Ghost Alley Black Market

In the blink of an eye, three months had passed.

The Luo Family's thunderous investigation ultimately yielded nothing.

This move also drew considerable criticism from the Chen and Wu Families.

Just as the Luo Family's Foundation Establishment Ancestor, Luo Yuan Nan, intended to press on with the investigation by force—

Image Recording Jade Slips of Luo Yu Lei naked began circulating through the market from who knew where. This young master's delicate, compact build also earned him the nickname "Three-Inch Ding."

Unable to endure the humiliation, Luo Yu Lei returned overnight to Golden Luo Mountain, the Luo Family's estate.

From then on, he shut himself away, single-mindedly awaiting the day when the Azure Profound Sect opened its gates to take disciples half a year later.

Seeing this, the Luo Family could only let the matter rest.

After all, continuing the investigation would have been no more than rubbing salt into Luo Yu Lei's wounds.

Besides, the other party had not killed anyone or crippled his foundation. They had merely robbed him of his wealth and shown considerable restraint.

It truly was not worth continuing to pour vast manpower and resources into the investigation.

Luo Yuan Nan's desire to continue the investigation was nothing more than an attempt to vent his anger on behalf of his legitimate grandson.

But since the culprit had already left the market, there was no need to continue the investigation.

That night.

Dark clouds blanketed the sky, hiding moon and stars alike.

Most of Southern Foothills Market's shops had already closed for the night. Though the market had no curfew, there was generally little business after dark, so why trouble themselves?

Naturally, establishments of pleasure like Warm Fragrance Pavilion would never close.

As the saying went, "The long night stretches on; listen to music in the pleasure quarters."

The place remained brightly lit, with cultivators coming and going without end.

The concealed cottages in some of the alleys likewise glimmered with lights of every color, waiting for fated guests to come discuss the Dao and spar.

Just moments ago, a seductive female cultivator with an exquisite figure had extended a sincere invitation to Chen Heng, who was draped in a black robe with his face hidden behind a mask.

With a light wave of her jade-like arm and the reveal of her beautiful legs, she wished to have a deep exchange with him.

Chen Heng found this utterly baffling. Looking so obviously like someone up to no good, did these female cultivators in hidden cottages not fear letting wolves into their homes?

Not long after.

He arrived at Mud Bottle Alley in the market's eastern district.

To the east of Southern Foothills Market lay the Li River. The eastern district stood near the ferry docks, so Mud Bottle Alley, located there, was filled with an especially mixed crowd.

Chen Heng first looked toward the Li River, where the sound of flowing water drifted over from nearby. Then he swept his gaze across the disorderly dwellings of Mud Bottle Alley and mused inwardly, No wonder Myriad Treasures Pavilion chose to set up the black market in a place like this.

If anything went wrong in the black market, all one had to do was jump into the Li River. Even if a Foundation Establishment cultivator arrived in person, there was still a strong chance of escaping without a trace.

Then he strolled into the pitch-black alley.

Following the special marks left by Ghost Alley Black Market, according to the information Wen Ning had provided, he twisted and turned through the alleys until he finally spotted a long-abandoned, decrepit courtyard.

The light here seemed as though it had been swallowed whole, forming a patch of dim, distorted shadows through which it was impossible to discern what lay within.

Under ordinary circumstances, this place seemed as if it did not exist in Mud Bottle Alley at all.

Only on certain nights would it appear in this alley. This was also why the black market here was called Ghost Alley Entrance.

And this was the only entrance to Ghost Alley Black Market, as well as its sole exit.

After giving it some thought, Chen Heng understood the trick. Some kind of formation had likely been set up to conceal this courtyard during ordinary times, revealing it only at specific moments.

Such a grand formation was at least of the second rank.

It seemed that the claim that Ghost Alley Black Market was backed by Myriad Treasures Pavilion had gained a few more points of credibility.

Chen Heng squeezed the communication jade slip given by Ancestor Chen Tianrui, then stepped forward to the courtyard's battered wooden gate. As Wen Ning's message had instructed, he calmly knocked seven times.

Not long after.

A stooped old man carrying a dim yellow lantern pushed open the wooden gate.

Expressionless, he looked at Chen Heng, dressed like a typical black market customer, and rasped, "Admission fee: five low-grade Spirit Stones."

There was not the slightest emotional ripple in his tone, as though he were merely handling routine business.

Chen Heng raised a brow. Entering Southern Foothills Market cost only one low-grade Spirit Stone, though those without fixed lodgings would be driven out after nightfall.

Yet the admission fee here was five low-grade Spirit Stones. The person behind Ghost Alley Entrance truly had a black heart.

This was very much like Myriad Treasures Pavilion's style when holding auctions. The admission fee alone required one hundred low-grade Spirit Stones.

Their manner of plucking every feather from passing geese and stripping the hide from every passing beast was simply carved from the same mold.

No wonder people said that Ghost Alley Black Market stood behind Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

Chen Heng paid the admission fee readily enough on the surface, but inwardly, he could not help grumbling.

After putting away the Spirit Stones, the stooped old man with the dim yellow lantern handed Chen Heng a temporary token, then stepped aside to clear the way.

Seeing this, Chen Heng accepted the token without lingering and walked straight into the distorted shadows behind the decrepit wooden gate.

The scene before his eyes abruptly changed!

A broad, straight avenue suddenly appeared beneath his feet, stretching into the distance.

The street was entirely paved with massive black-gray stone slabs.

On either side stood stone houses built from the same black-gray rock. They varied in size, but every entrance was uniformly draped with a black curtain and hung with a dim yellow lantern.

The flickering firelight bathed the entire long street in a ghostly yellow glow, making it seem exceptionally sinister and terrifying.

Chen Heng was not frightened by the sight. Instead, he was somewhat shocked by the scale of the effort that had gone into constructing this black market.

That layer of black curtain, unless something unexpected had occurred, should have been able to block divine sense.

In other words, once he entered and traded with the merchants inside, no one would know what he bought or what he sold.

Not even Foundation Establishment cultivators would be able to learn of it.

As for whether it could block the divine sense of a Violet Palace Venerable, Chen Heng did not know.

Still, it probably could not.

Violet Palace cultivators had to carve out a Violet Palace within the sea of consciousness between their brows, greatly strengthening both their divine sense and soul.

Chen Heng wandered along the street while pondering inwardly.

As he ventured deeper, more and more figures appeared on the street.

The vast majority were like him, with their heads and faces concealed beneath oversized black robes, wrapped up tightly for fear of being recognized or remembered.

After all, nine and a half out of every ten items circulating in the black market could not bear the light of day.

The cultivators who came here to buy and sell naturally understood this perfectly well. It was never wrong to be cautious in all things.

Moreover, unlike Southern Foothills Market, Ghost Alley Black Market did not permit roadside stalls. Though there were quite a few figures on the street, it still seemed desolate.

After wandering around twice, Chen Heng mused inwardly that this was likely a rule set by the black market's owner: one had to rent one of these stone houses in order to sell or purchase spiritual items.

After all, both the grand formation that cut off outside prying eyes and the curtains that blocked divine sense seemed to have cost no small sum.

However, Chen Heng did not have much stolen property to dispose of. Though the Nine Flame Fan and Flowing Fire Shield were both top-grade first-rank artifacts that Luo Family members would recognize—

He could simply wait until his artifact-refining skills improved, then reforge them and give them a new face.

To be honest, the quality of these two artifacts was extremely high. Chen Heng truly could not bear to sell them.

As for the remaining items, those of low value, little use, and without identifying marks could be gradually sold off from a stall at the gathering by Uncle Fu.

Those sets of dharma robes, however, were indeed worth several hundred low-grade Spirit Stones...

There was little point in going to great lengths to reforge them. After all, he did not lack dharma robes.

Letting them circulate through the black market was the best choice.

Who would ever complain of having too many Spirit Stones?

With that thought in mind, Chen Heng entered the largest stone house in this black market. Though it bore no signboard, he guessed that it would purchase such stolen goods that could not see the light of day.