Chapter 16

It was noon.

Luo Qingchen returned to the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion and went straight to find the guard captain, Zhang Jiu, shamelessly asking to borrow money.

Being a newcomer, he didn't know anyone else.

But before he could even state the amount, Zhang Jiu pulled a bitter face and said, "Brother Luo, I only make three taels of silver a month, and it's long since spent. You'd better go ask someone else."

Luo Qingchen had no choice but to go to the back and find Chen Ju.

Chen Ju had initially worn a warm, enthusiastic smile, but once he heard the purpose of the visit, the smile vanished from his face. He pulled out his own coin purse, opened it to show him, and sighed, "It's not that this brother won't lend to you, but look for yourself—there isn't a single copper coin left in this purse."

Luo Qingchen offered a bitter smile, said nothing more, muttered an apology for the intrusion, and took his leave.

One hundred taels of silver was likely a massive fortune to anyone here.

Most Blood Medicines probably didn't have that much.

Even if they did, why would they lend it to a stranger they had only met yesterday?

Borrowing money was clearly a dead end.

After standing blankly in the courtyard for a while, his gaze drifted to the wounds on his wrists.

It seemed he would have to rely on himself.

He had already sold everything he could; he had even sold his soul. Now, he had no choice but to sell his blood.

The Ten-Soul Banner could not wait, and his sister could wait even less.

Without further hesitation, he left the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion again and arrived in front of a shop on North Street.

A black flag stood before the shop, with the words "Blood Shop" written on it in scarlet characters.

Here, one could not only sell blood but also buy it.

Luo Qingchen walked into the shop and asked the old man in black robes behind the counter, "I want to sell blood. How much can I get for one time?"

The old man in black robes glanced at him, pulled a large bowl from under the counter, and said in a hoarse voice, "Filling this bowl will earn you five taels of silver. If you are a cultivator, you can get ten."

Luo Qingchen looked at the large bowl on the counter and couldn't help but recall the days in the cave when his blood was drained.

The bowl Tian Feng had used was just like this one.

Filling it required at least 20% of the blood in one's body.

For someone with a weak constitution, losing that much blood at once could easily be fatal.

However, he didn't need to worry.

The blood in his second reserve health bar was still at 20%, meaning he could sell that 20% without affecting his current physical state.

The Hundred Fragrance Pavilion was fraught with danger; he had to maintain a strong body.

"I am a cultivator. Can you add a bit more silver?"

Luo Qingchen asked.

The old man in black robes said expressionlessly, "I already said, cultivators get ten taels. Furthermore, you need to produce a signed document from your master consenting to the sale."

Luo Qingchen was silent for a moment before saying, "I don't have a document."

The old man's face darkened instantly, and he scolded, "If you don't have a document, why are you here to sell blood? Are you trying to waste my time?"

With that, he waved his sleeve to drive him away: "Get out!"

Luo Qingchen didn't leave. He raised his wrists and said calmly, "I need silver right now, desperately. You can cut from these wounds. If anyone asks, I'll just say I used it for my own cultivation."

The old man in black robes frowned, and just as he was about to speak, Luo Qingchen added, "You can give me one tael less; I only need nine."

A flash of light crossed the old man's eyes. He stared at him for a moment before saying, "Seven taels. I can only give you seven at most! If there's no document, our shop has to bear the risk. Even if you went to the black market or sold it secretly to those cultivators, that's the price you'd get."

Luo Qingchen remained silent.

The old man in black robes snorted, "If you aren't willing, then leave. I don't want to take this risk either."

Luo Qingchen glanced at the wounds on his wrists once more. Without further hesitation, he raised his right hand, placed it on the counter, and said, "Seven taels it is."

The old man looked at him again, said nothing more, stepped out from behind the counter, and closed the shop door.

"Remember, if word of this gets out, you bear the responsibility yourself!"

The old man warned him once more before returning to the counter. He pulled a dagger from beneath it and began to draw the blood.

As the crimson blood flowed from the wound cut by the dagger, the expression on Luo Qingchen's face was not one of pain or fear, but a trace of trance and confusion he had never felt before.

The bowl was soon filled with blood.

He bandaged his wound simply, tucked away the seven taels of silver the old man had given him, and walked out of the shop.

The sky outside was gray, and there were few pedestrians on the street.

After walking a short distance, he suddenly felt as if someone was tailing him again.

He didn't stop, continuing to walk forward. After another few hundred meters, he suddenly ducked into a side alley and pulled the dagger from his sleeve.

Ninety taels of silver to go.

He had nothing left now; if he wanted money, he could only continue to sell his blood.

Selling it to the black market, selling it to cultivators.

But there was no more blood left in his body to sell, so...

He would have to drain it!

No matter who was behind him, he had to go all in now, kill them, and drain every drop of blood from their body!

To survive, for the sake of his younger sister, he had to become a true demon!

"Woo—"

A cold, biting wind wailed through the gloomy alleyway.

He suddenly quickened his pace, disappearing around the corner of the alley to his right.

Before long, the soft sound of footsteps echoed through the silent alley.

As the footsteps reached the corner, Luo Qingchen, who was hiding in the shadows, lunged out, clamped his hand around the person's throat, and pressed the dagger in his other hand against their heart!

The newcomer clearly hadn't had time to resist before being subdued!

He breathed a secret sigh of relief, immediately tightened his grip on the person's throat, dragged them into the corner of the alley, pinned them to the ground, and raised his dagger, ready to strike.

But at that very moment, he suddenly stopped.

The person pinned beneath him had disheveled hair, a face covered in black grime, a long scar on their right cheek, and a small, thin frame dressed in tattered clothes. A pair of pitch-black eyes were staring at him in terror.

Was it that little mute?

The little mute he and his sister had often helped back in Clear Water Town?

The dagger in Luo Qingchen's hand trembled slightly. He wanted to pretend he didn't recognize her and just stab down, but he hesitated...

Taking advantage of this, the girl pinned beneath him shoved him away with all her might, scrambled to her feet, and stumbled away.

Luo Qingchen knelt where he was, watching her small, thin figure flee the alley. His expression flickered, but he did not give chase.

The alley fell into silence once more.

Only the wailing wind continued to drift through the narrow space.

He did not know how much time had passed.

Just as he sheathed his dagger and prepared to leave, he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps approaching from the adjacent alley.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he immediately drew his dagger again.

Listening to the footsteps drawing closer, he tensed his entire body, his gaze cold and ruthless. He pressed himself tightly against the wall at the corner, slowly raising his dagger, ready to strike.

This time, he could not afford to hesitate!