Yin Yang Soul Searcher

Bai Jueming led Han Xueshan through a hole and arrived at a huge square on the other side of the black market.

The square was filled with people who came to trade. Sellers who came to sell stolen goods usually carried a black cloth covered with all sorts of stolen items.

There are priceless porcelain pieces, antiques with hidden secrets, and strangely shaped herbs. The seller sets up the goods and squats down, waiting for people who want to buy them to come and make a deal.

Bai Jueming kindly reminded her, "Miss Han, many things here are fake. Be careful when buying anything you want."

Han Xueshan curled her lip in disdain: "I can tell too, but why would they still bring in and sell things that are obviously fake?"

"Of course, it's to scam those newbies who've just entered the cultivation world. There are always some arrogant newbies who will fall for it." As he spoke, Bai Jueming secretly pointed to the stall owner squatting to the side. The stall was filled with all sorts of strange and unusual things, made of wood and stone.

Bai Jueming lowered his voice and said, "That guy is a complete fraud, scamming those who are new to cultivation and don't know anything. He claims that there is some true energy injected by a high-level cultivator, saying that it can save their lives in critical moments."

"Won't he get beaten to death for lying like that?" Han Xueshan was a little surprised. How could anyone believe such nonsense?

"No, no," Bai Jueming shook his head vigorously. "Once things are sold here, they cannot be returned or exchanged. You deserve to be cheated because you didn't have a good eye."

"If you dare to retaliate in the black market, you'll have to ask the people there if they'll allow it." Bai Jueming pointed to the center of the square.

Following Bai Jueming's pointing finger, Han Xueshan saw a wooden pavilion in the center of the square, with a circle of scarlet lanterns hanging from the eaves, resembling the gaping maw of a wild beast.

"That's where the black market collects protection money. If anyone causes trouble in the black market, the owner of the attic will take care of them," Bai Jueming explained.

The fact that someone could build a loft in a place like the black market speaks volumes about the power of the mastermind behind it.

"Who owns the attic? Have you ever seen it?" Han Xueshan asked softly.

Bai Jueming shook his head. "I've never seen it. I've only heard that the owner of the pavilion is a third-rank expert, already a top-tier expert among rogue cultivators."

As they spoke, the two had already reached the door of the attic. At that moment, Bai Jueming heard the voice of a familiar person.

"This herb is only twenty years old, and you dare to sell it to me for five hundred taels?" The speaker was clearly angry; the stall owner obviously thought he was being ripped off.

Bai Jueming looked down at the stall and saw the person buying medicine squatting in front of a skinny, middle-aged man's stall, holding a herb in his hand. Behind him was a petite woman dressed in black.

Bai Jueming gestured for Han Xueshan to wait there for a moment while he went to greet his acquaintances.

Han Xueshan didn't speak, but she was a little puzzled. Wasn't he supposed to keep his identity hidden this time? How dare he go over and greet him?

Bai Jueming quietly walked up behind the two of them and suddenly whispered, "The osmanthus cake smells so good!" This is the most famous dessert of Tangxinzhai, and it can usually only be bought during the time when osmanthus flowers are in full bloom.

As expected, the petite woman in black turned around and looked at Bai Jueming in an instant. Her clear, spring-like eyes were filled with longing.

Alright, the two disciples from the Craftsmen's Hall. Cheng Yanbing, Tang Weiwei!

Bai Jueming subtly avoided Tang Weiwei's gaze and stood aside watching Cheng Yanbing haggle over the price.

Tang Weiwei rolled her eyes speechlessly at the masked man spouting nonsense. "Ugh, the black market really does have all sorts of bad people," she thought, moving closer to her senior brother, Bai Jueming, and distancing herself from him.

After some haggling, Cheng Yanbing finally bought the herb at half price from the stall.

The skinny boss looked like he was being taken advantage of. He reluctantly reached out and took the silver note, then took a piece of black cloth from behind him, wrapped the herb three times inside and out, and handed it to Cheng Yanbing.

He kindly reminded you, "Don't flaunt your wealth; don't let others see it. This black cloth can block the scent of the herbs; consider it a gift."

Cheng Yanbing thought to herself, "The boss is not bad. He knows how to consider the customer's needs." After receiving the herbs, Cheng Yanbing was about to get up and leave.

At this moment, a hand was placed on Cheng Yanbing's shoulder, Bai Jueming pressed down on his shoulder, and squatted down to say, "Brother Li, don't be in such a hurry to leave."

Bai Jueming deliberately addressed Cheng Yanbing as "Brother Li," and the Yin-Yang Palace token hidden in his sleeve vanished in a flash. Cheng Yanbing understood immediately; he had run into an acquaintance.

Standing at the back, Tang Weiwei blinked her big eyes, somewhat puzzled. "Senior brother has a wide network of connections, huh? Hiding with black market swindlers behind Master's back? Aren't you afraid of getting a beating from Master?"

Bai Jueming took the herbs from Cheng Yanbing, and the herb seller looked somewhat uneasy.

Then, in front of the three of them, Bai Jueming peeled off the layers of black cloth covering the herbs.

A miracle occurred: the tender green herbs that the shopkeeper had just wrapped up turned a yellowish-brown, and all their medicinal fragrance vanished. They had clearly become ordinary herbs.

Bai Jueming casually tossed the herbs at the boss's feet, a smirk playing on his lips as he said mockingly, "Boss, explain yourself."

The skinny boss looked at the herb, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty. He'd encountered a master.

Cheng Yanbing's eyes widened in disbelief. He'd been tricked! He'd dedicated nearly a decade to studying herbs, becoming the second-highest ranked herbalist in the Craftsmen's Hall after his master, and yet he'd been completely fooled! This was an absolute joke!

Tang Weiwei's eyes lit up; her senior brother had been tricked. How rare!

"You seem to be a frequent dealer on the black market." The skinny boss stared intently at Bai Jueming, trying to figure out which acquaintance had seen through his trick.

"You flatter me, you flatter me." Bai Jueming cupped his hands in greeting. "I'm just trying to make a living. Everyone in the black market knows that Mr. Hou used to be a street performer."

"Logically speaking, black market transactions are based on skill. I shouldn't have exposed Mr. Hou's skills, but this Brother Li and I have a life-or-death friendship. I hope Brother Hou will understand."

Bai Jueming looked up and met the boss's gaze, his eyes showing no fear. "I have a sixth-rank expert backing me up today, why would I be afraid of you?"

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward. The skinny boss stared intently at Bai Jueming's face, trying to figure out who he was. Unfortunately, Bai Jueming was already disguised, with a black cloth covering his face, making him unrecognizable.

In an instant, the skinny boss, disregarding all martial ethics, swiftly reached out with his hook-like claws to remove the black cloth from Bai Jueming's face.

"Fuck!" Bai Jueming blurted out, then fell backward.

Cheng Yanbing, quick-witted and agile, seized the skinny monkey's outstretched hand. The skinny monkey boss felt his arm locked in iron shackles, unable to move. He was terrified; this was a master.

Cheng Yanbing's eyes were unfriendly as he stared intently at the skinny boss's face, slowly bending his outstretched hand away. He said, "You dare to lay a hand on me?"

The skinny boss was sweating profusely from the pain, and he shouted, "Hero, hero, spare my life!"

The boss's screams drew frequent glances from bystanders in the black market, but the cold-hearted people there paid no attention. If you couldn't beat the attic boss, it was best not to cause trouble here.

Hearing the scream, Han Xueshan, who was standing beside the attic, turned around and saw Bai Jueming lying on the ground. She quickly went over and helped him up. "Are you alright?"

"Good morning, you scared the hell out of me." Bai Jueming patted his chest to reassure Han Xueshan that he was alright. That scoundrel, a sixth-rank martial artist, attacked him with zero frames of attack. Luckily, Cheng Yanbing wasn't someone to be trifled with.

Bai Jueming patted Cheng Yanbing's arm: "Brother Li, give him a chance."

Cheng Yanbing saw that Bai Jueming was unharmed, grabbed the boss's hand and flung it away without breaking it.

The skinny boss shook his wrist, cold sweat pouring down his face, enduring the pain.

"Boss Hou, we have no intention of causing trouble. You either return my brother Li's money, or you bring out the real herbs for the transaction." Bai Jueming pointed to Cheng Yanbing beside him. "You have seen my brother Li's strength. Violence will not work."

Boss Hou clutched his wrist, remaining silent as he weighed the pros and cons in his mind. "I'll give you the real herbs, but add another fifty taels. Otherwise, you're welcome to kill me right here."

"Brother Cheng, what do you think?"

"I want to know, when I was examining the herbs just now, were you using real herbs or fake herbs?" Cheng Yanbing asked with a serious expression.

Tang Weiwei, standing to the side, covered her mouth, wanting to laugh.

"Is this important to you?" Bai Jueming wondered. This was clearly not the point.

"It's true." Boss Hou was very unhappy, but he still patiently explained, "I switched the real herbs with the black package. He just said that I used to be a street performer. It's just some small tricks."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Yanbing visibly breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, he hadn't misjudged him. He then casually pulled out a fifty-tael silver note and tossed it to Boss Hou: "Give it to me."

Without wasting words, the skinny boss pulled out a piece of black cloth from his almost broken sleeve. In front of everyone, he peeled back the layers of the black cloth, revealing the tender green herb that had been there.

"Here you go, payment settled." Boss Hou tossed the herbs over.

Cheng Yanbing took the herbs and began to examine them carefully. After confirming that there were no problems, he nodded to Bai Jueming.

Bai Jueming smiled and bowed in thanks, saying, "Boss Hou is very generous."