The old man placed a sum of money, already deducted for commission, into Aoki's hand. "The amount you receive after the commission is 135,000 Ryo. Before you leave, may I know your name, esteemed customer?"
Aoki stared at the old man for a moment before finally slipping the money into his pocket without saying a word.
Aoki paused for a moment, contemplating his choice of words before speaking. "Just call me... Shi Akuma," Aoki finally said, in a low but firm tone, a nickname that in their language means the Demon of Death.
The old man smiled faintly, showing no sign of fear. "I see, Mr. Shi Akuma. Thank you for coming, and next time, try to bring the 'goods' in better condition," the old man said, with a friendly smile that contrasted with the dark atmosphere of the room.
Aoki merely nodded slightly, not responding further. His gaze shifted to the ceiling of the room, a flash of deep thought crossing his mind. 'This black market... it feels like it came straight out of the fantasy worlds I used to watch. Perhaps... living in the shadows isn't such a bad thing.'
Aoki's thoughts wrestled with this new reality, and without uttering a word, he turned and walked away, blending into the shadows of the dimly lit corridor.
After a few steps, Aoki stopped at a quiet corner of the market, surrounded by the faint sounds of traders whispering behind their tattered curtains. Aoki clapped softly, a pre-agreed signal. Within seconds, a man in a dark cloak emerged from the shadows, his face hidden beneath a wide hood that made him seem like part of the darkness itself.
"Is there anything I can assist you with, esteemed customer?" the cloaked man asked in a soft and polite tone.
Aoki nodded, his gaze calm yet purposeful. "I want to buy information. Provide the latest location of the Bounty ninjas—any information about their whereabouts, sourced from one or two days ago only. Information older than that is not needed."
The cloaked man bowed slightly, a gesture of respect that was almost theatrical. "Of course, esteemed customer. I will return shortly with what you need." With swift yet silent steps, the cloaked man vanished into the darkness.
Aoki stood still there, waiting in silence. The mysterious atmosphere of the black market, with shadows moving in every corner and the sour aroma of incense wafting through the air, provided the perfect backdrop for Aoki, who had now chosen to live in this dark world.
'Breathing techniques... I need to create a technique that helps me gather information on my own. For now, only information from the black market can guide me, even though the price for that information is often too high. My time is limited.' Aoki mused to himself, his jaw tightening, and his brow furrowing as he contemplated his plans ahead.
Not long after, the cloaked man reappeared from the shadows, holding the scroll of information that Aoki had requested. Aoki held the scroll carefully, as if it were a precious item.
"The price for all this information is 180,000 Ryo, esteemed customer," the man said, handing over the scroll with a formal demeanor.
Without hesitation, Aoki handed over the requested amount of money. The cloaked man quickly tucked the money into his cloak and then looked at Aoki again.
"Is there anything else you need, esteemed customer?" the man asked in a calm yet humble tone, characteristic of a professional.
Aoki shook his head, his voice flat and slightly hoarse. "No. If I need more, I will call for you again."
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Note: Sorry for not uploading yesterday, because the Webnovel Inkstone website was having issues, so I couldn't update. The author writes on the website, not in the app, so when the website had problems yesterday, the author couldn't update. However, Scribblehub was fine, but it would feel strange to only update Scribblehub and not Webnovel, which is why it was decided not to update at all yesterday.
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