I run a casino in the immortal realm.

Everything is ready.

Zheng Yifei pushed open the courtyard gate and stepped into the alley.

The sun was shining brightly, and the main street of the market was bustling with people. There were vendors selling talismans, selling pills, and hawking their wares of spiritual herbs. It was noisy and lively.

He walked south along the path at the edge of the market, through two narrow alleys, and then turned onto the ridge leading to the shantytown.

On both sides of the paddy field are newly planted rice paddies, with tender green seedlings neatly arranged in the water. The afternoon sun shines on the water, reflecting a golden shimmer.

He walked slowly and lightly, silently reviewing the details of his departure three days later.

I went through every step in my mind.

The ridge in front of us bends around a crooked willow tree.

When Zheng Yifei reached the willow tree, he paused for a moment.

Three people were standing behind the willow tree.

The one in question is a mouse.

He had a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks, his triangular eyes were narrowed into slits, his arms were crossed in front of his chest, and he tilted his head to look at him.

The person behind him on the left was bald. The cloth strip on his wrist had been removed, but he was still clearly a little uncomfortable, and his right hand was subconsciously protecting his left wrist.

On the right was a short man Zheng Yifei had never seen before, with a round face, a flat nose, and an aura of the third level of Qi Refining. He had an iron ruler at his waist, and his knuckles were calloused, indicating that he was used to fighting.

The three people weren't just passing by; they were there specifically to wait for him.

Because this crooked willow tree was right on Zheng Yifei's only route back to the shantytown from the market.

"Xiao Fei, what a coincidence!"

The mouse grinned, its voice not loud, but every word carried a sinister undertone.

Zheng Yifei stopped and stood on the edge of the field, less than three zhang away from the rat.

He didn't speak, but quickly surveyed his surroundings.

To the left is a rice paddy, where the mud is deep and you can't run fast.

There were also spirit rice fields on the right, so he couldn't run fast either. He was blocked by three people in front, and the path he came from was behind him.

He does have a way out, but he doesn't want to.

"Brother Mouse, what's up?"

Zheng Yifei's tone was the same as always, with the kind of restraint one would expect from a small-time farmer in a shantytown facing a street hustler.

The mouse didn't answer directly, but tilted its head and glanced at the bald man.

The bald man understood, took two steps forward, and pointed in the direction behind Zheng Yifei—the direction of East Alley.

"Brother Mouse, I saw him four days ago when I passed by East Alley."

The bald man's voice was muffled, carrying the excitement of finding prey: "He came out of a rented room, acting suspiciously, and changed his clothes."

Zheng Yifei's pupils contracted slightly, but his facial expression remained unchanged.

His mind went blank.

Four days ago, when he came out of the rented house, he had changed back into his Lingnong attire of coarse cloth and short brown clothes, and he had also taken off his mask. He didn't expect to be discovered.

It was not normal for a poor farmer from a shantytown to rent a room in the East Alley of the market.

Lingnong, who lives in a shantytown, can't even afford to pay the rent for the Zhao family's land. Where would he get the spare money to rent a house in the market?

The bald man didn't need to know what he was doing inside; just knowing that he had a rented room was enough for the rats to smell the blood.

Having rental properties means you're wealthy.

Having money means that the spirit coins won at the gambling den haven't been lost, and you're even continuing to earn them.

Although the logical chain was incomplete, it was enough for a seasoned market man like Haozi who relied on intuition.

"Xiao Fei".

The mouse spoke slowly, taking two steps from the edge of the field like a wildcat that had smelled blood: "Tell me the truth, what did you use that room in the east alley for?"

Zheng Yifei answered quickly and without hesitation: "I work odd jobs at Zhenwei Escort Agency. Sometimes I finish work late and it's too far to go back to the shantytown, so I stay overnight in East Alley."

The mouse scoffed, its smile widening.

"Xiao Fei, you said you work for a security escort agency? The pay must be low, right?"

He counted on his fingers: "I've inquired about the rental rooms in East Alley. They cost four hundred spirit coins a month. Your monthly salary isn't even enough to cover the rent."

He took a step forward, the glint in his triangular eyes growing ever brighter.

"Where did you get the money?"

Zheng Yifei remained silent for a moment.

"The manager gave us a little extra, plus what we had left over from winnings."

"What's left over from your previous winnings?"

The mouse laughed, its yellow teeth gleaming: "Didn't you say you lost everything? Your mother scolded you and told you to settle down and farm. You said that yourself, didn't you?"

Zheng Yifei fell silent.

He knew that any further explanation would only make things worse. The rat hadn't come to hear explanations; it had come to ask for money.

really.

The mouse stopped beating around the bush and revealed its hand directly.

"Xiao Fei, I'm a reasonable person. I don't care how much money you make in the market. But there are some rules you need to know in Black Mountain Market."

He held up three fingers. "From today onwards, in that room in the east alley, give me two spirit stones every month as 'peace money.' If you pay, I'll pretend I didn't see anything. If you don't pay—"

He tilted his head and glanced at the shorter man.

The short man pulled out an iron ruler from his waist and slapped it twice in his palm. The sound of the iron ruler striking his palm was particularly jarring on the quiet ridge of the field.

"If you don't pay, I'll tell Manager Zhao about this."

The rat's voice lowered, carrying an undeniable threat: "A tenant from a shantytown, secretly renting a house in the market, who knows what he's up to. What do you think Manager Zhao will think?"

This is the rat's real killer move.

It wasn't about hitting him, it was about tattlering on him.

The Zhao family maintained extremely strict control over the tenants in the shantytown. All economic activities of the tenants had to be within the Zhao family's supervision. Those who rented houses or did business in the market without permission were fined spirit stones at best, and had their tenant farmer status revoked and were expelled from the shantytown at worst.

Zheng Yifei stood on the edge of the field, the wind blowing his wisps of hair from his forehead to the corners of his eyes.

He stared at the mouse's face, his mind racing.

Two spirit stones a month isn't a large sum, but the problem isn't the money.

The problem is that once this opening is made, rats will stick to it like leeches. Two spirit stones are just the beginning; later it will become five, ten, twenty, and there will be no end to it.

This is the typical tactic used by gangs on Blue Star to collect protection money; he'd seen it all too many times in his past life.

But now is not the time to turn against each other.

He will be setting off with the caravan to Sujiafang City in three days. This trip is estimated to last a year and a half, leaving only his parents, younger brother and sister at home.

If he were to fall out with Haozi now, and that guy were to cause trouble for his father in the shantytown after he left, or actually report the rental house issue to Manager Zhao, the consequences would be unimaginable.

That vulnerable family could not withstand even the slightest setback.

Did you kill them with talismans?

No, that won't work either. This place is very close to the market, and there are people working nearby.

Zheng Yifei's expression gradually changed from wary to troubled, and then to embarrassed.

The process took less than three breaths, but every detail was handled perfectly.

"Brother Mouse... two spirit stones are too much. I really don't have that much money. I borrowed a friend's place to rent; it didn't cost me anything. You can ask him if you don't believe me—"

Stop giving me that nonsense.

The mouse interrupted him impatiently, "If you have it, you have it; if you don't, you don't. If you can't produce it today, I'm going to find Manager Zhao right now."

Zheng Yifei gritted his teeth, feigning heartache, and rummaged in his pocket for a while before pulling out two spirit stones.

"Brother Mouse, I've paid this month's amount, but next month... I'm really not sure I can afford it."

The mouse grabbed the spirit stone, weighed it in its palm, and a wide smile spread across its face.

"We'll talk about next month's business next month."

He tucked the spirit stone into his pocket and patted Zheng Yifei on the shoulder: "Xiaofei, you're a smart guy. Let's get along well in the future. If you ever come across any ways to make money, don't forget to include us brothers."

After saying that, he winked at the bald man and the short man, and the three of them swaggered along the ridge towards the market.

As the bald man passed Zheng Yifei, he deliberately increased the weight of his steps, his shoulder almost brushing against Zheng Yifei's arm—this was a show of defiance.

Zheng Yifei stood still, waiting until the three figures completely disappeared at the end of the field before slowly exhaling.

I gave the mouse two spirit stones not because I was afraid of him, but because it wasn't worth turning against him right now.

He will be leaving Heishanfang City in three days, and nothing unexpected can happen in the next two days.

The rental property issue needs to be dealt with as soon as possible.

Baldy found out he had a house in East Alley, and no matter what Rat had promised, the news would spread sooner or later.

He had to move everything in the rented room before he left—the mask, the clothes, the spirit-gathering array plate—he couldn't leave anything behind.

Zheng Yifei turned around and quickly walked back towards the market.