54: Chapter 54: Black Market Orders

The nights at Hengchuan Peak were never quiet.

But in the stillness of this night, there was a trace of strange restlessness.

At the barrier outside the mountain gate, a few faint, flickering fluctuations of Spiritual Pressure were detected.

It was not the uniform Spiritual Pressure of a Righteous Path Sect, but rather chaotic and sharp, like the aura of a beast grinding its teeth.

Shen Xingzhou, draped in an outer robe, stood in the shadows of the mountain gate.

In front of him stood three people wearing dusty gray cloaks.

Their heads were bowed low, and their exposed hands were covered in calluses and scars, clearly Loose Cultivators who had spent years licking blood off the edge of a blade.

"Peak Master of Hengchuan, I have long heard of you."

The leader was a man with a broken eyebrow, his voice raspy as if he had a mouthful of sand. "We heard outside that your Peak... has some special 'life-saving goods'."

Shen Xingzhou said nothing, just quietly watching him.

The man with the broken eyebrow didn't waste words; he flipped his wrist, and a heavy Storage Pouch floated in mid-air.

"Inside are five thousand Spirit Stones and three pieces of Geng Metal Sand. We want to order a batch of goods."

"Low Grade armor, fifty pieces. Life-saving Talisman Cases, thirty sets."

"This price is three times what you give inside the Sect."

Shen Xingzhou's pupils constricted slightly.

Geng Metal Sand.

It was a key Materials for reinforcing defensive Formation, a scarce item for which he had applied to the Sect three times and been rejected each time.

These Loose Cultivators were actually able to produce it.

"Five thousand Spirit Stones plus Geng Metal Sand is enough to buy half the junk on Hengchuan Peak."

Shen Xingzhou said in a flat tone, "What do you want to do? Rebel?"

"Rebel?"

The man with the broken eyebrow laughed self-deprecatingly and took off his hood, revealing a hideous scar across the bridge of his nose.

"Peak Master Shen, you joke. We are wild dogs without a Sect or backing; what could we use to rebel?"

"We just... want to live a little longer."

"The Yao Beast tide has been raging recently; the officials don't care, and the Sect won't save us. We heard that your Peak's 'tortoise shells' and 'Talisman Cases' can block Yao Beast claws and even substitute for death."

"We are here to beg for our lives, not to cause trouble."

Shen Xingzhou did not immediately accept the Storage Pouch.

In his field of vision, the System's interface, cold to the point of cruelty, had already categorized and expanded on this event.

[External Order Assessment]

[Customer Type: Loose Cultivator Alliance / Independent Mercenary Group]

[Credit Rank: Low (High-risk group, but very high willingness to pay)]

[Order Content:]

Low Grade armor: 50 pieces

Life-saving Talisman Cases: 30 sets

[Potential Revenue:]

Spirit Stone cash flow: ++++ (Greatly eases the funding pressure for the expansion of the Munitions Line)

Rare Materials: Geng Metal Sand (can be used to upgrade V2.0 System armor formula)

Influence spillover: Establishing a reputation for "Hengchuan Manufacturing" in the Jianghu

[Potential Risk (Red):]

Violation: The Sect strictly prohibits the private sale of standard equipment to external forces (suspected of aiding the enemy / shaking the Sect's monopoly).

Preset charges: "Reselling Sect strategic Materials", "Colluding with external enemies".

Consequent consequences: Once verified, the sacrifice quota for Hengchuan Peak will be increased by 20%, and the host's credit will be cleared to zero.

This was hot money.

It could save the Munitions Line, upgrade the Disciple's equipment, and even give Shen Xingzhou more bargaining chips.

But it was also like a packet of poison; once swallowed, if Law Enforcement Elder Lu Guhuai caught wind of it, the result would be the annihilation of the entire Peak.

The System seemed to sense his hesitation and immediately provided two clear path simulations.

[Decision Simulation: Accept Order vs Reject Order]

[Plan A: Direct Acceptance (Black Market Order)]

Operation: Private transaction, destroy records.

Short-term revenue: Capital recovery, Munitions Line upgrade in sight.

Medium to Long-term risk:

Probability of being discovered by the Law Enforcement Hall Audit: 45% (increases sharply with production volume).

Once discovered: Sacrifice quota increased by 20% (meaning 10 more people will die).

[Plan B: Reject Order]

Operation: Expel Loose Cultivator, close doors to guests.

Short-term revenue: Safe, compliant.

Medium to Long-term risk:

Munitions Line capital chain breaks, can only maintain low-level production.

Loose Cultivator demand still exists; they will turn to other Peaks (such as Qingsong Peak) or even pay high prices to bribe Disciples of other Peaks to "imitate".

Result: Competitors appear, Hengchuan Peak loses its technical barrier and potential allies.

Shen Xingzhou looked at the line "Sacrifice quota increased by 20%", his knuckles turning white.

To accept was to gamble with the lives of everyone on the Peak.

To reject, the Munitions Line was a bottomless pit that would sooner or later grind to a halt due to lack of funds.

"Even a clever housewife cannot cook without rice..."

Just as Shen Xingzhou was calculating the pros and cons in his heart, the man with the broken eyebrow did not leave because of his silence.

He sighed and took something out from his bosom.

It was a tattered Talisman Case; the outer shell was shattered, and the Formation patterns inside were charred black, clearly completely ruined.

But this was not a product of Hengchuan Peak.

It was an imitation of the lowest possible quality.

"I had this made by someone myself."

The man with the broken eyebrow spoke in a low voice, carrying a trace of undisguised sorrow. "Last month, my brother and I went into the mountains to hunt Yao Beast. We encountered a Tier 2 Yao Beast."

"If I had one of your 'Substitute Puppets', even the trashiest one..."

He paused, his fingers rubbing over the scrap iron.

"My brother wouldn't have had to die. He died without even a complete corpse, and his name wasn't even put on a stone tablet; he just rotted in the mountains like mud."

He looked up, his murky eyes staring fixedly at Shen Xingzhou.

"Peak Master Shen, you are Sect Disciple; you have the Sect protecting you and welfare to collect."

"We don't. When we die, we are just dead."

"We offer a high price not to go against anyone. We just want... to be able to run a little faster the next time we encounter a Yao Beast."

"Even living one more day would be good."

"We aren't taking these to fight you; we just want to live a little longer."

"No one gives us welfare; when we die, our names won't even be on a stone tablet."

These words were like a heavy hammer, smashing hard against Shen Xingzhou's heart.

In that instant, what was before him was no longer "customers" and "resources".

It was Zhao Tie, it was Wang Er Mazi, it was every name on Hengchuan Peak that could be sent to the altar at any moment.

In this world, whether it is the "bottom-feeders" inside the Sect, or the "wild dogs" in the Jianghu, life is as cheap as grass.

The only difference is that the Zhao Ties still have him desperately pulling them up, while these Loose Cultivator can only wait to die in the darkness.

Shen Xingzhou was silent for a long time.

The two options in the System seemed to have turned into two great mountains, pressing down on him until he couldn't breathe.

On one side was the safety of the rules, on the other was the unease of his conscience.

But was this really a multiple-choice question?

Just then, in the corner of the System's interface, a line of tiny text, like ghost fire, slowly emerged.

It was the System's unique "Vulnerability Prompt".

[Suggestion: Compliant Shell Plan]

[Core Idea:]

Convert "Black Market Transaction" into "Sect Diplomatic Action".

[Operation Path:]

Do not accept the order in the name of "Hengchuan Peak", but submit an application to the Sect Head in the name of "Sect Disaster Relief Material Clearance".

Reason: The Scrapyard has a serious backlog of inventory, and the products are "defective/experimental products" that do not qualify for inclusion in the Sect's core equipment warehouse.

Public claim: To "appease surrounding Loose Cultivator and reduce the impact of the Yao Beast tide on the Sect's periphery", a batch of supplies will be processed at a low price.

Substance: The so-called "low price" will be privately supplemented by the Loose Cultivator in the name of "sponsoring military expenses/construction fees" (or offset by rare Materials).

[Feasibility Analysis:]

The Sect is happy to see this happen (it clears inventory, collects peripheral protection fees, and doesn't require spending resources).

The Law Enforcement Hall cannot classify this as "aiding the enemy" (this is a political mission).

Munitions Line gains: Funds + Official endorsement + Peripheral intelligence network.

Shen Xingzhou looked at this suggestion, his originally tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxing.

"Clear inventory..."

"Appease the periphery..."

He looked at the man with the broken eyebrow, a meaningful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"I accept this order."

Shen Xingzhou reached out and took the heavy Storage Pouch.

"However, not now."

"In three days, come to 'Tingfeng Town' to pick up the goods."

"At that time, this batch of goods will not have the Hengchuan Peak logo on it."

"It will have the six characters 'Qingheng Sect · Disaster Relief Supplies' printed on it."

The man with the broken eyebrow was stunned, and then a light of wild joy erupted in his eyes.

"Many thanks, Peak Master Shen! Many thanks..."

Watching the backs of the Loose Cultivator as they departed, Shen Xingzhou turned around and looked towards the dark direction of the Sect behind him.

"You want to investigate me?"

He whispered to himself, his fingers tapping lightly on the Storage Pouch.

"I will bring this business out into the open."

"Even if it is a black market, as long as it is draped in the skin of 'compliance', then it is your loophole and my path to survival."

On the System interface, that red [Risk Warning] was slowly fading away, replaced by a green [Project Executing].

And behind this green, Shen Xingzhou knew that he was weaving a net even larger than the Munitions Line.

A great net that could capture Loose Cultivator, resources, and even intelligence.