BXBX NOVEL Chapter 214 The Blind Bazaar
"Brother Ikasa, not good…"
Ikasa shut him up as soon as he started speaking. He motioned Xin Ruo to take Zhong Xi and the teens inside and led Sang Yi to his carriage. Sang Yi also noticed the bystanders and patiently held his tongue until they were sitting in his carriage.
Once Ikasa had made sure that there wasn't anyone listening in on them, he closed the curtains and windows of the carriage. Then he turned to Sang Yi and ordered with an indifferent expression.
"Now speak. What made you so anxious?"
Ikasa asked Sang Yi. Upon hearing the question, the scene of the Sage from the Mu Family meeting the Sage from the Su Family flashed in Sang Yi's head. The panic returned to his eyes and his pent up emotions began to spill.
"This morning, I saw the Sage from the Mu Family arrive at the Su Family's residence!"
Ikasa's heart skipped a beat but he did not let it show on his face.
With a calm voice, he asked, "So what?"
Ikasa's incessant calm annoyed Sang Yi while at the same time reduced his anxiety without his knowledge. When the question registered in his mind, Sang Yi was also left speechless, unsure of what he should answer.
A few breaths passed where Sang Yi simply stared at Ikasa with a dumbfounded look. During this time, his anxiousness had also faded by a good measure. Then he heard Ikasa ask another question.
"Did they display any hostility? Did they fight each other?"
Ikasa asked, still sounding calm but a hint of urgency had creeped into his voice.
Sang Yi was reassured to know that Ikasa was as serious about this as himself. He quickly began to recount the scene of the meeting of the two Chakra Sages.
"...The lady Chakra Sage did not immediately start cursing at him nor did she whip him with her Wood Energy Vines! That is as good as a friendly greeting for a member of the Mu Family!"
Sang Yi finished his long story without stopping for breath.
The more Ikasa heard, the more his eyebrows bunched together, forming a frown. He now understood why Sang Yi was so panicked. Even he himself began to grow worried since it seemed like his plan to get the Mu Family to target the Su Family had failed.
'I have left the Tyranny Sword back in Birch City. The only thing that can expose me and invite trouble is this Emerald Embedded Spatial Bracelet.'
Ikasa thought, rubbing the intricately carved accessory hidden under his sleeves. He was reluctant to give up a Spatial Storage that had the capacity of 5 cubic meters but he valued his life more than this material possession.
Making a resolve to get rid of the Bracelet, Ikasa turned to Sang Yi.
"You said the Blind Bazaar is the perfect place to get rid of the spoils from the rift, right?"
Sang Yi looked at Ikasa and carefully studied his calm eyes. He slowly nodded when he did not see fear or panic in them.
"Let's go. I have something I need to get rid of before it gets me in trouble."
Sang Yi wisely kept his questions to himself. He did not ask Ikasa anything more and instructed the coachman to take them to the Southeastern part of the City.
As the Carriage drawn by the Dual Horned Horse traveled on the Southern Street of Elm City, it began to draw the attention of the passersby.
Young and malnourished kids pointed at the horse with wonder while their mothers or guardians shushed them and dragged them into their rundown houses.
Ikasa saw the street full of pedestrians in shabby clothes become empty to make way for the carriage!
'The life of the commoners here is much worse than that of those in a Tier-3 City.'
Ikasa came to understand the truth as the ugly reality of a higher tier city was exposed to his eyes. The gap between the commoners and the cultivators was even more wide in this tier-2 City and it only made them more susceptible for oppression.
'The previous Ikasa had a goal to uplift these people. Since I have taken his place, I will do my best to help him achieve his goal.'
Ikasa made a resolve as he saw a boy with a few teeth missing smile and wave at the carriage. His upper body was bare and his ribs were showing. In this chilly weather, when he must've been cold and hungry, he had the courage to smile.
This smile gave Ikasa the courage to face what the Mu Family may have in store for him.
'If he can smile when nature itself is against him, why should I be worried about one Family?'
This thought may have been illogical but it helped to lessen the stress that was building up ever since he heard the news of the Chakra Sage from the Mu Family.
Ikasa smiled and gently closed the curtains of the carriage. Soon he heard Sang Yi speak.
"We are here."
The heir to the Nian Clan handed Ikasa a doupo and wore one himself. A thin veil of light covered up their appearance making them seem like ethereal figures to the onlookers. Ikasa was amazed by how wondrous the array masters were as he saw Sang Yi turn blurry and finally turn into an obscure figure after wearing the conical bamboo hat.
When the two got out of the carriage, Sang Yi pointed to a large shack in the distance and said, "That is the entrance to the Blind Bazaar."
The large shack was covered in a curtain of darkness despite the bright sun shining in the sky.
A man with a disfigured face juggled and twirled unsheathed curved daggers near the entrance. His bloodshot eyes may scare even the adults yet two kids were clapping and cheering as he performed a few tricks with the sharp weapons in his hands.
The entire situation seemed crazy in Ikasa's eyes.
As Sang Yi and Ikasa approached the entrance, the man paused with his tricks and his cold gaze scanned Ikasa and Sang Yi from head to toe. He recognized the doupo that was exclusively given to the Blind Bazaar Customers and extended his hand towards them.
Sang Yi immediately placed a small pouch of coins in the man's hands and said a single word, "Two."
The man nodded and opened the door for them. He seemed to have tapped on random points on the door but when Ikasa activated his Spiritual Vision, he saw that the door was covered in an array!
Ikasa and Sang Yi took a step into the dimly lit room.
He had a feeling as if he had walked into a bank as before him, there was a cashier's cabin. There was a small opening in the cabin while the other part was covered with impervious wood instead of glass.
Sang Yi approached the cabin and knocked on the counter top twice. A soft ethereal voice responded to the knocks as a question sounded in their ears.
"What would you like to sell, dear customer?"
A small circular array had lit up on the counter top where there was a small window in the barrier. Sang Yi motioned Ikasa to put the object he wanted to sell there.
Ikasa was doubtful of this establishment but he did as Sang Yi said and placed the Emerald Embedded Spatial Bracelet on the circular array.
As soon as Ikasa let go of the Bracelet, it levitated a few inches above the counter. The same soft voice began to appraise the Bracelet in a neutral tone.
"A Spatial Storage Device with 5 cubic meters of space. Shoddily crafted by a Master Blacksmith who is close to overcoming his limits."
The voice paused for a few minutes and presented two possible ways of payment.
"Would you like to barter or sell for gold coins?"