Chapter 388: Suspected Target
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Capital, Black Market.
The mountains stood silent, shrouded in a cold mist, and the chilly moon hung in the sky. Cold stars floated above, resembling scattered chess pieces on a board.
Under the night sky, the valley was desolate and cold, with a faint breeze gently rustling the black veil of the night. The gentle moonlight flowed quietly, sprinkling sporadically on the leaves, casting a light green hue.
A bowl-shaped valley nestled among the mountains, with the entrance being a naturally carved grand canyon. The entrance of the canyon was equipped with mechanisms, and a massive stone door blocked the way.
The Black Market only opened at 10 in the evening, but there was still about fifteen minutes until then, and many people were already waiting in front of the huge stone door at the canyon.
Everyone was dressed in black cloaks, wearing hats and covering their faces with veils. Only their eyes were visible.
Guided by Third Master Lu, Tang Jinghong crossed a mountain, passed through a cave, crossed a floating bridge, and finally arrived at the entrance of the grand canyon.
Third Master Lu, dressed in deep blue silk clothes and wearing a tiger-shaped mask that covered his entire face, looked mysterious. His gaze was calm and indifferent, showing no fluctuations or emotions, appearing cold and detached.
With a figure similar to Tang Jinghong’s, he was a slim and handsome young man. His gait indicated his youthfulness.
“How did you find such a place?” Tang Jinghong looked at the imposing stone door with a hint of admiration in his tone.
‘Til tell you in the future. Let’s go in first.” Third Master Lu didn’t want to say much. His whole demeanor was cold, not just towards Tang Jinghong, but towards everyone. In fact, he was already quite warm towards Tang Jinghong; he was icy towards everyone else.
Tang Jinghong and Third Master Lu had known each other for seven or eight years and understood each other, so there was no need for further questions.
Third Master Lu gestured to the person behind him. The young man with the long sword approached and placed a specially shaped hexagonal wooden card into the groove next to the stone door, turning it gently.
With the activation of the mechanism, a series of loud noises sounded. The massive stone door began to move upward, causing the ground to vibrate and small stones to fall as if there was an earthquake.
The stone door stopped when it reached a height of two meters.
The young man with the sword announced, “Black Market rules: Enter at 10 in the evening, leave at 5 in the morning. Violators will have both legs broken and will not be allowed in again.”
Third Master Lu San was ruthless and decisive; his words were always followed by actions, and no one dared to violate the rules of the Black Market.
One by one, people entered the grand canyon.
Tang Jinghong walked alongside Third Master Lu. He also wore a black cloak, a hat, and a face veil, concealing his identity.
When he walked, he silently observed his surroundings, searching for the figure of Cao Changsheng.
Ren Buqing also followed. Curious about the Black Market, he begged Tang Jinghong to take him here. He wore the same attire, serving as Tang Jinghong’s personal guard.
Tang Jinghong brought two people in total, the other being a real bodyguard.
Third Master Lu also brought two people, one was the young man with the long sword, and the other followed him respectfully.
Ren Buqing was also secretly looking for Cao Changsheng, but everyone was dressed similarly, so it was challenging to find him.
After passing through the grand canyon, they finally entered the Black Market.
The houses in the Black Market were built along the mountains, extending for about three hundred meters. Here, you could rent a house to sell things, or set up a stall; either way, a certain rent had to be paid.
Red lanterns hung under the eaves, emitting a red glow. Under the night sky, it looked like a ghost town.
Everything imaginable was sold in the Black Market; anything that couldn’t see the light of day could be brought here for sale.
In short, the Black Market was a place where all sorts of people gathered.
The Black Market had not been open for long, but people were already filling up the area. However, aside from the sounds of bargaining and negotiation, there were no other noises, creating a slightly eerie atmosphere.
Third Master Lu led Tang Jinghong straight to the gambling den…
The gambling den was in a building with an intimidating roof that looked like a monster brandishing its claws. When looked at from below, under the hazy moonlight, it resembled a haunted house.
The ceiling had four corners with red lanterns hanging, illuminating the entire room. At the moment, there weren’t many people, but a table had already started a game.
The gambling method was simple, betting on the size of the dice. The winner had to give one-tenth of the winnings to the gambling den.
Around a dozen people crowded around the table, with one person working for the gambling den to keep the situation under control.
This person was a girl who dressed differently from everyone else. She wore a seductive red dress, with a graceful figure and a red veil covering half of her face. Her eyes carried a tempting smile, captivating the souls of many.
Third Master Lu spoke in a calm and flat tone, “This is the gambling den, and it’s the only place for gambling in the Black Market.”
“Thank you for personally bringing me here,” Tang Jinghong said politely.
“Just a small favor.” Third Master Lu led Tang Jinghong to the second floor where there was a room for him to rest. “You can see the entire hall from here. Stay and watch.”
Tang Jinghong looked down at the hall through the window. “Brother Lu, many thanks.”
Third Master Lu considered Tang Jinghong as one of his own, or he wouldn’t have brought him here. “Take your time to watch. I’ll take a short nap.”
Tang Jinghong smiled and nodded, “Feel free.”
In the room was a luxurious bed. As someone who never compromised, everything belonging to Third Master Lu was of the highest quality.
He walked over and lay down on the bed, peacefully drifting off to sleep.
With Tang Jinghong as his guard, there was no safer place in the world.
Tang Jinghong focused on observing the hall, searching for the figure of Cao Changsheng.
As time passed, the noise in the hall increased, and more people gathered, making it increasingly difficult to find someone.
Suddenly, the gazes of the two men landed on the same person…
Ren Buqing gestured to Tang Jinghong, who nodded.
Ren Buqing whispered, “General Tang, may I go and probe?”
Tang Jinghong instructed, “Go ahead, be careful. Once confirmed, knock him out and take him away.”
He had already discussed this with Third Master Lu, who wouldn’t interfere with this matter.
If not mentioned beforehand, Third Master Lu would obstruct them, as it was a violation of the rules of the Black Market.
Ren Buqing and Tang Jinghong whispered to each other for a while. Then Ren Buqing went downstairs..