Chapter 89: Going to the Black Market, Encounter with an Acquaintance
Afterward, Little Sparrow actually nodded its head.
Little Sparrow could understand human speech, Lin Jing knew.
But what he had just said was rather complex; whether Little Sparrow truly comprehended Lin Jing’s meaning was something he wasn’t sure of.
Next, Lin Jing didn’t trouble it further and let it eat.
Despite its small size, Little Sparrow ate with astonishing speed.
In no time at all, Little Sparrow had finished eating and then followed Huang Qingling away.
After Huang Qingling left, Lin Jing waited a while longer before he set out again.
As soon as the tide of Demonic Beasts had ended, the Inner Fang Market’s grand formation had been shut down.
The announcements previously released by the marketplace had also been long canceled.
Now, just like before, those from the outer marketplace could freely enter and leave the Inner Fang Market.
However, there were still not many people remaining within the Inner Fang Market at this time.
Having exited the Inner Fang Market, Lin Jing walked toward the edge of the marketplace.
Before long, he arrived at Shiyu Lane, the very place where he had agreed to meet Wei Zhengqing for the first time when he entered the black market.
However, it had been a long time since he last visited, and the alley had undergone significant changes, almost making Lin Jing think he had taken a wrong turn.
The alley no longer bore its previous shattered appearance.
Row upon row of courtyards were neatly arranged; if one looked closely, it wasn’t difficult to discover that these courtyards must have been recently renovated.
There were even several households where lights shone from within, making it clear that people were living there.
Lin Jing took a few more steps inside and only then saw that the courtyard where the Teleportation Array used to be had also been renovated and that a faint light was visible from inside.
It seemed that the entrance here had been abandoned; otherwise, it shouldn’t be inhabited.
Lin Jing shook his head, feeling helpless, and then turned around to leave.
Next, he returned to Shengyuan Gambling House and knocked on the door.
Just like before, a man answered the door and let him in.
The gambling house was as bustling and brightly lit as always, with the Cultivators inside indulging themselves just as mortals would.
The only difference was that while mortals gambled with gold and silver, Cultivators gambled with Spirit Stones.
Lin Jing passed through the gambling house and exited through the back door, where he saw Yuebaolou, adorned with large red lanterns.
Yuebaolou was also the same as before, unchanged, except that its entrance was obscured by curtains, hiding the scene within.
Lin Jing walked forward until he arrived next to the narrow path leading to the Teleportation Array and stepped onto it.
After walkinz for a while, he reached a small bamboo zrove; the zrass around it
was overgrown and had turned yellow, and even inside the bamboo grove, the ground was fully covered in fallen leaves.
It looked as though no one had been there for quite some time.
But this place had always been like this, rarely visited by anyone, so Lin Jing didn’t pay it much mind.
He walked in and swept aside the accumulated leaves on the ground, but failed to find the Formation.
Looking down carefully, he could still see traces where the Formation once was on the ground, though they had grown somewhat indistinct. It seemed that this Formation had been dismantled some time ago.
“This is already the second one…”
Lin Jing frowned and walked back outside.
Having not visited the black market for a long time, Lin Jing was unaware of the recent events there.
And he didn’t know why, but the Teleportation Arrays leading into the black market seemed to have all been dismantled.
“Lin Daoyou!”
Just as Lin Jing stepped out of the small path, a person came walking toward him and called out to stop him.
Lin Jing looked up and recognized an acquaintance.
It was the Talisman Master who had moved into the house opposite his own after the Zhang Family brothers had died.
Since Lin Jing hadn’t interacted much with this person before, he couldn’t recall his name upon seeing him again, but he did remember that he was a Talisman Master.
“You forgot? It’s me, Wu Nie.”
With that reminder, Lin Jing suddenly remembered.
“Wu Daoyou, how come you are here…”
Lin Jing asked.
Wu Nie joked, “Look at how Lin Daoyou talks, you really are a noble who easily forgets things, aren’t you? I’ve met you once before at the Shengyuan Gambling House in Fang Market, have you forgotten that?”
“I’m just idle, came here to reminisce…”
With that said, Lin Jing remembered that past event, which Ning Yue had also misunderstood.
Wu Nie walked over and directly began speaking:
“The beast tide back then was fierce, and the outer Fang Market was breached. I was in the Inner Fang Market at that time and escaped that disaster.”
“After the beast tide passed, I especially went back to look at that alley where we lived; the occupants facing me had all changed. I originally thought that Lin Daoyou had perished at the jaws of the Demonic Beasts.”
“To see that you are still alive, it’s really great.” Wu Nie chattered on and on, clearly very excited.
“Lin Daoyou, do you know?”
“I have finally settled down. I used to help people make talismans in the Inner Fang Market, and because I did well, a Talisman Master took notice of me and exceptionally took me as a registered Disciple.”
“Let me tell you, my master is quite powerful; he is not only a second-grade Talisman Master but also an Offering Priest for Yuebaolou.”
“It was also fortunate that during the beast tide, I was helping the master in the Inner Fang Market, and that’s how I avoided the disaster of the beast tide.”
“Would you call that coincidence or what…”
At this point, Wu Nie seemed even more animated, probably because he hadn’t had someone to talk to for a long time. Finally, meeting an acquaintance, he felt compelled to share.
“Congratulations to you then…” Lin Jing said.
Wu Nie, pleased, replied:
“Heh heh… I am just a bit luckier, that’s all.”
After speaking, Wu Nie sized up Lin Jing and then asked:
“What about you, Lin Daoyou? Your courtyard has new people, did you move somewhere else?”
“Yes, I moved to a different location…” Lin Jing responded briefly, without elaborating further.
“I see…” Wu Nie pondered for a moment, then continued:
“That makes sense. During the beast tide, the rents were too high. For low-level Cultivators like us, it was simply unaffordable, so moving to the outskirts of Fang Market is better.”
In Wu Nie’s mind, he probably assumed that Lin Jing couldn’t afford the rent and thus gave up that courtyard, which led him to move to the outskirts of Fang Market.
“But, Lin Daoyou, you don’t have to worry. The beast tide has been dealt with, and now, even living on the outskirts of Fang Market is fine; you just need to be a little careful when you go out.”
“I’ve heard that the outskirts of Fang Market are quite dangerous, especially at night. There are people who specifically target and kill low-level Cultivators, very dangerous.”
“It’s not like the Inner Fang Market, where there is a Guard Team patrolling, so there’s no need to worry.”
Wu Nie cheerfully said.
After finishing, he added a word of caution:
“Lin Daoyou, you must be careful.”
“Mm, I know…” Lin Jing replied succinctly, without providing much explanation.
Next, Wu Nie looked at Lin Jing and winked, continuing:
“Lin Daoyou, you didn’t come down this path to go to the Yichun Tower, did you?”
As he spoke, he leaned in closer, shrinking the distance between them. Lin Jing frowned and took a step back.
However, Wu Nie didn’t notice and whispered:
“You’re heading to the Black Market, aren ‘t you!”