The goods at these stalls were often a motley, bizarre collection.

Among them, items like Demon Beast Meat, Weapons, Medicinal Materials, and Cultivation Technique Manuals were ironically the most common.

Shen Qingyao’s attention, however, was drawn to the smaller things, such as various strange-looking, tiny Demon Beasts, rare trinkets, jewelry, cosmetics... and even acrobats and street performers asking for money.

"The Cold Crow Village Black Market is so interesting! This was well worth the trip." Those were Shen Qingyao’s exact words.

Chen Cheng observed for a while and found that most of the people in the Black Market were only at the Skin Grinding Realm. The few who were at the Muscle Strengthening Realm weren’t very strong either.

In fact, after wandering around the entire market, he had only seen one man wearing a Conical Hat with a Long Saber at his waist. His Qi Blood Power was quite profound, suggesting he was a Perfect Martial Artist of the Muscle Strengthening Realm.

He gradually lost interest in the people milling about the Black Market and started wandering aimlessly with Shen Qingyao instead.

’Anyway, my reason for coming to the Cold Crow Village Black Market is just to go through the motions and rack up some Merit for the Demon Suppression Department,’ he thought. ’There’s no need to be so serious.’

After his experience in the City Guard Department, Chen Cheng was practically at the Grandmaster Level when it came to the art of slacking off.

After wandering for over an hour, the two had finally seen the entirety of the Cold Crow Village Black Market.

Shen Qingyao seemed a little tired. She led Chen Cheng to a quiet corner and asked in a low voice, "Brother Chen, did you find anything?"

Chen Cheng thought for a moment and said, "I just saw a man with a Long Saber at his waist. He seemed to be a Perfect Martial Artist of the Muscle Strengthening Realm."

"Not bad. Brother Chen, you really are diligent on duty. You truly live up to your reputation as the former number one Chief Constable of Lishui District."

Shen Qingyao nodded, praising him in a low voice, but then she frowned, putting on a rather frustrated expression. "But if that’s all there is," she said, "I’m afraid it will be difficult to write our official report for this trip."

After their few interactions, Chen Cheng had a decent idea of what this young lady from the Shen Family was like.

’This frustrated look of hers is probably just an act,’ he thought. ’I bet she already has a solid plan for this investigation.’

Chen Cheng couldn’t be bothered to call her out on it. "It’s still early," he said seriously. "If we observe more carefully, we’re bound to find something.

What we just looked at were just stalls people set up at random. Truly powerful people wouldn’t care about the silver coins needed to rent a proper stall.

And then there are the shops. The rent for those is likely even higher, so the forces behind them are clearly stronger."

Shen Qingyao’s eyes lit up. "So you thought of that too," she said in praise. "You really are the number one Chief Constable of the Lishui Sub-Department. You’ve got some brains.

So, tell me, which shops should we start investigating?"

This time, Chen Cheng really didn’t want to play guessing games with her anymore. He shrugged and said, "Brother Shen, your wisdom is unparalleled. You must already have a plan. I’ll follow your lead."

"Hmph! You’re no fun at all! Since it’s come to this, just follow me."

Shen Qingyao sighed, but she was secretly delighted as she led Chen Cheng toward a shop not far away.

This shop was near a cliff and consisted of two connected pavilions with a dozen or so rooms. Some of the rooms were even built directly into the cliff face.

Large red lanterns hung everywhere, giving the place an air of mystery that made it all the more alluring.

There were no lavishly dressed women at the entrance soliciting business, yet it still attracted many customers.

Those entering and exiting were all dressed in fine clothes, and included men and women, young and old.

"Le Wuji!" That was the name of this shop.

"Isn’t this just a brothel? To think one would open in the Black Market," Chen Cheng said in surprise.

Shen Qingyao said with a smile, "Le Wuji is no ordinary brothel. It’s very expensive. It costs ten taels of silver just to walk in the door. If you’re short by even one cent, you can’t cross the threshold."

’Ten taels of silver just to get in the door!’ he thought. ’That’s a far higher price than even the famous brothels in the Inner City or on the pleasure boats of Jishui Lake!’

"Are we going in?" Chen Cheng asked with some hesitation.

Chen Cheng wasn’t opposed to visiting brothels; back when he was in the Ruyi District, he had occasionally gone a few times with Liao San and the others.

But how could the women in those brothels ever catch his eye? Whenever Chen Cheng went, it was mostly just to drink and listen to music.

’This Le Wuji is of a very high class, and it seems rather impressive,’ he thought. ’There’s no harm in checking it out.’

’But Shen Qingyao is a woman, after all. Going to a brothel with a woman is definitely a bit strange.’

Shen Qingyao adopted a rougher, more boisterous voice and said nonchalantly, "Of course we’re going in. Otherwise, how could we experience the ’limitless joy’ of Le Wuji?"

"Alright, then." Chen Cheng gave a slight nod. He fumbled inside his robes for a good while before finally pulling out two gold coins.

’It wasn’t that he was stingy,’ he thought. ’The point was, twenty taels of silver was enough to buy a good amount of Demon Beast Meat to replenish his Qi Blood Power. To just throw it all away at a brothel was truly not worth it.’

The man at the door took the gold coins and then beckoned the two inside.

A woman of about sixteen, dressed in white, with fair skin and a delicate appearance, came forward to greet them. She gave a charming smile and said very politely,

"This humble one is Ru Meng. Greetings, valued guests. Might I ask if you desire Civil Music or Martial Music?"

Chen Cheng was taken aback and asked curiously, "What is Civil Music, and what is Martial Music?"

The woman in white smiled. "This must be your first visit, valued guests. The Civil Music takes place in the Worry Relief Pavilion, where you drink Joy Tea and listen to the Worry-Relieving Song.

The Martial Music, on the other hand, takes place in the private rooms, where you enter the Soul-Devouring Palace and live out a Carefree Dream."

"Then we’ll choose the Civil Music," Chen Cheng said. He understood the implications and made his choice immediately.

"Yes," Ru Meng replied with a smile, then added, "I must inform you, valued guests, that the Civil Music costs fifty taels of patterned silver. As per our establishment’s rules, payment is required upfront."

’Fifty taels of patterned silver for Civil Music? Isn’t that highway robbery?’ The price made Chen Cheng’s teeth ache. He subconsciously asked, "Then how much is the Martial Music?"

Ru Meng said, "I must inform you, valued guest, the Martial Music is twenty taels of patterned silver."

The Civil Music was actually more expensive than the Martial Music. Chen Cheng suddenly realized that Le Wuji’s versions of Civil Music and Martial Music were different from what he had assumed.

"Why don’t we choose the Martial Music instead," Chen Cheng said. After all, he was only here to investigate; every bit of silver he could save mattered.

Ru Meng hadn’t expected Chen Cheng to be so fickle and change his mind so quickly. She immediately explained, "Perhaps you are unaware, valued guest, but our Civil Music is based on the idea that ’joy enjoyed alone is not as good as joy shared with others.’

Its wonders are far more profound than those of the Martial Music. Everyone who has experienced it praises it endlessly."

Chen Cheng only wanted to save silver; what did he care if its "wonders" were "profound"? Just as he was about to insist on the Martial Music, Shen Qingyao, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up.

"In that case, we’ll choose the Civil Music."

’You really can’t go out with a young lady from a great family,’ he muttered to himself. Chen Cheng reached into his robes again, fumbled for a good while, and pulled out two hundred-tael silver notes.

It wasn’t that Chen Cheng was being generous and insisting on treating her. The main reason was that Shen Qingyao, claiming it was too much trouble, rarely carried any money when she went out.

Thus, all such expenses naturally fell to Chen Cheng.

Fortunately, Shen Qingyao had given him five hundred taels in silver notes earlier, so all in all, he wasn’t losing much of his own money.

Ru Meng accepted the silver notes, a flash of delight crossing her face. She quickly led Chen Cheng and Shen Qingyao up to the second floor and into a quiet, elegant room.

"Valued guests, would you like a Qing Guanren, or a handsome young man?"

This time, Chen Cheng couldn’t be bothered to decide. He turned to look at Shen Qingyao, waiting for her to make the choice.

Shen Qingyao, however, was quite direct. She thought for a moment and said, "In that case, have all the Qing Guanren and handsome young men come up for us to have a look."

"Please wait a moment, valued guests." Ru Meng gave a graceful curtsy, turned, and left. A short while later, she returned, leading a dozen or so young men and women.

Their looks and figures were all top-tier, a clear cut above those in the brothels Chen Cheng had visited before. They were certainly worthy of the ten-tael silver entrance fee.

Whether it was the Qing Guanren or the handsome young men, all of them had eyes brimming with affection, enough to steal one’s Heart and Soul. They possessed a magical charm that made it impossible to look away after a single glance.

Chen Cheng and Shen Qingyao were both powerful experts of the Martial Dao, so naturally, they would not be easily enchanted.

Chen Cheng secretly circulated his Qi Blood Power, and his mind instantly cleared. When he looked again, these Qing Guanren and handsome young men were, in the end, just common beauties, no longer able to catch his eye.

Seeing Chen Cheng casually pick a Qing Guanren, Shen Qingyao followed suit and also chose a Qing Guanren.

"Young masters, please follow us to the Worry Relief Pavilion."

The two Qing Guanren were exceptionally elegant. Giving a graceful curtsy, they led Chen Cheng and Shen Qingyao out of the private room, down a corridor, and into a large hall filled with a swirling, thin mist that carried a faint, elegant fragrance.