Chapter 440: Chapter 228: Citywide Manhunt, Sky-High Bounty (Part 4)

Usually, after selling the medicine at the Black Market, he would return to the alley to rest, and listen in on what people at both ends of the lane were gossiping about.

The night passed uneventfully.

The next morning, Jiang Feng woke up early to restock at the herb market.

Before leaving, Jiang Feng checked the panel information below.

Name: Jiang Feng

Fortune: 3922245

Cultivation Technique: Yangchun Technique (Perfection)

Skills: Flame Saber (Mastery+) Wind Control (Mastery+) Five Elements Array (Beginner+) Sword Control Technique (Beginner+) Thousand Faces (Perfection+) Mysterious Nether Spear Technique (Great Success+)

Realm: Qi Condensation (Sixth Layer)

Divine Power: Immortality

In recent days, Jiang Feng had been well-behaved, successfully establishing his new persona as Shopkeeper Chu, running his shop at the Black Market for three hours each day, and living a peaceful, steady life.

Now, both Divine Sect and the Royal Family were hunting him down. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

They’d even put out a bounty notice.

Which made the outside world exponentially more dangerous.

As long as Jiang Feng wasn’t caught, it was like he was dodging one wave of danger after another, as if he’d returned to hiding out at the Divine Sect Mansion.

With the bounty notice in effect,

As long as he got through each day safely, he could gain nearly a thousand Fortune Points a day.

Sometimes, when cultivators drawn by that bounty came to Dragon Capital and entered the Black Market to buy supplies, his daily Fortune Points could jump an extra five or six hundred—even one or two thousand.

This made Jiang Feng tense, but secretly thrilled inside.

He wished that every cultivator who came to Dragon Capital would go to the Black Market to see him, that anyone could lay eyes on him, but no one would ever recognize him.

But among loose cultivators, there were always hidden masters; unless necessary, Jiang Feng still preferred not to deal with other cultivators, just in case any expert could see through him.

The herb market was packed with people.

Aside from all sorts of merchants, those buying medicine included some passing Jianghu people, or loose cultivators from out of town.

They could search the black market for spirit medicine.

Showing up at the herb market was perfectly normal for them.

When searching for herbs, they used Spiritual Sense; if there was any spirit medicine or spirit grass present in the market, they’d often be the first to detect it.

Sometimes they’d quietly buy it; sometimes, several people would scramble for it.

Jiang Feng was quick about it—after buying a batch of herbs favored by Jianghu folks, he slung his bundle on his back and headed home toward Black Alley.

At dusk, he carried his herbs to the Black Market, sorted today’s purchases on his shop shelves, as people in the Black Market gradually increased in number.

"Shopkeeper Chu, all the medicine shop owners in Dragon Capital have sent people out hunting for spirit herbs and elixirs. The prices for those herbs are sky high these days—got any hookups?"

"We can work together."

Across the way was Shopkeeper Zhao, who sold Golden Needle Poison and had a salve stuck to his face year round. He came over to chat.

Seeing Jiang Feng open up shop in the Black Market recently—a fresh face from out of town, unfamiliar with Dragon Capital—he wanted to score a bargain from Jiang Feng.

"Heard a bunch of immortals showed up in the city. I went to the herb market today, and the price for a stalk of spirit medicine has already been jacked up two, three times the usual. Too bad spirit grass needs super harsh growing conditions; in Dragon Capital, the only people who can just whip out spirit medicine or spirit herbs are probably those living in Imperial City. If you’ve got a way, you can try partnering up with them."

Jiang Feng responded quickly.

"Aren’t you just messing with me? Fine, pretend I didn’t say anything."

Shopkeeper Zhao rolled his eyes.

He hadn’t expected much anyway. After being refused, he didn’t get angry and just went back to tending his own business.

After all, cultivators were few and far between.

Those who needed to look for spirit medicine or spirit herbs in the Black Market were even fewer.

In the days that followed, Jiang Feng never saw them again in the Black Market; life there went back to normal.

Ten days later.

Jiang Feng’s Fortune Points climbed to over 3.93 million.

The Black Market’s supervisor,

The Seventh Prince’s henchman, Lin Yansheng, along with the old Daoist who’d given Jiang Feng the Yangchun Technique, suddenly showed up in the Black Market, calling every medicine shop boss or merchant dealing in herbs over to the courtyard by the entrance.

"Everybody, take a look at the wall and memorize what these herbs look like. Starting today, for the next three months, it doesn’t matter how you get your hands on these medicines—turn them all in to us. We’ll buy them on the spot at twice the market price.

The more you bring in, the lower your commission rates to the Black Market.

We hope you all work with the Black Market.

Did everyone hear me?"

shouted Lin Yansheng.

"Those are all spirit herbs and elixirs. They’re buying them from the regular markets at three times the price."

"This is the Black Market—our prices are already lower than outside."

"Why do they suddenly need so many spirit herbs and elixirs? Eat enough and you’ll ascend, eh?"

...

The crowd whispered among themselves.

Most of them had been dealing in herbs for years—maybe they couldn’t recognize spirit herbs and elixirs before, but now, with more and more cultivators showing up, they’d learned a fair bit.

"Did you hear what I said?"

Lin Yansheng snapped.

"We heard you, Shopkeeper Lin."

"Shopkeeper Lin, if I have any of these spirit herbs and elixirs in hand, you’ll be the first to get them."

It got quieter instantly. Doing business in the Black Market, everyone knew the rules—they didn’t want trouble with Lin Yansheng.

"My surname’s Niu. All my friends on the road call this old Daoist Immortal Niu."

The old Daoist suddenly spoke.

His voice carried a strange force that sent chills through everyone.

"I’m working for the Seventh Prince, as you may know. The Black Market was personally established by His Highness, and now His Highness urgently needs all kinds of spirit herbs and elixirs posted on the wall. Anyone who can sell them to the Black Market will be a friend of His Highness. If you hide them, you’re just disrespecting His Highness."