66 - Dungeon Growth Log

The so-called black market is known as the legendary lawless zone. Since it is lawless, it is naturally extremely remote and inconspicuous, a place that exudes an eerie and chilling vibe, a place where ordinary people would avoid. Not even Zhi can manage this place. Here lies the Black Rock Caves. As the name implies, these are numerous dark, uninviting stone caves scattered across the White Bone Wasteland. By entering any cave entrance and following the path downward, one could reach an underground trading market artificially dug out beneath the White Bone Wasteland. The White Bone Wasteland gets its name due to a historical war. It was not initially a wasteland; being only around three to four hundred miles from the lush and picturesque Lingxi Peak, it had once been a blessed land embracing mountains and waters. However, continuous wars broke out, and one major battle transpired here. What caused this place to turn into a wasteland wasn't just the occurrence of the battle, but the interference of a cultivator in a mortal conflict. A cultivator's intervention in such battles is akin to a deity sweeping away mere mortals. No one knows if this victorious cultivator was someone's nephew, grandson, or descendant, but he bent the heavenly rules to ensure victory. His intervention, while winning the battle, resulted in overflowing hatred from the slain soldiers, causing their bones not to decay. The spiritual energy was gradually swallowed by the resentment, leading to the desolation of the land where no living being lasted long, and passersby would hear the wails of malevolent spirits night and day, lamenting the injustice of the heavenly path. Over time, the place became deserted. The black rock caves themselves were initially composed of mounds of white bones, originally named the "White Bone Caves" reflecting the weeping souls, but over the centuries, the bones were covered and compacted by wind and sand, transforming into hard black stones. The ominous connotation of “White Bone Cry” led people to rename it "Black Rock Caves." At this moment, beside a two-person high Black Rock Cave, several mysterious figures cloaked in robes or masked, setting out a piece of cloth to display their wares, each item clearly priced. The Black Rock Caves serve as the gateway to the underground trading market in the White Bone Wasteland, known as the "Great Black Market." However, those selling minor items often gather outside the Black Rock Caves, paying a small fee to the black market management to set up their makeshift stalls, forming what could be called the "Little Black Market." At this time, the "Little Black Market" had a new, inconspicuous entrant—a tall figure draped in a tattered black cloak, their face hidden behind a terrifying bronze mask with a chipped corner at the right jaw, revealing none of their features. Their movements were stiff, slow, and their footsteps sounded starkly loud as if wooden clogs struck the ground. In a place filled with such oddities, this person did not attract much attention. The figure entered a Black Rock Cave, taking just three steps before encountering a small wooden podium with a jar of copper coins and a small ledger book on it. The jar was half-filled with copper coins. Behind the podium stood a short figure wearing an ugly mask, whose gender could not be discerned due to the black market cloak. Standing on a stool, their small, sickly hands reached out from under the cloak, one holding a brush and the other a copper coin. “Ten copper coins to rent a stall, non-negotiable!” The masked figure’s voice was sharp and thin, like someone speaking while being strangled, uncomfortable to hear. The cloaked individual took out ten copper coins and was about to drop them into the jar, but the masked figure stopped them with an upward motion of the brush, causing the coins to hover mid-air. “Wait!” The masked figure moved the brush horizontally, “I must count them to make sure there are ten! Liars who cheat me will meet a terrible end, a terrible end!!” The cloaked figure complied, allowing the counting. After verifying that there were indeed ten coins, the masked figure gestured, making the coins drop into the jar, documented the transaction in the ledger, and said in a shrill tone, “You didn’t cheat me, the baby won’t strangle you, no one will strangle you…you may proceed with your business.” Though there were many comings and goings in the Black Rock Cave, everyone seemed to ignore the masked figure's strange speech, accustomed to it from numerous encounters. Despite their odd and venomous words, it was a standard practice as these were all puppets created from the corpses of children who died due to financial disputes. Children dying from poverty or familial conflicts, once their souls were guided by resentment towards relatives and obsessed with wealth, were turned into these “Curse Money Puppets” by those who fashioned them for guarding wealth. Anyone stealing their money would be cursed with poor fortune and nightmares unless protected by strong fate. The cloaked figure was about to leave when the masked figure suddenly shrieked, “Stop!” The figure paused. “You’re new here!” The puppet's shrill voice sang, “A newcomer, follow the rules, without rules, there is chaos—small black market, big deals…” The masked figure continued, “No rules, you die!” The cloaked figure asked in a low voice, “What rules?” “Listen carefully!” “First rule, clear prices, no haggling!” “Second rule, no asking names, no spirit inquires, no fighting, violators will be executed brutally!” “Third rule, don't step on formations, no wandering eyes, no breaking contracts, no idle talk!” “Life and death are fated, wealth is bound by heaven!” The puppet’s voice was sharp and eerie, dripping with malice. Its eyes behind the mask watching the cloaked figure, keeping distance due to fear. The cloaked figure, knowing the puppet feared the aura of the Ghost Dragon Jade they carried, took the pricing tag given and left. This cloaked figure was none other than Xia Ge, who had painstakingly come to the market to sell items. She had gone to the library for maps and descriptions, prepared thoroughly, and ran all night using her shadow technique to reach this place. To avoid undermining her stature, she wore custom twenty-centimeter high-bottomed shoes, disguising her height under the cloak. The bronze mask was a found item from an earlier magical puppet raid, for which she had to negotiate tediously to get a broken one from some playful children. So, a tall, cloaked figure with a grotesque mask, comically mysterious, emerged. The doll puppet, fearing the aura of Ghost Dragon Jade she possessed, didn’t dare come close. Xia Ge found a seemingly inconspicuous spot outside the Black Rock Cave, laid out a worn cloth, placed a small box on it, and sat cross-legged, waiting calmly. Beside her, another cloaked and conical-hat wearing seller laid out goods. Their black cloth was embroidered with fine silver cloud patterns, displaying some common goods elegantly. Xia Ge stayed mindful and silent, observing her surroundings, cautious in this unfamiliar and treacherous place. She felt the Ghost Dragon Jade at her waist, musing to borrow its aura for a few more days. Curious about the new seller with only one item, passersby began to gather, “Hey, little brother, what are you selling? No price tag?” Xia Ge lowered her voice, "Medicine." “Oh, so what kind of medicine are you selling? Let us have a look," someone chimed in. "Yeah, let's see it," others added. As more people gathered around, Xia Ge didn’t drag things out. She directly stated, “Fasting Pills.” “Pfft... Fasting Pills? I thought it would be something good.” "Let’s go, not interested." "…" The crowd began to disperse, leaving only two or three people behind. One of them asked, “Since it's Fasting Pills, can you open the box for us to see the quality?” “How much? Just tell us straight.” “…” Xia Ge was actually a little worried. She wasn't very familiar with the current market price for Fasting Pills. She didn't want to set a price too low and make a loss, nor too high and drive away the few potential buyers. Moreover, she wasn’t even sure what would constitute as too high. One of the black market’s primary rules is that goods can only be priced once. Once set, the price cannot be changed. Regardless of whether the product is a treasure or commonplace, setting a high price means risking no sale, and setting it too low means a loss. But in the black market, the price could only be decided once. After contemplating, Xia Ge decided to set a high price. “Two Fasting Pills,” Xia Ge stated, then took out the pricing tag, sounding very serious, “The price is one hundred mid-grade spirit stones.” The pricing tag displayed the product and price after some mist dispersed: 【Fasting Pills】 Two pieces: One hundred mid-grade spirit stones. While gold, silver, and copper coins are earthly currencies, among cultivators, true transactions take place in spirit stones. Outer sect disciples, not being cultivators, receive their stipends in copper coins, and Xia Ge seldom used spirit stones herself. But after observing the black market, she noticed most transactions were conducted using spirit stones rather than earthly currency. “One hundred mid-grade spirit stones?!” “Are you robbing us?!” “Let’s go, she’s probably not here to do business but to rip people off.” “…” The System spoke: “Why did you set the price so high?” Xia Ge: “...Is it high?” System: “Spirit stones are categorized as high, mid, and low grades. Though not directly comparable, roughly one thousand low-grade spirit stones equal one mid-grade, and one thousand mid-grade equal one high-grade. You just priced your pills at a hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones… Are you selling immortal pills?” Xia Ge was utterly shocked, “Wait, spirit stones aren’t calculated in hundreds?!” System: “…” It wasn’t entirely her fault. The information in the books was years old, and although Fengyue Unbounded had written it well, Xia Ge hadn’t memorized every detail, especially the conversion system for spirit stones. Always dealing in copper currency and barely aware of spirit stones' forms, the distinction between decimal or thousand-based systems had escaped her. “I meant to set it high… but not this high.” Looking at the pricing board now filled her with despair. Was it time to pack up and leave? "Just a moment longer," Xia Ge said, holding onto a glimmer of hope. She clutched the pricing board and remained seated, facing the reality that the exaggerated price had effectively isolated her from potential customers. Even the occasional passerby would instantly turn away upon glimpsing the exorbitant price. Xia Ge felt a bit defeated. System uninterestedly noted: “You might as well pack up. No one will buy it.” “I’ll hold out for my ten copper coins worth,” Xia Ge retorted, using the excuse of persistence to cover her fatigue. Having hurried overnight and spent much of the day strenuously perched on makeshift platform shoes, even the sturdiest of souls would need a rest. As more time passed, Xia Ge became restless on the hard, barren soil of the White Bone Wasteland. The bustling black market, however, ignored her presence, leaving her weary and tempted to idly open the box holding her pills. When a sliver of the Fasting Pills’ glow and faint medicinal aroma reached the air, it proved ineffective in attracting interest. She quickly closed the box. She sighed, choosing to resign to fate. If they could be sold, so be it. Xia Ge’s eyes wandered to the neighboring vendor. Their black, intricately embroidered cloth indicated a seasoned seller cloaked and masked, shrouded in an almost imperceptible veil. In contrast, Xia Ge’s rustic setup seemed laughably crude. Comparing their calm composure with her tension, Xia Ge grew inspired to cultivate a more serene demeanor. Perhaps they both experienced a lack of business as the hours dragged on. Just as Xia Ge became restless enough to contemplate striking up casual conversation, a figure dressed in a well-fitted dark cloak and wearing a black smiling face mask caught her eye. The person, seemingly inconspicuous, revealed a subtle yet familiar aura through a tear in their cloak that exposed a corner of a concealed jade pendant. Excited and curious, Xia Ge attempted to rise swiftly on her elevated platform shoes only to fall back as her cloak caught underfoot. A quick glance revealed it was pinned under the other vendor’s cloak. “…” The vendor stepped aside without a word, allowing Xia Ge the freedom to stand, albeit with awkwardness. Noticing the height and demeanor disparity, Xia Ge chose not to demand an apology. She tried to rise again, but the vendor approached directly, and with an authoritative gesture, placed a hand on her shoulder, gently easing her back down. Xia Ge was taken aback, “???” Author’s Note: I’ve got an exam the day after tomorrow, so writing more today but maybe less tomorrow. This chapter bridges past and upcoming events, introducing black market origins and rules. I’ll try to make the storyline more exciting in the following chapters. = = Various readers have thrown virtual items to support the story, showing appreciation and engagement. Yuyue threw an additional landmine at 2018-06-30 22:07:29 Yuyue threw another landmine at 2018-06-30 22:07:37 Yuyue threw a third landmine at 2018-06-30 22:07:43 Yuyue threw a fourth landmine at 2018-06-30 22:07:49 Yuyue threw a hand grenade at 2018-06-30 22:09:04 Yuyue threw another landmine at 2018-06-30 22:10:39 Yuyue threw another hand grenade at 2018-06-30 22:11:51 Are you all trying to sponsor me? I-I-I won’t yield to your charms! (￣▽￣* )ゞ But I can reluctantly allow chest bumps (*≧︶≦))(￣▽￣* )ゞ = = Reader "Misaka Mikoto Is My Waifu" irrigated with Nutrient Solution +10 at 2018-06-30 22:24:24 Reader "Chen" irrigated with Nutrient Solution +1 at 2018-06-30 21:32:38 Reader "Protect Our Handsome Guy" irrigated with Nutrient Solution +1 at 2018-06-30 20:02:06 Reader "White Night" irrigated with Nutrient Solution +10 at 2018-06-30 19:05:00 Reader "Little Lion 2" irrigated with Nutrient Solution +5 at 2018-06-30 18:18:09 Reader "Rising Clouds, Sun Setting Pavilion" irrigated with Nutrient Solution +10 at 2018-06-30 14:04:59 Reader "Dyeing Dew" irrigated with Nutrient Solution +10 at 2018-06-30 12:52:13 Reader "Arc Length Monster" irrigated with Nutrient Solution +1 at 2018-06-30 12:26:53 Reader "I’m Still a Baby" irrigated with Nutrient Solution +1 at 2018-06-30 11:57:22 Reader "Snow Erlun" irrigated with Nutrient Solution +1 at 2018-06-30 11:04:51 Reader "Protect Our Handsome Guy" irrigated with Nutrient Solution +1 at 2018-06-30 10:18:56 Reader "Li Hei" irrigated with Nutrient Solution +5 at 2018-06-30 05:06:33 Reader "Ya Ya Er Ya" irrigated with Nutrient Solution +1 at 2018-06-30 00:59:21 Reader "Extra Fish in the Chu River" irrigated with Nutrient Solution +10 at 2018-06-30 00:46:27 Reader "Lu La La Lu La Lu La Lei" irrigated with Nutrient Solution +2 at 2018-06-30 00:23:34 Reader "Meat Pie Seller Below My House" irrigated with Nutrient Solution +10 at 2018-06-30 00:14:34 Reader "Er Gou Keeps Silent" irrigated with Nutrient Solution +50 at 2018-06-29 23:58:26 Thank you all for the nutrient solution donations!! Love you all!