Chapter 138 - 137: Zheng Family Intelligence, Purchasing Demon Beast Corpses

Chapter 138: Chapter 137: Zheng Family Intelligence, Purchasing Demon Beast Corpses

Soon, a silent Guide led Lu Zhao to a room. The wooden door was old, but its grain was clean.

He pushed open the door. The furnishings inside were simple yet elegant: a single table and chair, a low couch by the window with plain gauze curtains half-drawn, and a few impressionistic landscape paintings on the walls that added a touch of tranquil elegance to his temporary quarters.

Lu Zhao’s gaze swept across the room. He nodded slightly, quite satisfied with the Quiet Chamber.

One hour later, Lu Zhao left the temporary residence the Sect had arranged for him within the Marketplace.

The clamor and hawking of the Marketplace washed over him as he stepped outside, but he paid it no mind. Unlike his fellow sect members, he didn’t go to purchase Pills and Talismans or soak in the atmosphere of this exotic Marketplace.

Two things weighed on his mind:

Detailed intelligence on Northern Plains County, and Demon Beast corpses.

Relying on years of experience and after questioning a local Servant Disciple from the Sect, Lu Zhao quickly found the entrance to the Liuu Family Marketplace’s underground Black Market: the backyard of a dilapidated teahouse at the end of a remote alley.

The teahouse’s facade was mottled and looked ready to collapse. There wasn’t even a clerk at the door to solicit business. After paying a hefty Spirit Stone as an "entry fee," he was led into the backyard by a blank-faced attendant. Lu Zhao pushed open a heavy stone door and entered, soon arriving at the local Black Market.

Once inside the Black Market, Lu Zhao made a few inquiries and quickly found the local information broker.

The information broker led Lu Zhao to a secret chamber with thick walls embedded with a crude sound-dampening Array. The only furnishings were a dark wooden table and two hardwood chairs.

The information broker was a gaunt old man, his face a web of deep wrinkles and his aura grim. He sat down opposite Lu Zhao in the secret chamber and began to speak.

"What information do you seek, friend?" The old man’s voice was as hoarse as rubbing sandpaper.

"Northern Plains County. The Zheng Family. Their current situation," Lu Zhao said, getting straight to the point.

The old man’s murky eyes flickered, as if sizing up Lu Zhao’s ability to pay, then glanced at him. He seemed unsurprised by Lu Zhao’s identity as a Bixia Sect Steward.

He slowly pulled a dusty gray Jade Scroll from under the table. "Thirty Spirit Stones. It contains a summary of the conflicts involving the Zheng Family and the other major Foundation Establishment Clans over the past six months, including the movements of key figures and shifts in their spheres of influence. This is just the general outline, though. If you want to know what’s in the deeper waters... we’ll have to discuss a new price."

Lu Zhao took the Jade Scroll and probed it with a wisp of his Divine Sense. The information wasn’t exhaustive, but the main points were crystal clear. Just as Qin Feng had said, the Zheng Family’s only Foundation Establishment Ancestor was indeed near the end of his Lifespan and had long ago entered seclusion to face his mortality.

The once-great Foundation Establishment Clan was now struggling to survive, held up solely by Zheng Tai, who was only at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer. He couldn’t prop them up alone. Meanwhile, the other two Foundation Establishment Clans in Northern Plains County—the Lin Family and the Huang Family—were closing in, their blades practically at the gates of the Zheng Family’s mountain sect.

Lu Zhao withdrew his Divine Sense and tucked the Jade Scroll into his sleeve. "Acceptable," he said, nodding to the old man. The information was worth the Spirit Stones he had paid.

As he left the Black Market, Lu Zhao made a firm resolution. ’When this year-long guard post assignment is over, I won’t return to the Bixia Sect immediately. I’ll go to Northern Plains County myself and find out if there was more to the annihilation of the Lu Family all those years ago!’

For the next several days, Lu Zhao could be seen frequenting the impressive storefronts of shops specializing in Demon Beast Materials in the Liuu Family Marketplace.

Just as Wang Wu and Qin Feng had said, the place was rich with Demon Beast Materials. There was a wide variety of Tier One Middle and High-Grade Demon Corpses from Nine Prosperity Ridge, and prices were slightly lower than in the Bixia Marketplace.

Lu Zhao’s Spirit Stones flowed like water, exchanged for one properly processed Demon Corpse after another, all of which went into his Storage Bag.

The first batch consisted of Wolf Demon corpses. Their flesh and sinews were still intact and their skeletons were tough. He bought a good number of them, as they were the Main Material for crafting the Ice Wind Wolf Puppet and would replenish his depleted stock.

The second batch was Ape Demon corpses. Lu Zhao had hoped to buy one or two at most, but to his surprise, he found three largely intact, muscular, Tier One High-Grade Iron-Armed Ape corpses in the Warehouse of an old, established shop known for its quality goods and fair prices! Their dark, iron-like arms and thick backs promised exceptional Defense and power.

The price was steep, but Lu Zhao bought them without hesitation.

The real prize of his trip, however, came the next day. It was a Tier One High-Grade Crane Demon corpse. Lu Zhao had entered a shop in a remote but reputedly trustworthy location and asked if they had the Demon Beast Materials he was looking for.

The moment he stated his purpose, a glint flashed in the chubby shopkeeper’s eyes. He mysteriously led Lu Zhao into a back room.

He dismissed everyone else, then from a hidden compartment in the wall—one inlaid with tiny Runes—he retrieved a jade box tightly sealed by a special Restriction.

When he opened it, a Crane Demon corpse lay within. It had a nearly ten-foot wingspan, feathers as white as snow, and a single crimson spot on its head. Its aura was unmistakably that of a Tier One High-Grade beast!

"A Red-capped Snow Crane!" the shopkeeper whispered. "A rare variant among Tier One High-Grade beasts! It’s blindingly fast—a once-in-a-century find!"

"If it weren’t for the recent flood of Demon Beast Materials in the Marketplace, a small shop like mine would never have gotten its hands on a treasure like this. If you’re truly interested, friend..." He held up a hand, forming a number that would make a man’s heart skip a beat.

Lu Zhao’s heart leaped.

’The Red-capped Snow Crane! It has the bloodline of a Tier Two Demon Beast! That makes it far more precious than any ordinary Crane Demon! Its skeleton is light yet resilient, and its feathers contain Wind Spirit Power. It’s one of the best possible core materials for refining a Tier One High-Grade flying puppet—the Cyan Feather Crane Puppet! A puppet made from this would be significantly faster.’

Forcing himself to remain calm, he entered a round of negotiations. In the end, he acquired the precious Crane Demon corpse for a sum of Spirit Stones that would make any ordinary Late-stage Qi Cultivator wince in pain.

Looking at the Demon Beast Materials piled up in his Storage Bag, especially the Red-capped Snow Crane that faintly exuded Wind Spirit Qi, a flash of irrepressible joy lit up Lu Zhao’s eyes. With these materials, his Puppetry could reach a whole new level.

「Three days passed in a flash.」

The final assignment results arrived.

Lu Zhao’s gaze narrowed as he read the three words carved into the Jade Token in his hand: Black Bone Mountain.

Qin Feng handed Lu Zhao a Map Jade Scroll marked with detailed routes and outpost information. His tone was grave. "Junior Brother Lu, the Black Bone Mountain outpost is located midway along the trade route. It’s a critical position, but the terrain is complex. The area used to be a gathering place for Tribulation Cultivators."

"We’ve cleared it out recently, but you must still be extremely careful. The Spirit Vein there is decent, and the Array has already been inspected and repaired. If you run into trouble, don’t try to be a hero. Send for help immediately!"

"Thank you for the warning, Senior Brother. I understand." Lu Zhao cupped his fist in his palm and put the Jade Scroll away.

He didn’t linger. After a brief farewell to a few of his fellow sect members, he walked out of the Marketplace gates alone.

He sped off toward the desolate mountain range marked on his map, the one named "Black Bone Mountain."