Early in the morning, before the sun had even begun to rise, Chen Yu gathered his remaining silver coins and prepared to leave. His face was still swollen and bruised from last night's beating, his nose tender to the touch every time he breathed too deeply. But he couldn't afford to waste time feeling sorry for himself or taking care of his wounds properly.
Before heading out, he closed his eyes and connected with his clone in the space. The familiar sensation of shared consciousness washed over him as he absorbed the cultivation progress from the night. His clone had continued cultivating steadily while he'd been dealing with the robbery, drawing in spiritual energy and tempering the body. The progress was really good, he could feel his skin becoming tougher, more resilient, like leather slowly being treated and strengthened.
Chen Yu wished he had something to directly compare it to, some way to measure if this speed was normal or extraordinary. But based on what the cultivation manual had described, he suspected his progress was far faster than average. Maybe it was the space's special properties, or maybe something else entirely. Either way, he wasn't complaining about the results.
Satisfied with his overnight gains, Chen Yu withdrew from the space and headed toward town. He needed to rent a place in the town proper, even if it was just in the outer ring. Everything would be closer there, the market, potential customers, and most importantly, the protection of town guards and the no-killing rules that governed civilized areas.
The walk to Silver Mist Town felt longer than usual with his aching body, but Chen Yu pushed through the discomfort. By the time he reached the town gates, the sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink.
Instead of heading to the inner district, Chen Yu went straight to the outer ring's market area. He found Aunt Mei just setting up her stall, arranging her vegetables and rice bags for the day's business.
"Chen Yu!" She looked surprised to see him so early, then concerned when she noticed his bruised face. "What happened to you? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Aunt Mei," Chen Yu said quickly, waving off her concern. "Just... had a small accident last night. Listen, I need to ask you something. How can someone rent a place here in town?"
Aunt Mei's eyebrows rose. "Rent a place? Chen Yu, that costs money. Real money, not just a few copper coins."
"I know," Chen Yu said, putting on what he hoped was an excited smile despite his swollen face making it hurt. "But I found a good paying job! Well, sort of. I've been learning a trade, and I think I can make enough to afford a room now. I can't keep living so far outside town anymore."
Aunt Mei's face lit up with genuine happiness. "Oh, Chen Yu, that's wonderful! I'm so glad to hear it!" She thought for a moment, tapping her chin. "Well, there are a few places that rent rooms to working folk. There's the Rising Sun Inn near the east gate, pretty cheap but the rooms are tiny. The Jade Lotus Inn closer to the market square, bit more expensive but nicer. And then there's the Peaceful Rest Inn near the border with the inner district. That one's the priciest but also the safest and closest to everything."
Chen Yu nodded, filing away the information. The one closest to the inner district seemed like the best choice. Being near the border meant he'd have easier access to the cultivation market when he needed to sell his talismans or buy more materials.
"Thank you, Aunt Mei. You've been a huge help, as always."
"Of course, dear. And Chen Yu?" She reached out and gently touched his shoulder. "Whatever happened to your face... be careful, alright? The world is dangerous for young people on their own."
Chen Yu felt a lump form in his throat at her genuine concern. "I will. I promise."
Before he went to look at rooms though, Chen Yu realized he needed to do something very important first. He couldn't show up to rent a place looking like a beaten-up beggar. First impressions mattered, and if he wanted to be taken seriously as a talisman maker and future businessman, he needed to look the part.
First stop: new clothes.
Chen Yu made his way through the market until he found a tailor's shop. It wasn't the fanciest establishment, but according to local gossip he overheard, this tailor made clothes for some of the wealthier merchants in the outer district.
A bell chimed as Chen Yu pushed open the door. The shop smelled of fabric and dye, with bolts of cloth stacked on shelves and several finished garments hanging on display.
An older man with measuring tape draped around his neck looked up from his work table. His eyes swept over Chen Yu's ragged appearance with barely concealed disdain.
"Can I help you?" the tailor asked, his tone suggesting he doubted Chen Yu could afford anything in his shop.
"I need clothes," Chen Yu said, trying to sound confident. "Something that makes me look... more prosperous."
The tailor's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You want to look richer?"
"Yes. I've started a trade and I need to present myself better." Chen Yu pulled out his pouch of coins and set it on the counter with a clink. "What can you show me?"
The sight of actual silver coins changed the tailor's attitude immediately. His expression shifted from dismissive to interested as he gestured toward a section of pre-made garments.
"Well, for someone wanting to improve their appearance, I have several options here. These are ready-made, so you can take them today."
The tailor pulled out a few different sets of clothing. Chen Yu examined them carefully, running his fingers over the fabric. Most were simple but well-made, definitely a huge step up from his current rags.
One outfit caught his eye. It consisted of a dark blue robe with subtle gray trim along the edges, made from decent quality cotton that would wear well. The cut was simple but elegant, the kind of thing a young scholar or apprentice craftsman might wear. It came with a matching inner shirt and a cloth belt with a small pouch attached.
"This one," Chen Yu said, pointing. "How much?"
"That's one of my better pieces," the tailor said. "30 copper coins."
Chen Yu winced internally. Thirty copper coins for one outfit, that was almost as expensive as a single sheet of talisman paper. But he needed this. Image mattered in business, and showing up looking like a beggar would only make people try to cheat him or refuse to take him seriously.
"I'll take it," Chen Yu said. "And I need a few other sets too. Cheaper ones for everyday wear."
The tailor showed him some simpler robes, and Chen Yu selected two more outfits for 15 copper coins each. Altogether, he spent 60 copper coins on clothes, a painful expense, but it was necessary.
"Will you be wearing the blue robe now?" the tailor asked.
"Yes, please."
The tailor directed him to a small changing area behind a curtain. Chen Yu stripped off his old, filthy rags and put on the new clothes. The fabric felt amazing against his skin after wearing rough, worn cloth for so long. When he looked at himself in the small mirror the tailor provided, he barely recognized his reflection.
The dark blue robe hung well on his frame, and the gray trim gave it a sophisticated touch. He looked less like a beggar and more like a young man with prospects. The bruises on his face were still visible, but at least now he looked like someone worth talking to.
Chen Yu bundled his old clothes into the bag with his other purchases and stepped out from behind the curtain.
"Much better," the tailor said approvingly. "You look like a proper young tradesman now. Though you might want to do something about that hair."
Chen Yu's hand went to his long, tangled hair that hung past his shoulders in an unkempt mess. The tailor was right, he really needed a haircut badly.
"Is there a barber nearby?"
"Two streets over, just past the noodle shop. Tell Old Han that Master Feng sent you."
Chen Yu thanked the tailor and headed out, following the directions. He found the barber shop easily, a small establishment with a spinning red and white pole outside.
Old Han turned out to be a cheerful man in his sixties who was happy to cut Chen Yu's hair for 5 copper coins. As scissors snipped away months of growth, Chen Yu felt lighter with each falling strand. When Old Han finally held up a mirror, Chen Yu saw a completely different person staring back.
His hair was now cut to a respectable length, just touching his shoulders and neatly combed. Combined with the new clothes, he looked like a proper young man from a decent family, not some forest-dwelling beggar.
Now properly dressed and groomed, Chen Yu made his way toward the Peaceful Rest Inn that Aunt Mei had mentioned. It took him about twenty minutes of walking through the outer district, gradually moving closer to the boundary with the inner district.
The Peaceful Rest Inn was a three-story building with a sign hanging above the entrance depicting a sleeping crane. It looked well-maintained, with painted walls and actual glass windows, real luxuries in the outer district.
Chen Yu pushed open the door and stepped into a small reception area. A young man in his early twenties sat behind a wooden counter reading a book. He looked up as Chen Yu entered.
"Welcome to Peaceful Rest Inn," the clerk said politely. "Looking for a room?"
"Yes," Chen Yu replied. "What are your rates?"
The clerk set down his book and recited what was clearly a well-practiced speech. "We have two options. Private rooms are 69 copper coins per month, paid on the fourth of each month. That includes basic furniture and access to the shared washing facilities. Or we have small courtyards with private wells for 10 silver coins per month, also paid on the fourth."
Chen Yu's eye twitched. Holy shit, inflation had gotten to this world too. Sixty-nine copper coins for a single room? That was nearly 70% of a silver coin!
But the courtyard option was even worse. Ten silver coins, that was 1000 copper coins. He definitely couldn't afford that right now, not with how much he needed to spend on talisman materials.
"I'll take a room," Chen Yu said, trying not to sound too pained about the price.
"Excellent choice!" The clerk pulled out a ledger and a small wooden token with the number 619 carved into it. "Room 619, third floor. First month's rent is due now, then every fourth of the month after that. If you're late on payment, you have three days grace period before eviction."
Chen Yu counted out 69 copper coins and handed them over, watching his funds dwindle with each coin. The clerk marked something in his ledger and handed over the wooden token, which served as a key.
"Up the stairs, turn right, last door at the end of the hall. There's a bed, a small table, a chair, and an oil lamp in the room. Washing facilities are on the second floor. No cooking fires in the rooms, use the communal kitchen on the first floor if you need to prepare food. No fighting, no theft, no loud disturbances after dark. Break any rules and you're out. Understand?"
"Understood," Chen Yu said, taking the token.
He climbed the stairs to the third floor, his new clothes swishing softly with each step. The hallway was narrow but clean, with several doors on each side. At the end of the hall, he found room 619.
The token fit into a groove in the door handle, and when Chen Yu turned it, the door clicked open.
The room was small, maybe ten feet by ten feet, but it was infinitely better than his forest shack. There was a narrow bed against one wall with a thin mattress and a blanket. A small wooden table sat under the single window, with a chair tucked beneath it. An oil lamp hung from a hook on the wall, currently unlit. The floor was wooden planks instead of dirt, and there wasn't a single gap in the walls or ceiling.
It was simple, basic, almost bare. But it was secure and it had a door that locked.
Chen Yu felt something tight in his chest finally relax. This was a good place to stay while he built up his resources and strength.
After locking the door behind him, Chen Yu didn't waste any time. He needed to go back to his shack and retrieve all his hidden items before someone else stumbled upon them. The thought of losing his cultivation manuals or remaining spirit stones made his stomach churn.
He hurried back through the town and out into the forest, moving as quickly as his still-aching body would allow. The walk back to his shack felt agonizing, every minute wondering if Old Liu had decided to come back for a more thorough search.
When Chen Yu finally reached his destroyed shack, he found it exactly as he'd left it, door broken, scattered possessions, but his hidden cache undisturbed. He quickly retrieved everything from the hollow under the table: his three remaining spirit stones, the two cultivation manuals, and all his talisman-making equipment.
He wrapped everything carefully in his old ragged clothes and stuffed them into a dirty-looking cloth bag he found in the corner. To any casual observer, it would just look like a bag of worthless junk.
Chen Yu took one last look around the shack that had been where he first woke up in this world. Despite everything, there was a small pang of nostalgia. This place had sheltered the original Chen Yu through his grief and struggles. But it was also the place where he'd been beaten and robbed, where he'd learned how cruel this world could be.
The journey back to town with the bag went by faster. When he finally made it back to the Peaceful Rest Inn and climbed the stairs to room 619, he felt like collapsing.
He locked the door behind him, set his bag on the table, and just stood there for a moment, breathing hard.
Chen Yu carefully unpacked his belongings, organizing everything. The spirit stones went under the mattress for now. The cultivation manuals went under the pillow. The talisman-making equipment spread out on the table.
He had about 42 silver coins left from his original golden coin, minus all his expenses. Not a lot, but enough to survive for a while if he was careful.
More importantly, he now had a secure base of operations. A place where he could work on his talismans without fear of being attacked in his sleep.
Chen Yu sat down on the chair, looking at his talisman-making supplies spread before him on the table. The late morning light streamed through the window, giving him plenty of illumination to work.
He needed to make more talismans and start earning money. The sooner he could convert his skills into income, the sooner he could afford better materials, more spirit stones, and proper cultivation resources.
Chen Yu dipped his brush in the spiritual ink and pulled out a fresh sheet of talisman paper.
Let's see how many he could make today.