Bargaining

The Disguise Technique was merely a precaution Chen Fei had prepared. After all, he would soon be selling Grass Return Pills in the Black Market. If he went there in his current appearance and build, it would be all too easy for others to see through him.

Among the martial artists of Pingyin County, the Black Market was practically an open secret. There were bound to be people from the Zhang Family inside. Chen Fei did not yet wish to fall out with the Zhang Family, so concealing his identity was particularly important.

Disguise Technique simplifying... Simplification successful... Disguise Technique → Washing Face!

Wonderful!

Seeing the result of the Simplification, Chen Fei grinned. He tried washing his face with clean water, and sure enough, the Disguise Technique's experience increased by 1. At the same time, insights into the Disguise Technique surfaced in his mind.

Chen Fei did not waste any time. He rinsed his face with clean water more than ten times in succession, and the Disguise Technique's experience shot upward.

After a while, Chen Fei stopped. Washing his face raised experience at a decent pace, but he wanted it to be faster. Based on his observations over the past few days, there were actually tricks to exploit even with these simplified methods.

Chen Fei tried dampening a towel, then wiped his cheeks. His understanding of the Disguise Technique immediately deepened, and a smile could not help appearing on his face.

Over the following days, Chen Fei took one Grass Return Pill each day, steadily pushing his cultivation toward the peak of the Skin Refining Realm. At the same time, he continuously refined Qi Blood Pills, raising the Grass Return Pill's experience and gradually approaching the Perfection Realm.

It was foreseeable that Chen Fei would need money in more and more places from now on. Grass Return Pills would be his stable source of income going forward.

In the intervals between refining pills, Chen Fei had never stopped practicing his Movement Technique. After incorporating the fifth Movement Technique, each new one began to provide him with increasingly diminished benefits.

The most obvious change was that after a new Movement Technique was incorporated, Crossing River Clouds' Proficiency had already neared the Perfection Realm.

Still, such a situation was unavoidable. The function of basic Movement Techniques was rather simple to begin with; when exerting force, there were only so many pathways that needed to be used.

For Chen Fei to rely on these few basic techniques and cultivate his Movement Technique to this extent was already no easy feat. Yet he could also sense that a transformation in his Movement Technique was drawing near.

Perhaps once he incorporated the ten newly purchased Movement Technique secret manuals, Chen Fei's speed would rise to an entirely new level.

He had not neglected pill refinement or his Movement Technique, and naturally, Chen Fei would not forget the newly acquired Disguise Technique either.

Between pill refinement, during breaks in cultivation, and in the brief rests after tea and meals, Chen Fei always remembered to take out a towel and wipe his face from time to time.

In just a few days, the people at the medical center noticed this rather strange habit of Chen Fei's.

They had previously heard that this Deputy Manager loved stir-frying. They had never seen that spectacle for themselves, but now they discovered that Chen Fei seemed to have something of a cleanliness obsession.

There was clearly little sweat on his head or face, and he looked exceptionally clean, yet Chen Fei still kept wiping his cheeks every so often. It felt as though he would rub the skin right off his face.

Chen Fei paid no heed to their stares. He simply liked being clean—nothing wrong with that. Besides, as the experience values of his various techniques continuously rose, all manner of insights surged through his mind.

The feeling of having learned something and being rich in knowledge left Chen Fei utterly intoxicated.

"Something big has happened."

Early in the morning, Liu Jun came up to Chen Fei with a mysterious air and spoke.

Chen Fei nodded, signaling for Liu Jun to continue.

"Didn't several wealthy households in the county get massacred a few days ago? Last night, the County Government Office's constables and yamen runners mobilized to surround and capture someone."

Chen Fei's expression shifted slightly. No wonder he had heard commotion outside last night—it had been caused by this. He could not help thinking of the portrait he had thrown into the County Government Office.

"Did they catch him?"

"No. I heard the bandit was a little slow to react at first, but once those constables got close, he injured every single one of them in an instant, then ran away."

Liu Jun shook his head regretfully. After all, anyone would fear a bandit who slaughtered entire families, and everyone hoped he could be captured.

Chen Fei nodded slightly. He understood that the County Government Office had underestimated Jian Liang's strength, allowing him to escape. But from another angle, it also showed Jian Liang's formidable power, far beyond that of an ordinary martial artist.

The only question was whether this would make that group of bandits rein themselves in, or drive them to retaliate even more madly.

"I heard someone gave the yamen information, but didn't take a single tael of reward silver... Such a huge sum of money. What a waste!" Liu Jun muttered to himself as he walked away, his eyes filled with longing for money.

Ten days passed quickly. The Grass Return Pill's experience finally reached the Perfection Realm. Not only did each batch yield more pills after refinement, every single one was plump and lustrous.

These were already top-grade Grass Return Pills. In the entire Qingzheng Medical Center, there were only a handful of Alchemists capable of refining Grass Return Pills to such a standard.

A single Grass Return Pill sold for ten taels of silver, while the cost of the herbs was exceedingly low—so low that compared with the selling price, it could be ignored altogether.

Within those ten days, Chen Fei had also cultivated the Disguise Technique to the Perfection Realm. He could now alter his facial features at will and even make slight adjustments to his build.

Thus, Chen Fei now met the conditions to sell Grass Return Pills in the Black Market. The only remaining problem was the source of the herbs.

No medical center or pharmacy would sell herbs to Chen Fei in large quantities. After all, they had Alchemists of their own and had no need to dispose of their herbs in such a manner. Chen Fei therefore needed to find another avenue.

At the same time, Chen Fei estimated that he would complete his breakthrough within the next few days. By then, he would be a martial artist of the Flesh Refining Realm. Compared to the lowly Skin Refining Realm, the Flesh Refining Realm would at least grant Chen Fei some power to protect himself.

Black Market.

"I need a batch of herbs. Can you supply them?"

Before the Book Stall, Chen Fei wore a face covering and a Bamboo Hat, and his face had already been altered. He had deliberately lengthened the corners of his eyes and made himself slightly taller. His entire bearing gave others the impression that he was cold and difficult to approach.

"With money, anything can be arranged."

Chi Defeng looked at Chen Fei, feeling that he seemed somehow familiar. But the Black Market was full of people coming and going, so it was normal to find some faces familiar.

"I want ten portions of these herbs!"

Chen Fei handed over the prepared list. Chi Defeng took it and glanced over it a few times before saying, "They're not difficult to find. Double the market price, delivery in six days. How about it?"

Chen Fei wanted to roll his eyes. Without saying a word, he took the list back from Chi Defeng's hand and turned to leave.

He had come to Chi Defeng for herbs mainly because they were acquainted, not because Chi Defeng was indispensable. He could still gather enough herbs elsewhere.

"Hey, don't go. The price is negotiable!"

Chi Defeng hurriedly tried to keep him. What was wrong with people these days? They would not even haggle over the price. Truly, the hearts of men had grown worse with age. Business had not been this difficult before.

"Half again above market price. The difference in between is more than enough to cover your trouble," Chen Fei said, turning back.

"It's chaos outside, with war and unrest everywhere. Herbs aren't easy to find," Chi Defeng said, shaking his head.

"There are so many refugees. If you're willing to pay them, they'll naturally help you find herbs."

The refugees outside Pingyin County had not decreased lately; instead, their numbers were growing ever larger. Several more county towns had been breached, and the surrounding region had become increasingly chaotic.

Rumor had it that the Army had already been sent to suppress them, though no one knew what the final outcome would be.