Ghost Alley Black Market

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

The Luo Family's grand and thorough 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 continue his forceful investigation.

A rumor began circulating throughout the market town, originating from who knows where: an Image Recording Jade Slip of Luo Yu Lei, naked. The young master's delicate and petite appearance also earned him the nickname "Three-Inch Ding."

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

From then on, he shut himself away, focusing solely on awaiting the Azure Profound Sect's disciple recruitment day in half a year.

Seeing this, the Luo Family could only abandon the investigation.

After all, continuing the search would be nothing more than rubbing salt in Luo Yu Lei's wounds.

Moreover, the perpetrator had not killed anyone or crippled his foundation, merely robbed him. Their actions were quite restrained.

It was indeed not worth continuing to invest significant manpower and resources into the investigation.

Luo Yuan Nan's desire to continue the investigation was merely to vent his anger on behalf of his direct grandson.

But since the person had already left the market town, there was no longer any necessity to continue the investigation.

That night.

Dark clouds gathered, obscuring the moon and stars.

Most of the major shops in the Southern Foothills Market had already closed. Although there was no curfew in the market town, business was generally slow at night, so why bother themselves?

Of course, establishments like the Warm Fragrance Pavilion, a place of pleasure, naturally remained open.

As the saying goes, the night is long, and one can listen to music at a pleasure house.

Here, the lights were still bright, and cultivators came and went without end.

In some of the side alleys, hidden brothels also flickered with colorful lights, waiting for fated individuals to come and discuss Dao or spar.

Just now, a charming and exceptionally well-figured female cultivator extended a sincere invitation to Chen Heng, who was clad in a black robe and wore a mask.

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

Chen Heng was very confused. With his current appearance, which clearly indicated he wasn't up to any good, why weren't these female cultivators from the brothels afraid of inviting a wolf into their house?

Not long after.

He arrived at Mud Bottle Alley in the eastern district of the market town.

To the east of the Southern Foothills Market lay the Li River. The eastern district was close to the ferry crossing, and Mud Bottle Alley in the eastern district was consequently quite mixed with people.

Chen Heng first looked towards the Li River, from which the sound of flowing water could be heard not far away, and then scanned the scattered residences in Mud Bottle Alley. He thought to himself, "No wonder the Myriad Treasures Pavilion chose to open their black market in a place like this."

If something unexpected were to happen in the black market, all one had to do was jump into the Li River, and even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would have a high chance of escaping.

He then strolled into the dark alley.

Following the information provided by Wen Ning, he traced the special markings left by the Ghost Alley Black Market. After several twists and turns, he finally saw a dilapidated courtyard that had been abandoned for a long time.

The light here seemed to be swallowed, presenting a dim, distorted scene where the inside was unclear.

Normally, this place seemed to not exist in Mud Bottle Alley at all.

It only appeared in this alley on specific nights, which was why this black market was called Ghost Alley Entrance.

This was also the only entrance to the Ghost Alley Black Market, and its only exit.

Chen Heng pondered for a moment and understood the trick. Some kind of formation was likely set up, which concealed this courtyard normally and only revealed it at specific times.

Such a grand formation would be at least of Tier 2.

This made the claim that the Ghost Alley Black Market was backed by the Myriad Treasures Pavilion seem even more credible.

Chen Heng squeezed the communication jade slip from Ancestor Chen Tianrui, then took a few steps forward to the dilapidated wooden door of the courtyard. Following Wen Ning's instructions, he knocked seven times at a moderate pace.

Shortly after.

A hunched old man carrying a dim yellow lantern pushed open the wooden door.

He looked expressionlessly at Chen Heng, who was dressed as a typical black market patron, and said hoarsely, "Entrance fee, five low-grade Spirit Stones."

His tone was devoid of any emotional fluctuation, as if conducting a routine transaction.

Chen Heng raised an eyebrow. It had only cost one low-grade Spirit Stone to enter the Southern Foothills Market. Although those without fixed accommodation after nightfall would be driven out.

However, an entrance fee of five low-grade Spirit Stones showed how greedy the owner behind the Ghost Alley Entrance was.

This was very similar to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion's style of holding auctions, where the entrance fee alone required one hundred low-grade Spirit Stones.

Their behavior of taking a cut from everyone, like a goose shedding its feathers or a beast leaving its hide, was identical.

It was no wonder people said the Myriad Treasures Pavilion was behind the Ghost Alley Black Market.

Chen Heng paid the entrance fee with a very cheerful expression, but he couldn't help but complain inwardly.

After collecting the Spirit Stones, the hunched old man carrying the dim yellow lantern handed Chen Heng a temporary token and then stepped aside, clearing the path.

Seeing this, Chen Heng took the token and no longer lingered, walking straight into the distorted light and shadow behind the dilapidated wooden door.

The scene before his eyes also changed abruptly!

A straight, wide street appeared beneath his feet, stretching into the distance.

The street was paved entirely with huge black and gray stone slabs.

On both sides were stone houses built from black and gray rock, varying in size, but their entrances were uniformly covered with a black curtain and an dim yellow lantern.

The faint lamplight cast a dim yellow glow over the entire street, making it appear exceptionally eerie and terrifying.

Chen Heng, seeing this situation, was not frightened. Instead, he was somewhat shocked by the effort put into creating this black market.

That black curtain, if he wasn't mistaken, should be able to block divine sense probes.

In other words, whether he bought something or sold something while trading with the merchants inside, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn't know.

As for whether it could block the divine sense probes of a Violet Palace Venerable, Chen Heng was unsure.

However, he figured it probably couldn't.

Violet Palace cultivators needed to open a Violet Palace in their spiritual sea at the center of their brows, which could greatly enhance the strength of their divine sense and soul.

Chen Heng walked along the street, thinking in his mind.

As he went deeper, more figures appeared on the street.

The vast majority of them, like him, were hooded and masked, wearing loose black robes, wrapped up tightly, as if afraid of being recognized and remembered.

After all, nine out of ten items circulating in the black market were illicit.

The cultivators who came to buy and sell here were naturally well aware of this, and it was always best to be careful.

Moreover, unlike the Southern Foothills Market, the Ghost Alley Entrance Black Market did not allow stalls to be set up on the street. Although there were many people on the street, it still felt desolate.

After wandering around a couple of times, Chen Heng thought to himself that this was likely a rule set by the owner of the black market. One had to rent a stone house here to sell or buy spiritual items.

After all, both the grand formation that separated the outside world from prying eyes and the curtain that blocked divine sense probes seemed to have cost a considerable amount.

However, Chen Heng didn't have many stolen goods to deal with. Although the Nine Flame Fan and the Flowing Fire Shield, two top-grade first-tier magical artifacts, would be recognized by the Luo Family.

He could completely wait until his artifact refining technique improved in the future, reforge them, and change their appearance.

To be honest, these two magical artifacts were of extremely high quality, and Chen Heng was truly reluctant to sell them.

As for the other items, those of low value, little use, or without identifying marks, he could let Uncle Fu slowly set up a stall at the gathering and let them flow out.

As for those sets of magic robes, they were indeed worth a few hundred low-grade Spirit Stones...

It wouldn't make much sense to reforge them with great effort, as he didn't lack magic robes.

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

Who would complain about having too many Spirit Stones?

With this thought, Chen Heng walked into the largest stone house in this black market. Although there was no signboard, he guessed that this place would likely purchase such illicit stolen goods.