Chapter 424 - 383: Netherworld (Part 2)
The main purpose of his trip—to purchase medicinal ingredients—had mostly fallen through.
Still, since he was already here, there was no need to return empty-handed.
After a moment of consideration, Chen Li decided to buy all the usable ingredients from the three apothecaries—the three herbs for refining the Sweet Rain Jade Dew Heaven-Repairing Creation Pill and the several needed for the Mysterious Black Tortoise Tribulation Secret Medicine.
Though these ingredients weren’t rare, their quality was acceptable. They would be useful back home, so there was no harm in stocking up.
All told, they filled an entire large wooden crate.
The moment he stepped out of the shop, Bai San’s figure flickered out from a nearby shadow like a phantom, sidling up close.
His expression was odd, a mixture of surprise and a hint of schadenfreude. Lowering his voice, he said, "Sir, I found out what happened. Let’s talk outside. This whole thing... heh heh, it’s interesting."
Chen Li nodded.
His purpose in coming to the Black Market was to procure medicinal ingredients.
Since the rare medicinal materials he needed were nowhere to be found, there was no reason to linger in Hidden Emperor Castle.
They left Hidden Emperor Castle.
The carriage creaked onward through the night rain.
Once they were a safe distance away, Bai San slipped into the carriage, lowered his voice, and recounted the whole story to Chen Li.
Two years ago, Chen Li had wiped out three of the Celestial Sword Sect’s Elders and over a hundred of its elite disciples in one fell swoop. The Sect had suffered a devastating blow, losing all face and flying into a terrible rage.
But Chen Li’s methods had been clean and decisive, leaving almost no trace at the scene. No matter how the Sect investigated, they were never able to identify the perpetrator.
Blinded by fury and with no other recourse, the Celestial Sword Sect made a disastrously foolish move.
They leveraged their influence with the Court to dig up the identities of some of the Black Market merchants who had left Hidden Emperor Castle on that fateful day—information they had been covertly collecting. They then arrested all these merchants and subjected them to brutal interrogation.
The results were predictable.
These Black Market merchants had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time; how could they possibly know any inside details?
Ultimately, the Celestial Sword Sect learned nothing and had no choice but to release the merchants.
However, while the merchants were released, the damage was done.
This move completely shattered the bedrock on which the Hidden Emperor Castle’s Black Market was built.
The very reason a black market is a black market—its core appeal and its law of survival—lies in a single word: secrecy.
The identities of the trading parties, the true origin of the goods, the details of the transaction—all of these were closely guarded secrets, a forbidden zone never to be crossed.
People came here seeking the relative safety and freedom of a "no questions asked" environment, where the only thing that mattered was the deal.
If even their identities weren’t guaranteed, and they could be hauled off for questioning at any moment, how was that any different from trading in broad daylight, right under the government’s nose?
Why bother taking the risk and paying the hefty fees to come here?
Back when the Pig Emperor was in charge, Hidden Emperor Castle became the number one Black Market in Jiangzhou precisely because it abided by this iron-clad rule.
The Pig Emperor cared only for money. He never asked unnecessary questions and absolutely refused to cooperate with any government authorities.
Even when he was fully aware of someone’s background, he would simply pretend to be ignorant.
This reputation for absolute neutrality and confidentiality was the foundation that attracted dark money from every corner of the land.
Things had already begun to quietly change ever since the Celestial Sword Sect took over.
The arrogance and controlling nature typical of a "prestigious and righteous" sect meant they weren’t content with simply collecting protection fees.
Their management of the resident Black Market merchants grew increasingly strict. They began demanding detailed reports on inventory, setting curfews, and even attempting to take a cut from transactions, treating the Black Market as if it were just another one of their Sect’s business ventures.
This had long ago stirred resentment among the Black Market merchants. They only tolerated it because they could still turn a profit and, for the moment, had no better alternative.
Then came this latest incident: publicly outing merchants and exposing their identities under the guise of an investigation. It was the final straw, completely shattering the merchants’ already fragile trust.
An exposed identity meant danger could strike at any moment. It was tantamount to putting their lives and fortunes at an unacceptable level of risk.
To these Black Market merchants, who lived dangerously, this was an unforgivable transgression.
And so, the sentiment of "if you don’t want my business, someone else will" spread like wildfire.
When the Celestial Sword Sect sullenly reopened the Black Market, they were shocked to discover that the influential merchants with reliable supply chains—the very ones who had made Hidden Emperor Castle prosperous—had long since scattered to the four winds.
With no sellers, there were naturally no buyers.
Even when the occasional customer showed up, hoping to give it a try, they were met with empty stalls and scant offerings, and could only leave disappointed.
Caught in this vicious cycle, in just two years, the once-bustling Hidden Emperor Castle had devolved into the desolate, deserted place it was today.
Most of the merchants still struggling to operate within the castle walls now had intricate ties to the Celestial Sword Sect.
They were either affiliated powers or simply had no fear of exposure, allowing them to maintain a few stalls to keep up appearances. But the great Black Market of Jiangzhou was now a shadow of its former self, existing in name only.
And the Netherworld Ship, as it turned out, owed its existence to this very situation.
The Black Market merchants had completely lost faith in Hidden Emperor Castle, but business still had to be conducted.
Several of the most powerful Black Market merchants conspired in secret, deciding to build something new from the ground up.
Initially, they tried setting up shop in a village near Jiangkou County.
Thanks to the channels and connections the leaders had accumulated, the new market quickly grew in popularity. Business began to boom, and even the merchants who had remained at Hidden Emperor Castle gradually migrated over.
But this was, without a doubt, snatching food right out of the Celestial Sword Sect’s bowl. There’s an old saying: to destroy someone’s livelihood is as heinous as murdering their parents. How could the Celestial Sword Sect possibly stand by and do nothing?
Although the Celestial Sword Sect considered it beneath them to get personally involved, they secretly instructed affiliated Jianghu Gangs to launch a brutal assault on the new Black Market, almost completely destroying it.