Chapter 80 - 79: Assessment (Part 1)

"The Black Market is not an easy place to enter; one must acquire a specialized token to qualify for entry.

However, the tokens are typically only issued to martial artists or the children of very well-connected families. Even I haven’t managed to get one yet," Zhan Weida said.

"Is it that difficult?" Lou Yi was surprised.

Through his conversation with Zhan Weida, he had clarified the basic situation of the Black Market.

The Black Market is located underground at a secluded manor in the western suburb of Tai City, and its background is quite complex.

Some say it’s related to the City Lord’s Mansion, while others say it’s connected to Tai City’s first family, the Xu Family.

The manor itself doesn’t sell anything; it only provides a platform for exchanges and transactions.

Each entry requires the payment of one tael of silver.

Moreover, all transactions include a commission, which is proportional to the transaction amount, and the Black Market has its own sophisticated method of calculation.

As for the goods in the Black Market, as the name suggests, many are rare or of dubious origin.

Like martial artists’ weapons, heavenly materials and earthly treasures, spirit monster fur, and secret martial arts manuals are not uncommon.

’What a place,’ Lou Yi thought.

Whether it’s a whole spirit monster corpse or a Phoenix Blood Stone needed to advance Petrification Talent, this is the place to try one’s luck.

With Zhan Weida currently being unreliable, Lou Yi took the scented sachet given by the maid in pink, Xiao Qian, and immediately headed by carriage to the Shanglong Tea House in the west of the city.

The Shanglong Tea House is located on the busiest street in the city’s west and has a decent business, with people coming and going to drink tea.

"Looking for someone," Lou Yi handed the pink sachet to the tea house shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper glanced at it and his expression became serious, "Honorable guest, please wait a moment."

He had a servant lead Lou Yi to a private elegant room.

Inside, the floor was made of yellow wood, and the walls were adorned with calligraphy and ink paintings. The carved doors and windows were exquisite, and the atmosphere was serene and elegant.

On the wooden table was a finely crafted green teapot, surrounded by seven small green cups about an inch in diameter, each filled with tea.

Lou Yi casually picked up a cup, poured it into his mouth, and found it both bitter and astringent, completely unappreciable.

By the time he had drunk the whole pot of tea, the maid in pink, Xiao Qian, finally arrived.

Rushing over, her face was flushed.

On her delicate nose, you could even see a sparkling drop of sweat, and her not-so-voluminous chest was heaving noticeably, catching attention.

"What’s wrong, my Young Master Lou?" Xiao Qian’s tone had a hint of reproach, scolding Lou Yi for being too hasty.

"Can your lady help me get a Black Market Token?" Lou Yi didn’t beat around the bush and got straight to the point.

"A token? Have you become a martial artist already?"

"Not yet, but soon."

"I’ll have to ask the lady; you always give her tough problems," Xiao Qian said with a bit of irritation.

"Hehe, I’ll trouble you then."

After they parted, Xiao Qian sat in a carriage hidden behind the tea house and hurried to the city. It wasn’t long before she arrived in front of a vermilion gate.

The white walls on both sides of the gate were thirteen feet high, and a colossal white stone lion sat on each side, vividly sculpted and spotlessly clean, clearly wiped daily.

Above the gate hung an expensive rosewood plaque with two golden characters reading ’Su Family’.

When the four gatekeepers saw the carriage, they opened the gate.

Behind the gate lay a vast White Stone Square, with winding corridors and towering flying eaves further off...

Xiao Qian wound her way through the expansive Su Mansion, turning left and right, to a quiet courtyard.

The courtyard, with its rockery, pond, and flowers, was notable enough without mention; a beautiful woman in a light yellow dress, appearing to be in her twenties, stood reading a book with a perfectly straight posture.

In the sunlight, her skin shone so brightly it was more piercing than jade.

"Did you see him? What did he say?"

"Miss, he wants a Black Market Token."

"... Ask my third uncle for me; he should have a way," the woman in the yellow dress turned her head just in time to catch Xiao Qian looking hesitant. "Were you going to ask why I’m helping him?"

"That’s right, a bandit leader; although he escorted us back, we also paid him accordingly, so we don’t owe him anything.

He is quite advanced in age for learning martial arts, with limited potential, so I don’t see why we should form alliances with him." Xiao Qian puffed up with anger and said, "Besides, so many in the family dislike you, Miss, and every resource should be used sparingly."

"Without breaking through, he was able to kill a Blood Warrior with two bloodlines. Such a person cannot be judged by common sense," the woman in the yellow dress, who was Tian Suri, glanced at Xiao Qian, speaking calmly, "I’m alone and unaided; don’t I need support even more?"

"Miss sees it clearly." Xiao Qian dared not argue and only responded obediently.

...

On the other side.

Lou Yi returned to the Extreme Fist Sect and approached Chen Muju when he was about to leave after his teaching.

"You’ve come to request an assessment, haven’t you?" Chen Muju had already guessed Lou Yi’s intention.

"That’s right, please arrange it for me, senior brother."

"Wait until the third of next month; there will be an elder present then. Besides you, there are a few others who have applied too."

Lou Yi was not surprised.

After all, these people present had joined earlier than him, who squeezed in halfway, so learning the Chain Fist was normal.

Who knew, when he told this news to Zhan Weida, the latter reacted like a cat with its tail stepped on, almost jumping up.

"No way, no way, I’ve been here for almost three months. If you all make it into the inner courtyard and I don’t, wouldn’t I lose face?"

Zhan Weida paced back and forth, suddenly turned to Lou Yi, and said seriously: "Ah Yi, you need to help me."

"Help you practice boxing? No problem." During this time, Lou Yi discovered that Zhan Weida was of good character, void of the usual vices of a young master, and had the potential to be a friend.

"You’re loyal!" Zhan Weida said happily, "And I won’t take advantage of you. Spar with me, and I’ll give you Spirit Monster Jerky as a reward, how about it?"

"Alright," Lou Yi replied with a smile.

On the surface, it was a win-win, but counting up, he was actually taking advantage of Zhan.

After all, with the Zhan Family’s influence, whom couldn’t Zhan Weida find to spar with?

There are probably countless martial artists, so why look for a little nobody like him who hasn’t even passed the checkpoints?

It seems like he’s pretending to sponsor him to avoid creating mental barriers.

This Zhan Weida is quite a thoughtful person.

After setting the agreement, the two didn’t spar at the Martial Arts Training Ground but went to a private residence not far from the Martial Arts Hall.

The house was much larger than the one Lou Yi rented; just the yard was about a hundred square feet.

In the courtyard stood two beautiful maidservants and a middle-aged man carrying a knife without smiling.

"Uncle Pan, this is my friend, Liu Yi," Zhan Weida cheerfully introduced, "He’s here to spar with me."

"Hello, Uncle Pan." Lou Yi greeted the other man, and the one referred to as ’Uncle Pan’ nodded politely.

This man gave Lou Yi a feeling similar to Chen Muju, very likely a Circulation Martial Artist.

’Uncle Pan’ glanced at Lou Yi and then returned inside.

However, Lou Yi could feel that this ’Uncle Pan’ wasn’t actually leaving, his gaze lingered within the grounds, ready to intervene in case of a sudden occurrence.

"Didn’t realize you were keeping beauties hidden here. Young as you are, try to control yourself," Lou Yi joked, pointing at the two white-clad maidservants nearby.

"Get lost, I’m still a virgin!" Zhan Weida shot back with a sneer, rolled up his sleeves, and lunged at Lou Yi, "Don’t hold back, I need to make a breakthrough by the third of next month!"

"Alright!" Lou Yi easily blocked Zhan Weida’s ’sneak attack,’ pushing him away like a ball with a straight double-handed forward shove.

"Watch out for yourself," Lou Yi cautioned.

Grateful for Zhan Weida’s help, Lou Yi decided to hold nothing back, ensuring to push his potential out.

"You should be careful; my family has a rich heritage in various body and foot techniques... ah!" Zhan Weida’s bragging was cut short as Lou Yi landed a palm strike under his ribs, eliciting a scream.

He angrily swung a punch, but his arm had only reached halfway when Lou Yi’s fist struck him in the stomach, almost knocking the wind out of him.

After this, the courtyard rang with pig-like screams of pain.

"Aren’t you hitting a bit too hard?"

"Whoa, you’re really hitting me!"

"Stop, stop, please! Okay, okay, I’ll leave... damn it, won’t even let me run..."

At the courtyard’s edge, the two maidservants exchanged looks, puzzled at why the young master’s friend was hitting so hard.

Meanwhile, the ’Uncle Pan’ inside, initially indifferent, gradually became serious as time passed.

"The friend little Da made, he’s not simple at all."

The cries of agony continued until evening.

Lou Yi, looking satisfied, nodded at the disheveled man sitting on the ground: "Come again tomorrow."

Zhan Weida raised his pig-headed face, utterly dejected.

Time quickly passed, arriving soon at the third of the next month.

...