How many Merit Points to purchase?
This question did not make Shen Changqing hesitate. He had a certain idea in mind long before coming here.
To undergo secret training in the chamber for a month required a thousand Merit Points. Considering the progress in the chamber, roughly one to two months of rigorous training should offer a chance to break through from Cultivating True Intent to True Intent Manifestation. Calculating for two months, that would be two thousand Merit Points.
Therefore, when Ji Qu asked, Shen Changqing responded without a second thought.
"Two thousand Merit Points!"
Ji Qu’s pupils suddenly constricted. Two thousand Merit Points—that’s no small sum. He thought Shen Changqing would want only one or two hundred Merit Points. But he never expected that the other party would ask for two thousand.
After the initial shock, Ji Qu came back to his senses, his brows deeply furrowed.
"Lord Shen should be aware that the supply of Merit Points in the black market is limited. The more you purchase, the higher the price will rise. Normally, purchasing a small amount of Merit Points would cost around two to three hundred Silver Taels. If Lord Shen wants two thousand Merit Points, the price could climb to between four and five hundred Silver Taels."
As he spoke, Ji Qu hesitated. Two thousand Merit Points. If calculated at five hundred Silver Taels each, that would be a total of one million Silver Taels. One million... what kind of concept is that? For an Earth Rank Demon Hunter, even without eating or drinking, it would take over five thousand years to save up that amount. It wasn’t that Ji Qu looked down on Shen Changqing, but he truly did not believe the other party could produce one million Silver Taels.
"One million Silver Taels!"
Shen Changqing’s eyes flickered, and he took a deep breath inwardly. To be honest, he too was startled by the price. According to his expectations, two thousand Merit Points would at most be hundreds of thousands of Silver Taels, but he didn’t expect the price to soar to the height of one million. Of course, the so-called one million Silver Taels was just a hypothetical. The price might be higher, or it could also be lower.
Shen Changqing steadied his mind and said solemnly, "Two thousand Merit Points for one million Silver Taels is indeed very expensive. However, I would like to ask about another matter: how much would introductory Outer Techniques of the Physical System sell for?"
"The introduction to the Physical System?" Ji Qu’s face showed confusion for a moment, then he seemed to realize something. "Is Lord Shen referring to the Grandmaster Level Tiger Leopard Thunderous Roar?"
"If it’s an Outer Technique leading directly to Tiger Leopard Thunderous Roar, it could normally sell for several hundred thousand Silver Taels in the Jianghu. However—" Ji Qu hesitated, his expression turning serious as he looked at Shen Changqing. "Lord Shen must understand that the techniques of the Demon-Subduing Division are absolutely not allowed to be leaked. If they are sold privately, even a Heaven Rank Defender Envoy would face severe punishment!"
In his view, the Martial Arts Shen Changqing was planning to sell were most likely obtained from the Martial Hall. If he were to help, once the matter was exposed, he could also be implicated. Therefore, Ji Qu issued a warning, "Although the black market is very secretive, there are no walls that can’t be breached in this world. If Lord Shen truly does this, I’m afraid it won’t be long before the Heavenly Inspection Guard comes knocking."
"There are people from the Heavenly Inspection Guard in the black market as well?" Shen Changqing looked somewhat surprised.
Ji Qu shook his head. "Lord Shen is joking. The reach of the Heavenly Inspection Guard extends throughout Great Qin and even outside it. No matter how secretive the black market might be, it can’t stop the Heavenly Inspection Guard’s investigation. Although trading Merit Points is officially against the rules of the Demon-Subduing Division, in reality, it’s also tacitly allowed. Otherwise, all the black markets would have been uprooted a long time ago. Bear in mind, there’s a saying that ’water that is too clear has no fish’."
Water that is too clear has no fish! Shen Changqing nodded in agreement. He understood the meaning behind Ji Qu’s words. Simply put, the black market is a place to trade things that cannot be seen in public. Since the Demon-Subduing Division allows the existence of the black market, there must be a reason for it. After all, no matter how all-reaching the Demon-Subduing Division’s methods might be, they can’t truly cleanse the entire world.
Once Ji Qu finished speaking, Shen Changqing laughed and said, "Brother Ji can rest assured. How could I not understand the rules of the Demon-Subduing Division? The Martial Arts I am holding have nothing to do with the Demon-Subduing Division; they were obtained by chance."
"Obtained by chance!" Ji Qu’s expression moved slightly. Since Shen Changqing said as much, he certainly had no doubt about the truth of the other party’s words. Someone qualified to enter the Martial Hall... just this status alone is incomparable to others. Therefore, Ji Qu took Shen Changqing’s words seriously and pondered them.
"Since it is something that Lord Shen obtained by chance, there naturally wouldn’t be any problems. However, I believe that instead of selling your Martial Arts, it would be more practical to go directly to the black market auction. You should know that the prices in black market auctions often exceed what you could get from selling directly to shops. However, not everyone is qualified to attend a black market auction. You either need a guarantor or must reveal your identity—and not just any identity would suffice; it must be one credible enough to make people believe in the authenticity of the Martial Arts being offered. Of course, with Lord Shen’s identity, credibility is certainly not an issue."
Having said that, Ji Qu waited for a response.
Reveal my identity? Shen Changqing fell into deep thought. His initial plan was to sell off several Martial Arts he possessed in exchange for enough Merit Points to allow him to cultivate in the secret chamber over a long period. The Invincible Golden Body was a synthesis of two Outer Techniques, entirely unrelated to the Martial Arts within the Demon-Subduing Division. Shen Changqing did not believe that the Demon-Subduing Division would have a record of the Invincible Golden Body under such circumstances. Moreover, when the Slaughter Value arrived later, he would be using the Invincible Golden Body along with the Tathagata Golden Body for integration. By that time, the original Invincible Golden Body would be of no use. Selling it would not only dispose of it but also earn some Silver Taels to exchange for Merit Points.
After much consideration, Shen Changqing immediately made a decision. "If I must reveal my identity, then so be it. Since the Martial Arts are my own, there is nothing disgraceful about them."
"Good." Such a response put Ji Qu completely at ease.
Then, he shifted the topic. "Even with an Outer Technique that serves as an entry to the Physical System, it wouldn’t be possible to gather enough Silver Taels to exchange for two thousand Merit Points. Martial Arts are just Martial Arts, after all. Whether one can grow to that stage depends on personal fortune, and the difficulty in cultivating Outer Techniques is great, so the price will accordingly be lower."
Ji Qu was very familiar with the black market rates. Just from his words, Shen Changqing could tell that the other party was a regular in the black market. However, he did not interrupt Ji Qu’s speech.
"Moreover, as I understand, members of the Martial Hall must hand over a Grandmaster Level Martial Arts every three years. Lord Shen, if you sell this Martial Arts, it would likely be impossible to submit it to the Martial Hall afterward."
"Why?" Shen Changqing’s brow furrowed.
According to his plan, he wanted to sell the Invincible Golden Body and then submit it to the Martial Hall later to pass the triennial assessment. If possible, he would have liked to sell the Martial Arts directly to the Demon-Subduing Division. Unfortunately, the Demon-Subduing Division had a plethora of Martial Arts and no option to buy or sell them.
"It’s simple. If Lord Shen’s Martial Arts are sold, it won’t take long for them to be recorded in the Demon-Subduing Division. You should know that the Martial Hall does not record the same Martial Arts twice," Ji Qu said with a light smile.
Upon hearing this, Shen Changqing gave him a deep look, his face revealing a meaningful smile. "Brother Ji seems to be quite familiar with the Martial Hall, doesn’t he?"
"Haha, after so many years in the Demon-Subduing Division, how could I not know a little about the Martial Hall? This is common knowledge to anyone who has cultivated in the Martial Hall. There’s no need for Lord Shen to overthink," Ji Qu laughed, lightly glossing over the matter.
Seeing this, Shen Changqing didn’t press the issue but changed the subject. "Then in Brother Ji’s opinion, what kind of price could an Outer Technique that serves as an entry to the Physical System fetch?"
"If it’s at auction, it starts at least at four hundred thousand Silver Taels. How much it goes up by will depend on the demand of the participants."
Four hundred thousand Silver Taels. Shen Changqing quietly calculated to himself. This amount was still roughly six hundred thousand Silver Taels short of the one million Silver Taels gap. He didn’t calculate by the standard of one Merit Point for four hundred Silver Taels; he estimated higher on purpose to ensure he was fully prepared.
Subsequently, Shen Changqing asked again, "Apart from Outer Techniques, what are the general prices for Martial Arts that lead directly to the Grandmaster Realm?"
"If it’s Inner Strength that leads directly to the Grandmaster Realm, the price would go up a bit, roughly between five hundred thousand to six hundred thousand Silver Taels. The ceiling is equally unpredictable. If it’s a Cultivation Technique that leads directly to True Intent, the price would be higher than an Outer Technique but not as much as Inner Strength," Ji Qu said gravely. "Although the Grandmaster Realm mainly concerns the Physical System and Spiritual System, entry into both systems is extremely difficult. For many Martial Artists, Inner Strength is the foundation of everything. If one has a powerful Inner Strength as their foundation, even without stepping into the two major systems, they can contend with average Grandmasters. Moreover, Inner Strength nurtures oneself, and a high-grade Inner Strength not only brings formidable power but also helps Martial Artists extend their lifespan. Since it is easier to get started with Inner Strength than the other two systems, it commands the highest price."
This explanation gave Shen Changqing a deep understanding of the black market’s rates.
Indeed, while the Grandmaster Realm is mainly about the two systems, powerful Inner Strength is even more sought after by the masses. To be honest, without the panel, he himself would also likely prioritize Inner Strength before supplementing it with the Spiritual System, and only then consider entering the Physical System—definitely not as now, with all three nearly advancing side by side.
"Then I understand, but I need to prepare the Martial Arts. I will seek you out again in half a month, Brother Ji, and then I hope you can take me to the black market." Shen Changqing drained the Spiritual Tea in his cup in one gulp.
Upon hearing this, Ji Qu smiled lightly and said, "Since Lord Shen has requested it, I naturally won’t refuse. In half a month, just come find me."