Second Senior Sister Has A Highly Dangerous Profession - Chapter 50
Chapter 50
Tan Mingtang smoothly said, “I don’t need food or lodging, nor do I plan to scale mountains or sail the seas. I simply want to walk a path.”
The attendant flicked his sleeve and replied, “Oh? Now that’s curious. May I ask which path?”
But instead of quoting the phrase Yi Zui had once said, Tan Mingtang changed it to, “The path where fallen petals flutter.”
“So it’s that path! Say no more, follow me!” The attendant smiled widely, raised his voice, and swiftly led the way, “This way, please!”
The gambling dens aren’t much different anywhere in the world.
Even the martial artists lined up along the walls seem identical.
The attendant skillfully guided the two of them through the crowd.
Last time, Yu Xizhi couldn’t help but look around, but this time she was more seasoned, taking only a quick glance.
Then, she sent a message using her spiritual energy, “Senior Sister, what’s the difference between the path of fallen petals and the one of blooming flowers?”
“You may not know,” Tan Mingtang explained, “but the black market has three main roads: one called ‘blooming flowers,’ another ‘a sea of vibrant hues,’ and the last ‘fallen petals fluttering.’ You’ve seen ‘blooming flowers’—neat and proper, the most refined road in the black market. ‘A sea of vibrant hues’ is the public auction area, where people auction anything from the socks of Kunwu Mountain Sect’s junior uncle to heaven-grade treasures hidden from the world. As for ‘fallen petals fluttering’…”
She smiled brightly, “See for yourself.”
As she spoke, the path suddenly opened up.
Rows of open stalls stretched ahead, each manned by someone—some with hoods, others without.
But whether those faces were truly their own was another question.
Many casual cultivators bustled among them, stopping here and there to haggle.
“Three low-grade spirit stones! Final price. Little brother, you look like you know quality when you see it. Black market ties us together; cherish this fate!”
“Five spirit stones? That’s too much! One stone—take it or leave it.”
“Why would I lie? It’s genuine. This is a single ‘Dream-induction Pill’ from a set of ten! What? Will it definitely induce meditation? Why don’t you ask if it guarantees you enlightenment? Buy it or not, your call.”
…
The voices of multiple stall owners blended together.
Yu Xizhi immediately spotted that the so-called ‘Dream-induction Pill’ was fake.
She mused to herself that beyond the usual deceptions, people were now even selling single pills from sets.
The adaptability of these traders was impressive.
Perhaps it was the bustling marketplace atmosphere and the wave of haggling and false claims that overwhelmed her senses.
Yu Xizhi found herself first comparing it to a vegetable market, then suddenly turned to Tan Mingtang and said, “Wait, what did you say about the junior uncle’s socks?”
Tan Mingtang wore a surprised expression.
“What’s wrong with socks? Surely he wears socks, doesn’t he?”
Yu Xizhi: …?
Not that he doesn’t.
The girl couldn’t quite describe her feelings.
As they walked along, her thoughts began to drift—wondering whether Xie Junzhi wore socks and, if so, what color they might be.
The more she thought, the more off-track her mind wandered.
Socks were personal, after all, and besides socks, other personal items could come to mind…
“Guaranteed genuine! You name it—whatever item from Kunwu Mountain Sect’s junior uncle you’re after. Even his…”
The burly casual cultivator lowered his voice with a smirk, “Underwear, I’ve got it.”
Yu Xizhi bit her lip, resisting the urge to glance in that direction.
But as she barely turned her head, a sharp tug on her hair brought a sting.
Xiao Zhizhi, with a blank expression, was pulling on her hair.
“What are you trying to look at?”
Though Xiao Zhizhi’s voice was still somewhat childish, the cold tone made him seem just like Xie Junzhi himself.
Startled, Yu Xizhi quickly faced forward, walking straight ahead, her heart pounding—feeling as if she’d been caught in the act by the very person she had been thinking about.
She remained silent, and Xiao Zhizhi let out a cold laugh, “If you have the guts, turn around; you have the guts to answer.”
Yu Xizhi desperately wanted to reply with something bold like, “I want to see the junior uncle’s underwear,” but as the words formed, she realized that she didn’t have the ability to say it even if she was just facing Xiao Zhizhi. So she stayed quiet, barely closing her mouth.
The ‘Fallen Petals Fluttering’ road of the black market was indeed lively.
Buyers and sellers engaged face-to-face, with real and fake goods alike up for sale, leaving everything to one’s own discerning eye.
The stalls were set up by the black market itself—first come, first served—though those who didn’t get a stall simply squatted by the roadside, laying out their treasures on straw mats.
Initially, Yu Xizhi thought that such casual displays wouldn’t offer much of value, but after a quick look, she was surprised to find some impressive items.
“Casual cultivators often possess spiritual treasures acquired through less-than-honorable means. To avoid revealing their identities, they’re eager to sell. Even if you find something you like, it’s best not to buy. Some of these items belong to disciples of the Five Sects and Three Paths, and if you’re caught with one, it’ll be hard to explain—claiming you didn’t steal it doesn’t carry much weight. It’s all a murky business.”
Tan Mingtang added, “That’s why I usually come here to sell rather than buy.”
Her words made sense, and Yu Xizhi, now even more cautious, took them to heart.
As they continued down the path, Yu Xizhi encountered stalls selling all sorts of things—fake single ‘Dream-induction Pills,’ Kunwu Mountain Sect’s senior brother Yu Si’s replica purple jade hairpins, and even personal items said to belong to the junior uncle.
Beyond these, knockoff items associated with prominent disciples from the Five Sects and Three Paths were also abundant.
Yu Xizhi thought she’d heard Tan Mingtang’s name at least seven or eight times. Everyone claimed they were selling “Senior Sister Tan’s handmade pills,” but the girl walking beside her remained unfazed, clearly used to it by now.
Their visit to the black market wasn’t just a spontaneous trip, of course. They had more important matters at hand.
Tan Mingtang, well-versed in navigating the market, found a person dressed in a steward’s uniform, showed them a black token from her wrist, and was quickly led to a small room on the side of the market.
The official served them tea and snacks and took the black token for verification. When he returned, his smile was even wider than before. “Which of you might be Little Immortal Xia?”
“Her.”
“It’s her.”
Both voices rang out simultaneously, as Yu Xizhi and Tan Mingtang pointed at each other.
After a brief moment of mutual awkwardness, they retracted their hands and said in unison, “We both are. My surname is Xia.”
Tan Mingtang added, “I’m also Xia.”
Yu Xizhi feigned exaggerated surprise, “Wow, what a coincidence!”
The steward: …
Fortunately, the steward was well-versed in such matters and maintained his smile, saying, “It’s just as well for Immortal Xia to know—the sales of the Dream Induction Pills have been excellent. We’ve already received hundreds of new orders. Besides that…”
He respectfully presented a qiankun pouch, but Yu Xizhi didn’t accept it, instead gesturing for him to place it on the table in front of her.
“What is this?” she asked.
“The Meditation Pill you provided helped our young master enter deep meditation and successfully form his core. This is a small token of thanks from my master. It’s not much, but we hope Immortal Xia will kindly accept it.”
The steward smiled as he explained, “Our young master had been stuck at the Foundation Establishment stage for over forty years, and now, having finally succeeded, he is ready to embark on the next chapter for ‘Overseeing the World’ (fu tianxia). My master said that this token of thanks is but a drop in the ocean, and in the future, should any good opportunities arise, Little Immortal Xia will surely be included.”
“Then I will leave it in your capable hands,” Yu Xizhi responded without hesitation.
Her ten-draw pill system was not without some sense of conscience—she ensured that each batch of ten pills contained at least one nearly guaranteed success pill.
And now, it seemed, the effect of that single pill was starting to show results.
After reviewing the latest orders with Tan Mingtang, Yu Xizhi, of course, couldn’t directly accept an order for eight hundred Meditation Pills all at once.
Instead, she agreed to fulfill only two hundred for now and explained to the steward the principle of scarcity-based marketing, limiting the supply to create demand.
The steward, being quick-witted, immediately grasped the concept and rushed off to report back.
When the steward returned, beaming, he handed over another qiankun pouch containing the spirit stones from the last sales, which Yu Xizhi carefully counted. Only then did Tan Mingtang speak up, “I have something else I wish to inquire about.”
The steward’s eyes gleamed, “Regular information costs ten high-grade spirit stones per tip. As for special information… that depends on just how special it is. Of course, black token holders enjoy a 20% discount.”
Yu Xizhi smiled slightly, “It’s not particularly special.”
As she spoke, she pulled out a box of Dream-induction Pills from her sleeve and placed it on the table. “I’d like you to help me find out who handled this batch of Meditation Pills and, ultimately, who bought it.”
It turned out to be the exact batch of Meditation Pills that Xia Yiyao had given to Yu Si.
