Black Market

That day.

After finishing work, He An headed for East City as usual.

The entire Fangcheng was divided into East City and West City.

Most of those living in East City were ordinary families.

Though they could gain a foothold in the city, they were far less wealthy than those from grand households.

West City, on the other hand—

The Government Office, the Town Martial Division, and great families like the Wu, Meng, and Xu Families were all situated there.

It could be called the very center of Fangcheng.

The Black Market He An was heading to was located in East City.

Although He An had never come here since crossing over, he had heard a fair bit about it.

Otherwise, he would not have come here to buy Spirit Herbs and Spirit Medicine.

Before entering the Black Market, He An had specifically changed into another set of clothes, making himself look less conspicuous.

At the entrance, two hulking men stood guard.

One of them stopped He An and said expressionlessly, "To enter the Black Market, you must pay one copper coin as a fee. Also, fighting is forbidden once inside."

"Otherwise, bear the consequences yourselves!!"

This Black Market had not been organized by the Government Office, but built by the local Fish Soaring Gang.

They also maintained order throughout the entire market, so such rules for entering it were only natural.

Worth mentioning was that

if you entered to sell something, they would not charge you a single coin.

Compared with other places, this was practically a bargain with a conscience!

For that reason, most people in Fangcheng liked coming to this Black Market.

Gradually, the Black Market grew in scale as well.

As soon as the man finished speaking, He An deftly took out a copper coin and stuffed it into the burly man's hand.

"Go in!"

Entering the Black Market, one figure after another came into view.

There were many people here, no different from an ordinary bustling market.

Street vendors had set up stalls all along both sides of the road.

From time to time, burly men from the Fish Soaring Gang responsible for patrols could also be seen passing by.

He An tugged at his clothes, covering most of his face, then cautiously entered the Black Market.

He had only one purpose on this trip.

Spirit Herbs and Spirit Medicine.

Just as He An was searching for Spirit Herbs and Spirit Medicine, several young figures entered the Black Market.

The one at the front was tall and powerfully built.

In an instant, many people's gazes were drawn toward him.

Among them, some clearly knew the man's identity.

"Isn't that Li Yan? The personal disciple of Li Anbang, the master of Great Fortune Martial Arts Hall. Why would he appear here?"

"Who knows!"

Most people were not particularly interested in him.

After paying the entrance fee, Li Yan and his group swaggered inside.

At that moment, a young disciple behind Li Yan spoke up.

"Senior Brother Li, we're here to buy some Black Iron Leaf. Why not go to West City instead? Why come to a place like this? Could it be that someone here sells Black Iron Leaf too?"

"I don't know."

"Then why come here?"

Li Yan explained, "There are quite a few Herb Gatherers in this Black Market. They gather things in the surrounding mountains and forests, and they're bound to come across some Spirit Herbs and Spirit Medicine."

"They don't know their worth, so they bring them here to sell."

"If we're lucky, we might be able to pick up a bargain."

"When the time comes, we can split the Silver Taels we save between us martial brothers."

As disciples of the Martial Arts School, none of them came from well-off families.

If they could earn some Silver Taels this way, it was indeed a good option for them, so they all agreed.

They walked through the Black Market.

Li Yan kept watching the stalls around them.

Before long.

They found a stall.

"Come on, let's take a look over there."

At his command.

The group headed toward that stall.

In front of the stall, He An was selecting medicinal herbs.

"Boss, this one, this one, and this one—I'll take them all."

With a sweep of his hand, he picked out many of the stall's Spirit Herbs and Spirit Medicine.

It was not that he was wasteful; the things on display were simply too good.

Blood Activating Ginseng, Vajra Fruit, Black Iron Leaf, Purple Heart Grass...

Every one of them was something he needed.

The most precious among them was that stalk of Purple Heart Grass.

Its core was deep purple, and the gentle spiritual energy within it could not only neutralize the fierce Medicinal Power of the Blood-Connecting Pill, making the process of tempering the body easier, but also accelerate the circulation of Qi and Blood within the body.

For Martial Artists who had yet to Enter the Ranks, this was absolutely a treasure.

The middle-aged man froze at those words, then a smile immediately spread across his face. "Customer, I'll wrap them up for you right away. But as for the price..."

He An naturally understood the value of these things. He nodded. "Don't worry. I definitely won't shortchange you on the price. Just wrap everything up."

"Also, I'll take these few herbs as well." He An selected several more Spirit Herbs and Spirit Medicine.

Though these items were quite common, they could only benefit his cultivation, never harm it.

"Alright!"

The man's grin nearly split his face.

Although his goods were good, their prices were truly not low.

Ordinary people could not afford them, while those with the means rarely came here to buy Spirit Herbs and Spirit Medicine.

Thus, he had waited for many days before finally encountering a major buyer like He An.

The moment he opened his mouth, he had practically bought everything at the stall.

"Little brother, that'll be thirty taels of silver in total."

"Here."

He An extended his hand.

Just then, at the very moment the boss took the silver, a voice suddenly interrupted.

"Boss, could you wait a moment? I'm also very interested in these things of yours."

Turning around, He saw Li Yan and the others slowly approaching.

Their eyes burned as they stared fixedly at the few Spirit Herbs and Spirit Medicine in the boss's hands.

Clearly, they had recognized these Spirit Herbs and Spirit Medicine as well.

A young man behind Li Yan shouted excitedly, "Senior Brother Li, you really didn't lie to me. There really are good things in this Black Market."

"Yeah!"

The other two chimed in as well.

"Blood Activating Ginseng, Vajra Fruit, Black Iron Leaf—even Purple Heart Grass! These things will all be of great benefit to our future cultivation!!"

At those words, a trace of displeasure appeared on He An's face.

"Gentlemen, I've already bought all of these. Go take a look at the other stalls."