Free Web NovelChapter 35: Chapter 35: Downtown’s Ancient Building, Black Market Transaction
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH—
Two dark figures moved one after the other.
Each using their movement techniques, they weaved through Xinghai City.
Over ten minutes later,
Brother Sheng led Lin Yi to a stop in front of an old, three-story building.
The old building looked like it had seen many years.
It was a very old structure, situated right in the city center.
Lin Yi vaguely remembered that when he was very young,
this place had been a shopping mall, called the ’Department Store’.
His mother, back when she was still alive, would often bring him here to buy tasty treats.
Later, the mall went out of business due to poor management.
The place had been vacant ever since.
In fact, this building had always been treated as a historic structure and had been perfectly preserved.
Lin Yi glanced back at Brother Sheng.
"This is the black market?"
Brother Sheng nodded. "Don’t speak carelessly after we go in, and don’t get too close to strangers. As for that mask on your face, you’d better get rid of it. It’s useless!"
Lin Yi froze, touching the mask on his face.
’Compared to their masks, it really is pretty useless.’
He gave an embarrassed laugh, while Brother Sheng headed straight for the main door.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK—
The sound of knocking echoed.
Before long, the door was opened.
He had expected a secret sign or some kind of password.
Instead, an old man walked out from inside.
He glanced at Brother Sheng, then at Lin Yi behind him.
Stepping to the side, he said in a raspy, aged voice, "Go on in."
Brother Sheng gave a slight nod and led Lin Yi inside.
Upon entering the old building, they arrived at the first-floor hall.
The area was huge. A building that once served as a shopping mall was naturally not going to be small.
To Lin Yi’s surprise, the entire first floor was just like a wet market.
It was a chaotic din of voices, loud and disorderly.
Many people, also wearing all sorts of masks, were milling about on the first floor.
Along the walls, many people had set up stalls.
Some were haggling, some were asking for prices, and others were hawking their wares to attract customers...
The entire first floor was incredibly lively.
The arrival of Lin Yi and Brother Sheng didn’t attract anyone’s attention.
No one even gave them a second glance.
Brother Sheng also showed no interest in the first floor.
"Follow me!"
With that said, he headed straight for the stairs.
Lin Yi hurried to follow.
When they reached the second floor, it was much quieter than the first.
The stalls were gone, and so were the people who had been milling about.
In their place were rows of shops.
People were going in and out of every shop.
Above the shops were signs for a seemingly endless variety of stores, like ’Weapon Shop’, ’Spiritual Artifact Shop’, ’Jishi Hall’, and ’Source Qi Flow’, which deeply captured Lin Yi’s attention.
If he hadn’t unexpectedly run into Brother Sheng today,
and joined his Demon Hunting Squad and come to this black market,
Lin Yi never would have imagined that in Xinghai City, where he had lived for over a decade,
a place like this actually existed...
They passed by many shops.
Finally, Brother Sheng stopped in front of a shop named [Baihua Building].
Brother Sheng then strode inside.
Lin Yi quickly followed...
The so-called [Baihua Building] was not, in fact, a brothel.
Once Lin Yi entered, his nostrils were filled with a rich, medicinal aroma.
The shop was lined with counters, and behind them were rows upon rows of shelves.
On the shelves were all sorts of exquisite porcelain vials, the kind seen in ancient times.
Anyone who had watched martial arts movies or TV shows would know.
Vials like these usually contained all sorts of medicinal pills...
"Well now, a rare guest!"
Suddenly, a woman’s charming, flirtatious voice called out. freewebnovёl.ƈom
Lin Yi quickly looked up and saw, from between a row of shelves,
a woman in a light blue dress and a butterfly mask emerge.
Judging from her tone, she seemed to be very familiar with Brother Sheng.
Brother Sheng glanced back at her. "I’ve got a small piece of business for you. Are you buying Tier Four Demon Cores?"
"A Tier Four Demon Core?"
The woman paused for a moment, then chuckled. "Did you hunt it?"
"No, one of my squad members did. It’s his first time here, so I brought him to see the sights!" Brother Sheng replied with a light laugh.
The ’squad member’ he was referring to was, of course, Lin Yi.
The woman’s gaze shifted to Lin Yi.
Then she giggled. "A new recruit? Brother Sheng, you’re even taking in students now?"
Brother Sheng: "..."
Although Lin Yi was wearing a surgical mask,
the woman could tell he was just a student with a single glance.
Brother Sheng’s lack of a reply meant he had, of course, long since realized Lin Yi was a student.
Lin Yi felt a little awkward. ’Looks like I really can’t wear this mask anymore.’
’It’s absolutely useless.’
"If it were anyone else’s Tier Four Demon Core, I wouldn’t even bother to look at it. But since you’re the one who brought him, I suppose I can make an exception and take it!"
After she finished speaking, she looked at Lin Yi again.
"Where’s the Demon Core? Let your big sister take a look!"
Her charming voice sent a tingle through Lin Yi’s entire body.
He really couldn’t understand how Brother Sheng could remain so calm.
He seemed completely unaffected.
What surprised Lin Yi even more was that the entry for the woman before him showed that she was also a 2-star Martial Artist.
On top of that, she had three other entries of decent quality.
This trip to the black market had really been an eye-opener for Lin Yi.
Before, at school and out in the city,
the most he ever saw were people around the One-Star Realm.
When Lin Yi reached the One-Star Realm himself, he had even been a little smug about it.
But tonight, after entering the black market,
from the first floor to the second, Martial Artists in the One-Star Realm were as common as ox hair. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
He had even seen quite a few 2-star individuals. As for 3-star Martial Artists, he hadn’t seen a single one yet.
However, Lin Yi believed that within this old building,
there were definitely 3-star Martial Artists, and maybe even some of a higher realm...
Lin Yi took out the Tier Four Demon Core and handed it to the woman.
The woman took it, glanced at it a few times, and said softly, "The quality is passable. It’s not top-grade. I can only offer you five thousand. Are you selling, little brother?"
Brother Sheng glanced back at Lin Yi.
"Only Sister Hua would offer this price around here!"
He seemed worried that Lin Yi wouldn’t sell, or that he’d look for someone with a higher offer.
But how could he know that Lin Yi was on the verge of tears?
’A single Tier Four Demon Core can sell for five thousand?’
’When I killed that Dog Demon, didn’t I miss out on a fortune?’
’And that Dog Demon was in the One-Star Realm! If I’d taken its Demon Core, wouldn’t I have gotten at least ten thousand for it?’
’What a waste...’
’What a goddamn waste.’
’If I’d met Brother Sheng earlier, I probably would’ve had enough for the registration fee by now.’
Lin Yi nodded, careful not to reveal his inner thoughts.
He chuckled and said, "I have one hundred percent faith in anyone Brother Sheng introduces me to. Even if Sister Hua didn’t offer a single cent, I’d willingly give it to her as a gift!"
"My, listen to how sweet you are, like your lips are coated in honey... Brother Sheng, you should really learn a thing or two from him. You’re like a block of wood all day, always wearing that sour face, as if everyone owes you a million bucks..."
After complaining about Brother Sheng for a bit,
Sister Hua turned and had someone bring an envelope, which she handed to Lin Yi.
After taking the envelope, Lin Yi squeezed it a few times.
Judging by its thickness, it easily contained five thousand.
