Black Market

Bibi Dong's purpose in coming here was to visit the Black Market near Suotuo City.

In theory, this sort of task could have been handled by a subordinate. At most, Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo could have made the trip personally, rather than the Pope herself.

Qin Yuan had no idea why Bibi Dong had come in person.

Of course, having accepted the commission, he would fulfill his duty as her guard.

Few people on the continent had ever seen the Pope, but no one could guarantee they wouldn't run into someone who recognized her.

The Pope was traveling without a retinue and keeping such a low profile. If word got out, it would inevitably undermine Bibi Dong's authority.

Qin Yuan's main duties were to drive Bibi Dong and keep her from being exposed.

After three days of jolting along in the carriage, they arrived near Suotuo City.

Surprisingly, Bibi Dong didn't stay at a high-end hotel. Instead, she casually settled into a small inn. This made Qin Yuan see her in a somewhat different light.

It was also possible that Bibi Dong had other plans and couldn't afford to draw too much attention.

After entering the inn, Bibi Dong made no further move. She stayed in her room and didn't come out.

Qin Yuan stood guard outside her door. One of the inn's staff brought him a table and chair, and he sipped tea, idly watching the guests come and go.

After an unknown amount of time, Bibi Dong's voice rang out. "Come with This Seat outside the city."

Qin Yuan did as she said.

Bibi Dong was powerful, her presence concealed to the utmost, and she moved so quickly that she was hard to track.

Fortunately, Qin Yuan had obtained the Treading Snow Without Trace Movement Technique, so he wasn't too far behind in speed.

Outside the city.

Seeing Qin Yuan move with such light, swift steps, Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes, her interest piqued. "That's not a Soul Skill. Is it your Family Secret Skill?"

"This Seat is becoming more and more curious about you. I don't want to let a talent like you get away."

Qin Yuan shrugged. "Movement comes naturally. There's no special training involved. Perhaps, with a moment of sudden insight, anyone could travel a thousand miles in a day."

Bibi Dong didn't believe a word of it, but she didn't press him further.

Bibi Dong's purpose in coming here was to buy treasures for Hu Liena at the Black Market.

Ever since she had become the Pope, Hu Liena had been her emotional anchor.

She didn't trust others to handle this, and she believed that only she knew what Hu Liena truly needed.

She had expected an uneventful trip, never guessing she'd encounter someone as unusual as Qin Yuan.

If Hu Liena could learn this kind of Movement Technique, wouldn't it help her cultivation in the future?

The more impressive Qin Yuan proved to be, the less likely Bibi Dong was to let him go easily.

Unless what Qin Yuan had said earlier was true. Then perhaps there was still room for negotiation.

Serving a ruler was like accompanying a tiger.

And Bibi Dong's temperament was hard to predict. For his own safety, Qin Yuan had become much more cautious about what he said.

The Black Market was in a dense forest thirty li outside Suotuo City.

Someone had cleared a patch of land there, and everyone who came and went concealed their identities.

The sellers set up stalls across the clearing. Some of the treasures on display were genuine, while others were fake.

Of course, most of the real goods were illicit. Some of the treasures had even come from Spirit Hall or the Upper Three Sects.

"Snake Spirit Grass. It's a huge help to Snake-type Soul Masters in their cultivation and can help them form a snake core. How could a treasure like this show up here?" Qin Yuan clicked his tongue. In his memories, Snake Spirit Grass was an Immortal Herb, a priceless treasure.

Bibi Dong glanced at him and replied coolly, "Don't listen to the seller's pitch. Look at it for yourself!"

Perhaps because she thought Qin Yuan had too many secrets, Bibi Dong acted a little more amiably to make it easier to win him over, even taking the initiative to explain things to him.

After they had been browsing for quite some time, Bibi Dong casually remarked, "It's all trash!"

She made no effort to hide her words, and though her voice wasn't loud, everyone within twenty meters could hear her.

One hot-tempered seller immediately cursed, "Hey, do you know the rules or not? If you're not buying, get lost! Don't stand there telling us how to do our business!"

When Bibi Dong and Qin Yuan didn't answer, he stepped forward, ready to teach them a lesson.

Qin Yuan reversed his grip on his blade and struck with lightning speed, cutting off the man's arm. Then he said coldly, "Get lost!"

What a fast blade!

Those who dared to come to the Black Market were no weaklings. At the very least, they were Soul Kings, and there were plenty of Spirit Saints among them.

Yet Qin Yuan's strike had been so fast that even without catching the man by surprise, he could still have cut off his arm!

A moment later, someone jeered, "Seller, since you've been bragging that your Healing Medicine can bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bare bones..."

"Why not experience its effects for yourself? If your arm grows back, we'll buy all your medicine, at whatever price you ask..."

Not far away, experts from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect quietly gathered.

"The Sect Master said Mr. Qin's blade was fast and that he was powerful. That man is masked, but judging by his clothes and build, he should be Mr. Qin. Why isn't Mr. Qin teamed up with us?"

Another person said, "Mr. Qin hasn't joined our sect, after all. He's free to do as he pleases, so we shouldn't disturb him. Some things aren't for us to worry about."

Bibi Dong had exceptional perception, and the moment she entered the Black Market, she had released all her little spiders.

Every movement of everyone in the Black Market was under her control, including the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disciples' conversation.

At this point, she began to believe that Qin Yuan hadn't been lying.

Taking commissions for payment and moving among different factions could certainly maximize his profits.

But such a life was unstable. He might not know where his next meal was coming from, and there were also the risks involved in each job. The slightest mistake could cost him his life.

She couldn't understand why Qin Yuan would keep taking commissions when he could join Spirit Hall and live a more comfortable, better life.

For that matter, as long as Qin Yuan was willing to teach Hu Liena and the others his Movement Technique and blade techniques, Spirit Hall would never treat him unfairly.

Unable to figure it out, Bibi Dong could only wait for the information Ghost Douluo had gone to investigate and try to find the answer in Qin Yuan's background.

As time passed, Qin Yuan bought some cultivation resources and a few high-value treasures at the Black Market.

At daybreak, Bibi Dong fixed her attention on a newly arrived seller.

The Black Market only operated at night and closed up once the sun came out. This man had arrived at an obviously inconvenient time.

Yet the treasure he was selling caught Bibi Dong's attention.

A dagger made of sunken silver lay on the stall. A faint purple mark was etched into its blade. It seemed that if Soul Power were poured into it, the dagger would unleash greater power.

Qin Yuan furrowed his brows slightly. The dagger before him looked like an offensive Soul Tool.

Since Soul Tool technology had been lost on the Douluo Continent, people generally associated Soul Tools with storage.

"How much?" Bibi Dong asked curtly, her tone carrying an unquestionable authority.

The seller swallowed, feeling immense pressure, and shakily held up two fingers. "M-My lord, I'll s-sell it to you for twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins."

A complete offensive Soul Tool should have been extremely expensive. Twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins was practically a steal.