My daily cultivation progress is calculated.

Chapter 49 Moving, Shen Ci's Winning Over

Shen Yan walked out of the house.

They saw Widow Wang across the way, accompanied by several people who looked like out-of-town merchants.

They wore sheepskins, and their faces were dark with a purplish-red tinge. They looked very much like the herders who grazed their livestock in the north.

However, Shen Yan sensed the menacing aura emanating from them, suggesting that their identities were not simple.

Normally, Shen Yan wouldn't care, but what happened yesterday made him have to be careful.

He thought to himself, "Could these people be looking for me?"

When Widow Wang saw Shen Yan, she greeted him warmly, "Shen Yan, off to your post?"

"Yes! Sister-in-law, has another distinguished guest taken a liking to your house?"

Widow Wang said, "Hey! Merchants from the north who bring furs to Bianjing, this freezing weather is the perfect time to sell furs."

Shen Yan nodded slightly.

What Widow Wang said was true, but he still felt something was strange, though he didn't say much about it.

This further solidified his belief.

Today, Shen Yan is looking for a new place to stay. Now that this place is known in the martial arts world, it will surely be frequented by many people.

He can only come back after the storm has passed, but fortunately he is not short of money right now.

After thinking it over for a while, I realized that I had no idea where to look for a suitable house.

Unlike my previous life, here I can get information without leaving home simply by turning on my phone. I know where houses are for rent or sale.

Without someone to guide him, he wouldn't even know where the brokerage firm was located.

Finally, he decided to go to Shen Rong's residence to inquire.

When he arrived at Shen Rong's house, the gatekeeper greeted him warmly.

"Is Yan-ge here to see the master?"

Shen Yan said, "That's right, I'm here to see Brother Rong. Please inform him for me."

The servant said, "Master instructed that we don't need to announce Yan-ge's arrival. Master is in his study handling matters; I'll take you there."

Upon seeing Shen Yan's arrival, Shen Rong smiled and asked, "Shen Yan, what brings you here?"

Shen Yan told him what had happened yesterday, and Shen Rong frowned slightly.

I only wanted to stand up for Shen Yan, but I didn't expect it to cause trouble.

"You're looking for a new place to live? If you don't mind, why not move to my residence? I'll have the west courtyard prepared for you!"

Shen Yan shook his head and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Brother Rong, but I still want to find a quiet house on my own so I can practice my skills."

Shen Rong did not force him.

"There are no vacant houses near the Duke's mansion at the moment. If you want one, you'll have to look in the city."

Shen Rong summoned the brokers from the brokerage firm to his residence.

The man was in his thirties, dressed in a gray long gown, with a thin face and a bright smile.

Although his eyes were small, they shone with a sharp light.

"Mr. Shen, what are your orders?"

"My brother is looking for a house, can you help him find one?"

The broker turned to Shen Yan and asked, "May I ask how this gentleman is addressed?"

"My name is Shen Yan. I don't have many requirements for the house, just that it should be quiet. I live alone, so it doesn't need to be too big."

"So you're also called Master Shen. I have several properties that meet your requirements."

Fang Yazi took out a simple map and pointed out several places to Shen Yan.

One of the places turned out to be the former residence of Widow Qin, Hu Youtian's former lover.

Shen Yan had scouted that house before and was familiar with it, but he felt it was somewhat unlucky and didn't want to choose it.

Instead, they chose another house closer to the prison, without much hesitation, and asked about the price.

It only costs one thousand taels of silver, which is not expensive. The location near the prison is not bad, but people dislike the prison because it is considered unlucky, so they look down on it.

The layout of the house is almost the same as the old house, with a master bedroom, two side rooms, a kitchen and a small courtyard.

Shen Yan planned to move into this house that very day. However, although it was quiet here, there were no more servants from the Duke's mansion patrolling.

Things weren't so peaceful. Shen Yan was no longer the weak scholar he used to be, so he was alright.

The distance from the new home to the prison is now half the original distance, which gives me more time to practice martial arts.

Shen Yan walked on the streets of Bianjing, where many martial arts practitioners dressed in tight-fitting clothes were on the streets.

He thought to himself, "What kind of technique is this that has attracted so many people? What use are these low-ranking martial artists?"

When he returned home, he saw a horse-drawn carriage parked in front of his house.

Shen Yan asked, somewhat puzzled, "A carriage from the Duke's mansion? Who's looking for me?"

As he approached, he discovered that it was actually the Second Young Master's carriage.

Shen Ci's expression was like Wen Yu, unchanging for millennia, always so calm and confident.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?"

Shen Yan only came to her senses when she heard his voice.

"Please come in, Second Young Master. My humble abode has limited facilities and my hospitality may be lacking. Please forgive me."

Shen Ci didn't mind and followed Shen Yan into the courtyard.

The first thing you see is a peach tree, but unfortunately, due to the freezing weather, only withered leaves and branches remain.

Shen Yan invited Shen Ci into the inner room. In order to practice martial arts, all the useless things in the courtyard had been thrown away.

There's no way to entertain guests.

Just as Shen Yan said, his family had nothing to entertain guests.

There wasn't even any tea; all they could find were two bottles of fifty-year-old peach blossom wine.

Shen Yan said somewhat awkwardly, "Second Young Master, my home doesn't even have tea; it's really not a place to entertain guests. Would you like some wine?"

He held up the peach blossom wine in his hand and said to Shen Ci.

Shen Ci smiled and said, "Isn't wine better than tea?"

The aroma of wine filled the entire room.

Shen Ci took a deep breath, then smiled slightly.

"This is peach blossom wine that's at least fifty years old. I didn't know you had this hidden secret."

Shen Yan sighed, "It's a pity we have good wine, but no good food."

Shen Ci said, "Nothing in this world is perfect. Leaving some regrets is not necessarily a bad thing."

A long time passed.

Shen Cicai then explained his purpose.

"Shen Yan, do you have any plans to escape from the imperial prison and take a position in the military or the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Shen Yan was taken aback upon hearing this, thinking to himself, "Is this an attempt to recruit me?"

After thinking for a moment.

Shen Yan said in a deep voice, "I am currently in the Heavenly Prison, living a carefree life. I don't have to abide by the rules of officialdom, nor do I lack money to spend."

Shen Ci continued, "What if I were to grant you internal energy cultivation techniques and rare and precious materials? You should know how expensive martial arts training is. The Heavenly Prison is lucrative, but it would be difficult to support you in making further progress."

"If you want to reach the middle third rank or even the upper third rank in your lifetime, the offerings from the Heavenly Prison will not be enough."

Shen Yan sighed softly: "The world is full of troubles, but my heart is free. If I were to bind myself, I'm afraid I would hardly make any progress in martial arts."

After hearing this, Shen Ci said no more. Martial artists are inherently determined. If someone's heart is set on martial arts, it is indeed difficult to force them.

He simply said, "Since you have made up your mind, I will not say anything more. You should know that your surname is Shen, and the Duke's Mansion will always be your greatest support."

Shen Yan was curious about the legendary martial arts technique that had recently become a hot topic in Bianjing, so he couldn't help but ask.

"Does the Second Young Master know what this legendary martial arts technique, which has recently been circulating in Bianjing, is?"