"You, buying or not? If not, leave."
The owner of the secret manual stall, wrapped in a wide robe that couldn't entirely conceal his robust physique, spoke with a low voice, yet each word carried the resonant force of metal.
"If it's authentic, I'll definitely buy," Chen Ku said seriously.
The robed man said gravely, "You can look at it first."
Chen Ku observed the stall. It displayed over a dozen books, divided into two sections, with one section holding only a single volume.
"What's the difference between this one and the others?" Chen Ku asked, looking at the book set apart.
"I have thirteen books here for the Strength Training Phase of Lower Tier Martial Arts. That one," the man gestured to the unique book, "is the only Middle Grade Martial Arts manual for the Strength Training Phase. Priced at fifty taels!"
Fifty taels!
Chen Ku gasped.
Middle Grade? Lower Tier? Is this how Martial Arts are categorized?
Pointing cautiously at the book worth fifty taels, Chen Ku asked, "May I look at this one?"
The man nodded.
Chen Ku took a deep breath, gently reached out, and picked up the book.
As he examined it under the faint light of the cave torches, a few words came into view:
"Ten-Section Brocade Thousand Catties Great Strength Technique"
This… Chen Ku's heart trembled. This is the very Strength Training Dharma Method I'm practicing! Is the Ten-Section Brocade a Middle Grade Martial Art? Wait. I should check if it's genuine first. The book I have is definitely authentic; if this one doesn't match, then this man is a fraud.
Chen Ku gently flipped through the first few pages of the manual. After reading two or three pages, he was stunned.
Exactly the same, it's authentic.
He was about to continue flipping through to confirm further when a large hand forcefully snatched the book back. The man's voice followed, "No money, you only get to see this much."
Chen Ku was startled. Hmm, this situation sounds familiar.
He lowered his voice, coughed a few times, and asked, "May I look at some of the other books?"
"Yes."
Chen Ku then flipped through several other Fist Technique manuals. Similarly, after just a few pages, he wasn't allowed to look further.
I've pretty much confirmed that these manuals are seventy to eighty percent authentic, he thought.
So he picked up one book and asked, "How much for this one?"
The book he held was called "Earth Art Fist," also known as Dog Fist, which primarily focused on leg techniques.
I already have the Skinny Dog Transformation, Chen Ku thought. This Combat Skill, though its move names are a bit crude and unrefined, intuitively feels like the most suitable for me.
The man seemed surprised that Chen Ku chose such a martial art. Earth Art Fist was known for being sinister, unpredictable, and nearly impossible to defend against. Decent people wouldn't favor such a Combat Skill.
After a brief silence, the man said, "Three taels."
A bit expensive. Chen Ku gritted his teeth but ultimately chose to make the transaction.
After all, while he possessed Martial Arts training methods, he sorely lacked actual Combat Skills for a real fight. Without proper techniques, relying solely on explosive power and brute force, he knew that if he faced someone else at the same Five-Section Brocade Realm, he would undoubtedly be the one to lose, or even die.
This is, in a way, like arming myself with money, he mused.
He paid the silver and took the manual.
Chen Ku continued to roam the black market, eventually stopping before a stall selling Prepared Medicines.
"What do you want to buy?" The stall owner was masked and wore a Conical Hat.
Chen Ku asked, "What kinds of medicine do you have?"
The vendor replied, "Tonics, Poisons, aphrodisiacs, Drugs, medicines for curing diseases, and medicines for harming others—we have them all."
Chen Ku looked at the vendor in astonishment. Really?
He pondered for a moment. "What kinds of body tonics do you have?"
The vendor produced a package. "For martial arts practitioners, here's Muscle Enhancement Powder, enough for one month's consumption. Ten Taels per pack."
Ten Taels! Chen Ku secretly gritted his teeth. I'd barely started feeling like a wealthy man, and yet everything here is so incredibly expensive.
He looked at the vendor, then at the package. An idea struck him. "Can I check if it's authentic?"
The vendor didn't suspect anything. Martial artists commonly bought Muscle Enhancement Powder and naturally knew how to verify its authenticity.
After Chen Ku took the package, without a change in expression, he brought it closer to smell. Immediately, his Skinny Dog sense of smell, tens of times more sensitive than a human's, detected the scent of every herb in the Prescription: Ginseng, Poria, Chicken Blood Orchid, Snake Bone Herb, Solomon's Seal… altogether over thirty types of medicinal herbs.
Chen Ku didn't know that this type of body-strengthening Prescription was usually a closely guarded secret of major martial arts schools. Yet, right under his nose, its every component lay meticulously detailed and utterly exposed.
Chen Ku put down the package of medicine. "The medicine is good," he said apologetically, "but I'm sorry, I didn't bring enough money. I'll come again next time."
The vendor didn't mind; such was the nature of business.
But Chen Ku didn't leave. Instead, he quietly asked, "Just now, you said you have all sorts of medicines. Do you have… Mandrake anesthetic? Or the regular Knockout Drug?"
Chen Ku had expected some reaction, but the vendor replied without a change in tone, "Yes. Mandrake anesthetic is One Tael of silver per pack, enough to knock out ten people. The Knockout Drug is Ten Taels of silver per pack, enough to knock out ten large elephants. And there are aphrodisiacs, fifteen taels of silver per pack, powerful enough that any woman of virtue and integrity will…"
"Fine," Chen Ku interrupted. "One pack of the Mandrake anesthetic then."
Chen Ku paid and purchased a pack of the Mandrake anesthetic.
With this pack of Mandrake anesthetic, and that Soul Lost Grass, I wonder how many crocodiles it could take down? he thought.
Chen Ku walked around the black market a bit more but didn't find anything else he needed. Guessing there were still about two hours until daylight when the black market would disperse, he figured the longer he stayed, the more dangerous it became.
So, he left the cave, ready to depart.
Just as he exited the cave, a lantern lit up in the darkness, and a voice said, "You came inside to set up your stall, so it's time to leave the fee. Light up your lantern—show me the payment—and then I'll open the gate to let you pass."
Chen Ku bowed respectfully and left five hundred wen as a market exiting fee.
Once he had completely exited the black market, Chen Ku calculated his gains from the trip. He had earned a total of twelve taels of silver. After paying seven hundred wen in market fees, he was left with eleven and a half taels of silver, all safely in his pocket.
Compared to the Imperial Court's multilayered exploitation, this is truly ninety-nine percent my own earnings, he reflected silently as he walked home. No wonder those who are accustomed to hardship are doomed to suffer their whole lives.
But, just as he was halfway home—
*[There is Xie Gou, a thug, following Diagram Master midway, spying on the master's movements, intending to harm the master, emitting Evil Qi…]*
Chen Ku was startled. Someone is following me?! Xie Gou! This name sounds familiar... he's one of Boss Ba's men!
In a split second, cold sweat beaded on Chen Ku's forehead. He quickly looked around. Although he couldn't see anyone with his naked eye, he immediately activated his Skinny Dog Transformation. His enhanced senses picked up the scent of a figure nearly a thousand feet away, lurking far, far behind him.
Chen Ku had discovered the person. A battle raged in his mind as he instantly thought of the worst outcome.
...
Xie Gou, trailing Chen Ku, saw him glance around and quickly ducked behind a tree. Did that kid spot me? No way, he's not that skilled. Still, I almost lost him there, he muttered to himself, then grew excited. Boss Ba was right! Keep an eye on their family, and something will turn up. This kid actually dared to go to the black market and evade taxes! Next, as long as Boss Ba reports him, hehe…
Xie Gou continued to follow Chen Ku for another hour.
This is still a road back to Dachen Village, but he's clearly taking a long detour. It looks like we're approaching Crocodile Bay, Xie Gou mused, confused.
He quickened his pace from behind, but unexpectedly, Chen Ku vanished from sight.
"Where did he go? Where is he!"
As soon as Xie Gou realized he'd lost Chen Ku, he frantically searched but couldn't find him anywhere.
Finally, he sneered. "Doesn't matter where he went. I'll tell Boss Ba about this right now."
He didn't expect that when he turned, Chen Ku would be standing right behind him, expressionless.
Xie Gou yelped in fright but quickly regained his composure. Realizing Chen Ku knew he was being followed, he felt no fear, only greed as he eyed Chen Ku's money bag. "So, you actually noticed me, kid. Do you have any idea what happens to black market tax evaders like yourself? If I were you, I'd hand over all the money you made right now. I'm giving you one chance."
"Do I still have a chance?" Chen Ku asked, his face devoid of emotion.
Xie Gouzi laughed sinisterly and stepped forward, extending his hand. "Of course, you have a chance, as long as you give me the money…"
Then he saw Chen Ku slowly advance, not reaching for his money bag, but…
With a few swift steps, Chen Ku was before him, their faces mere inches apart. Then, his palm shot out with astonishing speed, pushing towards Xie Gouzi!
A wave of dizziness washed over Xie Gouzi, his vision blackening. He stumbled backward, his feet scrambling towards the cliff edge.
WHOOSH!
An immense sensation of weightlessness seized him as he plunged violently into Crocodile Bay.
"Ah! You dare to kill! Help, help… GLUG GLUG GLUG…"
Chen Ku stood at the cliff's edge, watching the figure plummet into Crocodile Bay and disappear beneath the surface. Moments later, crocodiles dragged the body under, their forms twisting in death rolls as blood bloomed in the dark water.
A wraith emerged from below, merging into the Transformation Diagram.
He silently left the cliffside.