"I don't want your cultivation technique!"
Looking at the rabbit-headed man who had once again stepped in front of him, Lu Yuan furrowed his brow and said bluntly, "What, are you trying to force a sale?"
The black market didn't allow fighting, but that didn't mean he had to let people push him around.
"Bull-Headed Man, don't get the wrong idea!"
The rabbit-headed man hurriedly shook his head. "I'm not trying to force you to buy a cultivation technique. I have some news to sell you—news related to a technique."
"I'll sell you this news for just one tael. Whether you believe it or not is up to you!"
"Tell me," Lu Yuan said after a brief pause, then took out a tael of silver and tossed it to the man.
"Ten days from now, the black market will hold an auction. There'll be plenty of rare treasures on offer, and a special cultivation technique will be saved as the grand finale."
The rabbit-headed man quickly tucked the silver away, then continued.
"An auction, with a grand finale!"
Lu Yuan's gaze flickered. A technique chosen as an auction's grand finale was sure to be extraordinary.
But even with the three hundred taels he had just acquired, his total wealth amounted to only five hundred taels. He might not be able to secure the special technique being saved for the finale.
Unless he could come into another windfall. That might just be enough!
"Oh, and here's a free piece of news: someone's got their eye on you."
With that, the rabbit-headed man quickly left.
"So I really have been targeted?"
Lu Yuan frowned, but he wasn't the slightest bit flustered or surprised.
This was the black market. All kinds of people gathered here, including more than a few wicked scoundrels who lived to kill and loot for a quick fortune.
He had just openly taken out valuables worth three hundred taels of silver. How could he not attract those men's attention?
Still, it was hard to say who was the hunter and who was the prey.
Lu Yuan immediately strode out of the black market.
After crossing just one street, he spotted two dark figures following him from a corner behind him.
Without a moment's hesitation, Lu Yuan picked up his pace.
"We finally found a fat sheep. Don't let him get away!"
"Relax. That guy's obviously a greenhorn. He hasn't even learned a movement technique, by the looks of it. Let him run another hundred paces if he wants—we'll catch him in a blink!"
The two men in black cloaks, one wearing a monkey mask and the other a pig mask, soon caught up.
They were clearly much faster than Lu Yuan, and were about to reach him.
Suddenly, Lu Yuan wheeled around and darted into a dark alley beside him.
"Fool. He actually dared to enter a dark alley alone. He's picked himself the perfect place to die!"
The two men didn't hesitate. They followed him into the alley.
"Go on, run... Why'd you stop?"
Seeing Lu Yuan standing quietly there, the two men couldn't help laughing.
"There are so many people in the black market. Why did you pick me?" Lu Yuan asked curiously.
He had gotten three hundred taels of silver, but there had to be plenty of people in the market with even more than that.
"My eyes are sharp. I can tell at a glance who I can mess with and who I can't, and I've never been wrong," the Monkey-Faced Man said with a smile. "As for you, you've hidden yourself head to toe, but you still can't hide that greenhorn's air about you. And now, from the look in your eyes, I can tell you're not only no seasoned veteran, you're under twenty as well. You probably haven't been practicing martial arts for long, and you're no stronger than the Bright Energy Realm at most. Am I right?"
"Right, and wrong!" Lu Yuan laughed.
He was no seasoned veteran, he was indeed under twenty, and he had only been practicing martial arts for a month. But his strength was far beyond the Bright Energy Realm.
"Cut the crap. My brother Monkey never gets it wrong. Hand over all the silver on you, if you know what's good for you. Maybe we'll even give you a quick death," the Pig-Faced Man said coldly.
"Fine. Here, take it all!" Lu Yuan nodded and reached for the small pouch at his waist.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, two iron pellets wrapped in fierce, razor-sharp bursts of energy tore through the air and shot straight toward the Pig-Faced Man's face.
"Watch out!" the Monkey-Faced Man shouted, reaching out to shove the Pig-Faced Man aside.
But it was already too late.
Pfft! Pfft!
The iron pellets effortlessly pierced the Pig-Faced Man's mask and burrowed deep into his brain.
He couldn't resist at all. He didn't even have time to scream before he died on the spot.
"This one's dangerous... Retreat!"
The Monkey-Faced Man didn't hesitate for a moment. He turned and bolted.
He had clearly misjudged. This wasn't some fat sheep, but a wolf—a true vicious wolf.
To guard against the iron pellets, the Monkey-Faced Man pushed his movement technique to its limits.
He kept his body low, dodged left and right, and moved with astonishing speed.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
With a series of flicks from Lu Yuan's fingers, three more iron pellets shot out at tremendous speed.
Now that the Flick Finger Technique had reached perfection, its iron pellets could strike targets a hundred paces away. Their speed and power had both increased tremendously, and the energy wrapped around them was so lethal it nearly matched a blade's edge.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Two of the iron pellets struck the ground and bored holes into it.
The remaining pellet, however, plunged straight into the Monkey-Faced Man's body.
Thud!
The Monkey-Faced Man slammed heavily to the ground, unable to move a muscle.
Lu Yuan walked over and looked down at him.
"Cough, cough... If I said I was only joking with you just now... would you let me off this once?" The Monkey-Faced Man struggled to raise his head, coughing blood as his voice trembled.
"Don't be foolish. You're a seasoned veteran. You shouldn't be asking that kind of question," Lu Yuan said mildly, his eyes full of mockery.
He had dared to ambush Lu Yuan. He should have been prepared to be killed in return.
"Wait! If I tell you where I've hidden my money, will you spare my life?"
Seeing Lu Yuan about to make his move, the Monkey-Faced Man hurriedly blurted out.
"Show me the way!"
After searching the Pig-Faced Man, Lu Yuan grabbed the Monkey-Faced Man and carried him out of the alley like a little chick.
Before long, following the Monkey-Faced Man's directions, he arrived at an abandoned courtyard.
Then, beside the latrine, he dug a clay jar out of a pit.
When he opened it, he found not only loose silver and banknotes, but also two booklets that looked like cultivation manuals.
Lu Yuan's eyes lit up. What an unexpected bonus!
"Spare me, and it's all yours!" the Monkey-Faced Man pleaded.
"If I kill you, it'll all be mine anyway!" Lu Yuan replied calmly, turning to look at him.
"You... You have no honor! You promised..." The Monkey-Faced Man's eyes bulged with rage. He felt as though the sky itself were about to collapse.
"Then go find Mingming!" Lu Yuan held up a finger and asked, "How many is this?"
"One! It's one!" the Monkey-Faced Man roared.
"You know too much." Lu Yuan slowly let the words fall, his voice cold and indifferent, then brought his blade down.
Before you continue