Chapter 1074: Black Feather Underground Trade Fair

Hei Ya City was quiet, the night deep.

After leaving the Black Feather Merchant Association yesterday, Yun Che spent two days and one night exploring Hei Ya City. During that time, he gathered information about the association and discovered it was actually the foremost merchant association in the Hei Ya Realm!

The Black Feather Merchant Association boasted a history of over fifty thousand years, accumulating immense wealth and influence. It was not only renowned throughout the lower star realms but also highly recognized in the middle star realms. Its headquarters, located in Hei Ya City, served as the central core from which its influence radiated across the entire Hei Ya Realm and even beyond.

Its vast customer base and formidable reputation were unrivaled among the thirty thousand lower star realms. The wealth it possessed was beyond the wildest imagination of ordinary people.

Rumors also circulated that it was backed by the Black Soul Divine Sect, the dominant sect of the Hei Ya Realm, whose Sect Master was none other than the Great Realm King of the Hei Ya Realm itself!

The information Yun Che gathered left him increasingly perplexed. Why would such a vast and prosperous merchant association, one that lacked nothing in terms of wealth, risk utter destruction by engaging in such underground dealings? What could its true motives possibly be?

Still laden with deep doubts, Yun Che finally reached the appointed time mentioned by Mister Ji. Moments after the hour passed, he received a brief sound transmission. Following its instructions, he traveled to an unfamiliar district roughly two hundred *li* north of the Black Feather Merchant Association and entered a dilapidated stone building.

After passing through no less than four checkpoints, he reached the lowest level of the stone building. It was pitch-black there, and he waited for a long time until a section of the wall ahead suddenly opened. A young maiden emerged, bowing slightly to him. “Honored guest, you’ve waited long enough. Please follow me.”

Following the girl through the secret door, Yun Che's body plummeted in the darkness, falling at least a hundred *zhang* before finally landing. Immediately, a profound light flashed, and another secret door opened before him.

“Honored guest, please.”

Yun Che slowly stepped inside.

It was a spacious stone room, illuminated by several lamps, though the lighting was clearly kept deliberately dim. At a glance, Yun Che saw a hundred tables and chairs neatly arranged throughout the room. The areas around them were almost entirely filled with people.

Their reaction to Yun Che's arrival was minimal; at most, they offered a casual glance. Though his face was completely unfamiliar, no one's gaze lingered. This was because individuals who came to this place typically concealed their identities. It was common for them to use aliases, as Yun Che did, and a significant number would even arrive in disguise.

However, the Black Feather Merchant Association undoubtedly knew the true identity of every person present. As for Yun Che, although Mister Ji hadn't pried into his background, knowing he came at Huo Rulie's behest was sufficient.

A profound silence hung in the stone chamber. Yun Che's gaze swept over the crowd; there were fewer than two hundred people. More than half had used profound energy to alter their facial features, but every individual exuded an undeniable aura of arrogance or nobility. Clearly, these were all highly influential figures from various corners of the Hei Ya Realm, none of them ordinary.

While most of them were young, over eighty percent possessed cultivation levels at the Divine Soul Realm, with some even nearing its peak. For the younger generation in a lower star realm, this was an absolutely astounding gathering.

These young masters clearly possessed extraordinary backgrounds, yet none were accompanied by elders for protection. This was evidently a rule of the Black Feather Merchant Association, as the sound transmission Yun Che received earlier had explicitly stated he must attend alone.

Yun Che found a random seat and settled down. He then released his spiritual sense, scanning the surroundings. To his surprise, he found no powerful experts secretly observing, which instantly put his mind at ease.

As he waited in silence, a stone platform slowly rose half a *zhang* from the far end of the room. A secret door on the platform then opened, and two figures, a man and a woman, emerged one after the other, followed by six young maidens.

The two figures were a man and a woman. The woman was strikingly beautiful, with a full, graceful figure that swayed enticingly as she walked. Her black dress added an air of mystery and allure, especially where it was drawn tight across her chest, almost seeming to burst.

Walking slightly behind and to her side was a black-clad middle-aged man. His head was slightly bowed, his face stiff, and his entire being exuded an unsettling aura. Yet, his restrained profound energy was incredibly potent, indicating he had already reached the Divine Tribulation Realm.

The arrival of the beautiful woman immediately changed the atmosphere of the quiet stone room, as gazes shamelessly swept over her body.

“Hahaha, I never expected Miss Ru Yan to personally preside over this event! Even without considering the surprises hinted at in the ‘invitation letter,’ this in itself is a grand surprise,” a young man seated at the front brazenly laughed.

An invitation letter? Yun Che's brow twitched. So, these individuals had all been invited, and he had simply stumbled upon the event by chance?

“The last time your esteemed merchant association proactively issued invitations was three years ago. I trust this occasion will certainly not disappoint us either. Miss Ru Yan, this young master is already impatient,” another person slowly remarked.

“Hehehehe,” the woman chuckled sweetly, her soft laughter sending a faint tingle through the listeners. “All you young masters are influential figures in the Hei Ya Realm. How could we dare trouble you to travel all this way without a substantial surprise in store?”

“Then, tonight's exchange will now begin. I am Ji Ruyan, your humble host, and I ask for your continued favor, young masters. The rules, as always, remain the same.”

Yun Che: “…” (What rules?)

Clap! Clap!

Ji Ruyan lightly clapped her hands. Behind her, a maid stepped forward, holding a long wooden box.

Ji Ruyan's delicate hand gently moved, pushing open the lid of the wooden box. Immediately, an incomparably sharp sword qi surged forth, instantly stirring up a prolonged whirlwind of blade energy within the quiet stone room.

“What a sword!” dozens exclaimed instantly. Meanwhile, those from sword-wielding sects or families had already risen to their feet.

Ji Ruyan smiled, speaking languidly, “I wonder if any of you young masters still recall the tragic massacre of the Absolute Wind Villa three years ago?”

The atmosphere in the stone room instantly stiffened. Then, someone gasped, “Could this sword actually be from the Absolute Wind Villa?”

“Precisely,” Ji Ruyan affirmed. “In the Hei Ya Realm, everyone knows that every sword forged by the Absolute Wind Villa is priceless. Profound practitioners of the sword path all aspire to acquire one. Yet, three years ago, the Absolute Wind Villa was tragically wiped out overnight, its entire estate reduced to ruins. To this day, no one knows who was responsible, a truly lamentable event.”

“This sword, however, was discovered within the ruins of the Absolute Wind Villa. Forged from Starstone, its sword qi and might, as you young masters just experienced, speak for themselves. With the tragic demise of the Absolute Wind Villa, every sword they ever forged has become a peerless treasure of its age. Its immense value is self-evident.”

“Indeed… this sword qi, imbued with wind energy, is unquestionably a creation of the Absolute Wind Villa. Miss Ru Yan, name your price!” a young man dressed in blue exclaimed, his eyes burning with excitement.

“Young Master Zhuo's passion for swords verges on obsession; it would undoubtedly be a beautiful thing if this sword were to find its home with him,” Ji Ruyan said, her smile blossoming. “This sword has yet to be named, awaiting its true owner to grant it a grand name. As for the starting bid, it will be a mere two million eight hundred thousand purple profound stones.”

This price made Yun Che breathe a huge sigh of relief.

This sword was clearly extraordinary, yet its starting price was less than three million profound stones. This meant the value of profound stones wasn't as low as he had feared previously. In fact, the five hundred million purple profound stones he possessed were worth far more than he had anticipated, an astronomical sum.

“Three million!” the young man referred to as Young Master Zhuo roared.

“As it's a peerless sword, it would make a fine collector’s item—three million three hundred thousand purple profound stones!”

“Heh, if it's merely for collection, that would be a disservice to its sharpness. Perhaps this brother should yield to me… three million five hundred thousand!”

“Three million eight hundred thousand!”

It was evident that the Absolute Wind Villa enjoyed an exceptional reputation in the Hei Ya Realm. Yun Che remained seated, but the bidding around him continued without pause, and the price of the peerless sword steadily climbed.

“Eight million purple profound stones!”

With a fierce, guttural roar, the sword was finally acquired for the sky-high price of eight million purple profound stones by the person Ji Ruyan referred to as Young Master Zhuo.

A peerless sword from a massacred villa fetched eight million purple profound stones. So, a Wood Spirit Pearl, which was far from extinct, surely wouldn't cost more than that. Even if it were to cost the same, eight million, Mister Ji had emphatically stated that this particular Wood Spirit Pearl was very special and would be extremely expensive… so, perhaps a tenfold increase would be a safer bet!

Eighty million purple profound stones!

With five hundred million purple profound stones in his possession, he certainly had enough!

Yun Che instantly felt completely at ease. After all, he had simply "borrowed" those purple profound stones from the Ice Wind Empire's national treasury, so even if he had to spend eighty million, he wouldn't feel the slightest pang of regret.

However, if the sword truly was found in the ruins of the Absolute Wind Villa… why would it need to be secretly sold in a place like this? It seemed its origins were far from legitimate.

“The next ‘item’ also originates from the Absolute Wind Villa, but…” Ji Ruyan offered a rather mysterious smile, “it is far more interesting.”

Having said that, she clapped her hands together again.

The middle-aged man, meanwhile, remained standing behind and to her side, silent and motionless from beginning to end. He seemed not to have even moved his eyeballs, like a lifeless dummy, making it easy for one to inadvertently overlook his presence.

Rumble…

To Ji Ruyan's left, a stone platform slowly rose from below, then stopped level with her.

On the platform was a profound array that glowed with an intense white light, obscuring whatever it sealed within.

Ji Ruyan smiled faintly and tapped her finger. Instantly, the profound light rapidly dissipated, leaving only a thin, translucent layer. Within the now semi-transparent profound array, a frail, emaciated woman was curled up!

The woman’s long hair was disheveled, spilling over and obscuring most of her face. Her clothes appeared newly changed, very white and new, yet they were torn in multiple places, revealing faint red marks on her withered skin beneath.

Suddenly exposed to so many gazes, the woman's body trembled ceaselessly. Yet, she uttered no sound, only burying her face deeper into her disheveled hair.

Yun Che's eyes widened, then sharply narrowed… It was a person!

They were even selling people!?

And from the looks of it, she had clearly endured prolonged abuse; she was utterly pathetic.

Yun Che took a sharp breath. Even for an underground black market, this was utterly depraved!

The crowd below the stage remained quite silent. Had she been a peerless beauty, they might have considered buying her as a plaything. But this woman was not only plain-looking, she also appeared to be someone who had been used and discarded, stirring absolutely no interest.

Ji Ruyan glanced at the woman, then immediately turned her gaze back to the crowd, saying, “This woman is no ordinary woman. Her identity, if revealed, might just give you young masters quite a shock.”

“Her father, whose name I am sure all you young masters will recognize, is none other than… the Villa Master of the Absolute Wind Villa, which was wiped out three years ago!”

“What?!” As soon as she uttered those words, everyone was indeed greatly astonished.

“My Black Feather Merchant Association never speaks a false word,” Ji Ruyan said, her smile unwavering. “This woman is indeed the eldest daughter of the Absolute Wind Villa, and its sole surviving descendant. Thus, she may well have inherited the Villa's sword-forging techniques… and of course, that's not all. This woman also possesses the rather rare Wind Yin Physique.”

“Wind Yin Physique?” Dozens of gazes instantly turned scorching hot as they fixed on the woman.

“For young masters cultivating wind-element profound arts, acquiring a woman with a Wind Yin Physique as a dual cultivation partner can bring twice the results with half the effort,” Ji Ruyan explained, her gaze slowly sweeping over the crowd. “My father has mentioned that many young masters have been searching for a woman with a Wind Yin Physique for years. Now, it seems our efforts have not been in vain. However, only one young master can ultimately claim her, so you must all strive your hardest.”

As expected, before Ji Ruyan had even finished speaking, over thirty people impatiently rose to their feet, each with a face full of excitement and determination.

“It is somewhat regrettable that this woman, despite possessing the Wind Yin Physique, has already lost her primal yin,” Ji Ruyan said, a hint of apology in her tone. “Therefore, this humble servant feels it would be improper to set the starting price too high. So… eight million purple profound stones it is.”

“Ten million!!” Before Ji Ruyan’s voice had even faded, someone roared out, immediately adding a full two million purple profound stones to the bid!