Chapter 34: Safe Haven

Ryan and the others soon realized that the enormous jade wall before them was essentially a massive map.

Simple outlines divided its surface into different areas, while countless large circular pits were scattered across it, each corresponding to a mansion within Winters Manor.

At a glance, seven or eight out of every ten pits already contained Perpetual Light Stones.

The stones glowed brightly, illuminating the jade wall and making the occupied residences easy to identify.

Winters Manor was already famous throughout Ashfall City as an extraordinarily expensive residential estate.

Yet despite being completed less than three months ago, most of its residences had already been sold.

The remaining dark pits represented the mansions that were still available.

Beside each one, the corresponding mansion number and asking price were clearly displayed.

There were relatively affordable options as well as residences with prices so high that they were almost frightening.

Ryan carefully examined the figures. He couldn’t help clicking his tongue in amazement.

The cheapest mansion started at two thousand Low-Grade Origin Stones.

The most expensive ones cost tens of thousands. The prices were staggering.

Fortunately, the credit limit attached to his Winters Token was still sufficient.

But with only three thousand Low-Grade Origin Stones available to him, his choices were extremely limited.

Ryan’s parents and Ethan stared at the prices in stunned silence.

They had never imagined that a single residence could cost so much.

Their faces gradually turned pale as they looked toward Ryan.

Even Ryan felt a headache coming on as he studied the countless mansion numbers and complicated information displayed across the jade wall.

There was no point wasting time looking at everything himself. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

He turned toward Gerald. "We’re mainly looking for two things: security and concealment."

He paused before adding,."Preferably, the concealment should be exceptional. Our total budget cannot exceed three thousand Low-Grade Origin Stones."

Ryan gestured toward the jade wall. "Could you recommend the residences that best meet those requirements and explain their differences?"

Ryan had already made his decision. To avoid retaliation from the Sterling Family, he was prepared to use the entire credit limit attached to the Winters Token to secure a high-quality residence before they could react.

He knew the killing in the poor district couldn’t remain hidden for long.

Too many people had witnessed what happened. Even if he did his best to erase every trace, someone would eventually report the incident.

Once that happened, the Sterling Family would undoubtedly begin searching for him.

Spending a large amount now to secure a secluded and well-protected residence was the best option available.

The debt would be substantial, but the Winters Token gave him a one-month repayment period.

That meant he could protect his family immediately and worry about repaying the debt afterward.

Once his family was safe, Ryan could focus wholeheartedly on cultivating without constantly worrying about their safety.

Gerald studied the jade wall carefully. After a moment, he pointed toward three locations.

"If concealment is your primary concern and you want to stay within three thousand Low-Grade Origin Stones, I’d recommend these three."

"Mansions No. 386, No. 527, and No. 794."

He continued after carefully considering their respective advantages.

"All three are equipped with Profound Tier Medium-Grade Illusion Battle Formations. Their concealment capabilities are considerably stronger than those of ordinary residences."

"Profound Tier Medium-Grade Illusion Battle Formations?" Ryan raised an eyebrow.

He hadn’t expected all three mansions to possess formations of that level.

After thinking for a moment, he nodded. "All right. Take us to see them."

Ryan had heard of Illusion Battle Formations before.

Although they weren’t particularly high-ranked, they were notoriously difficult to refine, and not many Battle Formation Masters possessed the necessary expertise.

Their concealment ability was especially impressive.

The formation could distort and blur light around the residence, making it appear almost transparent from the outside.

Even if someone managed to break through the outer concealment, the formation could immediately activate an illusion array.

Layer upon layer of illusions would appear, often combined with various traps capable of delaying intruders for a considerable amount of time.

It was a powerful combination of concealment, illusion, and traps.

Its reputation was well known throughout the Crimson Expanse.

"Understood." Gerald nodded.

He then pointed toward a formation platform beside the jade wall. "Esteemed guests, please step onto the teleportation formation."

Ryan had been so focused on studying the jade wall that he hadn’t even noticed the teleportation formation nearby.

Now that Gerald had pointed it out, he couldn’t help examining it curiously.

At first glance, the teleportation formation appeared to be a vast and intricate pattern engraved across the ground.

A silver formation ring formed the outermost boundary, with several silver-white formation pillars positioned around its edge.

Within the ring, countless complex formation patterns had been carved into the ground, their lines intersecting in ways Ryan couldn’t immediately decipher.

At the very center of the formation was a circular activation disc embedded in the ground.

It looked rather peculiar. Ryan and his family stepped into the formation ring one after another.

Gerald then took out a Medium-Grade Origin Stone and placed it into a groove at the center of the activation disc.

CLICK!

The moment the Origin Stone settled into place, the formation disc activated.

A surge of energy swept through the formation, and a faint white glow spread across its surface.

Then, several beams of white light shot outward from the center.

They traveled along the intricate formation patterns before reaching the surrounding formation pillars.

One pillar after another lit up. As the final pillar activated, brilliant white light erupted from the entire formation.

The activation disc, formation pillars, outer ring, and countless inscriptions seemed to connect into a single entity.

In an instant, the entire formation blazed with dazzling light.

An ancient and mysterious formation pattern appeared beneath their feet.

Ryan’s eyes widened slightly. "It really is amazing..."

Winters Manor was simply too vast.

Walking from one end of the estate to another would take far too much time, so the Winters Family had constructed numerous short-range teleportation formations throughout the property.

These formations were specifically designed for the convenience of Mansion Lords and their families.

As residents of Winters Manor, they could use them free of charge.

The only requirement was an Origin Stone to provide the energy needed for activation.

A single Medium-Grade Origin Stone could sustain approximately two hundred short-distance transmissions.

Dedicated personnel regularly maintained the formations and replaced the Origin Stones whenever necessary, ensuring that the teleportation network remained operational.

Ryan and his family were fascinated. It was their first time using a teleportation formation.

Before Ryan could examine it any further, Gerald reached into his spatial ring and pulled out a black iron plate.

The number 386 was engraved on one side. The word Courtyard was engraved on the other.

Ryan immediately became curious. Gerald noticed his gaze and explained. "This is the access plate for Mansion 386."

"Think of it as a key. The plate is bound to the mansion and its courtyard. It can be used to activate the teleportation route between the residence and designated locations within Winters Manor. It can also open the entrance formation protecting the mansion."

Ryan nodded in understanding. The black iron plate was essentially a combination of a key and a teleportation access token.

Gerald held it up and then..

WHOOSH!

The moment the plate appeared, the teleportation formation suddenly erupted with brilliant white light.

Ryan and the others barely had time to react. Their vision turned white. Then everything went black.

A dizzying sensation swept through their minds as the world seemed to spin around them.

A moment later—

SWISH!

The sensation vanished. Ryan’s vision gradually returned. He blinked. They were no longer standing beside the jade wall.

They had been teleported directly to the entrance of a magnificent mansion.

Ryan’s sharp eyes immediately noticed the large plaque hanging above the entrance.

[386]

"Please, follow me."

Gerald lowered the access plate and led them inside. Ryan looked around as he followed.

This was going to be their new home. At least, if it could meet all of his requirements.

Under Gerald’s guidance, Ryan and his family toured Mansions No. 386, No. 527, and No. 794 one after another.

All three residences were spacious and magnificent, with bright interiors and similar overall dimensions. Their layouts differed only in a few minor details.

Each mansion stood three stories tall.

The structures were sturdy and secure, while the interiors were luxuriously furnished.

Beds, cabinets, stoves, windows, benches, chairs, and all the other basic necessities were already provided.

Each residence also had a spacious courtyard, a beautifully maintained garden, and an independent training room.

They were fully equipped to meet virtually every need of the Cole Family.

After carefully comparing the three options, Ryan and his family finally settled on Mansion No. 527.

Its training room was the largest of the three. Its layout was also particularly suitable for them, while its location near the central area made it more convenient.

Most importantly, it offered the best value for money.

Its original asking price was 2,200 Low-Grade Origin Stones.

After considering everything, Ryan decided it was the most suitable choice.

Once they had settled all the details, Ryan and Gerald quickly completed the mansion transfer contract.

Gerald then issued a specially refined black access plate to each member of the family.

The plaque above the mansion entrance was also replaced.

The number 527 disappeared. In its place appeared two simple words: Cole Manor.

"Hiss—" A flash of white light passed through the Winters Token.

The transaction was complete and because Ryan was using the credit privilege attached to the Winters Token, he received an 8.8% discount on the original price.

Instead of paying the full 2,200 Low-Grade Origin Stones, only 1,936 were deducted from his account.

That left him with a little over a thousand Low-Grade Origin Stones in remaining credit.

From that moment onward, the magnificent residence officially became the private property of the Cole Family.

Ryan looked at the mansion before him.

For the first time since the incident, he felt a genuine sense of relief.

At least his family finally had a safe place to stay.

They had a home.

And, more importantly, they had somewhere the Sterling Family wouldn’t easily find them.

"Oh, right, Gerald."

Ryan suddenly remembered something.

Now that he had secured a home for his family, there were still many things he needed to purchase.

He turned toward Gerald.

"I still need to buy quite a few things. But there are so many different merchants here that going through them one by one would take too much time."

He paused.

"Is there a faster way?"

Ryan had already noticed an important difference between the businesses inside Winters Manor and the Winters Trading Company branches scattered throughout the estate.

The Winters Tower was a massive, integrated commercial complex that carried almost every type of treasure and cultivation resource imaginable.

The Winters Trading Company branches inside the estate were completely different.

They were much smaller, and each branch generally specialized in only a few categories of goods.

There were countless merchants operating throughout Winters Manor, with some even selling overlapping products.

The sheer number of choices was somewhat overwhelming.

It almost seemed as though the Winters Family had deliberately created a competitive commercial environment within the estate.

Ryan didn’t understand the family’s internal business strategy well enough to say for certain.

But that wasn’t important right now.

What mattered was that his Winters Token still had a considerable amount of credit remaining.

And Ryan intended to make full use of it.

The Sterling Family was already a potential threat.

He needed to increase his strength as quickly as possible.

Besides purchasing basic necessities for his family, he also wanted to look for treasures that could directly improve his cultivation or combat power.

Time was precious. The faster he finished shopping, the sooner he could return to cultivation.

That was why Ryan wanted to find the most efficient way to access everything he needed.

He looked at Gerald expectantly. "Is there some kind of service here that can save me the trouble?"