The Martial Saint of Humanity, I Have Transformed Low-Level Martial Arts Into Immortal Martial Arts - Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Black Market Treasure Hunting! Martial Arts Secret Books!

Having made up his mind, Su Hao left Longshe Village discreetly around noon the next day, heading towards Red Maple Ridge. Red Maple Ridge is approximately forty to fifty miles away from Crouching Tiger Town, surrounded by mountains and forests, with few signs of human presence.

When the night fell completely, Su Hao arrived at a desolate valley. The area was barren and silent, overrun with weeds and dense trees that blocked the sunlight, creating an ominous atmosphere.

“Right over there!”

After searching around the valley, Su Hao’s eyes brightened upon seeing a dilapidated little village in a hollow area. He recognized that this was where the black market was located. Generally, the black market opened at night and closed at dawn, so Su Hao settled down to patiently wait.

As dusk gradually enveloped the surroundings, the number of people flocking to the black market increased, most of them veiled or wearing wide-brimmed hats to conceal their identities.

“Let’s go, take a look inside.”

Su Hao prepared himself, wearing a black cloth hood that obscured his face and revealed only his eyes, before stepping towards the entrance of the black market.

At the entrance stood a fierce-looking swordsman in black clothing, a knife sheathed at his waist, quietly guarding the area. When he saw Su Hao approach, he blocked his way and spoke expressionlessly, “To enter the black market without a pass, you must pay an admission fee. If you want to set up a stall to sell goods, there is an additional venue fee to pay.”

Su Hao understood the rules; the black market had someone to maintain order, but entry was not free. Each person wanting to enter the black market had to pay an admission fee. Su Hao then took out the token he had obtained from the Black Deer Army and handed it to the black-clad swordsman for inspection.

The token was indeed a pass issued by the Red Maple Ridge black market. Once the swordsman confirmed it, he stepped aside and gestured for Su Hao to enter.

Stepping into the village-like market, Su Hao noticed lanterns hanging along the dark streets, and the passersby were all masked or wearing wide-brimmed hats, moving silently. Even if they spoke, their voices were deliberately hushed, resembling ghosts.

As Su Hao strolled around the black market, he spotted numerous stalls selling a wide variety of peculiar items, including armor, weapons, various medicines, and even live creatures. Eventually, he stopped in front of a stall positioned near the street, which displayed numerous books. At first glance, they appeared to be martial arts secret books, arranged like cabbages on the stall.

“I have fist techniques, knife techniques, as well as body movements, all of excellent quality and at fair prices, no deceit for young or old.”

The stall owner was a man in blue with a masked face. Upon seeing Su Hao stop, he immediately spoke in a raspy voice.

“Can I take a look first?”

Su Hao asked, knowing that it was easy to forge secret books. If he spent a hefty sum on a fake one, it would waste his money, energy, and time.

“Sure,”

the man in blue nodded slightly.

Su Hao then picked up a manual titled “Five Tiger Soul Severing Blade.”

“This knife technique manual… is likely genuine,” he thought as he browsed through it. After a moment, Su Hao had a rough judgment in his mind.

Having achieved great accomplishment in the Vajra Fist and refined his strength, he had a good understanding of the human body’s meridians and energy flow. This knife technique manual included corresponding meridian diagrams, as well as techniques for exerting force that resonated with his Vajra Fist; it didn’t seem fake.

“Customer, you’ve been looking for a while now. All the manuals here are authentic. If you’re interested, you can buy one and study it at your leisure.”

The man in blue spoke at that moment.

“How much for this manual?”

After scanning the seven or eight manuals, Su Hao quickly spotted one with the title “Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada” prominently displayed on the cover, and he immediately inquired.

Su Hao wanted to practice a new martial art, and he hoped to be more well-rounded. For instance, light body movement was something he felt he needed to learn.

After all, being fast was essential; even if he couldn’t win a fight, he could escape using his agility, making survival skills arguably more important than killing abilities!

So, seeing that there was a manual about light body movement at this stall, his primary interest was indeed the “Eight Steps to Catch the Cicada.”

“100 taels of silver each, no bargaining.”

The man in blue responded.

“100 taels of silver?”

Su Hao’s brows immediately furrowed; he knew that martial arts manuals were not cheap.

Not to mention martial arts secret books, even learning carpentry, cooking, and so on requires three years of working as an apprentice, three years of teaching, and three years of service. It is not easy to learn a skill that can make a living, yet the stall owner is asking for 100 taels of silver right off the bat, an expense that greatly exceeds Su Hao’s expectations! Moreover, secret books can be copied, so selling them doesn’t actually cause any loss to the seller.

The man in blue, with a hoarse voice, said, “Don’t think it’s too expensive. If you go to a martial arts school to learn, it starts at a minimum of five taels of silver a month. Most martial arts schools cherish their own teachings, and to achieve something, it could take years or even a decade, and you might not necessarily learn the real techniques. The secret books I have here aren’t cheap, but they are all quality materials. With enough practice, you can master Refining Strength; once you’ve refined your strength, you won’t have to worry about making money.”

Su Hao wanted to negotiate, but the stall owner shook his head in refusal. For him, selling these secret books cheaply would lead to an oversaturation of the market, so it was impossible for him to sell them at low prices. He was willing to open his stall only occasionally rather than ruin his business for quick gains.

“100 taels is just too expensive; I only have enough silver to buy one manual,” Su Hao frowned. He wanted the secret book but was feeling financially strained!

Soon, Su Hao came up with an idea; he looked up at the stall owner and said, “I also have a secret book. Can I trade it with you?”

The copy of the “Vajra Fist” manual had been read by Su Hao countless times, and he had memorized it completely. To him, it was no longer useful, so it would be better to exchange it with the stall owner, allowing him to gain new martial arts knowledge without any loss!

Upon hearing this, the man in blue nodded readily, “Sure, but I need to check the authenticity of your manual first.”

In fact, many of the manuals at this stall had come from trades like this.

Without wasting any more time, Su Hao directly pulled out the “Vajra Fist” manual from his clothes and handed it to the man in blue for inspection.

The man carefully examined it, and after about half a stick of incense, he nodded, “This manual is genuine. You can choose one manual from my stall, but you need to promise me that you won’t sell your manual again at this market.”

If Su Hao continued to sell the “Vajra Fist” manual at the market, it would certainly affect the stall owner’s business, so Su Hao agreed to exchange under the condition that he wouldn’t sell the “Vajra Fist” locally anymore.

However, Su Hao wasn’t foolish; he shook his head and said, “You’re not losing anything by trading with me since you can sell my manual. I’m the one who can’t continue to sell it. This deal puts me at a disadvantage; you need to give me something extra, like a three-for-one deal.”

A straight one-for-one exchange would clearly put him at a loss, so Su Hao was ready to negotiate, wanting to trade one of his manuals for three from the man in blue.