Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World

Chapter 103: Chapter 91: Observations of the Black Market! Fishing Law Enforcement!_3

At least the Jade Skin Realm!

People in the black market enjoy preying on others and robbing one another, but they wouldn’t throw their lives away recklessly. The Jade Skin realm represents the pinnacle of combat strength in the black market, and rarely do Blood Refining Realm folks frequent it.

After buying the Blood Nourishing Powder, Gu Sheng continued browsing the various stalls.

Unfortunately.

He still hadn’t found any suitable martial arts manuals. Most of them were mediocre, or incomplete versions that couldn’t be cultivated, or riddled with flaws like the Shapeshifting Manual.

The last time, Gu Sheng hadn’t had enough silver coins and merely observed the stalls for a moment.

But now, upon closer inspection, it was evident that many manuals priced at ten or twenty taels were outright fakes.

They managed only to fool clueless individuals or martial artists with poor judgment.

Now that Gu Sheng’s Iron Stone Fist had reached the perfect realm, his discernment had improved, leaving him somewhat regretful.

Suddenly.

Angry shouting erupted from the side.

”Fake! You bastard dared to sell me fake goods! Refund me! This manual is utterly useless—I spent ten taels of silver on this trash!”

Many turned to look, and Gu Sheng was no exception. He quickly understood the situation.

The commotion came from the stall selling the Shapeshifting Manual. A burly, masked man was seething with rage, glaring at the stall owner—a clear victim of the scam.

Gu Sheng’s eyes held a trace of pity. Though the Shapeshifting Manual wasn’t technically fake, for most people, it might as well be. This fellow was a poor fool to have spent ten taels on it.

The stall owner casually dug his finger into his ear, unfazed.

”Brother, it’s the first time we’ve conducted business. Don’t try to extort me. Tons of others sell this item—who knows where you bought yours from? You claiming it doesn’t work and calling it fake just isn’t fair.”

”It’s you! I don’t care—return my money, or don’t blame me for getting rough!”

The burly man wouldn’t relent.

The stall owner’s gaze turned icy.

”I tried reasoning with you, but you won’t listen. Go ahead, make a move. You broke fool! If you had any real money, you’d be at the black market auction, where the manuals are authentic. Blaming me for failing to snag a bargain—who do you think you are? Cause any more trouble, and Lord Wang will snap your bones!”

He crossed his arms with unshakable confidence.

This was the black market—troublemaking was not allowed.

The burly man froze, noting that the patrolling guards nearby were inching closer. He glared venomously at the stall owner before retreating to sit in the distance, watching the stall intently.

It was foreseeable—once outside the black market, there would surely be bloodshed.

Gu Sheng listened closely.

One term piqued his interest.

”Black market auction?”

Gu Sheng certainly wouldn’t openly ask random people about it here. If he were to inquire, it would be with someone like Old Xu, the designated contact for the black market.

The mention of a black market auction suggested it was an even more exclusive venue than the regular black market. From the stall owner’s few words, it was easy to deduce that the resources there were higher quality—but probably came at a steep price.

Gu Sheng tucked this detail away in his mind and wandered around briefly before leaving the black market.

He was no longer the fledgling martial artist he once was; his earlier subtle display of strength deterred opportunistic thieves from making a move.

Uneventfully, Gu Sheng exited Black Dog Alley and returned to the inn.

The next day.

Gu Sheng met with Old Xu, the contact for the black market, and finally gleaned details about the black market auction.

”The so-called black market auction is arguably the essence of the black market. A routine auction takes place every three months, and a grand auction is held annually.”

”Divine weapons, manuals, spirit pills, secret techniques—they all occasionally appear, but their prices are steep.”

Gu Sheng glanced at the black wooden token in his hand and grimaced. This token was the entry pass to the auction.

Two taels of silver.

Ridiculously overpriced.

A sheer profiteering scheme.

But he had no choice—those who controlled the resources made the rules.

”The next routine auction was held not long ago, so two to three months remain until the next one. I’ll need to find a way to gather funds. Otherwise, I won’t be able to snag any martial arts manuals even if I see something suitable.”

Gu Sheng weighed his options.

Perhaps it was time to take bolder steps.

...

Three days later.

Gu Sheng returned to the black market once more.

Today was the day he’d receive his custom-made arrows. Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened.

The stall owner showed up on time, without running off. Otherwise, losing four taels of silver would have been a minor setback; losing a weapon customization contact and having to find another would’ve been a major hassle.

”Here are your arrows.”

The stall owner handed over two bundles of arrows. Gu Sheng’s eyes lit up as he reached out to examine them. The shafts were crafted from premium ironwood, combining toughness with lightness, while the arrowheads gleamed coldly, forged exactly as he’d specified.

They even exceeded Gu Sheng’s expectations.

The stall owner’s craftsmanship was impressive—better than many of the weapon shops Gu Sheng had previously evaluated.

Gu Sheng handed over the remaining sixteen taels of silver. Both parties were satisfied.

”Pleasure doing business.”

”Next time, if I need more custom weapons, I’ll come to you.”

Gu Sheng stowed the arrows in his quiver and left.

However, he didn’t head straight out of the black market. Instead, he wandered around its shadowy corners a few more times, and seamlessly changed his appearance, unnoticed.

A black scarf masked his face, revealing only a pair of peach blossom eyes. His pale complexion hinted at youth and carried an air of subtle elegance.

His quiver of arrows was discreetly hidden beneath his night attire. Gu Sheng strolled leisurely between the stalls, even stopping at the arrow seller’s stall without arousing suspicion.

Occasionally, he bought some antiseptic medicine or powders, looking every bit the amateur black market visitor—the type who might as well have ”I’m easy prey” tattooed across their forehead. Such people occasionally showed up in the black market and weren’t unusual.

Soon, Gu Sheng felt greedy, predatory eyes lingering on him.

Gu Sheng pretended not to notice.

He stopped at the stall selling the Shapeshifting Manual. The stall owner was enthusiastically advertising his product. Seeing the ”naïve buyer,” he immediately beckoned warmly:

”Young master, come take a look! The Shapeshifting Manual—a family heirloom! Only ten taels of silver!”

Gu Sheng chuckled lightly.

”Only ten taels? That cheap? Don’t tell me it’s fake.”

The stall owner wasn’t angry but instead grew more excited, becoming even more hospitable.

”Young master, what nonsense! Take a closer look—it’s absolutely genuine. I only offer it at this price because I feel a special connection to you. Normally, I charge twenty taels for others! If you don’t believe me, buy it and try it on the spot. If it’s fake, I’ll refund you tenfold!”

Gu Sheng scoffed dismissively.

”The manual might be genuine, but its effectiveness is another matter. Don’t take me for an ignorant fool. This manual likely requires accompanying techniques or special elixirs, doesn’t it? I admit I’m intrigued. If you’re sincere about selling the bundle, I’ll pay you a hundred taels of silver—how about that?”

Gu Sheng suddenly lowered his voice.

The moment his words landed, the stall owner’s heart skipped a beat.

A hundred taels of silver—such a windfall would swindle an unimaginable number of suckers!

Yet, he masterfully masked his excitement, replying cheerfully:

”There’s no such thing as accompanying techniques or special elixirs—what you see is what you get. Young master, if you’re interested, I’d let it go for eight taels.”