34: Black market

"'Mangsiao Grass' is that expensive?"

"Esteemed customer, you don't know the situation. It's very chaotic outside the city now, and there are far fewer herb gatherers who go to the Black Rock Mountains to collect herbs. We're losing money selling at this price!"

Han Yi only asked one sentence, and the apothecary's assistant immediately began complaining bitterly.

'Taihe Hall', an apothecary located in Yuqing Ward.

In An Yan City, each ward is equivalent to a township, equipped with basic living facilities.

Han Yi found an apothecary near Qiuzhu Alley to inquire about the price of 'Mangsiao Grass', but he didn't expect that one catty of 'Mangsiao Grass' would cost two taels of silver.

On the way just now, he had also glanced at the 'Thunder Palm Technique'.

According to the manual, to Cultivate from introductory to minor accomplishment would probably require hundreds of catties of 'Mangsiao Grass'!

Han Yi calculated for a long time. Even just buying the raw materials would cost at least a thousand taels of silver!

Unfortunately, thinking about his empty wallet which only contained twenty taels of silver, Han Yi couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly: "Poor scholars, rich martial artists. The ancients truly did not deceive me!"

Han Yi left the apothecary feeling depressed. He spent five taels of silver to buy enough medicinal materials for introductory practice. He decided to practice and see how it goes, and if it didn't work, he still had the System for adding points!

Although both the apothecary's assistant and Elder Li mentioned that 'Mangsiao Grass' could be collected in the Black Rock Mountains.

Moreover, Elder Li's words just now were full of heroic ambition, talking about courageous advancement and not wasting talent, making one feel as if they were pumped full of energy, with a bright future right before their eyes.

However, Han Yi, who was well-versed in the art of PUA from his previous life in the workplace, understood that this was just like a leader's words – things like 'three generals and five items', promotions, and salary increases were visible but untouchable pie in the sky. He wasn't going to fall for that!

Anyway, with the world in such chaos, he, being alone, would definitely not risk going to the Black Rock Mountains to collect medicinal herbs.

Surviving until the end and having everything is the true path!

Afternoon

Bang, bang, bang

The introductory practice of 'Thunder Palm Technique' involves repeatedly striking the palm against a medicinal packet made from 'Mangsiao Grass'.

And at the minor accomplishment stage, practicing the 'Thunder Palm Technique' even requires boiling 'Mangsiao Grass' into a liquid over a large fire, soaking both palms in the 'Mangxiao Soup' heated to scorching levels by the large fire, and using this calcination method to temper the medicinal properties into the palm force!

Han Yi continuously struck his palm against the medicinal packet. This was the first step of 'Thunder Palm Technique', using the medicinal properties of 'Mangsiao Grass' to temper the skin of the palm and back of the hand.

However, after a whole morning and half of the afternoon, there was no change on the panel, indicating that he had not yet reached the introductory level.

Moreover, as the last 'Strong Bone Pill' was consumed, Han Yi's cultivation improved slightly again, but the increase was very slow.

[Realm]: Mid Bone Refinement Stage (74/100)

The first time any Medicinal Pill is taken, the effect is best. Subsequent doses will result in reduced medicinal power.

This last 'Strong Bone Pill' only added 8 points of cultivation, and Han Yi was still in the Mid Bone Refinement Stage.

"But, it's time to go," Han Yi looked up at the sun. He and Pan Sheng had agreed to meet at the city gate in the afternoon, and Pan Sheng would show him around An Yan City.

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"Hurry, hurry, you're late."

At the city gate, people came and went. Han Yi finally found Pan Sheng.

Yesterday evening and this morning, Han Yi had been in a hurry and hadn't really paid attention to his surroundings.

Now, walking slowly, he noticed some differences between the outer city and the inner city.

Taking Yuqing Ward in the outer city and Heyue Ward in the inner city as examples, although the buildings and environment looked similar on the surface.

Most pedestrians in Heyue Ward walked unhurriedly with light steps, and their faces were mostly full of smiles. From time to time, one could even see people carrying falcons and leading hounds, looking quite leisurely.

In Yuqing Ward, however, most people walked quickly as if they had urgent matters to attend to, and their faces were mostly gloomy, indicating that they were rushing for their livelihoods.

"Let's go, I'll take you to check out the Black Market?"

Perhaps Pan Sheng noticed that Han Yi wasn't interested in the similar-looking buildings of each ward, so he asked.

"Black Market?" As expected, Han Yi immediately became interested.

Whether it was his previous life or this one, he had heard that the Black Market sold all sorts of strange items, and countless people had found treasures or struck it rich there!

"Ah, it's not like that..." Pan Sheng shook his head and sighed, "You'll understand when you go."

He seemed to have seen many young people like Han Yi, full of fantasies.

Following Pan Sheng off the main road and turning a few corners, Han Yi arrived at the boundary between Yuqing Ward and Changning Ward.

Strangely, the facilities in Changning Ward here were brand new, not at all as dilapidated as what Han Yi had seen before, and faintly, he could see many people coming and going inside.

Moreover, in this area, there were no large gates or walls blocking the way between Yuqing Ward and Changning Ward. Only at the alley entrance stood a large gate, with a few small buildings next to it.

At this time, the large gate was open, and one could vaguely see two people chatting at the entrance.

Only upon getting closer did Han Yi realize that these few people, with values of '60~75' and '65~70' on one side, were all Lianxue Stage quasi-Martial Masters!

Furthermore, they were all wearing the Crimson Flame Sect's red-bordered black robes and standard issue sabers at their waists. They were actually Crimson Flame Sect Inner Sect Disciples!

"Here?" He was puzzled internally.

"Brother Pan, why are you here?" A sharp-eyed Disciple saw Pan Sheng.

"Brother Wang, I just brought my younger brother here to get familiar with the environment," Pan Sheng said, pointing to Han Yi beside him. "You guys are busy, you guys are busy. We'll go in and look around and then leave."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Han Yi and the other man walked through the large gate.

Without waiting for Han Yi to ask, Pan Sheng explained to him.

It turned out that in the past, because there were no government, Sect, or legal constraints within Changning Ward, making it a three-no-matter zone, there were all sorts of transactions prohibited by the government.

However, the people in Changning Ward were poor, and the environment was dirty, chaotic, and dangerous. Merchants who wanted to buy and sell things were simply unwilling to go in. Coincidentally, Yuqing Ward was adjacent to Changning Ward, so everyone traded at the boundary of Yuqing Ward. Over time, a Black Market formed at the junction of Yuqing Ward and Changning Ward.

And this area of Yuqing Ward happened to be under the jurisdiction of the Crimson Flame Sect. Naturally, there were high-level individuals with business acumen within the Crimson Flame Sect.

Under the promotion of the Crimson Flame Sect, an agreement was made with several large Gangs in Changning Ward: the Crimson Flame Sect would not interfere with matters within Changning Ward, but the various Gangs in Changning Ward could not attack this market.

Afterward, the Crimson Flame Sect removed the walls and other obstacles at this junction, built "basic facilities" such as shops, stationed people specifically to guard it, and collected taxes, stall fees, and entry fees, thus forming the Black Market that now earns a fortune daily, which also attracted the covetous gaze of the Qianye Sect.

Of course, this Black Market also had several rules!