“You’re saying the underground black market is here?”
Li Mo watched the shabby building in amazement.
It was only around 50 years old, despite its appearance. Broken windows on every floor, fallen plaster, with cracks big and small running up and down the building.
This was a long long forgotten and abandoned place. It may be difficult to accept, but this building should’ve been torn down decades ago.
Hu Dezhi smiled, “Yep, this is the place.”
Hu Dezhi took the lead down the stairs and through a dark tunnel, straight towards a faint light.
The end of the tunnel had an aged clinic, with two steel doors. It even had a slit in it and a sign that read Bai Clan Clinic.
“This is it.” Hu Dezhi took his invitation and presented it at the slit in the metal door.
Soon, a childish voice asked, “How many?”
“Eight people?”
Eight masks came through the slit and eight numbers.
“It is a rule here that anyone who enters must wear a mask and have a number. You can then bind your credit card to this number and pay for anything inside.”
Hu Dezhi split the items to everyone. The masks were the same, with no way to figure out what face hid behind it.
Li Mo had the number 250 and Jiang Xiaomei 69.
The metal door squeaked open.
Li Mo discovered the place was indeed a clinic, from the antiseptic smell assaulting his nose along with the countless bottles strewn around. By the looks of it, this was a traditional Chinese clinic.
The tiny clinic was empty, not even the child who gave them the masks was seen.
“Passing through the clinic, we will arrive at the underground black market.”
Hu Dezhi had a flashlight in his hand and took point.
They ended up in another tunnel, this one damp on top of dark.
Walking forward, the tunnel opened into a wide plaza.
Everywhere were merchants and groups of 3-5 customers around the stalls. What was prevalent though, was that everyone wore masks, even the merchants.
“Damaged ancient immortal’s flying sword, 10 spiritual beads!”
“Qing dynasty’s Kangxi’s golden chopsticks, 50 million RMB!”
“Ancient secret art, Qimen Dunjia(T/N: an ancient form of divination used even in the present. It involves yin and yang, eight trigrams…), for 30 spiritual beads!”
“Warring States period’s intact war chariot, 500 million!”
“The original manuscript of A Dream of Red Mansion(T/N: one of China’s four great novels alongside Romance of the Three Kingdoms), negotiable!”
“Mongol dynasty(T/N: 13-14th century) chinaware, negotiable!”
There were shouts for prices and items put on sale, no different than a flea market.
Hu Dezhi said, “Old sport, do you know why the underground black market exists?”
“You can find anything you want here, illegal or otherwise. You see that Mongol chinaware? If it’s real, it is a national treasure. It wouldn’t be sold on the surface, but here, you can have it, as long as you have the money.”
Li Mo nodded. “I’m curious, who organized this black market?”
He flipped Celestial Eye on for a quick peek and despited finding fakes and real items mixed around, they were far more precious than those revealed at the Priceless Auction.
There was no way the organizer did not have a background to hold such a large scale market.
“Bai clan, the capital’s Bai clan.”
“Is Bai clan well known?”
Li Mo thought of Bai Wudi who said his clan was from the capital.
“Bai Clan Clinic. No one dares to move the sign or look into this building. Old sport, this is all I know. But today, all rests on your eyes.”
Hu Dezhi brought Zhang Ding and Xu Ming as bodyguards. But the one he cared about the most was Li Mo.
Zhang Ding smiled, “Director Hu’s eyes are sharp. A man with a natural mystic eye will feel just at home in here.”
Hu Dezhi was startled, “What’s a mystic eye user?”
Zhang Ding pointed at Li Mo, “He is.”
“Ancient objects release a special aura which a mystic eye user can see. This is his skill.”
Hu Dezhi was stunned.
Li Mo didn’t comment.
Regarding the difference between Celestial Eye and mystic eye, the ignorant Zhang Ding din’t know of. Li Mo didn’t bother pointing it out either.
Zhang Ding felt proud, “Mystic eye is amazing, but a natural mystic eye even more so. It not only allows the user to see items’ auras, but even see monsters and demons.
“But, he-he, it has advantages and disadvantages.”
Zhang Ding didn’t continue which stirred Hu Dezhi’s curiosity, “Celestial Master Zhang, you spoke of its advantages, but what of disadvantages?”
“You’ll know soon enough.” Zhang Ding gave a vague smile.
As Li Mo walked his face lit up in a rare expression of joy.
‘This place sure has many nifty stuff.’
Li Mo gave his number and credit card to Jiang Xiaomei to handle the buying.
There were so many great items around that Li Mo was moved. He wanted to haul them all home!
Li Mo asked, “Brother Hu, I know of money, but what is this spiritual bead they talk of?”
Hu Dezhi lowered his voice, “In this place, spiritual beads are a cut above paper money. There are items money can and can’t buy. Those that it can’t, are only bought with spiritual beads.”
“One million can be exchanged into a low spiritual bead. Most of the spiritual beads in the underground black market are low ones.”
“Old sport, if you want spiritual beads, you can only get them from Bai Clan Clinic. They are the sole producer.”
Zhang Ding smiled, “Ha-ha, a boor from the countryside never seen spiritual beads. Feast your eyes on this.”
Zhang Ding took out a dull white bead.
This bead was formed from concentrated spiritual qi, although its quality left much to be desired, i.e. dull white in color.
“This is a million!”
“This spiritual bead I got from the underground black market in Yingtan City, where I bought the seal. It is the unvarnished truth, genuine.”
Zhang Ding snickered, “What to see it closer? If you want, I will lend it for a look.”
Li Mo said to Jiang Xiaomei, “Exchange for ten spiritual beads.”
Jiang Xiaomei left and was soon back with ten spiritual beads.
Zhang Ding’s smile froze.
Li Mo looked at the spiritual bead closer and smiled.
It was made in the exact same way as his blue qi beads, but the quality was heaven and earth apart. One of Li Mo’s beads was worth a hundred of these dull white ones.
Though there was one difference among them. The Bai clan wrapped the spiritual bead in a film. He squeezed and found it weak. A bit more stronger and it would break. Pff~
The spiritual bead broke and a white spiritual qi floated out.
Li Mo didn’t much care while Zhang Ding rushed over and sucked the white spiritual qi through the nose.
“A boor is a boor. Do you have any idea how precious this spiritual qi is? This breath alone is worth five days of secluded meditation!”
Li Mo understood.
Why had the Bai clan covered the spiritual beads in a film? It was because they were so inferior they couldn’t even condense spiritual qi. Without the film, the spiritual qi would’ve long had dissipated.
Li Mo smiled.
Speaking of money, he was running low ever since he bought the cold jade. But when it came to spiritual beads, he could have as many as he wanted.
“You ruined a treasure and still smile? A boor through and through!”
Zhang Ding abhorred Li Mo’s expression.
Li Mo tapped his palm with his fist.
He suddenly realized the downside to all this. His spiritual bead was far too good a quality than Bai clan’s.
Wasn’t he showing off a tad too much by taking it out?
“Hey, now you regret it?” Zhang Ding mocked him.
Li Mo ignored him, “Brother Hu, what of high spiritual beads?”
“Ten low spiritual beads can exchange for a mid one, and ten mid spiritual beads for a high spiritual bead.”
A hundred low spiritual beads for one high. If it were changed into money, that would make for a 100 million!
“I only have one of high quality.”
Hu Dezhi carefully took out the high spiritual bead.
The difference in quality was unbelievable. It still had a protective film, but the inside was pure, raw spiritual qi.
Zhang Ding swallowed dryly at the sight.
If he could absorb all that spiritual qi, that would save him two years of cultivation!
“Bai clan said that taking this spiritual qi on a regular basis will increase one’s life. One is useless as trash, but having them every so often, daily even, s***! Who would suck up a hundred million a day?!” Hu Dezhi cursed.
Li Mo watched the high spiritual bead vexed.
Not even this spiritual bead could compare with the one he refined.
Zhang Ding incited, “Boor, this is a marvelous item. Since you have money to buy low spiritual beads, then why not go out there and buy ten high ones? They’re cheap too, only a billion.”
“That’s it!” Li Mo tapped his palm with his fist.
“Xiaomei, go and exchange.”
