offices, and more. The ground floor consisted of the kitchen, dining hall, and foyer. All in all, Yan Xiaobao was deeply impressed by the residence. He appreciated its location—situated along the main avenue leading to the Royal Castle—and the park seed ideal for training. Despite his admiration for this property, he still wanted to explore the others.
One mansion felt too small; another had an undesirable location. One was enormous, but the current residents might not vacate for an extended period. No matter which mansion he viewed, Yan Xiaobao’s thoughts repeatedly returned to the first one. After reviewing all nine, he turned to Deng Wu to gauge his preference. "I’ll choose the pagoda-style one," Deng Wu said, voicing what Yan Xiaobao had already decided. The young man nodded in agreent.
Feeling sweat bead on his brow, the owner retrieved the necessary docunts for signing. Glancing over the papers, Yan Xiaobao saw that the house itself was priced at 475 spirit coins—a considerable sum. Without hesitation, he pulled out the required amount from his golden mory stone and set the coins on the desk. Witnessing how effortlessly the coins were produced, the Building King’s throat went dry. He swallowed a few tis before managing to speak. "Ah, yes; this is... excellent," he muttered, utterly shocked to see soone wield such imnse wealth so casually. Typically, families would need ti to gather and transport such a significant amount, but this young man paid it as if it were nothing.
After receiving and signing the papers, Yan Xiaobao’s excitent was palpable. He now owned a luxury mansion in Muchuan City. "How long until I can move in?" he asked out of curiosity, as the docunts didn’t specify. Spotting so files nearby, the Building King cleared his throat. These were contracts with the seller, including information on all the staff and various details concerning the mansion. Flipping through a few pages, he eventually found what he was looking for. "The current owner has two weeks from the day of sale to vacate the property," he explained. Yan Xiaobao nodded; two weeks was manageable. Deng Wu, equally elated, flashed an energetic smile as he looked at Yan Xiaobao. The two rose, shook hands with the owner, and left the building with their paperwork. In two weeks, they would return to collect the keys and proceed to move in. With furniture already in place at the residence, all they needed to do was settle in.
Yan Xiaobao anticipated that Deng Wu, Wang Julong, Sha Yun, and Cai Jie would move in with him. As he was close friends with the Rong twins, he was uncertain about Gao Yan. Yan Xiaobao had no intention of forcing anyone to live with him. To avoid political factions affecting his relationship with the Rong twins, Yan Xiaobao was prepared to do anything. They had been through so much together that Yan Xiaobao felt he had owed them a great deal since childhood. Even after his prolonged silence and the sudden reappearance of a man he had never introduced, the twins had welcod him into their ho without question.
Upon exiting the building, the owner’s smile grew rigid, and his eyes were filled with resentnt. "Attend !" he bellowed, and a servant quickly appeared at the doorway, bowing deeply to the Building King. "Fetch the employee from Station Three!" he ordered, and the servant complied. The clerk who had initially spoken with Yan Xiaobao stepped into the doorway. "Enter and close the door behind you," the store owner commanded, and the young man obeyed.
"Never again will you display your displeasure so openly!" he nearly shouted at the young clerk. "Even if you despise mixed-bloods, you must not treat them worse than any other custor. After the battle at Siban, we’ll encounter more beasts and hybrid beings. We cannot afford to express our personal opinions."
"But sir," the young man interrupted. "They’re repulsive! They prance around so ostentatiously, I can’t stand it. They could at least pretend to look like us humans. Even if they have more money than I do, they’re nothing but beasts! Creatures destined to be our slaves! Do you expect to bow to such beings?" he asked incredulously, the anger within him boiling over. The shopkeeper sighed heavily. "I don’t like them either, but that white-haired man—he’s even more significant than our City Lord. He’s soone we cannot afford to offend. Our personal feelings cannot interfere with our work. There will be more like him—beings who must be treated with utmost respect. Even if they’re not like us, even if they’re filth ant to be enslaved."
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