Chapter 10: Chapter 9 Mr. Mo
Qing Yu pointed at the Douli Man, too shocked to speak.
The Douli Man didn't mind Qing Yu's rude gesture of pointing at him and continued, "I've been watching you for a long time. Since you were exiled to Qing Province Beicang Mountain, I have been paying attention to you. For three years, you've been completely self-reliant, living alone on the mountain. Knowing that there might be people watching from below, you stayed in solitude on the mountain, not daring to come down, and had very little communication with others. Yet, you remained sane. For an ordinary fifteen-year-old child, this is nothing short of a miracle."
After all, humans are social animals. An ordinary fifteen-year-old, no, three years ago you were only twelve. An ordinary twelve-year-old wouldn't normally suspect that there might be people watching from below the mountain, and it would be even harder for them to restrain themselves from descending, preferring to forage in the mountains rather than seek a living below. Not speaking to anyone for three years, a normal child with immature mental faculties would usually go mad, or at best, be unable to carry on a normal conversation.
Only Qing Yu, who carried the mind of a thirty-year-old adult in his heart, occasionally talked to himself to prevent losing his ability to speak.
Qing Yu slowly lowered his finger, suppressed his emotions, and sat back on the stairs. For a moment there, Qing Yu really thought about fleeing on the spot or even launching a sudden attack.
The house arrest in the True Martial Dao Sect, and the experience of confining himself in the broken Taoist temple on Beicang Mountain, had always left Qing Yu feeling very insecure. Suddenly hearing that someone has been silently watching him, Qing Yu completely lost control of his composure. Fortunately, he did not lose all reason and managed to control those impractical thoughts of fleeing and killing.
Taking a deep breath, Qing Yu calmed down, at least outwardly, and asked, "Who are you exactly?" By now, his hand hidden in the sleeve touching the ground was still trembling slightly. To be honest, Qing Yu started to regret his decision of following the Black-clothed Man out of curiosity tonight.
"You may call me Mr. Mo," the Douli Man, no, Mr. Mo's eyes fixed on Qing Yu as if seeing the face of regret beneath Qing Yu's mask, "You don't need to feel regret. Even if you hadn't followed those few people here, there would be others trying to spark your curiosity. To be honest, I arranged several groups of people to stay outside the Shadow Market, cautiously waiting, until I personally took action to finally ease your mind. Such cautiousness, at your age, even in those several years older than you, is truly rare. Even I have to admire it. As you said, the path of the worldly society is long, and no one knows what lies ahead. Those who are careful might not last longer than those who are rash, but they will certainly live longer. So many people show courage only in the moment, reap temporary benefits, and in the end, don't even have a plot for their graves to grow grass on."
Hearing Mr. Mo's words, Qing Yu felt no sense of honor, just shook his head and gave a wry smile. He too wished he could boldly face everything without worry. But the reality was, he had no strength; the weak had no rights, and without strength, so-called courage was nothing more than recklessness. The path of the worldly society is long, and those who make it to the end are not the weak; the weak die along the way. Therefore, after confirming the existence of the Shadow Market, he stepped into Mr. Mo's trap because he could not afford to miss any opportunity to enhance his strength. In essence, it was still his lack of a sense of security.
Qing Yu pulled down his mask; it was of no use anyway. If someone had been watching him for three years, there was nothing left unknown. He pulled it down so he could breathe more easily. 'Wearing this mask is really uncomfortable. I used to think it was pretty cool when watching TV.' Qing Yu tried to calm his anxious, pounding heart by mentally complaining.
Mr. Mo continued, "As for why I've been watching you, it's actually quite coincidental. You were exiled to Qing Province, and I was assigned to manage the Shadow Market between Ling Province and Qing Province."
"What does that have to do with anything? Qing Province is a borderland. Every year, countless criminals are exiled to the frontier." Qing Yu really couldn't help but mock Mr. Mo's words. That is to say, he saw that Mr. Mo had no ill intentions, and thus became bolder in speaking his mind.
"But there was only one disciple of Xuanfa exiled to Qing Province. You probably didn't know, but I was there when Xuanfa took you in."
Qing Yu felt the urge to leap to his feet once more, but having been surprised enough for one day, he managed to remain somewhat composed.
"Back then, I was discussing matters with Xuanfa at the tavern. After we finished talking business and were just chatting, I happened to see you through the window, fighting a stray dog for food. You were bloody from the struggle but still managed to find the chance to blind the dog with your fingers. That ruthlessness and ingenuity caught my eye. Unfortunately, that old guy Xuanfa also took a fancy to you, saying your body was more suited to the cultivation techniques of the True Martial Dao Sect. He even said if his big plan succeeded and if you turned out to be a promising disciple, you could take a seat as the Sect Leader of True Martial Dao Sect."
'They were already planning succession before achieving anything. My master didn't die in vain,' Qing Yu thought unemotionally. As for gratitude, Qing Yu did feel thankful to Xuanfa—although Mr. Mo had said he wished to take Qing Yu in, it was ultimately Xuanfa who did. Without Xuanfa, he wasn't sure he would have survived to this day. As for anything else, Xuanfa became busy with his grand plans shortly after taking Qing Yu in, and Qing Yu hadn't even met his fellow disciples, so naturally, there was no emotional attachment. At most, if he ever became capable, he might avenge Xuanfa.
"Sir, you said you were exiled here. Was it due to my master's involvement?"
"There's no talk of involvement. I had a good relationship with your master. If he had succeeded in becoming the Sect Leader of the True Martial Dao Sect, he would have been a powerful ally for me. Once you decide to take action, you must accept the consequences of failure. At least I was only exiled, not like your master who met with defeat and death."
"Since it was an exile, the Shadow Markets of Qing Province and Ling Province mustn't be very nice places, right?"
Mr. Mo gave Qing Yu a deep look and praised, "You're very clever. Ling Province used to be part of the Daqian Border, and Qing Province is now the new Daqian Border. Borderlands have always been host to large military garrisons. The former Ling Province lacked resources, and not many people frequented its black market—after all, the Miao people and the grassland's nomadic people from the north are different, they don't lack resources like food and minerals, and smuggling to them isn't profitable. But later, after the Miao people's defeat and the ceding of their land to form Qing Province, things changed significantly.
The Southern Border's forests are teeming with countless resources that attract many people to gather them. Despite frequent border-crossing attacks from the Miao people, human greed is not easily deterred. Qing Province is too chaotic, so naturally, most of the resource trading effectively takes place in the once impregnable border fort of Yang City. Under such circumstances, the existence of the Shadow Market becomes necessary."
"With the former border army garrisoned in Qing Province, setting up a Shadow Market is akin to looking for food in a tiger's mouth. Yang City in Ling Province has always been the main camp for the border army. Even though the troops are now stationed in Qing Province, they've left behind a few 'nails,' which are now the Four Great Families of Yang City. The Four Great Families have always controlled the underground trade; our Shadow Market doesn't come into play there.
The Zhen Shan Army now stationed in Qing Province is brimming with formidable warriors. Although the nail families in Yang City are corrupt and in decline, with the most powerful being a mere struggling warrior of the Innate First Layer, if Yang City ever falls into chaos, the Zhen Shan Army won't mind the laws that bar them from leaving their posts. If necessary, the entire army marching into Yang City isn't out of the question."
"So," Mr. Mo looked at Qing Yu, "I need a bit of help."
Chapter 11: Chapter 10 Divided into 64 Parts
"I need a bit of help."
Even though Mr. Mo spoke through the veil hanging from his hat, Qing Yu could feel his piercing gaze. It was clear where the help he mentioned would come from.
Qing Yu was no longer surprised enough to jump to his feet, feeling even the slightest movement might send him flying into the air.
"Mr. Mo," Qing Yu couldn't see his own face, but he could feel its extreme bitterness, "Can't you see that I'm merely at the Postnatal Fourth Realm?"
"I can see not only that you're at the Postnatal Fourth Realm, but also that you haven't opened any of the Twelve Meridians," Mr. Mo slowly stated.
The Extraordinary Meridians and the Twelve Meridians are two systems of energy pathways within the human body. The Extraordinary Meridians govern the flow of Inner Strength, and Internal Cultivation Methods are mostly circulated within these eight pathways. Even some unique and rare techniques require the use of other meridians, though the main circulation stays within the Extraordinary Meridians.
Some complex Absolute Skills or unique martial techniques relate to the Twelve Meridians. However, the Twelve Meridians primarily handle the transmission and operational route of Inner Strength during the execution of martial moves.
Simply put, the Extraordinary Meridians generate Inner Strength, while the Twelve Meridians serve as conduits for deploying the moves. Only by opening the relevant meridians can one unleash the true power of their techniques. For instance, the well-known "Six Meridian Divine Sword" emits invisible Sword Qi through the six meridians on the hand: the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin, the Large Intestine Meridian of Hand-Yangming, the Pericardium Meridian of Hand-Jueyin, the Triple Burner Meridian of Hand-Shaoyang, the Heart Meridian of Hand-Shaoyin, and the Small Intestine Meridian of Hand-Taiyang.
Qing Yu, being new to martial arts, had yet to open the meridians needed for Quanzhen Swordsmanship, Golden Wild Goose Skill, and Divine Transformation, which are all on the arms and legs, limiting his ability to utilize his Inner Strength to less than eighty percent.
"Master's discerning eyes see all. With my humble power, I likely couldn't even compete with the Four Great Families of Yang City, let alone confront the abundance of experts in the Zhen Shan Army," Qing Yu stated.
"Rest assured, being a disciple of Xuanfa, I won't mislead you."
That's hardly comforting, Qing Yu thought to himself, with nothing to say but to shake his head and wryly smile.
"The Four Great Families of Yang City, having grown accustomed to wielding power for years, have likely forgotten they are merely watchdogs guarding treasuries, yet they dare to dip their paws into the treasury. The greatest virtue of a dog is loyalty. What use is a disloyal dog? The Zhen Shan Army has long been dissatisfied with these overly ambitious dogs.
Moreover, those brigands know nothing of commerce. The same goods, when handled by us, could fetch two to three times the price.
I've already made arrangements with the commanding officer of the Zhen Shan Army, 'Lord Zhen Shan' Zhang Huchen, to reopen the Shadow Market and split the profits, sixty-forty. Whether that split is sixty for me and forty for him or the other way around will depend on whether my people can eliminate those four disloyal dogs."
"You could just send someone to directly storm their houses and wipe them out. I imagine you have no shortage of Innate Experts, such as this silent and motionless Black-faced Brother standing beside you," Qing Yu's eyes shifted toward the man in the black mask, who stood as still as a corpse.
Black-faced Brother glanced at Qing Yu, his look chilling. It seemed his naming as 'Black-faced Brother' had struck a nerve, and he was not quite dead after all.
"To win with experts, do I, a castaway to this desolate Shadow Market, have as many as the Zhen Shan Army? These brutes, who only understand force, value cunning over mere martial power. A more cunning approach will make them believe that the benefits I bring far outweigh their clumsy efforts. Thus, I can only resort to using force below the Postnatal Sixth Realm. Only by using a force far inferior to the Four Great Families and defeating them can I prove the superiority of my strategies."
Qing Yu felt a twinge in his teeth. The future profits from the Shadow Market—20%, in and out made a 40% discrepancy—entrusted to him, if he bungled this up, he feared he would have to go down and meet his deceased master and, along the way, get acquainted with his previously unmet deceased senior brothers and sisters.
Mr. Mo ignored the agonized expression on Qing Yu's face and continued, "With such a significant interest, I obviously wouldn't just pick anyone to mess it around. If you do mess it up, I still have a bit of time to find a new candidate, but your outcome probably won't be good either. Of course, if you succeed, your gains will exceed your imagination.
I won't force you, the choice to take on this matter is yours."
'Do I even have a choice? If I refuse and word gets out, letting the Four Great Families catch wind, Postnatal Sixth Realm and still dreaming of overturning heaven? It seems to be a single-choice question. If I decline, I'll really have to go and reunite with my master and the others.' Qing Yu was full of sarcastic thoughts internally, such scenarios he had seen plenty in TV dramas and novels from his previous life—accept and maybe die, refuse and die immediately, truly a dead-end question.
"Mr. Mo is a good friend of my late master, how could the junior refuse to help? This favor, I, Qing Yu, will definitely take on," Qing Yu declared unequivocally, as if the person hesitating and struggling earlier was someone else.
Mr. Mo, too, was stunned by Qing Yu's righteous acting, sizing him up from head to toe, feeling that his three years of attention had been in vain, even emotionless Black-faced Brother couldn't help but give him a sidelong glance.
"By the way, there's some bad news I forgot to tell you."
"Uh," Qing Yu had a bad premonition.
"Your previous guess about Beicang Mountain was correct," Mr. Mo said in a low chuckle, "indeed, someone has been monitoring you, two people, one Postnatal Sixth Realm, and the other Postnatal Seventh Realm. Since you've been quiet these past three years, they've lowered their guard, occasionally going to the Southern Border Secret Forest to gather resources for cultivation. However, in three days, it's their routine check, and they'll definitely return to check your current status.
You're at an age of growing, and your appearance has changed greatly from three years ago. Those two people, it can be said, are the only two Zhenwu Sect disciples who know your current appearance."
"So..." Qing Yu unconsciously narrowed his eyes, hiding the thick killing intent in his sockets.
"So, to live peacefully, those two people must die," Mr. Mo finished Qing Yu's thought.
"This is also a test for you. Prove it to me—prove that you are still that young beggar who caught Xuanfa and my attention back then, prove that these years of laying low haven't truly turned you into a coward."
Qing Yu remained silent, the killing intent in his heart soaring continually. Mr. Mo's shocking bad news ignited the resentment and hostility Qing Yu had accumulated over the years along with deep panic, that kind of life without seeing tomorrow, he never wanted to return to. 'They must die.' His resolve to kill had never been firmer.
Mr. Mo tossed two items towards him, Qing Yu caught them; they were two gourd-shaped small medicinal vials, one purple and one blue.
"The purple vial contains the Meridian Opening Pill, used to clear the Twelve Meridians. The blue vial contains Meridian Opening Pill as well, also used to clear meridians but tailored for the Extraordinary Meridians. These two vials can be considered an advance investment from me; don't let me down," Mr. Mo exclaimed, rising and brushing off the dust, placing his left hand behind his back, striding away, with Black-faced Brother following closely.
Qing Yu stayed in place, his right thumb caressing the pattern on the vials, contemplating as he watched Mr. Mo's retreating figure: "He's had me pegged from the start. Meridian Opening Pill, just for clearing meridians in the Postnatal Realm. His entourage is surely not below Innate, and he himself obviously doesn't need to carry such low-level elixirs. Therefore, these two vials of elixir can only be intended for me.
A disciple of an acquaintance, huh, how ridiculous..."
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