157: Fulfill the promise

Having secured Xia Ya's promise, Qin Feng felt a bit more confident about rescuing his master. But the most urgent matter at hand was to fulfill his own promise—obtaining a king breaking pill for Xia Ya within a month.

Although the System intelligence hadn't directly given the location of a king breaking pill, Qin Feng knew how to use it to find clues. Over the next few days, he carefully studied the refreshed intelligence every day, focusing on information related to Medicinal Pills, auctions, and black markets, while simultaneously making discreet inquiries through the connections of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion and the Four Seas Merchant Guild in Star South City.

Three days later, a piece of white intelligence caught his attention:

[Green Intelligence: In three days at the zi hour, the new underground Ghost Market in Star South City will hold an auction for a batch of goods with 'special origins,' which may include scarce Cultivation resources.]

“The new Ghost Market...” A sharp light flashed in Qin Feng's eyes. These shady underground trading markets often featured items that were difficult to obtain through normal channels; it was exactly the right place to look for high-demand supplies like the king breaking pill.

Late at night three days later, Qin Feng brought Ji Ruxue along. Both had changed into inconspicuous grey cloaks to hide their faces, following the intelligence's directions to a deserted mortuary in the west of the city. At a dry well in the mortuary's backyard, after presenting a bone token, a secret door silently slid open in the well wall, revealing a descending stone staircase. A cold, damp breath of air rushed toward them.

The true Ghost Market was hidden deep beneath Star South City.

After the last great battle, the location of the Ghost Market seemed to have shifted slightly.

After descending hundreds of steps along the winding stone stairs, the view ahead suddenly opened up. A massive natural cavern had been converted into an underground market, with fluorite embedded in the rock walls emitting an eerie green glow, making the lighting dim and strange. Figures flickered within the cave, yet it was exceptionally quiet; transactions were mostly completed through low whispers or hand gestures, permeating the air with a mysterious and dangerous atmosphere.

Qin Feng and Ji Ruxue moved low-key through the various stalls. The items sold here were a mixed bag: blood-stained ancient weapons, fragmented Cultivation Technique Jade Slips, unknown beast bones and herbs, and even some Talismans and Magical Artifacts with sinister auras. There was very little shouting; most buyers inspected goods hurriedly and transacted quickly.

They stopped in front of a stall in a corner. The stall owner was an old man wrapped entirely in a black robe with a raspy voice. He didn't have many items on his stall, but several jade bottles were arranged neatly. Qin Feng's gaze fell upon a pale purple jade bottle with a small Talisman paper stuck to it, inscribed with three small characters in ancient seal script: 'Heaven-Soaring Pill.' This was usually the cryptic name for the king breaking pill in the black market.

“Boss, how about this bottle?” Qin Feng lowered his voice, pointing at the pale purple jade bottle.

The black-robed old man looked up, two points of ghostly light beneath the hood scanning Qin Feng as he rasped, “Good stuff, the real deal. Three hundred thousand gold coins, no bargaining.”

Three hundred thousand! Even though Qin Feng was prepared, his heart still jolted. This was significantly more expensive than he had anticipated, nearly a third of the liquid cash he had on hand. However, his expression remained unchanged as he said deeply, “May I inspect it?”

The old man nodded slightly and carefully peeled back a tiny crack in the Talisman paper at the bottle's mouth. Instantly, a pure and domineering medicinal fragrance wafted out. Though it was only for a moment, it caused several nearby people with keen senses to turn their heads simultaneously. The True Qi within Qin Feng's body stirred slightly, confirming that this medicinal power was surging and pure, definitely not a fake.

“I'll take it.” Qin Feng no longer hesitated, taking out three gold notes with a face value of one hundred thousand each from his robes—these were converted from part of his rewards and what he had gained in West Lake City. In a place like the Ghost Market, gold notes were more reliable than Crystal Cards.

After the black-robed old man carefully checked the authenticity of the gold notes, he quickly handed over the jade bottle while simultaneously pocketing the notes, the entire process fast as lightning. With the transaction complete, neither side spoke another word. Qin Feng and Ji Ruxue immediately turned and blended into the bustling crowd, quickly leaving the stall.

It wasn't until they walked out of the Ghost Market and returned to the surface, with the cool night breeze brushing their faces, that Qin Feng breathed a soft sigh of relief. He carefully stowed away the jade bottle containing the king breaking pill and looked at Ji Ruxue: “Thanks for coming with me. In a place like that, it's always good to have someone watching your back.”

Ji Ruxue shook her head slightly: “It was my duty.” She paused, then uncharacteristically spoke up on her own initiative, “Three hundred thousand... is it worth it?” She thought of her own pill; the price Qin Feng paid must not have been small either.

Qin Feng smiled, his gaze firm: “For a partner who is worth it, it is worth it.”

A brilliant light flickered repeatedly in Ji Ruxue's eyes.

Returning to the inn, Qin Feng called Xia Ya directly into his room and placed the pale purple jade bottle in front of her.

“This is...” Xia Ya's breathing involuntarily quickened as she looked at the jade bottle.

“The king breaking pill. As I promised you.” Qin Feng's tone was calm. “Find a quiet place and prepare for secluded meditation.”

Xia Ya's hands trembled as she picked up the jade bottle and opened the stopper. A pill fragrance several times more concentrated than back at the Ghost Market permeated the air, and the majestic energy fluctuations made the blood in her entire body boil. It was real! And of excellent quality!

“Young Master Qin spent three hundred thousand gold coins to buy this.”

Ji Ruxue said coldly.

Xia Ya looked up at Qin Feng, her eyes instantly turning red. Three hundred thousand gold coins! She knew better than anyone what this sum of money meant; it was a massive fortune that many small Families might not be able to produce even if they exhausted their entire clan's resources! And Qin Feng, this 'partner' she had known for only a few days, had actually done this for her just for the sake of a promise!

Growing up, because of her status as a concubine's daughter and her 'mediocre' talent, she was used to being ignored and used to fighting for everything herself. Even her father's support came with cold conditions. When had anyone ever been so regardless of the cost for her?

Scalding tears finally couldn't help but burst from her eyes. This strong woman, who hadn't shed a tear even amidst the mountains of corpses and seas of blood overseas, was now crying like a little girl. She gripped the jade bottle tightly, as if holding the most precious treasure in the world, sobbing so hard she couldn't say a word.

[Ding, Xia Ya favorability +30]

[Current favorability: Xia Ya 60 (Deep Gratitude)]

Qin Feng didn't say much, merely patting her shoulder gently: “Don't let this pill down, and don't let yourself down. We'll wait for you to emerge from meditation.”

Xia Ya nodded heavily, wiping away her tears as all her emotion and gratitude transformed into a blazing fighting spirit in her eyes. She said no more, turning to leave with a resolute back.