Chapter 41: Fat Sheep

"Nannan, I’m heading out for a bit. I’ll probably be back late, so you can go to bed first."

Chen Ping’an told Chen Erya as he was about to leave for the Black Market.

"Brother, you’re going out..."

Chen Erya frowned slightly. ’By my calculations, it isn’t time for his night patrol. If he’s going out tonight...’

"Yeah, I’m going to the Black Market to take care of something."

Chen Ping’an nodded. But he had a way to keep Chen Erya from worrying too much.

Chen Ping’an walked straight to the kitchen and lifted the water vat with a single hand.

"Brother, that’s..." The little girl’s jaw dropped in astonishment.

’It’s only been a few days, and Brother’s gotten stronger again.’

"Feel better now?"

Chen Ping’an said with a smile. He placed the vat on the ground, and the water inside sloshed back and forth.

"Mhm, I feel better now. Brother is so amazing." The little girl’s eyes crinkled into a smile.

After grabbing the silver taels and tucking the Chopping Knife into his waistband, Chen Ping’an said goodbye to Chen Erya and left the courtyard.

Now that he had reached Qi Blood Second Realm Perfection, his stamina and speed were greater than before. It didn’t take him long to arrive near the Black Market.

He put on the black hood he had prepared earlier and walked toward the Black Market.

The previous black cloth mask wasn’t as good for concealment as a hood. A hood was not only more secure, but it also covered more of his face.

At the entrance to the Black Market, the same brawny man stood guard.

"Two small coins to enter. No fighting inside, or you’ll face the consequences!"

After paying the silver coins, Chen Ping’an entered the Black Market without issue.

The Black Market was just as crowded tonight. He scanned the area and walked toward a pagoda tree not far away.

A man was standing under the pagoda tree. He was tall, but not particularly muscular. His face was covered with a cloth, and he wore a headscarf on top. Seeing Chen Ping’an approach, his eyes lit up.

"You’re here!"

"I’m here." Chen Ping’an’s voice was deliberately raspy as he nodded. "The goods?"

"Brought ’em right here." The lanky fellow carefully took a black cloth-wrapped object from his robes. "Let me tell you, this thing wasn’t easy to get! You bring the money?"

Chen Ping’an flashed the silver he had brought.

The lanky fellow reached for it, but Chen Ping’an quickly pulled his hand back.

"I inspect the goods first!"

"Fine!" the lanky fellow agreed. He unwrapped the black cloth, revealing a booklet inside. He picked up the booklet, displaying the words on the cover for Chen Ping’an to see.

Flying Locust Throwing Technique!

The lanky fellow opened the cover, showing the contents of the first page.

Chen Ping’an’s gaze sharpened as he began to scrutinize it.

"Next page."

At his word, the lanky fellow turned to the second page. Chen Ping’an continued to examine it.

In this way, Chen Ping’an read up to the third page. Just as he was about to continue, the lanky fellow snapped the booklet shut.

"Alright, alright, that’s enough. You’ve seen three pages, you can tell it’s the real deal! Five taels of silver, pay up!"

"I’ve only seen three pages. Who knows if the rest is just sloppy filler? If the back pages are blank, I’d be taking a huge loss."

Chen Ping’an said, shaking his head.

"What now? You want to read the whole thing?!" The lanky fellow tucked the booklet back into his robes, his eyes glinting shrewdly. "Nowhere in the world does that fly! I brought you the item. If you think it’s good, then hurry up and pay!"

"Just flip through the last few pages for me. I want to see that there’s writing on all of them!" Chen Ping’an knew his initial request wouldn’t be accepted, so he took a step back.

"Fine." The lanky fellow nodded and hastily flipped the booklet in front of Chen Ping’an. Unfortunately, he turned the pages so quickly that Chen Ping’an couldn’t make out the contents of each page.

’Oh well.’ Chen Ping’an sighed internally, giving up on the idea of getting it for free. With his Golden Finger Panel, he only needed to read it through completely once for it to be recorded.

’If I could do that, I could save the five taels of silver for this cultivation technique.’

But the other man didn’t give him that chance.

"Alright, I’ll give you the money and you give me the booklet. But after the trade, you can’t leave. You have to wait here with me until I’ve finished reading it!" said Chen Ping’an.

"Until you’ve finished reading?" The lanky fellow looked at Chen Ping’an, confused, wondering what he was thinking.

"That’s right," Chen Ping’an nodded.

"Fine, you’ve got a deal. But let me be clear, a cultivation technique isn’t like other goods. Once the deal is done, there are no take-backs!" the lanky fellow said, looking at Chen Ping’an warily.

"As long as your product is genuine, there won’t be a problem," Chen Ping’an nodded.

With that, the two men completed the transaction—one hand exchanging money, the other exchanging the goods.

After getting the booklet, Chen Ping’an began reading it right then and there.

The booklet wasn’t very thick. Reading at an incredible pace, almost three lines at a time, Chen Ping’an finished the entire thing in less than ten minutes.

Name: Chen Ping’an

Realm: Qi Blood Second Realm Perfection

Martial Arts: Iron Cloth Shirt Perfection, Flying Locust Stone Unentered (0/5)

...

’It’s real!’ Seeing the Golden Finger Panel had successfully recorded the Flying Locust Throwing Technique, Chen Ping’an felt a wave of relief.

’Good, the guy didn’t scam me. Otherwise, even if I’d noticed, getting my silver coins back would have been a hassle, and we’d just end up arguing endlessly.’

"I’m done. You can go," Chen Ping’an said, putting away the booklet and nodding to the lanky fellow.

"Straightforward! If you need any more cultivation techniques in the future, come find me!" the lanky fellow said before hurrying away.

With the deal concluded, Chen Ping’an had no reason to stay in the Black Market. ’Nannan is waiting for me at home, after all.’

At the Black Market’s exit, the brawny man still stood there, his expression impassive.

"Once you leave the Black Market, we are not responsible for your safety. You assume all risks."

As he left the Black Market, Chen Ping’an deliberately passed closer to the brawny man. This time, he was able to faintly sense the man’s Martial Arts Realm.

’He must have been immersed in the Qi Blood Second Layer for a long time, but he hasn’t yet reached Qi Blood Second Realm Perfection.’

’To have a Qi Blood Second Layer Martial Dao expert guarding this place every night... the faction behind this Black Market must be quite formidable.’

No sooner had Chen Ping’an stepped out of the Black Market than a man in a bamboo hat emerged right behind him.

’Martial Arts Introduction, Qi Blood First Layer!’

The brawny guard at the Black Market entrance sensed the Qi Blood aura from the man in the bamboo hat.

The man in the bamboo hat left the Black Market and headed straight in the direction Chen Ping’an had gone.

The brawny man watched this unfold without interfering. He had seen scenes like this far too many times. According to his senses, the man who left first was just an ordinary person. Now that he was being targeted by the man in the bamboo hat, his chances of survival were slim.

’Once you leave the Black Market, you assume all risks!’

’I gave the necessary warning! If he didn’t take it seriously and ends up dead, he’ll have no one to blame but himself.’

What the brawny man didn’t know was that Chen Ping’an, walking ahead, had already glanced back and noticed he was being followed.

’Does he take me for a soft persimmon?’

Chen Ping’an sneered inwardly. Perhaps pulling out five taels of silver for a martial art had made him look like a fat sheep.

But...

’But facing me, someone at Qi Blood Second Realm Perfection, who is the real fat sheep!?’

’I’ll end this quickly!’

...