Chapter 20: The Transaction

The commotion between the two men drew the attention of several passersby.

"What's happening over there?"

"Looks like an arm-wrestling match!"

"What's the deal?"

"Look, that guy claims he practices the Iron Cloth technique, but the big fellow doesn't believe him. Now they're bickering."

"That guy!? With such a thin build, even if it were me, I wouldn't believe it!"

"Come on, let's go take a look."

"..."

Five or six people had gathered around the stone, watching the spectacle and discussing it animatedly.

The two men braced their hands; the thick, hairy hand of the bearded man gripped Chen Pingan's delicate, fair hand.

"Don't blame me if I snap your arm."

"Just try it!" Chen Pingan replied.

Seeing the crowd gathering, the bearded man laughed triumphantly.

"I won't bully you. Come, you say 'start'!"

"Everyone, please bear witness. If I win, this bearded man will buy my copy of the Iron Cloth technique for ten taels of silver. If I lose, I will pay this man one tael," Chen Pingan announced, looking around at the gathered crowd.

"A free tael of silver," the bearded man sneered.

"Come on, kid, I'm ready."

"Fine, then... start!"

As he spoke, Chen Pingan's arm exerted sudden, immense force. Since this involved the transaction of the Iron Cloth technique and served to intimidate petty criminals, he held nothing back.

In an instant, the bearded man felt a massive surge of power erupting from the other's arm. He could no longer maintain his sneer; the muscles on his thick arm bulged high, and his veins protruded.

*Bang!*

The bearded man's hand was slammed against the stone.

"You lost!" Chen Pingan's voice rang out calmly.

The bearded man's face turned beet red.

No matter how foolish he was, he now understood that the opponent was not as simple as he appeared. This was a true practitioner who had entered the Martial Path!

Furthermore, the opponent's level was higher than his own!

Was it the perfection of the first stage of Blood Qi!? Or the second stage!?

The highly dramatic result caused the onlookers to shout in excitement.

"He actually won!"

"That big guy hit a brick wall."

"Martial Path entry! He must have entered the Martial Path!"

"..."

Chen Pingan ignored the clamor around him. He stood up and looked calmly at the bearded man.

"Ten taels of silver! The Iron Cloth technique—money in hand, goods in hand."

"Fine. You can beat me in strength, so I believe your Iron Cloth manual is real! However..."

The bearded man stood up, his massive frame containing explosive power that felt incredibly oppressive.

"Ten taels is too expensive! Six taels! Six taels at most, and I'll buy it!"

The bearded man's response was met with a chorus of boos from the crowd.

However, a black market is a black market; most people were cautious. Consequently, there were only about six or seven people actually gathered to watch the commotion.

The bearded man ignored the boos and focused solely on Chen Pingan.

Ten taels of silver would indeed not be considered expensive if one were buying an Iron Cloth manual from a prestigious pavilion within the prefectural city.

But for a handwritten copy of unknown authenticity, that price was not cheap!

Six taels was a price that more closely aligned with the market.

No one in this black market was a fool. No one would throw away several taels of silver just because of a bet.

In fact, even if the bearded man decided to act dishonorably and simply walk away, Chen Pingan would have little recourse within the black market.

After all, their bet was merely a private wager. It held no legal standing.

Chen Pingan was clearly aware of this.

However, the ten taels was merely a figure he had thrown out on a whim. His true goal was simply to sell the Iron Cloth technique.

In any transaction, the seller raises the price and the buyer drives it down.

Chen Pingan's gaze was deep, like a vast ocean. He stared at the bearded man for a long while, making the man feel somewhat uneasy.

*This kid is a bit eerie,* the man thought.

He looked thin, yet his strength was far greater than his own. To have entered the Martial Path, practiced a hard technique, and still maintain such a physique suggested he might be practicing other high-level methods.

"Fine, six taels it is. Consider it a way to make a friend," Chen Pingan's voice rang out at just the right moment.

"Good! Decisive!"

Hearing this, the bearded man pulled a cloth bag from his robe and produced several small pieces of broken silver.

Money exchanged, goods delivered.

The moment the silver touched his hand, Chen Pingan's eyes lit up.

*It's done!*

His previous savings, combined with his recent monthly salary and this six taels of silver, would be enough to pay off his fourteen-tael debt due tomorrow.

Once the transaction was complete, neither the bearded man nor Chen Pingan lingered; they both left quickly.

"That kid looks so scrawny, but his strength is incredible! He took down such a massive man in one go!"

"You can't judge a book by its cover!"

"..."

Some of the onlookers sighed in admiration.

But none of this concerned Chen Pingan. Having achieved his goal, he felt lighthearted.

As he left the black market, the massive man remained standing at the entrance, expressionless.

"Safety is not guaranteed once you leave the black market; assume all risks yourself."

Chen Pingan glanced inconspicuously at the large saber slung across the man's waist and nodded slightly.

To guard the entrance of this black market alone, the man's martial cultivation must be extraordinary.

Perfection of the first stage of Blood Qi? Or the second stage!?

As for the perfection of the second stage, or even the third stage, that seemed unlikely.

Someone with that level of cultivation wouldn't be stationed here. A martial artist of that caliber would be employed by a true noble family or clan to guard their estates.

Even the Nanquan Alley Constabulary could only look up to such families.

A mere black market in Nanquan Alley wasn't worth that kind of talent.

*I wonder how many rounds I could last if I fought him?* Chen Pingan calculated silently.

After leaving the black market, Chen Pingan acted extremely cautious, glancing behind him from time to time.

He had heard many rumors about the black market—stories of people being followed, robbed, or having their entire families murdered.

Because of this, he was naturally wary. This was also why he had waited until he had achieved minor mastery of the Iron Cloth technique and reached the perfection of the first stage of Blood Qi before coming here.

He took a long, circuitous route before slowly making his way home.

It seemed his luck was good today; no one had targeted him.

The walls of Chen Pingan's courtyard were not high, and the gate had already been closed by Chen Erya.

After a moment's thought, he decided to simply climb over the wall.

For a practitioner who had entered the Martial Path, a wall like his was merely a formality. Even without martial arts, any petty thief with a bit of skill could climb it easily.

He hadn't paid much attention to it before, as being within the Weishui Prefectural City was relatively safe at night.

But thinking about it now, the idea of moving house crossed his mind.

However, it was only a fleeting thought, which was quickly dismissed.

Given his current situation, wanting to move to a new residence was nothing short of a fantasy.

Living in a prefectural city was no easy feat.

Even in the outer city, a decent courtyard could easily cost one or two hundred taels. With his meager monthly salary, dreaming of buying a new house was just that—a dream.

However...

Thinking of his mysterious "Golden Finger," an infinite sense of anticipation rose in Chen Pingan's heart.

The salary of an unranked constable was indeed pitiful. But what about a formal constable!?

What about a squad leader, or an officer in the Constabulary!?

If he learned to make friends with time, one day, he would step into a new era of glory.

*Like a great roc rising with the wind, soaring ninety thousand miles high!*