"Impressive!"
"Mr. Lin, you must have encountered quite a few bandits on your journey, right? Not only did you return safely, but you also managed to kill them and loot their corpses." Ning Hui gave Lin Zheyu a thumbs up and said.
"It was just luck; they were just some second-rate bandits." Lin Zheyu replied.
"If you’re looking to sell these contraband items, I actually know of a black market at a secret underground location in the Pingnan District of the Outer City." Ning Hui thought for a moment and said.
The black markets in the city are all secretly operated by influential families. It’s likely that the authorities are also involved, turning a blind eye.
Ning Hui’s father used to work as a steward for the Bai Family, overseeing operations related to the black market, so he happened to know quite a bit of insider information.
"Heh, I knew asking you was the right choice." Xie Jiang chuckled and said.
"Where exactly in the Pingnan District? Tell me more specifically." Lin Zheyu asked.
"The location is a bit hard to describe. Do you have a map?" Ning Hui said, "Pen and paper would work too; I can draw it for you."
"Waiter, bring some pen and paper!"
Lin Zheyu immediately called the waiter and asked for some paper and a pen.
Ning Hui took the paper and pen and started drawing, "Here’s the junction between the Pingnan District and the White Mountain District. In this area, there’s a four to five-meter-tall tree, next to a river facing the tree..."
"Find that old house; once inside, there will be guards. If you give the right code, you can enter the underground hideout through a secret passage."
"The black market is only open on the evenings of the 1st and 15th of each month. It’s open as usual on the first day after the New Year, so don’t miss it."
Ning Hui said, handing over the drawn map, which was quite detailed with simple annotations.
"Thanks!"
"This time at Baihua Tower, it’s on me. Enjoy yourselves to the fullest!" Lin Zheyu said with a smile as he put away the map.
"You said it. I want to call for Miss Zhaofeng. She’s always been too expensive for me to afford before." Ning Hui laughed heartily.
"By all means, don’t hold back."
Lin Zheyu said generously.
In return, Xie Jiang and the others often treated him too.
This trip outside the city had been quite fruitful. After selling those pieces of jewelry and numerous poison powders and hidden weapons, he would probably earn more than a hundred taels of silver.
...
The Xing Family Martial Arts Arena.
In the freezing weather, Xing Jing’an was bare-chested, revealing his well-defined muscles, covered in sweat.
"Speak up, what’s the matter?"
Xing Jing’an looked at the Wuding Gang’s underling in front of him.
"Young Master, Lin Zheyu from the Feihong Gang has returned. I saw him enter through the west gate carrying three packages." The Wuding Gang underling reported.
"Returned?"
"Is he injured?" Xing Jing’an asked.
"No injuries, and no signs of battle on his body." The Wuding Gang underling replied.
"You may leave. Send over the person who saw Lin Zheyu that day." Xing Jing’an instructed.
He had inquired with the spies in the city, and no other factions showed any obvious signs of mobilization, not even the Feihong Gang.
His brother Xing Jinglong did indeed chase after Lin Zheyu out of the city that day, otherwise, Xing Jinglong wouldn’t have gone to such a remote place.
Choosing such a secluded location was clearly premeditated.
"The City Guards have no records of mobilization, and the checkpoints and passes outside the city all remained in place that day. There was no deployment due to bandits."
"Could it be that kid has another force behind him, or was it those bandits who acted?"
"Or did someone take this opportunity to target my Xing Family, sparing only that kid to incite conflict between the Xing and Xu Families and take advantage of the chaos?"
Xing Jing’an pondered, his brow slightly furrowed.
He never considered that this could be Lin Zheyu’s doing alone.
In his view, Lin Zheyu was just a minor figure in the Bone Forging Realm, lacking the capability or authority to mobilize so many people.
Someone must be scheming in the shadows.
Xing Jing’an paced back and forth.
...