Black Market Encounters
"Boss, this Black Market is connected to 'The Demon Hour.' Their symbol is that clock face pointing to six. If you see that symbol on the tavern's sign, it means there's a Black Market here. Just tell the waiter the corresponding code, and they'll take you to that level of the Black Market. Of course, there are definitely other organizations operating their own Black Market, but you'll have to find them yourself or ask other guides."
As Hom spoke, he pointed to the lower left corner of the sign, to a symbol that wasn't particularly eye-catching. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary clock face, but upon closer inspection, one would discover that the hands pointing to six and twelve were actually two swords, one short and one long.
"The Demon Hour, is it the name of an organization, or a ghost Weird Tale the mastermind behind it? I remember that in the Eastern Kingdom, there is a saying that the time when day and night alternates is called the Demon Hour, and there are also many Urban Legend about how it is easy to see ghosts or be vanished by spirits during this time." Feng Xue pondered in her heart, but stepped into the tavern.
Despite having a suggestive name, Feng Xue didn't see the scantily clad young women he had imagined when he entered the bar. Well... in his eyes, everyone was a young woman.
Although their clothing styles varied, most of it was not revealing, and they mostly engaged in normal casual conversation rather than physical contact.
Hom walked beside Feng Xue, leading her straight to the bar. The bartender, seeing Hom, flashed a knowing look, but calmly wiped the glasses and asked:
What would you like to order?
"Give me a bottle of Erguotou. Also, I need to talk to Amber. Is he here?" Hom took out a 2000-yuan banknote and placed it on the table, casually uttering what should have been a perfectly normal code.
But Feng Xue had an urge to pull out a packet of salt. It's perfectly normal to ask for beer, rum, brandy, or whiskey here, but asking for Erguotou... it just doesn't fit the vibe at all!
Unfortunately, that was the code. The bartender handed over the banknotes and took a bottle of Erguotou a type of Feng Xue liquor) from the counter behind him. Fortunately, it wasn't the familiar flat-bottled Red Star or Niulanshan, which made him feel a little better.
The bartender handed the Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) to Hom, then pointed to Room Door in the corner, as if giving directions in a perfectly normal manner:
"Amber is in Box Five."
Leading Feng Xue toward VIP room number five, Hom whispered:
"The code is to order a bottle of Two Thousand Tower of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), and then ask where Amber is. However, the door to the Black Market is constantly changing, and only the bartender knows the pattern. The Two Thousand Tower of liquor is essentially the ticket, so don't just walk in next time just because you know the location this time. Not only will you not be able to find the right way, but even if you happen to run into someone, you'll easily incur the bartender's wrath and cause trouble."
"Here's the ticket money." Feng Xue took out two thousand yuan in bills and handed them to Hom. Hom didn't refuse, but from her slightly raised eyebrows, Feng Xue knew she was in a good mood.
The prerequisite is that the filter can perfectly transform even micro-expressions.
Pushing open the door to VIP room number five, what appeared was not the huge space Feng Xue had imagined, but a very ordinary-looking VIP room. If there was anything different, it was that in the middle of the room, there was a large hole in the open space, just big enough for two people to walk side by side. From the side, one could vaguely see layers of stairs winding downwards, giving the feeling of a secret passage in an ancient castle.
This feeling made Feng Xue extremely vigilant. Although Hom's performance had been normal so far, the tunnel seemed so unreliable that Feng Xue had already thought of dozens of ways to be ambushed the moment she saw it.
However, Hom seemed oblivious to Feng Xue's unusual behavior, and took out a mask and hood from a small cabinet in the private room, saying:
"There are usually items like these in the private rooms to conceal your identity, but they're not very useful. After all, most people in the black Black Market have identification Tag. Even if they can't remember your face, they can remember the Tag you wear. Of course, you can take them if you feel it's necessary, but I must warn you that this kind of self-deception in the Black Market is a sign of a lack of self-confidence and will only attract more trouble. On the contrary, some guys who are very confident and want to double-cross others will deliberately dress like a newbie."
Feng Xue thought about it and felt that it made some sense, so she didn't take the equipment. Instead, she gently tugged at the cloak that had turned into a shadow and was ready to run away at any time before following Hom into the tunnel.
However, contrary to his expectations, this "tunnel" became more spacious and brighter as he went down, except for the initial dark section.
After walking about a hundred meters, or about sixty meters vertically, Feng Xue finally got a clear look at the Black Market.
This is a street scene on a platform that is unclear whether it is built underground or simply designed to create a dark atmosphere. The street is flanked by solid black stone walls, with windows bearing signs that reveal vendors and stalls. A road twenty meters wide runs through the center of the stone walls on both sides and extends forward.
The number of customers coming and going on the street was far greater than Feng Xue had imagined, which dispelled his previous idea that "the Black Market was underground in the bar." He began to suspect that the staircase was just a decoy, and that he had actually been unknowingly teleported to the Main Body of the Black Market, which was located on some unknown platform. Only in this way could the Black Market have such a large flow of customers.
In addition to the shop windows and storefronts on both sides of the street, there are also many street stalls. Sellers spread out a piece of cloth and then place their goods on it for passersby to ask about prices and inspect them, seemingly without any concern about being robbed and run away.
Hom had obviously guessed Feng Xue's thoughts, and immediately pointed to the men in black standing every ten meters or so along the roadside. They wore the same uniforms, with the emblem of the six o'clock dial engraved on their chests. They stood motionless like puppets. If Hom hadn't pointed them out, Feng Xue would have even mistaken them for mannequins.
"The Black Market here is protected by people from 'The Demon Hour'. Although their Combat Power is not strong, they are backed by a Weird Tale. Legend has it that their leader possesses Supernatural Tale Entry that can accurately pinpoint the enemy's location. As long as you violate the rules he sets, no matter how far you run, you will be caught."
Listening to Hom's words, which were half explanation and half reminder, Feng Xue nodded and casually asked:
What qualifications are needed to open a shop or set up a stall here?
"Only those who join the Demon Hour are eligible to open a shop in the Black Market. As for setting up a stall, you only need to pay a rental fee of 20,000 towers to set up a stall for one day. However, stalls can only be used to sell items; you cannot buy items from customers, including bartering. Please pay special attention to this."