Selling Blood

Lu Yang thought to himself: *No wonder this kid insisted on coming all the way to this godforsaken dump. Turns out he came to sell his blood.* Pathetic. Aren't you worried that if the Phoenix Clan finds out, they'll bump off their business rival? Lu Yang had already worked out a plan: when the time came, he would step in as the Phoenix Ancestor's senior brother and persuade the Phoenix Clan to at least leave the boy's corpse intact. "Seniors, please hold on," the two Golden Core cultivators guarding the main hall's entrance said, politely barring their way to confirm their realm. Normally, visitors had invitations and needed only to present them. There were also Nascent Soul cultivators from out of town who had no invitations, in which case their realm had to be verified. Otherwise, if any random masked fellow off the street could stroll into the Nascent Soul hall, wouldn't the black market become a laughingstock? "Are you speaking to me?" Meng Jingzhou halted and swept a cold glance over them. A wisp of aura belonging to the Heavy Nascent stage drifted out, cowing both guards instantly. Cold sweat breaking out over their foreheads, the two Golden Core guards hurriedly apologized. Their visitor was definitely a Nascent Soul cultivator—and at least in the mid Nascent Soul stage! "We wouldn't dare! Please, seniors, after you!" The two stepped into the hall. The atmosphere shifted abruptly; the interior was brightly lit, and on closer inspection, one would find that the illumination came from merfolk oil lamps that burned unextinguished for a thousand years! Such items were exorbitantly priced, highly sought after yet virtually priceless on the open market. They originated from the merfolk clan of the East Sea—a great clan distinguished enough to be invited to the Demon Empire's founding ceremony. Merfolk oil lamps were exceedingly difficult to refine, and the method was kept strictly secret, known to few in the mortal world. With their extraordinary backgrounds, however, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou knew the process. The hardest part of making the lamps lay in the raw materials, which imposed very steep requirements on the merfolk: it required a potbellied merfolk at the Body Integration stage to slice away the fat from their belly, then use the technique of limb regeneration to heal the wound and let the fat grow back. The excised fat was the ingredient used to refine merfolk oil lamps. As for why the recipe was kept a secret, Lu Yang figured the reason was probably much the same as why the Phoenix Clan sold blood—best not to delve too deeply into it. In the center of the hall lay over a dozen dharma treasures and several dozen herbs, all items useful to Nascent Soul cultivators, though useless to Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou. There were also numerous side halls. Judging by their plaques, some sold intelligence, some offered private quarters for Nascent Soul eccentrics to chat, some custom-made pills, some custom-made dharma treasures... "Looks like quite a crowd over there. Want to check it out?" There were several dozen black-robed figures in the hall, which meant every single one was at the Nascent Soul stage. These Nascent Soul cultivators were all heading toward one of the side halls—a barter trading post. It seemed an unspoken designated hour had arrived, and any Nascent Soul eccentric interested in trading was making their way over. Inside the side hall, the Nascent Soul eccentrics gathered in twos and threes, each within their own small cliques. "Old Monster Pei, fancy seeing you still drawing breath, you old codger. When you're ready to kick the bucket, be sure to give this old woman advance notice so I can come offer my congratulations," said an old woman leaning on a wolf-head cane. "Then I'm terribly sorry to disappoint, but I'll definitely outlive you, Granny Xie!" Old Monster Pei's eyes were weathered and frigid, giving anyone he looked at the sensation of being stalked by a venomous viper. Those who came here were all Nascent Soul eccentrics from neighboring cities. Even if they deliberately hid their identities, everyone could guess who was who with decent accuracy. As for Old Monster Pei and Granny Xie, their disguises were so perfunctory that anyone familiar could spot them at a single glance. Both were illustrious figures at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage in the region. Here, they were invincible entities with nothing to fear. The Nascent Soul clans they founded were prominent lineages as well, holding monopolies over numerous industries—iron smelting, textiles, armed escort services, and more—and rolling in wealth. Some even claimed the two were the true masters behind the black market, though no one could prove it. Meng Jingzhou, however, could confirm it. The intelligence he had obtained from Senior Brother Dai explicitly stated that these two were indeed the black market's masters, and their feud was purely an act put on for outsiders, calculated to blur truth and fiction. So long as the intelligence in Dai Bufan's hands did not involve Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, it was always comprehensive and reliable. "Does anyone have pills or heavenly treasures for cleansing the sinews and marrow? I will reward handsomely!" A Nascent Soul eccentric shouted, seeking treasures to alter the aptitudes of his descendants. "Which fellow Daoist has a disciple entry slot for a first-rank sect? I am willing to trade an Infant Metamorphosis Pill for it!" "Can it truly be traded for an Infant Metamorphosis Pill?" A Nascent Soul eccentric who possessed the relevant resources was clearly tempted. The eccentric seeking the trade produced a wooden box sealed with talismans. Wisps of pill fragrance drifted from within. "That scent... It really is an Infant Metamorphosis Pill! I don't have an entry slot for a first-rank sect, but I do have something better." "Better? Could it be a super-rank sect?" the eccentric holding the pill asked in shock. "Not at all. Even higher." "One of the Five Great Immortal Sects?" The eccentric lost his composure. Since when could an entry slot to the Five Great Immortal Sects be bought and sold? And even if it could be sold, how could a mere Infant Metamorphosis Pill ever buy one? Gaining entry to the Five Great Immortal Sects was like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate; from then on, one's path was brilliant and boundless. If any disciple from the Five Great Immortal Sects showed up—even one in the Qi Refinement or Foundation Establishment stage—these dozens of Nascent Soul cultivators would have to treat them as an equal! "Fellow Daoist, your imagination isn't bold enough. Higher still! The slot I have is an entry pass into the greatest faction under heaven." The eccentric holding the pill was bewildered. *There's a sect above that?* Nearby Nascent Soul eccentrics all pricked up their ears to eavesdrop; if the deal fell through between those two, one of them might be able to snap it up instead. The other nodded with an air of profound mystery and said slowly: "The Imperial Palace of Great Xia is recruiting eunuchs. All you have to do is sign up, and you're in." The eccentric holding the pill flew into a rage, nearly striking out. Fortunately, he regained his wits at the final moment. Violence was forbidden in the black market. Those who breached the rules would at best be barred forever, and at worst, leave their lives behind. Evidently, the other fellow had provoked him on purpose. Meng Jingzhou sidled up to the still-fuming eccentric with an air of mystery and lowered his voice. "Fellow Daoist, the Dao Seeking Sect is recruiting disciples in six months, and the test questions have already been drafted. It just so happens that I have the authentic questions for the Dao Seeking Sect entrance exam right here. Interested?" "Piss off!" That sounded like a scammer through and through. "Don't get angry, fellow Daoist! If you don't want that, I've also got blood that bolsters yang energy—even more potent than Phoenix Clan blood. Want some?" The Nascent Soul eccentric opened his mouth to tell him to get lost again, but paused mid-breath as it hit him: *Wait, I actually really need something like that.* "Is it really more effective than Phoenix Clan blood?" At present, everyone used Phoenix Blood Stones soaked in Phoenix Clan blood to bolster yang; the effect was mediocre, and one risked getting found out by the Phoenix Clan. If there truly was blood more potent than phoenix blood, nothing could be better. Still, what race's blood could possibly be more potent than that of the Phoenix Clan? Lu Yang scoffed, backing Meng Jingzhou up: "This happens to be the blood of a virgin-bodied mighty expert! This virgin expert passed in and out of brothels seven times without spilling a drop! Even with a woman sitting in his lap, not a shred of lust stirred in his heart! Why, even eunuchs in the palace would praise his steadfast resolve! His entire body's yang qi is locked tight in his blood—how could mere Phoenix Clan blood, the venom sac of a lustful flood dragon, or Yin-Yang Acacia Blossoms possibly compare?!" Meng Jingzhou: "..." *Damn it, you were better off not backing me up! Why do you make me sound so pathetic?!*