Being Targeted!

Being Targeted! The newcomer wore a broad-brimmed bamboo hat, its brim pulled extremely low!

A neat, fitted outfit outlined his taut physique, and an ancient longsaber was slung diagonally across his back, its sheath dark and heavy. Most of his face was hidden in shadow, revealing only a lower half with cold, hard lines. His entire body exuded the fierce Killing Intent forged through years of slaughter.

He approached, his gaze first falling on the white sheet of paper on the ground. The writing was simple and sharp: Qi Condensation Pills, twelve hundred Yuan Crystals.

His gaze paused slightly before dropping to inspect the white jade medicine bottle carefully. The fingers at his side curled faintly. After a moment of silence, he looked at Chen An and spoke in a low, hoarse voice:

"Does this bottle contain ten full Qi Condensation Pills? May I inspect their quality?"

Chen An raised his eyes and glanced at the man. Without speaking, he merely extended a hand in invitation.

The man in the bamboo hat glanced at Chen An, then crouched down and carefully picked up the white jade bottle. He slowly unscrewed the stopper.

A rich, mellow medicinal fragrance instantly spread through the air, warm and lingering, pure and gentle. It was utterly incomparable to those crudely made, adulterated inferior Qi Condensation Pills sold on the market.

He leaned close and sniffed at the bottle's mouth, then poured out a round, plump, pearly-white pill into his palm and examined it carefully under the dim lights in the distance.

The pill shape was flawless, its pill patterns clear, and its medicinal power condensed and pure. They were genuine top-grade Qi Condensation Pills refined by a sect, every single one of superior quality, without the slightest adulteration or flaw.

After confirming this, he carefully returned the pill to the bottle, sealed the stopper, and gently set the white jade bottle back onto the coarse paper before Chen An.

The man in the bamboo hat rose to his feet. His gaze beneath the hat locked heavily onto Chen An as he spoke in the same hoarse, cold tone:

"The Qi Condensation Pills are acceptable, but the price is too high. How about one thousand Yuan Crystals?!"

"Eleven hundred!" Chen An lowered his voice as well. He glanced at the man in the bamboo hat, shook his head, and replied in a slightly hoarse voice.

The man in the bamboo hat gave Chen An a long look, a flicker passing through his eyes before he nodded. "Fine!"

As he spoke, the man took out a money pouch from his robes and handed it over. "Count them!"

Chen An took the pouch, opened it, and saw that it contained exactly eleven blue Yuan Crystals, each the size of a fingernail.

"Deal!" Chen An's heart gave a slight leap at the sight of the Yuan Crystals in the pouch, but he kept his composure. He calmly tucked the pouch into his robes and nodded faintly.

The man in the bamboo hat said nothing more. He put away the bottle of Qi Condensation Pills, gave Chen An another deep look, then turned and left.

Only after seeing the man in the bamboo hat leave did Chen An relax slightly. At the same time, the corners of his mouth rose faintly.

He had not expected this transaction to go so smoothly. In less than ten minutes, he had sold that bottle of Qi Condensation Pills.

And for one hundred Yuan Crystals above market price.

Since the goods had already changed hands, Chen An had no intention of staying any longer. He picked up the sheet of paper from the ground, stood, and headed toward the black market's exit.

However, after taking a few steps, Chen An paused slightly. Then he turned and walked back toward the stall selling cultivation arts that he had noticed earlier.

When he arrived before the stall, it was still there. The old man was still sitting with his eyes lowered, seemingly indifferent to whether his business was good or bad.

Standing before the stall, Chen An carefully examined the cultivation arts and martial skills displayed there. His eyes flickered, and he picked up the incomplete scroll of Black Tortoise Breath-Concealing Art he had looked at earlier. Then he looked at the old man and asked, "How much for this incomplete scroll?"

The old man slowly opened his clouded eyes. His gaze drifted unhurriedly to the scroll in Chen An's hand, then casually swept over Chen An before he spoke at an unhurried pace. "A low-grade Profound-rank qi-concealing secret art!"

After a pause, the old man held out three withered fingers. "Three hundred Yuan Crystals!"

Chen An's mouth twitched when he heard the old man's price.

This incomplete fragment, missing at least seventy or eighty percent of its contents, was actually being priced at three hundred Yuan Crystals.

"Though this secret art is low-grade Profound-rank, it is missing at least eighty or ninety percent. It cannot be cultivated at all and is worth fifty Yuan Crystals at most!" Chen An thought for a moment before bargaining calmly.

The old man gave him a look with his clouded eyes, then smiled faintly. "Agreed!"

Hearing the old man agree so readily, Chen An's mouth twitched again.

Damn it, he had offered too much!

Still, Chen An did not dwell on it or go back on his word. Taking a deep breath, he brought out one hundred Yuan Crystals and handed them over, receiving five green Yuan Crystals in change.

Once the transaction was complete, Chen An continued looking over the stall. His gaze soon settled on three cultivation arts.

These three cultivation arts were called Azure Mystery True Fusion Art, Black Iron Golden Body Art, and Introduction to Alchemy.

Azure Mystery True Fusion Art was a top-grade Profound-rank cultivation art. It was said to compress the true qi within the body and purify all of one's true qi. Cultivating it to perfection could increase one's chance of breaking through to the Xiantian Realm by twenty percent.

Black Iron Golden Body Art was a top-grade Profound-rank body-tempering art. It was said that, upon reaching perfection, one's bones would become refined iron and one's golden body would condense into iron, impervious to blades and spears, immune to all poisons, and capable of increasing one's chance of breaking through to the Xiantian Realm by thirty percent.

Like the Black Tortoise Breath-Concealing Art, both the Azure Mystery True Fusion Art and the Black Iron Golden Body Art were incomplete scrolls. Only roughly twenty or thirty percent remained, making them impossible to cultivate.

As for Introduction to Alchemy, it was merely a Yellow-rank miscellaneous text, not a proper cultivation art. It only recorded some of the most elementary notes on entering the Dao of alchemy.

It contained no methods for breathing cultivation or condensing true qi, only simple records of basic spirit herb identification, distinguishing the medicinal properties of plants and herbs, knowledge of simple pill-refining tools, common sense for controlling gentle and fierce flames, and a few of the lowest-grade crude pill recipes.

Its contents were rudimentary and sparse, lacking any system. It could not be used for cultivation or to increase one's strength, much less aid a breakthrough in martial cultivation. It was only suitable for ordinary people or low-level martial artists taking their first steps into the Dao of alchemy and learning its fundamentals.

After some haggling, Chen An acquired the two incomplete cultivation arts, Azure Mystery True Fusion Art and Black Iron Golden Body Art, along with Introduction to Alchemy, for eighty Yuan Crystals.

After properly storing the several scrolls close to his body, Chen An lowered his head and tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. Pulling his black cloak tighter around himself, he headed straight for the black market's exit.

A moment later, beneath the watchful gazes of the several martial artists guarding the black market entrance, Chen An smoothly passed through the courtyard gate and quickly made his way outside.

But after walking only a little over a hundred steps, Chen An suddenly sensed a cold, sinister gaze fixed upon his back.

He had been targeted?!

Chen An's heart tightened slightly, yet he did not turn around. He took a deep breath, activated his movement technique, and shot forward at increased speed.

But as he accelerated, the martial artists behind him seemed to understand his intentions. Footsteps and the sound of wind followed close behind, the distance steadily shrinking.

More than one person?!

With his late Houtian Realm cultivation, Chen An could sense that at least two martial artists had set their sights on him.

"Trying to run?!"

A sinister, cold shout suddenly came from behind. Immediately afterward, Chen An felt a fierce gust of wind strike straight toward the center of his back, making his entire body prickle as if stabbed by needles.

Danger!

Chen An's eyes turned cold, but he did not panic. His body, which had been rushing forward at high speed, suddenly halted. His footwork shifted, and using the alley wall for leverage, he abruptly swept sideways.

A short dagger grazed the edge of his cloak and buried itself viciously in the earthen wall beside him, sending stone fragments flying.

Taking advantage of that instant, Chen An swiftly swept his peripheral vision behind him.

Two martial artists dressed in black and wearing face coverings charged toward him. They worked in seamless coordination: one held a short blade, while the other gripped an iron claw. Their Killing Intent was chilling and dense. One glance was enough to tell that they were desperadoes who had come prepared.

"Be sensible and hand over all the Yuan Crystals on you. We'll spare your life. Otherwise... heh! Heh! Heh!!~~"