Compared with the chaos in the Yan household, Cao Jinxing had things easy. He wrote up his report, handed it to Liu Zhenyuan along with the Fire Tortoise, and that was that.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard could not conceal anything, nor did they need to. They recorded exactly what they saw.
As for whether the man was an "impostor" or a notorious outlaw, that was for the emperor to decide.
Liu Zhenyuan could not keep the Fire Tortoise for long, especially with the Opera House involved. After receiving it, he passed it to Commander Lu Bing that very night, who then presented it to Jiajing.
Jiajing was delighted.
Materials that could prolong his life were exceedingly rare. Then he read Cao Jinxing's report, which clearly documented the entire mission, leaving nothing obscure. It even gave him an opportunity to put the Yan family in their place and openly "extort" them.
Jiajing's delight only grew.
He had been worrying about the funds to renovate the Palace of Longevity. Now he could put Yan Shifan, vice minister of the Ministry of Works, in full charge-but allocate him no money... If he wanted his son to live, he could pay out of his own pocket!
"This man is capable. Reward him."
With those few words, Cao Jinxing's promotion to Deputy Qianhu was approved. It was set in stone, and no objection could change it.
Cao Jinxing paid little attention to any of this. After sending the Fire Tortoise up the chain, he felt it was too late to bother waiting at the office for news, so he went to the Ghost Market with Lu Kunlun.
The "natural treasure" Lu Kunlun had mentioned was here-and this time was different. This one could be bought.
Cao Jinxing had quite a bit of money. A natural treasure he could obtain without risking his life certainly interested him.
The Ghost Market lay inside Carp Mountain on the outskirts of the capital. Founded during the reign of Kublai Khan, Emperor Shizu of Yuan, it had undergone over two centuries of continuous expansion and become a strictly regulated underground city.
The Ghost Market opened only at night.
No one asked where visitors came from or what faction they belonged to. Anyone could bring goods in to sell or money in to buy.
From everyday necessities, clothing, firewood, rice, oil, and salt to divine weapons and rare martial arts manuals-
Everything could be bought here!
Lu Kunlun was clearly a regular and knew his way around. As a newcomer, Cao Jinxing had deliberately changed into black clothes before coming.
The two arrived at the entrance to the Ghost Market.
-Fish Eye Cave, Carp Mountain.
Every night, when the massive thousand-catty gate opened and red lanterns were hung beside the cave, it meant the Ghost Market was open.
Beyond the entrance lay a long passage.
Lu Kunlun led the way.
Cao Jinxing followed, looking around. "Quite impressive. Maintaining a place like this must cost a fortune. Who pays for it? Who's in charge?"
"Three families run the Ghost Market: Wu, Chen, and Huang."
Lu Kunlun had clearly investigated and knew the details well. "They're all enormously wealthy families in the capital, with deep roots here and long histories. They're the Ghost Market's biggest sellers and its actual rulers. But we don't need to worry about them. Our target this time has nothing to do with them."
After walking just over three hundred meters, they emerged from the passage, and the view suddenly opened up.
The enormous underground cavern rose eight stories high, filled with stalactites of every shape imaginable.
Numerous pavilions and buildings stood around its edges, built along the mountainside in closely packed rows.
Seen from afar amid the lights, all the buildings seemed to float in midair. Darkness above and red light below stripped away some of their earthly bustle and lent them an ethereal, ghostly air.
It was already late.
The market had been open for some time.
People filled the crisscrossing mountain paths. Judging by their clothing, the vast majority were martial artists with swords or sabers at their waists.
"So many people?"
Cao Jinxing was a little surprised.
"It's the middle of the month. There are always plenty of people."
As Lu Kunlun spoke, he closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. "That's the scent! Come on, follow me."
He darted toward the southeast.
Cao Jinxing shot after him like lightning.
Before long, they arrived at a tavern with a sign reading "Happy Forest." The fragrance of wine washed over them.
It was a distinctive scent, carrying a refreshing floral fragrance that lifted the spirits with a single breath.
Several small bamboo tables stood outside the tavern, where customers were already enjoying their wine.
Lu Kunlun hurried to the counter. "Old Zhou, has the wine I ordered arrived? Bring it out!"
Old Zhou was a man in his early sixties, dressed in gray cloth, with a withered face that made him look half-dead. Yet he possessed profound internal energy, and the keen light concealed in his eyes betrayed considerable cultivation.
Cao Jinxing could not help giving him another look.
"It has."
Old Zhou's voice was aged. He took a small jar of wine from beneath the counter and named a staggering price. "Ten taels of gold."
He held out his hand for payment.
That was nearly a hundred taels of fine silver!
Cao Jinxing was dumbfounded. What wine could possibly cost so much? And there was only this tiny jar-probably enough for two bowls!
Yet Lu Kunlun paid without hesitation, immediately taking out the gold he had prepared and handing it over. "Two bowls as well."
Old Zhou hefted the gold, then turned to fetch the bowls.
"Do you have any more in stock?" Lu Kunlun asked.
"No. Yours is the last jar," Old Zhou replied.
"Then I'll order two more."
"Pick them up in three days."
"Good."
Satisfied, Lu Kunlun carried the wine jar and bowls over to Cao Jinxing. He paid no mind to his strange look. "Come on, brother. Let's find somewhere quiet, and I'll show you something!"
Cao Jinxing had no idea what he meant, but followed Lu Kunlun to a ventilation opening at the highest point along the cavern's outer edge.
They sat on rocks and used a stalactite as a table.
"Don't ask yet."
After sitting down, Lu Kunlun opened the jar. The fragrance of wine and flowers immediately wafted out, wonderfully pleasant.
Just as Cao Jinxing had expected, the wine ran out after only two bowls.
Lu Kunlun tipped the jar several more times, unwilling to waste even a drop. From the look of him, he would have liked to eat the jar itself.
"Here. Drink."
Lu Kunlun handed him a bowl and watched expectantly, as though certain the wine would astonish him.
Unconvinced, Cao Jinxing took it and drained it in one gulp. He wanted to see just what heavenly nectar could be worth a hundred taels!
But to his surprise, after the wine's exquisite crisp sweetness passed his lips, a faint warmth spread from his abdomen through every limb. It cleansed his entire body before gathering in his dantian.
His internal energy increased by a fraction!
"Hm?"
Cao Jinxing's eyes widened. "This is..."
"Ha ha ha!"
Lu Kunlun laughed triumphantly. "Well? This Peach Blossom Brew doesn't just increase your cultivation. More importantly, it cleanses your meridians and marrow, opens your channels, and strengthens your tendons! These aren't ordinary peach blossoms. They're blossoms from the jade flat peach!"
"Jade flat peach?"
Cao Jinxing was even more astonished. He had read about this natural treasure in the records. "The middle-tier fifth-grade jade flat peach that can cleanse the meridians and marrow?"
"Exactly!"
"Someone found the legendary Peach Blossom Spring and even brewed wine from jade flat peach blossoms!" Lu Kunlun said. "I was lucky enough to eat one once, so I recognized it the first time I drank this wine! I came to the capital's Ghost Market to find its source. What do you say, brother? Want to join me? This is an opportunity we can't miss!"
"..."
To his shame, Cao Jinxing was tempted.
I want to taste a jade flat peach too, but my luck won't allow it!
Cao Jinxing agonized over it, then suddenly remembered something. "Brother Lu, you said you've eaten a jade flat peach?"
"Yes."
"When I was young, a terrible drought struck my hometown," Lu Kunlun said. "Famine was everywhere. People were driven to exchange their children and eat them. It was unbearable to see. With my exceptional tree-climbing skills, I raided two birds' nests on a sheer cliff for their eggs. I planned to save them and eat them slowly, but an old beggar approached me and asked whether I wanted to trade them for the peach in his hand..."
A gentle smile appeared in Lu Kunlun's eyes. "...His peach was dark and shriveled, practically nothing but a pit. I didn't think much of it at the time. He looked as though he was starving to death, and I thought I could always raid more nests, but a dead man couldn't come back to life. So I traded him the eggs. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it was a natural treasure-a jade flat peach! That beggar was my master's master, the former leader of the Beggar Gang."
"..."
Cao Jinxing's mouth fell open.
That's absurd...
How lucky could one man be?
Hearing that, he knew where things stood. Lu Kunlun was a protagonist through and through! Even if following him did not get Cao Jinxing a share of the meat, he should at least get some broth.
"Good!"
Cao Jinxing nodded firmly. "I'm in!"
Their hands met in a firm clasp.
They exchanged a smile.
The deal was struck!
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