Lu Cheng asked, a hint of confusion in his voice:
"Chang'an, Erming, where are the others?"
After spending so much time together, everyone had come up with short names for the three Hu brothers.
Fatty simply called them Hu Da, Hu Er, and Hu San.
Lu Cheng, meanwhile, used a mix of names.
Sometimes he followed Fatty's lead.
Other times, he called them Daliang, Erming, and Sanguang.
Thin Bamboo Pole, Liu Chang'an, replied:
"Their delayed backlash has hit. They couldn't take it, so they went to bed to recover."
"Hm?" Lu Cheng hadn't heard of that before.
"What does 'delayed backlash' mean?"
Thin Bamboo Pole explained:
"Training in martial arts takes a heavy toll on your strength and vital energy. The process of tempering your power also inevitably damages your muscles and bones."
"If you make sure to rest and recover from the start, it won't be a problem."
"But look around this courtyard. Who here rests regularly?"
"Let it build up like this, and sooner or later your body won't be able to take it."
"If you keep pushing yourself and don't give your body time to recover, it'll affect your foundation."
Lu Cheng's expression turned grave.
"Is that what's happened to all of them?"
Hu Ming nodded and sighed.
"It's not just them. I reckon the rest of us are only a day or two behind."
Then, looking at Lu Cheng in surprise, he asked:
"Your body doesn't feel it?"
At that, Lu Cheng's heart clenched.
He'd already felt the effects of the soreness in his body when he'd fought Shi Da of the Fish Gang.
If he kept this up, the delayed backlash was bound to catch up with him sooner or later.
And that was with the Mystic Eagle Stance Technique nourishing the body as it trained it.
On top of that, Lu Cheng was practicing the most perfect method of training, one derived by [Heavenly Mandate].
That was why he hadn't been affected too badly so far.
But not being affected too badly didn't mean he was unaffected.
The backlash would come, sooner or later.
Maybe not within the "next day or two," as Hu Ming had said.
But within ten days at most, Lu Cheng would suffer a bout of delayed backlash too.
And then he'd have no choice but to take to his bed.
Take to his bed...
Lu Cheng asked in a low voice:
"How many days does it take to recover?"
Hu Ming replied:
"That depends on your constitution. Two or three days if you're quick to recover; if you're slow, who knows?"
Two or three days?
Lu Cheng couldn't afford to waste even one day, let alone three.
"Isn't there some way to speed up recovery?"
"Of course there is, but it all costs money."
"For instance, Blood-Activating Powder. It can greatly speed up recovery."
"If you can use Blood-Activating Powder every day after training, your muscles and bones won't get damaged."
So that was why Shen Yi had demanded so much Blood-Activating Powder from the Vermilion Bird Martial Arts Hall and the other sixteen places.
That was what it did.
If Blood-Activating Powder could speed up his recovery and prevent the delayed backlash, then he'd buy some!
Once he had 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 without saying a word for a long moment.
Lu Cheng was puzzled.
"Why are you looking at me? Where can I buy it?"
The two exchanged a glance.
Then they slowly uttered a single word that left Lu Cheng stunned and helpless:
"Expensive!"
In the dormitory.
Lu Cheng looked at Fatty and the brothers Hu Da and Hu San, his expression growing even grimmer.
The three of them had been fine that morning.
But in the space of a single afternoon, they had swollen up all over like someone had pumped them full of air.
Their arms were as thick as thighs, and their bellies bulged like barrels.
Even dinner had to be brought to their mouths by Lu Cheng and the others.
As for Liu Wan'er, since she was a girl, the disciples sharing her room had to look after her.
"Isn't there any cheaper medicine?"
That single word, "expensive," had left Lu Cheng feeling utterly helpless.
Blood-Activating Powder cost far too much.
One dose cost three taels of silver!
All Lu Cheng had to his name was a little over five taels.
Enough for only one and a half doses!
The others could see the look on Lu Cheng's face.
They all felt sorry for him.
Hu Ming hadn't been entirely right about one thing.
Recovery speed didn't just depend on your constitution.
It also depended on the depth of your pockets.
Fatty and the other two looked as they did now even after applying medicine and spending the afternoon recovering.
Without medicine, they'd be in an even worse state.
Everyone knew about Lu Cheng's family circumstances.
Especially the way he'd paid out copper coins by the handful when he first enrolled. Everyone still remembered it vividly.
Among all their fellow disciples, no one was poorer than Lu Cheng.
With talent and aptitude like his, it would be a terrible waste if he had to lose several days simply because he couldn't afford medicine.
"Well, there is a cheaper option."
The words suddenly came from Fatty, who was lying in bed.
Hu Ming stared at him for a moment, then recalled something.
"You mean... the Black Market?"
He shook his head at once.
"No, no. That place is too dangerous, and you can't trust anything they sell."
Lu Cheng slapped Hu Ming on the shoulder.
"Forget dangerous. Hurry up and tell me where this Black Market is."
"You really mean to go?"
Lu Cheng's gaze was resolute.
"I really do!"
"..."
Hu Ming sighed and lowered his voice.
"No one knows where the Black Market is."
"There's more than one way to get there, either."
"The one I know is probably the most widely circulated."
"There's a narrow alley not far north of the Medicine King Temple in South City. Go down it to the end, and you'll find an old opera stage."
"Anyone going to the Black Market has to duck behind the stage."
"Someone will put a black hood over your head, then lead you down into an underground passage."
"When you come out of the passage, they'll have you climb into a carriage with its windows blacked out."
"When the carriage stops and they take off the hood, you'll be at the Black Market."
"It's the same when you leave."
"But there's one good thing about leaving: you can pay them to take you wherever you want."
"Anywhere in Yangcheng County, any street or alley. As long as you're willing to pay, the carriage will get you there safely!"
Lu Cheng frowned.
"That sounds an awful lot like sneaking around like a thief."
Hu Ming shook his head.
"The Black Market is a place that has to stay hidden from the light of day."
"Eight out of every ten things sold there have shady origins."
"The sellers don't dare reveal their identities, and the buyers don't want to leave their names."
"Besides, there are people who've gotten into trouble and can't show their faces, but still need to sell what they have."
"So where else can they go but the Black Market?"
"That's why I said it's dangerous."
When he was done, Hu Ming looked at Lu Cheng with pleading eyes, hoping he'd change his mind.
Lu Cheng met Hu Ming's gaze for a moment, then nodded.
Hu Ming brightened with delight.
"See? That's what I'm saying. A place that dangerous, we can't just—"
"I'm going!"
"Huh?" Hu Ming thought he'd misheard.
Lu Cheng shook his head, his expression serious.
"At three taels of silver a dose, I can't afford Blood-Activating Powder."
"But I can't afford to waste time either."
The room fell silent.
Even Fatty and Thin Bamboo Pole, whose families were better off than his, had to wait until the backlash hit before they were willing to use Blood-Activating Powder.
There was no way Lu Cheng could afford it.
For once, Fatty sounded serious.
"The Black Market has no rules. If you buy a fake, that's your own bad luck. If someone sets their sights on you, then your life wasn't worth much. You'd better be careful."
"Once you've bought what you need, don't be stingy. Pay for the carriage to take you back near us."
Lu Cheng nodded and took all the money from the cupboard.
Five taels and six mace.
Everyone in the room watched Lu Cheng, their expressions tense and solemn.
"Lu Cheng..."
A disciple who didn't usually talk much with him moved his lips a few times, but in the end, swallowed his words.
They were all fourteen or fifteen years old.
Though they lived in troubled times, the worst they'd ever encountered were ruffians like You Lanchuang.
They'd never crossed paths with the murderous desperadoes of the martial world they'd heard about in stories.
To them, the Black Market was no less perilous than a dragon's lair or a tiger's den.
Now Lu Cheng was going to a place teeming with villains like that. It was hard not to worry.
Lu Cheng looked around at the people in the room.
When their eyes met, some pressed their lips together and nodded faintly.
Others parted their lips, wanting to speak but holding back.
In the end, all that remained was a heavy look in their eyes.
Before you continue