Eight-Foot Beautiful Woman

The dwarf looked at Chen Han and suddenly laughed again.

"You kid, you're interesting."

Time drifted by, and over the course of half an hour, a few more people arrived one after another, all with their faces covered, making it impossible to discern their features.

Upon arriving, these individuals did not say a word, maintaining a safe distance of several meters at all times.

Judging by their builds and silhouettes, they all seemed to be practitioners of the martial arts.

It made sense; without some real skill, who would dare come here?

Thump, thump, thump...

As if the time had come, the dwarf on the skiff tapped the side of the boat with his oar. Hearing the sound, the group boarded one by one, and Chen Han followed suit, bringing up the rear.

Once the dwarf had collected the silver from everyone, he began to row, slowly steering the boat into the depths of the mist-shrouded Black Lake.

The water was as black as an abyss, and the surrounding fog was chilling. Chen Han dared not move recklessly, silently keeping watch on the others.

He was currently missing an arm and possessed no combat capability; if he encountered anything amiss, he would flee immediately.

Fortunately, the people on the boat were very well-behaved.

After about half an hour, the skiff reached the shore, and the group disembarked.

Stepping onto the sand, Chen Han looked around, thinking to himself, This seems to be an island in the middle of the lake.

In front of him stood a small sign with the words "Black Market" written in large characters.

In the mud along the narrow path, white bones were vaguely visible.

The others scattered in different directions, while the ugly dwarf stood before him, turning his head to beckon with his chin.

"Let me introduce myself. This humble one is Wang Yue. Come, let me show you around first."

As he spoke, he walked off toward the depths of the island without waiting for a response. Chen Han followed closely behind, calmly pulling his bamboo hat lower to shroud his entire face in shadow.

Wang Yue? A good name.

Chen Han mused to himself, glancing at Wang Yue's back, which was as short as a child's.

Deep within the island lay a small street—one main thoroughfare and several smaller alleys, with small vendors lining the muddy paths.

When Chen Han saw the goods being sold, his pupils constricted, and his heart skipped a beat.

"Sir, care to take a look?"

The stall owner noticed Chen Han and spoke up: "These are all top-tier goods. Maidens, untouched by men. Sigh, don't be in such a hurry to leave. If you don't like these, I have noble ladies from the Imperial City, little princesses..."

Chen Han's expression was grim. Most of these girls look like they aren't even a few years older than Shen Yue, yet they are chained up like commodities for sale.

Recalling the recent string of missing girls in the city, a chill ran down his spine.

What a world!

Chen Han did not pause for even a second; he had no heart to meddle in such things, nor the strength to do so.

"Heh heh, kid, if you think these are too expensive, you can go play in the shantytown. It's not pricey—three taels of silver, and you can make any request you want."

"Very well. Tell me about the other wonders of this place."

Chen Han understood well that those who appear soft are bullied; he would not present himself as a lamb for the slaughter.

"Naturally. Since I've taken your silver, I shall see the matter through..."

Following this, Wang Yue gave Chen Han a detailed explanation of the goods traded at each shop in the Black Market, as well as the personalities of the shopkeepers.

He pointed out who could be trusted and who should be avoided.

Chen Han didn't remember much, but he kept a vivid memory of the plump woman who sold meat.

By the time Wang Yue finished his explanation, he had led Chen Han on a full tour of the Black Market.

"Very good. If I have need in the future, I will look for you again."

Chen Han turned to leave, tossing ten taels of silver behind him without looking back.

After the short Wang Yue caught the silver, his expression turned somewhat subtle. He muttered to himself, "It seems this is the man who killed that brute Xiong Li. He looks truly extraordinary—to be this calm on his first visit to the Black Market... it's rare."

Wang Yue could easily find the Black Mountain Gang's scouts in the Black Market right now, report this, and walk away with a large sum of silver.

But was it worth it?

It's just silver. I pay seventy percent of my earnings to the higher-ups as tax and still make over ten taels a day. That's enough for me to find women, buy wine, and live a comfortable life every night. Why bother provoking others when I can just live my own life? In a place like this, filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons, those with loose tongues... have long since turned into a pile of dust.

Chen Han had a clear goal, heading straight for the voluptuous woman Wang Yue had mentioned.

It was a small room, reeking of blood that pierced his nose and throat, nearly making him gag.

Suppressing his nausea, he stepped over the threshold and entered the room, where a beautiful woman eight feet tall walked toward him!

Her skin was fair, her face flushed with a peach-blossom glow, and her charming eyes were filled with endless allure.

She wore a white dress stained with large patches of blood, and the sight of her long, bare legs made Chen Han gasp, while her bulging chest looked as if two soccer balls had been stuffed inside.

"What a... massive woman."

"This little young master is a new face, isn't he? Do you have a referral? Auntie will give you a discount."

The beautiful woman's eyes lit up upon seeing Chen Han, as if she had discovered a rare treasure, and she glided over in a few steps to pull him down into a seat.

Her demeanor was that of a refined lady from a noble family, yet Chen Han inexplicably felt that she was incredibly flirtatious.

Chen Han swallowed hard. "No, this is the first time this humble one has patronized this place. I wonder how the meat is sold here?"

The meat he spoke of was, naturally, exotic beast meat!

"Meat, oh, that's cheap. It only costs fifty taels per catty."

The muscles on Chen Han's face twitched violently.

This is considered cheap?

You might as well just be robbing me.

"Then give this humble one... half a catty."

Chen Han pondered for a moment, intending to test the waters first.

Hearing this, the beautiful woman covered her cherry lips with a slender hand and giggled, "Hehehe."

"Little young master, this shop doesn't do business in half-catty increments."

She rested her slender hand on Chen Han's thigh, her gaze fixed on him like a wolf eyeing a lamb, her voice so bewitchingly seductive that it made Chen Han's bones feel soft.

"Is that so? Then I shall look around elsewhere."

Chen Han made a move to leave, but to his surprise, the beautiful woman pressed him back down, and he instantly became vigilant.

According to Wang Yue, the rules of the Black Market were set in stone; those who failed to abide by them faced dire consequences, regardless of which faction stood behind them.

And I only have two hundred taels of silver on me in total. Compared to the people here, calling me a pauper would be a compliment. If she wants to make a move on me, the disadvantages will naturally outweigh the benefits.

"Shopkeeper, is there anything else?"

Chen Han calmly removed the jade-like hand from his thigh, his tone stern.

He was dressed in black robes from head to toe, his limbs completely covered; unless this woman had x-ray vision, she would never be able to discern his origins.

"Don't be in such a rush to leave. The price... is negotiable. Since it's your first time here, Auntie will give you a discount, but you must agree to two conditions."

"What conditions?"

The beautiful woman raised her hand to pour Chen Han a cup of tea, crossed her legs, and tapped her bare foot rhythmically. "First, you must only buy meat from me from now on. I guarantee that my meat will be cheaper than most shops in the Black Market, and the quality is better guaranteed."

"If I break my word, this agreement is void, and you can buy wherever you please."

Chen Han's eyes darted around, finding nothing wrong with the proposal. "I can agree to that. What is the second condition?"

"Call me Auntie."

???

The beautiful woman looked at this straightforward man, rolled her eyes at him, and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm only twenty-six, in the prime of my youth. You keep calling me 'Shopkeeper' like you're addressing some old man; it sounds terrible."

"Hurry up, call me Aunt Xue'er, and I'll sell it to you for twenty-five taels a catty."

Chen Han's heart skipped a beat—a rock-bottom price!

He had just inquired about the news from Wang Yue; the price of exotic beast meat had been slightly cheaper recently, but it still hovered around fifty taels per catty, which was outrageously expensive.

And now, just by calling her Auntie, he could purchase it at half price.

It was worth it!

Never mind calling her Auntie—he would even call her Mother if it meant getting the deal!