Black Market

Bibi Dong's purpose for this trip was the black market near Suotuo City.

Logically, this kind of matter could be handled by subordinates, at most sending Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo personally, rather than the Pontiff appearing herself.

Qin Yuan did not yet know the reason for Bibi Dong's personal visit.

Of course, having accepted the commission, he would fulfill his duty as a bodyguard.

Few people on the continent had actually seen the Pontiff, but no one could guarantee they wouldn't encounter someone who recognized her.

The Pontiff traveling incognito without an honor guard, if the news leaked, would inevitably diminish Bibi Dong's prestige.

Qin Yuan's main task was to drive the carriage for Bibi Dong and prevent her from being exposed.

The carriage swayed for three days, arriving near Suotuo City.

Surprisingly, Bibi Dong did not stay in a high-end hotel but casually lodged at a random inn. This action inevitably changed Qin Yuan's perception of her.

It was also possible that Bibi Dong had other plans and it was inconvenient for her to be too high-profile.

After entering the inn, Bibi Dong made no further moves, staying in her room and not going out.

Qin Yuan guarded the door. The shop assistant provided him with a table and chair. He sipped tea, idly watching the travelers passing through the inn.

After an unknown amount of time, Bibi Dong's voice came, "Let's go, follow me outside the city."

Qin Yuan complied.

Bibi Dong's strength was immense, her aura concealed to the extreme, and her speed incredibly fast, making her difficult 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's light and swift steps, Bibi Dong narrowed her eyes, showing great interest: "This isn't a soul skill, it's your Family Secret Skill?"

"I'm becoming more and more curious about you. I don't want to let go of a talent like you."

Qin Yuan shrugged and said, "Movement techniques are innate, without any cultivation techniques. Perhaps, with a chance enlightenment, one can 'travel a thousand miles a day' in cultivation."

Bibi Dong didn't believe his nonsense but didn't press further.

Bibi Dong's purpose for this trip: to purchase a treasure Hu Liena needed from the black market.

Ever since she ascended to the position of Pontiff, Hu Liena had been her emotional anchor.

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

She had expected a peaceful outing, but instead, she encountered a peculiar person like Qin Yuan.

If Hu Liena could master such a movement technique, wouldn't it be more beneficial for her future cultivation?

The more outstanding Qin Yuan appeared, the less likely she was to let him go easily.

Unless Qin Yuan's previous words were true, perhaps there was some room for negotiation.

Serving a ruler is like accompanying a tiger.

Moreover, Bibi Dong's temperament was unpredictable, so Qin Yuan became much more cautious in his speech for his own safety.

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

An area had been cleared and cultivated here, and everyone who came and went concealed their identities.

In the clearing, sellers set up their own stalls, displaying treasures, some genuine, some fake.

Of course, most of the genuine goods were illicit. Among them were treasures from the Martial Soul Hall and the Upper Three Sects.

"Snake Spirit Grass, greatly beneficial for the cultivation of snake-type soul masters, capable of assisting in the condensation of snake inner cores. Such a treasure actually appears?" Qin Yuan marveled slightly. In his memory, Snake Spirit Grass was an immortal herb, a priceless treasure.

Bibi Dong glanced at him and said indifferently, "Don't listen to the seller's introduction; look for yourself!"

Perhaps sensing that Qin Yuan held too many secrets, Bibi Dong acted with a degree of kindness to make it easier to win him over, even taking the initiative to explain things to him.

After browsing for a long time, Bibi Dong casually remarked, "All trash!"

She didn't try to hide her voice, speaking at a moderate volume that could be heard by anyone within twenty meters.

An irritable seller immediately cursed, "Hey, you ignorant fool, don't you know the rules? If you're not buying, get lost and stop pointing fingers here!"

Seeing that Bibi Dong and the others didn't reply, he stepped forward, intending to teach them a lesson.

Qin Yuan drew his blade with his backhand, moving with extreme speed, and severed the seller's arm before coldly saying, "Scram!"

What a fast blade!

Those who dared to come to the Black Market were not weak; they had at least the strength of a Soul King, and many were even Spirit Saints.

But Qin Yuan's previous strike was too fast. Even if it wasn't a sneak attack, it could still sever the seller's arm!

A moment later, someone heckled, "Seller, since you've boasted that your healing medicine is miraculous, capable of bringing the dead back to life and regenerating flesh and bone."

"Why don't you personally experience the effects of your medicine? As long as your arm grows back, we'll buy all your medicine, no matter the price..."

Nearby, the experts of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect quietly gathered.

"The Sect Master said that Mr. Qin's blade is very fast and he is powerful. Although that person is masked, judging by his attire and build, it should be Mr. Qin. Why isn't Mr. Qin teaming up with us?"

Another person said, "Mr. Qin hasn't joined any sect, he acts freely, and we shouldn't disturb him. Some things are not for us to worry about."

Bibi Dong's perception was extraordinary, and as soon as she entered the Black Market, she had released all her little spiders.

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

At this point, she began to believe that Qin Yuan had not lied.

Taking money to do things and moving between multiple factions could indeed maximize profits.

But such a life was unstable, and it was possible to go from having no food for the next meal to having none at all, not to mention the risks that might be encountered during missions, where a slight mistake could lead to death on the spot.

She couldn't understand why Qin Yuan, who could have joined the Martial Soul Hall and lived a more leisurely and better life, would continue to accept commissions.

Not to mention anything else, as long as Qin Yuan was willing to teach his movement techniques and blade techniques to Hu Liena and the others, the Martial Soul Hall would never treat him unfairly.

Unable to figure it out, Bibi Dong could only wait for the intelligence that Ghost Douluo was investigating, trying to find the reason from Qin Yuan's background.

As time went by, Qin Yuan bought some cultivation resources and some high-value treasures in the Black Market.

At dawn, Bibi Dong set her sights on a newly arrived seller.

The Black Market only operated at night, and stalls would be packed up when it got light. This person arriving at this time was clearly out of sync.

However, the treasures he was selling caught Bibi Dong's attention.

On the stall, there was a dagger made of refined silver. On the blade, there was a light purple mark, as if as long as spirit power was injected into it, the dagger could exert greater power.

Qin Yuan frowned slightly. This dagger looked like an offensive Soul Tool.

Because the technology of Soul Tools had been lost in the Douluo Continent, Soul Tools were often associated with storage functions in people's minds.

"What's the price?" Bibi Dong's words were concise, but her tone revealed an undeniable deterrence!

The seller swallowed, feeling immense pressure, and tremblingly held out two fingers: "M-my lady, I'll sell it to you for... for twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins."

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