Chapter 16: Chapter 16 Traitor (Seeking Recommendations)_1 Chapter 16: Chapter 16 Traitor (Seeking Recommendations)_1 It was again the full moon night.
The moonlight was like quicksilver spilled on the ground.
Fang Xi arrived at the Black Stone City black market by a small black-canopied boat.
Inside a wooden hut.
Han Fatty was still as fat as a mountain. Hearing Fang Xi’s request, he was immediately startled: “What? You want more?!”
He sized up Fang Xi from head to toe: “That ten jin of meat you got last time should have been enough for an ordinary martial artist for half a year. Have you eaten it all, or do you have an elder to provide for?”
“What, do you keep track of where your black market goods end up?”
Fang Xi smiled faintly and took out some gold leaves.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t use jade leaves, but doing so would have given away his identity.
“Of course not…”
Han Fatty’s mountainous body shifted with some effort as he turned slightly to tear off a large chunk of Taisui Meat from the stash beneath him: “How much do you want this time?”
“Another ten jin!”
Fang Xi’s expression remained unchanged.
“My, my… I see both your strength and boldness are exceptional. How about taking on some private work?” Han Fatty tossed over the ten jin of meat and added another question.
“Oh? What kind of job?” Fang Xi replied casually.
“Head outside the city to hunt monsters!” Han Fatty revealed a ferocious smile: “Only martial trainees with the Three Transformations of Qi and Blood minimum can participate. If you’re a real strength warrior, even better. Contributions will decide the share!”
“Hunting Monster beasts, huh?”
Fang Xi indeed had a keen interest in the Demon Clan of this world, but after some thought, he decided against it.
His current strength was only at the early stages of Qi Refining; facing any danger would be too much of a loss.
“What… is the stock of Demonic Beast meat in this shop running low?” Fang Xi countered with a question.
“No, no, it’s just that there’s a Monster beast wandering around, often attacking the trade routes… In a few days, your martial arts school might well receive a request for assistance,” Han Fatty said, shaking his head repeatedly: “As for Demonic Beast meat, this store will definitely not run out… Want to know why?”
As he spoke, a creepy smile appeared on his face.
Coupled with the mountain of flesh, it looked quite spine-chilling.
Those with overly active imaginations might start to feel nauseous…
“Of course, I know. Because Taisui Meat is different from the meat of other Monster beasts, as Taisui will grow rapidly underground with the right nutrients…”
Fang Xi nodded slightly.
This was also why this shop always had Demonic Beast meat for sale.
Other shops, once they ran out of Demonic Beast meat, must organize manpower to hunt for more, which was not only dangerous but also made for an unstable supply.
“Psh… Who told you that?”
The mocking smile on Han Fatty’s face disappeared, and his meaty mountain of a body slumped back.
‘The rapid growth of fungi is common knowledge, isn’t it?’
‘You really underestimate the means of us Immortal Cultivators… In my eyes, you’re not much different from a mushroom farmer.’
Fang Xi sneered inwardly, offering no answer, as he maintained an air of mystery and left the hut.
After wandering around the black market for a while, he entered another shack.
Compared to the previous ones, this wooden hut was much simpler. An old man with white hair sat behind the counter, seemingly engrossed in reading a book.
He was dressed in a starch-washed blue shirt that had turned pale, exuding a scholarly air, but combined with his age, he seemed more like a failed scholar or a poverty-stricken intellectual.
When the old man saw Fang Xi enter, a smile immediately surfaced on his face: “Customer, are you looking to buy information?”
In the black market, you could buy anything, and this hut was known for selling information.
“Exactly.”
Fang Xi was now wearing a hat and had changed his attire: “How is information sold here?”
The old man laid down his book at leisure: “In this shop, every piece of information has a price, divided into Heaven, Earth, Black, Yellow four tiers. Each tier has a different price. If you want to buy information of the ‘Heaven’ tier, you will get every little detail, but as for the cost in silver… heh heh…”
The next moment, he shut his mouth.
Because Fang Xi pulled out a stack of gold leaves: “Give me information on martial arts forces, famous martial artists, and even the most profound martial skills within a hundred miles radius… And I want it all at the ‘Heaven’ tier level!”
“Of course.”
The old man hurriedly got up and his wrinkled face almost bloomed into a chrysanthemum with a smile: “Please have a seat, guest. Would you care for some tea? Our shop recently got in a few jin of excellent sparrow tongue tip, quite well-known in Ding State….”
Fang Xi wasn’t surprised by the old man’s change in attitude.
Making money!
Nothing embarrassing there!
However, when the old man dragged out a heavy chest from the back of the room, filled to the brim with various books, the color of Fang Xi’s face under the veil began to change dramatically.
‘Damn, miscalculated…’
‘Didn’t expect the information to be so detailed…’
…
At the Fang Residence.
Having called in several maids to massage his shoulders and legs, Fang Xi then turned on the earth air conditioner and began flipping through the information, book by book.
“Yuanhe Mountain… over three hundred years ago, it was founded by ‘Lord Yuanhe’. It has one sect leader, six elders, eight guests… The sect’s unique skill is the ‘Yuanhe Wulei Hand’…”
“The person in charge of the Yuanhe Mountain Black Stone City branch is ‘Linghu Yang’, who has defeated the principal of the Rock Martial Arts School in just a few moves and easily handled the siege of several martial arts school principals…”
“Chun Yu… has defeated the principal of the Red Snake Hall, Lu She…”
“Qiao Wucha, a warrior of unremarkable achievements, is treacherous and fond of ambush and group attacks…”
…
“Lone martial artist Zheng Tianbao, skilled in ‘Flying Cloud Skills’, has an impressive record…”
“Golden catcher Shangguan Yun, who has captured many great thieves on the river, is estimated to be more powerful than the average martial arts school principal…”
…
Lines of intelligence were swiftly deciphered by Fang Xi, who then had a general impression of the nearby martial arts forces.
“Looking at this, the strength of the martial arts world really seems… weak.”
After a while, Fang Xi put down the book, somewhat helpless.
However, this was to be expected, as real masters rarely open martial arts schools.
But for it to be this weak was indeed beyond expectations.
It seems that perhaps just one Yuanhe Mountain branch in Black Stone City could have destroyed all the martial arts schools combined!
Those martial arts school principals, who seemed powerful, were merely backdrops or part of the record for sect martial artists or even individual warriors…
‘Linghu Yang… may have already transcended the realm of a martial arts school principal, stepping into a whole new level, not so easy to kill. Abandon the plan against Yuanhe Mountain for now…’
‘Perhaps it would also be a way to refine the body, to go to other martial arts schools, learn from their strengths, and cover my weaknesses?’
‘Before that, should I take care of the Red Snake Martial Arts School? Whether it’s She Lei or Lu She, they must both bear grudges against me…’
After completing his contemplation, Fang Xi put aside a secret book of intelligence, ready to instruct Laurel in some leg techniques.
The scent of fragrance wafted through as Laurel gracefully arrived, performing a courtesy: “Young Master… Housekeeper Fu requests an audience!”
“Fu, is it? Let him in!”
Fang Xi nodded.
Shortly after, the old housekeeper Fu, with a long beard and hair and an air of immortality about him, entered and respectfully bowed: “Master!”
“Rise,” Fang Xi gestured with his hand.
In the Cultivation World, appearance is by no means a standard for measuring strength. There are many cultivators who look immortal but are rotten inside.
This is even more so in Great Liang.
“Reporting to master, during my time in the city, I heard some news that might be useful to you…” Fu bowed as he spoke.
“Useful for me, you say? Speak! If it is indeed so, you will be handsomely rewarded.” Fang Xi was fairly lenient with his servants.
At least, he wouldn’t send people to the Chaotic Burial Mound to be buried alive like the noble families in the city did from time to time.
Moreover, any merit would always be richly rewarded!
This made the servants of the Fang Residence highly motivated.
“It’s like this… There will be a gathering in the city, inviting only the wealthy and powerful. During the feast, some rare and amusing treasures will be sold… In addition to antiques, precious medicinal materials, and fine horses, there will be secret martial arts manuals and even Demonic Beasts materials!” Fu explained.
“Oh?” Fang Xi’s eyes lit up: “When and where?”
“Five days later, at Wanbao Pavilion!” Fu answered: “If master requires, this old servant can get an invitation.”
“Excellent, excellent, you will be handsomely rewarded!”
Fang Xi laughed heartily.
…
Night.
Inside the Fang Residence, all was quiet.
Fang Xi sat at his desk, looking at the arrangements he had made in the room, his expression shifting between light and shadow.
Although he enjoyed luxury, he retained the cautious habits of an individual cultivator. His bedroom was the most critical place, and he was the only one allowed inside.
Even when frolicking with the maids, it would be in other rooms.
At this moment, he sighed: “There are traces that several strands of hair have been moved. Has someone secretly entered my bedroom?”
In fact, Fang Xi was well aware that since all his household servants were bought, they did not come from generations of family-born servants, and thus, lacked loyalty and conditioning.
He could tolerate a little embezzlement on normal occasions.
But this incident had crossed the line!
“Who is it? Who bribed someone in my residence? Is this to uncover the secrets of my whereabouts for several days and the hiding place of my treasure?”
Fang Xi’s demeanor turned completely frosty.
Such a matter, once known and with careful scrutiny of the servants who frequently leave the residence and come into contact with others, will always reveal clues!
What’s more, with the methods of an Immortal Cultivator, even a traitor couldn’t hide if they wanted to!
“I hope it’s not those few…”
Fang Xi muttered to himself, then suddenly sighed.
In this world, there are always many troubles, which is why some Immortal Cultivators renounce love and passion, abandoning all emotions to pursue the Dao.
He was a little better, but still one… indifferent and unemotional person!