# Chapter 248: Dark Chaos God
Besides the Left Prime Minister's protégé, who else would have the audacity to directly call the Town Army Marquis by name?
"I will go invite the Town Army Marquis right now!"
The white-bearded old man quickly bowed to Zhang Ruochen, then walked out of the private room and dispatched a trusted subordinate to summon the Town Army Marquis.
Although the identity of that mysterious young man had not yet been confirmed, the Left Prime Minister was someone they absolutely could not afford to offend. Even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance, they had to immediately invite the Town Army Marquis.
Even if, worst case scenario, that mysterious young man really had issues, the Town Army Marquis was a Heavenly Extreme Realm martial arts myth—how powerful could a mere teenager be in front of him? What waves could he stir up?
Thus, inviting the Town Army Marquis now was definitely the wisest course of action.
While the white-bearded old man sent someone to summon the Town Army Marquis, Zhang Ruochen whispered something into Hua Buwei's ear. Upon hearing this, Hua Buwei's heart began to race wildly, and he stared at Zhang Ruochen in shock.
Zhang Ruochen nodded to him. "Go!"
Hua Buwei clenched his fists, then immediately left the Vermilion Bird Tower.
Once the Town Army Marquis arrived at the Vermilion Bird Tower, Zhang Ruochen planned to make his move immediately, eliminating the Town Army Marquis as quickly as possible and escaping the Black Market before its formations could be activated.
Since Zhang Ruochen intended to kill someone, he naturally had to let Hua Buwei leave first. Otherwise, once Zhang Ruochen escaped, wouldn't Hua Buwei be left with no way out?
To be safe, Zhang Ruochen also gave Hua Buwei an order: to mobilize all the forces of the Martial Market Bank within the Black Market and, at all costs, destroy the city-protecting grand formation of the Black Market.
As long as the city-protecting grand formation was broken, with Zhang Ruochen's strength, no one in the Black Market could stop him from leaving.
The main reason was that Zhang Ruochen was not entirely sure of the Town Army Marquis's true strength. He only knew that the Town Army Marquis's martial arts cultivation was at the initial stage of the Heavenly Extreme Realm. However, even within the initial stage of the Heavenly Extreme Realm, the gap could be quite large. No one knew exactly what level the Town Army Marquis had reached.
"With my strength, within a distance of ten zhang, if I launch a surprise attack, I have at least an eighty percent chance of killing the Town Army Marquis in one strike. If the first move fails to kill him, then I will inevitably fall into a bitter battle. By then, if the city-protecting grand formation of the Black Market is activated, it will be very disadvantageous for me."
"An eighty percent probability of killing a Heavenly Extreme Realm martial arts myth—definitely worth the gamble."
"If Hua Buwei can destroy the city-protecting grand formation of the Black Market, the chances of killing the Town Army Marquis will be even greater."
Elder Wei asked curiously, "Young Master Liu, what did you send Hua Buwei to do?"
Zhang Ruochen withdrew his thoughts, smiled, and appeared very composed. "To purchase a city naturally requires a large amount of silver coins. Do you think I carry that much silver on me? I sent him to withdraw a batch of earnest money. Elder Wei, rest assured—with the financial resources of the Left Prime Minister's residence, even buying ten cities would be just a drop in the bucket."
Elder Wei instinctively sensed something was off but didn't take it seriously. After all, this was the Black Market, and the Town Army Marquis was a Heavenly Extreme Realm martial arts myth—what could possibly go wrong?
Hua Buwei walked out the door, turned around, and took a deep look at the Vermilion Bird Tower, letting out a long breath. "He really is a big shot. The entire Black Market is probably about to be turned upside down. I'd better hurry and get to work!"
"Shua!"
Hua Buwei heard the sound of a sword's cry. Just as he turned around, he felt a bone-chilling cold at his neck. An icy jade sword pressed against his throat.
The cold emanating from the sword tip seemed capable of freezing the blood in his entire body.
Han Qiu stood opposite Hua Buwei, holding the translucent jade sword with one hand, her gaze sharp and icy. "You'd better not speak, or your head might leave your body. Come with me!"
Hua Buwei was intimidated by Han Qiu's imposing aura. He tensed up and nodded vigorously.
Han Qiu was dressed in neat blue men's clothing, her jet-black hair tied atop her head with a ribbon into a young master's bun.
She was already very beautiful, with exquisite features, red lips, and white teeth. In this outfit, she looked like a handsome young man.
Leading Hua Buwei into a small alley not far from the Vermilion Bird Tower, Han Qiu flicked her arm lightly, cutting a small wound on the skin of Hua Buwei's neck.
"Thud!" Hua Buwei fell to his knees, fumbled in his chest for a while, pulled out a handful of silver coins, and handed them to Han Qiu, crying out, "Sir, this is all I have! Please spare my life!"
Han Qiu frowned and looked at Hua Buwei with disdain. "Who said I want your money? I only have one question. If you can answer it, I might consider letting you live. Tell me, who is the young man wearing the metal mask who was walking with you?"
"I don't know," Hua Buwei said truthfully.
He really didn't know Zhang Ruochen's true identity, but he knew Zhang Ruochen was a big shot from the Martial Market Bank. However, he absolutely couldn't reveal that.
"You don't know?"
Han Qiu kicked Hua Buwei to the ground, pointing her jade sword at his face, her tone threatening. "Do you believe I can cripple your martial arts cultivation right now?"
"I believe it, I believe it... I'll tell you, I'll tell you..."
Hua Buwei's eyes darted around. He sat up from the ground and said, "Actually, he is... a protégé of the Left Prime Minister of the Thousand Water Commandery, named Liu Xin."
Hua Buwei naturally knew this identity was fake, so he unhesitatingly blurted it out.
"A protégé of the Left Prime Minister? If he were a protégé of the Left Prime Minister, why would he give me a feeling of déjà vu?" Han Qiu looked contemplative, not entirely believing Hua Buwei's words.
Sitting on the ground, Hua Buwei saw Han Qiu deep in thought and immediately seized the opportunity. He flipped up from the ground with agile movements and rushed out of the alley.
He still had to arrange people to destroy the Black Market's city-protecting grand formation. He had no time to waste here.
Although destroying the Black Market's city-protecting grand formation was almost an impossible task, he still had to try his best.
Han Qiu snorted coldly. "With your meager cultivation, you think you can escape from me? Stop right there!"
"Hua—"
Han Qiu extended her arm and struck out with a palm from a distance. A surge of dark true qi surged out, enveloping Hua Buwei, who had already fled ten meters away.
Hua Buwei felt as if he had fallen into an icy swamp. His speed slowed down more and more until he finally couldn't move at all. He stared at Han Qiu in shock, thinking to himself, Have I encountered a martial arts myth?
"Dark Chaos God!"
Han Qiu walked up to Hua Buwei, stared into his eyes, and activated a martial technique that could interfere with a martial artist's consciousness.
This technique was extremely bizarre and could only be cultivated by martial artists who had awakened a dark-type Divine Martial Mark.
"From now on, I ask, and you answer," Han Qiu said.
Strands of black true qi entered Hua Buwei's brow. Gradually, his eyes became dazed and vacant, like a puppet, and he nodded.
Han Qiu asked, "Who exactly is that young man wearing the metal mask?"
"I don't know," Hua Buwei shook his head.
Han Qiu's brows furrowed tightly, feeling somewhat disappointed. She continued, "How did you come to know him?"
Hua Buwei said, "Zhao Zhishi of the Martial Market Bank told me to bring him to the Black Market, saying he was an honored guest."
"The Martial Market Bank!"
Han Qiu's eyes lit up, showing a hint of joy. She had finally gotten some useful clues. "No wonder he gave me a familiar feeling. It seems he is likely a talented inner palace student of the Martial Market Bank."
Han Qiu continued to stare at Hua Buwei and asked, "Why did you leave the Vermilion Bird Tower? Where were you going?"
"Master Chen wants to kill the Town Army Marquis. He told me to mobilize all the forces of the Martial Market Bank in the Black Market and, at all costs, destroy the Black Market's city-protecting grand formation," Hua Buwei said.
"He actually wants to kill the Town Army Marquis in the Black Market? What audacity!" Han Qiu let out a cold, sardonic laugh, but then her expression turned serious.
Since he was an inner palace student of the Martial Market Bank, why would he want to kill the Town Army Marquis?
Han Qiu recalled that when the mysterious young man had obtained an account book in the underground secret chamber, he had said something to her. He had claimed that the Four Directions Commanderies were colluding with the Venom Spider Merchant Guild.
Han Qiu hadn't believed it at first, but upon learning that the mysterious young man intended to kill the Town Army Marquis in the Black Market, she couldn't help but feel suspicious.
Could the Four Directions Commanderies really be secretly colluding with the Venom Spider Merchant Guild?
Han Qiu asked, "Why did the Town Army Marquis come to the Black Market?"
Hua Buwei said, "The Town Army Marquis listed a city for sale with the Venom Spider Merchant Guild. Master Chen wanted to investigate the evidence of his collusion with them, so he pretended to be a protégé of the Left Prime Minister, planning to buy that city and lure the Town Army Marquis out."
Han Qiu was momentarily stunned. She stopped using the "Dark Chaos God" technique, tightly clenching her fingers, her gaze turning ice-cold. "Damn it! The Town Army Marquis actually dares to collude with the Venom Spider Merchant Guild, even daring to sell a city. What audacity!"
All along, the Four Directions Commanderies had been under the jurisdiction of the Cloud Terrace Sect Mansion, controlled by it.
Now, the Four Directions Commanderies were secretly cooperating with forces in the Black Market behind the Cloud Terrace Sect Mansion's back. If the Martial Market Bank found evidence and reported it to the Eastern Domain Saint King Mansion...
Would the Eastern Domain Saint King Mansion think that the Cloud Terrace Sect Mansion was collaborating with the Black Market?
This matter was no small thing, and that mysterious young man had already found evidence. He only needed to send the account book back to the Heavenly Demon Martial City.
How could this be remedied now?
Han Qiu had two paths to choose from: First, join forces with the Town Army Marquis to kill that mysterious young man, retrieve the account book, suppress the matter first, and then report it to the higher-ups of the Cloud Terrace Sect Mansion for them to handle.
Second, help that mysterious young man eliminate the Town Army Marquis, then go with him to the Heavenly Demon Martial City to explain the situation to the higher-ups of the Martial Market Bank—that only the Four Directions Commanderies had colluded with the Venom Spider Merchant Guild, and the Cloud Terrace Sect Mansion had nothing to do with it.
If she chose the first path, even if the Cloud Terrace Sect Mansion hadn't originally cooperated with the Black Market, it would be forced to continue cooperating, only going further and further down that path, sinking deeper and deeper.
Moreover, they were in the Black Market now. If she joined forces with the Town Army Marquis to kill Zhang Ruochen, the Town Army Marquis and the Black Market's experts might also kill her to silence her.
After continuous deliberation, weighing the pros and cons, Han Qiu ultimately chose the second path: to help Zhang Ruochen eliminate the Town Army Marquis.
"First, destroy the Black Market's city-protecting grand formation!" Han Qiu made up her mind.
Hua Buwei had already regained consciousness. His eyes widened as he stared at Han Qiu in shock, stammering, "You... you... I... what did I just say?"
"Nothing much!"
Han Qiu squinted her eyes, revealing a charming smile, and walked out of the alley without looking back, heading toward the formation tower of the Black Market.