Chapter 61 Obtaining Information

Guided by the beggar, the group carefully followed his steps and finally arrived before an unusually narrow alley.

This alley, sandwiched between two towering yet dilapidated earthen walls, was barely wide enough for a single person to pass through.

The beggar pointed casually at one of the mottled walls and said indifferently, "My friends, step through this wall, and you will reach the black market. However, before entering, this old man kindly advises you to disguise your faces! After all, the black market is filled with all sorts of dubious characters, and nefarious deeds like murder and robbery are commonplace. If you accidentally reveal your true faces, I'm afraid it will invite no small amount of trouble!"

Hearing this, Liu An quickly cupped his fists toward the beggar in a gesture of thanks. Then, he turned to look at Liu Anjian beside him and Du Jin, who was holding the strange, chimeric beast in his arms. Exchanging glances and nodding, the three of them stepped forward one by one toward the wall.

The moment they successfully passed through that seemingly ordinary wall—which actually harbored profound mysteries—the scene unfolding before their eyes was nothing short of astonishing and jaw-dropping!

This mysterious black market felt like another world entirely. Everyone here looked utterly fierce and forbidding, sending a chill down one's spine. Their expressions were either gloomy or crafty, and behind every face seemed to lurk some unknown, unspeakable secret.

The three of them carefully threaded their way through the passageway, which was so narrow it could only accommodate one person at a time.

On both sides of the path were stalls displaying all sorts of bizarre goods. Some vendors shouted out to hawk their wares, while others stood in silent waiting for customers to approach and inquire.

Several stalls were selling weapons of unknown origin. Whether sharp blades or strangely shaped hidden weapons, every single one gleamed with a biting, bone-chilling light, as if they were ready to taste blood and take lives at a moment's notice.

Other stalls secretly traded in rare medicinal herbs, and the air was thick with a strange fragrance that smelled both alluring and perilous.

Just then, a figure draped in a black cloak suddenly entered their field of vision, instantly capturing everyone's attention.

This person was speaking in low tones with several fierce-looking buyers. In his hand, he casually played with a roll of yellowed parchment, his eyes flashing from time to time with a cunning light, as if he had a complete grasp of everything around him.

Judging by all the signs, this person was very likely the intelligence merchant they had been searching for so diligently.

To avoid exposing their true identities, Du Jin, Liu An, and Jian Yi swiftly exchanged glances. With tacit understanding, each employed their own methods to alter their original facial features, pulling out black masks they had prepared in advance to tightly conceal their faces.

With this done, they acted as if nothing was amiss and slowly continued their approach toward the cloaked figure...

The intelligence merchant naturally noticed the three approaching him.

"What information are you three looking to buy from me? My fees are very expensive! If you don't have enough money, don't stand in the way of my business."

The intelligence merchant spoke with blunt directness, entirely devoid of beating around the bush or hypocritical pleasantries.

Du Jin, standing before him, was equally straightforward and unhesitating. "Tell me the exact time and place of the cultivators' gathering. Just name your price!"

The intelligence merchant narrowed his eyes, sizing up the three people before him from top to bottom, as if trying to pierce through their disguises and perceive some hidden secrets.

After a long moment of silence, he slowly raised his right hand and held up three fingers, shaking them slightly.

"Three gold bars. As long as you can produce this amount, I will tell you the relevant news," he said expressionlessly.

However, before Du Jin could reply, Jian Yi, who had long since lost his patience, took a fierce step forward and rebuked loudly, "You greedy profiteer! You're charging three gold bars for a mere piece of news—you're biting off way more than you can chew! Do you really take us for lambs to the slaughter? Believe it or not, I'll use the soul-search technique on you right now and dig the information I want straight out of your mind!"

With that, a powerful aura suddenly erupted from him, and the surrounding air seemed to tremble slightly with his anger.

Faced with Jian Yi's fierce threat, the intelligence merchant remained calm and composed, showing no trace of fear. He chuckled coldly and responded unhurriedly, "Hmph, young man, don't act rashly. This is the black market, and Lord Hu has set the rules here. Regardless of whether you are a cultivator or not, you must obediently abide by them when you come to this place. Otherwise... Hehe, the consequences are not something you can bear." With that, he crossed his arms, assuming a posture of utter fearlessness.

At that exact moment, a crowd of people rushed over aggressively, quickly surrounding Liu An and the others tightly.

Du Jin looked closely, and his heart sank. He could clearly perceive the cultivation levels emanating from these individuals; some were clearly at the second or third realms, while others had reached the fourth.

One had to know that the fourth realm of cultivation could already be considered among the upper echelons of ordinary cultivators. This showed that the local overlord of this black market indeed possessed some strength, being able to recruit and rally so many rogue cultivators to work for him.

Du Jin's expression remained calm and collected as he spoke, "Let's make money through harmony! We'll do things according to the rules: cash on delivery, goods in hand. I have plenty of gold here; just hand over that parchment."

Hearing this, a flash of craftiness crossed the intelligence merchant's eyes. But before he could speak, Du Jin issued a cold warning right after, "I'll put the ugly words out first: if the intelligence you give us is fake, then even if you have this so-called backer Lord Hu and these rogue cultivators backing you up, don't even think about saving your life!"

Hearing these words, the intelligence merchant felt a jolt in his heart. He keenly sensed that the confidence in Du Jin's words was no empty bluff, but rather the assurance of someone who held all the cards.

Consequently, any thoughts he had secretly harbored about playing little tricks vanished instantly without a trace.

After a moment of hesitation, the intelligence merchant gritted his teeth and carefully felt inside his robe, producing a storage pouch. Then, under the watchful gaze of everyone present, he slowly pulled out a yellowed piece of parchment, clutched it tightly in his hand, and stared vigilantly at Du Jin.

At the same time, Du Jin did not hesitate at all. With brisk efficiency, he drew three gleaming gold bars from his robe and arranged them neatly before him.

For a moment, both sides fell into a brief silence, and the atmosphere grew exceptionally tense and heavy...