There was more than one underground Black Market in Gaoye City's Outer City, specializing in all manner of dealings that could not bear the light of day.
Weapons, stolen goods, intelligence, even certain prohibited cultivation resources—buyers for all of them could be found there.
He had previously heard his Third Senior Brother, Shang Yong, mention one particularly concealed entrance to a black market.
It seemed to lie beneath a cluster of abandoned homes at the border between South District and West District.
"No time to lose. I'll go take a look tonight."
Wang Yuan made up his mind.
He wrapped the Black Tiger Saber Technique manual and the Huang Family Token in oil paper, storing them separately from the loose silver.
Then he circulated the Turtle Breath Technique once more, drawing his aura down to its lowest point. Like a Fierce Beast lying in wait, he quietly regulated his breathing and recovered the vitality and strength expended during tonight's actions.
Late at night, the sky was neither fully dark nor light.
Wang Yuan changed into plain gray cloth garments and made a few simple alterations to his face.
He used soot from a cooking pot to slightly alter his complexion and brows, making himself look more like an honest-faced, inconspicuous young laborer.
He did not bring the conspicuous Black Dragon Spear. Instead, he hid a sharpened short dagger in his sleeve and tucked the bundle of "goods" he needed to sell into his robes.
Following the route Shang Yong had vaguely mentioned before, he arrived at the border between South District and West District.
This was a neighborhood abandoned long ago. Crumbling walls and broken ruins stood everywhere, weeds ran rampant, and the air reeked of mold and urine.
Several ragged beggars curled up in sheltered corners, their eyes numb and vacant.
Without changing expression, Wang Yuan swept his gaze over a ruined wall marked with a peculiar triangular symbol and confirmed the sign.
He walked to the wall and, seemingly at random, kicked away several stones by his feet, revealing a downward hole half-covered by weeds, just large enough for one person to pass through.
A cold wind carrying the mingled scents of earth, dampness, and some indescribable fishy stench blew from within.
In the shadows by the entrance sat a Lean Man with his arms crossed, half asleep.
Hearing footsteps, he lazily lifted his eyelids and glanced at Wang Yuan, his voice hoarse.
"Buying or selling?"
"Selling some odds and ends. Need money for medicine."
Wang Yuan lowered his voice, imitating the manner of a common street tough as his fingers secretly formed a gesture universally used in the Black Market to indicate that he had goods for sale.
He had learned it by probing indirectly from his Third Senior Brother.
Seeing this, the man asked no further questions and merely stretched out a filthy hand.
Understanding, Wang Yuan took roughly one tael of silver from his robes and placed it in his palm.
The man weighed it in his hand, tucked it away with satisfaction, and waved Wang Yuan through.
Wang Yuan hesitated no longer, ducking into the deep, shadowy entrance.
Below the opening lay a steep flight of stone steps, wet and slick.
After descending roughly a dozen steps, the view suddenly opened up into a broad underground passage.
Torches that burned with a pungent odor were set into the walls on either side, casting shifting shadows throughout the space and making it feel ghostly and sinister.
This was the Black Market, also called the Ghost Market by some.
On both sides of the passage were stalls made from torn cloth, straw mats, or sometimes nothing more than a piece of fabric spread across the ground.
Like Wang Yuan, most of the stall owners had disguised themselves.
Some hid their faces beneath cloaks, while others wore masks. They sat there silently and rarely called out to customers.
The passing customers also hurried along, speaking in low voices and watching their surroundings with wary eyes.
All sorts of strange smells filled the air: the bitterness of medicinal herbs, the rank odor of leather, and an undercurrent of blood.
Wang Yuan slowed his pace, his gaze passing over each stall one by one.
He saw weapons stained with dark red blood, strange bones and herbs of unknown use, and stolen goods that were clearly women's jewelry.
There were even people openly displaying several martial arts manuals with blurred covers, impossible to tell whether they were real or fake.
The cries of the vendors were quite unusual as well.
"Ancestral Gold Wound Medicine, fast-acting! Buy three, get one free..."
"Freshly forged Refined Steel sabers, already tasted blood, sharp beyond compare..."
"Rare herbs from the south, nourishing yin and replenishing yang! Don't miss them as you pass by..."
Wang Yuan did not rush to sell his goods. Like a genuine customer, he lingered before stall after stall.
In truth, he was observing, searching for a suitable trading partner—particularly stalls that appeared capable enough to take in valuable goods.
At last, he stopped at a somewhat larger stall midway through the passage, where several decent leather armors and weapons were laid out.
The stall owner was a burly man wearing a half-face iron mask.
But Wang Yuan knew this man was ruthless, because he dared to sell armor.
Great Yin did not prohibit blades or weapons, but it did prohibit armor.
A martial artist of the Third Blood Change wearing a fine suit of armor could wield enough power to hold off more than ten fully armored soldiers.
The burly man's aura was deep and steady, his gaze sharp. He was at least a martial artist of the Second Blood Change.
More people lingered and traded before his stall as well. His reputation and strength both appeared fairly solid.
"Boss, do you buy goods?"
Wang Yuan approached and asked in a low voice.
The Iron-Masked Stall Owner lifted his eyelids and sized Wang Yuan up.
"Show me."
Wang Yuan did not immediately take out the manual and token.
Instead, he first brought out the loose silver and several small pieces of jewelry from Steward Huang's money pouch.
"What price for these?"
The Iron-Masked Stall Owner casually sorted through them and quoted a price somewhat below market value, but still fair enough.
Wang Yuan nodded, indicating his acceptance.
After completing this small transaction, he casually lowered his voice and asked.
"I've got a saber technique manual and a token. Interested?"
The Iron-Masked Stall Owner's eyes flickered slightly, and he gestured for Wang Yuan to come closer.
"What quality?"
"Black Tiger's saber technique. Huang Family's token."
Wang Yuan was brief and to the point.
At his words, the expression hidden beneath the Iron-Masked Stall Owner's mask visibly changed, and a trace of shock and suspicion flashed through his eyes.
He looked deeply at Wang Yuan, fell silent for a moment, then said in a low voice.
"The goods are hot. Price drops by thirty percent."
"Fine, but I want clean money, or goods of equal value."
Wang Yuan stated his condition.
"Come with me."
The Iron-Masked Stall Owner said no more. He swiftly gathered several valuable items from his stall and gave a few instructions to someone beside him who looked like an assistant.
Then he gave Wang Yuan a look and headed toward a dark side passage deeper within the tunnel.
Wang Yuan remained vigilant. He silently circulated the Turtle Breath Technique, suppressing his aura to the utmost limit, while the short dagger in his sleeve slipped into his palm. Without drawing attention, he followed.
He knew the real transaction was only beginning now.
Within this Black Market, danger and opportunity walked side by side. One careless step, and a man could lose both his wealth and his life.
The Iron-Masked Stall Owner led Wang Yuan into an even dimmer, narrower side passage. After twisting and turning through several bends, they entered a small stone room that could hold only two or three people.
There was a ventilation opening in the ceiling, allowing a faint trace of light to filter down, while a dim oil lamp hung on the wall.
"The goods."
The Iron-Masked Stall Owner turned around and extended his rough palm, his tone leaving no room for dispute.
Without hesitation, Wang Yuan took the oil-paper bundle from his robes and slowly opened it.
Inside lay the Black Tiger Saber Technique manual and the golden Huang Family Token.
The Iron-Masked Stall Owner picked up the manual and quickly flipped through several pages. Then he weighed the token in his hand, rubbing its cloud patterns with his fingertips to verify its material and craftsmanship.
A sharp gleam flashed in his eyes. He had clearly recognized the origins of both items, especially what that token represented.
"The Black Tiger Saber Technique is a decent external martial art, but things have been tight lately. At most, five hundred taels."
He first set a price for the saber technique, then picked up the token, his tone turning more solemn.
"A Huang Family steward's token... This thing is even hotter. But melted down, it would still be worth some gold, or... it could serve another purpose."
"Five hundred taels."
The two items came to a total of one thousand taels. After the thirty percent reduction, this price was still within Wang Yuan's acceptable range.
He knew the other party was taking on the risk and would naturally demand a hefty profit.
"Fine, but I want unregistered banknotes."
Wang Yuan emphasized.
Silver was too heavy to carry, while registered banknotes were easy to trace. Only unregistered banknotes were both convenient and secure.
The Iron-Masked Stall Owner looked deeply at Wang Yuan, seemingly trying to see something through his disguise.
He took out a stack of banknotes made of special material from his robes, counted out ten unregistered notes worth one hundred taels each, and handed them over.
Wang Yuan carefully inspected the authenticity and denominations of the notes. Once he confirmed there was no problem, he tucked them securely against his body.
A stone in his heart finally dropped. At last, he had disposed of those two hot potatoes.
With the transaction complete, the atmosphere eased slightly.
Yet the Iron-Masked Stall Owner showed no immediate intention of letting Wang Yuan leave.
Instead, he pointed at a pile of items stacked in the corner of the stone room and lowered his voice.
"Young brother, your skills are exceptional, and your courage is impressive."
"Since you're already here, why not take a look at some other things?"
"The goods I have here are absolutely guaranteed in quality."
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