Chapter 72: Plundering The Path
Su Yan changed his outfit, donning black clothes and a black robe, swapping the backpack for a black cloth bag, and loading it with feral beast materials and some treasure plants.
“He can even refine pills, I wonder if there is equipment like a storage ring.”
Coming and going with a backpack, even with his insect realm space, it was inconvenient to use right in front of others; something like a storage ring would naturally be better.
He took the items, tied up the horned boar, and headed toward Tiger God Temple City along the mountain path.
One person hurrying at full speed was naturally much faster than the entire team together.
However, Tiger God Temple City was not close; by the time Su Yan arrived, it was already evening, and the sun had set.
The entire Tiger God Peak was a mix of light and shadow, like a hibernating tiger.
Tiger God Temple City was not the territory of any single faction, nor did any one have the ability to control the city defenses.
Rogue cultivators came and went, using this place as a gathering point, so naturally, the city entrances and exits were unguarded.
Su Yan, clad in a black robe, entered the city and headed straight for the temple market.
Originally, Su Yan had been worried that his attire would attract attention, but unexpectedly, most of the people coming and going were dressed similarly.
‘As Senior Brother Gao said, the so-called temple market turns into the black market at night, a mix of fish and dragons, no wonder everyone dresses like this.’
Su Yan carried his items; the surrounding martial artists were similarly attired, with treasures stuffed in their bosoms or backpacks.
‘Rogue cultivator trades—even the major families actually have undercover arrangements there, collecting items under the guise.’
With the moon high in the sky, the Tiger God Temple Market was still weeds and broken walls, a scene of desolation.
Amid the weeds and red walls, shadowy figures in black robes multiplied, their faces concealed, like wandering ghosts.
Some were furtive, others boldly soliciting; it was completely different from the daytime scene.
Anyway, everyone concealed their identities, so no matter how flashy, it was hard to suspect oneself.
“Top-quality rock tiger demon bones.”
“Kui ridge turtle shell, can forge outer armor.”
“Bewitching soul grass”
Hawking voices faintly came through; the items for sale were far more numerous than during the day, but also more varied.
Su Yan carried his bag, his gaze sweeping over the temple market, spotting a few acquirers amid the crowd.
They gathered in groups of three or five, occupying a prominent spot, with packages of various sizes behind them, very eye-catching.
Su Yan walked over; the man at the stall had his black robe covering half his face, vaguely identifiable as middle-aged.
“What are you selling?”
“Give a price.”
Su Yan tossed the items in front of him, the bag opening halfway.
The man was not polite, immediately handling them one by one.
“Scaled clawed leopard hide, red-crowned snake skull, rock burst ape spine.”
The man showed a slight surprised expression, seemingly smiling.
“Customer has good skills: seven pieces of feral beast materials total, two treasure plants, summing to 1000 taels of silver. How about this price?”
Black market prices were about ten percent lower than official prices.
Plus Su Yan had no way to bring the entire feral beast, so it was only a thousand taels.
“Fine.”
The stall owner immediately pulled small gold ingots from under his black robe and handed them to Su Yan.
As soon as Su Yan took the small gold ingots, the stall owner asked in a low voice: “Does the customer need to buy anything else? We also have pills that strengthen muscles and bones, aiding muscle and bone realm cultivation.”
Su Yan gave a cold glance: “Do you think this old man needs such medicines for my cultivation?”
The stall owner’s eyes flickered, immediately smiling apologetically: “Mister misunderstands, for blood moving realm we have—”
Su Yan turned and left, ignoring him; muscle and bone realm, blood moving realm—mere probing.
He wasn’t falling for it.
“Where did this blood moving realm come from? Or muscle and bone realm?”
After Su Yan left, the shop owner’s eyes flickered, his expression cloudy.
Su Yan had concealed his aura too well, not even showing his face; someone like this might be a fugitive.
Although he had sold quite a bit, it wasn’t worth risking for these items.
So he dropped the idea.
When out and about, steady was best; he’d check others first.
Su Yan naturally didn’t know this; after circling the temple market, he found a stall in a corner with a head-sized piece of red gold.
Su Yan went up to ask the price: one hundred twenty-three taels of silver.
This price wasn’t cheap, but he didn’t haggle much and took it immediately.
‘Only the red mountain armadillo armor plate left.’
Red mountain armadillo was a first-order mid-stage feral beast, not top-tier in strength but hard to find.
Because its habitat was mostly mining areas and rocky regions.
Even when seeking spirit herbs, people wouldn’t keep drilling into such places.
Su Yan searched two rounds but saw no trace of red mountain armadillo.
He frowned: ‘Even if I go look, aimlessly, I’m afraid it’ll waste a lot of time.’
While pondering, a rustling sound came from behind; his gaze turned chilly, immediately sensing someone following.
‘Some nerve.’
Still in the temple market, few dared make a move in such an environment.
‘Brother, looking for something you can’t find?’
Before Su Yan could act, the man stepped forward, asking in a lowered voice.
Su Yan narrowed his eyes, about to refuse, when he suddenly saw the man quietly hand over a token.
The token was made of pale yellow bone, engraved only with ‘Eight Directions’.
“You’re from Eight Directions Trading Company?”
Su Yan’s gaze sharpened, staring at the masked man.
Among real estate agents, Eight Directions Trading Company was the largest, handling not just martial artist intermediations but also ordinary folk.
For example, the house Su Yan had found earlier was through Eight Directions Trading Company people.
The man lowered his voice: “You can call me Lu Ba; I’m just seeking some extra income, please don’t make a fuss, customer.”
Real estate agents had sharp intel and many resources, or they couldn’t do intermediation business.
But according to this man, he was using the agent’s resources to sell on his own—quite bold.
However, Su Yan had a flash of insight and realized it might not be so.
What if it was the agent planting people in the black market?
“Since you’re from Eight Directions Trading Company, didn’t you already probe what I want?”
Su Yan countered.
“Forgive me, sir; I just heard you wanting to buy red mountain armadillo armor plates, so I followed.”
Lu Ba chuckled, showing no embarrassment.
“You have stock?”
Hearing the question, Lu Ba shook his head but said: “I have news on red mountain armadillos, nine times out of ten solid.”
Su Yan pondered briefly: “How much?”
“One hundred taels of silver.”
Su Yan turned to leave without hesitation.
“Hey, we can negotiate, negotiate!”
Lu Ba panicked and hurried after him with quick steps.
He caught up to Su Yan, seeing the surroundings quieter, realized Su Yan had led him there.
“You do intermediation work, you should know—empty words for a hundred taels of silver, are you taking me, Feng Mou, for a sucker?”
If there was actual goods, such pricing was fair; it was just about appraising value.
Miss or hit, all down to skill.
But selling news? That was uncertain.
Su Yan looked at Lu Ba: “Show something concrete.”
Lu Ba knew the key, explaining: “A group got a blood-strengthening pill prescription, needing red mountain armadillo armor plates among the ingredients; they searched days and just found traces in the black market. I got it by chance.”
“How much for that prescription?”
Su Yan interrupted Lu Ba, who paused: “The prescription is my friend’s to sell, I—”
“No prescription, I’m gone.”
Lu Ba looked troubled: “Two hundred taels; it’s real goods, this blood-strengthening pill is better than the crude recipes on the market.”
“Fine.”
Su Yan didn’t haggle; Lu Ba indeed produced a beast hide prescription, copied pill prescription on it.
First-order low-grade pill, ground from beast blood and flesh into pills, but the formula was indeed more refined.
Su Yan glanced; sure enough, it included red mountain armadillo armor plates.
Meanwhile, Lu Ba handed over a fresh armor plate: “This is the new plate I kept; only this one, brought out by mountain-entering martial artists.”
“I’ll buy the prescription; for the news, 50 taels now, 50 more later if true.”
“Deal.”
Lu Ba agreed readily this time; the first deal in this line was the hardest, and he wasn’t trying to scam.
As long as Su Yan’s deal succeeded, he’d have another black market customer.
Plus, he’d sold the prescription again.
Su Yan divided the small gold ingots, took the right amount, and gave it to Lu Ba.
“Deep in White Stone Mountain there’s a nest of red mountain armadillos; news from martial artists seeking spirit herbs. He wasn’t strong enough to take the nest; they fled into cave crevices. But the monk may run, not the temple—they’re surely still there.”
White Stone Mountain was about a hundred li east of Stream Drum Mountain, a rocky stacked peak with vines and shrubs but few big trees, quite rugged.
“Who was that group you mentioned earlier?”
“Can’t say; no business against employers.”
“I’ll pay more.”
“This ties to my side hustle’s foundation; truly can’t, even my own brother couldn’t make me.”
Su Yan couldn’t pry it out but wasn’t annoyed; “own brother” just meant not enough money.
Of course, with their fresh contact, such deals weren’t on the table yet.
“Three days from now, meet me here.”
Money and goods cleared, Su Yan turned to leave.
Lu Ba, seeing no one around, slipped quietly back into the black market.
Under the black robe, he muttered: “Damn, good thing he wasn’t hot-tempered; he saw through it, but he’s a real big spender.”
He’d played a trick to sell an extra pill prescription; Su Yan had seen through it.
To verify the news source, that one fresh red mountain armadillo armor plate was proof enough.
The extra prescription was somewhat redundant.
Su Yan saw the trick but still bought; in Lu Ba’s eyes, beyond interest in the prescription, it showed off his wealth and strength.
Two hundred taels for a prescription, bought on sight, saw through but said nothing—if the news was fake, trouble would come.
Thus, selling the news, Lu Ba was especially detailed, from that mindset.
Anyone navigating the black market, especially selling news, wasn’t truly stupid.
“This Lu Ba is probably Eight Directions Trading Company’s undercover, expanding business.”
Su Yan left the temple market, hurrying to exit the city.
From the deal, he already had some guesses.
If Lu Ba was freelancing, selling news was fine; Eight Directions Trading Company couldn’t trace much.
But selling a prescription too—strong exclusivity.
If it leaked, it’d quickly pinpoint the recipe, thus those who’d handled it.
Of course, another possibility: the prescription was his own.
But that chance was slim.
If his own, holding tight was worth far more than selling.
‘But the prescription is good; the flesh left from my feral beast kills—even a few white bone poison centipedes couldn’t finish it, and I can’t haul it all to sell. Refining into blood-strengthening pills is a good business.’
Su Yan came to the temple market with similar plans.
If no good prescription, he’d have to figure out refining himself.
Self-figured stuff, who knows how long to perfect a recipe.
Wasting time and energy wasn’t what he wanted.
Now two things aligned; his luck.
Su Yan left Tiger God Temple City, hurrying downhill by moonlight.
Straight to the mountain peaks under Golden Ape Martial Arts School control; after dozens of li on rugged mountain paths, dawn neared.
Suddenly nearing the boundary, the accompanying white bone poison centipede hissed.
Su Yan stopped, gaze sweeping around.
The white bone poison centipede slightly raised its body, detecting something amiss.
‘No trouble in Tiger God Temple City, but here?’
Su Yan showed an odd expression; logically, any bandits would hit main roads.
This place…
His gaze shifted; he moved more cautiously, white bone poison centipede and velvet fire scorpion insect quietly entering the shrubs, sneaking toward a small hill.
“Be careful, strike any from Golden Ape Martial Arts School, leave no traces.”
On the hill, four or five hid in shrubs, knives at waists, eyes fixed on the path.
“Boss, really hitting Golden Ape Martial Arts School? They’re not to be trifled with.”
Someone muttered lowly, puzzled.
“One person a hundred taels; even inner sect disciples, two or three hundred can’t match hunting one or two feral beasts.”
Killing feral beasts vs. martial artists—each had difficulties, but not about raw strength.
Plus Golden Ape Martial Arts School had true intent realm powerhouses behind it.
The boss glanced at his subordinate: “What do you know? The benefit isn’t the silver, it’s—”
Halfway through, a red mist suddenly enveloped the hill.
The mist like flames instantly covered his four subordinates.
Agonized screams immediately rang out.
What thing!
He slashed his saber toward the mist source, quickly retreating to dodge.
From the red mist came whishing sounds; saber light was clangorously blocked.
His subordinates, before reacting, were pierced through by unknown objects.
Leader Tao Dashan was greatly alarmed, leaping away to see, from left and right in the shrubs, white bone poison centipede and velvet fire scorpion insect clamping down, eyeing him predatorily.
Rustle.
Shrubs rustled; Su Yan stepped forward, shrouded in black robe, eyes locked on Tao Dashan.
“Dark flower isn’t much? Then tell me, targeting Golden Ape Martial Arts School like this—what do you want?”
“Beast King Sect?!”
Tao Dashan blurted out, eyes full of terror.
But his reaction stunned Su Yan too.
I’m just playing with bugs, and you take me for Beast King Sect?
Dad suddenly came to play during National Day, messing up plans; had to take him sightseeing in the city. I know new book launch is critical, but work is for life and family, so sorry for the late update today.
As for updates, since average orders are a bit off expectations, planning to merge two chapters into big ones to boost averages first; forgive me, folks.
