https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-198-Heaven-Martial-Moon-Devouring-Blade-Technique/12971332/
Chapter 197: Heading to the Black Market
Chapter 197: Heading to the Black Market
The next day.
In the afternoon, around three or four o'clock.
Jiang Cheng officially made his way to the location of the black market.
To avoid attracting attention, he deliberately switched to a smaller handbag and stuffed over ten stacks of thousand-yuan bills inside, hiding it under his clothes.
More than half a month had passed since the incident at Ruo Luozi Lane.
The streets had regained their former tranquility, and occasionally, one could spot members of the law enforcement team, but even they seemed to have lost the passion they had shown during the previous period.
When they saw passersby, they would glance once and then quickly avert their gaze.
Jiang Cheng took the bus and traveled across half of the city, arriving at the center of the outer district.
Indeed, the black market was located near the inner district, and no one would believe it if they said otherwise.
As he got off the bus, Jiang Cheng put on a mask, leaving only his eyes exposed.
Surprisingly, there were a few other masked individuals on the street, some using high collars to cover their faces.
After taking only a few steps, Jiang Cheng felt gazes landing on him.
But soon, most of the eyes moved away.
Clearly, they had mistaken him for a fellow trader or someone not worth their attention.
Jiang Cheng remained calm and continued toward his destination.
This was the advice he had received from Shi Yan—discretion was key, and unless one was unlucky, they wouldn't attract unwanted attention.
To his left, a man wearing a black mask scanned the surroundings, then, seeing no one targeting Jiang Cheng, approached him.
Jiang Cheng's eyebrows furrowed.
He pretended to walk forward nonchalantly.
If he were to flee now, it might only embolden the other man.
So, he walked straight ahead.
Out of caution, he also activated the Vajra Talisman.
Seeing Jiang Cheng's actions, the man with the black mask hesitated.
When Jiang Cheng was about ten meters away, he stopped and watched as Jiang Cheng walked past.
Several figures in the crowd exchanged glances, their eyes filled with mockery.
With such little courage, how dare they compete with them?
However, this was indeed a risky endeavor.
If luck wasn't on their side, they might kick an iron plate and be finished.
Fortunately, the afternoon crowd wasn't composed of formidable characters. Of course, if it were night, these people might become someone else's prey.
Jiang Cheng walked into an alleyway, two meters wide, and saw a large gate in the distance. Two masked burly men stood like door gods on either side.
Their masks were unique, covering only their eyes instead of their entire faces.
Aside from these two, the alley was empty.
Listening to his footsteps, Jiang Cheng approached the two men and took out the token with the number 72 on it.
One of the men took the token, examined it, and then nodded, returning the token.
Jiang Cheng thanked him and entered with the token in hand.
Upon entering the courtyard, he was surprised to find a garden landscape.
A stone bridge wound its way through lush greenery, connecting to ancient pavilions and towers hidden amidst the verdant surroundings.
The winding corridor echoed with gentle sounds, and the gentle breeze carried wafts of fragrance, stirring the pool of spring, causing ripples of light.
"Is this your first time here?"
From a nearby room, a middle-aged man's voice sounded.
Jiang Cheng followed the voice and saw a man wearing a similar mask, sitting behind a table and observing him.
Beside him was a woman in a cheongsam, also masked.
Aside from them, the doors of several other rooms were open, each occupied by similarly masked individuals.
"Come over to register. If you're here to buy, you can deposit your money first to prevent loss, and if you're selling, show us what you've got."
The middle-aged man who had spoken up earlier continued, "Okay."
Jiang Cheng approached and once again produced the bid token.
"72."
The middle-aged man recited the number on the token and sighed, "This token hasn't been seen for several years."
"The original owner met with an accident, and I bought it from their descendants." Jiang Cheng explained.
"Is that so?"
The middle-aged man glanced at Jiang Cheng and smiled, "Everyone who comes here says the same thing."
The woman beside him covered her mouth and chuckled.
Jiang Cheng was speechless.
"Regardless of how you obtained it, it doesn't matter. We only recognize the token, not the person."
The middle-aged man nodded and glanced at Jiang Cheng's stomach, "What's inside your clothes? You might as well let us take a look."
Jiang Cheng produced a handbag and unzipped it.
The man peered inside and nodded, "Not bad, you're much richer than the previous owner. With this much money, you can buy many good things."
"By the way, you can open an anonymous account here and deposit this money. You can directly purchase items with the account funds and withdraw them whenever you wish. As long as you don't reveal the password, others can never access the account funds. Of course, you can also carry this money with you, but if it's lost, we won't be responsible."
"Let's open an account."
Jiang Cheng wasn't worried about being deceived.
After all, this place had been operating for many years, and it wouldn't ruin its reputation just to scam one person.
"A wise choice, but I need to count and verify the authenticity."
Jiang Cheng nodded.
He glanced at the bill counter beside him.
In a short while, the middle-aged man finished counting, and it was exactly the right amount.
After a few minutes, an account was opened.
Jiang Cheng received a black card with writing on it.
"This card can be used not only here but also in those banks outside for deposits, withdrawals, and consumption."
The middle-aged man smiled as he spoke, his expression more relaxed than before.
"Can it be used in the Inner District too?"
"Yes."
Jiang Cheng was amazed.
The backers of this black market were not to be underestimated.
"Here's the auction's item list, with introductions and starting prices. You can go in and browse at your leisure."
The man took a thick booklet from beside the table.
Jiang Cheng's eyes lit up.
This was a good thing.
Even if he couldn't afford it, he could still broaden his horizons.
"By the way, let me remind you of something."
The middle-aged man's expression suddenly turned solemn, "Here, it's strictly forbidden to make a move. If violated, the consequences range from confiscation of tokens and wealth to expulsion from the black market, and severe cases will result in immediate execution. As for seizing auction items, I believe I don't need to remind you that it's not allowed. I hope you abide by our rules for everyone's benefit."
"I will."
Jiang Cheng nodded.
He wasn't foolish; a place like this would definitely have strong experts guarding it.
At the very least, there would be Master-level experts, and most likely, more than one.
But he was also curious, if a Master had infiltrated, perhaps they'd be discovered the moment they entered.
"Good, take him in and introduce him as well."
The middle-aged man looked towards the other man.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
