Robbing the Robbers

Bai Ze was now dressed in night-walking clothes and wore a mask as he entered the Black Market.

Masked people had set up stalls along both sides of the Black Market's streets. A candle burned beside each one, casting a faint glow.

As he walked, he examined the items spread across the mats beside him. There was a dazzling assortment of strange things—just about everything imaginable.

After browsing for a while, he bought several martial skills manuals, but they were all ordinary and did nothing to improve his strength. They could only be used to gain Talent Points.

He also bought some sleeping drugs, poisons, and the like.

After all, such things could prove quite useful against Postnatal Realm martial artists at certain times.

After looking through several more stalls, Bai Ze could not help sighing inwardly. Finding an offensive method to replace the Seven Wind Chasing Swords was truly no easy matter in Changqing County.

He had only come to the Black Market to try his luck, but disappointment was still unavoidable.

Just then, a Masked Man suddenly appeared behind him and called out to him.

"Brother, I've been watching you. Are you looking for a good martial skill?"

"Don't be nervous, brother. I mean no harm. What do you think of this martial skill manual?"

Seeing Bai Ze tighten his grip around the longsword in his hand, the man hurriedly explained himself.

Bai Ze glanced at him, then accepted the martial skill manual he handed over.

Monkey Arm Fist, Postnatal Middle Grade.

Bai Ze looked at him calmly and asked in a low voice, "How much?"

"Haha, not much. A thousand taels."

"Fine."

Bai Ze took out a thousand-tael Silver Note from his robes and tossed it to the man before turning to leave.

A glint of greed flashed through the Masked Man's eyes. Seeing Bai Ze about to depart, he hurriedly caught up and blocked his path.

"Hey, hey, hey, brother, don't be in such a rush. I saw you buy quite a few martial skills just now. Do you still need more?"

"I don't know what you need so many for, but if you want them, I still have some here."

"Don't worry. As for the price, mine will definitely be cheaper than anyone else's in the Black Market."

Hearing this, Bai Ze stopped walking. He gave the man a long, deep look before saying, "Then bring them all out. If they're suitable, I'll take them all."

"Hehe, how could I possibly carry them all on me?"

Seeing Bai Ze show interest, the Masked Man became even more enthusiastic. Smiling, he said, "Come with me, brother. Those martial skills are kept where I live, not far from here."

"If you're interested, you can go to my home and pick through them yourself."

"Or you can choose a place, and we can trade separately later. That would be safer for both of us."

"Fine."

Bai Ze nodded and named a place not far from the Black Market, agreeing to trade there in half an hour.

The Masked Man agreed without the slightest hesitation.

He even specifically reminded Bai Ze to bring more silver, saying that he had plenty of martial skills and that it would be convenient to finish the transaction all at once.

Watching the man's retreating figure, the corners of Bai Ze's lips curled beneath his mask. Then he turned and left the Black Market.

A short while later.

Bai Ze arrived at the place they had agreed upon and had already found himself a route of retreat.

Though he was nearly unmatched among Viscera Refining Realm martial artists, and even had some confidence in escaping from early Blood Changing Realm martial artists,

he still had to take precautions for the sake of caution.

After all, before receiving the system's help, Bai Ze had survived this long by relying on one thing: steadiness.

A short while later.

A black figure came hurrying over, carrying a box in both hands.

After arriving, he set it directly on the ground and said with a smile, "Sorry, brother. Something delayed me."

"The martial skills you wanted are all in here. Have you prepared the silver?"

"Don't worry. You won't be shorted."

Bai Ze moved to inspect it first, but the other man immediately shifted the box backward and gestured with his eyes.

Clearly, the man wanted to see the silver on Bai Ze first before allowing him to inspect the goods.

Seeing this, Bai Ze's sneer beneath his mask deepened, but he still took a thick stack of Silver Notes from his robes.

Though the exact denominations could not be seen, their thickness alone made it clear that the amount was considerable.

The masked man smiled in satisfaction at the sight and finally kicked the box at his feet toward Bai Ze.

Bai Ze's right hand was already resting on his sword hilt. He crouched slightly, pretending that he was about to inspect the box.

Whoosh!

At that moment, killing intent filled Bai Ze's eyes. A sword shadow swept upward from below, splitting the man's mask in two and leaving a deep bloody gash across his face.

The Masked Man, who had been gripping a dagger, fell straight to the ground in stunned disbelief.

At the same time,

seven or eight masked men in black rushed out from around the nearby corner, their weapons gleaming with bone-chilling cold as they charged straight at him.

Clearly, they had come prepared. The Monkey Arm Fist had merely been bait.

Their purpose was to rob the robber—to kill him, seize his goods, and make a profit without spending a single coin.

And judging by their practiced movements, this was likely far from their first time doing such a thing.

But if you often walked by the river, how could your shoes stay dry forever?

Running into Bai Ze this time could only be considered their misfortune. They had delivered benefits right into his hands.

From the speed and rhythm of their charging steps, he could roughly gauge their strength.

Bai Ze did not turn and flee. Instead, he charged straight at them.

He moved with astonishing speed, his longsword striking like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, every move aimed to kill.

A few seconds later,

apart from Bai Ze, only one black-clad man remained. The tendons in his right hand had been severed, and the mask on his face had long since been knocked away, revealing a sharp-mouthed, fanged face.

He slumped on the ground, pale-faced and drenched in cold sweat, begging continuously, "Sir, please spare me! This really is my first time doing this!"

"I have an eighty-year-old mother above me and a newborn child below me. Please spare—"

"Shut up!"

Bai Ze's expression did not change in the slightest at his pleas. He barked an order that made the man clamp his mouth shut.

Only after the man endured the pain and no longer dared beg, staring at him in terror, did Bai Ze say, "Go. Open that box."

"Yes, yes."

He did not dare hesitate. Trembling, he walked over and opened the box with his good hand, only to find it completely empty.

Forget martial skills—there was not even a single hair inside.

Bai Ze's gaze turned even colder. The longsword in his hand could take the man's life at any moment.

The remaining man noticed this as well and decisively dropped to his knees.

He hurriedly cried, "Sir, this really has nothing to do with me! Please spare me!"

"Where are the martial skills?"

Bai Ze did not care whether the man lived or died. What he cared about was whether they truly possessed a large number of martial skills.

And Bai Ze did not believe that after doing this so many times, they had obtained only one copy of the Monkey Arm Fist.

Since the box they brought was empty, the manuals had to be elsewhere.

Hearing this, the man kneeling on the ground hurriedly said, "They're with our Boss. He keeps all the martial skills we've obtained."

"Where is your Boss now?"

"In a warehouse over on Daonan Street. He's waiting for us to return. I've told you everything, so please let me go!"

"How strong is he? How many people are over there?"

"Besides my Boss, there are three others. They're all Bone Refining Realm martial artists."

Whoosh!

"Please—"

Now that Bai Ze knew the location and the exact situation, there was no need for the man to remain alive.

The man tried to beg again, but Bai Ze's longsword had already slit open his throat. Then Bai Ze turned and darted toward the place the man had just mentioned.