"The black market is not just a place for transactions.
It is the truest form of human nature."
---
The rain had passed, and the sky cleared.
Shen stood at the edge of a dirt cliff, his gaze calm as he looked down at the yellowish, dimly lit gathering place below.
It was Fenglin City—
The closest black market to Lingyun Sect.
It didn't belong to any sect or faction.
It was a gathering of rogue cultivators, wanderers, criminals, and merchants.
A place where the lowest level of the cultivation world gathered to trade information, poisons, and black market spiritual materials.
Shen hid in the shadows of the trees, wearing a tattered leather cloak.
He remained motionless for a long time, observing.
He knew this moment was crucial—
It was his first time stepping out of the mountains.
It was his first step into the true edge of the cultivator world.
And it was—
The first time he would gather information for Wan'er.
---
Six months ago, he had been the "useless mortal body" abandoned in the ruined temple.
Now, he could use a poison needle in the dark to silently kill a low-tier cultivator.
But that wasn't enough.
> "Revenge is not just about the blade. It's also about the information, the plans, and the timing."
> "To kill thoroughly, I must first understand every vein of my enemy."
---
[Infiltration]
Shen changed into clothes he had taken from Target One.
He covered his face with mud, lowered his brow, and dyed his hair with wild herb juice.
The transformation was complete—he appeared dark and gaunt, blending seamlessly into the crowd.
This was his specialty from his previous life—
Not relying on illusions or spells, but on human physiological features and mental gaps.
Carrying an animal-skin bag, he blended into the flow of people in the market.
Fenglin City was large, but its layout was chaotic.
There were no formation arrays, no guards.
The dirt and disorder made it strangely "safe."
Cultivators wouldn't stoop to coming here.
Only those forgotten by the cultivation world gathered here.
---
"Spirit talismans, three for one coin!"
"Tier 2 Beast Blood Poison Pills—enough to numb you for three breaths!"
"Information! Information! Latest list of Lingyun Sect outer disciples—Is your father in there? Come check!"
Shen moved through the crowd, silent and low-profile.
His goal wasn't to buy or sell, but to find the "information brokers".
He stopped in front of one stall.
An old one-eyed man sat behind a broken spiritual wood counter, pouring liquor into a bowl, his good eye darting at Shen from the corner.
> "Looking for something?"
"…I'm looking for a girl." Shen spoke quietly.
"Oh?" The one-eyed man grinned.
> "You know, asking questions here is more expensive than killing."
Shen placed two copper coins on the table.
The man scoffed:
> "Two copper coins wouldn't even buy me my daughter's shoes—what makes you think you can find someone?"
Shen's expression remained blank as he subtly raised his sleeve, revealing his arm, blackened with traces of poison.
A dark line ran across his skin, showing where the toxins had eaten away at his flesh.
> "I'm no cultivator. But I can kill cultivators."
The man stared at him for a long time, then laughed:
> "I've seen your type before. The kind that kills without blinking."
He drained his drink in one go, then spoke slowly:
> "Go ahead, ask. Who are you looking for?"
---
[Wan'er]
> "Her name is Wan'er. She's about fifteen years old.
She was taken by Lingyun Sect's outer disciples six months ago. She has Tianshui spiritual root."
The old man's face changed slightly.
> "…That bloodline, Lingyun Sect values it highly."
> "Who is she to you?"
Shen remained silent.
He reached into his chest and pulled out a small, yellowed cloth doll.
It was the doll Wan'er had sewn for him.
The old man stared at the doll, his silence stretching on for a long time.
Finally, he sighed.
> "I'll tell you this much... she's not in the outer sect."
Shen's eyes narrowed:
> "What do you mean?"
> "Lingyun Sect's Illusory Water Hall recently took in a 'Water Spirit Body Mutant'. She's very young, and it's said that she's extremely beautiful. Perhaps… she's the one you're talking about."
Shen's fingertips trembled.
> "I need her exact location."
The old man shook his head.
> "I can't give you that."
"If I were to search for inner sect information, I'd be burnt to ash in the Spirit Vein Furnace tomorrow."
Shen inhaled deeply, suppressing the turbulent emotions inside.
> "...Then she's still alive, right?"
The old man nodded:
> "Alive. For now, she's a 'key training target.' But… you should know what the cultivation sects mean by 'training'."
Shen remained silent for a long time, his head lowered.
He quietly spoke:
> "Thank you."
---
He turned and left.
---
[Tail Follow]
Just as Shen left the stall and entered a narrow alley,
he suddenly heard the faint sound of footsteps behind him.
His pace didn't change, but his senses immediately sharpened.
He quietly veered into a side path, entering an abandoned spiritual formation shop,
standing quietly in the corner.
Moments later, a figure nimbly scaled the outer wall, light on their feet.
In their hand was a dagger glowing with purple light.
It was a girl, about fifteen or sixteen, her face covered by a mask.
Her breath was light, and her movements indicated she was trained in assassination.
> "She's following me."
Shen silently took half a step back, adjusting his breathing rhythm,
and subtly grasped the trigger of his hidden wrist launcher.
The girl drew closer, stepping directly into Shen's "misstep zone"—
She thought he had walked into a blind spot, but it had only revealed her.
In a flash—
Shen acted!
A bone needle shot out from the ground,
the girl cried out, dodging, but still had her clothes torn.
She threw a powder bomb and attempted to flee,
but Shen grabbed her wrist, throwing her into the wall corner.
The blade pressed against her throat.
The two of them locked eyes, breath tangled in the air.
After a long moment, the girl hoarsely spoke:
> "You… aren't a cultivator."
> "You're not an ordinary person either," Shen said in a low voice.
"Who sent you to follow me?"
The girl gritted her teeth, and a flash of hesitation flickered in her eyes.
Finally, she spoke, each word heavy:
> "...I'm here to kill a cultivator. You… are much like me."