Scheme!

After handling this matter, Chen Han finally let out a sigh of relief.

He arrived at the familiar shop, and as expected, just as Old Man Xiang of the Black Mountain Gang had guessed, the shop was not open for business.

The Black Market was established on an island in the middle of the lake specifically so that customers or merchants would not be easily tracked when leaving, providing a certain level of security.

But there is no wall that does not leak, and certainly no absolute security measures.

If someone is determined to break through, it is not impossible.

Chen Han did not linger and headed straight back.

Along the way, everything was calm and peaceful, with nothing amiss.

Chen Han was dressed as usual in black robes, with a black veil hat covering his head.

The night was as dark as ink, and the air was filled with a faint mist. This time, Chen Han did not go to the small hut outside the city but instead headed toward a mountain stream.

This was what Old Man Xiang had reminded him of earlier; the area around the small wooden hut had too many eyes and ears, and making a commotion there would easily lead to discovery.

After walking for a while, Chen Han arrived at a somewhat remote mountain stream. In front of him was a karst cave, from which the rhythmic sound of dripping water could be heard.

Chen Han walked inside. At the same moment, in the shadows behind him, a tall, graceful figure paused for a moment, hesitated, and then followed him in.

The cave was not small, and it concealed a spacious area inside. There was only one entrance and exit, making it a dead end.

"You stinking wench, you really fell for it. My painstaking efforts were not in vain after all."

At this moment, a voice rang out. On a small platform on the cliff above the cave, a disheveled Old Man Xiang stood with his arms crossed, laughing wantonly.

Standing behind him to the side was Chen Han, who was glaring at the woman below with an expression of indignation.

"Aunt Xue'er, how could you be so cruel? I kindly did business with you time and again, yet you repay kindness with enmity, even resorting to poison to harm me!"

Qing Xue wore a look of shock, as if she had never expected these two to have conspired together.

"Old thing, so it was you. Not only did you rob me, but you even dared to plot my murder. Do you really think I'm someone to be trifled with..."

She looked at the old man, her gaze incredibly gloomy.

"Hahahaha, you stinking wench, you're at death's door and still dare to bluster? I will certainly crush your spirit later!"

"Shameless wretch!"

"Aunt Xue'er, since you were the first to be ungrateful and try to harm me, I have no choice but to take you down first. It just so happens I lack a chambermaid; you can come and warm my feet."

A cold, sinister smile appeared on Chen Han's face as his fighting spirit soared. This made the old man chuckle inwardly, Young friend, you are still too young. Do you really think you can leave this place alive? I intend to take not only the person but also the wealth.

Even if Chen Han wanted nothing, he had to die!

This Black Market was a significant power; if this matter were to spread, it would likely bring him trouble.

It would be better to finish it once and for all and kill them both to eliminate any future trouble.

One was a novice in the Transformation Realm, the other an ordinary practitioner of the same realm. Even combined, they were no match for him alone. How could they possibly win?

Let this brat go first. When they are both exhausted and wounded, that will be the start of my slaughter.

Just as the old man was thinking this, a massive force suddenly erupted from behind him. In an instant, he lost control of his body and was sent crashing down from the cliff, his spine feeling as if it were about to shatter.

He gritted his teeth, emitting a harsh, hoarse sound, his eyes appearing as if they were about to burst into flames.

"Brat, you..."

Old Man Xiang stood up shakily, blood gushing from his mouth. Half of his face was a bloody mess, exposing pale bone; he no longer looked human.

He glared at Chen Han, his eyes as large as copper bells, like a vengeful ghost from the Yellow Springs.

Just moments ago, Chen Han had made a show of preparing to fight the young woman, and he had been caught off guard. Who would have thought that this boy's target was actually him? He had been struck solidly by that punch.

The force of that punch was immense, making him wince in pain; he estimated that several of his bones had been broken.

"Senior, you have underestimated this humble one."

Chen Han's face was as cold as carved jade, calm and ripple-free. A faint, cold sneer played on his lips, a sharp contrast to his previous naive and fawning demeanor.

"You..."

The old man looked at Chen Han, wishing he could skin him alive and throw him into a vat of boiling oil right now.

"So, Wu Duan was killed by you... The reason you didn't run after realizing I had ill intentions in our cooperation was because Wu Duan was investigating you. Black Lion City is only so big; if he had found you, there would have been nowhere to run."

His words were squeezed out from between his teeth.

Chen Han stared coldly, with no intention of responding.

"Killing over fifty of my gang's brothers wasn't enough, you even killed the famous Wu Duan. And now, even I have been calculated by you and fallen into a desperate situation... Good brat, good brat!! Impressive, truly impressive!"

At the same time, even Qing Xue was startled, thinking to herself, So that person was him.

Old Man Xiang looked like a hideous demon, and he turned his gaze toward the tall Qing Xue.

He saw her wearing a playful expression, clapping her slender hands together, her cherry lips parting, "Old thing, your intelligence isn't even enough to wipe my backside, and you wanted to swindle my good nephew?"

At this moment, several figures suddenly emerged from the only entrance to the cave. Upon closer inspection, they were all martial artists at the Hidden Realm level!

During his second purchase of medicine, Chen Han had intentionally or unintentionally leaked the information and left a note, asking her to play along and trap this old man.

"Good nephew, well done. Aunt didn't misjudge you."

She cast a flirtatious glance at Chen Han before turning her gaze to Old Man Xiang. "Old thing, where is my bead? If you don't speak, I have countless ways to make you wish you were dead."

"Hmph, I have acted with caution my entire life and have never been outmaneuvered, yet I never imagined I would fall into the hands of a youngster today."

Chen Han's constant use of "senior" earlier had made him feel quite pleased, which led to his carelessness and the current predicament.

Thinking back on it now, he truly regretted his past actions.

But it was too late to dwell on such things now.

He had heard of this woman; she was a Gu Master from the Southern Border, known for her ruthless and cruel nature. If he fell into her hands, death would truly be a mercy, but if he could escape, he naturally preferred to do so.

Yet, he was now surrounded on all sides, with eight experts at the Dark Jin stage and two at the Hua Jin stage—they could wear him down through attrition alone. Trapped in such a narrow space, with no path to the heavens and no door to the earth, he had no choice but to fight for his life.

He would attempt to carve out a bloody path.

Thinking this, his muscles bulged and his eyes turned blood-red, resembling a wild beast cornered against a wall.

"Fine, since you refuse to yield, then go to your death."

Qing Xue narrowed her beautiful eyes. "Kill this old thing. Once we return, everyone gets twenty catties of meat."

The eyes of the eight Black Market assassins instantly lit up.

Twenty catties of meat was worth nearly four hundred silver taels, enough to keep them fed and comfortable for most of their lives; how could they not be excited?

In an instant, the group swarmed forward, determined to hack him into pieces.