Chapter 19: Black Market

Chen Pingan knew the location of the black market.

When Old Chen was still around, he had taken him there once. Although the black market was chaotic, with Old Chen there, safety was guaranteed.

The black market was located in a desolate alley within Nanquan Lane, with a sizable open space at the very end of the alley. Due to a tacit understanding among various factions, the surrounding area was sparsely populated.

Carrying a booklet and hiding a wood-chopping knife beneath his clothes, Chen Pingan walked quickly through the alley.

Even though night had fallen, the night patrol officers of the Zhenfu Division still patrolled the various streets and alleys of Nanquan Lane.

Compared to the daytime, the number of night patrol officers and their shifts were significantly fewer, and they typically carried a copper gong to sound an immediate warning if anything occurred.

Chen Pingan was naturally well aware of how this worked.

Even he would likely be assigned to a night patrol once every month or so.

Each night patrol consisted of a two-person team to look out for one another.

Worried about being discovered by the patrol officers, Chen Pingan walked with extreme caution. Now that his first layer of Qi and Blood had reached perfection, his physical coordination and endurance had greatly increased.

By a stroke of luck, combined with his intentional vigilance, he did not encounter any night patrol officers along the way.

At the entrance to the black market, a burly man stood guard. Seeing Chen Pingan approaching with his face covered, he spoke expressionlessly.

"Pay two small coins to enter. Fighting is prohibited inside; otherwise, you bear the consequences yourself!"

Chen Pingan was well prepared for this. Without a word, he paid the two small coins and walked into the black market.

The black market was quite bustling, with a considerable number of people coming and going. However, most people were either masked, wearing hoods, or sporting bamboo hats—essentially dressed in gear designed for concealment.

Whether intentionally or not, Chen Pingan avoided these people while observing his surroundings.

Stalls were set up at intervals on both sides. A cloth spread on the ground with various items placed upon it constituted a stall.

The black market was not large, and Chen Pingan quickly completed a circuit. He discovered that all sorts of things were being sold.

There were antiques, blades, spears, soft armor, leather armor, and even large medicinal ginseng...

Chen Pingan even saw someone selling a small crossbow.

That was a formidable thing, classified as a controlled implement!

With such a weapon, even an ordinary person could seriously injure or even kill someone who had entered the path of martial cultivation, provided the timing was right.

Even though Chen Pingan's first layer of Qi and Blood was at perfection and his skin was as tough as thin cowhide, it would still be difficult to withstand the power of a crossbow bolt.

Though the crossbow was powerful, Chen Pingan's mind remained as calm as still water; he had no intention of prying. He came here for only one purpose: to sell the Iron Cloth technique.

He found a relatively empty spot, laid down the hand-copied version of the Iron Cloth manual, and sat down cross-legged.

Although he was anxious to sell it, he had no intention of going around soliciting customers.

Doing so would, firstly, greatly increase the risk. Secondly, it would devalue the Iron Cloth technique.

Most people who came to the black market were calculating and naturally suspicious of the authenticity of his manual. If he actively promoted it, he would appear too desperate, making them even more distrustful.

Rather than that, it was better to wait here quietly.

Not long after Chen Pingan sat down, someone approached his stall.

The person was short and stout, dressed in black and wearing a bamboo hat.

"What is this you're selling?"

"A martial arts manual, Iron Cloth!"

Chen Pingan raised his head and gave him a faint, indifferent glance, maintaining a cold and aloof demeanor.

"Tch, the binding is so simple. You call it a martial arts manual, so it's a martial arts manual, is it?" the man sneered.

However, despite his words, he actually crouched down, intending to flip through the booklet.

*Slap!*

With hands as swift as the wind, Chen Pingan slapped the other man's reaching hand away.

"Don't touch it if you aren't buying!"

This move by Chen Pingan startled the short, stout man in the bamboo hat.

"Fine, I won't look! Why did you hit me!" he muttered, walking away in resentment.

"At least it's an entry-level martial arts technique!"

The stall owner looked incredibly frail; the man had intended to take advantage of him by snooping to see if he could find some benefit, but he hadn't expected to encounter such a tough character.

After the short, stout man left, people came by from time to time to ask what he was selling. However, most were just asking and had no intention of buying.

A full half an hour passed, and Chen Pingan still had not sold the Iron Cloth.

"Business in this black market is truly cautious, especially when it involves martial arts manuals. Do I really have to go ask Monkey and the others for some silver tomorrow?"

Just as Chen Pingan was pondering this, a figure came to a halt in front of his stall.

The figure was burly and unmasked, with a full beard and piercing eyes. He was clearly someone not to be trifled with.

"What are you selling?"

"Iron Cloth."

Chen Pingan glanced at the man, faintly sensing a hint of threat. However, based on his intuition, the man did not seem to have reached the perfection of the first layer of Qi and Blood.

His entire body was filled with Qi and Blood; he had likely entered the path of martial arts.

"There are so many fakes in the black market. How can you guarantee this manual is real!?" the bearded man asked, staring at Chen Pingan.

Sensing that the man seemed genuinely interested in buying, Chen Pingan turned his full attention toward him.

"You may consult the first few pages of the Iron Cloth to evaluate it yourself. Furthermore, I have learned the Iron Cloth myself, and I studied this very manual."

"Oh?" The bearded man sized Chen Pingan up with interest.

Although Chen Pingan's face was covered and his features were unclear, his physique could not be hidden.

Iron Cloth was an external hard technique!

A practitioner of such a technique would possess a robust physique, a thick build, strong bones, and abundant Qi and Blood.

Yet, looking at Chen Pingan, there was not a single trace of the Iron Cloth cultivation on his body.

Indeed, perhaps due to the effect of his "cheat," although Chen Pingan had achieved minor mastery of the Iron Cloth, he still looked exactly as he had before, with no significant change in his physical build.

"If you don't believe me, you are welcome to try!" Chen Pingan said calmly, looking at the bearded man.

"Interesting." The bearded man laughed.

"You say you practice Iron Cloth. How about this: take one punch from me. If you can still stand without falling, I will buy your Iron Cloth. How about it!?"

"Fighting is prohibited within the black market," Chen Pingan said flatly.

"Tch, coward! Next time you try to bluff, make it more convincing. With a small frame like yours, 'Iron Cloth'? You're more like a 'Baby Technique'!" The bearded man sneered and prepared to leave.

"Fighting is not allowed in the black market. If you don't believe me, why don't we test our strength instead? If I win, you can buy this Iron Cloth for ten taels of silver!"

As Chen Pingan's voice rang out, the bearded man, who had just taken a step to leave, pulled back his foot upon hearing this.

"And what if you lose?"

"If I lose, I'll give you one tael of silver."

"Hahaha, a free tael of silver! Testing strength—how shall we do it?"

"Keep it simple. Arm wrestling!" Chen Pingan said calmly.

"Fine! Arm wrestling with me—you've got spirit!" The bearded man displayed an arm as thick as an average man's thigh.

"Let's go over there!" Chen Pingan pointed to a rock not far away.

"Alright, let's go!"