I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 164: Weiyang Square

Duan Rong placed both hands behind his head, lying on the grass, gazing at Ximen Kankan who was sitting there, and said, "Why didn’t Shi Kang come today?"

"I asked him to stay home and watch the house."

"Oh." Duan Rong actually knew Shi Kang was house-sitting; he was just shifting the topic to the question he really wanted to ask.

"Kankan, are you going to the Registered Disciple selection in March next year?"

"Yes!" Ximen Kankan turned his head, looked at Duan Rong, and said, "Are you wondering about the selection spots?"

Duan Rong nodded slightly. Ximen Kankan was indeed sharp; with this questioning tone, Ximen Kankan immediately knew what he wanted to ask.

"For the selection spots, first, you need to pay Taiyi Sect a head fee of thirty thousand silver coins."

"Secondly..." Ximen Kankan directly began to explain to Duan Rong.

When Duan Rong heard the second point, he immediately focused intently.

"You need to ask ten reputable local gentry to jointly write a recommendation letter, which is then reviewed by the County Government, stamped with the County Office’s seal, and submitted to the sect."

"Only then is your application considered submitted, and you can participate in the assessment."

"To ask the gentry to write a recommendation letter, in principle, you need to give each of them a fee of two thousand silver coins. Of course, if it’s a youth from the same clan, it can be less, but not omitted. Calculating the recommendation letter, it’s another twenty thousand silver coins."

The so-called gentry aren’t just wealthy individuals; they need to have traceable ancestry, with someone having been selected as an Outer Disciple or higher in Taiyi Sect, to be called a gentry.

In Xianggu County, there are less than a hundred households that qualify as gentry.

Duan Rong listened with a slight tongue click.

A Registered Disciple spot isn’t something an average family can cling onto; this is just a slot, and being selected isn’t guaranteed.

Duan Rong suddenly thought of Xiao Zongting, whose talent was exceptional, regarded as a legend in his generation in Xianggu County, yet he didn’t enter Taiyi Sect.

Presumably, in his youth, his family’s circumstances were ordinary and couldn’t afford the fifty thousand silver coins.

Because of this regret, he pushed Xiao Yu to practice diligently, wanting his daughter to make up for his own regrets.

"When does the registration start?" Duan Rong asked.

Ximen Kankan replied, "It starts at the end of the year. The recommendation letter needs to be submitted to the County Government before New Year’s Eve. The County Government will review it, and in the first month, the recommendation letter will be forwarded to the sect. Afterward, the sect will send a reply. Upon receiving the sect’s reply, you take the reply to Yunshui Brokerage to pay the head fee of thirty thousand silver coins. Then, in March, you use the sect’s reply and the receipts from Yunshui Brokerage to participate in Taiyi Sect’s selection and assessment."

Duan Rong looked at Ximen Kankan with a grateful heart. He merely broached a subject, and Ximen Kankan explained everything so thoroughly.

He reflected for a moment, unsure when he and Ximen Kankan started to interact so naturally, without any barriers. Perhaps it was since he returned from his escort mission...

Ximen Kankan turned and looked at Duan Rong, saying, "If you want to register, I can talk to my father. When he registers for me at the end of the year, he can register you as well."

"However..." Ximen Kankan paused, saying, "You need to pay him sixty thousand silver coins."

Ximen Kankan added an extra ten thousand, explaining, "I don’t intend to profit off you. My father, being a businessman after all, an extra ten thousand will help me approach him."

Duan Rong nodded; he understood that Ximen Kankan was being reasonable!

The recommendation letter seems simple, but without the network connections, even money can’t settle it. Those gentry won’t casually sponsor people!

Duan Rong laughed and said, "Let’s talk about it at the end of the year. I’m not sure I can save up sixty thousand silver coins!"

Ximen Kankan chuckled, "No worries, you can exchange it with your Spring Palace for me."

Duan Rong was rendered speechless. This guy, going around in circles, really wants his Spring Palace business. That’s why he’s so earnest in explaining everything clearly; he’s waiting for this moment?

As they chatted, Ximen Kankan glanced at the position of the sun and said, "It’s almost 3 p.m., time to head back. I have an appointment with Jiang Qingyu this afternoon to gamble in Weiyang Square."

Duan Rong touched his nose, looking at Ximen Kankan with interest, pondering: This guy’s recreational life is certainly rich!

"Are you coming?" Ximen Kankan asked Duan Rong, "Weiyang Square is the biggest and best gambling house in Xianggu County."

Duan Rong was about to refuse as he needed to practice, but suddenly, a thought occurred to him. He had achieved the Second Layer of Fetal Concealment Scripture, allowing him Divine Sense Projection.

In a gambling house, isn’t that an extremely advantageous tool?

Moreover, he needed silver coins, as Taiyi Sect’s Registered Disciple selection registration fee costs sixty thousand silver coins.

Creating Spring Palace paintings for Ximen Kankan could earn him silver coins, but every time he thought of exchanging Spring Palace for money, he felt a sense of shame akin to selling oneself.

This feeling wasn’t pleasant.

If he could carve out a new path to earn money in the gambling house, why not?

Just after 3 p.m., Ximen Kankan already led Duan Rong to the entrance of Weiyang Square.

This Weiyang Square is a two-story wooden structure, beautifully decorated with carved beams and painted pillars, quite majestic and grand. Duan Rong, upon seeing its exterior, exclaimed in admiration—it compared well even to the grandeur of Huaying Building.

The proprietor of Weiyang Square is Wei Yutian.

This person is not originally from Xianggu County, with a mysterious background. Upon arriving in Xianggu County over a decade ago, he started the gambling business. Through unknown methods, over the years, he’s captured ownership of the two major gambling houses in Xianggu County.

One being Weiyang Square, and the other Chunming District.

Additionally, Wei Yutian, nearing forty, remains unmarried, and quite a few street rumors swirl around this matter... some say he is naturally impotent...

Under the flying eaves of the first floor of Weiyang Square hangs a plaque with the three bold characters, Weiyang Square, imbued with vigor and strength.

The phrase "Weiyang" reflects the meaning of "night hasn’t reached its end, guests do not rush."

Although it is afternoon, during a time when the daylight is perfect, the windows of Weiyang Square are closed, even the entrance is draped with a heavy curtain.

Ximen Kankan led Duan Rong, pushed aside the heavy curtain, and stepped inside.

The lobby on the first floor is quite expansive and broad...

The carpets with bright colors, the intricate murals, and the exquisitely patterned curtains... all seem to tell the tale of Weiyang Square’s luxurious interior decor...

Inside the lobby are over ten redwood Eight Immortal tables of various sizes, the largest equivalent to two large beds side by side. Quite a few people clustered around, shouting with fervent eyes and hoarse voices...

In the corner of the first floor, a redwood staircase leads to the second floor, where visible are individual private rooms forming a circle. Each room’s door is marked with a heavenly stem numbered sign.

Chandeliers hang from the ceiling, brilliantly lighting the hall, while daylight faintly shines through several ventilation holes above the windows...

"How about it?" Ximen Kankan glanced at Duan Rong and smiled, "Originally, Weiyang Square was quite ordinary, but since Wei Yutian took over, it was revamped inside and out, now it’s extravagantly luxurious. During its reopening, it claimed the title of the first building in Xianggu County!"

"You can stroll around the lobby; I’ll check if Jiang Qingyu is here. He reserved a private room, and these private rooms are as hard to obtain as the Four Great Flower Shadows in Huaying Building, very much in demand, you have to queue!"

Having said this, Ximen Kankan headed toward an inconspicuous small room in the corner of the first floor, while Duan Rong strolled around the lobby...