Chapter 201: Yujing Black Market! Bai Bu Ran and Hei Yan (5k Chapter)

Evening, Yujing South City.

An abandoned high-rise building, faint lights flickering as if leaking from holes, making the entire unfinished building look even more eerie and strange.

"The black market is in this place?"

As night fell, Zhang Fan followed Shi Shougong and Su Shiyu to the black market to broaden his horizons.

However, he didn't expect the Yujing black market to be hidden in this unfinished building.

"Not far from there is a village in the city. This building has been unfinished for over ten years. After the last crackdown, the black market moved here. Very few people come here usually," Shi Shougong explained.

Beside the abandoned high-rise, there were weeds everywhere, as well as piled-up construction waste and trash.

Passing through the wire fence, Zhang Fan smelled a special odor, somewhat pungent, but also somewhat fragrant.

"Incense Barrier!?"

"Correct, it is the Incense Barrier, also to prevent ordinary people from wandering in," Su Shiyu whispered solemnly.

The greatest limitation of ordinary people lies in the stillness of their soul-aspect and the restlessness of their consciousness-spirit. They perceive the world through their five senses, so what they see, hear, smell, touch, etc., all have great limitations.

In the Daoist sects, there is a method called the Incense Barrier, which is a strange fragrance refined from pill dregs. After ordinary people smell it, their consciousness-spirit becomes even more restless, and what they see, hear, smell... is not just limited, but chaotic.

The building in front of them might be a stinking ditch or a sewage field in the eyes of those who have been affected by the Incense Barrier. Even if they see it, they will detour far away.

In fact, in many famous mountains and great rivers, there are also such methods.

People always talk about the rumors of how many cultivators there were in ancient times, but now that technology is so developed and transportation is so convenient, which big mountain hasn't been developed, and which scenic spot hasn't been turned into a tourist area? How come they haven't met a single one?

In fact, those cultivators and those cultivation grounds are right in front of them, right in this secular world, harmonizing with the dust, right nearby. It's just that their five senses are lost in the barrier, and ordinary people simply cannot see them.

Mortals have barriers, and cultivators also have barriers.

Mortals find it hard to see cultivators, just as cultivators find it hard to see immortals.

Zhang Fan had heard a very interesting story from Jiang Hu.

Two years ago, an immortal practitioner who had refined a horse went to Mount Lu with a friend for tourism. While climbing the mountain, from far away, he saw an animal vaguely hidden in the forest, huge in size and covered in bristles.

That horse-refiner quickly called his friend to look, but his friend looked in the direction he pointed and saw nothing.

Later, when they arrived at the mountain, they entered a Daoist temple.

The Mount Lu Taiyi Temple is the Daoist site of the Taiyi Savior of Suffering. They wandered around inside for a long time before suddenly seeing a Tang Dynasty painting hanging in a side hall. It was the Dharma image of the 【Taiyi Savior of Suffering】, which was different from the commonly passed-down Dharma images today.

That horse-refiner only took one look and couldn't help but roar in shock, because the mount under the Taiyi Savior of Suffering in the painting was exactly the same as the strange animal he had seen.

Later, after that horse-refiner returned, he died in less than half a month.

This news, which is not too distant, is quite mysterious when savored carefully.

"Brother Fan, let's go in."

Shi Shougong's voice pulled Zhang Fan's thoughts back.

"Okay!"

Zhang Fan followed him into the abandoned building. He didn't know who had hooked up the water and electricity for such an unfinished building. Every stall was lit up, and looking up, it almost filled the empty, abandoned floors.

"There are stalls from the first floor to the seventh floor here," Shi Shougong introduced, "As long as you have money, you can buy anything."

Zhang Fan glanced at it; it was indeed bustling, somewhat like visiting a market.

"Hmm!? What is this?"

Zhang Fan came to a stall and saw a big rat locked in a rusty wire cage. It was gray all over, with a tuft of golden hair at the tip of its tail, and its eyes were glowing with a crimson light.

"This is a Master Rat, a strange species," Su Shiyu is a snake demon and is quite an expert on rats.

Times have changed, the world's climate and environment are changing, and many creatures cannot be seen now. Strange species like this can only be seen in mountain and sea dead ends like Mount Ailao, Mount Zhangbai, and Mount Kunlun.

They don't have the intelligence of spirits or know how to cultivate, but each has its own magic.

Just like the 【Master Rat】, Zhang Fan had seen relevant records in the 【Dao Secret Record】.

In the early Tang Dynasty, there was a second-generation ancestor in Dongyang Town who was lazy and gluttonous all day long. He soon squandered the family business passed down by his ancestors and finally had to hide in the countryside, relying on the help of neighbors to survive.

Not long after such days passed, the second-generation ancestor got capital from somewhere and started doing business, and the business grew bigger and bigger. He soon redeemed all the ancestral property. People who knew him all felt it was incredible.

Just like that, rumors spread. Some said that the second-generation ancestor kept a rat in his house, offering incense every day and feeding it fish and fat chicken.

That rat was only the size of a palm at first, but gradually grew to the size of a hunting dog. Nowadays, the second-generation ancestor specially built a room in the backyard of his house to worship this rat, and every midnight, strange sounds would come out, which was extremely terrifying.

Later, one day, the second-generation ancestor suddenly disappeared. That night, someone saw a huge gray shadow rush out of his house, leaving footprints the size of a millstone on the ground. The door of the room in the backyard was open, and there were broken chains, looking like they had been bitten off.

Daoist priests from Mount Zhongnan heard about it and couldn't stop shaking their heads, saying that the second-generation ancestor was worshiping a Master Rat. Suppressed in the house, it could gather wealth and protect peace.

However, this kind of strange species is greedy. The stronger the greed, the bigger its appetite. In the end, it can only feed on humans to satisfy its appetite.

"There really is such a thing."

Recalling this record, Zhang Fan couldn't help but marvel, looking at the Master Rat locked in the wire cage.

It is said that this kind of thing is most afraid of rust. Locked in a rusty cage, they lose their strength and can't even make a sound.

"How much is this Master Rat?" Zhang Fan couldn't help but ask.

Although the Master Rat is fierce, he thought it wouldn't be cheap.

"300,000."

The stall owner was a cold-faced, tall, and thin man wearing a suit, sitting there tasting tea. Seeing a customer come, he just glanced sideways and reported the price coldly.

"300,000?"

This price is not expensive, but it's not cheap either.

After all, the Master Rat can gather wealth. If an ordinary person keeps it at home, they can earn a huge family fortune, but in the end, it will backfire. What is gained will eventually have to be returned.

This world is very fair. Perhaps because of this, the price of 300,000 is neither high nor low.

"Does anyone buy it?" Zhang Fan leaned into Shi Shougong's ear and whispered softly.

"Almost none... except for some demons who like this kind of thing to gather..."

As he spoke, Shi Shougong's gaze glanced intentionally or unintentionally at Su Shiyu next to him.

"Brother Fan, let's go over there and take a look."

Su Shiyu glared at Shi Shougong fiercely, then took Zhang Fan's arm and pulled him away from this stall.

Inside the abandoned building, it gradually became bustling. According to custom, it is usually midnight when the guests arrive.

Zhang Fan wandered around, broadening his horizons. There were over thirty stalls on the first floor alone.

"Hui Chun Dan!?"

Just then, Zhang Fan walked to a stall. Three or five guests were asking about the price. The shelves next to them were full of pills, and the one placed in the most conspicuous place was specifically marked as Hui Chun Dan.

"Brother Fan, your eyes are really sharp. This is their shop's treasure."

Su Shiyu pointed to the sign next to the stall, which clearly had the two big characters 【Yao Wan】 written on it.

This is their shop's sign. 【Yao Wan】 specializes in selling external pills in the black market and is quite famous.

"What is the use of this Hui Chun Dan?" Zhang Fan asked curiously.

The milky white pill was filled with a faint strange fragrance, making people stop in their tracks after smelling it, and even somewhat obsessed.

"50 off 30." Su Shiyu whispered.

"What does that mean? A discount?" Zhang Fan was stunned.

How can this kind of pill only cost 50 yuan, and 50 off 30? How does it sound so unreliable?

The key is, can this pill be eaten!? It wouldn't be 500,000, would it!?

Various strange thoughts arose in Zhang Fan's heart.

"After taking this pill, as long as you reach the age of fifty, you can rejuvenate for thirty years and restore the appearance of being twenty years old."

"So magical? Then wouldn't it sell like crazy?" Zhang Fan couldn't help but say.

Earlier, he had always been cultivating in seclusion and had very little contact with external pills, strange objects, treasures, etc., in the Daoist sects, not knowing the mysteries within.

"Of course, I heard that the recipe for Hui Chun Dan was passed down from Long Hu Shan in the early years and is quite magical," Su Shiyu nodded.

"However, to take this pill, you must be under forty years old, otherwise it has no effect," Shi Shougong interjected.

"That's fine too. How much is one?" Zhang Fan asked.

"One million." "A bit expensive, but as long as it's effective, it's fine," Zhang Fan was thoughtful.

When money reaches a certain level, what is pursued is nothing more than living longer and being younger. Let alone one million, even ten million, I'm afraid someone would buy it.

Earlier, he saw the news saying that a tycoon, in order to be able to restore his youth, actually spent a high price every month to replace all the blood in his body. It can be seen how fanatical his obsession with pursuing longevity and youth is.

"It's just that..." Su Shiyu showed an awkward smile, stopping mid-sentence.

"What?"

"I heard that a total of three Hui Chun Dan have been sold..."

"The first one got lung cancer when he lived to forty-six and died."

"The second one got leukemia when he lived to forty-three and died."

"The third one..."

"Also got a terminal illness?"

Zhang Fan listened, his expression becoming gradually strange.

"That's not the case. That person is exactly fifty years old this year," Su Shiyu whispered.

"Then isn't that the pill showing its spirit?" Zhang Fan asked curiously.

"However, he had a car accident last year. Before he was sent to the hospital, he kicked the bucket," Shi Shougong said lightly.

"..."

"Let's go."

Zhang Fan looked at the milky white pill and only felt it was incomparably disgusting. His figure suddenly became like a god, quickly moving away.

"Let's go directly to the second floor. We must take that treasure today."

Shi Shougong clenched his fists, determined.

Zhang Fan knew that he came for a special little insect. Su Shiyu said that for this insect, Shi Shougong had been pestering the stall owner for nearly two months.

Arriving at the second floor, Shi Shougong went straight to the point.

The stalls here were much more decent than downstairs, with partitions and curtains, as if it were a small exhibition stand.

"Insect Treasure!?"

Zhang Fan came to a stall, and the two big characters on the sign were quite conspicuous.

"Brother Fan, you guys wait here for a moment."

As he spoke, Shi Shougong lifted the curtain and walked in.

"We can't go in?" Zhang Fan was stunned.

"The stall owner's temper is a bit strange. If we go in, little Shougong might not be able to negotiate it," Su Shiyu whispered.

Insect Treasure specializes in selling strange insects and is quite popular with demons like Shi Shougong who are lizards.

At first, he only bought some 【Little Nao Can】 here as rations. Later, after advancing, he started buying 【Da Nao Can】. Over time, he became familiar with the stall owner.

Two months ago, Shi Shougong took a fancy to a special insect here, called 【Golden Horned Ant】. If it could be gathered as medicine, his cultivation could increase by a large margin.

"Golden Horned Ant?"

Zhang Fan seemed to have seen records about this thing on the homepage of the little yellow book 【Millennium Old Demon】, and it was quite interesting.

In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, there was a farmer in Chenzhou. One night, he heard a great wind outside his house. He went out to see, and the sky was clear and bright, so sultry that even the leaves were still.

The farmer was very strange. Following the sound of the wind, he came to the backyard and found that there was a small dirt pit on the ground of his own yard, only the size of a palm, and the sound of the wind came from inside.

The next day, the farmer dug open the dirt pit, and golden sand actually gushed out.

The farmer was overjoyed. For several days in a row, he could get several taels of golden sand every day. The farmer concluded that there were treasures hidden under the dirt pit, so he started digging deep. When he dug to a depth of a zhang, a muffled sound came from underground, as if an army was passing.

The farmer was terrified and retreated. At this time, an ant crawled out of the dirt pit. That ant was a full thumb size, with a pair of golden horns on its head. In the blink of an eye, it rushed into the fields and disappeared.

Later, the farmer never got gold from that dirt pit again. Less than a year later, he died of a serious illness. On the day of his funeral, his son and daughter both fell into a well, which was very miserable.

Daoist priests from Mount Zhongnan said that the farmer was too greedy and could not occupy the strange treasure for long. That ant is called 【Golden Horned Ant】. It is rumored to be an insect that clears the way for underworld soldiers. If it dwells under a house, it is good at finding treasures and gathering wealth, bringing prosperity for generations. But once the hole is dug and the ant is seen, it will bring bad luck, and the family will be ruined.

"I heard that the pair of golden horns on the head of this insect is quite rare..." Su Shiyu whispered solemnly.

In the Western Han Dynasty, there was a feudal king who put a pair of golden horns in his arms when he was buried. It wasn't until the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, when Wang Mang usurped the throne, that the feudal king's tomb was robbed. The tomb robbers opened the coffin and found that the feudal king's body had not decayed and was lifelike, and there was even a trace of temperature in his heart.

"There's such a thing?" Zhang Fan asked strangely.

"Nowadays, selling things is selling stories, otherwise how can they sell at a high price?" Su Shiyu smiled lightly.

It sounds mysterious, but in fact, the Golden Horned Ant is indeed rare, but there are quite a few in Mount Ailao. I heard that this stall owner goes there once a year to catch some strange insects.

Fifteen minutes later, Shi Shougong finally walked out from inside, holding a glass bottle in his hand. Inside was indeed an ant, a full thumb size, with a pair of golden horns on its head.

"Finally got it. Let's go to Hong San's shop now," Shi Shougong was satisfied.

"How much?" Su Shiyu couldn't help but ask.

"It can be considered as emptying out the family fortune," Shi Shougong felt a bit of heartache.

But such a price is worth it. After gathering this 【Golden Horned Ant】, his cultivation can be raised to another level.

Money is ultimately an external object. At most, he can sell more geckos online later.

"Hmm?"

Just then, Zhang Fan looked up and, through the gap in the curtain, saw the lights of the 【Insect Treasure】 shop go out.

"What kind of person is this boss? Strange," Zhang Fan couldn't help but say.

"Shh..."

Shi Shougong heard this and hurriedly pulled Zhang Fan to the side.

"Brother Fan, keep your voice down. The boss of this shop came down from the Luoshan Mountains."

"The Luoshan Mountains in the suburbs?" Zhang Fan's expression changed slightly, thinking of the big black rat he met in the mountains that night, and that mysterious and unfathomable Absolute Marvel Xu Xu Guanzhu.

Lin Jianyue said that the true identity of that Absolute Marvel Xu Xu Guanzhu is the deputy sect leader of their Wu Wei Sect.

He has been trapped in the Luoshan Mountains for many years, and no one knows how many powerful demons, ghosts, and spirits he has trained.

That night, the big black rat Zhang Fan met was not an ordinary item; it was actually able to escape from his 【Fire Dragon Dan Sword】.

Thinking of this, Zhang Fan couldn't help but look at the pitch-black 【Insect Treasure】 shop.

The boss of this shop is actually also a demon who came down from the Luoshan Mountains.

"Brother Fan, this is the black market. Who isn't here?"

"There are indeed many powerful demons in the Luoshan Mountains, and some will also come down the mountain to walk around and purchase resources," Su Shiyu lowered her voice.

"Try to keep a low profile here. If you provoke those demons in the mountains, it will be very dangerous."

"Let's go, Hong San's shop is on the third floor." Shi Shougong subconsciously looked back, glanced at the pitch-black 【Insect Treasure】, greeted Zhang Fan, and went straight to the third floor.

It was dark.

On the Yujing elevated road, the Wuling Rainbow Light was driving on the road.

Bai Bu Ran was driving, looking at the rearview mirror. Sitting in the back seat was a tall, thin man wrapped in a windbreaker, revealing mung bean-like eyeballs that were rolling around.

"Brother Bai, every time I enter the city, I have to trouble you."

"Brother Hei, what are you doing coming down from the Luoshan Mountains this time?" Bai Bu Ran said lightly.

"Hehe, the four essentials of cultivation: wealth, companion, law, and land. Once you have money, of course, you have to exchange it for cultivation and buy some resources needed for cultivation," Hei Yan's voice was low, and his mung bean-like eyeballs flickered with an eerie luster.

"With your cultivation in Yujing City, there aren't many demons who can suppress you," Bai Bu Ran said without looking back.

"You humans have a saying: there is a heaven beyond heaven, and people beyond people. There is always someone who can make you struggle year after year and strive for self-improvement." Hei Yan's mind flashed with Zhang Fan's figure.

That defeat in the Luoshan Mountains that day made the big black rat unforgettable. Until today, he had been cultivating in seclusion, even taking risks to visit the Absolute Marvel Xu Xu Guanzhu to beg for guidance. His cultivation had greatly increased, but he encountered a bottleneck, so he came down the mountain to buy resources and seek a breakthrough.

"Little ghost, I hope we can meet again soon," Hei Yan looked at the elevated road like a long dragon outside the car window, thinking secretly.

"Then let's go straight to the black market." Bai Bu Ran stepped on the accelerator and accelerated suddenly.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 202 =====