After leaving Black Blood Stockade, Lin Mu didn't rush toward the western mining district to handle some rat infestation.
That mission had a generous deadline—dawdling on the road for a day or two wouldn't matter.
He took a long, winding detour. Only after confirming no one was tailing him did he slip into the safehouse he'd sealed away long ago.
Pushing aside the scattered rocks that served as camouflage, he found the familiar crevice between the boulders—still dry and cold.
Lin Mu sat cross-legged. Rather than immediately digging up the treasures buried below, he first closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into his Aperture for a deep self-examination.
Within his Aperture, the sea of dark green Primeval Essence surged magnificently.
Under the Liquor Worm's continuous refinement, what had originally been Rank 1 Middle Stage Primeval Essence now possessed a purity that was almost frightening.
It had even begun to show the faintest hint of the profound coloration that only Upper Stage Primeval Essence possessed.
Looking at this gratifying progress, Lin Mu's face showed no trace of joy. Instead, a layer of cold sweat seeped from his back.
"Too fast."
He murmured to himself.
Looking back, barely more than a month had passed since all this began.
From a freshly Awakened novice to someone with combat power rivaling Rank 1 Peak—achieving this speed without any clan resource support, even while being suppressed—was practically on par with the legendary "Ten Extreme Physiques," or else the result of some Demonic Path forbidden technique that burned one's lifespan.
"How can it be this fast? I didn't have time to think about it before, but now that I consider it carefully, this speed is genuinely abnormal."
Lin Mu recalled the timeline from the original novel. Even a top-tier genius like Fang Zheng had taken nearly a month to advance to Middle Stage.
"Could my B-grade not be an ordinary B-grade?"
He examined his Aperture again and noticed something unusual.
That overflowing sea of Primeval Essence was indeed extraordinary—far exceeding ordinary B-grade, approaching nearly ninety percent of A-grade capacity.
"I never imagined I was essentially a 'pseudo-A grade.' No wonder, after the Liquor Worm's refinement combined with my lavish spending of Primeval Stones, my cultivation speed could advance by leaps and bounds."
But in the clan's eyes, this would become the most terrifying thing of all.
Those clan elders were all cunning foxes.
Once he returned from this mission, if anyone with ulterior motives discovered his cultivation had skyrocketed, what awaited him wouldn't be special training—it would be dissection for research, or immediate suspicion of being a mole planted by White Bone Stockade.
"I must hide my abilities."
Lin Mu's gaze grew deep and distant.
"Before I possess the power to flip the table and protect myself, I must learn to 'conceal my aura,' or at least fake the appearance of unstable Primeval Essence and a shaky foundation."
"Even in front of Gelded Ma, I can't reveal my hand."
Having thought this through, he finally began digging into the earth beneath him.
The red mud seal was broken. The massive Charcoal Stone Boar King hide and the two half-meter-long tusks saw daylight once more.
Lin Mu inspected them carefully.
The Boar King hide was tough and thick—a Rank 1 Peak defensive Gu material. The tusks were sharp and contained fire poison—premium materials for refining offensive Gu.
Combined with the miscellaneous materials he'd accumulated from hunting ordinary wild boars, this complete "Boar King Package" would fetch roughly one hundred ten to one hundred forty Primeval Stones on a normal stockade market.
"I can only sell through Gelded Ma. I can't reveal anything to the clan, and I'm unfamiliar with other black markets. Only that old fox—though he's ruthless, at least he plays by the rules."
Having made up his mind, Lin Mu began his preparations.
This time, he didn't simply smear red mud on his face. The "sore-covered invalid" disguise had already been used once—using it again might draw unwanted connections from observant eyes.
He gathered some dark plant sap from the surrounding area, mixed it with leftover charcoal ash, and applied it to his face and neck, transforming his originally pale skin into the weathered yellow of someone who'd spent years under sun and wind.
Next, he padded his shoes with several layers of thick bark, forcibly adding two inches to his height, and wrapped torn cloth around his waist to make his frame appear more bloated and clumsy.
Half an hour later, what stood before the stagnant pool was no longer that sickly wretch, but a taciturn "middle-aged hunter" with a sallow face and slightly hunched back.
Lin Mu took a few test steps, deliberately shifting his center of gravity to make his gait appear somewhat sluggish.
"Should be fine now."
With a measure of confidence, he shouldered his pack and once again set out for Grey Street.
Grey Street was the same lifeless place as before. Grey fog hung in the air; scattered cultivators hurried past like ghosts.
Lin Mu lowered his conical hat and, with practiced familiarity, turned into that ramshackle shop hung with dried organs.
The interior was dim. Gelded Ma was still sprawled behind that greasy counter, holding some unidentifiable beast bone, polishing it carefully with a grimy rag as if handling some priceless treasure.
Lin Mu stepped forward. Unlike last time, he didn't knock on the counter but simply placed the heavy bundle on the table, lowered his voice, and spoke in a rough, gravelly tone:
"Shopkeeper, buying mountain goods?"
Gelded Ma's hands didn't pause. He didn't even raise his head.
He merely twitched that bulbous, drink-reddened nose, sniffed the air, and let out a snicker of ambiguous meaning.
"New face, huh..."
Gelded Ma leisurely set down the beast bone and raised those murky, yellowed eyes.
His gaze swept once over Lin Mu's flawlessly disguised "hunter's face."
The smile at the corner of his mouth grew thicker and thicker, finally transforming into undisguised mockery:
"Alright, drop the act. Last time's little red-faced invalid was you; this time's yellow-faced mute hunter is still you."
"You really think this old man's nose is just for decoration?"
Lin Mu's body tensed instantly. The hand hidden in his sleeve almost instinctively pressed against his blade handle; a cold killing intent flickered in the depths of his eyes.
He'd been confident this disguise was flawless in appearance, gait, and voice. How could he have been seen through the moment they met?
"Easy now, easy."
Gelded Ma seemed to see right through his killing intent.
He waved his hand, picked up that long smoking pipe, tapped it against his shoe sole, and instructed in an unhurried manner:
"You changed your skin, changed your voice, even changed the way you walk—that level of craft is enough to fool the greenhorns out there."
"But to someone who knows what they're looking at, you might as well be running around naked."
"That murderous edge you're carrying, fresh out of a pile of corpses, and that bloodstink that hasn't quite faded—I could smell you from three streets away."
"Young man, your fire burns too hot. You can't hide it."
Lin Mu's heart jolted.
Murderous aura?
That was it. He'd just killed a man and slain a Beast King on Black Wind Ridge.
Though he'd washed away the bloodstains, that sharp, fierce quality unique to someone who'd been through life-and-death combat—
—along with the subtle scents acquired from prolonged contact with the Red Mud Gu and Blood Scent Gu—couldn't be concealed by plant sap and charcoal ash.
"I've learned something."
Lin Mu drew a deep breath and slowly released the blade handle.
His voice returned to its original coolness. "Since you've recognized me, what does the shopkeeper intend to do? Report me to the authorities? Or take everything for yourself?"
"Heh heh heh..." Gelded Ma laughed until the wrinkles on his face bunched together, looking extremely pleased.
"Report to who? That's what those hypocrites on the Righteous Path do. As for taking everything—this old man is a businessman. I believe in harmony bringing wealth."
His attitude was so friendly—even proactively exposing Lin Mu's disguise rather than scheming in the shadows—for two reasons.
First, that Charcoal Stone Gu from last time had been excellent quality. He'd resold it to a bone-refining fanatic from White Bone Stockade and made a hefty profit on the markup. This left him well-disposed toward Lin Mu as a "supplier."
Second, and more importantly, he knew perfectly well that Lin Mu had been marked by certain people when he left last time.
And now, Lin Mu had returned alive, carrying new spoils—while that Gu Master had never shown his face on Grey Street again.
What this meant went without saying.
This kid was ruthless.
In this dog-eat-dog black market, ruthless people always commanded respect—and were worth long-term investment.
"Let's see what you've got." Gelded Ma pointed at the bundle.
Lin Mu complied, unwrapping it to reveal the complete Charcoal Stone Boar King hide within, still radiating faint heat, along with those fearsome tusks.
"Oho, quality goods." Gelded Ma's eyes lit up.
His fingers traced over the boar hide. "Mutant Boar King hide at Rank 1 Peak. The skinning work's a bit rough, but it's intact. These tusks aren't bad either—fire poison still potent."
He pondered briefly. Unlike last time, he didn't slash the price savagely, but instead offered an exceptionally fair figure:
"For this lot, I'll give you one hundred fifty Primeval Stones. Settled on the spot."
One hundred fifty. Even slightly higher than Lin Mu's most optimistic estimate.
For a black market fence operation, this was practically a premium purchase. Gelded Ma's sincerity this time was considerable.
Lin Mu looked at Old Ma with some surprise.
"Don't look at me like that." Gelded Ma counted out a pouch of Primeval Stones and tossed it onto the counter.
"The extra is a 'greeting gift' from this old man—call it good karma. When you've got quality goods in the future, remember to bring them here."
This was both a friendly gesture and bait on a hook.
Lin Mu didn't refuse. He accepted the money pouch and tucked it away. In this world, bonds of mutual interest were often more reliable than any oath.
Transaction complete, Lin Mu was preparing to leave.
"Ah, wait a moment."
Gelded Ma suddenly called out to him. He tapped his smoking pipe as if making casual conversation:
"Seeing as you're a regular customer, here's a free tip. Next time you want to disguise yourself, buy some Breath-Concealing Root from an apothecary and take a bath in it."
"The stuff stinks something fierce, but it'll scrub away that living-person smell, that Gu smell, and that murderous edge until you're clean as a whistle."
Lin Mu's steps halted. He turned back and cupped his fists in a genuine salute: "Thank you for the guidance."
"And another thing..." Gelded Ma squinted at the grey fog beyond the doorway, speaking as if in idle chat:
"The weather hasn't been great lately. I hear things aren't too peaceful over at Black Blood Stockade either. Patriarch Lin Cang has been in seclusion for quite a while now, hasn't he?"
"Heh—those mad dogs from White Bone Stockade can smell opportunity, and they're getting restless."
"Hunter, you're a clever man. Chaotic times are good for making money, sure—but that money's for the living to spend. Don't die too fast. I'm counting on you to keep bringing me quality goods."
Lin Mu's pupils contracted slightly.
Gelded Ma's words carried hidden meaning. A mere black market merchant, yet he knew classified details like the Black Blood Stockade Patriarch's seclusion, even keeping track of White Bone Stockade's movements.
This proved once again what an astonishing intelligence network lay behind this unassuming little shop.
"Chaotic times, is it..."
Lin Mu didn't ask further questions. He knew Gelded Ma wouldn't say more even if asked.
These few sentences were already the maximum hint given on account of their pleasant transaction.
"I'll be careful."
Lin Mu took one long, deep look at this unremarkable, sleazy old man, cupped his fists in another salute, then turned and pushed through the door. His figure swiftly vanished into the thick fog of Grey Street.
This trip had not only fenced his goods but also made him keenly aware of the gap between himself and a true old hand of the jianghu.
That ability to see through the essence at a glance, that composure to navigate chaos with ease—these were precisely what he currently lacked.
"Humility before experience..."
Lin Mu touched the Primeval Stones at his chest and quickened his pace.