Chapter 9: Chapter 8: Black Market
After the huge sale, Su Jie did not stay at the bustling sales office but instead drove his BMW M8 to the outskirts, to the South Bridge Logistics Center where he had rented a new warehouse.
Chen Yaoguang was already waiting there and wasn't surprised to see Su Jie driving up in the BMW.
After all, anyone who didn't blink at spending three million to buy his venue, this young man about the same age as his daughter, clearly had a wealth that was anything but ordinary; driving a BMW was only to be expected.
"Old Chen, did you bring the goods I asked you to prepare?"
Su Jie parked the car and walked toward Chen Yaoguang.
"I've brought them all, Boss Su. Take a look, this small truck is filled with scorpions that I captured with a few workers this morning, a total of thirty thousand."
Chen Yaoguang quickly opened the tailgate of the small truck, revealing several neatly arranged boxes.
"Hmm, unload the goods into the warehouse. From now on, come to the warehouse every day and deliver fifty thousand scorpions. I'll give you a key to the warehouse door, and you just send me a message on my phone after you're done loading and unloading."
Su Jie gestured with his hand. This remote location of the warehouse was suitable for the thousand-hand centipede's feeding.
Chen Yaoguang unloaded all the scorpions from the truck into the warehouse, avoiding any unnecessary conversation throughout the process.
Though he was curious about how Su Jie would manage to sell the scorpions,
he wouldn't ask if Su Jie didn't mention it, lest Su Jie think he had ulterior motives.
Once Chen Yaoguang had driven the small truck away, Su Jie locked up the warehouse door and released the exceptionally hungry thousand-hand centipede.
In just an instant, the thirty thousand scorpions acted as if they had encountered a natural predator, frantically crawling wildly inside their boxes.
After refining, the thousand-hand centipede had grown to a length of 1.2 meters and had developed a huge appetite. Seeing the scorpions excitedly shaking their antennae, it went into a frenzied killing spree, devouring the scorpions one by one.
Su Jie stood quietly on the side, watching. The weight of the thirty thousand scorpions exceeded one hundred kilograms, which was enough to satisfy the appetite of the thousand-hand centipede.
It was fortunate that he was on Blue Star. If it were in the Tianyuan World, no amount of effort could allow him to capture so many poisonous insects.
Although the scorpions were of low quality, their sheer quantity provided plenty of sustenance—even the inner disciples and Elders of Ghost Ridge Palace cultivating poisonous insects might not be able to fill their bellies as well.
The technology and productivity of modern society were undeniably evident at this moment.
With a stable supply of poisonous insects, Su Jie spent the next several days immersed in cultivation.
.....
Time flew by!
A week later.
Tianyuan World, Ghost Ridge Palace.
The autumn wind was getting harsher, the grass and trees were swaying, and many of the poisonous insects between the trees had entered hibernation, reducing their activity.
Su Jie stepped out from the ancient mirror, looked at the room covered with dust, and let out a long breath of turbid air, saying, "My strength has been consolidated. With the low-grade, first-refined thousand-hand centipede, now I have a bit of self-preservation ability among the outer disciples of Ghost Ridge Palace."
Thanks to the growth of the thousand-hand centipede, which had yielded cultivation benefits, Su Jie thoroughly consolidated the foundation of his recent breakthrough in one week.
Sizzle.
The thousand-hand centipede perched on Su Jie's shoulder raised its head and made a joyful noise.
The abundant spiritual energy of the Tianyuan World made it feel comfortable and at ease.
"Good, good, I'll take you to play in the forest in a while."
Su Jie stroked the head of the Thousand-Handed Centipede. Over the week, with his daily feeding of tens of thousands of scorpions, the centipede had also grown significantly, its body length breaking through to one and a half meters, looking extremely robust and fierce.
He then coiled the Thousand-Handed Centipede around his waist and abdomen. This not only served as biological armor but also allowed it to attack immediately in battle.
Dressed in the standardized black robe of an Outer Disciple of the Ghost Ridge Palace, Su Jie pushed open the stone door of his cave dwelling that had been sealed for a week.
"Oh, Brother Su, you've come out of seclusion!"
Just as he stepped out of the cave, his neighbor Peng Shiwen, hearing the movement, greeted Su Jie.
"Yes, after all, my strength is too weak. I must cultivate properly and can't always be busy catching insects."
Su Jie replied with a smile. Seclusions were common, but Outer Disciples needed to keep busy with livelihoods and could not dedicate themselves entirely to cultivation.
"Catching insects is not bad, it's just that recently it has become difficult for me even to want to catch any."
Peng Shiwen chuckled bitterly and pointed to his left leg, explaining, "Yesterday, I was bitten by a Tuo Head Snake in Insect Valley. I can't engage in strenuous activities for some days; it's quite inconvenient to search for insects in the mountains."
"That's a bit of bad luck, aren't you going to find some medicine?"
"I was just about to take a trip to the Black Market to get some. Want to join me?"
"Sure, I'm also going to sell some Poisonous Insects."
Su Jie went back inside to get ready and soon came out carrying a bamboo basket on his back.
The two left the Ghost Ridge Palace premises and walked along a narrow mountain path for some distance.
Along the way, they occasionally saw other Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples, all hurrying along with grim faces. Although they were from the same sect, they were colder than strangers.
A moment later, Su Jie and Peng Shiwen arrived at a market deep in the mountains.
The market was crudely made of trees right there, but it was crowded with people.
Apart from the Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples, there were also many merchants dressed in silk, coming and going with their caravans.
This was the Ghost Ridge Black Market. The Ghost Ridge Palace was a notorious Demon Sect, but whether in the Tianyuan World or on Blue Star, as long as there were sufficient profits, merchants were willing to take risks, even risking their lives.
For profit, merchants from outside continuously supplied various goods to the Ghost Ridge Palace and then bought its resources cheaply.
This cycle of buying low and selling high was lucrative enough to turn heads.
So, despite the explicit prohibition against dealing with Demon Sects, a continuous stream of merchants still came to trade.
Upon entering the Black Market, Su Jie and Peng Shiwen temporarily separated.
Peng Shiwen went to find a pharmacy to get medicine, while Su Jie hurried to sell the poison insects he had caught in Insect Valley some time ago.
The Black Market was much busier than the outside world, with merchants loudly advertising their wares, and Ghost Ridge Palace Disciples lingering in front of Spirit Pills, Magic Artifacts, Spiritual Materials, and other cultivation items.
Especially those large shops, which sold highly valuable items. The firms that could open such shops were famous even outside, guarded by cultivators from the Secret Realm.
"Nine-grade Tianji Spirit Gathering Pills, fifty Blood Marrow Crystals each, can regenerate flesh, stop bleeding, and heal injuries rapidly. Buying it is like having an extra life."
"Solanum Soil from Yun Province, ideal for digging-type Poisonous Insects, 15 Blood Marrow Crystals per pound."
"Earth Melt Fruit, a Ninth-Grade Spirit Fruit, when consumed by Fire Attribute poisonous insects, can greatly enhance the foundation for breaking through Spirit Refining. Don't miss out as you pass by."
Servants distributed flyers at the roadside, calling out their wares, making one think they were in a bustling town rather than a lair crowded with cruel Evil Cultivators.
Su Jie enviously glanced at those treasures radiating spirit light, knowing that they were beyond his reach for now.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone