Chapter 211 – Black Market

Li Guanqi went to the nearest city and found a black market through an information broker. However, the black market only opened after dark, so he had no choice but to wait until nighttime.

That night, Li Guanqi followed the information broker’s instructions to get to an obscure alleyway. A powerful Golden Core Realm cultivator stood guard at the entrance.

Not wanting to stir up trouble, Li Guanqi handed over ten spirit stones and stepped inside.

Only a weak oil lamp with a shaky flame lit up the dim alley.

Most of the stall owners wore black hooded cloaks, obscuring their faces.

It was his first time in a black market, so he sharpened his senses and observed every person through his heart’s eye. He soon realized that everyone used a unique set of hand signals during price negotiations. Both parties would drape a black cloth over their hands, shielding the gestures from prying eyes.

However, using his divine consciousness, he deciphered the meaning of the hand signals.

Though the market wasn’t crowded, every individual radiated a powerful aura. After walking less than thirty zhang, he counted five Golden Core Realm cultivators, plus one figure who exerted a subtle pressure on the space around him—likely a Nascent Soul Realm expert.

Li Guanqi had to be extra careful.

Vendors had set up their stalls at least a zhang apart, an unspoken rule that allowed groups to pass through without squeezing.

Before long, he found what he was looking for at a peculiar stall. He approached the cloaked figure and pointed to four skin masks laid out on the ground. Lowering the pitch of his voice deliberately, he held out a hand and said, “I’ll take them all.”

The vendor wasn’t surprised. He calmly extended his left hand and draped a piece of black cloth over both their hands.

Li Guanqi made his first hand signal, offering four hundred low-grade spirit stones. But the vendor’s slightly withered hand gripped his finger and shook it in refusal.

From that touch, Li Guanqi could tell the man was old. He frowned. “Any higher, and they’re overpriced.”

He knew the market value of those masks. He’d seen them in the Daxia Sword Sect, where they were exchanged for contribution points. Converting from that, he had a good idea of what they were worth in spirit stones.

The old man’s voice rasped in his ear. “Kid, these aren’t your average skin masks. Each one’s a rare magical artifact. Stick it on someone’s face, and you’ll copy it perfectly. Real handy for murder, robbery, and all sorts of things.”

Li Guanqi wasn’t surprised at being called “kid.” The moment their hands met, the old man should’ve felt how young and smooth his skin was.

Then, under the cloth, the vendor made another hand sign. Li Guanqi grabbed his hand and said, “This price will do.”

He handed over a storage pouch. The old man scanned it nonchalantly, then tossed the four masks to him. After collecting the masks, Li Guanqi walked briskly toward the black market’s exit. He reached a deserted alley, confirmed no one was following him, and then shot off into the night, vanishing from the city.

What he didn’t know was that long after he’d left, the eyes beneath the old man’s cloak lingered on the direction he’d disappeared. A smirk curled the man’s lips, then he packed up and left.

After exiting the city, Li Guanqi erased all of his tracks, even taking several detours along the way. His grandfather had warned him about the dangers of the outside world, and he had no choice but to stay vigilant. There were too many unknowns.

Cultivators could easily live three to five centuries, with some reaching a thousand years or even ten thousand. His grandfather had heard tales of people who waited a full millennium before returning to exact their revenge.

Time easily made people let their guard down.

Li Guanqi checked his map, glanced around, then shot off in a specific direction. He planned to head to the Great Wind Mountain Residence.

On the way, he took out a skin mask and placed it on his face, gently pinching it with his fingers. In the blink of an eye, he went from a handsome youth with features chiseled from jade to an average-looking youth. He channeled his vital force to alter his voice, then suppressed his aura to disguise himself as a mid Foundation Building cultivator.

He took out a mirror, examined himself, and trimmed a bit of his hair to make it look like stubble. Satisfied, he nodded.

Soon, he arrived at a mountain range. Spreading his divine sense in all directions, he cautiously scanned the terrain. Beast roars and bird cries echoed constantly, and he avoided several demonic beasts on the way up the peak.

He perched on a thick tree branch behind the Great Wind Mountain Residence, where he could see the entire estate below. Lit brightly even at night, the place stretched more than three thousand zhang wide, displaying wealth that even surpassed Ye Feng’s family. Sword-riding cultivators flew out in all directions, clearly searching for Li Guanqi and the other two.

Li Guanqi held his breath as he carefully studied the layout. All the structures were well-connected with many paths, forming a symmetrical layout with a main pavilion in the middle. It had a regal feeling to it.

But he saw no signs of a prison. If they were holding anyone, it had to be deep within the estate.

Like a patient lone wolf, he lay on the tree without moving, watching everything that was happening. Even by dawn, he hadn’t budged.

During this time, many people flew past the tree where he was hiding, but he chose not to do anything. Attacking would only arouse suspicion, and without a sure chance at survival, he wouldn’t take unnecessary risks.

Suddenly, Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes.

Is this my chance?

It was time for the patrol guards to change shifts. He noticed a group of Foundation Building Realm guards emerging from a shadowy area of the estate. From Li Guanqi’s position, that section happened to be obscured by other buildings, so he had assumed it was some kind of warehouse.

He squinted, still not convinced Zhao Yang was actually being held prisoner there.

Just then, a group of grumbling youths soared overhead.

“That guy disappeared long ago! Why are they making us search? What the fuck are we supposed to find?”

“Screw this. I’ll go take a leak and head back. I need to sleep.”

Li Guanqi laughed to himself.

Talk about perfect timing.

Then, like a silent snake, he slipped from the tree and vanished.