48: Chapter 48 Old Acquaintances

If one were to look for the most dangerous place within the borders of the Yue Kingdom, the Sky Desolate Black Prison would definitely be on the list.

The environment here is harsh; daytime temperatures can soar above forty degrees, and the cold winds at night can freeze lake water solid.

Sandstorms, mudslides, and miasma tornadoes that erupt every few days provide even more unexpected surprises!

Logically, no one should be willing to go to such a dangerous place, but as it happens, it is one of the most bustling places within the Yue Kingdom.

Because a large number of ruins are buried beneath the land here.

Divine iron, Medicinal Pills, Cultivation Techniques, Spirit Stones...

Too many Loose Cultivators have obtained benefits here and soared to success, their stories inspiring batch after batch of Martial Artists to follow in their footsteps, like moths to a flame.

Of course, evil paths and all sorts of unsavory characters have also come sniffing around, making this place extremely chaotic and turning it into an out-and-out lawless zone.

Ever since Lin Yuan stepped onto this strange land, he had been traveling at full speed, finally approaching his destination before nightfall.

Looking up, he saw a majestic city standing in the afterglow of the setting sun. Brilliant spiritual light flickered on the mottled city walls, and twelve city gates were lined up, but at this moment, only one gate was open.

Dahuang City, built on the banks of the Blackwater River, is the only human stronghold within the Sky Desolate Black Prison.

Because it cost a great deal to build the city, it still charges an entrance fee to those entering the city to this day.

Lin Yuan walked to the plaza in front of the gate and was about to go up to pay when he suddenly heard a commotion nearby. Turning to look, he saw a raggedly dressed Martial Artist clutching the thigh of a city guard.

"Sir, please have mercy and let me in! My Spirit Stones were snatched on the road; if I can't get into the city, I'm dead for sure."

The city guard looked impatient: "Don't think about entering the city without money; those are the rules."

"Sir, I really have nowhere else to go; please just make an exception!"

The Martial Artist was relentless, continuing to plead bitterly.

The city guard, however, was as firm as iron and refused to agree no matter what. This could not be blamed on him, as it was his duty after all.

The struggle between them attracted many gazes, and more and more people gathered around. A middle-aged Martial Artist couldn't bear to watch, snorted coldly, and stepped out.

"Enough, don't make things difficult for him. I'll pay the entrance fee."

"Really? Thank you, big brother! You are truly a great person."

The Martial Artist was overjoyed, tears of excitement streaming from the corners of his eyes.

The middle-aged Martial Artist sighed: "Everyone has difficult times when they are out and about; we should help each other... give me your hand."

"Big brother, what are you doing?"

The Martial Artist watched in confusion as the middle-aged Martial Artist pressed his finger onto a scroll covered in strange, garbled symbols.

"Brother, this is your reserve fund in the Ghost Spirit Sect. You can use it whenever you need Spirit Stones in the future, so don't be laughed at by those impolite people!"

"Your mom!"

The raggedly dressed Martial Artist stared blankly at the middle-aged Martial Artist, who flashed him a standard smile, his pearly white teeth dazzling him into an immediate faint, unconscious.

"Tsk, there are so many scams in big cities."

Lin Yuan had watched the whole thing and couldn't help but shake his head. There weren't any good people here; he needed to be careful not to get scammed.

A while later, he walked into Dahuang City.

The buildings inside Dahuang City could only be described with one word—big!

Even a very ordinary building was over a dozen meters tall. Those restaurants were like towering spires, standing prominently all over the city. The streets were even wider, almost able to accommodate dozens of people walking side-by-side without feeling crowded at all. Walking among them felt like being in the kingdom of giants.

Lin Yuan had been walking around for a while after entering when someone set their sights on him.

A teenage boy quickly approached and sidled up to him.

"Sir, do you want a map?"

Lin Yuan glanced at him: "No, thanks."

"My map is the clearest in all of Dahuang City, with every detail perfectly clear."

"Oh? So confident? It seems I have to critique it."

It was a small amount of money anyway, so Lin Yuan bought it directly and opened it to take a look.

"Why is this a map?"

"Is there a problem?"

The boy looked at him, blinking his innocent, large eyes.

"No, none at all."

Lin Yuan was silent for a moment, then nodded in mock appreciation.

"This map of yours really is a map."

The boy: ???

The boy hadn't lied about one thing: his map was indeed very detailed. It not only marked all the regions and routes but also clearly wrote down which shops were the most honest and which bosses were suspected of being profiteers, saving Lin Yuan a lot of trouble.

The next day, he followed the guidance of the map and found the market located in the northwest region.

This was a place where Martial Artists exchanged resources and sold miscellaneous items.

Lin Yuan needed a container capable of storing six types of Qi.

The bustling atmosphere of the market was even greater than in other areas of Dahuang City. Many Loose Cultivators simply set up stalls along the street to promote their products.

"Take a look, take a look! Premium weapons unearthed from the ruins, all styles of blades, spears, swords, and halberds available."

"Profound Rank Martial Skill, does anyone want a Profound Rank Martial Skill? The Lightning Five-Chain Whip adapted by the famous Martial Arts Grandmaster Mr. Ma Baoguo will make you a generation's Whip King!"

"Medicinal Pills, top-quality Medicinal Pills. Eat my medicine, and a fool becomes a Prodigy! If you don't believe me, you can go to the Liuyun Sect to inquire; the track record is verifiable."

"The Divine Calculator makes iron-clad predictions: calculating Opportunity, calculating danger, calculating everything under heaven. Three Spirit Stones for once, ten for three; if it's not accurate, you don't pay!"

...

Wait, what just got mixed in?

Lin Yuan grabbed the medicine seller's arm, staring at him with piercing eyes.

"It's you!"

"It's not me!"

The medicine seller denied it flatly.

"I haven't even said who it was yet."

"..."

"Bad luck."

The medicine seller looked bitter and tried to break free, but found that Lin Yuan's fingers were like iron pincers.

He had no choice but to sigh and extend four fingers, looking as if his parents had died.

"Forty percent."

Lin Yuan smiled slightly and pressed down one of his fingers.

"Thirty percent."

"Eh? Since when are you so generous? You only want thirty percent?"

The medicine seller looked at Lin Yuan in surprise.

"Thirty percent is yours."

"Your mom..."

"You know, I'm an orphan; I've had no home since I was young, and neither have you."

The medicine seller choked on a mouthful of blood, nearly passing out.

Speaking of the two of them, it could be considered a fated relationship of misfortune; they used to hang out on the same street, one leaning towards business, the other towards athletics.

Later, Lin Yuan met an old beggar and learned a set of good martial arts from him, roaming the surrounding ten miles and eight villages.

The medicine seller had better luck; he was spotted by a pharmacist from a Gang and inherited an amazing set of medical skills.

Later, the Gang went bankrupt. He struck out on his own to study Pill Formulas, starting from introductory Bigu Pills and Cooling Pills, then moving on to later creations like Wonder Pills and Golden Sore Powder, finally growing from a folk pharmacist into a qualified Alchemist, selling imitation Medicinal Pills in various Martial Artist markets.

Last time, near the Liuyun Sect, he used Lin Yuan's experiences to heavily advertise, earning at least a thousand Spirit Stones before the Hidden Dragon Ranking battle, getting rich in one fell swoop.

To some extent, he was even more inspirational than Lin Yuan.

As expected from the orphan group that most easily produces big shots; he didn't lose face.