Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 26: Chainmail, back on the black market (26 two-in-one)

"Master, is this Li Sanlang worth it?"

The carriage moved slowly, its wooden wheels crossing the dirt road and rolling over a section of blue bricks.

This is the East District of the outer city, and also the wealthy area of ​​the outer city. Not to mention the magnificent mansions, the streets have also been replaced with bricks and stones by the wealthy.

"Li Cunxiao is not only talented, but also a man of integrity and loyalty."

"I've inquired about it. I made friends with Gao Cheng when he was still a humble man. Now he's just an escort, yet he dares to wade into the muddy waters of the county government for his friend."

"Tonight, he explained martial arts to Qin Yu and me with all his heart and soul, and his words hit the nail on the head, which shows his talent. He doesn't keep his own skills to himself, which shows his broad mind."

"Making friends with one person like this is worth ten or a hundred people!"

Why bother talking about this? He smiled and said:
"Besides, a hundred taels of silver is not a big deal. At most, I won't go out to drink and have fun for a month."

The coachman outside the carriage heard this and couldn't help but joke:
"If that's the case, I'm afraid I'll have to personally thank Li Sanlang."

"Uncle Zhang, you are really..."

Hebi smiled and shook his head. In fact, there was another reason he didn't say.

The uncle Zhang who was driving the car was actually a martial artist who had reached the state of perfect Qi and blood. He stayed here because of the kindness of the old man of the He family.

In addition, the He family also trained some experts in the Qi and blood realm, but the several priests in the second realm - the muscle realm, were all guests invited at a high price.

In other words, although the He family is one of the most wealthy merchants in the outer city, it does not have its own core strength.

As the world becomes increasingly chaotic, both the He family's father and son feel a sense of crisis. Sending He Bi to learn martial arts is also Grandpa He's hope that his son can do well.

It is hard to say whether he can live up to his expectations, but when Li Cunxiao was appreciated by the chief escort and was granted the internal training method in advance, He Bi immediately realized that his chance had come.

Not to mention a hundred taels of silver, as long as Li Cunxiao can achieve great success in energy and blood within half a year, he will immediately go to lobby the old man to increase his investment.

Otherwise, when his qi and blood are perfect, everyone will know that Li Cunxiao has the opportunity to break through to the second realm. It will be icing on the cake, which is no match for helping someone in need.

But it’s too early to talk about these things now. I spent a hundred taels of silver in one go tonight. How am I going to explain to my dad when I get home?
"If you become rich and powerful, don't forget each other; be brothers in your heart"

"When I become successful, I will never forget you, Brother He."

Looking at the carriage rolling away, Li Cunxiao held the silver in his arms and felt his chest warm.

Spend money while it’s hot!
After returning from the escort mission, Li Cunxiao took a day off and got up early the next day.

I first did a set of boxing in the yard to continue to familiarize myself with the state of explosion after the small circulation of qi and blood.

According to his experiment, if the burst is not maintained continuously but returns to normal within one minute, the fatigue of the body will still exist, but it will not drain the body, and 70% of the combat power will remain.

"It seems that before the Qi and blood are fully developed, the key to fighting is just one word: fast."

"If the speed is fast enough, the damage to the body can be suppressed to a minimum, and the combat power can be retained to the greatest extent to prevent accidents."

Chewing a Hu pancake in his mouth, Li Cunxiao walked across the busy street while thinking.

There is no sign of depression in the current Chuqiu City. Only occasionally can a few half-naked children be seen huddled in the sewage in a daze. Li Cunxiao would think of the monsters lurking on the road when he was escorting the convoy.

Danger is approaching, and he needs more means to protect himself.

"This is the Sun Family Blacksmith Shop that Brother Qian was talking about."

Li Cunxiao glanced at the signboard and strode in. He saw that half of the surrounding walls were covered with daily iron tools, and the other half were short knives and swords, which looked a bit out of place.

"Sir, what do you want to buy?"

An old man came forward with a smile, but looking closely, there was some nervousness in his eyes.

Li Cunxiao immediately explained:

"It was Qian Lao San who recommended me here. He said you guys can make some little things for self-defense."

The old man's expression immediately relaxed when he heard this and he welcomed him into the inner room.

"Hahahaha, so you're a friend of Escort Qian. I'm sure you've heard of our craftsmanship. You might as well take a look. Do you think these things appeal to your taste?"

Li Cunxiao walked through two doors, passed by the busy blacksmiths and apprentices, and picked up a knife hanging on the wall amid the incessant sound of blacksmithing.

The sheath has two ear-shaped handles that can be hung on the waist belt.

The sword was unsheathed. The sixty-centimeter blade was narrow and slightly curved inward, with a straight and slanted tip and a sharp cold light.

This is a standard horizontal sword.

Most warriors of the time used swords and guns, but there were four types of swords in the Qing Dynasty, the most commonly used of which were the horizontal sword and the Mo Dao.

The horizontal sword is a one-handed sword, often used in conjunction with a shield. For example, in the escort agency, Cui Yao uses it to train escorts.

The Mo Dao is a two-handed sword with blades on both sides, so it is also called a sword-tip sword. It is a weapon similar to a saber, and its weight is several times that of a horizontal sword. It cannot be wielded as easily as an arm without courage and strength.

So people often say that the quality of a blacksmith can be judged by the quality of his swords. If he can't even do the most basic things, then there's no hope for anything else.

Li Cunxiao looked at the knife in front of him. Although it was not a precious sword that could cut iron like mud, it was still a sharp weapon. He immediately said:

"I want to wear a suit of chain mail"

The old man was delighted when he heard this. Compared with forbidden items such as swords and armor, the price is naturally much higher.

Seeing that the world is about to fall into chaos, who cares about whether there are bans or not?

"Sixty taels of silver, one month's work"

Li Cunxiao frowned when he heard this.

Regardless of whether it is expensive or not, it takes too long. He originally bought it to prepare for his next escort mission.

"Can you go faster?"

The old man was suddenly embarrassed:
"My dear customer, our shop is not only doing business with you. Armor takes a long time to make. If we don't finish the work for other customers, we won't be able to spare the manpower to do yours."

Need to queue?
Li Cunxiao thought for a moment and asked, "Do you have a finished chain mail? Bring it to me and have a look."

The old man gave an order, and soon a young man came out with a chain mail that had not yet been polished.

This chain mail is made of more than 10,000 small iron rings stacked together layer by layer. It looks like a round-necked robe made of iron rings. It not only has sleeves but also reaches the knees.

Seeing that the size was similar to his own, Li Cunxiao simply tried it on.

To be honest, the weight must be about 20 to 30 kilograms, but after all, he has a strong body of qi and blood, so it hardly affects his body's activities. He can be said to be very agile. Li Cunxiao thought about it for a while and simply came up with a compromise.

"Well, I'll have you make this mail mail into a short-sleeved half-arm, shortening it to an inch below the thigh. How soon can you get it?"

The old man stroked his beard and thought for a moment.
"If this is the case, it can be completed in half a month."

"What if I skip the polishing steps? I can add more silver."

Li Cunxiao bought the chain mail for protection, and whether it looked good or not was not a consideration for him.

"This"

The old man hesitated for a moment and finally nodded.

"The shop will still charge you sixty taels of silver. Please come back to inspect it in ten days."

In these troubled times, the arms trade is making huge profits, as they use less materials but still charge the original price.

Li Cunxiao felt a pang of pain in his heart, but he still pulled out the silver notes he had exchanged at the bank in advance and took out three ten-liang notes as a deposit. The old man was quite good at business. Before leaving, he gave him a short sword. Except for the lack of an ear handle, it was just a small ring-handled sword.

Li Cunxiao tried it and found that its sharpness was about the same as the one issued by the escort agency, but the latter had the escort agency's mark on it, which made it inconvenient to use in secret situations. The old man's gift came at the right time.

After getting the armor, Li Cunxiao went to various major pharmacies and tried to get some poison by indirect means.

Unfortunately, I never found anything satisfactory. Most of them were just ordinary arsenic.

Places like the Sun Family Blacksmith Shop were recommended by escorts like Qian Lao San after they visited. After all, when traveling outside, it was somewhat worrying to only have one piece of leather armor.

But poison and the like were rarely used by the people. After all, they were escorts from the escort agency, not assassins involved in the underworld.

"It seems that I can only go to the black market at night."

Seeing that there was still half a day left, Li Cunxiao simply went to Zhang's house to pick up Mu Cha.

Every time Zhang Que'er brought Mu Cha home, her face would be very long - at such a young age, she was obsessed with men and wished that Mu Cha would be with her all day long.

But when she saw him again this time, the little girl was actually a little timid, and looked at Li Cunxiao with some fear. She was probably scared by the ferocious look when the county government took action.

Mu Cha was naturally delighted to see his elder brother. He chattered non-stop along the way, telling about how many books he had read, how many words he had learned, who he had met, how his wife and the third lady had fed him delicious food, and how naughty Zhang Que'er was.
Li Cunxiao just smiled and agreed, and took his brother to eat snacks and watch acrobatics. It was not until dusk that he sent Mu Cha back reluctantly.

At present, Mu Cha was still just a little book boy, only able to accompany Zhang Que'er to study. If he could become Zhang Lishi's disciple, would his younger brother also rise to prominence, being exposed to martial arts earlier than himself and laying a solid foundation?

The troubled times are coming, and it is impossible for him to be by Mu Cha's side all the time. Zhang Lishi is not an invincible strong man. Not only does he have to become strong, but Mu Cha also has to become strong, at least to have the power to protect himself.

But that is for later.

As the sky gradually darkened and darkness covered the earth like a veil, Li Cunxiao changed into a dark nightgown, painted his entire face black with charcoal, then covered himself with a mask, and walked through many twists and turns until he entered the black market.

After not seeing it for a few days, this black market seemed to be even more lively. More young boys and girls were locked in cages, and the stall owners put up signs on the side, clearly marking the prices with charcoal pencils.

All kinds of strange and exotic animal meats were displayed on the stalls. If an inexperienced person was interested, he would probably be deceived.

But Li Cunxiao could barely be called a connoisseur of demon meat. As he walked along, he could mostly tell the real from the fake. In the end, he even returned to the stall of an old acquaintance.

"How much is one pound of demon meat?"

"Five taels"

The stall owner still looked indifferent, but Li Cunxiao was surprised when he heard that.

The last time I came, it was only three taels per pound. In just half a month, the price has almost doubled!

Seeing that Li Cunxiao didn't say anything, the stall owner, although he had explained many times today, still spoke impatiently:
"There are wars everywhere, famine everywhere, refugees, bandits, and demons everywhere."

"The same pound of meat is not as easy to get as before"

"Besides, more and more people are practicing martial arts. If we don't raise the price now, when will we raise the price?"

Are you quite confident?

Li Cunxiao was certainly unhappy. If it were the original price, he would have bought a month's supply at once.

But now there are five taels of silver per catty, and there are still forty taels left from He Bi's gift, and I still have almost thirty taels on me. It is impossible to use it all, so I must keep about ten taels for emergency.

Sixty taels of silver could only buy twelve catties. At half a catty a day, it could last for more than half a month, enough to fully charge the vajra.

Once you become an inner disciple, the escort agency will naturally provide you with resources for training, and the pressure will be less then.

But Li Cunxiao did not buy it immediately, but turned and went into Chai Bang's shop.

"Sir, what would you like to see?"

"I've bought demon meat from you before, and the quality was decent. I came here this time to ask if you have any better ones?"

The man was tall and strong, obviously a martial artist. Upon hearing Li Cunxiao's question, his face turned serious. He apologized and went back to the inner room to invite out a middle-aged man who looked like the shopkeeper.

"The customer wants higher quality demon meat?"

Seeing Li Cunxiao nod, the man smiled slightly:
"Customers can pay a deposit first and place an order, and then we can wait until the goods are available."

Li Cunxiao couldn't help but frown, "No stock?"

"You're joking, sir. How can a second-level demon be so easy to find? Even if we find one, we'll need several warriors at the muscle realm to surround and kill it before we can be sure of it."

"You can go out and ask around. Which of those stalls dares to claim they have a supply of second-level demon meat?"

Second-level demon meat?
Li Cunxiao's mind raced upon hearing this, and he immediately understood that what was in the store's shelves and on the stalls outside were all first-level demon meat.

The higher the price, the more Qi and blood it can retain while removing evil spirits.

However, compared to qi and blood, he needs the evil energy in the demon's flesh and blood to accumulate the power to break through obstacles.

No matter how you deal with the evil spirit in the second-level demon meat, it should be stronger than that in the first-level demon meat, right?
"How much is the price of second-level demon meat?"

"One pound and one hundred taels"

"Fuck."

One pound is worth one hundred taels, which is more than three times the price of the first-level demon meat in the Chai Gang shop!
Half a pound of meat a day costs fifty taels of silver, and a month's worth is fifteen hundred taels of silver!

"Shopkeeper, is your second-level demon meat made of gold?"

The shopkeeper saw that Li Cunxiao's tone had turned cold, but his expression did not become nervous. He just smiled faintly and said:
"If you think it's expensive, you can go to the inner city and maybe find something cheaper and of better quality."

If I had a way to get to the inner city, why would I come to your black market?

Li Cunxiao almost couldn't help but turn around and leave, but after thinking it over, he decided to leave a deposit of five taels of silver, and then walked out of the shop with the shopkeeper's smile.

To put it bluntly, with the inner city monopolizing high-end resources, the Chai Gang's black market is a monopoly of huge profits for civilian warriors like them. No matter how high the price is, they can only hold their noses.

It’s like the water circle players in the previous life. For the same price, they can buy real iron and go shooting abroad, but in China they can only buy water egg launchers and enjoy it secretly at home.

The vajra is the foundation of his life. Even if he only buys one or two pounds of meat, he has to taste the taste of the second-level demon and measure its function so that he can accumulate the power to break the obstacles more efficiently in the future.

As the realm improves, the effect of demon meat becomes less and less effective. If you want to maintain the original speed of cultivation, you must be willing to spend money.

"Well, if you can't afford the Chai Gang's food, you still have to come to me?"

The stall owner looked at Li Cunxiao who had returned and gloated over his misfortune.

"Give me twelve pounds."

“Only ten pounds left.”

Business is so good?
Li Cunxiao did not delay this time:
“I want them all.”

While the stall owner was packing up, Li Cunxiao asked casually:
"Dude, do you have any way to get second-level demon meat?"

"I have a way to get into the belly of a second-level demon. Do you want it?"

That means no more.

Li Cunxiao reluctantly left fifty taels of silver and turned to leave, thinking that these individual warriors really had their limits. In terms of the quality and ability of their supply, they could not compare with a powerful force after all.

"Now I just hope that after I break through the Qi and Blood Perfection, I can get the resources of the Escort Agency. Otherwise, I can only find ways to make money through unconventional means."

"Money, money"

Holding the demon meat in his arms, Li Cunxiao walked out of the black market quickly, but just as he reached the exit, he heard faint footsteps in his ears.

Am I being targeted?
(End of this chapter)