Chapter 122: Escaping the Bck Market

  Previously, while moving through the sewers, An Jing did not let a moment go to waste. He did his utmost to sift through any data on Ms. Nian Qin’s watch—there was a name stored within—and used that information to piece together the overall picture of the “True Talisman Contention Incident.”

  Initially, An Jing never expected to find anything of real value in it. After all, any traveling business boss would usually carry multiple phones for different purposes and clients. Crucial information would be kept on more secure devices and would certainly not reside on a “personal terminal” carried at all times.

  Besides, as a smuggler frequently dealing under the table and possibly linked to a rebel group like the Righteous Return Army, Nian Qin—no matter how careless—surely would not leave anything incriminating on her personal device. Right?

  Yet, against all odds, there really was something!

  However, the data in question was not stored in the watch’s memory at all.

  At the time, prompted by the Sword Spirit, An Jing flexed his muscles and applied a touch of pressure, crumpling the watch’s metal band. From inside, a paper-thin “silk talisman” fell free.

  There was nothing else on the silk talisman, only eight pinly written characters:

  —“Outsiders from the Wilderness, Brown Soil, Golden Fme!”

  If An Jing had never met Bo Yan, he certainly would not have grasped the meaning behind those eight characters. But after crossing paths with him, how could he not understand?

  It turned out that she was precisely the bck market “contact” set to receive Bo Yan, the Righteous Return Army cultivator! On top of that, Little Ochre Mountain was part of the Shouyang Mountain Group, which aligned with the reported friction between external Luofu interests and Shouyang Mountain.

  It remained uncertain whether Nian Qin was a Righteous Return Army agent secretly pnted in Little Ochre Mountain—intending to pin bme on Shouyang Mountain—or a loyal Shouyang Mountain operative covertly ordered to reach out to the Righteous Return Army. In short, her identity was extremely complicated.

  Regardless, it expined why Nian Qin, despite the Fengdu Guards’ raid, had not rushed to flee but instead remained in her shop the whole time.

  Later, that silk talisman appeared to sense Bo Yan’s lingering aura on An Jing and ignited by itself before vanishing. Had it remained concealed in the watch band and Nian Qin run into Bo Yan, the fre from its ignition would have alerted her she had found her contact.

  Why Bo Yan never sought out Nian Qin remained a mystery… Perhaps their intel had been scrambled, or traitors existed in both factions.

  Nian Qin’s demise was most likely the result of betrayal by her own associates. Although her abilities were nothing to scoff at and she had talismans and firearms at her disposal, she never even got the chance to use them. The main reason Nian Qin had kept such a close eye on him was probably that, to her, An Jing also counted as an “outsider from the wilderness,” and might therefore be linked to her target.

  Clearly, the fight over the True Talisman was steeped in complexity. Even Purple Mansion cultivators of the Righteous Return Army were acting as bait, yet Bo Yan—who should have been retively secure—was still exposed, which in turn dragged An Jing into this turmoil. This showed there were definitely undercover agents in the Righteous Return Army, too.

  “Spies within spies? You have operatives in my group, I have agents in yours. Everyone’s infiltrating each other, yering intelligence on top of intelligence?”

  An Jing felt a throbbing pain in his temples. “What a tangled web… Thankfully, I’m a cultivator from another realm. The moment I choose, I can just leave this murk behind.”

  But then again, the Huaixu Realm was hardly free of complications. Great Chen Demonic Sect’s affairs were equally tangled, leaving him dizzy just thinking about them. If only this world were clearly bck and white—but that was never going to happen.

  Now that he had the True Talisman, An Jing naturally wanted to unravel its entire history, but the deeper he dug, the more tangled it got. He refused to follow the map Nian Qin left, exactly because traitors were lurking about. It was likely that agents from the Surveilnce Bureau had long since staked out the exit, ready to catch whoever showed up!

  He took all this to heart. “The Fengdu Guards, the Department of Return Protocol… and all the shadowy moles behind them—I’ve made a note of you all!”

  Still, as the saying goes, fortune often emerges from danger.

  Being swept into the “Heavenly Mystery True Talisman Incident” had certainly put An Jing in peril more than once, but his rewards were abundant.

  Putting aside what was used or destroyed—two child units of the Six Qi Lotus Ptform, one Swiftstride Talisman, one Qi Boosting Pill, and one self-destructing drone—An Jing still had the main Six Qi Lotus Ptform with ten child units, three self-destructing drones, an outdoor survival kit, two Qi Boosting Pills, another Swiftstride Talisman, a protective armor jade pendant, and roughly six liang of jade-cleaving steel.

  This was without even factoring in his original sword case and other armaments, along with the Heavenly Mystery True Talisman he had acquired, plus the Evergreen Wood Core and the second-rank charged spirit stone he had pulled from the Fengdu Armor. Each of those two items alone was probably more valuable than all the rest combined! The only drawback was that neither could be turned into instant combat strength right now.

  As for the “bulletproof rain cloak” and “gas mask” on him, they might not have been particurly useful just then, but they were Magical Artifacts nonetheless. In the Huaixu Realm—whether facing Heavenly Demons or the Demonic Sect—such items would come in handy.

  Oh, right—he also had those “Clear Breeze Talismans” that Boss Ji Lu had handed him!

  At that realization, An Jing quietly berated himself for being so negligent. He had completely overlooked these talismans, which could clear away scents, cleanse the wearer, and mask one’s aura—no wonder that silk talisman had ignited on contact, since Bo Yan’s aura was still lingering on him!

  Thankfully, it was not too te. He promptly drew out a Clear Breeze Talisman and infused it with a bit of vital essence.

  In a fsh, the talisman paper crumbled into ash, and a cool breeze washed over An Jing from head to toe, removing every speck of dust, scent, and blood stench!

  “Now I can leave without concern.”

  After a quick sniff test confirmed there wasn’t a trace of odor on him, An Jing continued on, feeling relieved. “No idea how Boss is faring. He’s got more protective gear than me, so he probably got out before that Purple Mansion skirmish even started.”

  “If fate wills it, we’ll meet again.”

  It was unfortunate that he currently cked the time to test the Heavenly Mystery True Talisman’s capabilities. Moreover, from the looks of it, he would need to impnt this True Talisman into his flesh and power it with primordial vital essence to make it work. Even minimal use of primordial vital essence would shorten one’s lifespan, so An Jing had no intention of touching the Talisman until he fully grasped its capabilities and any side effects.

  If Bo Yan had not lost an arm and been poisoned with nether venom, he likewise would have refused to activate it through primordial vital essence.

  On this topic, the Sword Spirit surprised him by taking the initiative.

  “This True Talisman pertains to the Life Dao. If not pced within a matching grand formation or ritual, it naturally requires the nourishment of life force and vital essence.”

  After all, it was an ancient Immortal Sword. Even if not versed in formations, Its knowledge of the Heavenly Profound True Talisman far exceeded that of most people. “An Jing, you ck sufficient vital essence right now, and time is short, so you can’t nurture it properly. But once you settle the issue with the Huaixu Demonic Sect, I can use the Evergreen Wood Core to assist you in building your vital essence so you can swiftly reach the level of Vital Essence Like Tides.

  “At that point, you can employ your own vital essence and Taibai Baleful Qi to form a connection with it… After branding it, I can carry it into your Sea of Consciousness and help you refine it.

  “You’ll then know exactly what it does and how to wield it.”

  An Jing let out a breath and said earnestly, “Thanks, Fuxie.”

  “We share one life, walking side by side, so this is just us helping each other,” the Sword Spirit replied with a smile. “Besides, since both it and I hail from ancient times, once you refine it, I might recall something of my own.”

  By now, An Jing—still pressing ahead—reached a stretch of sewer quite near the surface, where he could vaguely sense a tremendous fluctuation of spiritual energy in the distance. That told him the two Purple Mansion experts were still engaged in combat, with no decisive outcome yet. Alternatively, they might have a “tacit agreement” to keep fighting as a convenient excuse to cordon off every path near the Bck Market.

  “There’s nobody here.”

  An Jing circuted the Serene Sword Technique to sharpen his perception, bypassed several poputed streets, and made his way to a sewer passage beneath a narrow alley. Once he confirmed that foot traffic was minimal, he opened the manhole cover without dey and climbed out of the sewer. The moment he emerged, An Jing used another Clear Breeze Talisman to erase his scent.

  He then opened Nian Qin’s watch again, consulted its map to confirm his position, and headed straight for the outskirts of Xuanye City. Soon enough, An Jing merged seamlessly into the street crowds. Keeping up a brisk pace, he reached a deserted, half-built structure on the outskirts of Xuanye City.

  Only at this point had he finally gotten free of the Bck Market.

  (End of Chapter)