Yin Yang Soul Searcher

Jia Qingshan left dejectedly, and the hall fell into a long silence.

Bai Jueming broke the silence first: "Brother Shan, you said the Imperial Advisor wanted us to clear his name just so he could stay in the capital?"

"No one knows what the Imperial Advisor is thinking." Li Zhengshan murmured, seeing Bai Jueming's puzzled expression.

Sometimes we don't understand certain decisions because we haven't reached that level of understanding. It's all about exchanging interests, of course, Bai Jueming was referring to the Qing Dynasty in its previous life.

After calming himself down, Bai Jueming said, "Brother Shan, Miss Han and I are going to the black market to see if we can lure Chu Yuanjiang out."

"There are no cases in the Yin-Yang Hall right now, you can go directly there. No need to report to me." Li Zhengshan waved his hand; he had just exhausted a lot of his soul power and wanted to rest. "Just report in advance if there's anything that requires my help."

"Thank you, Brother Shan," Bai Jueming said, walking briskly outside.

"Oh, right, Brother Shan..." Bai Jueming stopped and suddenly remembered something.

"Is this never going to end?" Li Zhengshan rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He realized that ever since Bai Jueming joined the Yin-Yang Palace, he had so many more things to deal with.

"Didn't I save Han Xueshan yesterday? She was injured by a demon cultivator. There are demons lurking in the Treasure Beast Mountain near Xuan Town. She discovered that the demon cultivator had gathered a group of low-level wild beasts, ferocious beasts, from the Treasure Beast Mountain. I don't know what they're doing."

"Demon cultivators?" Li Zhengshan's expression changed drastically. The demon race infiltrating the capital's borders—this was likely no simple matter. Ever since the Imperial Preceptor was injured, various factions had become increasingly restless.

"I will send someone to investigate." Bai Jueming bowed and took his leave.

After seeing Bai Jueming off, Li Zhengshan looked at the candlelit hall, his mind filled with thoughts. The matter of the demon race infiltrating the outskirts of the capital was still unsolved; he could only investigate further before reporting to his superiors.

Back in his room, Bai Jueming saw Han Xueshan sitting on a meditation cushion she had somehow acquired, practicing her breathing exercises.

"Miss Han, we've been delayed for so long. We can set off now." He had expected Han Xueshan to question him about the delay, but instead, she simply nodded. He stopped his breathing exercises.

"Let's go." Han Xueshan got up and walked outside.

"Wait a minute, we need to dress up a bit." Bai Jueming smiled mysteriously and took out two sets of night clothes.

After changing their clothes, the two quietly slipped out of the side door of Zhengshan Hall onto the street.

Night fell like a giant black silk ribbon, gently covering the capital city.

The streets of Beijing remain brightly lit, a blend of bustling activity and tranquility, creating a unique nighttime scene in the capital.

The two walked in the shadows where the lights didn't reach, running continuously towards the outer city gate. There was a curfew in the inner city, around nine o'clock at night, but it wouldn't matter once they were in the outer city.

"Where is the black market? I've never been there before," Han Xueshan's voice whispered from the side.

"Once you leave the outer city, head southwest. That's the ruins of the former capital of the Great Liang Dynasty," Bai Jueming explained in a low voice.

When Emperor Gaozu and two other vassal lords besieged the capital, the last emperor of the Liang Dynasty, Hongzhen, knew that all was lost. He used his great magical power to set the capital ablaze, then destroyed his own cultivation. Emperor Hongzhen and his most beloved fox spirit perished in the flames.

Shortly after capturing the capital, Emperor Gaozu and the two vassal lords began a united front against external enemies. Meanwhile, the ruins of the Liang capital soon sank into the ground due to an earthquake.

After the founding of the Great Xia Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu ordered the reconstruction of a new city nearby, which is now the capital of the Great Xia Dynasty. Meanwhile, the former site of the capital of the Great Liang Dynasty gradually developed into a chaotic black market.

The two walked through the streets and alleys until they arrived at the outer city gate.

The guards noticed the two men's attire and wanted to inspect them, but Bai Jueming handed over the Yin-Yang Palace token.

The armored soldiers, armed with weapons, kindly warned, "Sir, the city gates are about to close." Then they stepped aside to let the two men out of the city.

Bai Jueming knew perfectly well that he would have to spend the night outside the city, even with the Yin-Yang Palace token. He was allowed to leave, but not enter.

Leaving the capital, the two walked quickly, and in about ten minutes, they arrived at the jungle to the southwest. They couldn't ride horses into the jungle, as it was filled with dense thorns, a precaution against the capital's cavalry.

After entering the jungle, Bai Jueming walked ahead, using a stick to pry open the grass, trees, and thorns.

"The ruins of the Great Liang have become the black market of the capital?" Han Xueshan's tone was filled with disbelief. Looking at Bai Jueming through the black veil of her hat, she asked, "Do you think the current imperial court knows about this?"

Bai Jueming turned around and looked at Han Xueshan with the eyes of someone looking at a fool, a hint of pity in his gaze. Bai Jueming wasn't wearing a veil; he was only covering his face with a black cloth.

"You bitch, are you going to talk or not?" Han Xueshan was furious and embarrassed. Bai Jueming looked at her like she was an idiot. Then she broke off a branch and smashed it against the back of Bai Jueming's head.

"I'll talk, I'll talk." Bai Jueming rubbed the back of his head in pain. That damned tomboy was using her magic: "Of course the people in the court know. The reason they don't clean it up is because some officials in the court also hire people here to do dirty work."

"Human trafficking, mineral smuggling, assassinating enemies, selling stolen goods. As long as the price is right, you can find suitable candidates on the black market."

"So every time the imperial court orders the eradication of the black market, the officials just go through the motions and do nothing. The black market operators can hide for a few days and then nothing happens."

"These corrupt officials, drawing salaries from the imperial court while doing such things. Aren't they afraid of divine retribution?" Han Xueshan gritted her teeth, her fists clenched. Then she strode over to Bai Jueming and questioned him, "Did you indiscriminately kill innocent people in the black market?"

"What kind of look is that?" Bai Jueming could sense Han Xueshan's sense of justice as a newcomer to society, and said irritably, "As an eighth-rank Yin-Yang Master, I can only do things like smuggling minerals and selling stolen goods. I make a living with my brain."

The original owner of this body, with a conscience, never engaged in human trafficking. As for assassinating enemies, that was even more out of the question... As for why? Bai Jueming could only say that those who know, know...

The winding path through the jungle, appearing and disappearing in the moonlight, seemed like a mysterious passage leading to an unknown world.

Bai Jueming led Han Xue along a path to the foot of a mountain. The foot of the mountain was relatively sparsely covered with vegetation, with only a few huge rocks standing there.

Under the moonlight, Bai Jueming tapped on the stone with a stick. Han Xueshan stood aside, somewhat puzzled, but did not disturb Bai Jueming.

"Strange, this is the place in the original owner's memories," Bai Jueming murmured to himself. Then, a hollow sound rang out as the wooden stick struck the foot of the mountain—"thud." Found it!

Bai Jueming bent down and moved the disc-shaped stone at his feet. A small opening, just big enough for one person to pass through, appeared underneath.

Bai Jueming called out softly to Han Xueshan, who was not far away, "Miss Han, please go in first." He pointed to the ground beneath his feet.

Han Xueshan came to Bai Jueming's side, glanced at the dark entrance of the cave, and jumped in without saying a word.

Bai Jueming glanced around furtively before jumping in as well. He then poked his head out and put the stone back in its place.

Inside the cave, Han Xueshan lit a fire tinderbox. In the dim light, Bai Jueming felt his way along the dark wall, stopping and starting, until he reached a set of steps. Bai Jueming went down the steps first, with Han Xueshan following closely behind.

What appeared before the two of them was a huge cave.

Stepping into this black market hidden in a cave, a wave of heat mixed with the smell of decay and smoke hits you. The cave walls are jagged with strange rocks, and ruins are everywhere, with layers of collapsed stones piled up.

Torches were stuck in the ruins, their flames leaping and flickering, their light dispelling some of the darkness, yet creating a strange atmosphere of light and shadow interplay within the vast cave space.

In the firelight, the outlines of those ruins resembled ferocious beasts, baring their fangs and claws, ready to devour everything at any moment.

Many people inside were dressed in black and their faces were covered. Clearly, those who came here did not want others to know their true identities.

From their physiques and postures, one can discern a range of individuals, from hunched-over elderly men to robust, strong men.

There were also some elderly women, their faces undisguised and dressed in finery, standing in front of the simple thatched huts.

Bai Jueming and Han Xueshan's arrival went unnoticed. However, as they passed a thatched hut, a brightly dressed older woman winked and struck poses at Bai Jueming.

She said some concerned words: "How is your little brother's physical development? Let your big sister take a look. My technique and skills are excellent." As she spoke, she pulled down her clothes.

Bai Jueming replied with a smile, "Let my sister check it next time. I haven't been in a good mood these past two days."

Han Xueshan, standing nearby, glared fiercely at Bai Jueming and kicked him in the shin. She cursed him inwardly, thinking, "You bastard, you're no good at all."

Just then, the door to the thatched hut behind the old woman opened, and a burly man walked out while pulling up his pants, uttering a string of vulgarities. After saying this, he grabbed her buttocks hard and left.

The old woman wasn't angry and continued to try to sell her products to others.

"Why did you kick me?" Bai Jueming protested in a low voice.

"You bitch, you disgust me!" Han Xueshan's voice was rough, like a burly man's. This was something Bai Jueming had instructed her to change her voice beforehand, prioritizing safety.

Bai Jueming, however, raised a sharp, high-pitched voice: "I'm innocent, Miss Han. I only politely refused. Do you think I'm that kind of person?"

The original owner is still Tong Zikun, and the more you explain, the more confusing it becomes.