The Ghost Market is located in a naturally low-lying area, and the Black Market is even deeper within the Ghost Market, so even during broad daylight, the light is blocked by the ravines above.
At night,
it’s so dark you can’t see your hand in front of you.
Fortunately, the shops and stalls on both sides provide a faint glow, otherwise, even if soone was coming, you’d remain unaware and might bump into each other.
If he didn’t know he was in the Prefecture City, Fang Zheng might have thought he had wandered into so hidden tunnel.
’In the entire Zhaonan Prefecture, could such a place exist?’
Scanning the surroundings, he shook his head secretly.
It was evident that the Imperial Court did not govern this place. The Ghost Market’s growth in a prefecture city showed the lack of influence from the Imperial Court.
"Ding..."
A rchant sat cross-legged on a straw mat at the side, gently knocking two iron pieces together, sparking enough to faintly illuminate the goods on his stall.
Salt Tokens!
Without enough salt, people would feel weak and incapable of performing heavy labor or even martial arts training to strengthen their bodies.
Thus, salt is extrely important to both people and the Imperial Court.
The Imperial Court monopolizes the sale of salt, granting Salt Tokens to qualifying Salt rchants, and salt without a Salt Token is considered illegal.
To deter salt smuggling, the Imperial Court imposes heavy penalties on selling illegal salt.
At best, imprisonnt; at worst, beheading.
However, salt prices are inherently high, and the cost of buying Salt Tokens makes them even higher, thus the business of illegal salt thrives despite the bans.
To counter the Imperial Court’s troops, many large salt rchants have organized their ard forces, leading many salt smuggler leaders to transform from re illegal salt sellers to tyrants of their territories.
Illegal salt cannot be sold.
But Salt Tokens can be.
If illegal salt rchants could obtain Salt Tokens, the illegal salt could turn legal. Yet here, the Governnt Office’s Salt Tokens are openly sold.
So...
How laughable!
Shaking his head, Fang Zheng stepped forward.
Ordinary goods are available in the Ghost Market, and those rare enough to appear in the Black Market are greatly coveted.
Ferocious beasts, rare flying birds, Magical Artifact Materials, and even those said to be daughters of Noble Families are clearly priced.
The array of goods is eye-opening.
After a brief observation, Fang Zheng averted his gaze and moved directly to his destination.
"Swoosh..."
He lifted the cloth curtain and entered a rather inconspicuous shop.
A young girl in blue sat upright behind a long table; hearing the sound, she looked up with a practiced smile and greeted crisply:
"Welco, honored guest!"
Fang Zheng glanced around, frowning:
"This is the Thousand chanisms Pavilion?"
"Indeed." The girl nodded and said:
"The Thousand chanisms Pavilion sells all kinds of information, ancient secrets, stories of the previous dynasty, current hot topics, even the secrets of the beauties in Jianghu’s boudoirs, no exceptions."
"As long as we have it, and if you can pay, you can buy and sell any information here."
"..." Fang Zheng looked at the girl with growing suspicion and suddenly asked:
"What are you?"
The question was quite rude, yet the girl’s expression remained unchanged; she rely smiled and shifted aside to reveal a door behind her.
"Haha..."
Laughter ca from within the door, and a dwarf no taller than four feet strolled out, nodding to Fang Zheng with a smile:
"This friend has great insight. My Xiao Cui is a chanical Puppet crafted by a Mo Family expert, lifelike enough to be indistinguishable, and you’re only the third person to see through it on the spot."
"chanical Puppet?"
Fang Zheng’s eyes narrowed:
"Amazing Mo Family chanical Technique!"
He hadn’t noticed at first, but up close, he saw the girl’s stiff expressions and vacant eyes while speaking.
Closer observation revealed everything about the girl was unlike an ordinary person.
"Indeed."
The dwarf nodded, reaching to tear away a layer of artificial skin from the girl’s arm, revealing within were countless gear-like chanisms.
The girl reflexively pulled back her arm, and the gears turned, working as flexibly as a human’s limb.
"Mo Family’s chanical Techniques are truly astonishing. But the Dharma Gate of infusing this puppet with a Soul to make it live—that’s truly remarkable."
He chuckled and waved the girl aside, asking:
"What would you like to buy, brother?"
Fang Zheng’s gaze followed the blue-clad girl, still filled with astonishnt.
Modern society has prosthetic limbs and robots, but they are far from the forms seen in science fiction movies, recognizable at a glance.
But this girl...
Incredible!
The chanical Puppet from the Otherworld has reached such levels?
If humanoid puppets can be crafted to such perfection, could they also make things like sniper rifles or airplanes?
"Brother?"
"Brother, co back to your senses." The dwarf’s wave pulled Fang Zheng from his wild thoughts.
"Sorry."
He cupped his fists:
"Just too surprised for a mont."
"Understandable." The dwarf nodded:
"My reaction the first ti was even worse than yours."
"Ahem!"
Fang Zheng cleared his throat, stating:
"I’m looking for information about the Chen Family of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion."
"The Chen Family?" The dwarf looked as if understanding, chuckling:
"That’s the latest hot topic, available for thirty taels of gold."
"Thirty taels of gold?" Fang Zheng’s expression changed:
"The situation with the Chen Family can be easily inquired about now, thirty taels of silver would be fair, but thirty taels of gold... isn’t your price too steep?"
"Not so." The dwarf shook his head:
"Others’ intelligence isn’t as comprehensive as the Thousand chanisms Pavilion’s, and while news from there might be guaranteed, the reputation of the Thousand chanisms Pavilion for fair dealing is indisputable."
"Brother." He spoke earnestly:
"The Thousand chanisms Pavilion holds the latest information about the Chen Family, and within it could be the chance for overnight fortune, if you can seize it."
User Comments
0 comments from readers