The Black Market's Mysterious Shop

Ji Xun paused in surprise for a moment. Was she talking to him?

Evidently, she was.

He felt confused and wary, but he replied, "Yeah. Just asking casually."

Ji Xun confirmed that the two of them had no prior connection.

In Sinless City, one couldn't be too careful with any approach from a stranger.

This woman had sharp intuition, as if she could see through his thoughts, yet she didn't seem to care at all.

If you didn't have even this much caution in Sinless City, your grave would be overgrown long ago.

She said with a nonchalant tone, "If you really need it, you can check out the 'Silver Star Mysterious Shop' in the Black Market on Dark Rain Street. Tell them Dong Qi introduced you."

Huh, she actually knew about it?

Ji Xun couldn't understand why this woman he'd never met would be so kind as to give him a recommendation.

Did she have an ulterior motive?

It didn't seem like it.

Was she connected to Fourth Young Master Cao's people?

Not likely.

If they had recognized him, they would have called for backup directly, not bothered with a roundabout trap.

Ji Xun couldn't figure it out, nor did he think asking further would be meaningful.

"Thanks."

He responded politely and walked out of the shop.

The woman in the leather jacket didn't seem to mind at all, her gaze barely lifting from the photos of the ancient texts.

It was as if she had casually given a piece of bread to someone in need.

There was no ulterior motive involved.

As Ji Xun walked out, he kept thinking about the encounter.

He still couldn't understand why a complete stranger would offer him a tip.

Was she an accomplice for that Silver Star shop?

Someone with that kind of top-tier mechanical equipment wouldn't need to resort to that.

As he walked, the thought grew stronger in his mind, and he decided to go take a look.

What if it was real?

"So there's a Black Market on Dark Rain Street?"

Ji Xun was a little flustered.

He had thought the Black Market he'd visited was the Black Market of Sinless City.

After all, the entire city was a criminal den, and no marketplace there was exactly legitimate.

But from what the woman said, Sinless City seemed to have a special, separate Black Market?

Ji Xun naturally wanted to see it.

But... where was Dark Rain Street?

Two hours later.

Ji Xun arrived at the intersection of the North City Muddy Street district and Copper Tower Street district.

According to the information he had gathered, this should be "Dark Rain Street."

"It's really hard to find..."

Ji Xun muttered, looking at the dim street before him.

He wasn't familiar with the city and didn't have a map. In the end, he had to go through great lengths and ask around extensively to find this place.

There weren't many large factories near the Muddy Street district, so with fewer people, large areas had retained their original ruins, giving off a magically dilapidated feel.

The street scenes in the Underground City's morning and afternoon were indistinguishable. There were no streetlights, and the surrounding light was dim, like dusk approaching night.

A pungent smell filled the air – waste gas from alchemical potion factories. These heavily polluting factories were usually located in sparsely populated areas.

Ji Xun walked over. Rusty iron fences lined the street. Few residents chose to live in this district where one had to wear a gas mask even at this hour.

He walked towards the depths where lights could be seen. The street became narrower and narrower. Dim lights illuminated rows of short red-brick houses that looked like haunted houses. White smoke hissed from all around the alleys – broken steam pipes added to the scene of decay.

As he walked, he suddenly heard a "woooo wooo wooo" sound of a whistle, as if an intercity train was passing between the buildings, and a cloud of white mist rose from the ground.

But there was no sign of a train.

Ji Xun walked closer. The train was about twenty meters below. It turned out he was still on a viaduct.

A subterranean market appeared before him.

Various steel structures formed small buildings, which were individual shops.

The number of pedestrians here was far, far less than in the Hunter's Market on Glow Street, but instead of feeling deserted, it was filled with a sense of mystery.

Ji Xun tilted his head and actually heard the sound of rushing water.

Upon closer inspection, it seemed a surging underground river was hidden in the depths of the thick fog next to the market.

"So there really is a black market."

Ji Xun saw the shops. Although their signs were unremarkable, like small workshops, the atmosphere alone gave the impression that there were good things here.

He observed his surroundings for a moment before walking over.

Various card shops, mechanical shops, material shops, and gun shops gave the impression that this was a massive black market for contraband.

Upon closer inspection, the items for sale were much more wild!

Ji Xun just glanced casually. The samples hanging outside the mechanical shops were all sorts of military surplus equipment that hunters said was difficult to obtain. The gun shops displayed all sorts of exaggerated heavy firearms in their windows!

There were also things like [Plague Bullets], [Aberrant Bullets], [Annihilation Bullets]... These weren't just dangerous to enemies, but were also highly polluting, banned munitions that were hazardous to oneself and the environment.

These were contraband items that other shops wouldn't sell, yet here they were, openly displayed for sale?

And in the potion shops, there were all sorts of highly lethal Rage Potions, Hallucinogenic Potions, Alchemical Poisons...

Ji Xun was truly eye-opening.

How to describe the feeling? Shops outside sold goods like hand grenades, while this place sold missiles!

It turned out that Sinless City was the same; rules were never for everyone, but for ordinary people who couldn't exercise privilege.

He suddenly felt a sense of anticipation.

It seemed like he could really find some truly good things here.

"What a great place..."

Ji Xun's eyes lit up. He wanted to buy almost anything here.

But looking at the prices, that burning desire was instantly doused with a bucket of cold water.

As expected, good things also came with a heart-stopping price tag.

Ji Xun walked along, observing his surroundings.

Not only were the shops special, but the customers coming and going were also mysterious.

Most of them wore trench coats and hats to cover their faces, or wore cloaks. In short, very few people showed their true faces.

Ji Xun also walked the street wearing a gas mask, blending in perfectly.

Soon, he stopped.

Tilting his head, he saw a small shop in front of him with "Silver Star Mysterious Materials Shop" casually written in black charcoal on a wooden board at the entrance.

If he hadn't looked closely, he would have almost missed it.

This was it?

It didn't seem very high-end.

Ji Xun sized up the shop and, with a skeptical attitude, walked in.

The room was very small, only about ten square meters.

In the already small shop, several rows of cabinets occupied more than half the room. Even the ceiling was hung with the bones of some unknown monster.

But strangely, although the shop looked packed, there were almost no items that could be considered merchandise on display.

It looked more like a storage warehouse.

Behind the counter, a thin, middle-aged man wearing glasses was diligently grinding some unknown black powder, paying no attention to the customer who had entered.

Ji Xun opened his mouth and asked, "Hello boss, do you have..."

But before he could finish, the middle-aged man interrupted him with a tone that pushed people away: "No."

Huh... This opening was unexpected.

Refusing business?

Ji Xun didn't know that the black market had its own rules.

Almost every shop here had its own secret supply channels and sales networks. Without an introduction from an acquaintance, the shop owner wouldn't sell goods to unfamiliar customers.

Ji Xun soon realized that he might not have asked the right way.

But he genuinely didn't know the rules of the black market.

Thinking of the leather-clad woman he met earlier, he said with some uncertainty, "I was... introduced by Dong Qi."

"Dong Qi?"

Hearing him directly speak that name, the corners of the thin, middle-aged man's eyes twitched inexplicably.

He put down the pestle he was grinding with and carefully examined the customer in front of him from head to toe.

Not many people could directly utter that name.

What was this person's background?

Ji Xun sized up the shop owner as well. Sensing the sudden gaze, he nodded, "Mm."

His intuition told him there might be something off about the name.

But he wasn't lying; that's what the person had said.

Hearing this, a flicker of surprise crossed the shop owner's eyes. He clearly judged that Ji Xun wasn't lying.

As if pondering who would dare address "Dong Qi" so casually, he then proactively asked, "What was it you said you wanted again?"

"I wanted to ask if you have any Breathing Techniques here."

Seeing the shop owner's shift in attitude, Ji Xun guessed that "Dong Qi's" name might have carried some weight.

Oh.

So that's all.

Before Ji Xun could finish, the shop owner stated briskly, "Black Iron Breathing Method is 180,000. Just name it and I'll find it for you, no fuss. Silver Breathing Method is 1.5 million. Currently, we only have the Storm Breathing Method, Thunder Secret Cultivation, and Fire Breathing in stock. As for others you might want, they'll need to be pre-ordered. The price will vary depending on the difficulty of sourcing, and delivery will be within a month."

His tone was casual, as if he were discussing ordinary merchandise.

"..."

Ji Xun had initially suspected the shop wasn't legitimate, but the string of Breathing Technique names the owner rattled off left him momentarily stunned.

The Black Iron Breathing Method was available just by asking?

And also, The St-Storm Breathing Method?

Just this morning, the "Greatsword" Bernie had sworn that the Storm Breathing Method was a secret passed down only within their Storm Hunter Group. And here it was, being sold offhand?

Could it be a different technique with the same name?

Ji Xun considered it but felt it unlikely.

There were only a few Silver Breathing Methods known in the market; it shouldn't be a case of mistaken identity.

So it wasn't that they were unavailable, just that he hadn't found the right channel.

And from the latter half of the owner's statement, it sounded like other Breathing Techniques could be pre-ordered?

His tone suggested that whatever the customer wanted, he could likely procure it through some means. And those means, Ji Xun suspected, were far from legitimate.

Holy crap, their methods are that unconventional!

What's the background of this shop?

Sometimes, when one's understanding is suddenly challenged, it can feel unreal.

A whirlwind of thoughts flashed through Ji Xun's mind.

He cast another glance at the unassuming shop, a thought instinctively surfacing: was this some kind of scammer trying to pull the wool over his eyes?

Considering the street outside, this was the Black Market.

A den of thieves?

Ji Xun remained composed, thinking he didn't have much worth stealing anyway. Some other ideas also popped into his head: what if he tested the waters first and gauged this guy's strength?

Seeing Ji Xun's expression, the shop owner asked proactively, "Nothing catching your eye?"

He had already assumed that the person who introduced Ji Xun wouldn't be looking for ordinary goods. He continued, "If it's a rarer Breathing Technique, it might be a bit more troublesome."

Rarer?

The legendary Golden Breathing Method?

And it was only... a bit troublesome.

Not impossible!

Ji Xun's impression of the shop owner was once again reshaped.

He remained composed and stated his requirement directly, "Mm, I need a Breathing Technique that can simultaneously absorb multiple elements."

If it were still a single-element Breathing Technique, even if he could afford it, he felt even a Silver Secret Method would be somewhat redundant.

Besides, if this shop owner was truly unreliable, he wanted to see just how much of a bluff he could pull off.

"???"

Upon hearing Ji Xun's request, the shop owner's eyes narrowed slightly, and he immediately dropped his dismissive attitude.

As expected... the person who introduced him wasn't ordinary.

Anyone needing such a Secret Method must have a very special professional sequence.

He had no intention of prying into the customer's privacy, as that was a major taboo in the Black Market. After a moment of thought, he directly stated, "There is a Breathing Technique like the one you described..."

Ji Xun's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this: There really is?

The shop owner continued, "I happen to have a fragment of a Breathing Technique collection here. I don't know its name. But this Breathing Technique can absorb at least seven or more elements... it's just a bit pricey."

Saying this, he held up three fingers.

Ji Xun tentatively asked, "Three million?"

That the shop owner considered it "a bit expensive" meant it wasn't just thirty thousand, but three hundred thousand.

Upon hearing the price, he instantly felt it was unreliable.

The Silver Breathing Method only cost a little over a hundred, so why was this breathing method over three hundred?

And it was an "Unnamed Breathing Method"?

The more mysteriously it was hyped, the less credible it became.

The shop owner remained noncommittal, a shrewd glint in his eyes. He continued, "The appraiser's result is that this might be a Gold Quality breathing method, possibly even related to the Old Day Demon Gods. Although it's only a fragment, if cultivated to Curse Power level six, theoretically, its curse power value would be equivalent to a normal person's level nine. So, this price is definitely not high. This is also considering the person who introduced you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have mentioned it at all."

"."

Although Ji Xun was suspicious, his expression remained unchanged.

He couldn't afford such a huge sum, nor was he prepared to believe it so easily.

Before Ji Xun could suspect the owner of being a fraud, the shop owner flipped his hand and produced a small booklet.

He added, "And don't blame an old man for saying this, but the origin of this secret method is very sensitive. You should know who it is. So, even if someone learns it, it's best not to let outsiders know."

"."

Ji Xun knew nothing!

He guessed that the owner probably assumed he knew "Dong Qi" and therefore should be aware of common knowledge at that level.

But looking at the booklet handed to him for inspection, he realized the shop owner wasn't joking!

Ji Xun calmly took the booklet and casually flipped a page, his pupils contracting slightly.

He had already mastered the [Great Dark Breathing Method] and roughly understood the principles of breathing methods.

With his high comprehension, he could tell at a glance that this booklet was absolutely genuine!

The cultivation incantations recorded on it were very likely a secret method that could simultaneously absorb multiple elements to condense curse power.

"It's real?"

Ji Xun was genuinely surprised at this point.

He thought that if the owner had fabricated such a breathing method just to deceive people, then that fraud would definitely be a master of cultivation techniques!

And now, he was so generous as to hand it over directly.

Ji Xun now believed it with about ninety percent certainty.

This indicated that not only the current situation, but everything the shop owner had said throughout was true!

At the same time, he gasped inwardly.

Hiss~

What kind of establishment was this shop, to have such influence?

And who exactly was this "Dong Qi" to have such clout?

It had to be some influential figure in Sinless City.

Ji Xun thought of the woman in leather he'd encountered at the ancient texts shop earlier; it seemed he'd gained good karma for no reason?

With the "Gambler of Misfortune" halo on him, he'd thought it was a 99.9% scam, and now this? A windfall from the sky?

Ji Xun was also puzzled. Wasn't the shop owner afraid he'd just use the name to swindle people?

He truly didn't know that some names were not to be mentioned casually in the Black Market.

Otherwise, the consequences would be very severe.

After flipping through two pages, Ji Xun closed the booklet.

Although he had photographic memory, and if the shop owner didn't mind him flipping through a bit more, he might not be able to discern any hidden intentions. If he shamelessly read it carefully, he might even be able to memorize it.

But Ji Xun had no intention of taking advantage of the situation.

When someone treats you with sincerity, why repay them with deceit?

Ji Xun could see this secret method thanks to "Dong Qi's" influence. To act like a thief in the night would be beneath him.

However, he was truly short on cash.

At that moment, he no longer questioned the "three million" price as being too high.

Instead, he felt it was even lower than the market price!

The shop owner had quoted the [Storm Breathing Method] at only 1.5 million. While that was the market price, it couldn't actually be sold, and theoretically, it should be more expensive.

Looking at it this way, this Gold Fragment was definitely a favor price.

And for someone compatible with it, this breathing method was an absolute treasure beyond price.

Ji Xun could already imagine his breathing efficiency multiplying by N times.

But he genuinely had no money.

The only valuable things he had on him were the cards from the Blackwater Mercenary Group, but he'd estimated they'd only fetch a few hundred thousand.

As for the [Gambler's Secondary Mutated Heart], that was a good item, but bringing it out would expose his identity!

Ji Xun found himself in a difficult position.

The shopkeeper, seeing his expression, couldn't quite figure out what the customer introduced by his acquaintance was thinking.

As Ji Xun pondered how to raise money, or whether he should risk selling some of his belongings, his expression suddenly changed.

Enlightenment displayed: "Mystical Arts Exemption"

He immediately realized that someone had just used a mystical art similar to divination.

He had been targeted!

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