Black Market (Please Read On)

"Every martial artist had their own way of making a living. Most of us Skin Grinding Realm martial artists came from fairly well-off families. Some of us lent our names to major shops and collected substantial fees for it. Others became retainers of wealthy households, dealing with them as equals. Martial artists worked for the wealthy, and the wealthy gave martial artists enough silver."

Pingling County.

Night fell.

The bright moon hung high, and fewer pedestrians remained on the streets.

Qi Yuan took a white monkey-faced mask and a cloak from the room and handed them to Jiang Shu. "Put these on. When we go there, you can't reveal your real face."

As he spoke, he draped on his own cloak and put on a black giant bear mask. Clearing his throat, he spoke again, his voice becoming steadier, as though he were a middle-aged man in his forties. "The cultivation resources needed by Skin Grinding Realm martial artists were no longer something an ordinarily prosperous family could afford."

"Bone Forging required even more resources. Most martial school masters already had declining Blood Qi, which was why they only charged ten taels of silver—small streams made a great river. Those who could truly advance all came from wealthy households. Even Bone Forging was like this. Take a guess: how much cultivation resources did Pingling County's County Magistrate, the sole Viscera Training Realm martial artist, need each day?"

"Could he rely on the court's salary alone?"

"The reason the Black Market had endured for so long was because behind it..."

Qi Yuan did not continue. He walked out of the Small Courtyard.

Holding his breath, Jiang Shu followed close behind.

Sure enough, some secrets would remain forever unknown unless one reached a certain realm and held a certain status.

Behind the Black Market had to be the County Government and the wealthy households.

The apparent stability of Pingling County was nothing more than a tacit understanding between the two.

So long as the wealthy households did not go too far,

the County Government would unconditionally stand on their side.

Qi Yuan's footsteps were light. After weaving through many alleys, he arrived deep within one, before an ordinary residence that looked uninhabited.

He pushed the door open with practiced familiarity. The room inside was neat and empty. He stepped up to a wall and exerted a little force, pushing open a hidden door.

At once, another world came into Jiang Shu's view.

Two wooden pillars stood firmly in place, with several lanterns hanging high above them.

Before the pillars stood two men with their faces similarly covered, each holding a saber. Their Whole Body Qi and Blood Great Circulation surged around them, and beneath the moonlight, their blades radiated especially fearsome Killing Intent.

"Those standing guard are all Skin Grinding Realm martial artists, meant to stop outsiders from breaking in. The minimum requirement to enter the Black Market is the Skin Grinding Realm. Of course, if you have someone like me leading you, you can come in and take a look as well."

Qi Yuan spoke softly. He walked before the two saber-wielding men, stood still, and threw a punch into the air. The force of it boomed.

Only after they nodded did he lead Jiang Shu into a street wide enough for two people to pass side by side.

After several twists and turns, they reached a massive square, like a small marketplace.

"There are five small trading areas like this in the Black Market. We entered from the east. Each of the other three directions has one as well, providing Martial Dao cultivation resources for Skin Grinding Realm martial artists."

"As for the very center, no one below Bone Forging Realm could enter."

Pulling Jiang Shu into a corner, Qi Yuan explained in a low voice.

He had only formally entered the Black Market after reaching the Skin Grinding Realm. It had taken him several months of exploration to learn this basic information.

If Jiang Shu had not truly caught his eye, and if he had not often brought strong liquor over,

Qi Yuan would not have told him so easily.

"The Black Market opened on a fixed schedule, usually once a month on the fifteenth. Here, ordinary goods can be bought with gold and silver. Rare goods are mostly traded by barter. The quality of the merchandise varies wildly, and authenticity is difficult to guarantee. The rule here is cash and goods exchanged cleanly—no responsibility afterward."

"Will you stay with me, or browse around on your own and meet up later?"

"I'll go on my own."

Jiang Shu lowered his voice as he replied, disguising it.

From the standpoint of safety, since he was not yet in the Skin Grinding Realm, staying with Qi Yuan would have been the best choice.

But the Black Market did not open every day, and Qi Yuan, as a Skin Grinding Realm martial artist, also needed to purchase cultivation resources for himself.

Bringing Jiang Shu here was merely a convenient chance to broaden his horizons.

If Jiang Shu followed him the entire time, Qi Yuan would inevitably feel somewhat restrained when buying resources. After all, who could lay bare everything about themselves before another person?

"Mm. Then we'll meet here again in half an hour."

"Alright."

After nodding in agreement, the two separated.

Qi Yuan headed toward a familiar place, while Jiang Shu began looking from the first stall in the square.

Unlike the vendors in the county town, the stall owners here merely sat there. Unless someone asked, they would not say a word.

Jiang Shu crouched down and saw all kinds of small bottles spread across the tiny stall. The labels on them read: "Poison, Sedative, Aphrodisiac, Supplement, Zhuangxue, Qiangshen..."

The first three were easy enough to understand.

Jiang Shu skipped over them and asked quietly, "What do Supplement, Zhuangxue, and Qiangshen mean?"

The stall owner kept his head lowered, his face hidden beneath a huge hat. After a few seconds, he answered, "Buyuan, Zhuangxue, Qiangshen."

"These three bottles are all medicinal powders. Buyuan is for ordinary people, Zhuangxue is for martial artists, and Qiangshen is for Skin Grinding Realm martial artists. Supplement costs one tael of silver per dose. Zhuangxue costs five taels per dose. Qiangshen costs twenty taels per dose."

"Mm."

Jiang Shu nodded, asked nothing further, and turned to leave.

Could anything placed alongside poison, sedatives, and aphrodisiacs really be guaranteed genuine?

It was enough to ask around and get familiar with the prices.

He did not go to the second stall. Instead, he walked straight ahead until he was certain the first stall owner was no longer watching him. Only then did he crouch down and look at a nearby stall.

Strange-looking cured meats lay displayed upon it.

Labels were placed in front of them as well: "Leopard Flower Horse, Fox Bear, Cliff-Piercing Python, Iron-Seeking Rat..."

Clearly, these were all kinds of beast meat.

If the animals on Xuanxing were still undergoing mutation and evolution, then the animals in this world had already evolved for who knew how many years. These names he had never heard before had to belong to Exotic Beasts with all manner of abilities.

For Skin Grinding Realm martial artists to increase their Blood Qi, they could only consume this Exotic Beast Meat over the long term.

Hard.

Far too hard!

Who knew how many years this cured meat had been sitting around? Even if he bought it, how was he supposed to choke it down?

Eat it, and endure the pain.

Don't eat it, and Martial Dao would be difficult to advance.

Xuanxing was still better.

The Academy.

Soon.

Once he reached the Academy, he would probably become a Skin Grinding Realm martial artist as well.

Not to mention Heaven and Earth Treasure Medicine.

There definitely would not be any shortage of Exotic Beast Meat.

Though he did not know what the Academy's Exotic Beast Meat looked like.

Still, no matter how he thought about it, it could not possibly be lumps of cured meat like these on a stall, could it?

Without lingering, Jiang Shu continued onward, looking as he walked and witnessing the sheer variety of goods within the Black Market.

Some sold beast meat, some sold martial arts manuals, and some even sold intelligence.

At last, Jiang Shu stopped.

Before him lay an entire row of weapons.

A dagger flashing with cold light entered his sight.

Whether it was lime powder or the Electric Baton, they had gradually begun to fall behind as his strength increased.

With his Whole Body Qi and Blood Great Circulation, the enemies he would soon face would be Skin Grinding Realm martial artists.

Perhaps under a sneak attack, lime powder could still have some effect.

But the Electric Baton possessed enough deterrent power against ordinary people.

Against Skin Grinding Realm martial artists, all they needed to do was dodge slightly, find the right moment, and kick his wrist.

Even if they were struck, the injury might not be as severe as taking a fierce blow from someone in the same realm.

Before exchanging punches with Qi Yuan,

Jiang Shu had also believed that if he faced an ordinary Ox Hide Realm martial artist and managed a successful sneak attack with lime powder, he should have had the strength to fight.

But after several days of trading punches, Qi Yuan's strength had made him completely understand

the gap between himself and the Skin Grinding Realm.

It was comparable to the gap between himself and ordinary people.

Before the crushing advantage of a realm,

every little trick was hollow.

If he wanted to defeat someone above his realm,

a dagger that could truly raise his combat power and cut through a Skin Grinding Realm martial artist's skin membrane

was indispensable.