Seventeen explore the black market
Lu Denghe and Yang Deyou arrived at Zhang's pawnshop very quickly. The clerk from before was not there. The receptionist was a dark-skinned young man with an accent different from that of the local people in Yaocheng. It was a bit confusing to listen to. He was probably a newcomer and was not familiar with the business.
As they were talking incoherently, several well-dressed people came in. The man in the lead was the best dressed. He was not very tall, had no cultivation, and was generally thin. He looked a little feminine, but his expressionless face concealed some of this.
Yang Deyou looked over and noticed a mid-stage Jindan cultivator among the crowd. This Yao City was quite wealthy, even a mortal could afford a guard of this caliber.
The shopkeeper came out from behind the shop, trotting out to greet them. Their loud voices betrayed their identities. They shouted, "Good morning, the young master is here! Come out and greet the boss!"
Yang Deyou slapped his head and said to Lu Denghe, "I've seen this person before."
Yang Deyou had come to Yaocheng under the banner of the Chengxiao Sect, the world's foremost sect. Naturally, he had a genuine invitation to the Queen Mother's Banquet, and he had attended the welcoming banquet the day before. Everyone in the city was present, and although he didn't recognize any of the four great families, Qin, Meng, Zhang, and Yang, he still glanced at them all.
Immortal cultivators held a higher status, and the Cheng Xiao Sect was even more prominent. Yang Deyou was somewhat distant from the local aristocratic families, but he remembered this person because he was young—not young because of his cultivation, but simply because he stood out among the pile of wealthy and wealthy people who were about to be buried.
Now, he knew who he was.
The owner of this pawnshop is Zhang Ri'an, the son of the Zhang family.
…
At the same time, Lu Yinche and the connections Wei Qi had forced upon him had already jumped into a dry well. This was an entrance to the black market.
The so-called "black market" is just a general term. Among the hypocritical people, Yaocheng has a more "elegant" name - Huangquan Market.
Lu Yinche walked through the long and damp corridor for about an incense stick of time before he saw a faint flickering light in front of him.
I couldn't help but wonder if the people of Xizhou had some kind of hobby of digging tunnels. Aren't they afraid of hollowing out the entire continent and having it collapse with a bang one day? Then, I'd be the one to blame—"After Tianmu, Jiuzhou underwent a dramatic change." Tsk, a ready-made excuse.
Xie Juncun didn't smile, nor did he show any extra expression. He just held his sword tightly in his hand. Lu Yinche couldn't help but take a few more glances at him.
Suddenly, the view became clear.
It was a vast space, expanded from a natural cavern. There was even a room-sized skylight overhead, though it didn't penetrate deeply. The brightly lit and bustling market below still relied on torches for illumination. The stone walls were dotted with entrances like the corridor they had come through, like rotten holes in flesh.
Lu Yinche restrained his breath and walked down the rough bamboo stairs. Although Xie Juncun was a relative, he was not a burden, so he followed him without worry, blending into the surging crowd.
Stalls lined the streets on both sides, selling everything from forbidden magical instruments and rare poisonous herbs to bizarre gadgets of unknown origin. The stagnant air was filled with the smell of cheap incense, the rusty smell of blood, and a strange sweetness.
"Where can I buy malt sugar?" Lu Yinche looked around with a relaxed expression.
Xie Juncun remained quiet, but his dull demeanor had faded considerably. Upon hearing this, he proactively asked for the first time, "Senior, would you like some candy?"
Lu Yinche answered casually: "Who would dare to eat the candy here? Maybe it's made from bone residue..."
He noticed that Xie Juncun naturally lagged behind him by one step, which was a protective gesture.
Well... he felt that even if he was not as strong as before, he would not let a child protect him, so he deliberately took two steps back.
But Xie Juncun was stubborn and retreated with him. The two of them fought back and forth, making no progress at all. It was ridiculous. Even passersby were starting to get suspicious, and the drug vendors were almost seeing these two suspected customers.
Lu Yinche had no choice but to sigh and signal surrender.
Where does this stubborn person come from?
However, Xie Juncun's stubbornness saved Lu Yinche a lot of trouble.
He was handsome to begin with, and he always had a smile on his face, which attracted a lot of attention. He had only walked half the street when four or five hands secretly reached out to touch him, but they were all knocked back by Xie Juncun, who was guarding him.
"Do you think I should get some disguise pills?" Lu Yinche tilted his head to thank him, then walked side by side with him, whispering in a low voice, "It wasn't done this way before. It's too troublesome."
He was referring to his youthful travels; while he was certainly eye-catching, he had never considered this face so alluring, and considered himself merely average. Now that he thought about it, it was probably because he was always hanging around with Gong Jin back then; that guy was the real troublemaker, causing most of the trouble for him.
Xie Juncun thought he was interested in the three-no medicine stall on the roadside, and pursed his lips and said, "Not good. You'll get sick if you eat it."
Before leaving, Wei Qi had instructed them in front of him to keep a close eye on the unruly patient. The patient argued in vain, unable to overcome the doctor's authority.
He said he was going to die, but he was actually very alive and kicking.
Xie Qiaosheng felt that Lu Yinche was colluding with Wei Qi to make up stories and was not afraid of breaking taboos.
Lu Yinche chuckled, "Don't worry, I don't mean to give them any money. If it weren't for that trick from your sect, why would they need to use elixirs to assist with this little trick?"
The appearance of a Jindan cultivator remains unchanged, which is the result of the manifestation of the Jindan and the natural generation of his aura. When one reaches the Yuanying realm, he needs to work hard on the level of his spirit and soul to completely change his appearance.
This very place, the foundation of his soul, was where Lu Yinche was most seriously injured. Even if he used the elixir, it would only add to his burden, and Xie Juncun absolutely disagreed.
Lu Yinche did not insist and looked towards the northeast.
Not far away, a three-story building leaned against the cliff face. A banner with a black background and a dark red border hung at the entrance. Embroidered on it was a gray ghost head with twisted lines, half crying and half laughing. It contrasted sharply with the filthy banner nearby, embroidered with the ancient seal characters for "Huangquan." Most of the people entering and leaving were dressed in fine clothes, their faces covered by masks, revealing only arrogant or sinister expressions. They stood out from the surrounding rough-dressed and ungainly cultivators.
"So open and aboveboard." Lu Yinche raised his eyebrows.
Xie Juncun's voice was low and steady: "The ghost dens in Xizhou have always been the most rampant. They are rarely seen in the northern borders."
"The local landlord, Qingtianmen, deserves to be criticized. If the old leader knew about this and saw what happened today, I'm afraid even his coffin couldn't suppress his violent temper." Lu Yinche sighed, his eyes seemingly wandering around unintentionally.
He quickly locked onto his target—a stall owner who was cursing under his breath and collecting porcelain pieces, looking as if his stall had just been overturned. A herbalist next to him was talking to him.
This person cursed: "Meng family's lackey, do you really think Yaocheng is owned by his family?
Herbalist: "Keep your voice down, we haven't gone far. Even City Lord Qin..."
Lu Yinche was a little interested. He pulled Xie Juncun aside and asked, "Do you have any paper?"
Xie Juncun had no expression, but was confused because he did not answer.
Lu Yinche said, "I don't need toilet paper, but that's fine too. A scrap of paper, a scrap of cloth... Never mind, I'll just tear off a piece of clothing."
As he spoke, he lifted up his skirt, gathered his sword intent and prepared to attack.
Xie Juncun stopped him and pulled out a folded piece of rice paper from his pocket. There were a few words on the back. Lu Yinche thought it looked familiar. "What is this?"
He unfolded the letter and saw that it was written by Wei Qi. He remembered that before leaving, Doctor Wei had given him a lot of instructions and asked Xie Juncun to buy medicine for him.
After listening to it, Lu Yinche concluded that the funds were not all for his own use, and said that he would not interfere with the use of your sect's funds, and the audit would not affect him.
Lu Yinche didn't want the good kid to lose the prescription and fail to complete the task, so he tore off a piece of ugly paper from the side and rolled it into a ball in his hand.
Xie Juncun looked at him.
Lu Yinche smiled and explained to him, "It's a trick to amuse children. This place is damp. It won't attract attention if you turn into a cockroach or a mouse. You can hear it more clearly."
Xie Juncun frowned slightly.
Lu Yinche: "Why, are you afraid of cockroaches? There are so many of them in Nanjun. This isn't real, it's made of paper, and it's just covered in dust."
He flicked his hand slightly, launching the paper ball. He then switched to his other hand, extended two fingers, and focused his spiritual energy on Xie Juncun's solar plexus, tapping it.
The latter had no sense of defense at all and let him do whatever he wanted, not even showing any muscle tension.
"Very good." Lu Yinche said in a tone as if rewarding a child.
Xie Juncun tugged at his hand.
The discussion between the two stall owners suddenly became much clearer. They observed the surrounding environment, and the expression of the one selling medicine was particularly angry.
"The Meng family is indeed becoming more and more excessive. Who can stand watching what they are doing with the Ghost Cave? Old City Lord Qin wanted to withdraw, but he encountered a 'demon beast' outside the city."
"How big a monster must it be? The city lord is at the Nascent Soul stage, close to the Palm Realm. If there are monsters here, why doesn't she just swallow up Yao City in one gulp and put an end to it all?"
"The new city lord seems weak and insincere. The four major families in this city are not easy to manage. Look at those fence-sitters of the Yang family. They used to be quite loyal to the old city lord Qin, but now that they hear they can get a piece of the pie, they eat even less than a beggar on the street."
"Tsk, sending their beautiful daughter to the idiot Meng family for marriage, ruining all the good materials for cultivation. No wonder the remaining son is always thinking about selling himself..."
Lu Yinche thought of the Young Master Yang he had seen on the street before, and felt a little sympathy for Yan Yanshu who was being noticed from afar.
Xie Juncun coughed.
Lu Yinche thought about asking Wei Qi for some cold pills. They were family members of the Chengxiao Sect, so they wouldn't ask him to do the job of cherishing talents.
The stall owner, not knowing what deep hatred he had with these families, cursed them out, but still not satisfied, he continued, "The Zhang family is no good either! That hairy kid Zhang Ri'an is incapable of commanding the team. They only send their little scoundrel butler whose eyebrows twitch when he smiles. Who knows how much of their family's wealth has been taken away by that Meng guy!"
Zhang Ri'an...
Lu Yinche and Xie Juncun exchanged glances.
"He's not clinging to the Meng family, and his position as housekeeper is unstable. With a legitimate young master surnamed Zhang here, how can he act so arrogantly? It's a pity that he messed up the rules set by the old City Lord Qin."
"Bah! I've been selling here for years, and he's the only one collecting taxes and fees. Maybe he's the one behind the scenes instigating the Meng family to harm Old City Lord Qin so he can take over the Qin family's territory. What a jerk!!"
Before Lu Yinche could listen again, Xie Juncun stretched out his arm and suddenly picked him up. The two of them quickly hid by the shadowy roadside.
He looked over and didn't notice that several people dressed as guards were coming towards them aggressively, shouting, "Behave yourself, the adults are here, don't block the road, think you're taking a shit in your own house, figure out whose territory this is!"
Immediately following, a resounding ceremony of gongs and drums unfolded as a procession of people and horses arrived from the end of the street. Leading the way were eight strong men, clad in robes embroidered with golden cloud patterns, holding glazed palace lanterns. Behind them were four fairy maidens, their sleeves flowing, carrying flower baskets. At the heart of the procession was a sandalwood sedan chair inlaid with pearls and jade, pulled by four snow-white spirit beasts with jade horns on their foreheads. Flanked by dozens of neatly attired disciples and guards, the procession filled the entire street.
If he hadn't acted quickly, the stall owner who was chatting earlier wouldn't have been able to save even a bottle cap grass root, and would have been trampled into the ground by this team.
"Wow! What a grand display!" A regular customer nearby clucked his lips in amazement, his tone unclear whether it was envy or jealousy. "Did you see that? This is the style of the Qingtian Sect! The grand style of a major sect is truly remarkable!"
Qingtianmen...
Lu Yinche looked at the ceremonial procession that was almost blinding, and suddenly a flash of enlightenment flashed through his mind.
Chengxiao Sect's outer disciple, "Lao Shu," had the towering tree as his back, yet he was still silenced. Is the Ghost Cave truly so unscrupulous that it dares to disregard even the world's number one sect? Or... have they simply not connected "Lao Shu" to Chengxiao Sect?
After all, in the eyes of these local tyrants, the real children of famous families are probably like the ones in front of them, who are arrogant and can't wait to stick two golden incense sticks in their bodies to announce it to the world.
Who would have thought that the people of Cheng Xiao Sect would be so low-key and tolerant as rats?
He actually used such a rather unorthodox pseudonym.
But why did the Qingtian Sect come to Huangquanji with such fanfare?
While exploration and training were commonplace for reputable and upright sects, this group, amidst the dazzling golden light and resounding gongs and drums, entered the underground ghost market, as if treating the sewers as the welcoming avenue before their own mountain gate. The group entered the three-story building at the end of the street. Under the ghost cave banner, several people wearing colorful ghost masks were diligently opening the door, revealing a large, dark cavern within.
My goodness, after hundreds of years, have the righteous sects become so shameless?
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