Strongest Abandoned Son Chapter 5: Renting A House

Translator: Tim Editor: Tehrn / Carolin

“You two can leave. I won’t sell my items to you because this fellow here is getting on my nerves,” Ye Mo said to Su Jingwen while pointing at Wang Peng.

Exhausted and deeply worried about her mother’s illness, Su Jingwen appeared completely drained. The hospital had offered her no hope at all. She’d heard rumors that an evil spirit might be tormenting her mom, and acquiring a spirit-repelling artifact could drive it away and bring her back to consciousness. She had purchased numerous such items already, yet her mother showed no hint of recovery. Now, with this young man claiming his charm could revive her, how could she possibly pass it up?

Even if he was deceiving her, it was merely tens of thousands of dollars—pocket change for the Su Family. As long as a tiny spark of possibility existed, she refused to abandon it. Deep down, she suspected his claims were 99% bogus, but she had to give it a shot anyway.

Upon hearing Ye Mo’s words, anxiety gripped her. She quickly apologized to him, “Sorry, master, I have nothing to do with this man.” Then, she fixed Wang Peng with an icy glare and stated: “Mr. Wang, you may go now. Stop tailing me, or I’ll call the police!”

Wang Peng shot a venomous glare at Ye Mo. In silence, he swore to make this swindler pay dearly—once back, he’d summon thugs to snap the kid’s arms and legs.

With Su Jingwen’s dismissal ringing clear, he had no choice but to slink away in humiliation. Ye Mo caught the malice in Wang Peng’s eyes and understood his malicious intentions perfectly. Yet, he planned to wrap up his dealings here in just a few days before vanishing. He had no bandwidth for distractions, and besides, this Wang Peng posed no threat to him whatsoever.

“I’ll take every spirit cleansing charm you have—how much?” Once Wang Peng was gone, Su Jingwen pleaded urgently.

Ye Mo picked up the pair of spirit cleansing charms and explained: “I poured my soul into crafting these, so there are just two. You only need this superior one, though. Keep the other sealed in a jade bottle; it’ll remain effective for a decade. Thirty thousand dollars for both.”

As he explained, Ye Mo handed the two spirit cleansing charms to Su Jingwen, pointing out the one nearing level 1 quality.

Su Jingwen accepted them but handed over a cheque for 50,000 dollars. Unwilling to profit unfairly, Ye Mo added a protection charm and a fireball charm, saying: “With the extra 20,000, these two are yours as well.”

“This is a protection charm—place it in a small pouch and carry it on you. The fireball charm is for defense. If danger strikes, hurl it and chant ‘Lin’[1].”

Noticing Ye Mo’s fairness, Su Jingwen’s trust in the charms surged, and he no longer struck her as a con artist. Eagerly, she inquired: “Master, how do I activate the spirit cleansing charm?”

Ye Mo pocketed the cheque and replied, “Same as the other: toss it onto the patient and utter ‘Lin’.”

“Um, may I have your surname? Could you possibly visit my mother with me? I’ll double the cheque as your fee,” Su Jingwen asked while clutching the spirit cleansing charm. Her frantic thoughts began to settle, and the charm’s unexpected heft bolstered her faith in Ye Mo, prompting the invitation.

Ye Mo naturally declined to accompany her and waved it off: “No need for me to come; this charm will surely rescue her!” Seeing his refusal, Su Jingwen and Xiao Yue had no option but to grab the charms and hurry back to test them.

Once the women departed, Ye Mo swiftly packed his stall to head to the bank and cash the cheque—he was in dire need of funds right now.

.......

“Sister Jing, that guy hid behind huge sunglasses; we couldn’t see his face at all. What Wang Peng said rings true—he’s probably a fake,” Xiao Yue said delicately, though convinced he was a scammer.

Su Jingwen let out a heavy sigh. She suspected Ye Mo was a fraud too, but desperation forced her hand. Even aware of the likely scam, she had to attempt it.

Observing Su Jingwen’s silent sigh, Xiao Yue, her bodyguard, grasped her desperation. Sorrow etched her features, but she held her tongue.

Right after obtaining the 50,000 dollars, Ye Mo's top priority became securing a residence since he required herbs for crafting serums, a task far too inconvenient at school. Opting for an off-campus rental promised much better conditions. Though he'd encounter his dorm mates just once every few months, the profound secrecy of his work forbade any risk of revelation.

Renting anywhere in Ning Hai proved simple with ample funds, yet Ye Mo failed to discover a spot that truly met his needs. He sought not just comfortable accommodations but also ample space for martial arts practice.

Cultivation already challenged him greatly at present, but he refused to abandon the mortal martial arts honed in his previous life. Such skills remained essential for self-protection.

Ning Du district positioned itself to the north, while Ning Hai University—Ye Mo's school—lay to the south, forming perfect opposites. Even within the same city, over 30 km of distance stretched between them. By the time Ye Mo arrived in Ning Du, midnight loomed close.

Two key factors urged Ye Mo to select a home distant from the university. First, to conceal his secrets from campus acquaintances; second, to forge his physique by running there in times ahead.

As Ye Mo abandoned the search for the evening, a modest courtyard bearing faint spirit Chi suddenly came into view. Filling Ye Mo with unexpected delight, a “For Lease” sign adorned the property.

Ye Mo resolved to lease the place before even crossing the threshold, captivated purely by the respectable spirit Chi present.

“Who are you looking for?” The door flew open from Ye Mo's knock, and a woman in her fifties emerged, eyeing him closely. Yet Ye Mo overlooked her question momentarily, stunned by the Silver Heart Grass thriving there. No wonder spirit Chi permeated the air. Amazement gripped him at discovering this herb. Still, a lone stalk offered far too little. As the primary component for Chi Gathering pills, its appearance on Earth defied belief.

Ye Mo quelled the thrill surging within and met the woman's peculiar gaze before blurting hastily, “Aunty, I saw that this place was for lease and I want to rent it.” Grasping his purpose at those words, she promptly invited Ye Mo inside.

Through their discussion, Ye Mo learned the property's layout. The courtyard house boasted east and west rooms alongside a living room. The owner refused to lease the living room, with the west room already occupied. The east room had served as her own quarters, but now she planned to relocate to Ning Bei district near her son. Thus, she offered the east room for rent, encountering Ye Mo at that moment.

Stunning the woman, she'd priced it at 1100 a month, yet this unassuming young man voiced no objection and promptly paid a full year's rent.

1: The “Lin” here literally means “arrival/arrive”.