Feng Ye and Anne made their way through the lower districts of the capital. They covered their faces with some linen and used a hooded cloak. This was just a precaution.The narrow alleys turned to covered corridors, then into vaulted tunnels beneath the city.
This was the underground market. Locals usually called it a variety of different names. Some refer to it as the lower alleys, others call it the unregulated markets.
This place didn't know sleep. It was active both day and night. There were no guards here, no emblems of noble houses or guilds. Just shadowy stalls, soft whispers, and eyes that tracked every step. Lanterns lit by enchanted embers hung from iron hooks. Most of the merchants wore veils or hoods. Some didn't bother hiding their identities. They were bold, dangerous types with nothing to fear.
Anne walked confidently through the winding paths of stalls and booths. She seemed to be very familiar with the area and definitely had been here multiple times.
"This place is off-grid," Anne said as they walked. "No guild approval, no taxes, no questions asked. The capital pretends it doesn't exist."
"Yet it thrives," Feng Ye noted, eyes scanning the shifting crowds.
Feng Ye followed just a half-step behind her, scanning each face, each item, each whispered conversation.
"Like all useful evils do," Anne replied.
"Don't ask unless you're willing to buy," Anne muttered in a quiet voice so that only Feng Ye could hear. "And never ask a vendor here where they got their wares."
"Noted," Feng Ye replied.
They passed by numerous stalls. Each were in a variety of different conditions and sold a a variety of different equipment, ingredients, trinkets, potions, and the like. If one was new here, it would be hard to know which stalls were legitimate and which ones were scams. It took experience to navigate and identify reputable stalls. It required even more experience to determine if what you are looking to buy was of a fair price as well.
After passing by several stalls, they stopped at a well furnished stall run by a tall man with six earrings and a lizard like eye. Spread out on his stall were numerous daggers. The walls of his stall also had daggers showcased everywhere.
Anne pointed at the shelf. "You'll want something light, enchanted, and sharp enough to cut. Pick two. This is a reputable shop and pretty fair value."
Feng Ye examined the options in silence. He eventually settled for two darkened blade daggers. They were thin, sleek, with runes etched near the hilt. Both of these were significantly lighter than the daggers he had previously. He could feel magical energy surging through it. It was not as thick as his previous daggers, but still very sturdy. If things went south, he also had the brass knuckles and finally the red blade. He should be plenty equipped. He nodded at Anne.
The tall merchant grinned. "A good eye. This one is of bloodsteel core. Light weight and spell threaded. I'll give you a slight discount if you get the set."
"Done deal," Anne replied. She tossed a small pouch of beast cores onto the table. "Pack this up for me."
The merchant received the pouch and nodded. "Sure thing." He slid the daggers into a box and pushed it towards Feng Ye.
Anne led him deeper in. They made several more stops at a variety of stalls. Anne purchased numerous runes, potions, barrier rings, and more.
Some products the stalls present got more odd. Illegal spellbooks, janky talismans, questionable ingredients. They passed by an area which had many of these. The stalls here contained forbidden goods such as soul-etched tokens, soul harvesters, parasite taming flutes, and many other odd and eerie goods.
A few moments later, they turned a corner and Feng Ye was greeted with a strange scent.
The slave market.
Feng Ye's gaze stopped at the bustling market. Dozens of cages could be seen nearby. A variety of races were held some beasts, humans, and other species. Few were unconscious, others stared blankly. They were marked on their arms and bound by shackles. At their necks, a collar that pulsated with runes could be seen.
Anne followed his gaze. Her expression was solemn. She gave Feng Ye a slight nudge at the back.
"Not our mission today," she said quietly. "Don't look too long, you'll only get angry."
Feng Ye nodded, but the scene stayed with him. As a guy from a modern era, the concept of slaves in this manner was basically non existent in a first world country. There were always wage slaves, however, the direct primitive slave was a foreign concept that only lived in history books.
Eventually, they reached a secluded corner where an old woman with numerous potions sat. Anne walked directly up to the woman.
"I need six consumption barrier rings. High grade, lasts a minimum of thirty minutes under direct attack."
The woman cackled and slid a box across the table. "You're planning to survive something nasty, aren't you? These are getting popular lately."
Anne's expression remained neutral. "Always."
After storing the items away and making a payment with beast cores, Anne went over to another stall a few stalls over.
She scanned numerous trinkets, and products which seemed to have no use until her gaze landed on a small capsule looking device. "This is it. I'll take the rune capsule."
After purchasing this, Feng Ye asked her curiously in a quiet voice. "What's this for?"
Anne replied in a soft voice. "This is for an emergency. It's a consumable that enables me to store up to five spells within it. On command, I can make all spells immediately take effect. It saves time as we don't need to chant or build up mana."
Feng Ye nodded with understanding. "So, you can store explosive spells within?"
Anne nodded and grinned. "Seems like you figured it out. You are right. In the worst case, we have this for contingency. The barrier from the consumption rings should be able to withstand this."
"Wouldn't that be a large explosion affecting the nobles?"
"In life or death, only the party member's lives matter," Anne replied coldly. "The lives of nobles and of this political charade mean nothing to me"
Feng Ye nodded again. "Okay. Sounds good. I think it's a good contingency plan. Hopefully, we aren't pushed to use it." He understood that this would essentially bomb the entire banquet. It was purely a last resort when all else had failed.
Anne then leaned closer to Feng Ye and whispered. "By the way, you should store this in your inventory. The others we will keep on our body, but if needed, don't hesitate. Once this is out, no one besides our party will know your status."
Feng Ye replied quietly. "Thanks for your concern. No problem, if I need to expose my status, I'll have to anyway. Exposition and being alive is better than being dead." He took the capsule. Once they reached a secluded corner, he put it into his inventory.
Anne looked at his movement with envious eyes. "So convenient, I wish I had that."
"Let's head back." Anne led the way to the exit. However, as they passed by, someone whispered.
"Diviner's awake today. She's taking appointments."
Feng Ye and Anne who just passed by picked this up.
"Change of plans Ye Feng. We'll be heading over for a quick session." She pulled Feng Ye's sleeve and turned towards another alleyway.