Chapter Fourteen: The World of the Wealthy

Not only the priestess, but even Shen Ce was startled by Sairus's words. As far as he knew, land in "Heaven's Traverse" was worth its weight in gold. When he and Shui Linglong had jointly purchased the two-story Treasure Pavilion in Ling Shui City, it had cost them around thirty thousand gold coins, let alone an entire estate. Even if it was located on the outskirts, the expenditure would still be astonishing.

Shen Ce waved his hand, signaling the priestess to listen to him, but Sairus stepped forward, blocking Shen Ce and looking down at the priestess with a lofty gaze. His manner was bold and assertive: "How much?"

"One hundred thousand gold coins," the priestess carefully uttered the number, sneaking a glance at Shen Ce and Sairus. She felt both men exuded strong auras: one cold, one proud. Even standing together, she sensed no hint of newlywed sweetness—if anything, they seemed more like antagonists locked in a feud.

Shen Ce had mentally prepared for a high price, but the number was still unacceptable. He frowned, his tone stern: "Sairus, this is absolutely unnecessary."

The masked man cast Shen Ce a sidelong glance, a strange gleam flickering in his fathomless eyes: "This is my affair, it has nothing to do with you."

Shen Ce was nearly infuriated by Sairus's words. He was about to speak when he saw the priestess hand Sairus a slender sheet of paper and a feathered pen. Sairus took them swiftly, signed his name in a fluid, graceful script, and handed them back.

Shen Ce opened his mouth, then closed it, lips pressed tight, his entire demeanor dark and brooding—Sairus might have money to burn, but there was no need to squander it on this. He had thought Sairus was a rational person, but judging from his actions lately, inviting Sairus to partner up seemed more and more like a mistake.

The priestess clutched the freshly signed document, a barely concealed excitement lighting her pretty face. Heaven bear witness, most newcomers only ever purchased a small courtyard—this was the first pair to buy an entire estate. She raised her face, shyly offering Sairus two sets of keys bound together: "These are your estate keys, please keep them safe. If lost, they will be very difficult to replace."

Sairus detached one key and handed it to Shen Ce: "Take it. You can return it to me after we divorce." Seeing Shen Ce hesitate, Sairus blinked, a hint of mockery in his expression as he added the latter sentence.

The priestess fell silent, unsettled by the odd, tense atmosphere between Sairus and Shen Ce. It was the first time she'd seen newlyweds talk of divorce so soon, but it didn't matter—her sales performance had just reached a new height, and that was what mattered most.

Shen Ce pressed his lips even tighter as he finally took the heavy brass keys, his features as if veiled in frost, so cold as to inspire fear. Sairus, meanwhile, seemed not to notice Shen Ce's frozen expression; he reached over, drawing Shen Ce close, and in an instant, their surroundings changed utterly.

The sun was sinking behind the western hills, tired birds returning to the woods. Far off, the sky was tinged with clouds dyed like rouge, casting a radiant glow over the sprawling estate, and at its heart, the ancient castle was suffused with a warmth rarely seen in this world. All was serene and peaceful, as if happiness itself dwelled here.

The silence was profound. Shen Ce gazed at the breathtaking scene before him, his speechless awe only deepening. Two double-player teleportation scrolls in a single day, and now a lavish, impractical estate—Sairus had become, in Shen Ce’s eyes, the ultimate tycoon.

Sairus inserted the antique bronze key into the gilded lock of the estate’s grand gate. With a soft click, the massive iron doors swung open. Sairus arched his brows at Shen Ce, inviting him in. Shen Ce followed wordlessly; after all, there was no need for pretense—these were Sairus’s assets, nothing to do with him. Once their quest was finished and their partnership ended, there would be no ties left.

"Ding—Congratulations, you and your partner have returned home together. Mutual affection increased by 30, reaching the qualifying standard."

"Congratulations, you've unlocked the couple skill 'Life and Death Together.' This skill can be upgraded; when your partner is injured in battle, you have a chance to block damage for them."

"Congratulations, you've unlocked the couple skill 'Wings of Love.' This skill can be upgraded; you and your partner may use it together, allowing you to soar hand in hand through the skies for one minute."

"Congratulations, you've unlocked the couple skill 'Companions to the Ends of the Earth.' This skill cannot be upgraded; once a day, you may instantly teleport to your partner’s side, with exceptions for certain special maps."

As Shen Ce struggled to process this flood of information, a well-trained chorus of voices suddenly rang out beside him: "Welcome home, Master and Madam."

Shen Ce glanced over and saw an elderly man and two maids in identical uniforms, heads bowed respectfully before him and Sairus.

His eyelid twitched. He had never realized that "Heaven's Traverse" offered the bonus of servants with real estate purchases. Most galling of all was the unanimous use of "madam"—it made him irrationally irritable.

Expressionless, Shen Ce turned to Sairus, his eyes pitch-black: "Tell them to change how they address me." Ownership of the estate belonged to Sairus, so the servants followed his orders.

Sairus tugged at his lips, a deep voice tinged with an inexplicable pleasure: "Isn't it fine as it is?"

"Master, as you and Madam are visiting for the first time, would you like your old servant to show you around the estate?" The elderly butler still had his head bowed, his tone deferential.

Hearing "madam" yet again, Shen Ce’s face took on an unprecedented chill. He repeated icily, "Tell them to change how they address me."

"If you dislike it, then let them change it," Sairus’s smile deepened, turning to the butler and two young maids: "Ling doesn’t like your form of address. From now on, just call him Master."

With those words, Sairus dismissed the three servants and wandered through their new home with Shen Ce. The estate was vast, lush with trees and shadowed castles. As they walked the cobblestone paths, their affection level quietly rose by another five points.

Sadly, this effect only applied during the first tour; after another circuit, the affection meter remained static. In "Heaven's Traverse," couples could also raise affection by eating together, sleeping together, or completing quests. With the game’s realism at ninety-eight percent, in-game couples often blurred the line between roleplay and reality. To prevent harassment, the developers had introduced the Thunderbolt System, allowing female players to summon lightning and incinerate any male player with ill intentions.

Naturally, Shen Ce had no intention of sleeping alongside Sairus. Ultimately, they shared a meal at the long table. It was, nominally, a wedding banquet. The diligent NPC butler had already lit numerous ornate candles and scattered unfamiliar flowers across the table, creating a warm and inviting scene.

Yet Shen Ce’s overriding impression of the banquet was that it tasted like wax. Accustomed to dining alone, he now found himself faced with Sairus across the table and three people standing nearby. However exquisite the dishes, he could not taste a thing.

After half an hour, Shen Ce finally heard the affection increase notification. He rose as if pardoned from a sentence, telling Sairus, "I have matters to attend to in real life. I'll log out now."

"Wait," Sairus, meeting Shen Ce’s puzzled gaze, let his smile fade, his eyes calm and deep: "Let me see the ring on your left hand."

Shen Ce lowered his head, glancing at the silver-black ring on his left hand. He didn’t understand why Sairus was drawing attention to it. "Is there a problem?" Could Sairus have noticed something unusual about the ring? But the old dwarf Hartar had clearly concealed its dark aura last time.

Sairus’s gaze lingered on the ring, but his reply was unrelated: "Tomorrow, when you log in, remember to message me. We'll go monster hunting together."