The Fifteenth Has Come Again (Seeking Recommendations)

The fifteenth had come again.

Moonlight poured across the earth like Mercury.

Fang Xi rode a leaf-shaped black-canopied boat to the black market on the river's central isle.

Inside the wooden hut.

Fatty Han was still as fat as a mountain. Upon hearing Fang Xi's request, he immediately jumped in fright. "What? More?!"

He sized Fang Xi up and down. "Those ten pounds of meat last time were enough for an ordinary Martial Artist to use for half a year. Did you eat it all, or do you have some elder backing you?"

"What? Do you also keep track of where the things you sell in the black market go?"

Fang Xi smiled faintly and took out a gold leaf.

It wasn't that he couldn't use a jade leaf, but that would expose his identity outright.

"Of course not..."

Fatty Han's mountain-like body shifted. He seemed to have struggled before managing to turn sideways, then tore a large chunk of Taisui Meat out from the burrow pressed beneath him. "How much this time?"

"Another ten pounds!"

Fang Xi's expression remained unchanged.

"Good heavens... I can see that your strength and courage are both extraordinary. How about taking on a private job?" Fatty Han tossed over ten pounds of meat and asked another question.

"Oh? What kind of job?" Fang Xi asked casually.

"Go outside the city and hunt demons!" Fatty Han revealed a ferocious grin. "Only Martial Disciples who have reached the Three Changes of Qi and Blood can participate. True Force Martial Artists would be even better. The spoils will be divided according to everyone's contribution!"

"Are we hunting Yao Beasts?"

Fang Xi was indeed very interested in the Demon Race of this world, but after thinking it over, he still gave up.

His current strength was only at the early Qi Refining stage. If he encountered danger, he would lose far more than he gained.

"What? Is this shop running short of Demon Meat?" Fang Xi countered.

"No, no. There's just a stray Yao Beast that's been repeatedly harassing the trade route... Your martial school might even receive an assistance mission in a few days." Fatty Han shook his head repeatedly. "As for Demon Meat, this shop will absolutely never run short... Want to know why?"

As he spoke, a strange smile surfaced on his face.

Combined with that mountain of flesh, it looked rather spine-chilling.

Anyone with an overly vivid imagination might well have started vomiting...

"Of course I know. It's because Taisui Meat differs from other Yao Beast Meat. So long as Taisui is buried deep underground and provided with nutrients, it grows very quickly..."

Fang Xi nodded slightly.

That was also why this shop always had Demon Meat for sale.

Once other shops ran out of Demon Meat, they had to organize people to hunt demons. Not only was it extremely dangerous, the supply was unstable as well.

"Tsk... Who told you that?"

The teasing smile on Fatty Han's face vanished, and his entire mountain of flesh slumped back down.

Fungi grow incredibly fast. Isn't that common knowledge?

You're underestimating a cultivator's methods far too much... In my eyes, you're not much different from a mushroom farmer.

Fang Xi silently grumbled a couple of times without answering. Maintaining an inscrutable air, he walked out of the wooden hut.

After wandering around the black market, he entered another shed.

Compared with the previous few, this wooden hut was much simpler. An old white-haired man sat behind the counter, seemingly reading a book.

He wore a washed-out blue robe and possessed a scholarly air, but combined with his age, he looked rather like a failed scholar—a poor, sour-faced intellectual.

When he saw Fang Xi enter, a smile immediately appeared on his face. "Does the customer wish to purchase information?"

The black market sold everything. This wooden hut was famous for selling intelligence.

"Indeed."

Fang Xi was wearing a bamboo hat and had changed into another outfit. "How is it sold here?"

The old man leisurely set down his book. "In this shop, every piece of information has a price. They're divided into Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow grades, and each grade has a different price. If you purchase Heaven-grade intelligence, naturally, every detail will be included. As for the silver, hehe..."

The next moment, he shut his mouth.

Fang Xi had drawn out a stack of gold leaves. "Give me information on the martial forces within a hundred li of here, their renowned Martial Artists, and even their profound Martial Arts... All of it at Heaven grade!"

"Of course."

The old man hurriedly rose. His wrinkled face nearly blossomed into a chrysanthemum. "Honored guest, please sit. Would you like some tea? This shop has just acquired several pounds of fine Sparrow's Tongue tea, quite famous even in Dingzhou..."

Fang Xi found the old man's change in attitude perfectly reasonable.

Making money, after all!

Nothing shameful about it!

However, when the old man dragged a heavy chest out from behind the hut, packed full of all kinds of books, Fang Xi's expression beneath his veil finally began to change violently.

Damn it, I miscalculated...

I never expected the intelligence to be this detailed...

Fang Manor.

After calling several maids to knead his shoulders and massage his legs, Fang Xi switched on the Earth Air Conditioner and began leafing through the intelligence book by book.

"Yuan He Mountain... Founded more than three hundred years ago by 'Venerable Yuan He.' It has one sect master, six elders, and eight guest elders... Its sect's supreme art is the 'Yuan He Five Thunder Hands'..."

"The Black Stone City branch of Yuan He Mountain is overseen by 'Linghu Yang.' He once defeated the Panshi Hall Master within several moves and easily withstood the siege of several Martial Hall Masters..."

"Chunyu... Once defeated Lu She, the Red Snake Hall Master..."

"Qiao Wuchang. No notable battle record. Sinister by nature, fond of surrounding and ambushing others..."

"The independent Martial Artist Zheng Tianbao specializes in the 'Flying Cloud Skill.' His battle record..."

"Golden-badge Head Constable Shangguan Yun has captured river bandits and sea marauders many times. His strength is estimated to be above that of an ordinary Martial Hall Master..."

Fang Xi rapidly read through each line of intelligence, gradually gaining a rough impression of the martial forces in the surrounding area.

"Looking at it this way, the martial world's strength is truly... rather weak."

After a long while, Fang Xi put down the book, feeling somewhat helpless.

But this was normal as well. True experts rarely came out to establish martial schools.

Still, for them to be this weak was truly beyond his expectations.

By his reckoning, perhaps a single Black Stone City branch of Yuan He Mountain could annihilate the united martial schools!

Those seemingly powerful Martial Hall Masters were merely background scenery to sect Martial Artists and independent Martial Artists—or simply part of the battle records they used to rack up achievements...

Linghu Yang... Perhaps he has already surpassed the realm of Martial Hall Master and entered an entirely new level. He won't be easy to kill. I'll put aside the plan to target Yuan He Mountain for now...

Perhaps visiting other martial schools to take their strengths and make up for my weaknesses would also be a path of body refinement?

Before that, should I deal with the Red Snake Martial Arts School? Whether it's She Lei or Lu She, both of them must harbor hatred toward me...

After finishing his thoughts, Fang Xi set down an intelligence dossier and was just preparing to teach Bai He some leg techniques.

As a fragrant breeze passed by, Yue Gui approached gracefully and curtsied. "Young Master... Steward A Fu requests an audience!"

"A Fu? Let him in!"

Fang Xi nodded.

A moment later, the old steward A Fu entered. He had a long beard and white hair, and his appearance was rather immortal-like. He bowed respectfully. "Master!"

"Rise." Fang Xi waved his hand.

In the Cultivation World, appearance was absolutely no measure of strength. There were plenty of cultivators who looked immortal-like on the outside but were rotten to the core.

This was even more true in Daliang.

"Reporting to Master, this old servant heard a piece of news in the city recently. It may be useful to you..."

A Fu bowed as he spoke.

"Useful to me? Speak! If it truly is, you'll receive a heavy reward." Fang Xi was fairly lenient toward his servants.

At the very least, he wouldn't be like the Aristocratic Clans in the city, who occasionally had people carried off to be buried in the mass graveyard.

And whenever someone rendered meritorious service, the reward was always substantial!

As a result, the servants of Fang Manor were highly motivated.

"It's like this... There's a gathering in the city, attended entirely by wealthy and powerful people. It's said that some rare treasures will be auctioned during the feast as entertainment... Besides antiques, precious medicinal materials, and fine steeds, there will also be Martial Arts manuals and even demon materials!" A Fu explained.

"Oh?" Fang Xi's eyes lit up. "When and where?"

"Five days from now, at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion!" A Fu answered. "If Master needs one, this old servant can obtain an invitation."

"Excellent, excellent. You'll receive a heavy reward!"

Fang Xi laughed heartily.

Night fell.

Fang Manor was utterly quiet.

Fang Xi sat upright before his desk, staring at several arrangements he had made inside the room. His expression was slightly troubled.

Although he enjoyed comfort and luxury, he retained the cautious habits of a Rogue Cultivator. The most important bedroom had always been accessible to him alone.

Even when he played around with the maids, it was in other rooms.

Now, he sighed. "The strands of hair in several places have been disturbed. Someone secretly broke into my bedroom?"

In truth, Fang Xi knew perfectly well that since his servants had all been purchased rather than raised by the household for generations, they lacked loyalty and indoctrination.

He could tolerate them lining their own pockets a little from time to time.

But this had crossed the bottom line!

"Who was it? Someone bribed a person in my household? Were they trying to investigate the secret of how many days I disappear for, and where I hide my gold and silver?"

Fang Xi's expression turned completely cold.

Once he knew about such a thing and carefully investigated the servants who frequently left the residence and came into contact with others, he would always be able to find the clues!

Moreover, with a cultivator's methods, even if the mole wanted to hide, they wouldn't be able to!

"I hope it wasn't one of those people..."

Fang Xi murmured, then suddenly sighed.

There were always many troubles in this world. That was why some cultivators severed all emotion and desire, abandoning love for their entire lives in pursuit of the Great Dao.

He was slightly better than that, but he was still a... cold and heartless man!