On the far edge of Qingshui Pier in Lishui District, a gate was set into the city wall. This was the southeast gate of Linji City’s Outer City District, wide enough for two horse-drawn carriages to pass through side by side.

The southeast gate stood open day and night, guarded by soldiers of the Protectorate Army clad in armor.

Exiting the southeast gate and following the main road southeast for about five li led to the Three Forks River area, the junction of Jishui Lake and the Jishui River.

Here, the road split into three. The main path continued for a few more li before merging with the road that led south to the South City Gate.

Of the other two forks, one led directly away from the city and out to the foothills of the Great Wilderness Mountain Range.

The other wound its way along the banks of the Jishui River, leading to the Cold Crow Village Black Market.

Past the Three Forks River area, the flow of people heading to and from the Black Market grew denser. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry.

Chen Cheng and Shen Qingyao, however, slowed their pace and fell silent.

Shen Qingyao had clearly spent a long time in some sheltered manor. She was filled with curiosity for everything outside the city, constantly observing the various passersby, though it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

Chen Cheng was also silent. He gazed at the churning waters of the Jishui River, the vast fields and manors along its banks, and the distant, overlapping mountain peaks, a wave of emotion rising in his chest.

He rarely ventured outside the city. The last time he had was back when he was a Preparatory Constable in Ruyi District, tasked with hauling corpses to the Chaotic Burial Mound outside the South City Gate.

The Chaotic Burial Mound was only ten li from the South City Gate; strictly speaking, it was still considered part of the Outer City District.

The world outside Linji City was vast. Along the Jishui River alone were several county towns, with a combined population in the millions.

The Great Wilderness Mountain Range was vaster still. The entirety of Linji Prefecture—one prefecture and eight counties—occupied only a tiny fraction of its foothills.

Most of the region was a vast, trackless wilderness where powerful Demon Beasts lurked, a place teeming with unknown dangers.

This wasn’t unique to Linji Prefecture; the other prefectures in Su State were much the same. In fact, across the entire Great Yu empire, the territories controlled by the Human Race were distressingly limited.

The reason for this, of course, was the power of the Demon Beasts. Rumor had it that deep within the Great Wilderness Mountain Range, there were Demon Beasts whose strength far surpassed even that of Organ Refining Realm Martial Artists.

These powerful beasts rarely emerged, but when they did, they could easily lay waste to multiple cities and bring disaster to millions.

In Linji Prefecture, the Protectorate Army had garrisons in every county town to guard against demonic calamities. If a Demon Beast attacked a village, town, or county seat, the incident would typically be reported to the Demon Suppression Department, which would then dispatch its agents to slay the beast.

Yet even with their combined strength, the Demon Suppression Department and the Protectorate Army could only just manage the Demon Beasts in the foothills of the Great Wilderness Mountain Range. Most of these beasts weren’t particularly strong; even Tier Four Demon Beasts, whose power was comparable to that of a Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm Martial Artist, were a rare sight.

If a single Tier Five Demon Beast were to appear, it would shake the entire prefecture. Even mobilizing every Organ Refining Realm Martial Artist might not be enough to deal with it.

As for a Tier Six or Tier Seven Demon Beast—something beyond even Tier Five—their only recourse would be to beg the Great Dao Sect for help.

"Brother Chen, we’re here." Shen Qingyao’s voice broke Chen Cheng out of his reverie.

Before he knew it, they had arrived at the entrance of a deep, secluded valley by the Jishui River.

The valley faced the Jishui River, its back against a sheer cliff that rose hundreds of feet, as if sliced by a blade.

Within the valley, stone houses were scattered in an orderly fashion, resembling a small village from a distance.

Many years ago, Cold Crow Village had indeed been just a fishing village. Over time, as Jianghu Martial Artists began to gather there, it slowly evolved into the Black Market.

A pier and shipyard had been built on the shallows along the Jishui River’s bank, allowing one to reach the Black Market directly by boat.

At the entrance to the Black Market stood a large gate constructed from massive, solid logs. A bonfire blazed beside it, and a squad of armored Protectorate Army soldiers stood guard.

The Black Market was, after all, a lawless zone, and the Protectorate Army soldiers guarding it operated differently from those at the city gates.

Their only duty was to collect the market entry fee. They didn’t check the identities of those coming and going, nor did they care if people were carrying or trading contraband.

Protectorate Army soldiers also patrolled inside the Black Market, where there was only one rule: no fighting or killing was permitted within its bounds.

Anything else was fair game. Even if you were robbed, scammed, or swindled inside the Black Market, the soldiers wouldn’t lift a finger.

Step outside the gates, however, and you could fight and kill right under their noses; they wouldn’t intervene.

In a way, the Protectorate Army’s presence in the Black Market served a single purpose: to collect money.

The market entry fee was charged per person. Regardless of how much cargo you brought with you, the price was one hundred cents per head—the equivalent of one tael of silver.

Chen Cheng took out a piece of patterned silver, paid the market entry fee, and entered the Black Market with Shen Qingyao.

Night had just fallen, but the Black Market was already brightly lit, almost like day. A bustling crowd of buyers and sellers weaved through the area.

If not for the unusual nature of the goods being traded, Chen Cheng might have mistaken it for a particularly lively night market.

Chen Cheng and Shen Qingyao were on a mission, so they naturally focused their attention on the various Jianghu Martial Artists carrying weapons.

And Chen Cheng did just that. As soon as he entered the Black Market, he began observing the people around him, carefully trying to sense the depth of their vitality.

Shen Qingyao, however, was busy browsing. The variety of goods on display at the stalls was far greater than anything found in Linji City.

The permanent stalls and shops in the Black Market all charged rent. To save on fees, many sellers simply found an empty patch of ground, spread their wares, and began hawking their goods.