txolops Chapter 76 The Auction at the Corpse Pool
Chapter 76 The Auction at the Corpse Pool
On the crossbeam, Huang Chen slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, shifting his gaze from the roster to his own panel.
Late stage of Earth Immortal.
These four characters hung there quietly.
enough.
Those on the outer perimeter—those watching the lights, keeping accounts, and transporting goods—won't be enough to kill tonight.
If this drags on any longer, by daybreak the first shipment order will be sent out, and the Bone Lamp Slope line will have already nailed all the humans hiding around the Firewood area back into the demon market's ledger. At that point, not only will the few dozen people here be caught, but many more hiding outside will also be discovered.
Huang Chen slowly loosened his five fingers from the crossbeam, then tightened them again.
I can't wait any longer.
The next instant, the wind-stabilizing bead in his sleeve slid into his palm first.
With a surge of spiritual power, the swirling mountain winds above the Bone Lamp Slope suddenly subsided, causing the eerie flame lamps hanging on the white skeletons at the top of the slope to sway in unison. The flames seemed to be pressed down by an invisible hand, and at the same moment, they all shrank by half.
The steward of the Bone Lamp Slope below suddenly looked up.
"who?
! "
The moment he finished speaking, Huang Chen had already moved.
boom!
The crossbeams shattered, and splinters of wood rained down like a storm.
He plummeted like a meteorite enveloped in malevolent energy, crashing into the entrance of the array chamber. His fist slammed into the center of the bone platform in the cellar. Bone bricks, demonic patterns, and half of a blood-inlaid lamppost were blasted apart on the spot by this punch. The two demon cultivators guarding the area didn't even have time to draw their swords before they were smashed into the ground along with the bone platform beneath their feet.
One head was instantly smashed into a pulp.
The other one had a sunken chest, was spitting out blood and foam, and was still trying to crawl backward.
Huang Chen stomped his heel.
Click.
The demon cultivator's spine was broken into three pieces, his body jerked violently, and he fell completely silent.
The room was filled with a stench.
The accounting rat demon shrieked and, clutching the bone scroll, burrowed behind the table.
The Bone Lamp Slope Deacon reacted quickly. With a flick of his right hand's five-finger bone sleeve, the human skin ledger flipped open with a clatter, revealing more than a dozen thin, long black lines that coiled around Huang Chen's neck like the tongues of a hanged ghost.
"How dare you!"
"Where did it come from—?"
Before he could finish speaking, Huang Chen had already raised his left hand.
The 12th-grade karmic fire lotus replica was pushed to its limit, and a layer of crimson gold fire curtain instantly enveloped the prison area. The fire did not fall on the humans, but spread along the bone cages, chains, and the dark patterns on the ground, protecting the entire prison area.
The bone lamp's yin fire was suppressed, and the red lotus karmic fire enveloped it again, instantly turning the prison area crimson.
Those huddled in the cages were initially terrified, then their eyes widened, and they even stopped breathing.
"Don't run around!"
Huang Chen roared and simultaneously thrust his right fist forward.
boom!
He shattered most of the dozen or so soul-binding black lines with a single punch. The remaining few, wrapped around the Xuanhuang armor, only had time to make a few sizzling sounds before being burned to ashes by the blood and karmic fire on the armor.
The deacon of Bone Lamp Slope's expression changed.
"Late-stage Earth Immortal?"
! "
Huang Chen didn't respond at all.
He rushed forward after landing, and the Pulsefire Battle Domain spread out with a roar.
Centered on his feet, the intertwined crimson and black flame patterns suddenly crawled out along the floor of the array chamber, like countless red-hot snakes burrowing into the cracks of the bone bricks.
The blood-stained Blood Pact Vein-Searching Mother Plate had just lit up with a red light when it was forcefully suppressed by the Battle Domain. The plate surface vibrated with a hum, and the vein-searching lamps around the entire Bone Lamp Slope simultaneously turned dark red.
Chaos immediately broke out on the slope.
"The light color has changed!"
"Something went wrong with the master disk!"
'
"Someone has broken into the formation chamber!"
Footsteps, screams, and the sound of bone bells suddenly filled the air.
The bone lamp deacon's eyelids twitched wildly, and he slammed his fist on the table.
"Control the lights!"
Control the lights first!
His human skin ledger turned pages on its own, and thin, translucent human skin pages flew out and stuck to the bone lamps in the four corners of the array room.
The ghostly flame in the lamp was forcibly stirred, transforming into four pale white fire snakes that lunged at Huang Chen.
Huang Chen did not flash.
He threw a punch at the fire snake.
Bang!
The first fire serpent was shattered into countless sparks.
The second punch was even faster, smashing through the wick of the second fire snake and breaking off the remaining half of its bone pillar.
Bones flew everywhere, and the tent rat demon had two bloody holes pierced in its face. It rolled on the ground, clutching its face and howling in agony.
The Bone Lamp Slope Deacon had already retreated to the side of the mother plate, his five fingers pressed on the edge of the plate, and he was rapidly chanting incantations.
The drop of fresh blood in the center of the plate suddenly spun open.
Rings of blood-red patterns lit up, as if to reconnect the entire bone slope.
Huang Chen's eyes turned cold.
You still want to transfer?
He stomped his foot, and the Mountain and River Boots made a muffled sound as he crashed into something.
The Bone Lamp Slope Deacon let out a low growl, and his chest bulged violently beneath his bone robe, as if something alive was crawling inside his flesh.
The next moment, three gray-white bone spikes suddenly pierced out from his back, and he swept them out along with his arms, trying to force Huang Chen back.
This attack was quite powerful, approaching the mid-stage of an Earth Immortal.
If it were an outer guard, that sweeping motion alone would be enough to cut a person in two.
Huang Chen didn't even retreat.
boom!
The first punch landed on the bone spur.
Bone spurs broke.
boom!
The second punch landed on his right shoulder.
Half of his shoulder blade collapsed on the spot, the Bone Lamp Slope Deacon's body swayed, black blood spurted from his mouth, and the human skin ledger was flipped around uncontrollably, with dozens of tiny soul nails falling out and clattering all over the ground.
"you--"
He didn't utter a single complete sentence.
Huang Chen's third punch has arrived.
The punch landed squarely on his chest.
Boom!
The sound was frighteningly muffled.
Huang Chen's third punch has arrived.
The punch landed squarely on his chest.
Boom!
The sound was frighteningly muffled.
Like a heavy hammer hitting wet wood.
The Bone Lamp Slope Deacon was thrown off the ground, his back slamming into the demon bone compass next to the Mother Plate. His bone robe tore open inch by inch, and the row of soul-locking bone fragments embedded inside were shaken out. His sternum was even caved in, and broken bone fragments were clearly bulging out from under his skin.
He made two gurgling sounds in his throat, and his eyes bulged out.
Huang Chen grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up.
Who was in the first batch of goods?
The Bone Lamp Slope Deacon's mouth was full of blood, yet he was still laughing.
"You can save those on this hillside, but can you save those outside?"
The roster will be sent out sooner or later.
'
"Once the market opens at the Skeleton Moon Pool, the human race will continue as before—"
click!
Huang Chen exerted force, dislocating his jaw.
"I ask, you answer."
The Bone Lamp Slope Deacon's forehead twitched in pain, and fear finally showed in his eyes.
He raised his hand to grab the mother plate, but Huang Chen twisted it behind his back, bending his entire arm into an odd angle.
Seven or eight demon cultivators had already rushed down from outside.
There were rat demons, jackal-faced demons, and two demon cultivators carrying bone forks guarding the place.
"Sir!"
'
"Kill him!"
"Don't let the goods get away!"
'
Huang Chen didn't even listen. He flicked the Soul-Binding Banner with his left hand, and black mist billowed out, first enveloping the two demon cultivators who rushed in through the door. Only two short screams rang out from inside. When the black mist dissipated, only two shriveled corpses remained on the ground.
The other demon cultivators stopped in their tracks, their faces turning pale.
Taking advantage of the opening, Huang Chen grabbed the thickest spine on the back of the Bone Lamp Slope Deacon, dug his five fingers into the flesh, and pulled it out forcefully.
"ah--!!
'
That was too ruthless.
The steward of Bone Lamp Slope had shouted himself hoarse.
Half of the bloodied spine was forcibly pulled out, and Huang Chen slammed him against the demon bone compass.
puff!
The bone pierced through his chest, pinning him and his bones firmly to the center of the plate.
The blood veins on the compass immediately began to reverse wildly, and the array power that was originally meant to "mark goods" and "lock veins" for the human race was all backfired onto the steward himself.
His limbs convulsed violently, and dense red lines emerged from under his skin, as if all the blood vessels in his body were burning.
"Sir!"
'
The accounting rat demon had just gotten up when it saw this scene, and its soul flew away. It turned around and darted towards the back door.
Huang Chen raised his hand and flicked it.
An upgraded version of the Nine Nether Soul-Slaying Talisman shot out and stuck to the back of its head.
The rat demon, with its slender, scout-like body, had just pounced at the door when its head was pierced by an invisible giant cone, and it collapsed with a thud.
next moment.
The backlash from the mother disk exploded completely.
hum-
The entire Bone Lamp Slope was resounding.
The white bone lamps on the slope first shone brightly, then their bellies swelled up, and cracks quickly spread across their shells.
boom!
The first one exploded.
Then came the second, the third, the fourth...
The explosions echoed from the foot of the slope all the way to the top, sending eerie flames and bone fragments raining down. The pulse-searching array was thrown into chaos, and the detention area, warehouse, viewing platform, and corpse-lined path were all plunged into utter confusion, with cries and howls mingling together.
[Ding! Side quest "Severing the Demon Market Line" has been completed!]
】
【1. Infiltrating Bone Lamp Slope - Completed】
[2. Destroy the Blood Pact and Locate the Mother Plate with the Vein Pattern - Completed]
[3. Rescue the humans who were being sold into slavery - Completed]
[Rewards: 26000 Karma Points, 12000 Merit Points]
The moment the system notification sounded in his mind, Huang Chen didn't even stop; he turned around and rushed towards the prison area.
The bone cage was glowing red from the karmic fire, and the chains rattled and clanged.
The people in the cages huddled in a corner, their faces covered in ash and tears, none of them daring to make a move.
Huang Chen severed the nearest row of bone locks with a single strike.
"Those who can walk, come out immediately."
"Follow me, retreat through the corpse ditch behind the mountain."
'
A woman dressed in tattered hemp clothing rushed out first, tightly protecting a child who was so thin he was practically skin and bones in her arms. Her lips trembled as she looked at Huang Chen.
"My benefactor... my man is still in the lower cellar."
"Third row from the east."
"A miner with two missing fingers chimed in urgently, "There are still a dozen or so, those who can keep accounts and write, all locked up down there!"
Huang Chen turned his gaze to the small black bone door at the end of the prison cell.
There were three blood-stained plaques hanging there.
These are the first batch of goods that the butler just called out.
"Who knows the way?"
In the corner of the cage, a thin, small boy with hunched shoulders raised his hand.
He still had half a lock ring on his head, and the character "契" was branded on his forehead. His voice was soft and hoarse.
"I...I admit it."
'
This is Qi Nu Tong Zi.
Huang Chen glanced at him, then raised his hand and broke the lock.
"Take me down."
"The elderly and the seriously injured should head towards the corpse ditch behind the mountain first, and not run towards the main gate."
"Don't touch anything red; it's there to protect you."
At the other end of the cell, an old man with disheveled white hair stood up, leaning against the cage bars, his voice hoarse but steady.
"Listen to this man!"
"Don't cry, move your legs first!"
Young people, help the elderly! Those who recognize the mine shafts, follow me to the back!
Huang Chen glanced at him.
The old man was weak and could not even straighten his back, but he was still brave.
When the old man in the prison saw Huang Chen looking over, he gritted his teeth and nodded.
"The old man used to work in an abandoned mine. I know half the way to the Corpse Gully in the back mountain."
That's enough.
"Take the men and leave," Huang Chen said.
After he finished speaking, he grabbed his knife and charged toward the Black Bone Gate.
The boy, Qi Nu, stumbled and panted as he followed behind.
"There are... there are demon cultivators guarding the Bone Lamp Slope, who are usually not many, but three are on duty tonight."
Huang Chen kept walking.
"Lead the way first."
The Black Bone Gate was kicked open, revealing another cellar below.
It was damp, smelled foul, and black water seeped from the cracks in the walls.
A dozen or so bone cages were embedded in the stone walls on both sides, and most of the people inside were teenagers and young people. Some had wooden markers tied to their wrists, and some had old bone slips stuffed in their arms.
Clearly, they were chosen to be slaves to accounts, maps, and contracts.
The three demon cultivators at the door had just drawn their swords when Huang Chen rushed in front of them.
With the first diagonal slash, half the head of the foremost jackal-faced demon flew off.
The second thought was to retreat, but Huang Chen swung out a fragment of the Xuan Tian Soul Nail, which struck the cultivator squarely in the throat. The demon cultivator clutched his neck and knelt down, blood spurting from between his fingers.
The third one was so terrified that it turned around and tried to pull the police rope.
Huang Chen caught up quickly, grabbed him by the back of the neck, and slammed him against the wall.
boom!
The stone wall trembled.
The demon cultivator's face was completely shattered, and he slumped to the ground.
The young people in the cellar were all stunned.
Someone's throat tightened, and they asked cautiously, "Are you... here to sell us off somewhere else?"
Huang Chen raised his sword and cleaved open the nearest bone cage.
"Enough with the nonsense."
"Those who can stand up, get out."
'
The boy paused for a moment, his eyes suddenly reddened, and he scrambled out.
Qi Nu Tong Zi had already reached the side shed and tremblingly pushed the door open.
"Here...it's all here."
Huang Chen went in and scanned the area.
Inside were several bone chests, with a palm-sized grayish-white domino on top, its intricate patterns and short-range teleportation runes engraved along its edges. Next to it was half a yellowed bone book, with three crooked ancient characters on its cover.
The Record of Ten Thousand Bones.
Huang Chen reached out and put everything into the storage compartment, then swept away the seal on the bone book, several contracts, and two strings of spirit stones next to it.
As the bone book was turned, a page fell out.
It was written in a great hurry, but it was very clear.
"Two days later, the Haiyuetan Market will open. The main market will accept new goods, with priority given to tent slaves, map slaves, and those who know their way around."
The first batch of bone lamps will be launched at Bone Lamp Slope before dawn.
Huang Chen's face darkened after reading it.
As expected, they still have a home field.
He stuffed the paper into his pocket and turned to leave.
The upper levels were now in complete chaos.
The bone lamps blasted across the hillside, their flames turning the night sky red.
Some of the demon cultivators were putting out a fire, some were grabbing account books, and some were trying to block the prison bars, but they were brutally beaten down by the escaped humans with stones, bone clubs, and iron chains as soon as they rushed halfway there.
The woman who had previously said her husband was still in the cellar was now holding a broken bone knife and was protecting the two of them as they retreated.
Upon seeing Huang Chen come up, she immediately knelt down on one knee.
"My benefactor, the row on the east side has been released!"
'
Huang Chen reached out and pulled her up.
"Don't kneel, walk."
'
Another man, his face covered in mineral dust, was carrying an unconscious old man, panting heavily.
"There are two rat demons guarding the entrance to the ravine on the back mountain. The old man says he can lead the way, but nobody's stopping them..."
"I'll go."
'
No sooner had Huang Chen finished speaking than a sharp bone whistle suddenly came from the top of the slope.
There are also demon cultivators gathering.
He looked up and saw three or four dark figures moving along the elevated bone stacks toward the entrance of the corpse ditch, clearly trying to cut off his retreat.
Huang Chen directly activated the Black Wind Gauntlet.
In a flash, he had already swept across the hillside.
The two rat demons at the mouth of the ditch had just raised their bows when everything went blurry before their eyes.
One of them had its face grabbed by Huang Chen, and its entire head was slammed into the rock wall.
The other one had just turned around when the Asura Blood Blade pierced through the lower back, the tip of the blade dripping blood as it emerged from the front abdomen.
The rat demon made two gurgling sounds, loosened its grip, and the bone bow fell into the ditch of corpses.
The two demonic cultivators who were chasing after them roared and pounced down.
Huang Chen turned around and unleashed a Crack Stance from the Seven Forms of Witchcraft.
The force arrives before the fist.
The demon cultivator in front suddenly suffered a chest collapse, as if struck by a battering ram, and was sent flying backward, knocking down the one behind him as well. The two demons rolled into a heap, still trying to struggle, but Huang Chen had already stepped on them.
Click.
The world finally quieted down in a corner.
Beside the entrance to the ditch, the old man from the prison was leading a dozen or so people, helping the elderly and carrying the young, down the ditch. When he saw Huang Chen return, the old man let out a heavy breath and wiped the dust off his face.
"There are still about ten seriously injured people inside who can't walk fast."
"Tie him to a stretcher and take turns carrying him."
"Huang Chen said.
The rescued miner B immediately responded.
"Yes, I can. I've carried injured people from landslides in the mine!"
He instructed several young men to dismantle the wooden cage and tear the hemp rope, and in no time they had tied up a makeshift trailer.
The young slave boy also squatted down to help. His little hands trembled violently, but he tied the knots extremely quickly, clearly indicating that he had done a lot of work before.
The fire was still burning on the slope.
The eerie flames left behind after the bone lamp exploded flickered on and off, illuminating the corpse ditch in alternating red and white light.
Demonic roars could be heard echoing from afar, indicating that someone was seeking help.
Huang Chen looked back.
We can't stop here any longer.
"Go down into the ditch."
"Don't speak, step in the footprints of the person in front of you."
'
"Those who fall behind, speak up; I'll come back and drag them along."
No one asked anymore.
A group of people who had just climbed out of the cage seemed to be dragged by these words, gritting their teeth and moving into the darkness.
The ditch was narrow and slippery, filled with old bones and rotten mud, and the stench was nauseating.
Some people vomit while walking.
Some people's legs went weak, they lost their footing and almost tumbled down.
Those nearby quickly grabbed them tightly, and no one dared to cry out loud, only sobs were suppressed in their throats.
Huang Chen walked last.
As he walked, he slapped several concealment talismans into the sides of the ditch, and then casually overturned half of an old wooden plank to block the fastest route for the pursuers.
After traveling for about half an hour, the sky was already turning gray.
The mountain wind has grown cold.
At the end of the ditch lies an abandoned old mine shaft, half of which has collapsed, and the inside is as dark as stagnant water.
The old man in the prison cell leaned against the stone wall and said in a low voice, "There used to be a blood spirit mine here, but it collapsed and people died, so it was abandoned. Demon cultivators think it's unlucky and don't come here on ordinary days."
'
Huang Chen went in first to explore the area.
There are no living creatures.
It's damp inside, but the place is big enough.
He then turned around and waved.
"Enter."
The crowd surged in like a broken pile of bricks.
Some people collapsed to the ground as soon as they entered the cave, hugging their knees and trembling. The woman who had previously carried the bone-breaking knife hugged the child to her arms, looked down and touched her palm, only to find it covered in blood, unsure whether it was from the demon or her own.
Qi Nu Tong Zi huddled by the cave entrance, gazing at the sky gradually turning white outside, his lips moving slightly.
"They...they really escaped?"
'
No one answered him.
The next moment, the rescued miner suddenly knelt down with a thud, his forehead hitting the ground hard.
"Thank you for saving my life, my benefactor."
It looked like something had been knocked over.
Seven or eight people in the cave were about to kneel down.
Huang Chen frowned and raised his hand to press down.
"Sit down, everyone."
"Save your energy, catch your breath first."
'
He took out several bottles of fasting pills and rejuvenation pills from his storage and distributed them according to the severity of the injuries. Those who were seriously injured were given half a pill first, those whose breathing was disordered leaned against the wall to regulate their breathing, and those who could move went into the cave to find dry stones and clear away the stagnant water.
The old man in the prison cell took the pill, his hands trembling, but he couldn't bear to eat it himself first. He handed it to the unconscious old man next to him.
Huang Chen saw it all but said nothing.
He turned and walked to the cave entrance, and under the last bit of darkness, he reopened the half-volume "Record of Ten Thousand Bones".
The paper was rough and brittle, with blood and oil stains on the edges.
The notes on the top are all about the product lines, prices, main market tiers, and several important locations.
Haiyue Lake.
The name was circled twice.
Huang Chen's gaze lingered on those two words for a moment, then he took out the teleportation domino and looked at it again.
The back of the dominoes is engraved with a crescent moon mark, which matches a small icon in the guestbook.
The wind outside the cave howled as it passed through the collapsed opening.
Suddenly, a very soft cry came from inside the cave from the Qi Nu boy.
It was pressed down tightly.
It's as if they're afraid that if they cry too much, they'll summon the demon back.
The boy's cry was extremely low, as if it were squeezed out from the deepest part of his chest.
No one spoke in the cave; only breathing, swallowing pills, and the soft clicking of teeth chattering could be heard.
Huang Chen closed the "Record of Ten Thousand Bones", pressed his fingertip on the three characters "Haiyuetan", and then put the teleportation domino back into his sleeve.
He turned around and looked around the cave.
These people escaped.
But as soon as it gets light outside, footprints, the smell of blood, and the traces of walking through stone ditches can all attract demons.
"It's okay to cry."
'
Huang Chen spoke, his voice not loud.
"Don't cry out loud."
'
Qi Nu Tong Zi suddenly raised his hand to cover his mouth, tears streaming down his face, and nodded frantically.
The old man in the prison sat against the stone wall, took a couple of breaths, and asked in a low voice, "My benefactor, what should we do after dawn?"
'
"Hide it first."
Huang Chen squatted down, grabbed a handful of damp mineral dust from the ground, and tore off a piece of tattered burlap.
"Everyone who can breathe, get moving. Wipe away those pools of blood around the cave entrance, and then cover them with ash."
If someone smells bad, mix wet mud with mineral ash and wipe their clothes and shoe soles.
The rescued miner wiped his face and struggled to his feet.
"I'm going too."
"Tie your legs up first."
'
Huang Chen glanced at the gash on his calf and threw him a strip of cloth.
"Even if the blood flows along the way, the demon can find it with his eyes closed."
'
The people inside the cave got to work quickly and efficiently.
Some people went to move the rubble, some used broken pottery jars to scoop up the water, and some tore their bloodstained clothes into strips and stuffed them into the deeper cracks in the hole.
The woman who had previously held the bone-breaking knife gritted her teeth and scraped away the blood and mud from her sleeve bit by bit.
Her hands were still shaking.
But his movements were more agile than anyone else's.
Huang Chen then took out several concealment talismans that didn't require spiritual power to make them too conspicuous and pasted them on the collapsed walls, old tracks, and abandoned mine baskets inside the cave entrance, using the original yin energy of the mine to suppress the aura.
The talisman was pasted on and disappeared into the darkness with just a slight flash.
The old man in the prison cell felt his eyelids twitch.
In all his years of life, he had seen cultivators kill people, demon cultivators eat people, and people being tied to carts like livestock.
He had never seen anyone like Huang Chen who would kill first, then save, and then teach them how to survive.
After working for half an hour, the stench of blood in the cave was finally reduced considerably.
The sky outside was completely bright.
The mountain wind blew in from the collapse, carrying the smell of damp earth and old slag, chilling one to the bone.
Huang Chen sat down against the cave entrance and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.
He had injuries on his left arm, shoulder, and ribs. He had fought his way out last night, and the soreness in his muscles and bones had been suppressed and ignored. Now that he had calmed down, the soreness started to rise in waves.
The flow of qi and blood through the meridians is like hot water quenching cracks.
pain.
He didn't even frown; he simply calmed his breathing.
About half an hour later, a childish voice suddenly rang out from inside the cave.
"Big...Big Brother."
'
Huang Chen opened his eyes and saw Qi Nu Tong Zi huddled not far away, holding a dirty little package in his arms.
"explain.
'
The boy swallowed.
"I recognize the smoking ban law."
In the past, when people sold live goods at night in Bone Lamp Slope, they were afraid that the patrols from afar would smell the fumes, so they would smother the fire with damp moss, crushed mineral ash, and old bone meal. I can do that.
"I recognize the smoking ban law."
In the past, when people sold live goods at night in Bone Lamp Slope, they were afraid that the patrols from afar would smell the fumes, so they would smother the fire with damp moss, crushed mineral ash, and old bone meal. I can do that.
'
Huang Chen glanced at him.
The child still had bruises on his face, and the brand behind his ear hadn't faded. His voice was weak when he spoke.
But he wasn't trying to please anyone; he was desperately trying to prove that he was still somewhat useful.
"OK.
'
Huang Chen nodded.
"Teach them."
'
Qi Nu Tongzi's eyes lit up, and he quickly got up, leading the two men deeper into the cave to collect damp moss and rotten wood.
The rescued woman A then approached, holding a emaciated boy.
The boy was about fourteen or fifteen years old. His face was sunken, and he had an old wound on his forehead. He was trembling even in his sleep.
Huang Chen's gaze fell on his face, and he paused for a moment.
This is the boy who was brought back from the lost ship route.
After the fall into the valley in Chapter 44, some people died, some scattered, and some were dragged away alive and thrown into a deeper pit.
The rescued woman, A, whispered, "He woke up briefly just now, called out 'Mother' a few times, and then fainted again. When asked his name, he only said that his name was A-Shi."
'
Huang Chen hummed in agreement.
"Have you fed him any pills?"
'
"As you said before, I only fed him half a Rejuvenation Pill, because I was afraid he was too weak to handle the nourishment."
"Well done."
'
Huang Chen reached out and checked the boy's pulse.
He was weak, his constitution was poor, and his body was covered with old whip wounds and new frostbite. It was a miracle he didn't die.
He took out a small amount of the mildly dissolved medicinal liquid, flicked it into the boy's mouth, and then used his qi and blood to push away the stagnation in his chest.
The boy's throat bobbed, and he slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes were unfocused at first, then suddenly narrowed, as if he were struggling to get up.
"grown ups!
'
The sound was so dry it was cracking.
Huang Chen pressed down on his shoulder.
"Don't move."
Ashi was stunned for a moment, staring intently at Huang Chen, as if afraid that he would disappear again in the blink of an eye.
"You...you really brought me out here?"
"It was brought out."
'
"Those demons..."
"A number of people died."
Huang Chen kept his words brief.
Ashi's Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyes instantly reddened, but he stubbornly held back his tears.
He must have cried too many times, to the point that he almost lost the courage to cry out loud.
The rescued woman gently patted his back.
"It's good to be alive, it's good to be alive."
'
Huang Chen glanced at her.
He'll leave him in your care for now.
"Don't let him move around too much during the day. If he doesn't have a fever by evening, give him half a Rejuvenating Pill."
The rescued woman, A, nodded quickly.
"I've got it."
Ashi was still staring at Huang Chen, his lips trembling slightly.
"grown ups……"
He seemed to want to say thank you, but also seemed to want to ask something else.
Huang Chen had already gotten up and went to check on the wounded on the other side of the cave.
No fire was lit in the abandoned mine all day.
The group chewed on fasting pills, drank cold water, and leaned against the damp, cold stone wall to pass the time.
The light inside the cave changed from grayish-white to dim yellow, and then slowly dimmed.
Twice, the sharp screech of a demonic bird soaring through the air came from outside, along with the distant sniffing of dogs, which startled the group so much that they almost held their breath.
Qinu Tongzi quickly stuffed the damp moss used to seal the smoke into the crack again.
Huang Chen remained motionless.
He sat cross-legged in the innermost part, his qi and blood fluctuations almost non-existent, relying on the Ash Breath Concealing Meridian Technique to suppress his existence into the deathly aura of the mine.
The wound is gradually healing.
My mind is gradually sorting out what I found last night.
Bone lamp slope account book bone slips, stamped bone book, demon market contract, that half of the "Ten Thousand Bone Guest Record", and teleportation dominoes.
There's also the newly added karma and merit in the system panel.
When the sun was past its zenith, the tightest string in the cave finally loosened a little.
Huang Chen raised his hand and brought up the system.
A soft curtain of light spread out before his eyes.
Last night, I slew the demon, destroyed the Mother Plate, and saved people; my karma and merits have both increased significantly.
He glanced around, but didn't rush to break through.
Breakthroughs can certainly improve combat power.
What we lack most right now isn't a burst of energy, but a face that can shove someone into the demon market's main arena.
He browsed through the mall for a while, stopping at two items.
【Gray Bone Mask】: A one-time disguise item that can temporarily change the aura of one's face and bones, suitable for demon markets, bone fields, and evil cultivator trading scenarios.
[Price Listening Symbol]: An information tool that allows you to filter out target keywords and coded price quotes in a noisy trading environment.
Huang Chen redeemed it directly.
The karmic force pressed down, and my palm felt heavy.
A gray mask landed in my hand, as thin as a peeled membrane, its edges still carrying a chill.
The other item was a tiny talisman, about the size of a fingernail, which could be used simply by sticking it to the ear.
He turned the ashes over and examined them closely.
This thing is made in a wicked way; the inner layer has fine bone patterns, like the skin left behind by some living creature after it dies.
The old man in the prison cell had moved over at some point, and after glancing at it, a chill ran down his spine.
"My benefactor... what's this?"
"Enter the Moon Lake."
'
Huang Chen said.
The old man in the prison cell's expression changed.
"That place isn't some small, remote place like Bone Lamp Slope; it's full of ruthless people who will eat you alive. You just saved us; if you go back now, well…"
Huang Chen spread out the "Records of Ten Thousand Bones" for him to see.
"Do you recognize this?"
The old man in the prison squinted his old eyes and stared for a long time, his face twitching slightly.
"Like a shipping route marker."
"At the end of the auction list, there might be a fragment of 'Possible Coordinates of Fire Valley' that appears to be found near the Moonlit Lake."
'
The old man in the prison cell was stunned.
"The Flame... is your human race's Tibetan land?"
'
Huang Chen did not answer, which was tantamount to admitting it.
The old man was silent for a moment, his lips moved, and finally he managed to squeeze out only one sentence: "Then we have to go."
Among those few pieces of broken material were traces of his old enemies.
A section of the Black Tiger Demon General's old bone, blackened and hardened, with knife cuts and chips on the bone surface.
Two fragments of the Blackwater Crocodile Demon's leather armor, with charred and curled edges.
There were also remnants of the Azure Python Demon General's scales and armor, tinged with a dark blue hue, which felt cool and slippery to the touch.
These items were supposed to be part of the spoils of war.
But now it can be used to get by.
When Huang Chen held them in his palm, his knuckles tightened slightly.
These monstrous things are still being sold even after they're dead.
In this world, even corpses are priced by weight.
In the evening, he called over all the able-bodied people in the cave.
The crowd formed a circle, water droplets dripping from the cave ceiling and hitting the stone surface with a soft patter.
"Remember three things."
Huang Chen squatted on the ground and used the tip of his bone knife to draw a simple diagram.
"First, do not come out of the cave. If anyone hears someone outside shouting for help, do not speak."
'
"Second, keep the fire burning. If you really need to extinguish the fire at night, you can only burn damp moss in the innermost crack, and the fire must not be exposed to light."
'
"Third, if I do not return in three days, follow this abandoned mine branch road southwestward. When you see a fork in the road, go downhill, not uphill. It is easier to leave traces on higher ground, and there are old waterways on lower ground that can mask the smell."
'
The rescued miner B was so nervous that his throat went dry.
"My benefactor, shall I go and scout ahead for you?"
'
"Need not."
Huang Chen glanced at his legs.
"If you go out, you won't get more than two miles."
Everyone fell silent.
The rescued woman, A, hugged Ashi and suddenly asked, "What if a demon breaks in?"
Huang Chen left her a black iron sword, and gave her two concealment talismans and a pulse fire stone talisman.
"Put the concealment talisman on people, not in holes. If it really breaks in, hide first, then throw a stone talisman into its eyes."
'
When the rescued woman A caught the knife, her hand suddenly felt heavy, but she gritted her teeth and gripped it firmly.
Ah Shi leaned against her chest, his face still pale, but he forced himself to speak: "Sir, I'll also go and learn the way."
The people of Bone Lamp Slope have taken me hostage several times, and I remember a little about the waterways outside Skeleton Moon Pool.
"You lie down."
'
Huang Chen didn't look at him.
"First, focus on preserving your life."
'
Ashi pursed his lips and remained silent.
As darkness fell completely, the wind picked up again outside the cave.
Huang Chen stood at the cave entrance and put the ashes on his face.
When the bone surface touches the skin and flesh, it feels icy at first, then like countless fine needles piercing into the facial bone, with the bridge of the nose, cheekbones, and jaw all subtly shifting.
He raised his hand and touched it, but the touch was no longer his own face.
Donning the black wind cloak, his aura subsided, and he instantly seemed to have transformed into a different person.
Qi Nu Tongzi stared in disbelief, almost not recognizing him.
"Big...Big Brother?"
'
Huang Chen lowered his voice to make it a little hoarse.
Doesn't that sound like the cargo escorts who ran out of Bone Lamp Slope?
'
The old man in the prison cell stared at him for a long time, then took a deep breath.
"picture.
It's so similar. It even has that smell of someone crawling out of a pile of dead bodies.
'
Huang Chen tucked the teleportation dominoes into his palm and then swept them around the cave one last time.
Everyone was looking at him.
No one spoke.
But his gaze was even more somber than it had been that morning.
There was fear, there was hope, and there was also the helplessness of having one's life on someone's shoulders.
Huang Chen didn't say much, turned around and left the cave.
The mountain road was damp and cold at night.
The gravel felt rough underfoot, and the wind blew through the forest, carrying the smells of decaying leaves and animal dung.
He followed the dominoes for about an incense stick's time, and then fog gradually rose from the lowlands ahead.
The fog wasn't white.
It has a grayish tinge and a faint fishy-sweet taste.
It's like scattering ashes into the steam.
Further ahead, a pool of black water spread out in the night, surrounded by layers of white bones forming a circular viewing platform, which from a distance looks like a giant bowl with its mouth wide open.
There was neither wine nor water in the bowl.
It's a place where human lives are bought and sold.
Haiyue Lake.
Strings of bone lamps hung by the pool, their embers a ghastly green, casting flickering light on the faces of the passing demon cultivators and evil cultivators.
Some carried cages on their backs, some carried soul jars, and some had chains around their waists with hooded goods dragging behind them.
The outdoor area at Bone Lamp Slope is dirty enough.
It's deeper here.
More stable.
It also resembles a slaughterhouse that has been in operation for many years.
Huang Chen stuck the bidding token behind his ear and walked in with the flow of people leaving the arena.
At the entrance stood two demon cultivators from Bone Lamp Slope, one with a jackal's face and the other with iron nails sewn onto half of his scalp, checking the contract and the origin of the goods.
The jackal-faced demon cultivator raised his eyes and stared at Huang Chen.
"Where are you from?"
'
Huang Chen handed over the Demon Market Contract and the Teleportation Dominoes together, his voice hoarse.
"Bone Lamp Slope Remnant Field".
The delivery crew broke up; I barely scraped by and crawled back.
The jackal-faced demon cultivator caught a glimpse of the crescent moon mark on the dominoes, his eyes flickered, and he then smelled the blood and death aura that he had deliberately smeared on his body.
"Bone Lamp Slope? I heard something happened there last night."
'
Something has happened.
Huang Chen twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a sinister smile.
"Enough people died, and the goods were smashed. If I hadn't crawled out of the ditch of corpses, I would be a line on the price list by now."
'
The demon cultivator next to him who was sewing nails chuckled.
"It takes skill to come back alive."
"Go in, the home game is going big tonight, you'll miss out if you're late."
Huang Chen retrieved the contract token and descended the bone steps without looking back.
The further down you go, the more chaotic the noise becomes.
The price call indicator has started to take effect.
Countless fragmented bids, code words, and product names were sifted out from the noise, piercing his ears like needles.
"Three human settlements in the northwest, exchanged for three hundred spirit stones plus a virgin boy..."
"This vengeful spirit artifact isn't hot enough; it'll be at most 180 stars..."
"Coordinates verified, I won't accept fake images..."
"White Bone Fang personally inspected the goods tonight and raised the price..."
Huang Chen didn't stop walking, but his eyes turned cold.
Several waterside pavilions are built in the middle of the pool, connected by a long black wooden bridge. Occasionally, bubbles rise to the surface of the water beneath the bridge, and a few pale white hand bones float up before slowly sinking back down.
The circular grandstand was packed with buyers.
Demons, rogue cultivators, evil cultivators, and even a few humanoid cultivators who were wrapped up tightly, but whose sleeves were stained with the stale smell of human blood.
A female cultivator stood in the center of the bone platform. She had pale skin, bright red lips, and a bone moon ornament hanging on her forehead.
Her voice wasn't loud, but it firmly commanded the entire room.
"Next item, new arrival from the northern route."
Three sets of dominoes representing the birth dates of boys and girls, and one and a half bells crafted from vengeful spirits, will be auctioned off together.
This is the female cultivator who manages the price at Haiyuetan.
Huang Chen glanced at it once, then looked away and sat down in a corner of the crowd.
Not far from him, a tall, thin monk with a whirlwind pattern embroidered on his cloak was fiddling with a string of finger bones, his eyes darting around.
Another long-tongued demon cultivator licked his teeth, staring at the dominoes that were brought out on the stage, as if they were meat.
The price quote kept filtering the hushed conversations around him to Huang Chen.
"White Bone Fang is getting a big shipment tonight; I heard it's a live location."
"What's the point of having a live coordinate? The real value is what's at the end of the list."
'
"You mean that fragment?"
"Tsk, the coordinates of the Valley of Fire are probably fragments."
Humans hid themselves well enough, but still slipped through.
Huang Chen paused with his fingertips inside his sleeve.
The piece of green python scales in his palm creaked as he squeezed it.
Not all of them are fake lines.
The things that were previously sent out to lure the enemy were eventually intercepted by someone.
The auction on stage is still ongoing.
As each item passed through the platform, the price increased higher and higher.
I sell everything: locations of human strongholds, children, soul weapons, bone materials, bloodline catalysts.
Huang Chen suppressed his breathing as he listened and took notes.
Suddenly, a buyer with wind patterns called out to the female cultivator, "Wait, bring up the batch of weapon-refining samples first."
Tonight I'm here for the materials, not to see the actual product.
The female priestess raised her hand and slapped it.
Several laborers dragged iron trays up.
The plate contained scattered bits and pieces of scraps.
Bones, skin, scales, and claws.
They were all taken from the corpses of powerful demons.
As the green light of the bone lamp shone through, the coldness in Huang Chen's eyes was almost impossible to suppress.
The old bones of the Black Tiger Demon General.
Blackwater Crocodile Demon Leather Armor Fragment.
The remaining scales and armor of the Azure Python Demon General.
Even the chipped knife marks and charred edges are still there.
He knows it all too well.
That's not like it.
That is.
Some people in the audience were already making noises.
"Good stuff."
'
"This black tiger bone is hard enough to be ground into powder and used in cooking."
"Although the crocodile skin is torn, it can still be used to make arm guards."
'
"Azure python scales are rare indeed. Who dismantled them?"
The female cultivator in charge of pricing smiled sweetly, but her smile was chilling.
"We don't ask where they came from, and we know all the rules. We only discuss the price."
'
Huang Chen kept his eyes half-closed, not letting any emotion show on his face.
But his five fingers slowly closed together inside his sleeve.
The bone-chilling killing intent crept up his spine, but he forcefully suppressed it back.
You can't move it yet.
We haven't seen the White Bone Fang Master yet.
I haven't even touched that fragment yet.
They haven't yet figured out how many hidden threads are buried at the bottom of this pool.
Suddenly, another extremely low-pitched conversation reached his ears.
The sound came from the waterside pavilion at the back.
"The Master of the Brokerage has already examined the first two fragments of the map. If this one can be pieced together tonight, the location of the Valley of Fire will be almost certain."
'
Another voice laughed, hoarse like a grinding stone.
"Those humans know how to hide."
Unfortunately, no matter how well it's hidden, someone has to bring it out to sell.
Huang Chen slowly raised his eyes.
In the deepest part of the waterside pavilion, a tall, thin figure sat behind the curtain.
The man was dressed in a pale white bone robe, with long, slender fingers, and was slowly flipping through a scroll of bones.
He wasn't wearing a mask.
His face was pale and bluish, as if he had been soaking in corpse water for a long time. He had a high and sharp nose, but his mouth naturally drooped down, making him look mean and cold.
What's most eye-catching is the two tiny human tooth pendants hanging from his earlobes.
As he looked down to turn the page, the two teeth wobbled slightly.
Several evil cultivators from the Bone Market stood on either side of the waterside pavilion, each with a deep and serene aura and concealed weapons in their sleeves.
Huang Chen stared for a couple of breaths, then looked away and, like an ordinary buyer, lowered his head and adjusted his black windproof hood.
The price tag felt hot behind my ear.
The hoarse voice spoke again.
"In the next round, send the fragments in for the broker to examine."
Huang Chen tapped his kneecap lightly with his fingers, stood up, and moved along the shadow of the stands toward the backstage of the waterside pavilion.
The bone lamp swayed in the wind.
At the edge of the pool, black waves gently lapped against the white bone steps, making a hollow sound.
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