Chapter 50: Shadowy Corner

All items of unknown origin are sold at low prices in this underground trading market.

But before entering the underground market, it's best to conceal your identity.

If your true identity is discovered and you purchase something that must not see light, huge trouble will await you.

With curiosity, I arrived at the entrance of the underground market, wrapped head to toe in a black robe, a mask covering my face.

Mimicking the posture of those around me, I entered the market under the guidance of the lights.

On the dim, damp streets, stalls line both sides; on the small stalls before them, the objects displayed are things that cannot be shown to the public.

But everyone tries to hide themselves as much as possible.

Will anyone show their true face in the underground market? Of course, but when you encounter such a person, you must be especially careful.

"This stone…" Tie Li stopped in front of a small stall; on its counter lay a thumb‑sized gem.

"Thunder Stone, ten Gold Soul Coins," the stall owner said directly.

Thunder Stone is a type of high‑grade ore that can be used as forging material, but ordinary blacksmiths lack the skill to forge it.

If this tiny piece can be melded into a regular sword or knife, its quality will jump several grades.

"Any more?"

"No, that's the only piece. Do you want it?"

"I do."

Outdoors, this little piece is worth at least thirty Gold Soul Coins.

Tie Li promptly paid and took the Thunder Stone.

"Huh."

A chilling, sinister wind blew by, its cold aura making everyone involuntarily shiver.

"There will be an auction this time," the cold voice said without any emotion.

Everyone subconsciously looked toward the source of the voice.

A massive figure appeared at the end of the street, over three meters tall yet gaunt, its skin clinging to the bones in a cold, withered manner.

It wore no covering at all, looking nothing like a human.

"I guessed what the items at this auction will be, hehe."

"Let me think… seems like the Fenglei Sect was trampled."

"No, no, the Earth clan fell into internal strife."

Tie Li was here for the first time and didn't know many of the unwritten rules.

But from the descriptions around him, this underground auction seemed to have many good items flowing out.

Even the stallholders were packing up, intending to attend the underground auction.

There is clearly order here; behind the underground market must be a powerful Soul Master or faction pulling the strings.

Thus, as long as you follow the rules, it is at least safe here.

Tie Li also wanted to see what the underground auction scene looked like.

He followed the crowd's steps into the auction.

From their looks, everyone randomly chose a seat.

Tie Li mimicked them, finding a spot closest to himself.

When most people were seated, the auctioneer finally appeared on the stage.

His face bore a special mask, shaped like a beast's head.

The auctioneer gave no opening chatter, ordering the staff below to bring the first item up.

The staff also wore a special mask, indistinguishable as male or female.

"First item, Tiger Bone Knife, starting price one thousand Gold Soul Coins."

No introduction was given, only the name and starting price, as if not worried about it going unsold.

"The Tiger Bone Knife of Viscount Mountain Tiger? To think it appears here."

"I heard he spent tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins just on auxiliary materials to forge this knife, and the main material used three ten‑thousand‑year‑old Rift Wind Tiger spine bones."

"I bid three thousand Gold Soul Coins."

Hearing the introduction, Tie Li inhaled a breath of cold air.

Its origin is irregular, but its value is certainly high.

The bids announced on the stage kept rising; when the price reached twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins, it stopped.

The value of this Tiger Bone Knife far exceeds twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins, but its provenance limits its price.

Buying this knife is equivalent to having offended the Mountain Tiger Viscount.

After confirming no one else bid, the staff placed the Tiger Bone Knife before the bidder.

Upon settling the Gold Soul Coins on the spot and taking the knife, he left the auction immediately.

Not long after, a few more people stood up and left.

The crowd found this unsurprising.

When the second auction item came on stage, the crowd's reaction grew larger—not at the item's origin, but at the owner's background.

"Countess Skob's necklace?"

"It is said each pendant on this necklace is a rare metal."

"Offending a count just for a necklace isn't worth it."

The starting price was only one hundred Gold Soul Coins, but few placed bids.

Tie Li really wanted to win it; a set of armguards forged from rare metals should be quite good, right?

But the price exceeded Tie Li's affordable range.

When he discovered that his Gold Soul Coins could not purchase any auction item, Tie Li decided to leave.

Watching affordable yet exceptionally high-quality auction items slip by one after another is a very painful thing.

As Tie Li rose to leave, the auctioneer announced the next auction item.

"Lei Long Meditation Method, starting bid ten thousand Gold Soul Coins."

"Hahaha, I guessed it; the Fenglei Sect's meditation method fell into your hands, I bid thirty thousand Gold Soul Coins."

"The Lei Long Meditation Method fell into your hands; is the other Wind Dragon Meditation Method also in your hands?"

"Even if you win the auction, would you dare to cultivate? You've exposed yourselves; the Spirit Hall will treat you as Fenglei Sect remnants and hunt you down."

"What's there not to dare? I bid seventy thousand Gold Soul Coins."

Leaving the underground auction, Tie Li planned to go to the street vendors to see if there was anything he wanted.

If I can't afford the auction items, I won't believe that I can't afford anything here.

But many vendors went to the auction, leaving only a handful of stalls behind.

A peripheral glance swept over the goods on the stalls, and there seemed to be nothing he needed.

However, a bracelet placed at the edge caught Tie Li's attention.

It wasn't the bracelet's material that was exceptional, but the forging technique was outstanding.

The bracelet was made of ordinary iron, but after hundreds of consecutive hammerings, even ordinary iron undergoes a transformation.

Is this the Hundred Forging my father mentioned?

"This bracelet?"

"One Silver Soul Coin."

"Fine."

Leaving a Silver Soul Coin behind, Tie Li pocketed the bracelet and planned to leave.

Coming out of the underground trading market, Tie Li subconsciously let out a sigh of relief.

Having walked no more than a hundred meters, a violent clash of soul power rippled from behind.

"Lao Yu, why are you in such a hurry to leave? We haven't seen each other in ages; why not stay and catch up?"

"Heh, you think I don't know what you're thinking? Trying to snatch something from me, who do you think you are?"

(End of chapter)