27: What's the old man? We all call him Old Man He.

Under Old He's introduction, Xiao Shen rented a house in a village Outside the Bastion. Though the place was a bit small, it had the advantage of being quiet.

According to Old He, most of the people living in this vicinity were Warriors; at least one person in each household could cultivate.

The rent inside the Wall was too expensive for Xiao Shen, and he didn't want to rent there anyway. The forces within were too complex, and if any trouble arose, it would affect his cultivation.

Before, when he was inside the Wall, he didn't know the distribution of forces Outside the Bastion, nor did he know there were so many rogue cultivators nearby.

Now, he was one of them.

He had successfully completed the last mission he accepted, receiving a reward of 600 spirit stones, but this was far from enough. He had to continue accepting and completing missions to acquire more spirit stones.

"Little friend, little friend."

It was Old He's voice.

Xiao Shen stood up and went outside to open the door for him: "Old man, didn't you just leave? Why are you back?"

Old He was carrying a lot of things. Hearing Xiao Shen's words, he immediately became displeased, pouting his lips high: "What? We're neighbors now, isn't it okay for me to bring you some things?"

Though he said 'neighbors,' there were actually several households between them.

"No, no, I just said it casually. Please come in quickly." How could Xiao Shen really turn him away? He had done business with Old He several times, and Old He had always been very reliable.

Old He carried all the items inside: "These are vegetables I grew myself, they're all fresh. This is some sausage that Chu Feiyue's family next door gave me last time, I brought you a few. This is..."

Seeing Old He bring so many things, Xiao Shen was stunned: "Old man, why did you bring so many things?"

"Didn't I say? We're neighbors. You just moved in today, and it looks like you haven't had time to buy groceries. These should be enough for you for a few days," Old He said calmly.

"But Old man, why are you so good to me?"

Xiao Shen didn't understand.

They had only done a few beast crystal transactions, and there was no personal friendship between them.

It wasn't that he was being overly suspicious; it was mainly because he could no longer wholeheartedly trust others.

In the past, hadn't he considered Xiao Zhenxuan and his son as his true family?

But what was the result?

He didn't want to repeat the same mistakes.

"Look at what you're saying, child. I'm good to all my neighbors. If anyone needs vegetables, they come to my place to pick them. If my family needs anything, we go to theirs to ask. Isn't that normal?"

Old He scratched his head and said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

He had lived this way for many years.

He was nearly seventy this year. Because he had missed someone in his youth, he had never married and had always lived alone.

He was a Warrior and also knew medicine. People usually sought him out for headaches or fevers. He didn't charge for consultations, only for the medicine. Grateful, people would give him daily necessities and food.

In his opinion, this was just the most normal way for neighbors to interact!

However, Xiao Shen was deeply shocked after hearing this.

So, this world wasn't entirely filled with people like Xiao Zhenxuan and his son?

So, even in a world where martial arts were revered, people could still have such simple and sincere relationships?

"Alright, take these; they're enough for several meals. I'm leaving now. If you ever have a headache or fever while living here, you can come find me."

Old He waved his hand, preparing to return home.

Xiao Shen asked in surprise: "You also know medicine?"

"Just a little bit; it mainly relies on the potions sold at the guild. Alright, I'm leaving now," Old He said.

"Old man, take care."

Xiao Shen didn't know that Old He also knew medicine and was a highly respected doctor in this area.

He only knew that Old He collected beast crystals, but he had never thought about what Old He used them for afterward.

Now that he thought about it, it must have been for medicinal purposes.

However, the price was quite high.

After Old He left Xiao Shen's house, he went for a stroll.

Seeing Zheng Jinfeng pulling Liu Ling'er out, he asked: "Hey, little girl, are you feeling better?"

Liu Ling'er recognized Old He and nodded: "I'm fine now, thank you for your concern, old man."

Unexpectedly, Old He chuckled at her address: "Why are so many people calling me 'old man' today?"

Xiao Shen called him 'old man,' and Liu Ling'er also called him 'old man.'

"Don't call him 'old man'; everyone around here calls him Old He," Zheng Jinfeng said. "Didn't you say you wanted to go to the guild to look around? Let's hurry, or all the missions will be taken."

"Oh, okay."

Liu Ling'er had wanted to ask more details just now, but Zheng Jinfeng's interruption made her forget.

Old He, however, shook his head and returned to his own home.

Liu Ling'er was very curious about the guild Outside the Bastion, mainly because she had heard Chu Feiyue and his wife mention it repeatedly these past few days. They said that people like them relied on accepting missions to earn money so they could rent a house there. Those missions all had to be done in the forest, involving both danger and opportunity.

Liu Ling'er certainly didn't want to keep staying at Chu Feiyue's house. Her purpose for leaving the Wall was to find Xiao Shen. Now that Xiao Shen hadn't been found, how could she just give up?

But all her money had been given to Chu Feiyue and his wife. If she wanted to travel, she had to find a way to earn money.

Taking missions at the guild was a great opportunity.

Zheng Jinfeng was also a Warrior, but her talent was too low, and she lacked cultivation resources. At over thirty years old, she was still a Level 1 Warrior.

She simply gave up on cultivation resources, giving them all to Chu Feiyue.

This was the sorrow of ordinary families. Without enough cultivation resources, even if one awakened Warrior talent, they couldn't receive resources for cultivation like those from aristocratic families.

"This is where the guild posts missions. Those pasted on the Wall are all missions. See if there's anything you can take."

Zheng Jinfeng brought Liu Ling'er to their destination. Several people were at the mission Wall, looking for missions they could accept.

Before Liu Ling'er left the Wall, she had no idea there was a place like a guild Outside the Bastion, nor did she know that the guild could post missions to cultivators inside or outside.

Liu Ling'er was a Level 4 Warrior. She could accept many of the missions on the Wall, but it was her first time, and she didn't want to attract too much attention, so she chose a mission suitable for a Level 2 Warrior and accepted it.

"Please register to accept the mission."

The staff member reminded her when he saw her tear off a mission slip from the Wall.

"Okay."

Liu Ling'er took the slip to register. When the staff member asked her name, she was careful not to give her real name, instead using an alias: "Liu Ling."

This was also the name she had told Chu Feiyue and his wife.

"What is your Warrior level?" the staff member asked.

"Level 2," Liu Ling'er continued to lie without changing her expression.