Black Market

Zhou Pan'er had seen Fu Shaoping use Ethereal Steps, so evading a Granary Bear should be no problem for him. If she followed him, she would only be a burden.

Before setting out, they had agreed that she would fell the clearwood trees, while Fu Shaoping would lure away any Granary Bears they encountered.

Even so.

Faced with the unknown, Zhou Pan'er still felt uneasy and cautioned him:

"Be careful! If you can't manage it, retreat. Staying alive comes first."

"All right."

Fu Shaoping put on the cloak fashioned from green algae, crouched low, and crept into the grove one step at a time.

Unlike ordinary trees, clearwood had no branches and grew straight upward, making it taller than most trees. Each stood twenty to thirty zhang high. The two of them intended to fell only four this time; taking more would inevitably attract the Granary Bears' attention.

"Roar!"

After venturing several hundred feet into the grove.

A Granary Bear twice a person's height came into view. Its entire body was snowy white, but a single horn jutted from its forehead. Supposedly, even a Martial Suppression Saber could not cleave that horn. Anyone struck by it would suffer grievous injuries, if they survived at all.

"Phew..."

Fu Shaoping held his breath.

Only after the Granary Bear closed its eyes to doze did he use Ethereal Steps, slipping away like a gentle breeze.

Throughout the Granary Wood Grove, he found a Granary Bear every three to five hundred zhang.

He searched from morning until afternoon.

Only in the most secluded part of the southwestern corner did he find an area without any traces of Granary Bear droppings:

"At least this trip wasn't wasted."

Fu Shaoping memorized the location, then went back to fetch Zhou Pan'er.

Zhou Pan'er raised the heavy saber she had spent all night sharpening. With several ringing strikes, she chopped swiftly, fiercely, and precisely at the same spot near a clearwood tree's base.

A crack rang out.

The clearwood tree broke off at its base and toppled.

Bang!

The fallen clearwood sent leaves flying everywhere.

Zhou Pan'er did not pause.

She immediately swung her saber again and felled another tree.

The successive crashes of two heavy objects striking the ground sounded jarringly loud in the quiet grove.

"Roar!"

"Roar! Roar! Roar!"

Several furious Granary Bear roars rang out in succession.

Seizing the moment, Fu Shaoping swung his saber and helped Zhou Pan'er fell another clearwood tree:

"Sister Pan'er, hurry!"

With a clearwood trunk on each shoulder, Fu Shaoping brought up the rear. Having already reached the second level of the body tempering realm, he could just about bear their weight. Zhou Pan'er was only at the first level of the body tempering realm and struggled more as she walked.

"Roar!"

A Granary Bear suddenly sprang from the trees on the left. Lowering its head, it charged straight at Zhou Pan'er with its curved horn.

Zhou Pan'er did not slow down.

She merely felt a breeze sweep past her.

Though Fu Shaoping moved later, he arrived first. He swung a clearwood trunk into the Granary Bear with a bang. The trunk was knocked clean away, but the bear's charge faltered. It abruptly changed direction and hurtled toward Fu Shaoping.

Fu Shaoping pushed off with the tip of his foot.

Hoisting the fallen clearwood trunk onto his shoulder again, he used Ethereal Steps and flitted through the grove like a phantom.

He soon left the Granary Bear behind.

In the blink of an eye, he emerged from the grove.

Seeing Zhou Pan'er waiting at the entrance, he felt warmth fill his heart.

It had been a scare, but no harm had come to them.

The two exchanged smiles.

After descending Seven-Mile Mountain.

Zhou Pan'er said:

"Shaoping, could you let me make a copy of your Ethereal Steps manual first? I'll pay you back later with the origin stones I earn from selling Blood Qi Powder."

"Of course!"

Zhou Pan'er had shared the Blood Qi Powder pill recipe with him without holding anything back. Letting her copy Ethereal Steps was a way to repay her.

Fu Shaoping lifted one of the clearwood trunks from Zhou Pan'er's shoulder and stacked it on his own.

If Zhou Pan'er learned Ethereal Steps too.

Their next trip up the mountain would be much easier.

As they approached town.

Zhou Pan'er put down the clearwood on her shoulder. She did not want to reveal that she was a martial artist just yet.

Fu Shaoping made two trips before he finally carried all the clearwood back to their new home on East Street.

The next day.

Zhou Pan'er stayed home and split the clearwood into firewood.

Fu Shaoping went to the Black Market.

The Black Market was an underground marketplace where martial artists from several nearby towns traded supplies.

Most people who entered the Black Market were body tempering realm martial artists, and most of the goods sold there were first-tier items. Everyone wore a mask, and admission cost only ten Origin Shells. No one asked how you had obtained what you were selling, nor did anyone care what you intended to do with your purchases. As long as both sides agreed on a price, the deal was done.

It was said.

The person controlling the Black Market from behind the scenes was an earth origin realm expert.

Whatever the truth.

No one dared seize goods by force in the Black Market.

Fu Shaoping wore a fox mask.

The Black Market consisted of a single street lined with stalls on both sides. What each sold was clear at a glance.

At the end of the Black Market.

Stood its only shop, which operated much like the Hall of Myriad Treasures at the Hundred Households Office and carried a wide variety of supplies.

After making a circuit, Fu Shaoping spotted an old woman selling herbs at a street corner. Among them were clear-sky grass and sunflower, both needed for Blood Qi Powder. She had a sizable stock, and all of it was ten years old, just right for medicinal use:

"Fellow cultivator, how much for the clear-sky grass and sunflower?"

"I don't sell my essence herbs separately. If you really want them, it's a hundred and twenty Origin Shells per set. For bulk purchases, it's one Low-Grade Essence Stone per set. No bargaining."

The old woman answered without much enthusiasm.

By the look of it.

She had no trouble finding buyers in the Black Market.

It paid to shop around.

Fu Shaoping went into the shop at the end of the street to check the prices. The shop did sell individual sets at one Low-Grade Essence Stone in spirit shells per set, but its herbs were only nine years old. They could just about be used as medicine, yet compared with the old woman's ten-year-old herbs, they were clearly overpriced.

After leaving the shop.

He returned to the old woman's stall.

Knowing she did not bargain.

He did not waste words:

"Fellow cultivator, I want ten sets. Will you sell them for one Low-Grade Essence Stone each?"

"That's too few. The best I can do is a hundred and ten spirit shells per set."

The old woman conceded a little.

Seeing that she was willing to budge, Fu Shaoping quickly said:

"I'll come back next time."

Anyone buying ten sets at once was either an alchemist or someone purchasing supplies for a lineage or gang.

The old woman hesitated.

Then she revealed a mouthful of large yellow teeth:

"Fellow cultivator, you'd better keep your word. Come to me when you need more. I set up my stall once every ten days."

"All right!"

Fu Shaoping readily handed over the ten Low-Grade Essence Stones from his pocket.

Once money and goods had changed hands.

Fu Shaoping did not linger in the Black Market.

After coming up from underground, he changed his clothes, then used Ethereal Steps and swiftly vanished.

A poor household's whole livelihood was at stake!

No one followed him along the way.

Fu Shaoping could not help breathing a sigh of relief.

From afar, he spotted a familiar figure beneath the archway at the town gate.

Zhou Pan'er came forward to meet him.

She first looked him up and down. Only after confirming that he was unhurt did she ask:

"Did everything go smoothly?"

"Yes. Come on, let's go home."

Fu Shaoping patted his bulging bundle.

The two returned to their new home on East Street and locked the front gate.

A newly built wall in the rear courtyard completely separated the west wing, and a small door had already been installed. The partition between the original two rooms had been knocked down to create one connected room. Inside, a tall stove had been built, with a large pot set into it.