Li Qiang smiled. "Tanda, no need to be so polite. Tange is our brother now too. Hehe, I'm not from the Western Continent. We've run into a little trouble since escaping the Black Prison, so I came here to exchange some crystals for money. Come, everyone, meet each other, and congratulate Tange on being reunited with his brother."
Nashan behaved unexpectedly. He stepped forward, hugged Tange, and said, "Let Old Na congratulate you..." He actually couldn't go on, and tears flowed from his lone eye. Thinking of his own family, this reckless man could no longer hold back his feelings.
Everyone came forward in turn to offer congratulations, their hearts heavy with sorrow as they thought of their own families. Tanda asked, "Little brother, how did you find this place? It's very hard to get in here unless you're a merchant from the Western Continent. Let's go inside first. Exchanging money is a small matter. Come sit in my room first."
Paben smiled. "I'm a small traveling merchant from the Western Continent. Hehe, I'm very familiar with the Blue Clear Trading House. I once visited its headquarters. Now that was a lively place."
Understanding dawned on Tanda. "So that's how it is. No wonder you found us. They say the traveling merchants of the Western Continent have sharp eyes and keen ears, and can find any underground trading house. Please, everyone!"
The group slowly followed the passage downward. Li Qiang looked around and discovered that everyone felt as uncomfortable about going underground as he did.
Fortunately, the air here was fresh, and the ventilation seemed good too. It wasn't like the filthy air of the Black Prison, with its ever-present moldy stench.
The underground passages here also stretched in every direction. Tanda explained, "This is a simple maze of passages. Once inside, you must have one of our people guide you. If you barge in alone and take a wrong turn, the men lying in ambush inside the hollow walls will shoot you dead immediately."
There were countless forks. Tanda sometimes turned and sometimes went straight, winding back and forth until even an underground expert like Nashan was a little bewildered. The others were even more lost in the clouds, unable to tell east from west or north from south.
From time to time, they encountered merchants blindfolded with strips of cloth, slowly making their way deeper inside, led on ropes by burly guides. Those men all bowed to Tanda when they saw him. Apparently, he held a high position here.
Paben quietly told Li Qiang that there were many entrances to this place, and dedicated personnel transported the goods. The largest underground black markets were controlled by powerful government-connected merchants, while some smaller markets were run by influential figures. Their backgrounds were extremely complicated. Merchants from the Western Continent preferred trading with the Blue Clear Trading House, and this was one of its branches.
The Blue Clear Trading House was a black market secretly organized by high-ranking military officers. Its main members were retired soldiers, and it had extremely powerful backing, so it was relatively safe and had a good reputation.
However, its inspections were also the strictest. Other underground organizations rarely dared provoke it. The city officials also turned a blind eye, knowing it was untouchable. Besides, the Blue Clear Trading House sent them large sums of money from time to time, so they were happy to leave it alone.
Tanda's room was extremely spacious. Its walls were unusual, apparently made from large luminous panels that lit the room as brightly as daylight. Four enormous square pillars stood in its corners, carved with intricate patterns. In the center was a platform about a foot above the floor and roughly thirty square meters in area. It gave off a faint pinkish-green glow, creating a fresh, elegant impression.
Tanda invited everyone to sit on the platform. Li Qiang touched its green surface. It was soft and velvety, wonderful to the touch. When he sat cross-legged, his body sank slightly into it, and his folded legs felt extremely comfortable. He couldn't help praising it inwardly.
Tanda pressed a hidden button on his wrist, and an oddly shaped table automatically rose in front of him. He said something in a low voice, then smiled. "What would everyone like to drink? I have everything here. As long as it's produced on the Tanbang Continent or the Western Continent, you can probably find it here. Don't stand on ceremony."
Li Qiang, Zhao Hao, Nashan, Han Jin, and Zhao Zhi knew nothing about the local offerings and didn't dare order carelessly. Paben's eyes lit up. "Do you have sea sap?" He exchanged a few words with Ben, then smiled. "He'd like falling-fish concentrate... preferably raw."
Tange said, "My usual will do: sweet-tooth root with southern water."
Li Qiang and the others were dumbfounded. They hadn't heard of a single one of these things. Unwilling to fall behind, Nashan said, "I'll have... have... that... falling-fish concentrate, same as Ben."
Seeing the awkward expressions on Zhao Hao and the others, Li Qiang thought, Forget it. Let's not make fools of ourselves. He smiled. "We'll just have some wine." Too embarrassed to take out his own wine, he asked Tanda, "Do you have wine?"
Tanda looked at them strangely. "Wine? Oh, do you mean jade nectar? We do have that. Which kind would you like?" Li Qiang nearly cried for help.
Paben explained, "'Wine' is an ancient term. Not many people know it these days. There are many kinds of jade nectar."
Noticing Li Qiang's embarrassment, Zhao Hao smiled. "Whatever you like. Anything will do."
Soon, someone brought in a tray of differently colored, egg-sized balls. Paben picked one up. Knowing Li Qiang and the others wouldn't know how to consume them, he deliberately demonstrated: he put it in a metal cup, covered the opening, and jolted it hard against his palm. With a splash, a faint, fresh fragrance drifted out. Paben raised the cup and took a sip, tears flowing silently down his face. This was a specialty of his homeland.
Li Qiang was astonished. Did this count as a solid drink? Curious, he picked up a milky-white ball, put it into the cup before him, and copied Paben, jolting it against his palm. A faint scent of wine spread through the air. He took a sip. It tasted a little like the sweet rice wine of his homeland, very light, with an indescribable fragrance. It was delicious, and he couldn't help exclaiming, "Good!"
Toying with the cup, Li Qiang asked curiously, "Do you have to use this kind of cup to dissolve the drink?"
Paben smiled. "No, any kind of cup will do."
Li Qiang picked up a multicolored ball. "Hehe, I wonder how they make these things. They're quite interesting."
Tanda answered, "It's very easy. There's a special condenser here that almost every household has."
Li Qiang thought this counted as a local specialty too. He had to remember to bring some along when he left.
Tange asked, "Brother, weren't you in the Grand Military Department? How did you end up in the Blue Clear Trading House?"
Tanda smiled bitterly. "After you disappeared, someone in the Grand Military Department coveted my position. They spread rumors that you were a traitor and used that as an excuse to attack me. Even the enforcement squad came. Fortunately, a friend warned me, and I escaped. You know Banshou Tan... the commander-in-chief's assistant. He arranged for me to take charge here. Ah, I was only worried about you. Now that I see you're safe, hehe, none of that matters."
Tange smiled bitterly. "I knew it. Too many people envied your position. You controlled the weapons and equipment of the entire army. Who wouldn't covet that? Hmph, those bastards have gone too far."
Tanda waved a hand. "Forget it. I've lost heart too. Anyway, I'm planning to open an underground trading house of my own. Come help me."
Seeing Tange's troubled expression, Li Qiang immediately said, "Tange, you should stay and help your brother. Once I get the sea agate, I'll be going far away."
Tange knew Li Qiang was a man of great ability and wanted to follow him and learn gradually. Wouldn't it be better to come back and help his brother afterward? He gritted his teeth. "Brother, I don't think I can right now. I'll definitely come back and help you later."
Tanda was astonished. From childhood onward, Tange had never gone against his wishes. Who was this Li Qiang, that his brother couldn't bear to leave him? After a moment's thought, he said, "All right. I'll wait until you return before opening the trading house." He added, "I heard you mention looking for sea agate just now. Which kind are you looking for?"
Li Qiang's heart gave a sudden leap. He hurriedly asked, "Do you have sea agate? Are there many kinds?" Inwardly, his heart began beating like a drum. Mo Huaiyuan had only said he needed sea agate to become a Loose Immortal, without specifying which kind. Li Qiang had always taken it for granted that finding sea agate would be enough, but from Tanda's tone, there were many varieties. What was he to do?
Tanda said, "There are three varieties of sea agate: red agate, yellow agate, and sea soul agate. All are very rare. Red agate is used to make an aphrodisiac, and its price is outrageous. I'm not sure what yellow agate is used for, but it's even more expensive. As for sea soul agate... I once heard about some appearing at an underground auction. Two mysterious figures bid against each other until the price left everyone present dumbfounded. In the end, one of them bought it. The other stamped his foot in anger and brought down a wall."
Li Qiang was overjoyed. Almost immediately, he felt certain that what Mo Huaiyuan needed had to be sea soul agate. He considered his options. It seemed he would have to prepare on two fronts. Buying it would be best, but first he needed to solve the money problem. The other option was to search the Western Continent. If all else failed, he would have to go to the Sea of Wronged Souls and obtain it himself.
After some thought, Li Qiang asked, "Do you know what sea soul agate looks like? The more detailed the description, the better."
Tanda said with a bitter smile, "I've never seen it myself. I've heard it's some sort of blue lump. Since I haven't seen it, I wouldn't dare describe its exact appearance carelessly. It wouldn't do to tell you something wrong."
Li Qiang nodded without speaking.
"Boss, let's go look around the trading market," Tange said.
Tanda added, "I'll take you all there."
After passing through several closely guarded little doors, they found an unbelievably vast trading hall before them. Its rounded ceiling, more than twenty meters high, gave off a soft, bright light. The place bustled with people.
The goods were divided among an ordinary section, a special section, and an auction section.
All merchants' goods were sold centrally by the trading house. Owners could stand beside their wares and promote them. The house took a twenty-percent commission on sales, or thirty percent for special items.
Tanda explained that there were also gambling halls, recreation areas, and even a life-and-death arena where people wagered their lives.
Tange handed Nashan's bag of crystals to Tanda. After examining them, Tanda called someone over. "Put these on consignment in the ordinary section. Advance the money first, and don't charge a commission."
Knowing these crystals weren't worth much, Li Qiang took out the yellow heavy stone and asked, "Tanda, is this worth anything?"
This piece of yellow heavy stone had been among the supplies Fu Shan left in the bracelet when he gave it to Li Qiang. About the size of a small child's fist, it was a superior earth-attribute immortal stone. Tanda was a man of considerable experience and knowledge. He examined it in his hand for quite a while, and although he knew it was a crystal, he actually couldn't identify one so large and so unusual in color and shape.
He beckoned a burly man over and gave him a few instructions, then smiled at Li Qiang. "I've never seen this crystal either, but we have an expert here who appraises unusual objects like this. We'll know shortly."
Paben said, "Boss, I... I'd like... well..." He stammered, unsure how to put it.
Nashan couldn't help saying, "Spit it out. Listening to you is exhausting..." He had once been Paben's boss, so he spoke without restraint, his voice plainly impatient.
Li Qiang raised his hand and smacked him. Bullying was what he hated most. Nashan failed to duck in time. Smack! "Ow, Boss..." Nashan rubbed his head, without the slightest temper.
"Paben, we're all brothers. This isn't the Black Prison anymore. Speak your mind."
"Boss, I'd like to see whether there are any people from my hometown here. I've been away so long, and I don't know whether everything's all right at home. Ah..." In truth, Paben was very frightened. He feared that if something had happened to his family, he really wouldn't know what to do.
Hearing this, Nashan immediately said, "Boss, I'll go look with Paben."
Li Qiang nodded. "Tanda, please find someone to accompany them so they don't get separated."
An old man came up beside Tanda and bowed. "Chief, did you send for me?"
The old man was of the same race as Li Qiang. His hair was completely white, and deep wrinkles covered his face. Though his back was hunched, his eyes shone brightly.
Tanda handed him the yellow heavy stone. "Old Bantong, take a look at this crystal. I don't recognize it. This friend would like it appraised."
Old Bantong gently hefted the yellow heavy stone in his hand, then took a slender crystal rod from his pocket and touched it to the stone. The formerly translucent rod suddenly blazed with golden light.
The old man's hand trembled slightly. He put the rod away and said in a somewhat shaky voice, "A priceless treasure!"
Tanda was inwardly shocked. He knew the old man was a leader in his field, with an exceptional eye. If he said it was priceless, there could be no mistake. Shaking his head with a bitter smile, Tanda returned the yellow heavy stone to Li Qiang. "When Old Bantong says it's priceless, that means it can't be exchanged for money. Never mind. I still have some money you can use for now. If it isn't enough, we'll think of something else. Perhaps it could be sold at a major auction."
Li Qiang was reluctant to give up. He put away the yellow heavy stone, considered for a moment, and asked, "Tanda, do you buy weapons?"
Tanda asked in surprise, "You have weapons to sell? How many? What kind? If they're good, I can authorize the purchase myself."
Li Qiang still had about seven or eight homemade Black Prison Spears and a Crystal Origin Bow in his bracelet. Right now, he couldn't worry about anything else. He needed to exchange them for money first. Just as he was about to take out the weapons, a noisy commotion reached them.
Nashan accompanied Paben as he searched from rack to rack. They hadn't gone far before Paben stopped, staring blankly at someone on the other side of a rack. He muttered, "Impossible. How... how could he be here? How could... no..."
Nashan looked at Paben in puzzlement. His face alternated between red and ashen, his teeth clenched and eyes glaring as his whole body trembled.
Following his gaze, Nashan saw a sturdy man wiping some goods with a rag. Two other men squatted beside him.
Trembling, Paben went around the rack and stood before the man. Sensing someone approach, the man looked up with a smile, only for that smile to freeze at the sight of Paben.
The object in the man's hand fell to the floor with a clatter. His eyes widened as he stared at Paben in disbelief. The two men squatting nearby also looked up. One cried, "Paben? You're really Paben!" Then he turned to the sturdy man. "Bu Jigong, didn't you say you saw Paben die with your own eyes? What's going on?"
Bu Jigong panicked briefly, then his face suddenly turned vicious. He laughed with brazen arrogance. "Heh heh, you useless coward. So you're not dead after all. Even alive, you're still worthless."
One of the men beside him said angrily, "Bu Jigong, you've gone too far! Now I understand. You pocketed Paben's goods and property..."
"Shut your mouth! Pagan, hmph... so what if I did? If you don't like it, take it to the life-and-death arena and fight me to the death. Haha, Paben... you might as well die. Your wife has already remarried me, and I sold your daughter... hahaha..."
Nashan could hardly believe his ears. There was actually someone more evil than he was, someone who not only seized another man's property but took his wife and child too. He clenched his fists and was about to step forward when their burly guide held him back. "You can't fight like this. If you want to fight, go to the life-and-death arena..."
Paben's eyes were blood-red. Like a dying beast, he made a low growling sound in his throat. A strange cry burst from him, and he shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. Bu Jigong seemed fairly nimble and dodged aside with a slight movement. Paben crashed headfirst into the rack. Crash! It toppled, scattering goods across the floor.
Bu Jigong shouted, "Hey... someone's causing trouble! Someone come quickly..."
Five or six burly guards carrying Spine-Piercing Spears approached and aimed at Paben. As though he hadn't seen them, Paben rolled over and sprang up, swinging his head around in search of Bu Jigong. Nashan also drew the wrapped Spine-Piercing Spear from his back and faced the guards. "Damn it, I'll kill anyone who dares make a move..."
The instant Nashan drew his weapon, more guards surrounded them. Bu Jigong laughed smugly. "Haha, Paben, what can you do to me... hahaha..."
Li Qiang and Tanda hurried over, and Tanda waved the guards back. Li Qiang stepped forward and caught Paben. At the sight of him, Paben couldn't help bursting into loud sobs. Li Qiang asked, "What happened? Nashan, tell me."
His face deathly pale with rage, Nashan haltingly recounted what had happened. Li Qiang listened without revealing any expression, then asked Tanda, "What's the life-and-death arena?"
Tanda said expressionlessly, "This is rather troublesome. These goods belong to a branch the Banshou Trading House maintains here. We can't touch their people."
Bu Jigong was still laughing arrogantly. Li Qiang didn't care whether he could be touched or not. His figure suddenly moved, and he stood face-to-face with Bu Jigong. Bu Jigong saw Li Qiang's forehead grow larger. Crack! A fierce pain shot through his nose. Before he could scream, he felt his foot being savagely stamped on. Clutching his nose with one hand and rubbing the top of his foot with the other, he hopped endlessly on one leg in pain.
Before he could hop more than a few times, Li Qiang suddenly lashed out with another vicious kick, sending him flying. Bu Jigong crashed through two rows of racks. Just as he was about to hit the floor, Li Qiang leaped to his side and kicked him back the other way.
Li Qiang moved like lightning, leaving everyone dazzled. Tanda realized with a start that Li Qiang was a formidable expert. He smiled bitterly. "Could you let me negotiate with the Banshou Trading House before deciding what to do?"
"Paben, don't grieve. I'll help you with this. I won't let my brothers suffer injustice. Hmph, if that Banshou Trading House dares protect him, I'll wipe them out too." Li Qiang suddenly revealed his ferocious side again.
Tange was startled. He knew very well what Li Qiang was like when he turned ruthless, and hurriedly pulled Tanda aside for a quiet discussion. The more Tanda heard, the more alarmed he became. "All right, I'll do everything I can. Someone, detain him for now."
Blood pouring from his mouth, Bu Jigong shouted indistinctly, "You can't arrest me... you can't arrest me... our trading house has an agreement with you. You can only expel me... you can't... ow..." Someone punched him hard.
Li Qiang was in no mood to look around the market anymore. Everyone returned to Tanda's room to await his answer. Paben had already broken down and slumped beside Nashan, muttering to himself. Pagan had followed them too. Zhao Hao, Han Jin, and the others kept trying to comfort Paben.
"Tange, do you know what this Banshou Trading House is?" Li Qiang asked.
"Ah, the Banshou Trading House is the largest black-market trading house on the Tanbang Continent. Countless threads connect it to the continent's two largest nations, and its hidden influence is enormous. It even has its own armed forces. It can get a foot into the Blue Clear Trading House's affairs too. It really isn't easy to provoke!" Tange added, "Bu Jigong is only a minor figure, but if they refuse to hand him over, we'll have a big problem." He shook his head helplessly.
Looking at Paben's wretched state, Li Qiang said coldly, "I don't care what backing they have. If they won't hand him over, I'll make them regret it!"
Nashan clapped Paben on the shoulder. "Old Na will help you. Stop crying like a woman. Let's fucking get them."
Tanda came over, looking troubled. "The Banshou Trading House refuses to hand him over, and our superiors aren't willing to clash with them over such a minor figure. I'm only a small branch chief. This isn't something I can decide..."
Li Qiang said mildly, "All right, Tanda, you can let him go. I don't want to make things difficult for you either. But I want the Banshou Trading House's address and information on them. This has nothing to do with the Blue Clear Trading House. We'll settle it ourselves."