Shipping Goods, Buying Pills

Grade-Eight Martial Artist.

Open a hundred apertures, unblock the eight meridians, and generate inner force within the body.

When that force circulated through the apertures, it was called internal energy.

With internal energy empowering the body, one could unleash attacks with penetrating force. Though the physical foundation was not much stronger than that of the Ninth Rank, one could still wound others from a distance.

It could also empower fists, kicks, and weapons, stacking the damage dealt.

In Su Xinghe's eyes, one was a cold weapon, while the other was a firearm with slightly shorter range.

But he was not afraid.

The black market had its own rules. Once the entry fee was paid, one would receive the organizers' protection.

"Sir, you came from the city, didn't you?"

The old man spoke.

Pills were controlled by the Martial Dao Bureau. Not only were they tightly regulated in the city, but even black-market transactions carried the risk of being a sting operation.

Su Xinghe nodded slightly. He knew the man was testing him, trying to gauge his background. On one hand, he wanted to see whether Su Xinghe could withstand the pressure of a Grade-Eight Martial Artist's aura; on the other, he wanted him to retreat in the face of difficulty.

Some well-informed seniors could even judge what kind of true art a Martial Warrior practiced from the power of the blood and qi they unleashed, thereby learning which faction they came from.

But with the Listening to Tides Art guarding his Spirit Sea, he did not need to unleash his blood and qi to resist. Such a small display of intimidation had no effect on him.

The hunchbacked old man's eyes flickered with surprise.

"The Martial Dao Bureau's prices are cheaper. And forgive my poor eyesight, but you probably haven't reached Grade Eight yet, so you have no use for Qi-Nourishing Pills."

His tone was noticeably better this time, and the sharp aura around him slowly ebbed away.

Yet Su Xinghe could tell that the other man was still probing him.

So he spoke.

"Senior, there is no need for this. I am not a spy from any of those families. I was merely harmed by petty villains and had no choice but to come to the black market and try my luck."

When traveling abroad, one's identity was whatever one made it. He did not mind putting on a new mask to win the man's sympathy.

After all, he had encountered this situation before when buying a true art. That Ascending Dragon Stance sold by a wandering vendor had been a choice born of necessity.

The old man withdrew his aura, and a trace of scrutiny appeared on his face.

"Hm... judging by your voice, you should be quite young. To ignore my pressure, your strength must be impressive."

"I wonder... would you be interested in joining us?"

"Our Mountain-Chasing Gang has connections throughout Taiguang Prefecture!"

Su Xinghe shook his head without speaking.

From the conversation between the old man and his younger brother's wife, he knew the old man's character seemed decent, but that only spoke for the man himself. If he entered a den of thieves and got implicated, the trouble would be immense.

If his name ended up on the Martial Dao Bureau's blacklist, even entering or leaving the city would become difficult.

"That's a pity..."

The old man withdrew his gaze and returned to his seat.

"The pills have just sold out. Why not come back another time and take a look?"

As he spoke, he spread his hands, wearing an expression that said there was nothing he could do.

Su Xinghe laughed. This old man was being overly cautious.

But wasn't he the same?

If not for the old man's earlier conversation with Yang Huaiyu, which had confirmed that the man's character was decent enough, Su Xinghe would have turned around and left immediately.

But now, he too spread his hands.

"What a pity. I had wanted to do some business with you, old sir. It seems I can only go ask next door."

As he spoke, he patted his chest as if by accident. Hidden inside were not only a thousand-tael banknote, but also a Ninth Rank true art.

After he deliberately patted his cloak a few times, a half-foot-long cylindrical bulge could be seen beneath it.

Seeing his reaction, the old man's expression shifted from disdain to suspicion, then from suspicion into a professional smile.

"Hahaha..."

"Look at my memory. There should still be a few bottles of Qi-Replenishing Pills."

Su Xinghe thought for a moment and said:

"Then perhaps I'll come back tomorrow."

He spoke as if he were about to turn and leave.

"Young hero, don't be in such a hurry. Let me think again."

It was getting late.

Su Xinghe's patience was also nearly worn away by this old fox.

He said directly:

"Ten bottles of Qi-Replenishing Pills, ten bottles of Qi-Nourishing Pills, and another ten bottles of Bone-Forging Pills!"

The old man's eye twitched fiercely. Only after a long while did his professional smile return.

"Qi-Replenishing Pills and Bone-Forging Pills are no problem. But Qi-Nourishing Pills are Grade-Eight pills, used to strengthen one's foundation, cultivate vitality, and nourish internal energy. One bottle costs six hundred taels of silver. If the true art in your robes is not Grade Eight, then I can only apologize."

"Qi-Nourishing Pills are Grade-Eight pills?"

Su Xinghe froze.

He had only learned of this pill by overhearing the two people's conversation earlier. He had assumed it was used for Ninth Rank Body Tempering.

"That's right. If you want it to treat injuries or nourish your blood and Qi Nourishment, then forget I said anything. But first, you must let me inspect the goods!"

Seeing that it was a major deal, the old man patiently explained.

Su Xinghe immediately understood.

"Then ten bottles of Bone-Forging Pills, and two bottles of Qi-Nourishing Pills for now. If you have more, we can discuss it afterward."

It was rare for him to come out, so he could not miss this opportunity.

The old man across from him also put away his professional fake smile and nodded solemnly.

"Let me take a look first."

"Fine!"

Su Xinghe took out the parchment scroll and slowly unfolded the first three inches.

"Four thousand taels!"

After only one glance, the old man named a price.

Su Xinghe did not actually know the price of a Ninth Rank true art, but he was satisfied with this amount.

Don't be fooled by the hundred taels required for an older youth to apprentice at a Martial Arts School. To most people, that was merely buying a talisman to protect themselves.

What truly mattered about a true art was an opportunity—the chance for someone with talent to reach the corresponding height.

He was alone, with no family or faction. Keeping this imitation Ninth Rank true art with no clear origin was of little use to him. It would be better to exchange it for resources as soon as possible and raise his martial realm.

So he released the parchment.

"Deal!"

Four thousand-tael treasury notes instantly appeared on the counter.

Su Xinghe took them and carefully rubbed them between his fingers.

They felt neither like paper nor cloth, smooth and resilient to the touch, yet with faint raised textures when examined closely.

A fortune greater than anything he had ever possessed.

Just as he was sighing over it, the parchment was fully unfolded.

Ten breaths later, the hunchbacked old man let out a long sigh.

"Young hero, you're incredible. They say you smashed that sickly kitten's head apart with only three punches."

"Oh? Senior knows about that too?"

A strange expression appeared on the old man's face. His gaze kept sweeping over Su Xinghe, as though he would not rest until he saw through the cloak.

"The news outside the city has spread like wildfire. They say the Head-Chopping Bandits entered the city and chopped off the head of the Lu Family's third branch steward. As for that dead cat's family of more than fifty people, no one really cares."

As he spoke, he tapped the Crouching Tiger Stance scroll with his finger.

Su Xinghe's heart tightened. He knew he had still been careless. The old man actually knew the origin of this Crouching Tiger Stance.

But hadn't he only killed two Ninth Rank Martial Warriors?

Where had a family of more than fifty people come from?

But now was not the time to investigate how many people he had killed.

He hurriedly changed the subject.

"Senior, surely you have pills now, right?"

"Hehe..."

The old man smiled as he dragged a large iron chest out from beneath the counter. After opening it, he pulled out two long wooden cases from inside.

"These are all fine goods from the prefectural city."

He introduced them as he took out the merchandise.

"Ten bottles of Bone-Forging Pills cost two thousand taels, and two bottles of Qi-Nourishing Pills cost one thousand two hundred taels. Three thousand two hundred taels of silver in total."

"Why are they so expensive?"

Su Xinghe was startled by the price, even though he now had a fortune of five thousand taels on him.

"Hehe, is this your first time buying things in the black market, young hero?"

There was a faint, almost imperceptible probe in the old man's eyes.

Su Xinghe caught it instantly.

The more he said, the more likely he was to slip up. He felt he could not remain here any longer.

He slapped the four treasury notes in his hand onto the counter.