Chapter 1888: 526 Purgatory Black Market
Chapter 1888: 526 Purgatory Black Market
…
At the end of Dragon Castle’s secret passage lay a small mountain range in the western part of Blood Sand City.
Purgatory’s terrain was typically comprised of mountain ranges and hills, but seldom were there extensive mountains or high plateaus.
Since most demons naturally mastered some ability to fly,
the environment in Purgatory was not suitable for hiding.
Pursuers merely had to fly over the low mountaintops and the terrain below would be entirely exposed to view.
However, this mountain range was somewhat different.
As soon as Matthew emerged, he noticed a light green mist enveloping the mountaintops and valleys.
Within that thin mist,
grew a large number of green Devil Vines—
These Devil Vines possessed a certain self-awareness and quite basic predatory intelligence and were one of the unique species in Purgatory.
Of course, they posed no threat to Matthew and others.
Moreover, the growth of these purgatorial plants provided good cover for escapees.
Matthew speculated that these Devil Vines might have been planted by the ancestors of the Seistan family, with the purpose of further concealing the exit of the secret passage.
On the other hand,
some mutated Devil Vines had the effect of muffling sounds.
Thus, as they walked through the mist, they often couldn’t hear each other’s footsteps, as if walking in a soundless space.
Under such circumstances,
the sudden sound of footsteps stood out even more.
“It’s not demons; affected by the repulsion of Purgatory Space, demon footfalls would be much heavier.”
“It might be some lone demon…”
As this thought just flashed across Matthew’s mind,
the visitor had already leisurely appeared in front of them—
The newcomer was indeed alone.
He carried a huge parcel on his back, had a slightly hunched waist, and although tall, his demeanor exuded a sleazy quality.
Without a doubt,
this was a demon.
Aside from the unmistakable aura of Purgatory hitting them, his identity could be discerned from the two small horns protruding from his head.
The demon’s face was covered with a green mask, a red scarf wrapped around the back of his head, and his clothes were brown, with a black belt—
This colorful assortment rendered him somewhat comical.
Just as Matthew and the others were intently examining this sudden demon,
Sandrine’s face showed a hint of surprise and unease:
“Purgatory black merchant?”
Her voice was very soft, and although most of it was absorbed by the nearby Devil Vines, the demon twitched his ears as if he heard her clearly.
His eyes immediately widened:
“Wait, madam, are you implying that is slander?”
Sandrine immediately pursed her lips.
Matthew’s gaze shifted in her direction.
Through the medium of Lost Paradise, she began to introduce:
It turned out,
this demon before them was likely the legendary “Purgatory Black Merchant.”
This was a demon with a legendary reputation and an oddity among demons.
Legend had it that the Purgatory Black Merchant always traveled between the various planes of Nine Tier Purgatory, and only those of coincidental fate could encounter him to engage in trade.
Those who had traded with him claimed he carried many fine items, but they were outrageously expensive, and sometimes even a local Devil Lord could not meet the Merchant’s demands.
Most who had traded with the Black Merchant felt they had suffered losses, but they were helpless to do anything about it.
“If trading with him is not profitable, why must they trade with him?”
Matthew did not understand.
Sandrine glanced at the Purgatory Black Merchant and secretly explained in her heart:
“It’s because this demon is very skilled in curses!”
“His curse might be on the same level as the Lord of the Nine Hells, almost impossible to break!”
Matthew instantly understood.
“Some have refused to trade with the Purgatory Black Merchant, but their outcomes were all terrible…”
Sandrine quickly said:
“However, there are always ways to deal with things. From the information I’ve gathered, as long as you buy one item from the Black Merchant, even if he is dissatisfied, he is less likely to use his curses against you.”
Matthew nodded slightly.
“You two aren’t secretly speaking ill of me, are you?”
The Purgatory Black Merchant cheerfully set his huge package down on the ground and then said to the group:
“Come and see my goods, all top-quality, exchanged for Soul Coins.”
“You guys look quite prosperous; each of you should buy at least one item as support for a poor traveling merchant.”
“Praise the Blood River!”
Matthew approached to have a look.
Most of the items had their essence sealed, making it hard to identify with the naked eye, and perhaps even the Identification Skill could not readily deliver relevant information about them.
This was entirely like opening a blind box!
What’s worse,
the other party was actually suggesting settling the transaction using Soul Coins!
Although Matthew and his companions had some Soul Coins, their quantity was limited and could only cover the travel expenses to Barthor Purgatory.
Although Sandrine was the last authoritative figure of the Seistan Family, the family had declined for too many years, and their fortune was long gone.
And, as it happens, the price of these items or tools was extremely high.
Sandrine quickly calculated.
If each person purchased one item, the Soul Coins she had might be completely used up, and she would even need to use some of Matthew’s Soul Coins!
The extent of the unfairness of this transaction obviously exceeded the tolerance of any reasonable person.
“Take your time, look around; if you don’t have money at the moment, there’s no worries, I’m easy to talk to. Just write an IOU and pay it back slowly.”
The Purgatory Black Merchant continued to gleefully peddle his wares.