Chapter 180: Dark Market

Shangguan Sheng was stunned.

How could he be mistaken? Wasn't Jiang Fan a disciple of the Sect Master Peak? He had personally witnessed Jiang Fan's incredibly exquisite medical skills. Given time, this medical prodigy would be unrivaled in the world! It wouldn't be difficult for him to catch up to his former master's esteemed reputation.

"Isn't he..."

Suddenly, Shangguan Sheng understood. Liu Wenchen was playing dumb! He didn't want to expose his disciple's immense potential too early, to avoid attracting unwanted attention. He couldn't help but chuckle, "You! You hide things really well. If I hadn't seen it myself, you would have fooled me too!"

"Alright, if you don't want to talk about it, I'll keep your secret. Since the Old Sect Master's condition has improved, I'll take my leave." He flicked his sleeve and left, leaving everyone in the room bewildered.

Zhuang Yuanyin asked doubtfully, "Wenchen, do you really have such a powerful disciple hidden away?"

Liu Wenchen gave a wry smile, "I've been driven ragged by Feng Guchan these past few years. If I really had a powerful disciple, wouldn't I have brought him out to steady the situation long ago?"

That's true! But why did Shangguan Sheng say such a thing?

Liu Qingxian, meanwhile, frowned. Could Shangguan Sheng be talking about Jiang Fan? Thinking back to the Immortal Dwelling Restaurant, where Xia Chaoge respectfully called Jiang Fan "Uncle-Master," she felt it was increasingly possible. But why? Shangguan Sheng was from the medical field; even if he discovered Jiang Fan's boundless spiritual root, there was no reason for him to address him as a fellow disciple, was there? She furrowed her brow, muttering, "Does this guy have secrets I don't know about?"

Zhuang Yuanyin pondered for a long time but couldn't understand. She shook her head, "Never mind. Let's not worry about this for now. Let's see if we can gather all the ingredients for the prescription. Wenchen, order people to search for the other medicinal ingredients in various sects. As for this beast whip from a Demon Emperor's bloodline... I'll go to the city myself. It'll be good to stretch my legs after years of closed-door cultivation."

Liu Wenchen worried, "Why bother? I can have someone search for it along with the others." The Old Sect Master was still weak. What if something unexpected happened?

Zhuang Yuanyin shot him an annoyed glare, "Do you want the whole world to know I'm looking for a beast whip?" Those who knew, like the three of them, naturally understood that the Old Sect Master was looking for the beast whip for medicinal purposes. But those who didn't know might think he was having a second spring and wanted to revitalize his virility. Because the beast whip's primary use was indeed for that purpose.

Liu Qingxian's face flushed, and she quietly turned her head away. Liu Wenchen also rubbed his nose. This item really wasn't suitable for outsiders to handle. Otherwise, if word got out, who knew what rumors would spread. It might even ruin the Old Sect Master's lifetime of reputation.

Speaking of Jiang Fan. After leaving Sky Sword Peak, he immediately encountered Wen Shengnan, who was coming down from Medicine Peak. Seeing someone, she subconsciously hid a bundle behind her back. Realizing it was Jiang Fan, she relaxed and said, "Junior Brother Jiang."

Jiang Fan looked strange, "What's that?" Why was she being so sneaky?

Wen Shengnan said sheepishly, "I got some medicinal herbs from my aunt and plan to exchange them for crystal stones in the black market."

What kind of herbs would be sold in the black market? The black market was full of illicit goods. He looked suspicious.

Wen Shengnan, afraid Jiang Fan might misunderstand, untied a corner of the bundle, revealing dried beast whips. "Recently, many people have gathered in Qingyun City, haven't they? When there are more men, the demand for this kind of thing increases, and it sells for a good price. Please don't laugh at me, Junior Brother Jiang." She awkwardly put the bundle away and excused herself, "I'll go now, while it's dark and there are more customers."

"Wait!" Jiang Fan pondered, "Take me with you!" Among the parts he had removed from the White-Furred Jade Crystal Beast, only the massive beast whip remained. There were few people who needed this item. Moreover, it was not suitable for public auction at an auction house. After all, everyone knew the purpose of this item. Wouldn't buying it imply that one was... lacking? They were all men; who would want to admit that they were lacking? Daring to publicly buy this would be laughed to death. So, the black market was the best place to sell it.

"Okay!" Wen Shengnan was eager for more contact with Jiang Fan, so she gladly agreed, "Follow me!"

She led Jiang Fan to Qingyun City. After leaving the main road, they walked through winding, dark alleys. After an unknown period of time, a long alley finally appeared, with flickering dim lights revealing shadowy figures. "There are quite a lot of people," Jiang Fan said in surprise. A rough count showed over a hundred buyers alone. There were also over a dozen vendors with stalls on the ground. The items sold were all illicit elixirs, cultivation techniques, rare natural treasures. There were even prohibited evil magical artifacts and so on.

Wen Shengnan, familiar with the place, went to a corner and spread out a clean blanket. She then untied her bundle and laid out all twenty beast whips on it. Soon after they set up shop, a well-dressed middle-aged man quietly approached. He glanced at the quality of the beast whips and nodded in satisfaction. Without speaking, he pointed at a beast whip, then pointed at himself, meaning he wanted it and asked for a price. Wen Shengnan understood instantly and silently held up two fingers. The middle-aged man, without a word, took out two hundred crystal stones and placed them on the stall, grabbed a beast whip, tucked it into his robe, and hurried away. The entire process was completely silent.

Jiang Fan stared at the glittering two hundred crystal stones, astonished. "Two hundred?" This was just an ordinary beast whip. At most, it would be twenty crystal stones. The man didn't even bargain and bought it for ten times the high price.

Wen Shengnan happily put the crystal stones away and shared her business secret: "Two hundred means I have a conscience. People who buy this are desperate for it; they don't care about the price. Besides, they're all those indecent old men. Gouging them a bit is also contributing to the martial arts world's morale."

Jiang Fan slowly nodded. He took out the beast whip of the White-Furred Jade Crystal Beast. Compared to ordinary beast whips, it was more than five times larger and contained immensely vast essence. Wen Shengnan saw it and gasped, "So big? Is this a Beast King level beast whip?"

Jiang Fan nodded, "Isn't it from that White-Furred Jade Crystal Beast?"

"What? It's from that Demon Emperor bloodline..." Her voice suddenly cut off. Because in the quiet alley, that gasp was like a clap of thunder. Everyone in the black market could hear it. Pairs of eyes looked over. The words "Beast King" and "Demon Emperor bloodline" sounded exciting just by hearing them!

So, the stall was immediately surrounded by people, three layers deep. Everyone was curiously examining this "king of whips"! Wen Shengnan was also astonished, asking with a blush, "Junior Brother Jiang, if someone eats this, will it kill them?" She couldn't imagine how potent the medicinal effect would be.

Jiang Fan's mouth twitched at the question, "How would I know? I don't use this stuff!"

Just then, a customer, after careful examination, showed a hint of desire. He quietly made a gesture to ask for the price. Jiang Fan thought for a moment. The market price of this item was around twenty thousand crystal stones. But in the black market, wouldn't it be okay to multiply it by several times? He held up a palm. Fifty thousand! The inquiring customer clicked his tongue and turned to leave. The onlookers also shook their heads and dispersed.

Wen Shengnan had a look of disbelief, "Fifty thousand? Who's crazy enough to buy that? They buy beast whips just for a night of pleasure! Unless they encounter a goddess descended from heaven, they wouldn't spend such a fortune."

Jiang Fan looked sheepish. He only then realized that his business strategy had a problem. But just then, a slightly excited, aged voice came: "Fifty thousand, I'll take it." The newcomer was none other than Zhuang Yuanyin!