Chapter 16: This Core Is Extraordinary

"Zhang Chu!"

Wang Peng could hardly believe his eyes—who would have thought he’d run into his childhood friend here in the martial artists’ black market?

Back then, they’d suffered together at the orphanage, growing up side by side, sharing everything, even a single pair of trousers. Wang Peng had been luckier; after three years in the orphanage, he was adopted by a wealthy couple from another city who struggled with infertility. From then on, they lost contact. Zhang Chu, meanwhile, stayed at the orphanage until university.

Zhang Chu himself was filled with emotion. To think, after dying such a pathetic death, he still had a true friend in the world.

The two launched into a lively conversation, catching up on lost time. Zhang Chu soon learned that Wang Peng’s adoptive parents had fallen on hard times, and both had passed away recently, leaving behind little inheritance. Wang Peng had returned to Binzhou, finding work as a salesman in the martial artists’ black market, striving to make a living on his own. Zhang Chu was his very first customer.

"Zhang Chu, you sly dog—so you’re a Level 1 martial artist now!" Wang Peng looked at him with genuine admiration.

"Peng, you work here. You must know where to get genuine exotic beast cores, right?" With a friend in the black market, Zhang Chu felt as though he’d gained a powerful advantage—no risk of fake goods, and cheaper prices.

"You’ve come to the right person. Coincidentally, Old Li’s shop just received a batch from a mercenary team today. They should have beast cores. I’ll take you to check it out."

"Old Li used to be the security guard at Binzhou orphanage, made a fortune trading in the black market over the years," Wang Peng explained.

Zhang Chu searched his memory and recalled Old Li—a temperamental but kind-hearted man who often bought them candy.

With so many familiar faces, everything was easier.

Wang Peng led Zhang Chu into the commercial street of the black market. It buzzed with activity, selling everything imaginable. The street stalls were cheap, but authenticity depended entirely on luck; once a deal was done, there were no returns, and many had lost out at these stalls. The actual shops lining the commercial street were more reliable, though prices were higher.

Zhang Chu glanced around and spotted a secondhand vendor selling Orchid Night perfume, which made him wince. He’d nearly lost his life trying to get that bottle for Su Mingyue back then.

Soon, Wang Peng brought him to a small corner shop with a quirky name: "Everyone Says Old Li’s Treasures Are Good."

As they entered, Li Dashan, sitting at the counter doing accounts, immediately recognized Zhang Chu. "Zhang Chu, is that you? What a stroke of fate!"

Li Dashan looked different from Zhang Chu’s memories—wealth had made him plump and balding, dressed in flashy designer clothes, exuding more of a streetwise air.

"Uncle Li, it’s been so long!"

Zhang Chu gave Li Dashan a big bear hug—building rapport was the first step to getting a discount.

Wang Peng rattled off a lively account, leaving Li Dashan astonished. "Brat, who would’ve thought the boy who used to cry at the orphanage would become a Level 1 martial artist!"

"Uncle Li, can you get me a beast core? I really need one," Zhang Chu stated his purpose directly. If they started reminiscing, they’d be here till midnight.

"You came at the right time." Li Dashan retrieved an ice box from the safe, opened it, and revealed a white bead radiating cold. "This is the Level 1 mid-grade core from a young whale shark, just delivered by the Gale Squad."

"Uncle Li, how much is it? I’ll take it," Zhang Chu’s eyes lit up at the mention of a Level 1 mid-grade core.

A Level 1 low-grade core from a wasteland armored wolf increased blood vitality by 30. He could hardly imagine how much a mid-grade one would boost.

"One hundred thousand!"

"I gave that price to Gale Squad for acquisition. I won’t make a profit off you—just cost," Li Dashan said readily.

Hearing the price, Zhang Chu felt the sting of poverty once more.

"Uncle Li, how much are these things I picked up outside the city worth?" Zhang Chu dumped out all his loot.

Li Dashan calculated and could only offer twenty-five thousand at best.

With Zhang Chu’s remaining thirty-five thousand, that totaled sixty thousand.

"Uncle Li, how about I write an IOU and pay the balance in three days?" Zhang Chu proposed with a smile.

"The black market doesn’t do credit—that’s the rule. But since we haven’t seen each other in years, I’ll make an exception, just this once. But don’t let it get out," Li Dashan said in a low voice. "If I start this precedent, I’ll be targeted by the others."

"Uncle Li, you know how strict we’ve always been. When you gave us candy as kids, the director beat us till we cried, but we never gave you away," Wang Peng joked.

After swiping his card and finishing the paperwork, Zhang Chu received the whale shark core.

The moment he held the core, the system’s voice sounded in his mind: "Ding! Level 1 mid-grade core detected, estimating blood vitality value."

"Uncle, where’s the restroom?" Zhang Chu asked, making an excuse as he headed upstairs with the core.

Inside the bathroom, he locked the door, hurriedly took out the core, and washed it clean. The system’s estimate hadn’t appeared yet, but Zhang Chu couldn’t wait.

The whale shark core was icy cold, painful to hold for long. Swallowing beast cores for blood vitality boosts was time-sensitive—the fresher, the better.

He wasn’t sure about the exact window, but he knew the longer he waited, the less effective it would be.

Having paid one hundred thousand, every second mattered.

He braced against the fishy smell and cold, swallowed the core in one gulp.

He rinsed his mouth at the tap and waited.

"Zhang Chu, hurry up! Uncle Li says he’s treating us to barbecue tonight," Wang Peng called from downstairs.

"Coming!" Zhang Chu shouted, just as the system spoke in his mind: "Ding! Host has consumed one Level 1 mid-grade core, blood vitality increased by sixty."

Damn!

He nearly burst out laughing, pressing his hand to his mouth as he stared at the panel:

Name: Zhang Chu

Level: 1

Blood Vitality Added: 60

Total Blood Vitality: 266.1/500

Martial Skill: Sky Cannon (Level 1, low-grade)

Skill Proficiency: Beginner

One low-grade core had increased his blood vitality by sixty. With these numbers, Zhang Chu calculated that he’d need only three more such cores to reach Level 2.

Leave the city!

Head to the exotic beast forest!

Zhang Chu had already updated his plan—risk the wilds, earn big, buy himself a luxurious villa, live in bliss!

It took him a while to calm down before he left the bathroom and went downstairs.

"Let’s go, my treat!" Zhang Chu called out happily, ready to take Li Dashan and Wang Peng for drinks until dawn.

"Hold up, Uncle Li’s busy," Wang Peng hurried over and motioned him to keep quiet.

Zhang Chu looked around. Four newcomers had entered the shop, dressed like a small team.

Wang Peng explained, and Zhang Chu learned they were the Gale Squad—the leader, a bearded man of about thirty-five, was Captain Hu Sanyi, a Level 1 martial artist.

Zhang Chu and Wang Peng sat aside, browsing their phones and debating which barbecue place to visit that night.

Just then, Hu Sanyi stepped away from the counter and walked straight up to Zhang Chu. "Brother, do me a favor—can you sell me back that whale shark core I just sold to Old Li? Name your price."