The cemetery on the outskirts of the city had now become a temporary hunter camp, with over ten thousand people gathered.
The railway tracks were lined with all sorts of modified motorcycles and heavy armored trucks, and various supply shops had sprung up.
Bonfires blazed, creating a lively atmosphere.
In addition to professional hunters, there were information merchants and people from various gangs in the city, creating a mix of characters.
In contrast, the number of people from the Governor's office was relatively small. In the distant highlands, one could see some lights arranged in a strategic pattern.
One side was scattered, the other disciplined, clearly distinguishing the two forces.
Earlier, both sides had restrained themselves.
But now that the entrance to the maze had reappeared and no one from the Governor's group had emerged, everyone understood that the Governor's team had likely been wiped out.
The entire camp erupted instantly.
The hunters swarmed toward the maze entrance.
...
The situation was better than expected; the corpse-collecting suit wasn't needed.
Both Ji Xun and Nan Jing changed into adventure outfits, pretending to be new hunters, and gathered information from an information merchant in the camp.
Eight hours ago, someone indeed left the maze.
But there was no commotion, and the person disappeared without a trace.
Hearing this, both Ji Xun and Nan Jing breathed a sigh of relief.
Although they didn't know where Chu Jiu went after coming out, the fact that she wasn't ambushed immediately was a good sign.
In this desolate area, as long as one wasn't trapped, they were mostly safe.
Ji Xun had no plans to stay in the cemetery camp for long. He spent some money to hitch a ride back to Sinless City.
Nan Jing didn't return to the city with him. After bidding farewell, she disappeared into the darkness.
Ji Xun knew she was worried about Chu Jiu and didn't try to persuade her otherwise.
Besides, this spirit medium lady was a Rank 1 Curse Card Master herself. Despite her occasional absent-mindedness, she was quite powerful in battle.
He was more concerned about himself than her.
Moreover, Ji Xun even suspected that the force behind Chu Jiu and her companions was not small, and their base was likely not in Sinless City.
...
Soon, Ji Xun returned to Sinless City.
Seeing that it was still early, his first thought was to visit the black market in Dark Rain Street.
With so many spoils of war in hand, he wanted to convert them into combat power by buying some equipment.
Ji Xun cautiously made his way, taking the intercity train to the black market in the northern part of the city.
Since the last incident in Dark Rain Street, the Cao family's dark pawns in the lower city had been mostly cleared out.
Now that Governor Cao Sihai was dead, the fourth young master of the Cao family probably wouldn't have time to bother him for a while.
Ji Xun didn't let his guard down. He wore the clown mask before going to crowded places.
Only then did he enter the dim street.
The specialized items he needed were hard to find in ordinary markets, and his spoils of war were too sensitive to sell anywhere but the black market.
The black market was known for its niche, high-end, and shady dealings.
However, this time, the black market had changed drastically.
...
The last time he visited, the entire street felt like a ghost town.
Shops had dim lighting, and the people in the streets hid their faces.
But this time, as soon as Ji Xun stepped onto the street, he thought he had entered the wrong place.
What were those blinding neon signs about?
Looking again, the previously mysterious, ramshackle shops seemed dull compared to the newly added dozen or so shops with flashy neon signs.
Names like "Bermuda Chamber of Commerce Branch," "Martin Military Machinery Shop," "Red Witch Potion Shop," and "Losen Premium Card House" were prominently displayed.
These names didn't sound like small workshops but rather gave the impression of large chain stores.
Seeing the bustling crowd on the street, Ji Xun's eyes twitched.
Was this still a black market?
If he hadn't visited before and seen the familiar shabby shops still there, he would have thought the black market had moved.
As long as the shops were open, Ji Xun didn't care about the market's appearance.
"Could it be that Dark Rain Street's black market has a 'market day'?"
With this suspicion, he walked into the crowd.
After walking a bit and listening to the conversations around him, he understood.
It turned out that this had a direct connection to the Great Cemetery Maze he had just left.
...
Previously, the Cao family had received the appointment of Sinless City's governor. According to federal law, a noble lord had all administrative and commercial rights in Sinless City.
So, the previous chambers of commerce and financial groups that came to Sinless City were all friendly with the Cao family.
To ensure monopoly, the number of chambers of commerce was limited, and due to the Cao family's eagerness to control the gold rush gateway to the Old Continent, they had conflicts with the gangs in the lower city.
This led to the gangs in the lower city collectively resisting.
Almost any external chamber of commerce that tried to open a store would face issues like robbed transport trucks, stolen warehouses, or vandalized storefronts.
None could operate successfully.
This maintained Sinless City's black market in its most primitive, chaotic state.
However, just seven days ago, the situation changed suddenly.
The news of Governor Cao Sihai's ambush spread through Sinless City like wildfire, even reaching other nobles in the rich mineral layers.
When the Cao family initially secured the Sinless City development domain, they used some political maneuvers. However, their failure to gain control over the gold rush hub for so long had already raised eyebrows among other federal senators.
Now, with Cao Sihai unable to even protect his own life, no one believed he could control Sinless City. After a re-vote in the council, the main family of the Cao clan in Dragon City couldn't withstand the pressure and opened up Sinless City's exclusive operating rights.
After much debate, no single entity secured the exclusive rights. Instead, it was opened to everyone.
Following this decree, the business groups and large financial conglomerates from the rich mining areas swarmed in like bloodhounds smelling blood.
Sinless City now seemed like unclaimed territory, with everyone eager to stake a claim. After all, it connected to the old continent, a land reputed to be "littered with gold."
And for large commercial enterprises entering new markets, their favorite activity was, naturally, discounts and promotions!
It was said that the market at the Hunter's Guild on Gro Street was even more lively, with hundreds of new large stores. Even on the Dark Rain Street black market, several powerful conglomerates had come to test the waters.
The black market might be deep and turbulent, but that was fine.
The rougher the waters, the more valuable the fish.
...
"I heard that 'Great Ivan's Treasure Shop,' which just opened two days ago, is offering 20% off everything! Purchases over 100,000 come with a lottery ticket, with prizes worth at least 10,000. They say a lucky guy even won a Silver Breathing Technique book worth hundreds of thousands."
"These new shops are really something; they have everything and the prices are cheap."
"Not just the prices; they're fair with purchases too. They have professional appraisers, so you don't have to worry about getting ripped off."
"But aren't these shops run by the big oligarchs from the rich mining areas? Could there be some hidden agenda?"
"Heh, who cares? Isn't this good for us hunters? Buy low, sell high—we can easily make a 30% profit. I hope more of these shops open."
"..."
The streets were bustling with people.
Discounts and promotions naturally attracted those with purchasing needs, drawing crowds.
People in Sinless City didn't oppose merchants, especially those without obvious official affiliations.
Merchants controlled most of the social resources—factories, farms, transportation, and more. They brought cheaper medicines, food, daily necessities, and a lot of excellent equipment.
For hunters, this was great news.
Moreover, large trading companies had good reputations, eliminating the constant worry of being swindled or forced into transactions.
Despite the ruthless nature of gangsters and criminals, they cared most about profit.
Even though the major gangs controlled Sinless City's order, they couldn't force everyone to buy overpriced goods, right?
As a result, the new shops quickly became popular.
...
After walking around Dark Rain Street for a while, Ji Xun understood the situation.
It had only been a few days since he was trapped in the maze, and Sinless City had already changed significantly.
He also started to think about other matters.
Ji Xun had been wondering who was bold enough to ambush Governor Cao Sihai.
Normally, the one who benefits the most from Cao's death would be the prime suspect.
This meant that the major gangs in the lower city had motives, as they were the ones opposing the Governor's office.
But looking at the current situation, it was still uncertain.
The ones benefiting the most seemed to be the Cao family's political rivals.
However, the end result was the same.
The person who planned Cao Sihai's ambush never showed their face.
Whether it was done by gangs or not, it remained a mystery.
...
"Things are getting more interesting..." Ji Xun thought.
He didn't care who became the lord of the city; he just enjoyed the excitement.
Following the crowd, he headed towards the new shops to see what they had to offer.
His money was hard-earned, so he wanted to get the best deals possible.
He welcomed new shop promotions.
Soon, he arrived at one of the new stores.
There were already over a hundred people gathered outside.
In the past, an entire street wouldn't have had this many customers.
Ji Xun, mingling in the crowd, observed his surroundings and saw nothing unusual. He then looked at the shop windows, which indeed displayed many good items.
The onlookers seemed to know more.
"Wow... What's the deal with 'Great Ivan's Treasure Shop'? They even have the latest federal military equipment for sale, and at 20% off market prices. How can they afford such losses?"
"Losing money? Not really. Didn't you see they have ancient relics on display? They can trade without revealing the whole treasure. Many people with stolen goods have come to sell. They've received quite a few valuable items today."
"I heard this is a branch of the 'Black Gold Chamber of Commerce.' The owner has great influence. They supposedly brought many treasures from the headquarters for the opening, like Iron and Silver Breathing Techniques, noble military secrets, skill training cards occasionally seen at auctions, and even gold-quality treasures..."
"..."
Listening to others talk about the new store, Ji Xun chuckled.
There were indeed some insiders spreading the word, but the information was accurate.
He had heard of the Black Gold Chamber of Commerce.
Several centuries ago, they made their fortune in coal mining. Now, their commercial empire spanned various industries, making them one of the federation's top financial groups.
People in this world are still not very familiar with commercial tactics.
Listening to the conversation, Ji Xun wasn't the least bit surprised.
In his previous life, wealthy capitalists would enter new markets, burn through billions to take over the market, eliminate competitors, and then monopolize it.
These financial oligarchs knew the drill well.
Seeing this move, Ji Xun knew that the "small shops" in Sinless City were about to face a major shake-up.
Can a small store compete with a big supermarket?
What others don't have, they have; what others have, they have better; what others have better, they have cheaper.
Originally, the biggest difference between the black market and regular markets was that black market owners dared to accept and sell goods that others wouldn't touch.
Due to this trust foundation, some ruthless bandits and plunderers had a stable channel to offload their loot through the black market.
Ji Xun came this time to see if he could sell off some of his hot items.
Such shady business couldn't be scaled up or brought to the surface.
However, this "Great Ivan's Treasure Shop" broke that notion.
Because it had an ancient relic at its entrance.
It was a brass-looking mechanical fortune cat.
Seeing it, Ji Xun recognized it as an ancient relic.
**[Gold Swallowing Fortune Cat]**
*Description: Level II ancient relic; after providing reference samples, it can be used for appraising the value of items. The more reference samples, the more accurate the appraisal data; this relic requires feeding with precious metals.*
...
Ji Xun had seen many strange things in this world, so this fortune cat didn't surprise him much.
"This relic fits perfectly with the black market..." he thought.
As soon as he saw the relic's description, he understood why so many people were gathered at this shop.
In the black market, shady goods needed a trustworthy shop for transactions to avoid being swindled.
But this relic eliminated all such concerns.
No human appraisal was needed, and items could be appraised without revealing them!
Just then, a mysterious guy wearing a gas mask placed several unknown cards on the mechanical fortune cat's tray.
After some mechanical sounds, the fortune cat swallowed the cards.
Within moments, a value appeared on the screen above the cat's head.
The shop clerk, wearing a welcoming smile, asked, "Are you satisfied with the appraised price? If not, you can choose to terminate the transaction and get your items back."
Seeing the number, the hunter who brought the cards couldn't hide his joy and repeatedly said, "Satisfied! Satisfied!"
Such items would sell for at most 200,000 in other black market shops due to their sensitive origins. But the mechanical cat appraised them at their market value.
The clerk smiled, "Deal!"
The hunter quickly received his money, and the transaction was completed without the items ever being revealed.
Seeing this, Ji Xun's eyes sparkled with excitement.
This mechanical cat was a pleasant surprise.
He had considered the safest way to offload his goods was through the "Silver Star Mystery Shop" introduced by Dong Qi.
But even after one transaction, there were still risks. Anyone who presented such valuable Frost Knight loot would be suspected of coming from the great graveyard.
The complications from the 407 space were already overwhelming; getting involved in the governor's assassination could make him the number one target in Sinless City.
This completely black-box transaction was much safer.
Moreover, "Great Ivan's Treasure Shop" was new to the black market and wouldn't risk tarnishing its reputation with underhanded tactics.
Seeing this, Ji Xun moved with the crowd towards the shop.
He wanted to see what kind of items they were selling.
...
People continuously approached the mechanical cat to sell items.
Ji Xun didn't pay much attention and entered the shop.
Inside, he was amazed by the items on display.
**[T3 Heavy Siege Cannon]** – Price: ¥6.88M
**[Thunder Breathing Technique, Silver]** – Price: ¥1.55M
**[Renowned Weapon, Lot's Thunderstorm Greatsword]** – Price: ¥180M
**[Skill, Wave Fist]** – Price: ¥20M
**[...]*
The showcases were filled with samples of mechanical equipment, cards, gear, potions—almost everything a hunter might need.
The mechanical equipment was all branded federal military products, not small workshop items.
Cards and potions all had anti-counterfeiting labels from major manufacturers.
All were premium items.
And the prices were stunning.
Nothing in the showcase was under a million.
A shop with an item worth a million would usually consider it a flagship product, but what about this 180 million renowned weapon?
Ji Xun, having spent all his time in Sinless City, had never seen such luxury.
Were the financial powers in the upper city really this strong?
Seeing the **[Skill, hadouken]** card, he was also surprised: "This shop even sells skill training cards?"