Master Ge asked casually, "How many Dao Essence Stones are set aside for you each month?"
Jiang Chen, having come from a City Dao Academy in an orthodox Dao State, hadn't truly witnessed the lives of the lowest-level cultivators.
However, human filth was no novelty at any level.
Jiang Chen looked up at him but didn't speak.
Being called "Master" by someone didn't mean they actually were the master.
The old cultivator surnamed Ge stayed for a while. Seeing that Jiang Chen remained silent, his expression turned ugly, and he left with a flick of his sleeve.
When he spoke, he hadn't minded Shuanzi standing guard at the door. Shuanzi nodded and bowed as he left, seemingly long accustomed to this hierarchy.
Jiang Chen sat quietly with his eyes closed for a while before Steward Hu trotted back.
Perhaps too excited, he called out "A-AN" too fast, merging the two sounds into one: "An."
"The bed is made for you. Go see if it's to your liking?"
Looking at his face, wrinkled like old tree bark, Jiang Chen felt goosebumps all over his body, which took a long time to subside.
He responded with a simple "Mm."
The environment in the mine was naturally not great, but the Hu Mine had prepared independent small courtyards for the cultivators stationed there.
As for why there were six small courtyards for only four cultivators, those who understood, understood.
As long as the Chongxuan family didn't come for a serious inspection, these six courtyards would never be full.
The cultivators' food and lodging were separate from the miners, and they rarely interacted.
As they reached the courtyard gate, a middle-aged man with drooping eyelids and a scruffy beard stumbled over.
"Elder Xiang!" Steward Hu greeted.
The man called Elder Xiang simply raised his hand in acknowledgment, walked past without looking sideways, and went his way.
Steward Hu was already used to his temperament. He pushed the door open and explained, "Elder Xiang is like that; he doesn't have anything against anyone. Just muddling through, you know."
Jiang Chen nodded.
The courtyard layout was ordinary, but for a mine, it was quite good.
Having just been cleaned, it appeared neat, bright, and airy.
Jiang Chen glanced around casually and expressed his satisfaction.
Steward Hu, however, seemed a bit awkward. "A-AN, you've just arrived, and there are no maids in the yard yet. I previously asked Elder Zhang's maid to clean the courtyard for you. I'll be able to find a new maid for you when we return to town at the end of the month."
Steward Hu looked at Jiang Chen, seemingly embarrassed to ask: "For these few days, how about... you make do with Shuanzi?"
"Elder Zhang" was likely the third extraordinary cultivator at the Hu Mine. From Steward Hu's words, he might be an easy-going person.
As for the maid...
Jiang Chen silently glanced at Shuanzi, who looked simple and honest.
Shuanzi grinned back enthusiastically.
"..."
Jiang Chen asked deliberately, "How is it that Steward Hu, with your high status and being from the Hu family, don't have a maid to serve you?"
"I have one, but can I transfer her to you?" Steward Hu said, then leaned close to Jiang Chen's ear and whispered, "My wife comes to visit every month. That woman... her nails are sharp."
Jiang Chen laughed. "Alright, alright, Steward Hu. I'm not that delicate; I don't need someone waiting on me hand and foot. Just prepare the meals on time, and that's fine."
Seeing how agreeable he was, Steward Hu's old face crinkled into a smile, looking more pleasing by the second.
He still maintained some decorum: "At the end of the month, I'll definitely find you a clever and lovely one!"
Just then, Master Ge's voice came from outside the gate: "I heard this courtyard was cleaned by Elder Zhang's maid. How can that do? Isn't that a bit of a slight to our little brother?"
He walked in with a fake smile, followed by a woman with her head bowed, moving timidly.
He looked at Jiang Chen with a playful gaze. "My maid wasn't enough before, so I borrowed this one. Since you're here, I'll return her to you. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"
Without waiting for Jiang Chen to speak, he turned to Steward Hu. "If you're recruiting a new maid at the end of the month, my current one has grown tiresome. Get me a new one."
Steward Hu agreed immediately. "Understood, Master Ge."
Now Jiang Chen understood why Steward Hu had been so awkward. It turned out this courtyard originally had a maid, but the one surnamed Ge had taken her. Steward Hu didn't dare offend Master Ge, so he had glossed over it.
He didn't hold it against Steward Hu, but he found this old man Ge truly petty and repulsive.
Whether the maid returned or not didn't matter much to Jiang Chen. But Master Ge's deliberate return was clearly meant to provoke.
However, Jiang Chen always remembered his purpose here. Before gathering enough intelligence, he wouldn't reveal himself.
So he just smiled. "Master Ge is older and needs care; I completely understand. You can take the maid back. I'm not an invalid; I can take care of myself."
His expression was gentle, but his words carried a sting.
"You keep her," Master Ge said in a dark tone. "It's the transition from spring to summer; be careful not to catch a chill at night."
"That won't be necessary," Jiang Chen refused instinctively, but then stopped.
Because at that moment, he saw the woman behind Master Ge raise her head.
It wasn't that she was extraordinarily beautiful.
But in her eyes, shadowed by a bruise, there was a hint of... silent pleading.
That mixture of suffering and hope was too much to cruelly extinguish.
No wonder she had kept her head down—she had injuries on her face.
"Then she can stay," Jiang Chen changed his mind.
"Did you hear that? Get over there!" Master Ge frowned.
The maid took two tentative steps.
"You can't do anything right! You even walk slowly!" Master Ge grabbed her and threw her toward Jiang Chen.
Even being suddenly picked up and thrown like a weapon, the maid didn't dare scream. She only squeezed her eyes shut.
But she didn't feel the expected pain. Instead, a soft energy enveloped her. It was like falling into cotton.
She opened her eyes and saw a young man's face. Beyond his original handsomeness, there was a trace of determination rarely seen in someone his age.
Jiang Chen set her down casually.
Then he stepped forward and looked Master Ge straight in the eye. "You surnamed Ge, you are far too presumptuous!"
Although he had other purposes for being here, he couldn't let himself be bullied. Being too submissive would only arouse suspicion.
"Not at all, not at all. Come, come, Master Ge." Seeing the situation escalate, Steward Hu hurried over to smooth things over. "I've just gotten a bottle of excellent Tiger Bone Wine. Come have a taste?"
Master Ge was just venting his anger and wanted to annoy Jiang Chen and show off his seniority, but he didn't actually want to fight him to the death.
The older one got, the more they valued their life. Making a big scene would be a loss for him.
Hearing this, he just snorted from his nose: "Then I'll go try it."
Steward Hu, being very smooth, led the way but turned back to say to Jiang Chen: "You rest first. I'll send a jar over to you later as well."
As they walked away, Steward Hu's flattering voice could still be faintly heard: "You're all cultivators, masters. Arguing for us common folk... there's no need for that, is there?"
Soon, the courtyard was empty, leaving only Jiang Chen and the maid.
"What's your name?" Jiang Chen asked.
The maid bowed slightly before answering: "My name is Xiaoxiao."
Her voice was somewhat young, but slightly hoarse.
Likely not very old, but she had suffered a lot.
"Alright, go clean up your room."
Jiang Chen gave a casual order and turned to walk toward the bedroom he had chosen.
After a few steps, he turned back.
"I told you to clean your own room. Why are you following me?"
Even though Jiang Chen's voice was quite gentle, Xiaoxiao was still startled. Her hands didn't know where to put themselves, and she looked exceptionally panicked and at a loss.
Beneath her disheveled long hair was a youthful face, now with one eye bruised and swollen, and the other filled with panicked tears.
She looked especially pitiful.
Jiang Chen sighed inwardly, though his face didn't show it. He simply pointed to the side room on the left: "That's your room."