Chapter 2: The Black Market Merchant's Surprise

Ye Qi walked into St. Thomas Hospital on Lambeth Palace Road. He certainly didn't come here to see a doctor but to find a middleman in the black market, commonly known as a black market merchant. After all, even demon hunters are human and need to eat and sleep, which all require money. Generally, items obtained by demon hunters from missions cannot be sold openly, so handing them over to black market merchants is undoubtedly the most convenient and cost-effective method—Old Ward also has similar services, but he is even more ruthless than black market merchants. Therefore, demon hunters in this area usually find their own black market merchants to sell valuable items unrelated to their missions. They would only go to Old Ward as a last resort, to avoid being overcharged!

This time, Ye Qi didn't come here to exchange for money but to obtain some powerful weapons to deal with this high-difficulty mission. The saying "To do a job well, one must first sharpen one's tools" from his hometown was still fresh in his mind. After all, facing a C+ level mission, Ye Qi knew that relying solely on his M500 revolver would not be enough. Of course, it wouldn't be easy to exchange for powerful weapons from the black market merchant, even though Ye Qi had conducted several "pleasant" transactions with him.

Fortunately, in the underground garage earlier, besides the blood slave he had eliminated, Ye Qi found something quite good in the underground warehouse. Although he couldn't accurately identify the item's age due to his low appraisal skill, he could roughly estimate its value. After all, dark creatures like vampires, who consider themselves nobles, enjoy collecting art to showcase their noble status—even low-level blood slaves are no exception. Perhaps because he had been called a "vampire" for so long, the black market merchant Ye Qi was about to visit also developed a similar hobby—collecting art or antiques. Although Ye Qi often criticized the black market merchant's hobby, today he had to admit that it was a great advantage!

To avoid the two surveillance cameras at the hospital entrance and in the lobby, Ye Qi climbed up the main building's drainpipe to the second floor and then, without alarming the black market merchant's bodyguards, quietly entered the room at the corner.

"Hey, Mori!"

After entering, Ye Qi greeted a young man who was flipping through a magazine called "Drill" in the room. This young man named Mori was the black market merchant Ye Qi had come to visit. Although he was disheveled, bearded, and looked to be in his twenties, none of these things detracted from the fact that he was the black market merchant with the largest share in this area.

"Dear Ye, you'd better give me a good reason for being here. I remember my secretary didn't inform me of any appointments at this hour of the morning!" The black market merchant, who had been interrupted, looked very unhappy, put down his magazine, and stared directly at Ye Qi, who had just entered.

"Secretary? Do you mean the nurse outside who is on the phone with her boyfriend? I bet she's so immersed in love that she forgot about you, her great boss! Come on, don't be sad. Let's see what I've brought you. It will definitely cheer you up!"

As he spoke, Ye Qi placed the item he had been carrying on the bed—a gold ring inlaid with a ruby. Immediately, the previously lazy and unhappy Mori burst into action with a speed that surprised even Ye Qi, leaping from the sofa to the bed: "Oh! The red color is so enchanting, the touch is as irresistible as a maiden's skin. Oh! It's a piece from the Queen's era, how wonderful! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Ye Qi had become immune to the black market merchant's slightly neurotic behavior when it came to art after several transactions. He no longer reacted with surprise to his dramatic outbursts, just smiling slightly. However, this smile, though faint, was radiant. The black market merchant's two consecutive exclamations had already indicated the ring's absolute value, which was certainly a cause for joy for Ye Qi, who wanted to obtain weapons from him.

"Alright, Mori. If you can get me some firearms, this ring is yours. You can spend the whole night feeling its touch, as smooth as a maiden's skin!" Ye Qi waved his hand in front of Mori, who was still moaning while holding the ring, to get his attention. Mori was clearly annoyed again, looking at Ye Qi with disdain: "You crude man! Do you know what this is? It's art! It's the blossoming of the soul! What kind of firearms do you want?"

After a series of elaborate exclamations, the black market merchant, who had been calling Ye Qi crude, asked for his request. If it were anyone else, they would have been caught off guard by the black market merchant's sudden change. But Ye Qi remained calm and said: "One T2 submachine gun, ten clips of armor-piercing rounds; one 'Vulcan' Gatling gun, six thousand rounds; ten M72 grenades; ten flashbangs; one Viper rocket launcher, three rockets..."

"Good heavens! Ye, you terrifying man, are you planning to start a war?" Mori, holding the ring, shuddered at Ye Qi's list, almost dropping the ring, and immediately shook his head: "No! Impossible! The Vulcan, M72 grenades, and Viper are all military-controlled items. I can't get them for you! And this ring isn't worth that much!"

The last sentence was probably the key point, right?

Ye Qi, watching Mori wave his hands in denial, couldn't help but curl his lips. Although Mori was better than the ruthless Old Ward, he was only marginally better. If you looked closely, the difference in their consciences was only a few micrometers. According to Ye Qi's knowledge, local gangsters had obtained several Viper rocket launchers from Mori for revenge. If Mori really couldn't get them, how did those rocket launchers, which almost brought down a building, fall from the sky and just happen to be picked up by the gangsters?

Ye Qi understood the black market merchant's intentions all too well. It was nothing more than the age-old "ritual" or custom among merchants—bargaining, or haggling.

"Is that so? Maybe I should go to West Street and look for someone else!"

Before Mori could react, Ye Qi took the ring back from his hand and turned to leave.

West Street—the largest underground market in Ye Qi's area and several surrounding areas. There, money was everything. As long as you had enough money, someone would even be willing to assassinate a country's leader for you.

"Wait! Ye, let's talk more..."

As Ye Qi's hand touched the doorknob, Mori spoke up. Hearing Mori's voice, Ye Qi's lips curled into a slight smile. He then turned around with a full smile and said to the frowning Mori: "Sure, no problem. We can talk more..."

Half an hour later, the conversation ended. The smiles on both sides indicated that they had each achieved their goals.

Ye Qi was very satisfied. He had obtained all the weapons except the Vulcan and Viper rocket launcher. This already exceeded his expectations. Originally, he thought getting the T2 submachine gun and flashbangs would be good enough, but he unexpectedly received M72 grenades, which were powerful weapons. The M72, with a 15-meter radius of fragmentation, was known as the "infantry killer." Within this range, even a soldier as tough as Rambo would be turned into a sieve!

Especially since Mori had agreed to deliver the goods the next morning, which made Ye Qi even happier. After all, the level of his mission was too high, and early preparation was the best strategy, so the sooner, the better. Although from Mori's smile, Ye Qi could tell that the other party hadn't lost out and might even have gained an advantage, what did it matter?

Trade is a process of mutual benefit and satisfaction. As long as both parties are satisfied, the deal is done.

"I'll be waiting for you at the agreed location tomorrow morning... Mori, what's this?"

After the transaction was completed and he was about to leave, Ye Qi suddenly noticed a statue on the black market merchant's bedside table. It was a wolf-bodied, snake-tailed statue, about the size of a child's palm. The moment he saw the statue, Ye Qi felt his heart contract rapidly. He had a similar statue, which John had obtained after hunting a group of ghouls and then given to him as a birthday gift.

And this statue, which made Ye Qi so tense, was certainly not a simple object.

Magic Statue: Although rough and ugly, it is full of magic, a truly mysterious statue. Effect: +1 Strength.

"C-Class Mission: The Secret of the Statue. Investigate the secret of the statue in your possession."

Indeed, this seemingly rough and useless statue was both an item that could increase attributes and a quest item. Ignoring the quest that had always eluded Ye Qi, an item that could increase attributes was an extraordinary thing. John's magic dagger, which he later gave him, was also a magic item, but its effect was merely "increased damage against dark and negative energy creatures." Especially after Ye Qi discovered that the statue's attribute increase only worked for him, he treasured it even more.

If it weren't for the fact that others couldn't detect the statue's magic, Ye Qi would have long sought to identify whether it was a legendary holy artifact.

Holy artifacts, for demon hunters, were legendary items worth risking their lives for. The reason John, with his excellent skills, was only considered mid-level among demon hunters was because there were Apostles, Holy Artifact Bearers, and Holy Markers above the general demon hunters.

Apostles are those who can control earth, water, fire, wind, lightning, light, darkness, or alter themselves and induce illusions. They are classified by their specific abilities: Starlight, Moonlight, and Sunlight.

Holy Markers are those born with abilities far beyond ordinary people, much stronger than Apostles who awaken their powers later in life. How much stronger, Ye Qi didn't know, as most of his knowledge about Holy Markers came from John, Old Ward, or other demon hunters, and he had never seen one in person.

As for Holy Artifact Bearers, they are demon hunters who wield holy artifacts. The abilities of holy artifacts are more diverse than the control of elements by Apostles, and there are even legends of holy artifacts that can alter time and space. The power of holy artifacts is also divided into three levels: Starlight, Moonlight, and Sunlight. Although Ye Qi didn't know which level his magic statue would fall into, this didn't stop his desire to obtain another similar statue. After all, the attribute increase from the magic statue was too tempting—just one increase could represent a qualitative change in strength!

Therefore, the moment he saw the statue, feeling the faint magical fluctuations, Ye Qi decided to obtain it at any cost. However, he also knew the character of the statue's current owner. Even the slightest inappropriate expression would be seized upon by the other party to raise the price and overcharge him. So, despite his inner excitement, Ye Qi maintained a calm demeanor and asked casually.

"It's something my men brought back this morning, just an old thing! The carving is excellent, but I suspect it's laser-etched, so it's worthless! If you want it, one gold pence will do!" Mori, playing with the ring, didn't even look up as he answered casually.

"Since it's worthless, why ask for one gold pence? Let's consider this a memento of our pleasant transaction! Remember my goods tomorrow morning. If you play me, I'll make you pay! Good night!"

Ye Qi walked to the bedside table, picked up the statue, pretended to look at it casually, and then put it in his pocket. Instantly, a familiar coolness from the statue spread through his body, flowing throughout Ye Qi.

Magic Statue: Although rough and ugly, it is full of magic, a truly mysterious statue. Effect: +1 Agility.

Indeed, it increased attributes again!

Although the C-Class mission "The Secret of the Statue" still had no leads, it didn't dampen Ye Qi's joy. He glanced at his updated attribute bar, a hint of happiness in his eyes, and, without waiting for Mori to speak, began to talk about the previous transaction while smiling and saying goodbye.

After bidding farewell, the demon hunter waved to the black market merchant, walked to the window, and jumped out.

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End of Chapter 2

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