pappabearbooks Chapter 365 The Big Show is About to Begin!
Chapter 365 The Big Show is About to Begin!
As soon as he finished speaking, the tattered straw curtain was slightly lifted from the inside, leaving a gap.
A withered hand reached out and deftly scooped up the loose silver coins, then left a copper coin with a special dark pattern on its surface on the windowsill.
The whole process was silent; Shadow grabbed the copper coin, turned around, and quickly left.
Lu Zhang, who was following behind, was completely bewildered. He scratched his head and asked in confusion, "What's going on? Exchanging silver for a worthless copper coin? Are you burning money?"
Shadow glanced at him coldly and explained helplessly, "This is the black market's entry code and pass. Enough talk, remember to put on your mask and stick close to me."
Having said that, Shadow quickened his pace, and Lu Zhang quickly pulled out a hideous ghost mask, put it on his face, and strode after him.
After several twists and turns, the two arrived at a very inconspicuous little courtyard.
The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, and even half of the courtyard wall had collapsed, making it look extremely dilapidated.
The door was ajar, and leaning against the threshold was an old beggar who smelled terrible and seemed to be fast asleep.
Shadow stepped forward, flicked his wrist, and with a "clink," accurately dropped the copper coin into the tattered ceramic bowl in front of the beggar.
The old beggar didn't even lift his eyelids, only slightly prying them open to glance at the shadows before continuing to snore, completely ignoring them.
Only then did Shadow feel relieved, and led Lu Zhang straight into the house.
The room was empty. The shadow walked to a corner, lifted a dusty wooden board, and revealed a dark staircase leading underground.
After walking down the stairs into the basement, the scene before my eyes instantly changed, revealing a completely different world.
The underground black market was extremely large, with torches illuminating the hall.
A diverse array of people moved about, all wearing various masks. Some were making deals in hushed tones, while others were exchanging information, creating an eerie yet bustling atmosphere.
Looking at the scene before him through the ghost mask, Lu Zhang stared in astonishment: "Good heavens, I never imagined that such a ghostly place would be hidden beneath Xianyang, right under the emperor's nose!"
I said, "Didn't we come here to gather information? Is it really possible to find out anything this way?"
Shadow remained silent, only gesturing for him to shut up.
He weaved through the bustling crowd and quickly walked to the most inconspicuous, dark shop.
Behind the shop counter sat a hunchbacked old man wearing a smiling Buddha mask.
Without a word, Shadow pulled out a heavy ingot of silver and slammed it on the counter, lowering his voice to say, "Buying information. The whereabouts of that peerless martial arts manual that's been all the rage in the martial arts world lately."
The old man slowly tucked the loose silver into his sleeve, then pulled a small slip of paper from the compartment behind him and pushed it across the counter.
Shadow clenched the note in his hand without even glancing at it, then immediately turned around and quickly returned the way he came with Lu Zhang, who was still looking around.
After leaving the black market and returning to the surface, the two made no attempt to conceal themselves, quickly navigating the intricate streets and alleys until they were sure no one was following them, before finally making their way back to the secluded inn where they had stayed.
Close the doors and windows tightly, and light the oil lamp.
Lu Zhang eagerly leaned closer, breathing heavily: "Quick! Open it and see! Who possesses that divine skill that makes one invincible?"
Shadow took a deep breath and carefully unfolded the note that he had bought at great expense.
Under the dim light, seven tiny characters were clearly written on the note:
[West of the city, Gewuyuan (suspected)]
"The Academy of Natural Sciences?"
Shadow stared intently at those three words, his pupils suddenly contracting, and a murderous intent surged into his heart.
"The Academy of Natural Sciences?"
Lu Zhang leaned closer and, after seeing the words on the note, was also stunned: "Isn't this...isn't this the one founded by that kid surnamed Zhang?"
"That's right."
Shadow stared intently at the note, his face slightly contorted.
He crumpled the note into a ball and sneered, "It's like finding a needle in a haystack, only to have it fall into my lap without any effort!"
Who would have thought that this unparalleled martial arts skill was hidden in that brat Zhang Fan's doghouse!
Lu Zhang rubbed his hands together excitedly, slammed his hand on the table, and grinned maliciously, "Great! Now we can settle both old and new scores at once! Not only can we get the divine skill, but we can also finish the work we didn't complete last time—killing two birds with one stone!"
"There's no time to lose, lest things get complicated."
Shadow took a deep breath, completely concealing the murderous intent in his eyes. "We'll infiltrate the Academy of Natural History tonight to investigate! If we find any secret manuals, seize them immediately. Anyone who gets in our way will be killed without mercy!"
"Alright! Let's do something big tonight!"
……
Meanwhile, inside the West City Museum of Natural History.
Zhang Fan, who had just returned from the palace, was sitting in the armchair in his study, looking at the mountain of "peerless secret manuals" on the table, his brows furrowed, deep in thought.
He boasted to Brother Zheng that he would put on a grand show for the entire martial arts world to spread these martial arts manuals in a seemingly legitimate way.
No matter how well-planned, we are currently facing a very awkward problem!
No one is available!
You can't exactly have him carrying a stack of "The Sunflower Manual" to the streets of Xianyang handing out flyers and shouting, "Don't miss out, if you want to practice this skill, you must first castrate yourself!" That would be like a truck exploding!
"I was too hasty. If I had known, I should have been shameless enough to ask Brother Zheng for some extras back in the palace. I should have asked Yu Miaoyan to send a few elite soldiers from the Black Ice Guard to be my extras." Zhang Fan scratched his head in annoyance.
He only had a handful of guards under his command, not enough to put on a big show.
"How about... we borrow some assassins from the Wind and Rain Pavilion from Mi Yueyao?"
As soon as the thought popped into his head, Zhang Fan quickly shook his head.
No no no!
Although the assassins from Fengyu Pavilion are quite skilled, this matter is too underhanded, and the more people who know about it, the more dangerous it becomes.
What if one day someone in the Wind and Rain Pavilion accidentally lets slip that the manual was a forgery...
hiss!
Just thinking about the countless crippled men in the entire martial arts world who practiced "Seven-Colored Sunshine" and cut off their genitals!
The image of him being hunted down all over the world made Zhang Fan feel a chill between his legs.
"But……"
Zhang Fan thought for a moment, then realized something was amiss. "Wait a minute! Ultimately, isn't the whole thing about the Wind and Rain Pavilion possessing some incomplete martial arts manual, which is why they provoked this group of mad dogs of the martial world to come to Xianyang?"
"The money comes from the sheep's back! I'm helping her solve her problems, so why should I do all the dirty, tiring, and dangerous work?"
Zhang Fan felt more and more justified the more he thought about it. He was at most a "technology provider," and the work of distribution and promotion had to be handed over to Fengyuge!
At worst, we can make them wear masks properly and put on a good show.
"Let's do it! Find Mi Yueyao!"
Thinking of this, Zhang Fan suddenly understood and abruptly raised his head.
As soon as his gaze swept across the study doorway, he froze.
Suddenly, Mi Yueyao, dressed in a red dress, appeared standing by the door.