Jibei, the Four Li Mountain Ghost Market.
The old gentleman raised the price not for any other reason, but primarily because of the weight of the three characters written by Mo Chuan—King Qinguang.
Everyone in the underworld knew that the three Yama Lords of the Underworld Palace were King Zhuanlun, King Yama, and King Qinguang. These three held extremely high status and power within the Underworld Palace organization. Inquiring about them was virtually as difficult as inquiring about the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
Therefore, when the old gentleman presented the information, Mo Chuan only received four pieces of intel, with only one being of A-grade.
"I apologize, young friend. The person you seek is of too high a caliber, and their whereabouts are excessively clandestine. Even Yi Hu Chun is unable to assist further, and can only provide this much information. The total is one sixth-tier spiritual treasure and three gold bars. Thank you for your patronage."
Mo Chuan paid the fee, and the old gentleman left the private room, leaving Mo Chuan alone to read the clues.
The reason he came to inquire about King Qinguang was not only due to his own deductions, but also because he had learned of Dan He Zi's dying words from Qing Lian Zi, which had ignited Mo Chuan's intense interest in King Qinguang.
He first examined two C-grade pieces of information: King Qinguang had personally massacred the entire families of two officials, one from the government and one from the military.
This provided little substantial information, so he moved on to the next.
B-grade intel: The East Sea Monster Calamity in 2215 (two years ago) was suspected to be linked to King Qinguang, but the specific details were unclear.
"What? Such vague and ambiguous information was classified as B-grade? Riddle-like text like this is worth 2.5 gold bars?"
Although Mo Chuan grew increasingly annoyed, he patiently considered the matter, ultimately concluding: the East Sea Monster Calamity two years prior was the spiritual energy chaotic event that caused a series of disturbances in Japan and a series of maritime accidents in the Dragon Country. Most importantly—Mo Chuan's parents had died in this very calamity.
The East Sea Monster Calamity of that year was shrouded in so much mystery that Mo Chuan still couldn't ascertain what had truly happened.
The East Sea Monster Calamity... I must uncover the truth...
With that thought, Mo Chuan set aside the B-grade intel and turned his attention to the A-grade information.
"My success or failure hinges on this..." Mo Chuan mused as he opened a scroll labeled "A."
...
An hour later, Mo Chuan emerged from Yi Hu Chun and began to survey the ghost market.
"Ah, right, Old Man Xun said he had something good to trade tonight. I wonder what it is," Mo Chuan said, tapping his forehead, and headed towards the tall building marked "Feng Dui Lou."
Feng Dui Lou resembled a large stadium, standing fifteen stories high. Every five floors were connected by a large space, forming a natural exhibition hall. People entering this place would typically conduct private trades amongst themselves before waiting for whatever Feng Dui Lou released.
"Feng Dui" was another term for a tomb. Since this auction house initially prospered by selling grave goods and burial items, it was named as such. As Feng Dui Lou grew, it began to accept various matters related to fencing stolen goods and trading spiritual treasures, eventually reaching its current scale. Kuai Shu Ge.
Upon arriving at Feng Dui Lou, Mo Chuan approached a guide and, taking out a teacup, asked, "Old Master Xun asked me to find you. I wanted to inquire about the items for this trade..."
The guide glanced at the teacup, then appraised Mo Chuan before replying, "A shipment from Suzhou. It contains everything, from spiritual treasures and ores to antiques and calligraphy. All have been resold and certified as good quality goods."
Hearing this, Mo Chuan decided to take a look, as such opportunities were not common.
The fifteen floors of Feng Dui Lou were divided into three main tiers: Heaven, Earth, and Man. Each tier was further divided into five smaller levels, from one to five.
Mo Chuan spent half a day wandering around. Not fully understanding these items, he didn't dare to buy anything, mostly just watching others make purchases.
Until he spotted a small Buddha statue.
The statue was cast in bronze, but on the large halo behind the Buddha's head, a hidden character "Qin" was inscribed.
"This is getting more interesting."
Mo Chuan purchased the statue for a single gold leaf. The seller even thought Mo Chuan was a sucker, as this statue lacked faith absorption, hidden secret techniques, or dynastic markings, making it easily dismissed as a fake.
Mo Chuan carefully packed the statue away and browsed for another round, but he encountered no similar items.
...
Complete darkness.
Mo Chuan opened his eyes. After adjusting to the light, he saw a dark silhouette before him.
"Who are you?" Mo Chuan asked, stepping back a few paces, a hint of ferocity in his eyes.
"Who am I?" The black figure chuckled. "I am you."
Mo Chuan attempted to summon his grappling hook, buying time as he asked, "Where is this place?"
"Save your strength. This is your inner self. You cannot use your abilities here." The shadowy figure maintained a sinister smile, his hands transforming into a pair of mantis arm blades, lunging towards Mo Chuan.
"I am your hesitation, your indecision, your powerlessness, your weakness, your limitations, your malice—I am you!"
With each statement, the shadowy figure lunged and slashed at Mo Chuan. The sharp blades cut through Mo Chuan's clothes and skin, and blood flowed uncontrollably.
Seeing Mo Chuan retreating frantically, the figure did not pursue. Instead, he licked the blood from the blade and said, "Think about it. What have you accomplished with King Taishan, or King Wuguan? Mo Fei fainted three times, your teammates nearly died, Tian Gan lost Ding Yang, Daoist Master Nan Shan's cultivation was completely ruined, and countless ordinary people suffered."
"Let me replace you. With your depth of character, your disposition, how can you survive the pursuit of the Underworld Palace?"
Saying this, the shadowy figure attacked Mo Chuan again. This time, Mo Chuan's shoulder was gashed open, blood instantly drenching his clothes.
"Age of Strife! The strong survive! The weak perish! You— *cough*—"
The shadowy figure looked at the hole in his chest in disbelief. He looked up to see Mo Chuan's grappling hook firmly piercing his chest.
"You... why..."
"This is my inner self. Why should you be the master?" Mo Chuan said coldly, simultaneously feeling his own power—those undigested souls were now all transforming into his strength.
"So that's how it is..." Mo Chuan murmured, "It's my inner clarity..." Then he raised his hand and clenched his fist.
The shadowy figure let out a scream before transforming into a black mask.
"Villains die from talking too much..." Mo Chuan shook his head. Just as he picked up the mask, a sudden brilliant light shone all around, forcing him to shield his eyes with his hand.