Chapter 19: Becoming a Landlord!

Chapter 19: Becoming a Landlord! Before Xu Tao had time to appreciate the interior of the Log House, his eyes were drawn to a series of notifications that suddenly appeared. [Congratulations! You have crafted Log House x1! Rating: 98/100! Saving the finished product.] [Product saved! You can now spend System Points to instantly create a Mud Hut!] The first two messages were expected—confirmation of the crafting’s success. But what came next seemingly, almost literally, popped out of nowhere. [Achievement: A Humble Home] [Achievement Reward: True Heavenly Qi (1 drop)... Error. System can’t provide the said reward.] [Optimizing Achievement Reward... You received 1x Bunny Suit!] [Due to the new achievement, a Progression Quest has been triggered.] [ New Quest Generated: Helping the Homeless! Quest Details: The System has summoned 10 wanderers with fate connections to the current residents, based on the current progression level. You must help them stabilize into this world. Provide homes for the wanderers! Quest Rewards: Unique Title - Landlord Title Effect (Landlord): Allows the User to bestow a limited version of the Lost System to selected individuals ] "Looks like I’m becoming a landlord..." Xu Tao muttered, surprised at how casually the System was half-forcing responsibility onto him. But the other two didn’t seem troubled at all. On the contrary—they were admiring the Log House, eyes wide in wonder as their vision returned. "Wow~! So this is where we’ll be staying?" Jehanne exclaimed brightly. "This is way better than my actual home! It’s marvelous!" "Pui, pui~!" Even Pepe looked thrilled, hopping excitedly all over the place. Xu Tao decided to shelve his concerns about the quest and notifications for now and turned his attention to the house he’d just created. As expected of the System, the craftsmanship was excellent. The wooden walls and floors were perfectly joined, with no visible seams—almost as if the entire structure were leak-proof. And more than anything, it was spacious. The first floor featured an open living space, a kitchen corner with a ground pit for fire-starting, a fully wooden restroom, and two modest one-person rooms. The second floor, technically more like a dormitory loft, was made up of small personal rooms built wall-to-wall. It could house a dozen people at once, maybe more in a pinch. With that in mind, Xu Tao figured he could simply let the wanderers occupy the second floor, while he and Jehanne took the two private rooms below. That would fulfill the quest’s basic conditions. And yet, something about it unsettled him. "Can I really trust whoever the System summoned?" The Lost System was mysterious—currently helpful, yes—but who knew what might happen down the line? Of the ten people supposedly linked by "entwined fate" to him and Jehanne, one could easily be a hidden threat. A mole. Someone sent to disrupt his progress, sabotage him, maybe even kill him. "..." Xu Tao shook his head, brushing the thought away. It was chilling—but unlikely. If assassination were on the table, the person he should worry about most was already right beside him—Jehanne. With her strength, she could kill him without effort. Of course, he wouldn’t go down quietly. If he ever used his trump card, he could drag her to hell with him—literally. Just as he was lost in thought— "Sir Tao, I sense several presences approaching," Jehanne warned, her tone curious but edged with caution. "Some of them... feel familiar," she added in a low voice. "So the System really summoned them nearby?" Xu Tao had expected a scavenger hunt—running around to find and collect the ten strangers. Who would’ve thought they’d come to him instead? "Let’s meet them first," he said. "I doubt they’re enemies, but stay alert. Be ready to draw your weapon at a moment’s notice." Jehanne’s cheerful demeanor vanished, replaced by sharp focus. She nodded firmly. "Understood." Cautiously, the duo—plus one hopping gourd—stepped out of the cabin... and groaned in unison. "You guys... the Azure Dragon Sect’s Outer Disciples?!" "I knew those auras felt familiar... they’re really my soldiers!" Of the ten newcomers, five looked like classic cultivators. They wore training Dao Robes with the distinct white, blue, and gray pattern unique to the Azure Dragon Sect’s outer disciples. While Xu Tao couldn’t recall their names, he definitely recognized their faces. "Huh?" But the recognition wasn’t mutual. The five stared at him warily before bowing—not as one would to a sect leader, but to someone whose cultivation far surpassed their own. "We greet Senior," they said in unison. "May we ask which sect Senior belongs to? And... where exactly is this place?" Before Xu Tao could answer, the other five men acted quickly. "Commander Jeanne!" One of the soldiers shouted, and the rest followed, rushing to her side and kneeling. "It must be divine providence that brought us here! Please, enlighten us—where are we? We should be in the midst of battle against the Burgundians..." Xu Tao and Jehanne exchanged a glance and a small nod. No words were needed. "Talking out here for too long isn’t wise. Let’s head inside," Xu Tao said. "You five—come to the second floor. Jehanne, you can settle them down here on the first—" "Stand back, heathen! Stay away from our saint!" One of the soldiers suddenly growled, thrusting his spear toward Xu Tao’s face. The sheer nerve stunned him. "Kid." Xu Tao’s expression darkened. He casually flicked his fingers toward the spearhead. A moment later, the weapon was embedded halfway into the ground. "You’re not even qualified to stand before me, Great Elder Xu Tao of the Azure Dragon Sect—and you dared raise a weapon against me?" His voice was quiet, but each word carried weight, infused with Qi. Even those not directly targeted by his words felt the pressure. Heads bowed. Knees hit the ground. "I guess you’re tired of living..." Just as he raised his hand to deliver punishment— "I apologize on his behalf, Master Tao." Jehanne stepped in between them. "Gervais idolizes me too much. That’s what caused his foolishness. I’ll discipline him later, so please... lower your hand," she said gently, but with firm intent. Though she was likely stronger than him, Jehanne didn’t even show a hint of hostility. Had Xu Tao followed through with his blow, she likely wouldn’t have dodged. She would’ve taken it—her death, her end. "...Make sure you do educate them." Xu Tao sighed, lowering his hand. He had no interest in damaging their alliance. Jehanne smiled as if she had predicted this outcome all along. But the little drama wasn’t quite over— "Great... Elder?" Since Xu Tao had introduced himself in a rare moment of anger, the five Azure Dragon Sect disciples finally realized who he was. The source of this content is fre(e)novelhall