The tour continued after that, but Su Yan could not throw himself back into it with the same enthusiasm.
His gaze kept drifting towards 2B as they walked. Most of Wei Jian's explanations went in one ear and out the other, barely registering.
He did not miss everything, however.
The training ground proved far larger than it had appeared from the upper floor. There was no specialised equipment or dedicated training environment, but the open space gave them plenty of room to work with and more than enough potential for future additions.
Nihilister's expression turned thoughtful the moment they stepped onto it.
Su Yan had little doubt that, if they bought the estate, she would soon be dragging 2B out here for another spar.
He shivered at the thought.
Hopefully, they would leave the estate standing afterward.
Next came the island gazebo. Up close, Su Yan realised that carefully positioned trees and greenery screened it from much of the surrounding estate. Despite being in the heart of Heaven Dou, it felt like a secluded hideaway buried deep within a forest.
From what little Su Yan retained of Wei Jian's explanation, that had been the intention. The architect had modelled it after a place he had stumbled across in the wilderness during one of his journeys in search of inspiration.
The final stop was the bathhouse atop the low hill.
It was considerably larger than Su Yan had expected, with several indoor bathing rooms and multiple pools outside. A soul tool controlled the temperature of the water, allowing each pool to be heated with little more than a simple adjustment.
Whether they wanted to bathe properly inside or simply soak beneath the open sky, the option was theirs.
By the time they returned to the main residence, the sky had begun to darken.
Su Yan slowly looked around the interior as he ran everything they had seen through his mind, weighing the property's advantages against its price.
In all honesty, he wanted it. He really did.
The estate struck an excellent balance between security, luxury and practicality. Su Yan had initially feared that a property of this size would require dozens of servants merely to remain functional, but the main residence contained everything the three of them needed for their daily lives.
It even had its own private kitchen. Unlike the much larger service kitchen beside the household wing, which had clearly been designed for servants preparing meals for numerous guests, this one was smaller and far more practical for Su Yan to use himself.
They would eventually need to consider how to maintain the gardens and some of the estate's more elaborate mechanisms, but they could live here comfortably without filling their home with strangers.
More importantly, there were only two ways into the estate through its outer wall.
The first was the front gate through which they had entered, opening into the enclosed forecourt before the formal reception hall. The second was a broader but considerably plainer service gate set into the eastern wall beside the servants' quarters and utility block.
That entrance was wide enough to admit supply carts and carriages, leading directly into the area used for unloading deliveries and storing the estate's own vehicles.
Both entrances could be watched and controlled easily. Everywhere else, the estate remained enclosed behind the high outer wall.
In that regard, the property offered almost exactly what 2B had asked for.
Before Su Yan could settle on a decision, Wei Jian's still-enthusiastic voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"Young Master, there is one final feature I need to disclose before you decide." He gestured upwards. "Please, look at the ceiling."
Su Yan followed his gesture.
At first, he saw only a pattern of shallow grooves and narrow raised ridges worked into the ceiling. Smooth, pale orbs had also been set within small recesses at seemingly irregular points amongst them.
He recognised those.
The same round objects had been dotted throughout the main residence, embedded within pillars, walls and decorative mounts along the covered walkways and inside several of the rooms. Until now, Su Yan had assumed they were simply another part of the estate's decoration.
As the final rays of sunlight withdrew from the room, the nearest orb began to glow.
Another followed.
Then another.
Within moments, every orb set into the ceiling was radiating a soft white light.
The orbs had not been positioned randomly after all. Their recessed settings directed the light across the ceiling at carefully chosen angles, catching along the polished grooves while the raised ridges cast thin shadows behind them.
Separate lines of brightness and darkness gradually joined together, resolving into the figures of a dragon and a phoenix circling one another overhead.
The orbs embedded throughout the walls and pillars awakened as well. Their gentler light left the room comfortably dim rather than illuminating it as brightly as day.
It reminded Su Yan of mood lighting from his old world, warm enough to make the enormous room feel strangely intimate without leaving it too dark to see.
Wei Jian looked up at the completed mural with unmistakable pride.
"Night-Luminous Pearls," he explained. "While exposed to sunlight, they absorb and retain a portion of it. Once that light no longer reaches them, they begin releasing what they have gathered."
Su Yan looked towards one of the orbs set into the wall.
"So they illuminate the residence automatically once night falls?"
"Precisely."
Wei Jian drew in a slow breath, visibly savouring Su Yan's reaction.
"I commissioned the finest artisans and craftsmen I could find to create that mural. It took them months to complete, especially once I insisted upon finding Night-Luminous Pearls of the proper size and brightness."
Some of the pride faded from his expression.
"Unfortunately, I doubt I will ever have the opportunity to create anything like it again."
"Why not?"
Li Cheng answered before Wei Jian could.
"Because the price of Night-Luminous Pearls soared after this idiot began buying every one he could get his hands on."
He released a weary sigh.
"Night-Luminous Pearls used to be little more than an expensive novelty. They were uncommon, but the demand for them was never particularly high. Then Wei Jian began purchasing them by the cartload."
"The merchants noticed the sudden demand and raised their prices. Once the price increased and the available supply began to disappear, the nobles decided the pearls must be valuable status symbols and started buying them as well."
Li Cheng gave Wei Jian a pointed look.
"That drove the price even higher. By the time this estate was completed, Night-Luminous Pearls cost several times what they had when he began. Had he removed them and sold them separately, he might have recovered a small part of his losses."
"And dismantle my work?" Wei Jian huffed. "I did not acquire nearly enough to complete my original vision. What I obtained barely covered the main residence, the rear garden and its facilities as it was."
He gestured towards the pearls set throughout the walls and ceiling.
"Every pearl was placed with purpose. Selling even one would diminish the whole. Separating them was never an option."
While the pair continued muttering at one another, Su Yan walked over to the doorway and poked his head into the corridor.
Just as he had suspected, the pearls embedded within the walls and pillars had awakened as well. Together, they cast enough light along the corridor that no portion of it remained completely dark.
Su Yan returned to the still-bickering pair.
"There is one thing I'm curious about. Do the bedrooms use these pearls as well? Wouldn't the light become annoying when someone wanted to sleep?"
Wei Jian immediately snapped to attention.
"Let me show you."
He quickly led the group towards the master bedroom.
Beyond the light spilling in from the corridor, the room remained dark. Wei Jian crossed to one of the walls and slid aside a small wooden panel. The pearl concealed behind it immediately brightened the surrounding wall.
He repeated the process with several more panels positioned around the room, gradually illuminating the entire chamber.
"I selected some of the finest Night-Luminous Pearls for the bedrooms," Wei Jian explained. "The sliding panels allow you to expose as many or as few as you require. Close them all, and the room will remain dark."
He then pointed towards two smaller pearls mounted beside the bed.
"Those can also be removed and carried with you as portable lights."
Su Yan stepped farther into the room.
It was spacious, tastefully furnished and arguably even more comfortable than the suite in which they were currently staying. He crossed to the window and pushed it open, allowing a cool breeze to drift inside carrying the scent of the rear garden.
Taking a deep breath, Su Yan looked out across the grounds.
Pearls set into low stone posts marked the paths below, tracing faint lines through the greenery towards the bathhouse and lakeside gazebo. Several more glimmered beneath the surface of the lake, their light wavering gently with the water.
Wei Jian came to stand beside him.
"So, Young Master, what do you think?"
"It certainly is pretty," Su Yan admitted.
He remained beside the window, quietly enjoying the view.
As the silence stretched on, Wei Jian began to fidget.
"If…" He hesitated before continuing. "If you are still uncertain, perhaps you and your companions could spend the night here and make your decision in the morning?"
Su Yan nodded.
"That would be welcome."
Relief immediately spread across Wei Jian's face.
"Excellent. Then Li Cheng and I will retire to the guest wing for the night. That should allow you and the two young misses to experience the residence without us hovering over you."
Li Cheng glanced at him.
"We will?"
"Of course we will."
Wei Jian caught his friend by the arm and began ushering him towards the door.
"If you require anything, Young Master, you know where to find us. Otherwise, I hope the three of you enjoy your first night here."
Before Li Cheng could offer any further protest, Wei Jian dragged him into the corridor.
Su Yan watched them disappear before turning back towards the room.
Nihilister had already vanished.
One of the doors farther down the corridor closed with a solid thud. Apparently, she had taken the invitation to stay as permission to immediately claim whichever bedroom caught her attention.
Only 2B remained.
She stood quietly near the doorway, her white hair catching the gentle light of the pearls. For a moment, neither of them spoke.
"Good night, Su Yan."
"Good night, 2B."
She gave him a small nod before stepping into the corridor. The soft sound of her footsteps gradually faded as she went in search of a room of her own.
Su Yan remained where he was for several moments, simply drinking in the atmosphere.
At this point, his mind was all but made up.
In the morning, he would tell Wei Jian and Li Cheng that he wanted to purchase the property. Before that, however, there was one final check he wanted to make.
Su Yan directed his attention towards the storage soul tool around his wrist. With a mental pull, Pod appeared on the floor beside him.
He tapped its white shell several times. A moment later, Pod activated and rose into the air, its articulated limbs shifting into position.
"Pod 042 active for duty. How may I assist, Commander?"
"Pod, we're currently considering purchasing this property, but I want you to perform a final inspection before I make the decision. There are two other people staying in the guest wing. Avoid being seen by them while you scan the estate and check for structural faults, concealed spaces or anything else that hasn't been disclosed to us."
"Understood. This unit will report once the task is complete."
With that, Pod flew through the open window and disappeared into the darkness.
Su Yan released a quiet breath and spent some time familiarising himself with the room. Several hours passed before Pod finally returned.
By then, Su Yan was lying across the bed, idly turning one of the portable pearls between his fingers. He returned it to its receptacle when he noticed Pod hovering near the window.
"So, how was it?"
"Reporting: No significant structural defects were detected within the property. Several areas of minor deterioration were identified, but all appear consistent with normal wear and tear. No concealed chambers or spaces of meaningful size were identified."
Pod paused briefly.
"The mechanism located within the central courtyard is the most complex structure present. Its components appear intact and operational. However, its intended purpose could not be determined."
"That thing works something like a sun mirror," Su Yan explained. "It redirects sunlight into the courtyard and the surrounding galleries. It might help the plants grow as well, but I'm not certain."
Pod dipped slightly.
"Understood. Provisional function recorded. Are there any additional tasks requiring assistance?"
Su Yan shook his head as he walked towards the table.
"No, that will be all."
With another mental command, several of the books stored within his soul tool appeared on the tabletop.
"I'm going to sleep. You can rest or read if you like. I don't mind."
By the time he finished speaking, Pod was already hovering beside the table with one of the books open beneath it.
Su Yan chuckled, crossed to the open window and pulled it shut, then made his way back towards the bed.
For tonight, he left several of the pearls uncovered. Pod probably did not require the light to read, but the room remained dim enough that Su Yan saw no reason to cover them.
The night passed peacefully.
Su Yan awoke to birdsong beyond the window and the faint rustling of leaves in the morning breeze. Rubbing one bleary eye, he glanced towards the table and found Pod still hovering above an open book.
Had it spent the entire night reading?
Su Yan climbed out of bed and stretched until several satisfying pops ran through his back. A quiet hum of relief escaped him.
He crossed to the window and pushed it open. Cool morning air drifted into the room as he looked out over the rear garden, now bathed in sunlight beneath a clear blue sky.
He could get used to this.
Su Yan spent several moments enjoying the view before the door suddenly flew open beneath a sharp kick.
Nihilister crossed the room and dropped into one of the chairs.
"Su Yan, we need to talk about this place."
He turned fully towards her.
"What exactly do you want to talk about?"
"Buy it."
Su Yan waited, but Nihilister merely stared him down.
"That's it? No 'I like it'? No 'It's comfortable here'?"
Nihilister leaned back and gave him a flat look.
"I think the fact that I'm telling you to buy it should tell you everything you need to know. You're smart. Figure it out."
Su Yan sighed.
It was too early for this.
Before he could respond, another set of footsteps approached. A moment later, 2B appeared in the open doorway.
"Good morning, 2B."
She returned the greeting with a small nod before entering the room and taking the other chair.
"2B, what do you think of this place? Do you think we should buy it?"
She did not answer immediately, seemingly taking a moment to consider the question.
When she finally spoke, it was with a single word.
"Yes."
Nihilister grinned from beside her before turning towards Su Yan.
"Two against one. Looks like you have no choice."
"What do you mean, two against one? I decided to buy the place last night."
Nihilister crossed her arms.
"Considering how careful you are with money, I expected you to agonise over the price until noon."
"I am not that indecisive."
"No. You just overthink everything until the decision makes itself."
"That is not—"
"Remind me again why we spent two weeks holed up in that stinking shack."
"Oh, come on. Those were legitimate concerns."
Nihilister merely stared at him.
Su Yan looked towards 2B for support.
She turned her head away.
"Okay... there may have been a little paranoia involved."
Nihilister raised one questioning eyebrow.
"Fine. Maybe there was a lot of paranoia, but you cannot keep holding that over me forever."
Her eyebrow remained raised.
Su Yan's expression fell.
"You are planning to hold it over me forever."
A smirk spread across her face.
"I'll stop once I feel you've made it up to us."
"And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"
"Buying this place would be a good start."
"As I already told you, I was going to."
Before Nihilister could respond, the murmur of approaching voices sounded from the corridor.
Su Yan's eyes snapped towards Pod.
"Pod, hide."
Pod immediately shot upwards and folded itself against the upper side of one of the ceiling beams just as Li Cheng and Wei Jian appeared in the doorway, each carrying a large wooden food box.
"Good morning," Li Cheng greeted them. "We brought breakfast."
Su Yan was grateful for the interruption.
"Thank you. Please, join us."
After clearing the books from the table, they unpacked the food and settled down to a relatively quiet breakfast, although Li Cheng appeared considerably less comfortable once he found himself seated beside Nihilister.
When everyone had finished, Wei Jian drew a fortifying breath and turned his full attention towards Su Yan.
"So, Young Master, what is your decision?"
Su Yan did not keep him waiting.
"I'll buy the estate for sixty-five thousand gold soul coins."
Wei Jian immediately leapt to his feet.
"Yes!"
The room fell silent.
Realising what he had done, Wei Jian slowly sat back down and scratched the back of his head, a faint flush spreading across his face.
"My apologies. I became somewhat carried away."
Li Cheng cleared his throat.
"If that is your decision, Young Master, I will retrieve the transfer papers and keys."
Su Yan nodded.
The next few hours passed in a blur of documents, signatures and explanations. Su Yan had almost forgotten just how tedious paperwork could be, but eventually the payment was given, the final document was signed and the keys were placed in his hands.
Before Li Cheng departed, Su Yan asked him to inform the information broker that the estate was now his fixed address. Li Cheng readily agreed.
Wei Jian paused at the doorway and looked back across the room one final time. A complicated expression briefly crossed his face before he turned towards Su Yan and bowed.
"I hope you enjoy the estate, Young Master."
"I think we will."
With that, Wei Jian followed Li Cheng out. Only after the front gate had closed behind them did Pod descend from its hiding place amongst the ceiling beams.
Just like that, Su Yan was the proud owner of an enormous estate in Heaven Dou City.
Owning a home had once seemed like a distant milestone in his previous life.
Now he owned an estate.
Su Yan turned the heavy ring of keys over in his hand, listening to them softly clink together. Even with their weight resting against his palm, the reality of it had yet to sink in.
The ring held several identical master keys, each capable of opening every lock throughout the estate. Su Yan unhooked two and handed one each to Nihilister and 2B.
The moment Nihilister received hers, she grabbed 2B by the arm and began dragging her towards the door.
"Where are you going?"
"The training ground. I haven't had a decent brawl since the Ruan estate, and I'm itching for some action."
Su Yan's eyes widened.
"Pod, go with them. 2B will need her weapons, and keep an eye on the estate. Let me know if they start going overboard."
"Acknowledged."
Pod immediately flew after them.
Su Yan sighed.
He had known this was coming from the moment he saw the thoughtful look on Nihilister's face during the tour.
Knowing had not prepared him for it.
He still needed to return to the hotel, check out and collect their carriage.
Just as he reached the front gate, a tremendous crash erupted from somewhere behind him.
Su Yan stopped.
Turning back towards the main residence, he saw a small cloud of dust rising beyond its roof from the direction of the training ground.
He really hoped Nihilister had not already wrecked the estate they had bought less than an hour ago.
Pod was with them. If anything truly disastrous happened, it would come and find him.
Pushing the matter from his mind, Su Yan continued through the gate and made his way back towards the hotel. The walk took longer than he expected, and it was only when the colourful building finally came into view that he realised he could have hired a carriage.
Checking out proved straightforward. Once the staff learned that Su Yan had purchased a residence in the city, they offered to have one of their attendants drive his carriage to the estate.
Su Yan gratefully accepted.
During the journey, the attendant explained some of the basics of handling a carriage. Su Yan listened carefully, but watching the man manoeuvre the horses through Heaven Dou's crowded streets quickly convinced him not to attempt it himself just yet.
The advice concerning the horses proved considerably more useful.
Feeding them would not be a problem, but Su Yan had given little thought to grooming them, inspecting their hooves or cleaning the stable. Mucking out stalls certainly was not how he wanted to spend his mornings.
Fortunately, the attendant assured him that plenty of experienced stablehands in the city would happily perform the work for a few coins. Su Yan would simply need to find someone trustworthy.
Upon reaching the estate, the attendant guided the carriage through the service gate and into the stable yard. Once the horses were settled, Su Yan thanked him and pressed several silver soul coins into his hand for the trouble.
After seeing the man off, Su Yan returned to the master bedroom and looked out across the rear garden.
Two figures continued darting around the training ground.
The previously level earth was now scarred by pits and shallow craters, with one particularly large crater occupying its centre.
Su Yan stared at the destruction.
They had owned the estate for less than half a day.
Still, the training ground was being used for its intended purpose. He would simply have to find someone willing to level it again once the damage became too severe.
That could wait until later.
His stomach rumbled.
Su Yan began considering where he could find something to eat before remembering that he had a kitchen now.
He made his way to the private kitchen within the main residence and opened the pantry doors.
Empty shelves greeted him.
He should have expected that. The estate had been fully furnished, but some part of him had still hoped that Wei Jian might have arranged for the pantry to be stocked as well.
Apparently, fully furnished did not mean fully stocked.
He could solve this.
With a thought, Su Yan channelled his Spirit Power and summoned Gatekeeper.
He grinned and got to work.
An hour later, the pantry was no longer empty.
Its shelves now held a thoroughly mismatched collection of bags, jars and bottles, while vegetables, raw meat and several ingredients Su Yan had no immediate use for covered much of the kitchen counter. It looked less like someone had stocked a pantry and more like they had blindly grabbed items from several different supermarket aisles.
Not everything he had attempted to manifest had stabilised, and the repeated failures had taken a noticeable portion of his Spirit Power. Even so, he had more than enough to prepare a proper meal.
Among the assortment, Su Yan had managed to produce several thick cuts of beef, along with butter, garlic, chives, salt and black pepper.
That made his decision easy.
He seasoned one of the steaks before setting a heavy pan over the stove. Once it was properly heated, he laid the meat inside.
It met the hot surface with a sharp sizzle.
The scent of searing beef quickly filled the kitchen, followed by the rich aroma of butter and garlic as Su Yan added them to the pan.
To his hungry stomach, it smelled heavenly.
Su Yan became so absorbed in cooking that he failed to notice someone entering the kitchen behind him.
A hand suddenly reached past his shoulder and plucked one of the steaks directly from the pan.
Su Yan spun around.
Nihilister stood behind him in her Nikke form, already tearing into the half-cooked meat as though its heat meant nothing. Dust clung to sections of her dark armour, while her jointed, bladed tail swayed lazily behind her. Both dragon-headed appendages remained fully deployed at her back, their jaws still radiating heat from the spar.
How she had managed to enter the kitchen carrying that much metal without him hearing her, Su Yan could not begin to guess.
"That wasn't done yet."
"It was good enough." Nihilister took another bite. "Needs more salt."
"It was also mine."
Nihilister pressed one hand to her chest in exaggerated offence.
"Are you saying you weren't planning to feed me and 2B too? I'm hurt."
"I was. I just wanted one bite first."
Su Yan sighed. He was never going to win this argument.
Then a gleam of silver caught his eye. A deep gash had been carved through the dark armour plating of one of Nihilister's dragon-headed weapons, exposing the metal beneath.
When Nihilister noticed where he was staring, she grinned.
"You noticed, huh? 2B managed to land a good hit. She's a lot stronger than I gave her credit for."
"Is 2B okay?"
Nihilister snorted.
"Why wouldn't she be? That girl's slipperier than an eel."
She shifted the damaged dragon head behind her shoulder, moving the gash out of his sight.
"When you're finished with the food, manifest some more Rapture parts. I need to replenish my stores."
Still eating the stolen steak, she strode away, leaving Su Yan alone in the kitchen.
He seasoned another steak and placed it into the still-hot pan.
This time, no one came to disturb him. Once it was ready, he cut off a thick piece and finally took his first bite.
He chewed slowly.
Nihilister had been right. It needed more salt.
He really had lost his touch.