Chapter 40: Buying a House

Glancing around, Wang Liang felt a bit helpless. The square before him was vast, thronged with people coming and going, yet no one had pitched a camp or set up a tent here. The surroundings stretched out endlessly, with not a building in sight. Where on earth was he supposed to find a house to live in?

Just as Wang Liang was wracking his brains over this, he suddenly spotted a stout man passing by. Wasn’t that the very same Butcher No. 1 of the Hardware Guild, who had previously bought all his “Primordial Heaven and Earth Technique” scrolls?

Wang Liang called out loudly, “Butcher! Hey, Butcher from the Hardware Guild!”

At his call, the butcher turned his head, immediately recognizing Wang Liang. “Isn’t this Young Master Wang, the man of endless wealth? What brings you here? Need something?”

“I want to buy a house here, but as you can see…” Wang Liang gestured at the surroundings.

The butcher’s eyes lit up at his words. “Young Master, there’s no need to worry! You want a private, independent space, don’t you? Our Hardware Guild has exactly what you need—immortal caves, terrestrial abodes, blessed lands, even haunted manors with strange phenomena. Whatever you want, we can arrange it for you.”

“Oh? There are that many options? How much do they cost, and what exactly could I get? Surely it’s not just one of those standard black, hundred-square-meter spaces?”

“You underestimate our Hardware Guild, Young Master! We cater to distinguished patrons like yourself. Those small, dark spaces are just the basic modules the system gives everyone—thirty square meters for ordinary users, even less if you’re in a party. That’s for people without any money. Let me tell you, we recently acquired a batch of excellent residences—true abodes of immortals. Whether you want a celestial mountain or an island overseas, we can carve out a piece for you.”

Wang Liang remained silent. He felt that he only half understood what the butcher was saying.

Noticing Wang Liang’s hesitation, the butcher’s heart skipped a beat. He knew the man before him was of considerable status. Yet, even offering to carve out an immortal’s residence from within the game was no small feat. If that still didn’t suffice, Wang Liang must be backed by even greater wealth.

The butcher’s smile became even more ingratiating. “Ah, I see, Young Master Wang—your standards are naturally higher, and your previous accommodations must have been exquisite. It’s true, some places in-game are a hassle to extract or replicate. But we have major projects underway—like the Azure Cliff Project, or even the Water Curtain Cave of Flower-Fruit Mountain. Are you interested in any of those? If you are, we can arrange something exclusive for you.”

Wang Liang’s face remained unreadable. Azure Cliff and Flower-Fruit Mountain both sounded rather mystical, but he’d never heard of them, so he didn’t know how to respond.

Just as the butcher was at a loss for words, another man pulled him aside and scolded, “Why are you offering those wild mountain places? Do you think our Young Master Wang would accept such things? Step aside and let me handle this.”

Turning to Wang Liang with utmost courtesy, the newcomer introduced himself, “Young Master Wang, please forgive that fellow—he knows nothing of your standards or needs. I am the Hardware Guild’s logistics captain; you may call me Triple Gold. Are you looking to recreate your family estate here in the game?”

Wang Liang finally nodded, “Yes. I need a residence suitable for living in, and it would be even better if it could house twenty or thirty servants as well.”

If the butcher had been here, he might have asked why so many servants were needed. But Triple Gold would never question that. He understood that certain people were accustomed to a particular lifestyle, with servants for every task—coachmen, doormen, maids—so a staff of twenty or thirty was only standard.

Triple Gold slapped his thigh. “Young Master Wang, your luck is impeccable. We just happen to have such a mansion in the works—surely you’ve heard of Twin Tea Lane by the Clear Wave Gate? It’s a mysterious old manor that’s on the verge of becoming haunted. We can extract it from the game for you. Rest assured, as long as you give the word, we’ll handle everything down to the last detail.”

He winked at Wang Liang, giving him a knowing look that only men would understand.

Though Wang Liang didn’t know what Triple Gold found so amusing, he could tell that Twin Tea Lane by the Clear Wave Gate was an ancient residence—certainly better than a cave, and with some tidying up, it would be perfectly livable.

So he nodded his agreement.

At that, Triple Gold’s eyes lit up. “That’s wonderful! I’ll notify the team to package up the captured residence and deliver it to you. Let me explain though—capturing, packaging, and installing the place will all be handled by us, so the price will be a bit higher. This sort of thing isn’t easy, especially with the power of that place and the time it takes for the world to refresh. So the cost will be on the higher side…”

“How much higher?” Wang Liang asked.

“Well, cheaper than Flower-Fruit Mountain, but not by much. The price may break a million.”

Wang Liang had no real concept of housing prices, but he did know that good homes cost money. Still, a million seemed a bit steep.

Thinking for a moment, Wang Liang suddenly remembered something and brought out the Loom of Fate.

“How about trading this instead?”

At the sight of the Loom of Fate, Triple Gold’s eyes went wide.

He’d heard Butcher No. 1 talk about Wang Liang being the young master of a powerful family, but hadn’t fully believed it. After all, Wang Liang had only run a few dozen dungeons for the Primordial Heaven and Earth Technique, something their own team could easily do with a bit of money.

But now, seeing Wang Liang casually produce the Loom of Fate—just to exchange for a virtual residence, even one with unique perks—was truly extravagant.

No wonder he called himself “Wealth Incarnate.” This was a true tycoon, a gold-plated patron.

With that thought, Triple Gold looked at Wang Liang with newfound respect.

He responded decisively, “Very well. I’ll have the team capture the manor for you, and call in the best renovation crew. Once the place is secured, we’ll renovate it from top to bottom. Please wait here a moment; everything will be ready soon.”

Triple Gold apologized to Wang Liang and hurried off to handle the arrangements.

Meanwhile, the butcher stayed behind to keep Wang Liang company. He asked, nervously, “Boss, may I touch this Loom of Fate?”