Blood-Activating Powder, Black Market

Lu Cheng asked with a hint of confusion:

"Chang'an, Er Ming, where are the others?"

Having spent a long time together, the group had developed nicknames for the Hu Brothers.

Fatty called them Hu Da, Hu Er, and Hu San directly.

Lu Cheng, however, used a mix of titles.

Sometimes he followed Fatty's lead.

Other times, he called them Daliang, Er Ming, and Sanguang.

Thin Bamboo Pole Liu Chang'an replied:

"Their 'rebound fatigue' kicked in; they couldn't hold up, so they went to bed to recover."

"Hm?" Lu Cheng had never heard of this term.

"What does this 'rebound fatigue' mean?"

Thin Bamboo Pole explained:

"Practicing martial arts not only consumes a great deal of physical strength and blood energy, but the process of tempering one's force inevitably causes damage to the tendons and bones."

"If one pays attention to rest and recovery from the start, it's usually fine."

"But look around this courtyard—who here rests often?"

"With that kind of accumulation, the body will eventually reach its breaking point."

"If you keep pushing yourself without giving your body time to recover, it will damage your foundation."

Lu Cheng couldn't help but look grave:

"Are they all out for this reason?"

Hu Ming nodded and sighed:

"Not just them; we'll probably be the same in a day or two."

As he spoke, he looked at Lu Cheng with surprise:

"Does your body not feel anything?"

Hearing this, Lu Cheng felt a jolt in his heart.

When he had clashed with Shi Da of the Fish Gang earlier, Lu Cheng had already experienced the effects of muscle soreness.

It seemed that if this continued, "rebound fatigue" would arrive sooner or later.

This was only because the Mystic Eagle Stance Technique integrated nourishment with training.

Plus, Lu Cheng was practicing the most perfect method deduced by the [Heavenly Mandate].

That was the only reason he hadn't been significantly affected yet.

But "not significantly affected" did not mean there was no impact at all.

Rebound fatigue would come when it was meant to come.

Perhaps it wouldn't be in the "day or two" that Hu Ming mentioned.

But within ten days at most, he would also suffer from "rebound fatigue."

When that time came, he would inevitably be bedridden.

Bedridden...

Lu Cheng asked in a deep voice:

"How many days does it take to recover?"

Hu Ming said:

"That depends on your physical constitution; two or three days if you're fast, and who knows if you're slow."

Two or three days?

Never mind three days; Lu Cheng didn't want to waste even a single day.

"Is there no way to speed up the recovery?"

Hu Ming said:

"Of course there is, but it all costs money."

"For example, Blood-Activating Powder; this medicine can significantly increase the speed of recovery."

"If you could use Blood-Activating Powder every day after training, there would be no such thing as tendon and bone damage."

No wonder Shen Yi demanded so much Blood-Activating Powder from the seventeen establishments like the Vermilion Bird Martial Arts Hall.

So that was its purpose.

Since Blood-Activating Powder could accelerate physical recovery and prevent "rebound fatigue," then he would buy it!

Having made up his mind, Lu Cheng asked the two of them:

"Where can I buy Blood-Activating Powder?"

Thin Bamboo Pole and Hu Ming stared at Lu Cheng, remaining silent for a long time.

Lu Cheng asked, puzzled:

"Why are you looking at me? Where can I buy it?"

The two exchanged a glance.

They slowly spat out a single word that left Lu Cheng stunned and helpless:

"Expensive!"

Inside the dormitory.

Lu Cheng looked at Fatty and the two brothers, Hu Da and Hu San, his expression turning even grimmer.

The three of them had been perfectly fine that morning.

Yet, in just one afternoon, their entire bodies had swollen up as if they were being inflated.

Their arms were truly like thighs, and their waists were like water barrels.

Even their dinner had to be fed to them by Lu Cheng and the others.

As for Liu Wan'er, since she was a girl, she could only be entrusted to the care of the disciples in her own dormitory.

"Is there no cheaper medicine?"

That single word "expensive" left Lu Cheng feeling deeply helpless.

Blood-Activating Powder was too expensive.

A single dose cost three taels of silver!

Lu Cheng's entire net worth was currently just a little over five taels.

It was only enough to buy one and a half doses!

The others saw Lu Cheng's expression and felt sorry for him.

Hu Ming's statement hadn't been entirely accurate.

Recovery speed was not only related to physical fitness.

It was also related to the depth of one's pockets.

The current state of Fatty and the others was already the result of having applied medicine and recovering for an entire afternoon.

If they hadn't used medicine, they would have been even more unsightly.

Everyone knew about Lu Cheng's family background.

In particular, the way he had pulled out handfuls of copper coins when he first entered the sect remained fresh in everyone's memory.

It could be said that among all his fellow disciples, no one was poorer than Lu Cheng.

With such excellent talent and aptitude, it would be a huge loss if he were delayed for a few days just because he couldn't afford medicine.

"Sigh, it's not like there aren't any cheaper options."

Fatty, lying on the bed, suddenly blurted out.

Hu Ming looked at Fatty for a moment, then remembered something:

"Are you talking about... the Black Market?"

Having said that, he immediately shook his head:

"No, no, that place is too dangerous, and the things inside are unreliable."

Lu Cheng slapped Hu Ming on the shoulder:

"What danger? Stop stalling and tell me where this Black Market is."

"You really want to go?"

Lu Cheng's gaze was resolute:

"I really do!"

"..."

Hu Ming sighed and lowered his voice:

"No one knows exactly where the Black Market is."

"There isn't just one path to the Black Market."

"The one I know is considered the most widely known."

"Not far north of the Medicine King Temple in the south of the city, there is a narrow alley; if you walk to the end of that alley, there is an old stage."

"Those who want to go to the Black Market, crawl behind the stage."

"When the time comes, someone will put a black hood over your head and lead you down into a tunnel."

"Once you emerge from the tunnel, they will make you sit in a carriage where you cannot see outside."

"When the carriage stops and the hood is removed, you will have arrived at the Black Market."

"The process is the same when you leave."

"However, there is one benefit to leaving: you can pay them to take you back."

"Any street or alley within Yangcheng County—as long as you are willing to pay, the carriage can deliver you safely!"

Lu Cheng frowned:

"That sounds like we're acting like thieves."

Hu Ming shook his head:

"The Black Market is a place that cannot see the light of day to begin with."

"Eight out of ten items sold inside are of questionable origin."

"The sellers dare not reveal their identities, and the buyers do not want to leave their names."

"Besides that, there are those who have committed crimes and dare not show their faces, yet they still need to sell what they have in their hands."

"So, where else could they go but the Black Market?"

"That is why I said that place is dangerous."

After saying this, he looked at Lu Cheng with eager eyes, hoping Lu Cheng would abandon the idea.

Lu Cheng and Hu Ming stared at each other for a moment, then he nodded.

Hu Ming was overjoyed at the sight:

"Heh, that's what I'm saying! Such a dangerous place, we really shouldn't..."

"Go!"

"Huh?" Hu Ming thought he had misheard.

Lu Cheng shook his head earnestly:

"Blood-Activating Powder costs three taels of silver a dose; I cannot afford it."

"But time—I cannot afford to waste that either."

The room instantly fell into silence.

Given the family backgrounds of Fatty and Thin Bamboo Pole.

They still had to wait until the "rebound" flared up before they were willing to use Blood-Activating Powder.

Lu Cheng could afford it even less.

Fatty was serious for once:

"There are no rules in the Black Market. If you buy a fake, it's because you're blind; if you get targeted, it's because your life is thin. You must be careful."

"Once you've bought what you need, don't be stingy with your money—have the carriage take you directly to our vicinity."

Lu Cheng nodded in agreement and took all his money out of the cabinet.

Five taels and six mace.

Everyone in the room watched Lu Cheng, their expressions solemn and tense.

"Lu Cheng..."

A disciple who didn't usually talk much trembled his lips, but in the end, he swallowed his words.

They were all children of fourteen or fifteen years old.

Even though they lived in troubled times, the most they had ever seen were local thugs like You Lanchuang.

They had never encountered the legendary martial arts desperadoes who killed without blinking.

To them, the Black Market was no different from a dragon's den or a tiger's lair.

Now that Lu Cheng was going to a place infested with such villains, it was truly worrying.

Lu Cheng looked around at the people in the room.

As their gazes met, some pressed their lips together and nodded slightly.

Others opened their mouths, wanting to speak but holding back.

In the end, it all turned into a heavy, meaningful look.