Bogu Hall

Stepping out of the Long Wind Escort Agency, the sky had already turned pitch black.

Five taels and six mace in copper coins were truly inconvenient to carry.

Therefore, Lu Cheng found the chubby kid and exchanged them for six taels of silver.

Don't ask why it was six taels.

Because the friendship between the chubby brother and this Lu fellow was worth more than a thousand gold.

Lu Cheng only deducted four mace from it as carriage fare.

However, despite saying that...

Lu Cheng touched the silver in his bosom and still couldn't help but curse under his breath.

He really wasn't cut out to be a hero who robs the rich to help the poor.

When he dealt with You Lanchuang, he had almost forgotten to loot the corpse.

As a result, when it came to the Fish Gang Young Gang Leader and Liu Daozi, he had actually forgotten to loot them!

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been left with such a meager fortune.

Sighing in regret, Lu Cheng hurried toward the south of the city.

Yang City had no curfew.

Therefore, even at night, the north of the city was extremely lively.

But the south of the city was a completely different story.

After crossing Three Bridges, he hadn't walked more than a few steps before all the noise and bustle suddenly vanished.

Those three rivers and three bridges acted like an invisible barrier, dividing half of Yang City into two different worlds.

Lu Cheng walked through five or six streets and alleys without seeing a single pedestrian.

Even the beggars hid back in their shacks once night fell.

Lu Cheng was now at the early stage of Refining Strength, so his movement and agility were quite fast.

In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, he arrived at the Medicine King Temple that Hu Ming had mentioned.

Under the cover of night, even the temple had its main gate tightly shut.

Passing the Medicine King Temple and walking a few more steps, there was indeed a narrow alley.

The alley was so narrow that it would be cramped for two people to walk side by side.

On both sides were high green brick walls without windows, and the alley was pitch black inside.

Looking at the alley, a thought suddenly crossed Lu Cheng's mind:

This really is a perfect place for one man to hold the pass.

People coming to the Black Market either carried money or goods.

Setting up a checkpoint here would make it hard not to get rich.

However, Lu Cheng was just thinking about it casually.

A place like the Black Market was certainly not a spontaneous organization.

The power behind it was likely no worse than forces like Heavenly Spring Temple or Emerald Cloud Abbey.

If he dared to pull such a stunt in front of them, he probably wouldn't make it out of this alley.

Donning the face mask he had prepared in advance, Lu Cheng slowed his pace, his spirit highly focused as he proceeded with caution.

If Lu Cheng had this idea, others would too.

What if he really ran into someone who wanted to pull a job and run?

Wouldn't that be a stroke of terrible luck?

Therefore, he had to be cautious and even more cautious.

Fortunately, the alley was not long.

After thirty-some steps.

The view before him suddenly opened up.

Across a street one zhang wide, a low, dilapidated stage stood there.

The red paint on the stage pillars had peeled off for the most part, revealing the blackened wood underneath.

A corner of the stage foundation had collapsed, causing the entire stage to tilt slightly.

The remaining surface was pitted and uneven, and the painted patterns on it were long since unrecognizable.

Only the curtain separating the front and back of the stage remained perfectly intact.

Compared to the rest of the stage, it even looked somewhat brand new.

On both sides of the stage were dilapidated corridors and viewing galleries that extended all the way to the courtyard walls at both ends.

Lu Cheng looked back and forth, but he could not find any gap to bypass the area.

However, the two doorways on the curtained stage, labeled "Exit General" and "Enter Minister," were pitch black.

Lu Cheng glanced at the collapsed corner, pushed off with his feet, and landed in front of the "Exit General" door a short distance away.

The situation backstage was somewhat unexpected.

Within the small space, an octagonal pavilion stood in the center.

A person wearing an Asura mask sat upright at a stone table inside the pavilion.

A basket sat on the stone table.

Other than that, there was not a single person or object to be seen.

The Asura mask seemed not to notice Lu Cheng's arrival.

He kept his head lowered, staring at the stone table before him.

It was as if he were the only person in this place.

Lu Cheng had no choice but to deepen his voice and ask gruffly:

"Is this brother also heading to the Black Market?"

Only upon hearing the voice did the Asura mask look up at Lu Cheng, yet he still did not speak.

He merely reached out and pointed to the basket on the stone table.

Lu Cheng walked closer and saw several black veiled hats stacked inside.

It seemed this Asura mask was the "guide" for this place.

The veiled hat must be the "headgear" Hu Ming had mentioned.

But did this thing actually provide any concealment?

Yet, the moment Lu Cheng put it on, he realized his own ignorance.

The hat was surrounded by a ring of black gauze; logically, one should be able to see the ground through the gap at the bottom.

But as soon as Lu Cheng put it on, his vision was immediately plunged into darkness.

This thing was a bit terrifying.

Lu Cheng forced himself to endure it, barely stopping himself from ripping it off immediately.

However, his legs quietly shifted into a stance, and he channeled his strength throughout his body.

"Heh."

A sound of disdainful laughter suddenly reached his ears.

Immediately following, a series of mechanical clicks sounded, accompanied by the noise of stone slabs grinding against each other.

At the same time, a current of air brushed past his calves.

"Kid, if you want to go to the Black Market, don't do anything. Disperse the strength in your body and follow me down obediently."

"Nod if you understand."

A rough, booming voice came from outside the veiled hat.

Lu Cheng dispersed his strength, though his right hand, hanging at his side, remained poised in a palm strike.

After Lu Cheng nodded, the Asura mask pulled him downward.

After descending more than a dozen steps, the sound of stone slabs grinding echoed overhead once more.

When the sound faded, the ground beneath their feet leveled out.

Lu Cheng was then pulled along, walking straight until they had turned more than a dozen corners, at which point he stepped onto an upward staircase.

This time, there were no mechanical or grinding sounds.

"Once you get on the carriage, you can take off the veiled hat, though it doesn't make much difference whether you do or not."

Before Lu Cheng could react to what that meant, he was shoved into a carriage.

Then, a jolt of inertia hit him, and Lu Cheng realized the carriage had already started moving.

So fast?

But why couldn't he hear a single sound?

Lu Cheng snatched the veiled hat off, yet his vision remained pitch black.

Not only could he not see, but he could not hear anything either.

This carriage was infinitely more mysterious than the veiled hat!

In such an environment, the passage of time became blurred.

He did not know how much time had passed before another jolt of inertia signaled a change in momentum.

"Get off."

We've arrived?

Lu Cheng hadn't even processed the thought before a small door suddenly opened in front of him.

Dim light spilled into the carriage.

Taking advantage of the illumination, Lu Cheng quickly scanned the interior.

He found it to be no different from any ordinary carriage.

Stepping down, Lu Cheng couldn't help but be shocked.

Before him lay a massive, naturally formed karst cave.

Inside the cave, a dozen stone houses were arranged in an orderly fashion.

Every twenty paces, a brazier stood to provide light.

Sparse figures were scattered among them.

The area beyond the stone houses, however, was pitch black.

He could only vaguely make out, by the flickering firelight, that passages of varying widths stretched out in every direction.

The sound of hoofbeats echoed from behind.

Lu Cheng turned his head to see the carriage that had brought him turning around, heading back the way it came.

In an instant, it vanished into the darkness, and before long, even the sound faded away.

Lu Cheng took a deep breath and walked toward the light.

After a few steps, he saw a sign standing before the first brazier.

The sign bore three lines of text:

1. Fighting is strictly prohibited wherever the light shines.

2. All trade here is free.

3. Three strikes of the gong signal the market's closure; after closing, all areas except for the stone houses will be devoid of light.

The signature read Bogu Hall.

Lu Cheng read the three rules word for word.

After careful consideration, he drew three conclusions.

First, while the market is open, this place is absolutely safe, whether for trading or seeking refuge.

Relatively speaking, of course.

If a Qi Refining Realm martial artist were to show up, that "absolute safety" would likely be in jeopardy.

Second, the Black Market is managed by an entity or individual known as Bogu Hall.

They must be powerful; otherwise, they wouldn't have been too lazy to even list the consequences for violating the first two rules.

Third, once the Black Market closes, those with ulterior motives can begin their work.

However, the stone houses remain under the protection of Bogu Hall.

The first two points were quite useful to Lu Cheng, but the third was irrelevant.

Regardless, Lu Cheng intended to buy his Blood-Activating Powder and leave.

He wouldn't be lingering until closing time anyway.

Bypassing the sign, Lu Cheng walked toward the cluster of stone houses.

Dozens of flames flickered unsteadily.

They stretched Lu Cheng's shadow, making it grow long and short by turns.