Black Market

The backgrounds of his two colleagues surfaced in Zhang Yuanqing's mind once more. One was a Level 3 Fire Master, a direct descendant of a senior figure in the Scarlet Fire Gang; the other was a Level 4 Saint-stage Water Ghost. Though the latter had no powerful backing, he was in the Saint stage. Once he accumulated enough merit, becoming a Deacon was virtually guaranteed. The Saint stage—beings who slaughtered Extraordinaries like dogs. *Hopefully they aren't two difficult colleagues to get along with...* Zhang Yuanqing pushed off the floor with his feet, gliding his office chair back to his desk, and searched for "Soldier Master Sect" in the official database. After a thorough look, he gained a clearer picture of the evil profession organizations. Among the factions formed by evil professions, there was a common saying: "Three Societies, Two Sects, One Asura." The Three Societies referred to the three major branches of the Spirit Society, an organization of Witch Doctors. They were the Central Branch, Eastern Branch, and Southern Branch. The three branches held their own territories and rarely interacted. Among them, the position of Branch Master for the Eastern Branch had long been vacant, and the two Vice Branch Masters—Deceitful Eye Judge and the Gu King—had vied for the seat for years. The Two Sects referred to the Nihility Sect, composed of Illusionists, divided by geography into the Southern Sect and Northern Sect. The One Asura referred to the Soldier Master Sect, composed of Bewitching Demons. The leader of the Soldier Master Sect was named Asura. "Sister Guan Ya, in 'Three Societies, Two Sects, One Asura,' why isn't it 'One Soldier Master,' but 'One Asura'?" Zhang Yuanqing voiced his confusion to the seasoned flirt. Guan Ya turned gracefully. "You're reading up on the evil profession factions?" Zhang Yuanqing replied, "Hei Wuchang was from the Eastern Branch of the Spirit Society. Since I took part in the manhunt, I figured I'd look into which evil organizations are out there." Guan Ya nodded, her expression softening into a daze as she drifted into memory. "Asura, huh... When I was little, my mom often used the Soldier Master Sect's Asura to scare me. And when my mom was little, Grandma used Asura to scare her, too." *Damn, so Asura is an heirloom monster passed down through generations in your family to frighten children?* Zhang Yuanqing inwardly quipped. "Among Spirit Realm walkers, he's an invincible presence, a terrifying existence, like a demon god from mythology destined to destroy the world in the end. Terrifying, invincible, but unimaginably distant—that's my impression of him," Guan Ya said. "How do the five Alliance Leaders compare to him?" Zhang Yuanqing asked, curious. Guan Ya pondered for a moment and shook her head. "How could I evaluate combat power at that level? But purely in terms of fame, the five Alliance Leaders fall far short of Asura. And inferring from the phrasing 'Three Societies, Two Sects, One Asura,' I'd say the five Alliance Leaders aren't his equal. Well, that's just my own view." Beside them, Wang Tai chimed in, "If I had combat footage of each of them, I could analyze data to determine who is stronger between the Alliance Leaders and Asura." "Where would you ever find combat footage of that level?" Zhang Yuanqing shrugged. "Brother Wang Tai, why don't you analyze who's stronger in hand-to-hand combat between Sister Guan Ya and me?" Wang Tai said in all seriousness, "Without items, two of you still wouldn't be her match." Guan Ya shook her head. What a boring man. At a time like this, the proper answer should have been: *Does that even need asking? There are only oxen worked to death, never fields ploughed to ruin.* Yuanshi was far more amusing. *** Close to noon, Zhang Yuanqing heard hearty laughter ringing from the first floor. "Ahahaha! You guys still remember me! Hey everyone, hey! I'll be coming in to work often from now on. If anything comes up, just come find me—I've got your backs!" Though her tone was brash and heroic, her voice was crisp and immature. Just listening, Zhang Yuanqing could already picture a young girl with hands on her hips, laughing boisterously. A few seconds later, footsteps echoed up the steel staircase. Zhang Yuanqing poked his head out. The first person to come into view was a girl. Quite short, about the size of an eighth grader, with delicate features that hadn't fully matured, and shoulder-length, fiery red hair. With her hands planted on her hips, she swaggered up the steps with an utterly fearless stride, thumping all the way. Behind her walked a middle-aged man in a white shirt and casual trousers, wearing black-rimmed glasses. He carried a gloomy demeanor, his hair a disheveled mess. At first glance, he looked somewhat like a darkened, villainous version of Wang Tai. *Wang Tai, is that your brother?* Zhang Yuanqing couldn't resist glancing over at Wang Tai's desk. Wang Tai kept his head down and his eyes on his work, paying no mind to the commotion. Smiling, Guan Ya stood up to welcome her two returning colleagues. "Hey there, Sister Guan Ya, I'm back!" The red-haired girl raised a hand in a boisterous greeting. Her gaze landed on Zhang Yuanqing, and she declared loudly: "Is he the new colleague? The Yuanshi Tianzun who charged into the enemy camp alone and fought the Xiahou family's lackeys for three days and three nights?" *Huh? When did I fight the Xiahou lackeys for three days and three nights?* Zhang Yuanqing was dumbfounded. Guan Ya extended an open palm toward the girl and introduced her to Zhang Yuanqing. "Jiang Jingwei, Level 3 Fire Master. Fourteen years old, still in middle school. Well, you're still attending school, right?" "Not anymore. My dad said studying ruins children, and schools only teach utter nonsense." Jiang Jingwei walked over, rose on her tiptoes, and slammed a heavy pat onto Zhang Yuanqing's shoulder, laughing heartily. "Ahaha! Handsome as expected! From now on, you're with me. I like young men with a sense of justice." Zhang Yuanqing's shoulder throbbed with sharp pain, his head buzzing. He felt as if the person slapping his shoulder wasn't a fourteen-year-old girl, but the hulking brute Lu Zhishen, who would clasp his fists the very next second and bellow: *Brother!* *The skin of a young girl, the soul of Lu Zhishen?* Just then, Jiang Jingwei noticed Wang Tai and gasped in astonishment. "Huh? Are you new too?" Wang Tai replied, "No, we've met before." Jiang Jingwei grew even more shocked. "Impossible! Why don't I remember you at all?" Wang Tai: "..." Watching the scene unfold, Zhang Yuanqing didn't know whether to marvel at Wang Tai's extraordinary lack of presence or roll his eyes at Jiang Jingwei's thick-headedness. Guan Ya continued her introductions. "This is Senior Teng Yuan, a Level 4 Water Ghost, temporarily serving as acting Decurion." Zhang Yuanqing reined in his wandering thoughts and greeted him respectfully. "Decurion Teng Yuan." The middle-aged man's eyes were dull, his expression vacant, looking like a man devoid of any passion for life. Pushing up the glasses on his nose, he said in a hollow voice, "To clarify, the title of a Water Ghost after its first class advancement is Plague God." He gave Zhang Yuanqing a nod. "Not bad. Young people are always full of drive and a sense of justice. I appreciate young people like you, but let me remind you: this is just a job. You must always remember that your life comes first. Risking your life for work is such a pitiful thing." *Huh?* Zhang Yuanqing blinked. This was completely different from the motivational pep talks and grand promises he had imagined. Teng Yuan continued, "Last night, I drafted a new set of regulations. While I serve as acting Decurion, everyone must strictly follow this system. Anyone who violates it will be severely penalized." Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing perked up, thinking that a new official always made a display of setting rules. Decurion Teng Yuan pushed up his glasses again, his demeanor lifeless and his tone hollow. "Rule one: Overtime is forbidden! "Rule two: Paid leave is encouraged. "Rule three: Punching in on the clock is forbidden. "Rule four: Taking time off does not require my approval. "Rule five: If working overtime is utterly unavoidable, overtime pay will be tripled. "Rule six: The two-day weekend is expanded to a three-day weekend. "Rule seven—" Zhang Yuanqing's mouth fell open bit by bit, his face blank and his mind ringing with a flurry of chaotic thoughts. *Is this truly a leader? Does a boss like this actually exist in the world? Can Decurion Real Eyes be permanently reassigned?* *** As the sun dipped low in the west, a blue sports car pulled into the underground parking garage of a hotel. The black market was located across the hotel's bottom three basement levels. In addition to the market, Quanwang ran an underground boxing ring here. Guan Ya parked, opened the door, and said, "We're here." She had slipped on a long trench coat that concealed her proud figure, and had swapped her high heels for running shoes. Her explanation had been that although the Spirit Realm walkers frequenting the black market were registered, wild walkers were inherently unruly, arrogant, and careless of rules. Since she was so breathtakingly gorgeous, a beauty capable of sinking fish and dropping geese, she was bound to attract lechers and court pointless trouble, so she had to wear an overcoat. Zhang Yuanqing felt the woman was just as smug as her cousin. But looking at her curved, perky hips, her proud and upright chest, and her charming, delicate face, he could only put up with her bragging. Led by Guan Ya, the two arrived before a freight elevator. A burly giant guarded the entrance, his fierce gaze scrutinizing the approaching pair. Guan Ya produced a stack of cash from her trench coat pocket and handed it over. It was the "admission ticket" to the black market—ten thousand per person. The giant took the money and illuminated the down button. The freight elevator doors slid open, and Guan Ya led Zhang Yuanqing inside. As the cab descended, both of them put on masks and baseball caps. With a chime, the elevator doors parted. A stale gust laden with the stench of sweat and cigarette smoke rushed over them, accompanied by a wave of clamor. Zhang Yuanqing looked out. The space beyond the elevator was vast. Converted from an underground parking garage, the black market was split into two main sections. The area on the left featured a colossal ring where two lean, muscular men stripped to the waist were brawling with brutal, flesh-on-flesh strikes, while the surrounding spectators cheered relentlessly. Around the perimeter stood stalls selling drinks and food. The right side was much quieter, with orderly rows of floor mats and tarps. Not many people were browsing, only a scattered few. At one of the stalls, Zhang Yuanqing spotted a familiar face: the gang boss Bailong. Flanked by two underlings, she was casually strolling between vendors. "Bailong used to be the ring tyrant here," Guan Ya remarked with a smile, having noticed her as well. "She likes to fight a few matches after shopping to win back the money she spent. Restricted by Morality Points, Spirit Realm walkers don't find it hard to earn a living, but getting filthy rich is tough. Meanwhile, materials and items from the Spirit Realm always cost an arm and a leg." *An arm and a leg?* Zhang Yuanqing began to worry for his wallet. The two walked straight toward the right section. The goods displayed at the stalls were eclectic and chaotic. Most were materials, intel, and guides. Actual items were almost nowhere to be seen, and even when present, they possessed rather useless, niche functions. Zhang Yuanqing stopped before one stall, pointed at a jar containing a dark-green paste, and asked, "What's this?" He sensed a potent yin aura pulsing within the paste. "Zombie bodily fluid," the vendor said. "How much?" "Fifty thousand." "Holy fuck, that expensive?" Zhang Yuanqing blurted out in shock. He then pointed to a crimson crystal. "And what's this?" "An explosive stone, a specialty of Fire Master dungeons. Single-use," the vendor replied. "How much?" The vendor cut him a glance. "Two 'holy fuck's." *Are you fucking asking for a beating?!* Zhang Yuanqing: "..." He scanned the diverse materials across the stall, paused for a few seconds in thought, and quietly summoned Little Doubi. Only the spirit servant itself knew which material suited it best.