Chapter 7: Black Market

"Just as I expected, the flesh and blood of demons are a great supplement for me, enabling me to quickly gain attribute points," Su Heng put down his chopsticks, furrowing his brows in thought, "Using a small piece of demon flesh and mixing it with a large amount of ordinary ingredients, I can bring out its effects to the greatest extent."

"However, even so, the change it brings won't be too significant..."

"The amount of this demon's flesh is just too little, barely enough to last a day. However, it does provide me with a new idea. Perhaps I could try to purchase some bizarre ingredients to experiment with, but I need to inquire through various channels to see how I can acquire such items."

...

Two days blinked by.

That morning, as Su Heng was leaving his mansion, he was stopped by someone.

This was a young man with a warm smile, dressed in a brocade robe, with a valuable chi dragon Jade Pendant hanging at his waist. Despite the early spring weather still being a bit chilly, this fellow was pretentiously holding a folding fan, looking rather foolish.

This person was named Xu De.

In Changqing County, there were the four major families: Su, Xu, Xue, and He.

These families each managed different businesses, like the Su Family running cloth and trade, the Xu Family controlling salt affairs, the He Family overseeing medicinal materials, and the Xue Family being the landowners with the most land in Changqing County, controlling food supply.

In the past, the Xue Family had the most power.

But in recent years, thanks to some knowledge Su Heng brought from his previous life, the Su Family's business had also developed very well, even selling goods to other jurisdictions, subtly showing signs of competing with the Xue Family.

The core businesses of the four families were different, so there wasn't any particularly fierce competition among them.

While Su Heng wasn't too clear about what the heads of these families thought privately, the relationships on the surface were maintained quite well. During festive seasons, there would be exchanges of favors, and the families were interlinked by marriages, having intricate connections among them.

The residences of the Xu Family and Su Family were not far from each other, and Su Heng and Xu De, being of similar age and having grown up together, naturally had a good relationship.

"The thing you asked me to do, I've taken care of it for you," Xu De said excitedly to Su Heng.

"Oh?" Su Heng raised an eyebrow, assuming an attentive expression, "Do you have the cultivation technique manual I was looking for in your hand?"

"Not that, those legendary cultivation technique manuals are too mysterious. But really, can they do what the stories describe, like flying through the sky and living forever?" Xu De blinked.

He naturally knew that Su Heng practiced martial arts.

Initially assuming it was merely a hobby, he even bet with some friends how long Su Heng would stick with it.

Unexpectedly, Su Heng continued for three months.

And his changes were really obvious, he had grown noticeably taller and stronger, and his eyes had become particularly bright. This made Xu De itch to start practicing martial arts too, but unfortunately, the Hospital Martial Master in his family tactfully informed him that he lacked the innate potential. Disappointed, Xu De had to give up on that idea.

"Don't waste my time," Su Heng urged.

Xu De was not a bad person, quite enthusiastic, but he talked too much, sometimes making Su Heng feel annoyed.

"There's an old saying, 'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.' I've found you a way in, there's someone inside selling martial arts techniques and other things that should not see the light of day." Xu De sneakily glanced around, seeing no one else on the street, he then lowered his voice.

"What things?" Su Heng, seeing his mysterious air, was also somewhat curious.

"The black market, have you heard of this?" Xu De said, "It initially started as a temporary stall set up by a group of tomb robbers and smugglers but eventually attracted many unsavory individuals, gradually evolving into a sizable market. Inside, you can find anything, although the authenticity of the items can't be guaranteed—you have to rely on your own judgment. Moreover, this place is illegal; the authorities ignore it, so you need to be very careful if you plan to go there, and it's best to bring a couple of protectors."

"The black market…" Su Heng had heard of this place but didn't know exactly where it was or how to get in, "How should one get there?"

"First, you need a token, then a specific time and place."

"How can I obtain a token?"

"You don't need to get one." Xu De chuckled, "I have one right here, giving it to you, brother, that's quite generous of me."

Xu De pulled out a black jade token from his bosom, engraved with crude stripes, roughly the size of a playing card, and handed it to Su Heng.

"Then the time and place…" Xu De told Su Heng the essential details.

Su Heng casually stuffed the jade token into his robe and bowed his fists towards Xu De, saying earnestly, "You've really helped me a lot this time, I owe you a favor."

"Hey, the two of us brothers shouldn't stand on ceremony, no need to be so formal," Xu De waved his hand, speaking carelessly, "Just invite me for a meal at the Bright Moon Tower when you have the time. Moreover, the token isn't expensive, it's all about how you obtain it. I also heard about it from a protector in my family, it didn't take much effort, so don't worry about it too much."

...

The black market mentioned by Xu De was not in Changqing County, but in a dilapidated small town about ten kilometers outside the city.

Conveniently, tonight at the hour of Xu (around 7 p.m.), the black market was to open.

Since the Water Ghost attack on Su Shang, Su Heng had felt an indescribable urgency within him. Thus, after confirming the information was true, he set off for the black market with two guards in tow this evening.

The town was decrepit, situated in a mountainous ravine.

The sun had already set behind the mountains, and a hazy crescent moon hung in the sky.

The surrounding environment was dim, faint beastly roars and strange rustling sounds intermittently audible.

In his previous life, in bustling metropolises, 7 or 8 p.m. was just the start of nightlife.

But in this ancient dynasty, everything was different, it was pitch dark outside, nothing was visible, and it was Su Heng's first time venturing out of the city alone at night. However, his physique was now far superior to ordinary people, and he boldly led the way at the front, making the two protectors following him look frail in this unfamiliar environment, very vigilant.

In the center of the small town where the black market was located was a run-down alley, with decrepit houses on both sides hanging lanterns and displaying various goods. Some people simply sat on both sides of the street, spreading out brown paper in front of them, holding a dim lantern, resembling a makeshift street stall.

The light from the lanterns was faint, only brightening the scattered items on the stalls, but the faces behind them remained unseen.