10: Chapter 10 Island Black Market

Night was deep. Jiang Hanzhou rowed his boat toward the island where the black market was located.

Today was the third day since his Breakthrough to the Perfection of the Qi Nurturing Realm. Although it wasn't a day of rest, he still calmly set out under the cover of night, not at all worried about being discovered.

If he were still the Jiang Hanzhou who had nearly starved to death, he would never have dared to do such a thing.

After all, once discovered, the outcome would surely be miserable.

But now that he possessed martial arts, even if he left the Canglang Water Dock, he would have his own future.

Having a fallback plan changed his state of mind.

He originally had two plans in mind: one was to report his Breakthrough, hoping to win support from above.

However, upon reflection, this was equivalent to tying his own safety to the whims of those big shots.

What if they were unhappy, disliked his mediocre Aptitude, found his progress insignificant, or even suspected him of hiding his cultivation and having ulterior motives? Wouldn't his life be in danger then?

The other thought was much simpler and more direct.

Don't rely on others; rely only on himself.

Although the black market was dangerous, it could exchange for the things he truly needed and could preserve the hard-won freedom he currently enjoyed.

...

The oars broke the ink-colored water surface, making a monotonous and steady sound.

The outline of the distant island loomed in the mist, and a few dim lights were like the half-open eyes of a sleeping night beast.

Jiang Hanzhou's movements were steady and continuous, his breath faintly harmonizing with the sound of the water.

Before long, he reached the small island.

He casually put on a monkey mask he had bought on the street, jumped onto the shore, and walked toward the center of the island.

The black market—to put it plainly—had two meanings: first, it was a place of smuggling that violated imperial laws; without paying taxes, it naturally had to remain in the dark.

Second, this black market operated at night. Although there wasn't much difference between night and day, for those with a guilty conscience, the night always provided a sense of security.

Therefore, this so-called black market was nothing more than an illegal bazaar.

Such markets were not uncommon in the Three Rivers Estuary, and even the major powers that dominated the region turned a blind eye, tacitly allowing their existence.

Jiang Hanzhou knew about these places from the guards who came to collect medicine.

They spoke of the black market without avoidance.

From this, it could be seen that the imperial court's control over this area was far from what it used to be.

The island was not big, and Jiang Hanzhou arrived at the black market before long.

Although the place was small, there were many people, and all kinds of people were buying and selling contraband here, each disguised and dressed up.

Feeling the gold leaves in his sleeve, Jiang Hanzhou wandered around the black market.

A moment later, he returned to a stall.

The stall owner was a woman with an astonishing Aura, wearing two short sabers. The thick Evil Qi around her made no one dare to set up a stall nearby.

This was the one!

Only in a place like this could one sell real goods.

Besides, he wasn't looking for revenge on a woman; he was a customer, what was there to be afraid of?

"Is there any Cultivation Technique here that can help one Breakthrough to the Iron Bone Realm?"

The Female Stall Owner opened her eyes upon hearing this, and her indifferent gaze from behind the mask sized up Jiang Hanzhou before she said, "Yes, customer, please take a look."

Her voice was as hoarse as an eighty-year-old man's.

It made Jiang Hanzhou frown.

"It seems she intentionally changed her voice; that's a good trick."

With a slight stir in his heart, he looked at the three Secret Manuals the Female Stall Owner had placed in front of him: Layered Wave Bone Tempering Strength, 《Reef Ocean-Gathering Technique》, and 《Bone-Sinking Formula》.

"These three Cultivation Techniques can all reach the Iron Bone Realm, but they cannot push Qi and blood to the limit."

The Female Stall Owner said indifferently, but it struck a chord with Jiang Hanzhou.

Indeed, the Qi and blood in his body had not reached their limit.

Before the 【Late Bloomer】 fate had broken through to the third tier, he had felt that his Qi and blood were full. But after reaching the Perfection of the Qi Nurturing Realm and his fate broke through, he always felt that his own Qi and blood were only at seventy percent capacity.

Jiang Hanzhou analyzed that it must be because his Aptitude had improved.

Aptitude was originally formed by one's own flesh and bones. As his Aptitude improved, the capacity limit of the flesh and bones in his body also increased.

That was why the current situation had arisen.

However, Jiang Hanzhou had no intention of pursuing the limit of Qi and blood.

That was something only Prodigies and children of wealthy families could pursue; he only needed to improve his Realm step by step.

As long as his Realm was high enough to overwhelm others with power, would he still care about limits or not?

Jiang Hanzhou nodded upon hearing this and examined the three Secret Manuals.

In reality, they were all much the same.

Layered Wave Bone Tempering Strength focused on layering force to temper, allowing Qi and blood to hammer the bones and stack up force.

《Reef Ocean-Gathering Technique》 focused on defense and accumulation.

《Bone-Sinking Formula》 was the most simple and the most difficult.

It did not pursue quick success or strange phenomena, only seeking to sink every wisp of Qi and blood into the depths of the bone marrow, slowly and thoroughly changing the bone quality, like water dripping through stone.

For those with high ambitions, this technique was the most precious.

Therefore, Jiang Hanzhou chose... Layered Wave Bone Tempering Strength.

Defense? Water dripping through stone?

No, he wanted infinite offense!

"I'll take this one."

The Female Stall Owner took a look and said hoarsely, "Two hundred taels, please."

Jiang Hanzhou felt a pang of heartache, but he still took all the gold leaves from his bosom and handed them to the stall owner.

With the transaction complete, the Female Stall Owner closed her eyes again.

Jiang Hanzhou didn't care, tucked the Secret Manual into his bosom, and walked toward the exit of the black market.

As his figure disappeared, the Female Stall Owner suddenly opened her eyes and looked in the direction Jiang Hanzhou had left. There, three shadows were following him.

She closed her eyes again, her lips moved slightly, and then she became as still as a stone.

...

"It's a fat sheep, and one that just came to the black market!"

"Not bad, that kid brought out gold leaves the moment he made a move. I wonder which family's young master he is."

"Hehe, whether he's a young master or not, if he dies outside, even the Heavenly King wouldn't be able to investigate. Today, let's teach him the dangers of the Jianghu!"

Three big men rushed down together, heading in the direction Jiang Hanzhou had left, but they stopped when they ran into a forest, exclaiming in surprise, "Where is he? How come there's not a trace left?"

"Big brother, something's not right..." The thin, tall one on the left whispered, his hand already on the short blade at his waist.

"What are you panicking about!" The scarred man spat, "A rookie who just showed off his wealth in the black market, where could he run to? Search separately! He must be hiding in—"

Before he finished speaking.

Above the head of the short, sturdy accomplice on his right, a patch of dense foliage silently parted.

A figure, like a shadow peeling away from the night, dropped vertically!

There was no wind, no warning. Not until the figure was about to touch the crown of the short, sturdy man's head did a chill suddenly spread.

The short, sturdy man was an old hand who licked blood from the edge of a blade. His instinct between life and death made him look up in horror. He only had time to see a pair of eyes that remained calm in the darkness and a palm pressing down from the air.

As the palm descended, it suddenly formed a knife-hand, with a dim yet incredibly sharp water-colored radiance condensing at the fingertips!

【Tidal Shadow Thousand Hands, Eagle Peck Style】!

"Pfft!"

With a light sound, the short, sturdy man's eyes widened, blood seeped from his seven orifices simultaneously, and his whole body collapsed softly like a fish that had its bones removed.

Until he died, he hadn't been able to make a sound.

"Old Third!" The scarred man and the thin, tall one were terrified. As they retreated rapidly, their weapons were already unsheathed.

But the figure didn't stop after landing. With a point of his toes, his figure moved like a ghost sliding along the ground, or like an arrowfish swimming upstream, and with an unreasonable angle, he lunged straight at the thin, tall one.

The thin, tall one let out a strange cry, his short blade hacking wildly in front of him, dancing out a sheet of silver light to protect himself.

However, the figure lunging at him seemed to hit an invisible wall of Qi just before the blade light reached his body, suddenly shifting from extreme movement to extreme stillness!

The thin, tall one's blade light struck the foremost afterimage but only slashed through a mass of damp air.

Jiang Hanzhou had already slid to his side and rear like a loach. His right hand's five fingers bloomed like a lotus flower, then instantly closed, silently imprinting on the thin, tall one's right ribs.

【Tidal Shadow Thousand Hands · Tide Pulling Style】!

"Crack... Pfft!"

The teeth-aching sound of bone cracking was covered by a dull thud.

The thin, tall one flew horizontally like a broken wooden board thrown up by a giant wave, hit a tree, slid down softly, and vomited blood wildly; it was clear he wouldn't survive.

The short blade in his hand dropped to the ground with a "clang."

In the blink of an eye, two companions were dead!

The scarred man was scared out of his wits. At this moment, there was no greed left, only boundless fear.

He let out a wild roar—not to attack, but to throw the ghost head saber in his hand forcefully at Jiang Hanzhou, while turning and running toward the river outside the forest with all the strength he had in his life!

He only hoped to block him for a moment; if he could jump onto the small boat they had hidden, he would be able to escape!

But how could Jiang Hanzhou let him go?

He exerted force with his feet, blowing a small pit into the rotten leaves on the ground. He shot out by borrowing the force, his speed more than twice as fast as the scarred man!

The distance between the two rapidly closed.

Hearing the wind rapidly approaching from behind, the scarred man turned around in despair, putting up a posture to fight for his life with his bare hands.

However, what he saw was Jiang Hanzhou's figure suddenly changing in the midst of his charge.

Like a reflection on the river surface swept by a strong wind, it suddenly shattered into a dazzling offensive!

Fists, palms, fingers, claws, elbows, shoulders...

Every part of his body seemed to turn into an independent weapon at this moment, enveloping him from all directions.

It was as if dozens of hands were attacking at the same time, each strike carrying the continuous intent of tidal water, with the force behind pushing the force in front, feints covering real moves, completely sealing off all his space for evasion.

This was the full-power outburst of 【Tidal Shadow Thousand Hands】 at close range, fusing the essence of all the water-based Martial Skills Jiang Hanzhou had practiced!

Like the tide, like a shadow, a thousand hands appeared together!

The scarred man only blocked twice before the sound of bone fractures came from his arms. On the third strike, a stab with fingers joined like a halberd pierced through the arm he had futilely protected in front of his throat, precisely shattering his Adam's apple.

"Haa..."

He clutched his throat, the light in his eyes quickly dimming, and he fell backward.

The forest returned to silence, with only the heavy smell of blood slowly spreading.

Jiang Hanzhou slowly withdrew his stance and stood straight, his breathing slightly rapid, but his eyes remained calm.

He bent down and quickly searched the three bodies. Besides some scattered copper coins and daggers, he indeed found another slightly smaller oilcloth bag from the scarred man's inner pocket. Inside, forty gold leaves were neatly stacked. After a slight weighing, it was exactly four hundred taels.

"Kill and set fires, get a golden belt—the ancients did not deceive me."

Jiang Hanzhou's money pouch was full again, and he felt happy in his heart.

He put away the gold leaves, didn't look at the corpses on the ground again, turned around, and as silently as he had arrived, he vanished into the shadows of the forest, heading toward the direction where his boat was docked.