Chapter 16: A Courtyard - 16
It wasn't long before Zhou Fan made it to the front of the line.
"Hello, my name is Fui Rong, how can i help you?" The lady said.
"Hello Ms.Fui, I'd like to rent a house." Since Zhou Fan didn't have much money, he decided to rent a house instead of buying one.
"What is your monthly budget?" Fui Rong said while pulling out a 3 inch notebook.
"Are there any nice houses under 10 silver a month?"
"There are plenty of houses for that price. Do you have any preferences?"
"Are there any courtyards for that amount?" Zhou Fan wanted a courtyard because it would not only be more private, but it would also have a walled yard.
Hearing Zhou Fans question, Fui Rong had a troubled look on her face. "There aren't any courtyards for that price, sir. In fact, there are very few courtyards in the entire city."
Although Zhou Fan knew that courtyards weren't very popular in the wishan kingdom, he was quite surprised to hear that there were very few in the entire city.
"Can I ask why?"
"Of course. Two years ago, the crown prince of the boundless empire declared that courtyards were old and unfit for an advancing empire. Ever since then, many courtyards were demolished and manors rebuilt on them."
Zhou Fan was awed that the words of the crown prince were so influential. Of course, his influence was limited to the boundless empire. In other empires, courtyards were still very popular. Especially in the number 1 empire, the empire of mortaniel.
There, courtyards were seen as the sign of a scholar. In fact, every other empire still used courtyards. The crown princes statement had no reasoning behind it and could be considered the cries of a child for attention.
"Actually, there is one courtyard for sale." Fui Rong suddenly said. "However, it has been abandoned for the last 30 years. A rumor has spread around that all the previous owners have been murdered in the house."
Zhou Fan was shocked hearing Fui Rongs words. "How much is it?"
"Are you interested? Actually, I wouldn't recommend it. Many people have investigated the rumors and it has turned out to be true. All the previous owners were killed in their sleep."
Hearing this, Zhou Fan was even more shocked. What are the odds that every single owner died in the house.
Even so, Zhou Fan was confident that no single thing in this world could harm him. Although it would be a different story if an entire army were to besiege him, it was very unlikely that it would ever happen.
"I'm still interested. How much is the house?" Zhou Fan asked.
"Well, there isn't a price on it since no one has dared to buy it. I can ask my manager, however."
"Please do."
After that, Fui Rong walked into the back of the shop for a while. When she came out, a fat middle aged man was following.
"Hello sir, I am the manager of this store. I heard you're interested in renting the abandoned courtyard?"
"Indeed. Do you have a price for me?"
"I think that 3 silver a month will do due to its current circumstances. However, we'll need 3 months down payment."
Pulling out 9 silver, Zhou Fan handed it to the manager. 9 silver was basically the rest of Zhou Fans money. It seemed that he would have to use the rest of his time at the inn to eat.
The manager went to the back and grabbed a key before handing it to Zhou Fan.
"Keep in mind, you will likely die in the courtyard. Are you sure you wish to rent it?"
Thanking the manager for his last attempt at persuading him, Zhou Fan grabbed the key and walked to the courtyard. Before he had left, he had asked the manager the location of the courtyard. It was on the edge of the city and was 5 miles away from the library that stood in the center of the city.
To other people, that was more than an hour of walking. To Zhou Fan however, it was a minute jog. If he ran, he could make it in 30 seconds. That's 1 mile in 6 seconds!
The only concerns that Zhou Fan had were that he could run into other people, or even buildings. Although his perception and reaction time are just as incredible as his speed, he wasn't absolutely confident in stopping before he hit someone.
If he were to run into someone at full speed, they wouldn't even know how they died. If he were to run into a building at his full speed, the building might instantly collapse. Even if it was made of steel. In fact, even if he ran into a 5 foot tall cube of pure steel, he was confident that the cube would receive more damage than him.
Zhou Fan soon made it to the courtyard. Looking from afar, he could see that the red paint on the walls was peeling away. The double door made from wood looked soggy and old. Zhou Fan ,however, had expected this much after hearing how long it had been abandoned.
Putting the key into the lock and turning, Zhou Fan opened the old doors. When he looked inside, he saw that the grass was taller than him. Luckily, he had brought his sword with him. Pulling the sword out , Zhou Fan bended his knees and added a miniscule amount of Qi to his blade. He then swiped out with his sword and a gray crescent appeared.
Quickly, the grass was cut to 2 inches tall. Zhou Fan had ,however, underestimated how much power that little amount of Qi held. After cutting the grass, the Qi continued until it hit some slightly higher dirt. The dirt exploded and the Qi dissipated.
Now that the grass had been cut, Zhou Fan could see the house part of the courtyard. The house section took up half of the courtyard while the yard took up the other half. Although neither the yard nor the house could be called large, Zhou Fan felt that it was enough for him.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone