We're practicing all martial arts, so why did you switch to easy mode?

Chapter 127 Identity Exposed, Black Market Ambush, Making Friends

"What? You mean Su Chen and Ding Peng are the same person?"

From inside a courtyard came Hong Jinchen's slightly surprised voice.

What surprised him was not that the two were the same person, but that Su Chen was only under twenty years old!
A martial artist at the Bone Forging Realm who is not even twenty years old sounds like a fantasy, but the evidence provided by He Qiu shows that the so-called Ding Peng is actually Su Chen in disguise.

He Qiu nodded with utmost solemnity. When he first arrived at this conclusion, he was no less shocked than Hong Jinchen, to the point that some people thought he had gone mad from investigating the case.

"That's right, Vice Leader Ding Peng is Su Chen, for three reasons."

First, the time Su Chen disappeared coincided with the time Ding Peng appeared.

Ding Peng coincidentally appeared after Su Chen disappeared, and the time when Su Chen moved out of the apartment was close to the time when Ding Peng rented the apartment.

Furthermore, we learned from the maids in the Cai family that Ding Peng was Zhu Yan's benefactor and came from Baishi City, just as Su Chen also came from Baishi City.

Secondly, both Su Chen and Ding Peng had a peculiar habit: they liked to touch the corpse after killing someone.

Of course, this cannot be used as the main reference, but it is enough to show that the two have something in common.

Thirdly, it was precisely because Ding Peng was Su Chen that he did not kill Hong Risheng.

When Su Chen arrived in Dafeng City, he was recommended by Hong Risheng's wife, Qin Xue, to go to Xuanshui Sect to participate in the assessment. However, he failed the assessment and was sent down the mountain.

It is said that Qin Xue always treated him like a nephew, and Su Chen was not an ungrateful person, so after killing Hong Qi, he let Hong Risheng go.

Based on all of the above, this disciple has deduced that Ding Peng is indeed Su Chen, and is extremely skilled in disguise.

The scene was somewhat silent. Hong Jinchen remained silent, still shocked by the news brought by He Qiu.

After a long silence, Hong Jinchen slammed his fist on the table and roared, "What a scoundrel Su Chen! He actually killed so many people from my Xuan Shui Sect!"

Whether it's Yu Xian, Duan Feng, or Hong Qi, they are all members of the Xuan Shui Sect.

Leaving aside the first two, Hong Qi was a direct descendant of the Hong family and held a noble status. Now that he had been killed by Su Chen, the Hong family not only lost a great general but also lost face.

Both morally and logically, Su Chen deserves to die.

"He Qiu, do you have any ideas on how to catch him?" Hong Jinchen then looked at He Qiu and asked.

After thinking for a moment, He Qiu replied, "Based on my guess, Su Chen must have already returned to Dafeng City and changed his name to reintegrate into the city. Finding him would be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

He paused, then changed the subject: "However, it's not like there's no way. Su Chen always loots the corpses after killing people, which means he lacks cultivation resources. We can wait for him to come to us in the black market."

"Oh?"

He Qiu then told Hong Jinchen about the plan, and Hong Jinchen nodded in satisfaction: "Okay, you can arrange this matter."

"Yes."

"By the way, I just heard you say that Su Chen came to the Xuan Shui Sect to participate in the assessment before, so why did he fail?"

Suddenly, Hong Jinchen asked curiously.

He Qiu hesitated for a moment, and Hong Jinchen noticed this and his face darkened: "Speak freely."

So He Qiu could only carefully recount the whole story, which made Hong Jin Chen's face turn dark.

Snapped!
"These four bastards can't even recruit a disciple properly. Such a good prospect just slipped away right before their eyes. I think they're all blind!"

A bone-forging expert under twenty years old, or even one who has just broken through, is still a visceral refinement expert under twenty years old. Such talent was actually detected as having only average bone structure. Are these academy leaders just sitting around doing nothing?

He Qiu stood aside listening to Hong Jinchen's constant cursing, not daring to say anything.

"Tell them about this operation and make them make amends." After venting his anger, Hong Jinchen said to He Qiu, "Hmph, offending the Xuan Shui Sect deserves to die!"

The moment the word "death" was uttered, a chilling murderous intent filled the air, sending shivers down one's spine.

the other side.

After hesitating for a long time, He Qiu finally found the four leaders of the academy and conveyed the message of the deputy leader Hong Jinchen to them.

The four were horrified to learn that the murderer of Hong Qi was the same guy who had failed the sect's assessment.

The four of them didn't react until He Qiu left.

"Su Chen is Ding Peng, and Ding Peng is the murderer who killed Hong Qi. Everyone, why do I feel that this news brought by He Qiu is so unrealistic?" Hong Zhendong, the head of the Hunyuan Academy, couldn't help but ask.

"Last time he was tested, he was at the Qi Refining stage. How long has it been, and he's already at the Bone Forging stage? How is that possible!" Hong Xuanqing, the head of the Qing Academy, exclaimed in disbelief.

“Unless he’s hiding his strength!” Hong Xuancheng, the head of the Liu Academy, spoke up at the right moment, his eyes lowered, seemingly lost in thought.

"There's no need to discuss a dying man any further. We'll find out everything once we capture him around the middle of the month."

At this moment, Hong Ting, the head of Liyuan Academy, stood up and spoke, her expression slightly unpleasant.

Hong Qi was her younger brother, and now that he had been killed, she felt an indescribable hatred for Su Chen, wishing she could kill him as soon as possible.

The three of them watched Hong Ting's departing figure, exchanged glances, and then left one after another.

Mid-month.

Su Chen spent every day reading medical books and researching the bewitching powder.

After several days of research, progress has not been very significant, but fortunately, a specific research direction has been found. With a little more in-depth research, we may be able to formulate the fourth-generation mind-control powder.

However, he doesn't plan to do any research tonight. Although he might not be able to buy Qi and Blood Pills on the black market, he doesn't intend to give up as long as there is a possibility.

Moreover, some sword techniques can still be purchased on the black market.

Since creating a sword technique using the panel last time, Su Chen has hit a bottleneck. He needs more sword moves to create new sword techniques.

This is to promote the level of sword-drawing techniques.

"Let's go out for a meal first, then change our clothes and go to the black market."

Su Chen put down his medical book, got up, stretched, washed his face, and walked out of the courtyard.

call out!
Just as Su Chen was about to leave, a sharp arrow suddenly shot from not far away, landing straight on the pillar a meter away from Su Chen.

"Who?"

Su Chen quickly spotted a dark figure, paused in surprise, then roared and chased after it like a tiger or leopard.

The man in black was not moving fast, seemingly waiting for Su Chen. After passing through the alley, he slowed down and waited for Su Chen's arrival.

He waited and waited, but still didn't see Su Chen, which made him somewhat suspicious.

He clearly saw Su Chen following behind him, but how could he have disappeared in the blink of an eye?

"Are you looking for me?"

Just as he was wondering, a cold voice rang out from behind him, sending a chill down the spine of the man in black.

Then he felt a gust of wind, and when he turned around abruptly, he saw Su Chen holding a sharp arrow, standing motionless behind him, staring at him with a deep gaze.

"No wonder he's the person who caused such a sensation in Dafeng City."

The man in black moved swiftly, creating distance between himself and Su Chen. He chuckled and said, "Should I call you Su Chen, or Ding Peng? Or perhaps Lu Xiaofeng?"

"I'm curious, since you know my identity, why did you write me this letter asking me to join the City Lord's Mansion?" Su Chen stared intently at the man in black, without answering his question.

"How about this, I'll answer one question for you, and you answer one question for me, shall we?" the man in black said with a smile.

"Deal!" Su Chen nodded.

"To show my sincerity, I'll answer your question first."

The man in black cleared his throat and said, "Because the City Lord's Mansion is short-staffed. Now it's your turn to answer my question."

“You can call me Li Xunhuan!” Su Chen replied.

"real name?"

"The name is just a code name."

"real name?"

Call me whatever you want.

"real name?"

"Su Chen!"

Su Chen finally revealed his real name, since the other party had investigated his identity and couldn't possibly not know his name.

"Why choose me?"

Su Chen looked at the man in black. If he hadn't read the letter, the man might not still be standing here talking to him.

The man in black will be met with a merciless slap.

“You are a talented person. It would be a pity if the Hong family killed you like this. I want you to join the city lord’s mansion, so I came to inform you and show my sincerity. Now that my sincerity has been delivered, what do you think?” the man in black asked with a smile.

"I refuse." Su Chen refused without hesitation.

It was just an invitation in a letter; he couldn't sense much sincerity from it.

The man in black seemed to have expected this and didn't seem to care. Instead, he added, "Don't rush to refuse. Let me finish."

If you join the City Lord's Mansion, we can provide you with cultivation resources and protect you, at least preventing the Hong Clan from openly targeting you.

Even if the Hong family finds out your identity and tries to deal with you, they'll have to consider the weight of our City Lord's Mansion!

Su Chen did not respond.

Seeing this, the man in black compromised and said, "Alright, since you don't want to join the City Lord's Mansion, you can choose to cooperate with us. At least you won't have to worry about resources anymore."

Upon hearing this, Su Chen looked at the other person and asked, "You're being a bit too polite to me. What is your purpose?"

I want to be your friend.

"The truth?" "Actually, I value your talent more."

"truth?"

"You are a talent."

"truth?"

"Okay, all three are true. If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do about it."

The man in black shrugged, indicating that he was not lying.

Su Chen nodded after hearing this, without saying anything more.

For a moment, both sides fell silent.

After a long silence, Su Chen replied, "I will consider it."

After saying that, he prepared to leave, but the man in black saw this and quickly stopped him, saying, "By the way, there's something I need to remind you. Our city lord's mansion was able to find out your identity, and with the Hong family's power, it probably won't be long before they find out too. You need to be prepared and careful."

Su Chen waved his hand and then disappeared into the distance behind the men in black.

The man in black shrugged after seeing this, then turned and left.

"Master!"

When they returned to the city lord's mansion, the man in black had already changed his clothes.

Upon entering the city lord's mansion, the man in black went straight to the study, where his father, Qiao Renzhou, was indeed present.

Before he could speak, Qiao Renzhou said, "Qiliang, I heard you went to see Su Chen?"

He didn't hide the fact that he went to see Su Chen from Qiao Renzhou, so he wasn't surprised that Qiao Renzhou knew.

"Mm." Qiao Qiliang nodded slightly and found a seat.

"How is it?" Qiao Renzhou asked as he looked at the pile of information related to Su Chen that Qiao Qiliang had given him.

“This man is brave and resourceful, and very strong. He may well be able to replace Cai Liuhe, but he seems unwilling to get involved with us and did not agree to join us immediately,” Qiao Qiliang said.

"So what do you think?" Qiao Renzhou asked, looking up.

“I think highly of him and want to be his friend!” Qiao Qiliang said with a smile. “Whether it’s what happened in Baishi City or Cai Liuhe, it shows that he is not an ungrateful person. Such a kind and righteous person is worth befriending.”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Renzhou let out a soft exclamation and looked at Qiao Qiliang with some surprise. He had thought that his son was just interested in talent, but he did not expect that he would want to be friends with Su Chen.

As a father, this was the first time he had ever heard him say such a thing, and he was inevitably a little surprised.

"This is a message from the Hong family. Take a look."

Qiao Renzhou took out a secret letter and handed it to Qiao Qiliang, then observed his reaction and waited for his reply.

After reading the secret letter, Qiao Qiliang's smile vanished. He looked at his father, frowned, and asked, "Is the news true?"

Qiao Renzhou nodded.

"I didn't expect the Hong family to find out Su Chen's identity so quickly!" Qiao Qiliang exclaimed. He thought it would take the Hong family some time to find out.

"The Hong family has already set up an ambush, preparing to capture Su Chen in one fell swoop. If I'm not mistaken, the location is the black market!" Qiao Renzhou said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Qiliang fell silent, but he quickly made a decision.

Seeing this, Qiao Renzhou asked, "What, are you planning to send someone to remind him?"

“No, I plan to go there myself,” Qiao Qiliang said, shaking his head.

"Oh?"

"When making friends, sincerity is essential," Qiao Qiliang grinned.

After saying that, Qiao Qiliang left the study.

……

Night falls.

After finishing his meal, Su Chen changed his clothes and arrived at the black market early.

"Qi and Blood Pills, for sale!"

Not long after entering the black market, Su Chen heard someone shouting, which startled him slightly. Someone in the black market was selling Qi and Blood Pills.
He followed the hawking sounds and soon saw a stall surrounded by a crowd of people, who appeared to be martial artists buying Qi and Blood Pills.

The market had been lacking Qi and Blood Pills for so long, and now that someone is setting up a stall, the number of customers has suddenly increased.

Su Chen stood on the outside and watched for a while. After confirming that the other party was selling genuine Qi and Blood Pills, he asked, "How many Qi and Blood Pills do you have left? What's the price?"

"Three hundred each, how many do you want?" the vendor replied.

Su Chen smiled but didn't say anything.

After most of the customers had left, he finally spoke up: "How much do you have left? I'll take it all."

"There are only five left, totaling 1,500 taels."

"No discount?"

"Then let's make 1,450 taels. I'll head back soon anyway."

"it is good!"

After exchanging money for goods and receiving the Qi and Blood Pill, Su Chen turned and left.

He didn't notice that a pair of insightful eyes were watching him from behind for a long time, until he disappeared into the crowd.

"Another place selling Qi and Blood Pills?"

Su Chen walked to another street and was taken aback when he saw a sign on a small stall.

There weren't many people around the stall. After standing there for a moment, Su Chen stepped forward and asked about the price and quantity of pills.

"Sir, there are three Qi and Blood Pills left. If you want them, I'll give you a discounted price of eight hundred!"

"make a deal!"

Su Chen nodded without hesitation. Although the number was small, every little bit counted, and he wasn't going to let it go.

Afterwards, Su Chen strolled around several more streets and found that almost every street had vendors selling Qi and Blood Pills.

In addition, he also noticed that some of the more remote and obscure stalls had become much more crowded with vendors selling things tonight.

"Strange, why are there so many more vendors tonight?"

Su Chen was a little puzzled, but after scanning around at what they were selling, he suddenly understood.

Some of the items sold by these vendors came from the Liuhe Gang.

"No wonder there are so many vendors selling Qi and Blood Pills tonight. It turns out that the Qi and Blood Pills all come from the Six Harmonies Gang."

Soon, Su Chen finished browsing the black market and bought a total of twenty-two Qi and Blood Pills. It wasn't a huge haul, but it was still pretty good.

"However, it seems there are no stalls available tonight, so I don't know if I can still set up a stall to buy Qi and Blood Pills."

The market is good tonight. There are so many people selling Qi and Blood Pills openly, and there must be even more behind the scenes. If you have a stall, you might be able to buy another batch of Qi and Blood Pills.

"Let's go take a look first!"

Su Chen turned back, intending to see if he could still buy a stall.

Bang!
"Get out of the black market immediately!"

As I was walking, I suddenly bumped into someone. A low voice rang out, and after speaking, the person turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Su Chen touched the slip of paper in his palm, quickly flipped it open, and then glanced at it out of the corner of his eye. The slip of paper read:

"You've been spotted! Get out of here!"

Upon seeing this, Su Chen felt a pang of anxiety, but his expression remained largely unchanged. He tucked the note into his sleeve and walked down the street as if nothing had happened.

After wandering around for a while, he realized something was wrong.

Someone is following him!

He hadn't noticed the crowds in the black market before, but now, by moving around deliberately, he soon spotted several furtive figures following him at a distance.

"Who are these people? And who was the person who just reminded me?"

Many questions popped into Su Chen's mind, and combined with the information on the note, he had a vague guess.

"Could it be that the Hong family has discovered me?"

This startled him; if that were the case, his trip to the black market tonight might not be so easy to escape.

"Regardless of whether it is true or not, don't rush. There are many people here, so they won't make a move for the time being. Let's see if we can take this opportunity to leave!"

Soon, Su Chen made a decision, and then casually strolled around, unintentionally acquiring several incomplete sword technique manuals.

Then, in front of a group of men in black, he walked into a shop.

Not long after, he came out of the shop. He had changed his clothes and his height had also changed.

He swaggered past those men in black right in front of them.

But not long after he stepped out of the black market, he suddenly stopped, turned around and looked to the side, his brows gradually furrowing: "Come out!"

"A reputation is well-deserved; we didn't expect you to discover us after all!"

As soon as he finished speaking, five figures rushed out and surrounded Su Chen.

(End of this chapter)