High School Student with Immortal Race System

In Jinshui District, Yang Shen sat waiting in a coffee shop. His hands weren’t idle; he was still studying Pre-Qin Ancient Texts.

He wasn’t familiar with coffee shops. After all, before he got the system, he wouldn’t have dreamed of spending twenty or thirty yuan on a cup of coffee. And after he got it, he was too engrossed in his cultivation and developing his family to have any free time.

But he had seen them in TV shows and ordered an Ice Magna for himself.

’A poser’s favorite.’

The crisp chime of a bell sounded from the coffee shop’s entrance. Dressed in a white dress like a princess, Cao Wei glided in gracefully.

Many of the customers subconsciously looked over. Appreciating beauty is a universal instinct; a target-locking system has long been embedded in human DNA.

’Damn, she’s gorgeous! She must be the young miss of some wealthy family!’

Then they watched as this beautiful, princess-like girl abruptly dropped to her knees before a young man.

Everyone in the coffee shop froze for a moment.

’Wait... how the hell did he manage that?!’

’Where can I learn this core technique?!’

Yang Shen was ambushed by Cao Wei again.

’She goes for the nuclear option at the drop of a hat. This girl’s got a serious addiction to this stuff!’

He reached out and pulled her up. "Don’t mess around like this in public. Sit down and talk."

Cao Wei stood up, her face flushed, but inwardly, she had no intention of obeying her esteemed master.

’Eldest Disciple-Brother said that Master is approachable, but our devotion must be unwavering.’

’Yang Shen can refuse it, but she must offer it.’

Yang Shen put down his phone. "What do you want to drink?"

"I’ll have the same as you."

Yang Shen went to order another Ice Magna, but when he came back, he saw Cao Wei holding his glass and drinking from it.

’So this is what she meant by "having the same as me," huh?’

’There’s definitely something wrong with her... seriously...’

"I asked you here to ask about Cangwu Garden. We talked about it a bit yesterday, but I need more details."

Having already gathered plenty of information on her way over, Cao Wei began her explanation with confidence.

Yang Shen received more inside information, and combining it with the general overview he had found online, he pieced together a clearer picture of the situation.

The origin of the name "Cangwu Garden" had been lost to time, and no one cared anymore.

In Yanhua, where martial arts were held in the highest esteem, names containing the word "martial" were exceedingly common.

Yang Shen guessed that perhaps the builders of the Earth Palace 2,000 years ago had left some people behind to guard it.

Ancient Yanhua often had similar stories, such as guarding an Imperial Mausoleum. This wasn’t a job you clocked in and out of; it meant dozens of families were bound to the place for generations, forbidden to leave, living there for all time.

And 2,000 years ago, Jianghuai was a barren wasteland, so it was only normal for something so important to be guarded.

But as time passed and dynasties rose and fell, it was only natural that after many generations, the descendants of these Guardians would slowly forget their family’s history.

The name gradually shifted from one reflecting "Qi Storage" to "Cangwu," a name more in line with Yanhua’s mainstream martial culture. In the modern era, it was eventually swallowed up by the vastness of Jianghuai City.

That ancient well was, in fact, the entrance to the Qi Storage Pavilion.

If he wanted to obtain this family opportunity—the Qi Storage Pavilion and its Source Liquid—he had two options. He could either keep sneaking in and plundering it like a tomb raider, or he could acquire ownership of Cangwu Garden.

This was why he had sought out Cao Wei for information.

Cao Wei’s father was a regional real estate developer in Jinshui District who was planning to expand into the Jianghuai City District. Cangwu Garden was a plot of land he had been looking into for several years.

Vacant land in Jianghuai was becoming increasingly scarce. The cost of demolition and reconstruction was terrifyingly high, and the remaining plots were locked in as green spaces.

This was out of consideration for the city’s ecosystem.

But there were always people who liked to go all-in and take a gamble, like its current owner, Wang Yisheng.

Perhaps he was too optimistic, or perhaps he was simply swindled by a middleman. He acquired the land ten years ago, expecting that its designated use could be changed in the future, allowing him to build a residential complex and make a fortune.

And then the matter dragged on for ten years.

The Jianghuai City Government’s requirements were simple.

Cangwu Garden covered a total area of about thirteen acres. Ninety percent of that area could not be paved over and had to be maintained as an urban green space.

"We don’t care how you use it, and we don’t care if anyone visits. But it *must* stay green!"

And the park had to remain open to the public.

It was less like buying a plot of land and more like becoming a long-term money sink for a municipal park. That was why it had been so cheap.

Only 10 million yuan! The price was set specifically to bait fools into taking the gamble.

Of course, in practice, the rules weren’t enforced that strictly. As long as the land wasn’t paved over, it was permissible to divide the park into inner and outer sections, keeping the inner part private while leaving the outer part open for anyone to wander.

But this was meaningless to a potential buyer. Anyone who bought it was obviously looking to make a profit. They were all betting that the land’s zoning designation could be changed.

Wang Yisheng was exactly that kind of gambler. He bought it for 10 million, dreaming of earning billions. Rumor had it he’d pulled a lot of strings and handed out plenty of bribes to get his hands on it. But after ten years without a glimmer of hope, he’d truly become nothing more than a money sink for the government’s green space.

Later, he changed his approach.

If he really couldn’t build a residential complex, then he should just sell it. Maybe some top-tier tycoon would like this kind of unique plot?

But the key problem was... the area was a dump. It was surrounded by nothing but car dealerships and logistics hubs, and the roads were riddled with potholes from all the heavy trucks.

What self-respecting rich person would live in a district like this? You’d scrape the bottom of your luxury car twice just getting home!

The estate was large, sure, but a huge part of it had to be open to the public as a park. Anyone could just wander in. Don’t the rich care about their prestige?

The truly super-rich of Jianghuai all clustered in the most central Yellow Dragon District. The mansions with gardens there were worth hundreds of millions and were a far better proof of a family’s standing than Cangwu Garden.

The idea that bigger is more valuable is how poor people think. The rich want prestige.

It was debatable whether living here added any prestige, but it definitely felt like someone was trying way too hard to be unique.

Anyway, Wang Yisheng searched high and low for top-tier tycoons, but so far, no one was interested.

You couldn’t pave anything, not even a wider road. That meant you couldn’t even drive a car onto the property...

So why couldn’t Wang Yisheng hold on any longer?

Because the maintenance costs for this huge green space were as high as 3 million a year...

At first, Wang Yisheng thought the prospects were bright and built himself a traditional mansion—the very Cangwu Tea Garden that Yang Shen had seen. It used to be Wang Yisheng’s own residence.

As time went on, the land became nothing but a money pit with no hope in sight. On top of that, living there was genuinely inconvenient, so he moved out. He converted the building into a tea garden, hoping to at least earn a little something.

In the end, he didn’t make a dime... He was just paying the salaries of a few staff members for no reason.

Over ten years, the accumulated losses reached forty to fifty million. Just as this was happening, Wang Yisheng’s own business ran into some problems, and the land became a pure liability.

It had reached the point where Wang Yisheng, once a wealthy man, was now struggling just to get by.

It was similar to Jin Wu’s situation. Many seemingly powerful people or businesses could collapse overnight if their cash flow was disrupted, no matter how big they were.

He had put it up for sale last year, but a year later, it still hadn’t sold. Of course, the price had dropped a lot, which was why Cao Wei’s father had gone to check on the situation again.

The final conclusion was: It was a no-go.

Back in the coffee shop, Yang Shen sipped his fresh Ice Magna and asked the crucial question.

"What’s their current asking price?"

Cao Wei stated an astronomical figure.

"30 million."

Yang Shen froze. ’That’s ridiculously expensive!’

’He wants that much for a liability that bleeds money every year?’

Even with his award for being the Champion Scholar and the income from his various Spirit Plants, it would be difficult for him to come up with more than 10 million in a short period.

And if he spent it all on Cangwu Garden, what about the renovations? It was a tea garden now, which was ultimately different from a residence. Renovating it would cost at least another million.

As for the upkeep of the grounds, however, he had no worries. The Yang Family held the Spirit Plant Inheritance, making this a heaven-sent location for them.

’I wouldn’t have to spend a dime on upkeep and could still make a killing!’

’I wouldn’t even need all thirteen acres. If I just set aside an acre or two to fill with Spirit Plants, the annual profits would be unimaginable.’

The only problem was... he didn’t have enough starting capital.

’Should I raid some Source Liquid first? But I’m short 20 million. That’s a lot of Source Liquid, and selling such a large amount would probably arouse suspicion...’

Cao Wei saw what her master was thinking and, after a moment’s consideration, said, "That kind of asking price is always inflated. Only Wang Yisheng himself knows his real bottom line. Once the pressure gets high enough to break his psychological defenses, everything is negotiable."

"It’s impossible for him to break even on Cangwu Garden. He just wants to cut his losses. Theoretically, even if he sold it for one yuan, he would at least save three to five million a year."

"Of course, that’s how the numbers work out, but whether his pride will accept it is another matter. Esteemed Master, what is your target price?"

Yang Shen thought for a moment and named a price he could accept.

"10 million."

If not for the Champion Scholar award, the most he could have hoped to scrape together this summer was 5 million. Ten million was still a distant goal.

But at least it was a number he felt was worth striving for.

Otherwise... he could only resort to raiding the place, or wait until next year.

That is, if Wang Yisheng hadn’t sold it by then, or if the new owner was willing to sell it for cheap.

With this clear figure from her master, Cao Wei now had a plan.

’I have to find a way to help Master make this happen!’

’If my own abilities aren’t enough... perhaps I can borrow the strength of my disciple-brothers!’

’Raise a disciple for a thousand days, use them in a single moment.’

’This is the perfect opportunity to show Master that we’re still willing to serve him for life!’

Yang Family Army! Assemble!

==Portal==

[Monthly Ticket]