Power Doubled, Black Market Seeks Silver

The night dew was heavy, Ye Qingxuan's figure slipped out from the shadows of the alley, and when he pushed open the courtyard gate, it was silent, only stirring a faint breeze.

The clamor and stench of the Ghost Market seemed to still cling to his clothes. The blackened bamboo slip, the words "reward five taels of silver," swirled in his mind once before sinking down. Five taels of silver couldn't quench his immediate thirst. The remnants of the Green Fish Gang moved unpredictably; finding and capturing them alive within a single day was like searching for a needle in a vast ocean.

Tomorrow would be the tenth day. Hu Jiudao's face, those vicious words about his sister, hung like a sword over his head.

He didn't go back to his room to sleep. Instead, he found some leftover charcoal sticks in the kitchen and fished out a few sheets of rough straw paper. On the small table in the outer room, the bean-sized flame of the oil lamp cast his shadow high against the wall.

Holding a charcoal stick, he wrote swiftly on the paper. What he wrote wasn't some earth-shattering martial art secret manual, but a set of pure external body-hardening techniques he'd compiled by combining his past life's fitness knowledge with this world's body-refining methods, discarding the dross and keeping the essence.

This technique was called the Layered Waves Bone Forging Art. It held no mysteries of internal energy circulation, only the most straightforward movements, teaching one how to repeatedly stimulate skin, flesh, tendons, and bones through specific actions, coordinated with breathing, to stir up blood and energy and strengthen the body. This method took effect quickly, had a low threshold, required no talent—only hard work—and could build brute strength, making one's flesh tougher than ordinary people.

Of course, its ceiling was also extremely low; at its peak, it only reached the pinnacle of Body Refining First Layer, with no further progress possible. Moreover, because it excessively drove blood and energy, it demanded high food intake, and without family resources to support it, it would instead drain the body.

But for those desperadoes in the Ghost Market living on the edge of a blade, or low-level martial artists desperate for quick results, this was the most practical "shortcut" money could buy.

He wrote extremely fast, the charcoal stick scratching across the paper. When the sky began to lighten at the horizon, seven or eight sheets of straw paper covered in text and diagrams were neatly arranged on the table.

He carefully folded the paper, tucked it into his chest, then pushed open the door and stretched. Having stayed up all night, he felt not the least bit tired; instead, his blood and energy surged, and his spirit was high.

"Brother." The inner room door opened, and Ye Caiwei walked out, rubbing her eyes, still carrying a warm, sleepy air. She glanced at the water vat in the corner and said softly, "There's not much water left. I'll go fetch some with you later."

"No need." Ye Qingxuan walked over to the water vat. The stone vat was half a person tall, with thick walls; when full of water, it must have weighed three or four hundred jin. Now only a little remained at the bottom, but the vat itself, even two strong men would struggle to lift.

The bottom of the vat, where it touched the ground, was ringed with slippery moss from years of dampness. Ye Qingxuan bent down, grabbed the rim with one hand, and his arm muscles tensed slightly.

Ye Caiwei was about to pick up the carrying pole and buckets when she heard a grating "creak" behind her. She spun around, her eyes instantly wide, her small mouth open, and the wooden ladle in her hand clattered to the ground.

She saw her brother, using only one hand, lift the heavy stone vat clean off the ground, a full half a foot high!

His arm was steady, without a trace of trembling, as if he were lifting not a stone vat but an ordinary wooden bucket. With his other hand, he picked up a broom, swept away the moss in a few strokes, then slowly set the vat back down.

The whole process, his breathing was calm, and his face showed no sign of strain.

"Brother... you..." Ye Caiwei's voice trembled. She ran over quickly, reached out a small hand to touch Ye Qingxuan's arm, then the cold stone vat, as if she couldn't believe what she'd seen.

"Just some results from training." Ye Qingxuan pulled her into his arms, ruffled her hair, and said gently, "Nannan, don't be afraid. From now on, your brother will get stronger and stronger, and no one will bully us anymore."

As he spoke, he turned a bit too broadly, and his arm accidentally knocked hard against the rim of the stone vat.

"Thump!"

A dull sound, like a mallet striking a cowhide drum.

Ye Caiwei jumped in fright and quickly checked his arm: "Brother, did that hurt?"

Ye Qingxuan raised his arm; where it had been struck, not even a red mark remained. He pressed the skin and flesh there with his finger, feeling it extremely tough. When he pushed down, the muscle was firm, with a strong elasticity, and the touch really was somewhat like tanned thin cowhide.

Minor Accomplishment in the Indestructible Vajra Body had already brought a transformative change to his physique.

This strength was his confidence for heading to the Ghost Market today.

The siblings ate breakfast. Ye Qingxuan ate more than usual, wolfing down three large bowls of meat porridge and several wheat cakes. Ye Caiwei rested her chin on her hand, watching her brother devour the food, her big eyes no longer filled with worry but with full admiration and peace of mind.

After the meal, Ye Qingxuan changed into a cleaner old set of clothes.

"Brother, aren't you going to the yamen for duty today?"

"Not today. I'm going out to handle some business and earn some silver. You lock the door at home, don't open it for anyone, and wait for me to come back," he instructed.

"Mm!" Ye Caiwei nodded firmly. "Brother, don't worry. I won't go anywhere."

Ye Qingxuan again covered his face with a black cloth, hiding most of it, leaving only a pair of calm eyes visible. He pushed open the courtyard gate, and in the morning sunlight, his figure flickered and vanished at the alley's mouth.

This time, he knew the way well and headed straight for the Ghost Market in the west of the city.

The Ghost Market by day was a bit more desolate than at night, but people still came and went. Those transactions that couldn't see the light of day never distinguished between day and night.

He didn't go to any stalls but walked directly to a relatively secluded corner. Here, there were several "middlemen" who specialized in selling things for others. These people had wide connections and sharp information, with their own survival rules in the Ghost Market.

Ye Qingxuan picked out a middle-aged man who looked the most shrewd and capable. The man was leaning against the wall, picking his teeth with a straw stalk, his eyelids drooping, looking half-asleep.

Ye Qingxuan stepped forward, said nothing, and directly handed over the stack of straw paper from his chest.

The middleman lazily lifted his eyelids, glanced at him, took the paper, and casually flipped through a couple of pages. He was initially careless, but the more he read, the higher his drooping eyelids rose. Finally, he sat up straight and spat out the straw stalk.

"Layered Waves Bone Forging Art?" he read aloud, then carefully examined the diagrams and text on the following pages. His expression shifted from disdain to caution, and finally to a glint of sharpness.

"Did you write this?" he asked.

Ye Qingxuan nodded.

"Interesting." The middleman closed the paper and patted it in his hand. "The method is a bit crude, but it's straightforward. For those greenhorns who've just gotten a foothold and have no way to find a master, it's indeed a good thing. How much do you want to sell it for?"

"I don't want money." Ye Qingxuan's voice was very low, deliberately raspy.

The middleman was taken aback: "You don't want money?"

"Trade it for something," Ye Qingxuan said. "A Meat Refining Method, a real one, not those fake tricks on the market."

The Body Refining realm was divided into layers: Skin Refining, Meat Refining, Tendon Changing, Bone Forging, Blood Exchange, and so on. He was now at the peak of Body Refining First Layer, and the next step was Meat Refining. But he had no follow-up techniques. The martial arts of the Fengtian Division could only be taught to official constables. And a genuine Meat Refining Method was worth a fortune on the market, hard to come by.

His words were both to test the value of this Layered Waves Bone Forging Art and to pave the way for his own future cultivation.

The middleman narrowed his eyes and reassessed Ye Qingxuan. A man who could casually write such a body-forging technique was no ordinary person. And the fact that he asked for a Meat Refining Method right away showed he had a high level of insight.

"A Meat Refining technique is a rare thing." The middleman pondered for a moment. "This Bone Forging Art of yours is decent, but to trade for a genuine Meat Refining Method, it's still a bit short."

"Then forget it." Ye Qingxuan reached out to take back the paper.

"Hey, don't rush." The middleman pressed down on his hand, a businessman's smile spreading across his face. "Can't exchange it, no. But helping you get a good price for it, that I can do. This thing of yours—I'll find you a buyer who knows its worth, guaranteed satisfaction. After the sale, we split seventy-thirty. You get seventy, I get thirty. How about it?"

Ye Qingxuan was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Straightforward!" The middleman stood up. "Wait for me here for one incense stick's time. Remember, don't wander off."

With that, he took the stack of rough paper and quickly disappeared into a side passage deep within the cave.

Ye Qingxuan leaned against the wall, arms crossed, closing his eyes to rest. He could hear the footsteps of people passing by, could smell the various odors mingling in the air. His hearing and sense of smell were several times sharper than before.

One incense stick's time—neither long nor short.

Just as he was starting to grow impatient, the middleman finally returned, a pleased look on his face. Behind him followed a burly man, also masked with a black cloth. The man's steps were steady, his temples bulging prominently, and he exuded a fierce, brutal aura—clearly a trained fighter.

"Friend, I've found you a buyer." The middleman introduced with a smile. "This gentleman here is very interested in your Bone Forging Art."

The burly man wasted no words, speaking directly in a deep, resonant voice: "I've seen the goods. Not bad. Name your price."

"Fifteen taels of silver." Ye Qingxuan spat out four words.

"Fifteen taels?" The middleman behind the burly man cried out first. "Friend, that's way too high! This is just the most basic body-tempering method..."

"It's worth that price." Ye Qingxuan cut him off. "Put in the hard work, and in three months, it can give an ordinary man the strength to split rocks and shatter stone tablets. Fifteen taels for a skill that can save your life on the martial world's roads—not expensive."

The masked burly man waved his hand, stopping the middleman. His sharp eyes swept over Ye Qingxuan, as if trying to see through him.

"Fourteen taels." The burly man said in a low voice. "That's all I have on me. If you agree, we settle it now."

Ye Qingxuan met his gaze for a moment, then nodded. "Deal."

The burly man took a heavy money pouch from his bosom and tossed it over. Ye Qingxuan caught it, weighed it in his hand, then loosened the opening to see several pieces of silver of varying sizes inside.

He tucked the money pouch into his chest and turned to leave.

"Friend, hold on!" The burly man suddenly spoke. "For a body-tempering method like this, I imagine you have even better ones in hand. If you have goods in the future, you can come find him here again." He pointed at the middleman.

Ye Qingxuan didn't stop walking, his figure quickly disappearing into the flow of the Ghost Market's crowd.

The fourteen taels of silver in his bosom felt heavy. The stone that had weighed on his heart for months finally fell to the ground.

He walked out of the Ghost Market into the bright daylight. Without a moment's delay, he headed straight for the Southern District.

Fierce Tiger Hall, Duan Tianbao, Hu Jiudao.

Today, it was time to settle things.