Chapter 20

The commotion between the two also attracted some attention.

"What's happening over there?"

"Looks like an arm-wrestling match!"

"What's going on?"

"That guy claims he's trained in Iron Shirt, but the big man doesn't believe him. So they started arguing."

"That guy!? With such a skinny build—if it were me, I wouldn't believe it either!"

"Let's go take a look."

"."

Around the stone block, five or six people gathered, watching the scene and chatting.

The two locked hands, the burly, bearded man's thick, hairy hand gripping Chen Ping'an's delicate, fair-skinned one.

"If I break your arm, don't blame me."

"Go ahead and try!" Chen Ping'an said.

Seeing the small crowd gathering, the bearded man grinned smugly.

"I won't take advantage of you. Come on, you call the start!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, bear witness—if I win, this bearded man will buy my Iron Shirt manual for ten taels of silver. If I lose, I will pay him one tael."

Chen Ping'an looked around at the onlookers as he spoke.

"A free tael of silver."

The burly, bearded man sneered.

"Alright, kid, I'm ready."

"Good, then... start!"

As soon as he spoke, Chen Ping'an exerted his full strength. Since this concerned the sale of his Iron Shirt manual and his need to establish authority, he held nothing back.

In an instant, the bearded man felt a tremendous force surge from the other's arm. His sneer froze, his thick, muscular arm bulging, veins popping.

Bang!

The back of the bearded man's hand was slammed onto the stone.

"You lost."

Chen Ping'an's calm voice rang out.

The bearded man's face turned red.

Even he wasn't foolish enough to miss the truth—his opponent was far from ordinary. This was a true martial artist!

And his level surpassed his own!

Had he reached the peak of the first level of Qi and Blood? Or was he already at the second level?

The dramatic outcome stirred the onlookers into an uproar.

"He actually won!"

"The big guy ran into a brick wall!"

"He must be a martial arts initiate!"

"."

Chen Ping'an ignored the clamor around him. He stood up, looking at the bearded man calmly.

"Ten taels of silver! The Iron Shirt manual—money first, then the book."

"Alright, if you can beat me in strength, I believe your Iron Shirt is real! But..."

The bearded man stood up, his massive frame exuding raw power, an imposing presence.

"Ten taels is too much! Six taels! That's my final offer!"

His counteroffer drew boos from the small crowd.

But this was the black market, after all. Most people here were cautious, so there weren't too many onlookers—only six or seven people.

The bearded man ignored the jeers, keeping his gaze locked on Chen Ping'an.

Ten taels wouldn't be expensive for an Iron Shirt manual sold in a city's treasure pavilion.

But for a handwritten copy of uncertain authenticity, the price was steep!

Six taels was a reasonable market price.

No one in the black market was foolish enough to overpay just because they lost a bet.

In fact, if the bearded man simply refused to pay and walked away, there wasn't much Chen Ping'an could do about it.

Their bet had been a private agreement. It wouldn't hold weight in a formal setting.

Chen Ping'an understood this well.

But ten taels had only been an opening price. His real goal was to sell the manual.

Bargaining was the nature of trade—the seller raises the price, the buyer lowers it.

Chen Ping'an's gaze was deep and unreadable, like an endless sea. He stared at the bearded man for a long while, making the latter feel uneasy.

This kid is strange.

He looks frail, but his strength surpasses mine. For a martial artist to train in hard-body techniques and still maintain such a lean frame, he must have learned some other advanced skills.

"Alright, six taels it is. Consider it a token of friendship."

Chen Ping'an's voice rang out at just the right moment.

"Good, straightforward!"

The bearded man reached into his pouch, pulled out a few small pieces of silver, and handed them over.

Money and goods exchanged hands.

The moment the silver landed in his palm, Chen Ping'an's eyes lit up.

"It's done!"

Between his family's savings, his recently paid wages, and this six taels, he now had enough to clear tomorrow's fourteen-tael debt.

After completing the transaction, both the bearded man and Chen Ping'an wasted no time in leaving.

"This kid looks skinny, but his strength is terrifying! He took down that huge guy like it was nothing!"

"Never judge a book by its cover!"

"."

Among the spectators, someone sighed in admiration.

But none of this concerned Chen Ping'an anymore. He had accomplished his goal and was in a great mood.

As he left the black market, the burly guard at the entrance remained expressionless.

"Once you leave the black market, your safety is your own responsibility."

Chen Ping'an discreetly glanced at the long blade hanging from the guard's waist, then nodded slightly.

A single man guarding the entrance—his martial prowess was certainly impressive.

Had he reached the peak of the first level of Qi and Blood? Or was he already at the second level?

As for being at the peak of the second level, or even reaching the third?

Unlikely!

A martial artist of that caliber wouldn't be stationed here. Those with such skill would be employed by noble families or influential clans.

Even the Southspring Ward Patrol Division could only look up to such households.

A mere black market wasn't worth their presence.

"I wonder... if I fought him, how many moves could I last?"

Chen Ping'an pondered.

After leaving the black market, he remained highly cautious, glancing behind him from time to time.

He had heard many tales about the black market—stories of people being followed, ambushed, and killed. Stories of entire families being wiped out.

Because of this, Chen Ping'an exercised extreme caution. This was why he had waited until he had achieved Iron Shirt small success and reached the peak of the first Qi and Blood level before coming.

He took a long, winding route before finally making his way home.

It seemed his luck was good today—no one had targeted him.

His courtyard wall wasn't very high, and the gate had already been locked by Chen Er'ya.

After some thought, he decided to climb over the wall.

For a martial artist, a wall like his was nothing. Even common thieves with some skill could scale it with ease.

He hadn't paid much attention to this before, since living within Weishui Commandery was relatively safe at night.

But now, thinking about it, he felt the urge to move.

Still, it was just a fleeting thought—quickly dismissed.

With his current situation, finding a new place to live was unrealistic.

Housing in the commandery capital was expensive.

Even in the outer city, a decent courtyard cost at least one or two hundred taels. With his meager wages, buying a new home was a pipe dream.

But...

Thinking of his mysterious golden finger, a spark of hope flickered in Chen Ping'an's heart.

An unregistered patrol officer earned little. But what about a full officer?

What about a squad leader? A division chief?

Time was his ally. One day, he would rise to greater heights.

Like a great roc soaring with the wind, rising ninety thousand miles into the sky!