Chapter 1261: Trading for Spirit Stones
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
The underground market was located beneath a manor in the suburbs of Qianchong City. Before heading over, Zhang Xuan and Zhang Jiuxiao had changed into leisurely clothes, assuming the roles of young scions heading out to play.
"It's said that the person who founded the black market in Qianchong City is an ill-fated scholar. The injustice he has faced from the bureaucratic system has made him harden his heart to the world, and he decided to forsake academics for martial arts. In order to vent the frustrations within him, he created the black market.
"In there, there's nothing that one cannot buy or do as long as one has sufficient money. Of course... the prices there are exorbitant as well. In fact, it could be said to be the greatest money sink in the Qianchong Empire!"
While advancing forward, Zhang Jiuxiao briefly introduced the black market to Zhang Xuan.
"Considering the scale of the black market, isn't it weird that the Qianchong Empire Master Teacher Pavilion and the royal family have left them to their own devices?" Zhang Xuan asked.
Since even an outsider like Zhang Jiuxiao knew about this place, there was no doubt that the royal family and the regional Master Teacher Pavilion were aware of its existence as well. Thus, shouldn't they have moved to strike down the black market instead of allowing it to develop freely, especially considering that they were gambling with the lives of others?
"The Master Teacher Pavilion and royal family do keep a lookout for the black market just in case it gets out of hand, but otherwise, they usually leave it be for stability considerations."
"Stability considerations?" Zhang Xuan asked in incomprehension.
Even though they had not arrived at the black market yet, based on what Zhang Jiuxiao had said so far, it seemed like the black market was effectively a lawless area, devoid of any security or rules. How could an existence like that in Qianchong City possibly contribute to its stability?
"The larger a city is, the more cultivators it has. There's always a lack of cultivation resources, so it's inevitable that cultivators will clash with one another to vie for them. As this is a fundamental problem, there's no way that the royal family or the Master Teacher Pavilion can stop them altogether," Zhang Jiuxiao explained.
"Un." Zhang Xuan nodded.
In this world where strength reigned supreme, there was no doubt that raising one's cultivation realm was extremely important. However, given that the resources in the world were limited, there was bound to be conflict and strife over them.
No matter how powerful the Master Teacher Pavilion was, it could not possibly prevent such matters altogether. If it implemented forceful measures to put a halt to such conflicts, it might face serious backlash from the stifled cultivators.
"An underground black market might be unseemly, but it's a possible channel where cultivators can acquire what they need as long as they have enough money. And to earn sufficient money, they have to cultivate harder and battle. With such a channel, there is a lesser need for cultivators to engage in dishonorable actions such as stealing to obtain what they need. While there are quite a few casualties from the Ring of Death, there's no doubt that the security of Qianchong City as a whole has improved," Zhang Jiuxiao said.
Where there was light, there were bound to be shadows as well.
There were misfits even within the Master Teacher Pavilion, let alone the other cultivators. Without an avenue to vent their darker desires or acquire their resources, there was no knowing what extreme actions cultivators might resort to within the city.
