"Exotic Beast pelt, eh? It's been a long time since I've seen one."
"Yeah! Yeah! It looks like a wolf-type Exotic Beast, probably an adult."
...
The disorderly chatter around him made Liang Hui's brows furrow slightly.
"Two hundred and sixty Silver Taels, I'll pay now."
Although he didn't have a good impression of the young man who had just appeared, he still spoke in agreement, as the prospect of earning more was acceptable to him.
"Here it is."
The youth chuckled as he took out a small bag of silver from his bosom and tossed it over.
The next moment, his hand was already reaching out toward the Exotic Beast pelt on the booth.
Liang Hui felt the weight from the silver bag, his eyes carrying a hint of cold severity.
Did he look like someone easy to bully?
The long spear he was carrying instantaneously appeared in his hand, he didn't hesitate to lash out at the youth's outstretched arm.
Smack!
Ah!
A piercing scream echoed around the stall.
The youth's right arm was twisted into an irregular shape, and he retreated while holding his arm and howling.
Liang Hui opened the silver bag and tipped it upside down.
One by one, stones painted with silver dye fell to the ground, rolling on the road.
Without speaking, he turned to the stall owner with a low voice and said, "Deal!"
"Alright!"
From beginning to end, the stall owner with the black iron mask kept his arms crossed, looking amused.
Upon hearing Liang Hui's words, he finally folded the Exotic Beast pelt on the booth and packed it away.
At the same time, he took out the corresponding silver from his bosom, placed it in a bag piece by piece under Liang Hui's watchful eye, and then handed it over.
The teenager who took the Silver Taels, amid the various gazes of the people around him, put them into his bosom.
He carried the long spear and walked out. Suddenly, Liang Hui's steps paused.
"Is it permissible to kill here?"
"The killer pays with their life, but anything else goes!"
A somewhat lazy voice came out from the owner of the stall.
The youth who was still howling nearby seemed to realize something and immediately started to speak intermittently:
"I... am..."
Smack!
A glint of cold light flashed, and all teeth along with the tongue were smashed to pieces.
The long spear in his hand did not stop moving, instantly piercing through the youth's shoulder, shattering his bones.
Woo! Woo! Woo!
The youth rolled frantically on the ground, blood flowing on the road.
"Next time you state your identity, please hurry it up."
With those cold words, Liang Hui had already strode out from the midst of the crowd.
And the surrounding crowd gave way of their own accord.
"Another tough one has arrived, ah. If it weren't for the black market rules, the first spear would've gone straight through the skull."
"Heh, even if he doesn't die now, how long can he really last."
"At this time, Wang Da still dares to bully people in the black market hiding behind the Wang Family's name, simply asking for death."
The people around watched the youth rolling and wailing on the ground, discussing amongst themselves.
...
Elsewhere.
Walking on the streets, Liang Hui quickened his pace after casually overhearing the conversation behind him.
Just as mentioned in the discussion, if it weren't for the fact that killing someone in the black market only left the option of fleeing, with no chance to do business afterward, he would have shattered the young man's skull with the first strike.
Anyone who dared to steal the Exotic Beast skin he had risked his life for should be prepared to die; no one was an exception.
Lost in thought, Liang Hui had already walked a distance before stopping in front of a stall.
The stall owner was wrapped in a wide black robe, with his small stature looking somewhat comical against the robe; even his face was concealed in the shadow cast by the hood.
Various books were displayed on his stand.
'Great Heavenly Dragon Fist,' 'Emperor's Palm,' 'Invincible Golden Body'... a collection of imposing-sounding Cultivation Techniques and martial arts manuals.
The corners of Liang Hui's mouth began to twitch involuntarily. Would anyone actually buy these clearly fake Cultivation Techniques?
However, Liang Hui's purpose for stopping wasn't to look at the classics, but to turn his gaze to the other side of the stand.
The Cultivation Techniques displayed there were most likely real, as the sensations passed down by the Divine Skill 'Enter Dreams' wouldn't lie.
As Liang Hui used and understood his Divine Skill 'Enter Dreams' more, he also speculated about the objects that could be used to 'Enter Dreams.'
If the object's owner was dead and it had been in the owner's possession for many years, it was likely a suitable medium for 'Enter Dreams.'
Therefore, the origin of the blood-stained Martial Arts Classics on one side of the stall was crystal clear.
"Boss, may I take a look at the classics? I'll just have a quick look, it won't take long," Liang Hui pointed to the side with the Martial Arts Classics and inquired.
"Sure, it seems there is still someone who knows their stuff," the voice that came was as sharp as the scraping of iron sand.
The young man's expression remained unchanged. Hearing this, he began flipping through the books on one side of the stall.
'Jade-Breaking Fist,' a martial art that can only be cultivated to the Bone Refining Stage, useless!
'Trash Fist,' even worse than the last, its Skin Refining Level has already reached its limit.
'Spiritual Turtle Step,' a leg technique, but cultivating it would cause irreversible damage to the body; it's also a martial art of the Bone Refining Stage, not wanted.
'White Cloud Sword,' I already use the weapon long spear, no plans to change that in the short term.
...
Picking and choosing among the Martial Arts Classics that could be 'Entered in Dreams.'
Liang Hui eventually selected three Martial Arts Classics, one of which was a Skin Refining Level martial art called 'Hard Qigong.' The reason he chose this technique was that it could strengthen the toughness of the skin.
The classic even claimed that when cultivated to perfection, one's skin could withstand attacks of the Bone Refining Stage.
Of course, unharmed skin did not mean the insides were unscathed; this was something Liang Hui was aware of.
Another was a martial art called 'Six-Star Chain Arrow,' which improved archery skills.
The remaining Cultivation Technique was called 'Fierce Tiger Palm,' a Bone Refining martial art. Although just a Bone Refining Stage art, it was related to the path he planned for his future.
His thoughts were not revealed on his face, but it wouldn't matter even if they were, as no one could see them.
"Boss, I'll take these three," he said.
The figure within the wide black robe slightly raised its head, then dropped it again.
"Sixty-five Silver Taels, take them if you want, no bargaining."
'Knowledge of the Martial Path is indeed precious!' Liang Hui sighed inwardly.
To think that this was the price in the black market; the normal channels were nearly double.
"Okay, but with such a big transaction, boss, perhaps you could throw in a little something extra," Liang Hui said.
As he spoke, Liang Hui pointed to some stone carvings, wood carvings, and exotic flowers and stones placed in the middle of the stall.
"You can take one if you want, but they're just little trinkets, nothing more," replied the stall owner.
Hearing this, Liang Hui did not hesitate and directly picked up an object that he felt could be 'Entered in Dreams' – a small stone carving.
The moment he grasped the stone carving, a scrutinizing gaze appeared within his awareness.
Without Liang Hui noticing how or when, the stall owner had raised his head, revealing a wrinkled chin, although the upper half of the face was still unclear.
Yet Liang Hui could clearly sense that the stall owner was sizing him up.
"Is there a problem? Maybe I should choose something else," Liang Hui said with a toss of the stone carving in his hand and a light chuckle.
"If you like it, take it. It's not worth much," came the hoarse reply.
Their conversation carried on just between the two of them.
With one hand holding three Martial Arts Classics and the other the stone carving, Liang Hui gazed intently at the stall owner with deep eyes.