Becoming a god starts with one certificate becoming eternal.

Bishui Street is also located in the inner city, not far from Canglong Martial Arts School, and is much quieter than the bustling martial arts school area.

The shops on both sides of the street corner were not large, but they were all clean, and the words on the lintels were neat. Even the wind seemed to have been tamed, and when it blew, it did not carry the foul smell of the alley.

Ye Xiao walked to the middle of the street and saw a green lamp.

The lamp was not lit, it just hung there, and the lampshade was covered with a thin layer of blue gauze. When the wind moved, the gauze swayed like water.

The sign at the entrance reads two characters: Xu Ya.

As soon as Ye Xiao stepped across the threshold, someone inside looked up.

She was a beautiful woman in her thirties, with sharp eyes and a light-colored lip. Her clothes were neither fancy nor plain, but they were so clean that they made her memorable at first glance.

She didn't rush to ask about the business; she just scanned Ye Xiao from head to toe.

The smell of worn-out clothes, the tiny iron filings from shoe soles, and the cold, fishy odor that only comes from the northern furnace.

Looking for a place to live?

The American lady's tone was neither warm nor cold: "Rent or buy?"

Ye Xiao took out the inner sect student's token and said, "Rent it. It needs to be safe and preferably clean."

The beautiful woman's gaze lingered on the token, the disdain in her eyes vanished, and a polite smile appeared on her lips: "Please come to the inner room."

She led Ye Xiao into the inner room, and as soon as the curtain fell, the noise outside seemed to be cut off.

The beautiful woman sat down and first poured him a cup of hot tea. The tea wasn't fragrant, but it was clean.

She pushed the cup towards them and smiled:

"Not many of the martial arts school's inner disciples come looking for rooms in person. Most of them come from well-off families and have plenty of places to live. Since you've honored me by coming here, I certainly won't overcharge you or try to fool you with a dirty place."

Ye Xiao didn't touch the tea, but just looked at her: "I have one important point, and that is that once people move in, their safety must be guaranteed."

The beautiful woman's smile remained unchanged, but her voice was lowered slightly, as if she were stating industry norms:

"You need to understand one thing first: the safety of the lower city has never relied on patrols or officials."

"It relies on power, rules, and money."

She raised her hand and tapped the table three times, each tap lighter than the last:

"The first way is to rely on influence... Martial arts schools, aristocratic families, and chambers of commerce—these are all forms of influence. Anyone who dares to cause trouble in their territory is courting death."

"The second method is to rely on rules... There are guards and mutual protection in the neighborhood. If an outsider enters, someone will immediately come up and question them."

"The third way is to rely on money... a secluded courtyard, thick door bolts, high walls, and hiring a gatekeeper or guard. It can't stop everything, but at least it won't open the door as soon as you knock."

Ye Xiao's eyes flickered slightly: "I want the first one."

If he only wanted to avoid ordinary trouble, the latter two methods would suffice, but he wanted more than that.

"If you choose the first option, don't expect it to be cheap."

The beautiful woman opened the ledger, the sound of turning pages crisp and clean: "How many people are you bringing?"

Ye Xiao paused for a moment: "Two bites."

The woman raised an eyebrow but didn't ask any further questions. She simply tapped the paper lightly with the tip of her pen: "An elderly person? A child? What precautions should be taken?"

"There are sick ones and young ones," Ye Xiao said.

Shopkeeper Xu nodded, as if he had a few things on his mind: "Then it can't be too remote, because if it's too remote, the wind and dampness will be too much for the patient to handle. It also can't be too noisy, because if it's too noisy, there will be too many people around, making it inconvenient for the patient to go out."

Instead of turning the page, she pushed the ledger forward, revealing a line of neatly written words, her tone becoming more decisive:

"There is a place that has everything you need."

"Qingshi Lane".

Manager Xu looked up at him, first explaining the room clearly, then revealing the bottom line:

"It's not a large courtyard house, but we'll give you a main house and a side room, with a small courtyard... It gets sunlight in winter, and the humidity is low, making it suitable for patients. The alley is clean, tidy, and easy to access."

"The monthly rent is five taels, with a deposit of two months' rent and payment of one month's rent in advance. If you want it to be even more secure, you can add an iron bolt to the gate. I'll find a blacksmith for you, and the labor cost will be calculated separately."

Ye Xiao didn't touch his tea, but his gaze deepened: "If we move in, will the Green Owl Gang dare to make a move?"

Manager Xu's smile faded slightly, as if he were reiterating the strictest rule in the trade:

"Qingshi Lane is only two streets away from Canglong Martial Arts School, right next to the outer edge of Canglong. There are guards at the entrance of the lane. The guards are not under the control of the government or the gang, but are supported by several chambers of commerce in the lane... They make their living by 'stability'."

"These chambers of commerce are all connected with martial arts schools, so the power in Qing Shi Lane is not supported by one force, but by the martial arts schools and chambers of commerce. The Qingxiao Gang dares to act recklessly in the lower city, but here, they dare not act recklessly on the surface. If they really want to touch your family, it would be a slap in the face to the martial arts schools and chambers of commerce... They won't be so blind, unless they want to burn themselves."

She gently closed the ledger, as if sealing off the terms as well: "If you want to rely on power, choose this place. If you want to save money, don't ask about 'safety'... This place isn't available to just anyone. Even if you have money, you can't rent it without the status of an inner disciple."

Ye Xiao said directly, "Then this will do."

Even though he still needs the money to buy medicine and pay off debts, he can postpone those things...

My family's lives cannot be delayed.

The beautiful woman's smile became more composed, but she said no more.

She pulled out a stack of pre-prepared lease agreements from the bottom of the cabinet and placed them on the edge of the table: "The place in Qingshi Lane was just vacated a few days ago. The owner doesn't live there, so the lease is with me. It's clean."

"Two months' deposit and one month's rent in advance, a total of fifteen taels for three months. This includes the security money for the guards at the entrance of the alley... This is the rule of Qing Shi Alley. It is not given to officials or gangs. It only falls into the hands of the few merchant guilds that pay for the care of the guards. Once you move in, people will recognize your face the very first day."

She raised her eyes, her tone flat, yet every word was in accordance with industry practice: "What you want is power, so I'll give you that power in a concrete way. The keys, the door latches, the arrangements with the guards—I'll take care of everything for you at once. You just need to bring your people in and move in."

Ye Xiao then pushed the money over, asking decisively, "Can I stay here tonight?"

"Yes, I can." Manager Xu's hand was steady as he took the money. "Bring the person here before noon. Someone will be waiting for you at the alley entrance."

She placed a bunch of keys on the table, with a small wooden tag hanging from each key. The tag was engraved with the words "Qing Shi," like a small pass.

Ye Xiao gathered the key in his palm, rubbed his fingertips against the edge of the wooden sign, and the taut thread in his heart finally loosened by half an inch.

……

Ye Xiao turned and went out. The wind on Biyue Street was clean, but also cold.

After walking through two alleys, the street became wider, there were fewer pedestrians, and the storefronts were all more dignified than the last...

The faint sound of water could be heard from outside the street, and mist clung to the river's surface, even the wind carrying a damp chill.

Qingyun Escort Agency is located at the end of the street.

The plaque was not large, but the characters were firmly placed. Iron rings were nailed to both sides of the vermilion gate, and the threshold was worn shiny.

Two flagpoles in front of the gate carried blue flags with white stripes, the corners of which fluttered in the wind like two upright knives. Several bodyguards carried goods in and out, their steps heavy, their backs straight, the sheaths of their knives scraping against their protective gear, producing short, metallic clangs.

Two apprentices stood on either side of the door, their gazes fixed and unwavering, like two iron nails driven into the lintel, causing passersby to instinctively take a half-step around them.

Ye Xiao walked to the door, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and spoke in a neither loud nor soft tone:

"Please inform them that I am not entrusting any goods to them, nor am I causing any trouble... I only wish to see the chief镖头 (chief镖头, a person in charge of escorting goods) to discuss a matter."

The apprentice on the left glanced at him from head to toe, his gaze lingering on his cuffs. He then caught a whiff of the cold, metallic scent of coal, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Do you think this is some random place where you can just walk in whenever you want?"

The apprentice on the right chuckled, but his smile was cold: "Whether you want to build connections or do something else, leave... Qingyun's threshold is not low; not everyone is qualified to enter."

Ye Xiao's voice was even and direct:

"I only want to see the chief镖头 (chief镖头 is a term used in Chinese to refer to a bodyguard/escort) and make things clear in person."

As soon as he finished speaking, he flipped his palm, revealing half an inch of the token. He then quickly withdrew it, keeping it out of sight of passersby, but enough for the two people at the door to see clearly.

Azure Dragon Inner Gate.

He doesn't need to say those four words; the token will say them itself.

The two apprentices immediately composed themselves; the sign indicated their identity, and stopping the wrong person would cause trouble.

The apprentice on the left immediately whispered, "Please wait here, I'll go and inform them now."

He turned and entered the door, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.